The True Book of Mostly Unrelated Stories

The Challenge of it All
by John Mooy

   I find it interesting, difficult and challenging to create in words the thoughts that might make a newspaper column interesting and worth reading. But in this column, I’m going to reveal a part of the secret. It’s really quite simple but has been used by writers, filmmakers, marketing gurus and anyone else who is attempting to connect with their “audience.”

   I often listen to people tell their stories and while listening see if in some way I might be able to connect with their story. The most successful of those individuals who connect with their audience have put thought in just exactly how they might do this. Stories connect people often based upon our own interests.  

   Let me give you an obscure example which may give you the reader an Ah-HA moment. Do your recall a gentleman from Marcellus by the name of Gene Stratton? Many of you do. He attended Marcellus schools back in the 1950’s [MHS CLass of 1957]. I was a fan of Genes. Even though he was older than me I had a connection with him. Right down at the end of the street that I lived on, which was Elm Street, was the baseball field. As a little kid I loved baseball. When the varsity team played games at the field, I would always go down to watch the games. One of the individuals on the Wildcat team was a catcher who wore all of that equipment, chest protector, shin guards, mask and a round catcher’s mitt. The catcher was Gene Stratton and as I watched him, I was amazed at how he could catch the ball in his stance behind the plate and not be bothered by the swing of the bat which was mere inches from his catcher’s mitt. The other thing I liked was that Gene would talk to me after their games. Maybe it was just to say, “Hi,” but he spoke to me. Gene took part in my life story, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. About the only other thing I know about Gene was he gave back to the community by serving as a volunteer fireman. Gene was married to a lady named Vonnie (I think that was her name) and she was nice to me as well.

   I’ll bet there are readers of this story who have an admiration for Gene as he perhaps came to your house during a time of duress, perhaps your house was on fire. You were glad to see Gene and his teammates of the fire department show up. More story connections.

   This is in part why I so enjoy Marcellus.  If I were to market Marcellus I might say, Great Place, Great People, Great Stories. Marketing, if it’s well done, usually gives you information in small bites. But the telling of a story usually requires more detail if it’s well told or well written. I orally tell one of my favorite stories about a man from Marcellus………………although not really. He was very slender, wore an engineer’s cap, wire-rimmed glasses, bib overalls tucked into some deep black rubber boots. As I recall he spoke rather slowly.  He was from Wakelee and his name was…………………..Bill Huyck. Remember him? He ran a general store. He was a character. My connection to Bill was that he was on Dad’s mail route. Stories are the great connectors. They are the catalyst for conversing. And I make the point that in this fast-paced world we live in we don’t seem to have time to share our stories.

   So, for me to write this weekly column for the only newspaper in the world that cares about Marcellus is really not a problem. I only wish I had the ability to ask some of our friends who are no longer with us many of my unanswered questions. But that’s always a result of the passage of time.

   Just the other day I was wondering why the drinking fountain was on the main corner of Main Street. It was in front of Chet’s Citi Service, which is now gone as well. I wonder if the community tired of us on warm summer days being able to spray our friends from the fountain as carloads of our friends passed by. II guess I’ll never know…  

Have a great week, Marcellus.
You’re the best.  We’re all pulling for Michigan
to win the National Championship as Marcellus is
connected to the BIG game.