I have been debating again trying to contact the woman in Baytown, Texas who had been married to my birth father. The last letters I sent were returned because I wasn’t using her trailer number. As you may remember, I managed to get a couple of letters to her because I had received a late night phone message. I have attempted to call her back on numerous occasions but had no response.
For some reason, I looked her up again yesterday and her trailer number is now appearing with her address. I am not sure how (or if) I should proceed…
In my past research, I had “googled” her address and found page after page of information. Police reports, letters to editors with complaints about the conditions in this particular trailer park, and it just goes on and on. Apparently, this park is the Baytown epicenter of some pretty serious drug dealing, fighting and public intoxication arrests. I am also curious what exactly “financial irresponsibility” entails and how you can be arrested for that. Is that similar to vagrancy?
While I find it slightly frightening, I am also completely intrigued. This morning I thought of calling the Baytown police to try to get more information on the park itself. I think if I explained why I was interested, they might be helpful. Or maybe not. I do realize Texas is a very different place then Massachusetts.
“It was a hard land, and it bred hard men to hard ways.” — Louis L’Amour
From what I can gather, Baytown is the heart of oil country which would explain why my biological father was there. My other concern is how things were left when he headed down to Austin. She is still using his last name and I can’t find any record of a divorce.
I am also hesitant after my experiences with the rest of his family. I am delving into a lot of ”bad dirt” and it has blown up on me in the past.
I need to decide if learning about his later life is worth getting involved. How far should I go?
June 25, 2008 at 8:36 pm
I don’t know, it sounds like this woman lives a somewhat sad life, she hasn’t moved on from you father (keeping his last name), perhaps hearing from you would be good for her, on the other hand she could look at it as an intrusion, whatever the outcome…
You’ll regret it if you don’t at least see what happens. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. My take on it anyway.
June 26, 2008 at 9:43 am
Texas is way different than Massachusetts, especially south Texas. (I have lived in both places.) Austin is great IMO.
The big difference in the two states is that it is relatively warm year round in south TX so you have an ability to live a subsistence life, hence rundown trailer parks. In MA you would freeze to death.
I would go for it, it is a part of your history. But be warned, you probably have a Yankee accent and that would be noted!
June 27, 2008 at 12:26 pm
Dan: Your inquisitivness has brought you so far and as you say some has been good and some bad.
I somewhat think that she has lived low key and who knows what subsidies she receives which is why she may be afraid to answer you. More importantly, what condition is she in?
Then again, you have come this far! You need to know the rest go for it. Be prepared and forewarned. I remember gettting this far and it wasnt very nice. I can still smell the stench of old wood floors, alcohol and candles for light and sadly they can never dig themselves out of it.
You can only draw strength from all of this.
June 28, 2008 at 6:57 am
Wow, joyceregina. You totally peaked my interest! I would love to hear more about the candles, etc.
June 28, 2008 at 1:26 pm
at last…
It is not pretty. If you remember a long time ago I started a blog and I got so upset it kept me up at night. I had to stop.
It was a dark, cold place when I visited them. I was 8 yrs old and I never forgot it.
Lets say, The measure of time waits for no one. If you were fortunate to see a gold ring, hang on. If not, then you settle for the rest of your life. It sounds like her best is the trailer and thats all there is. Yes, you can read by candlelight, get heat from an open oven if the gas is ON. If not the bar BQ can supply heat to. No matter how poor there was always plenty of beer.
I wonder if his name is still on the trailer?