North Florida Writer
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Life Around Us
  • Contact
  • MY BOOK PAGE

THE NOTE IN THE BOTTLE: Who, What, When, Where and Why?

7/18/2019

0 Comments

 
Picture
What does it say and who wrote it and why?
As a young boy spending my glorious  "Summers at Old Nags Head," on a slow day when everyone was tied up with other things, I often would just  walk on the beach and observe things and look for anything unusual that washed up on the beach.  After a storm like a nor'easter, it was a great time for finding beautiful and unusual shells, unusual pieces of driftwood to paint and decorate and, on a rare occasion, a bottle with a note in it.  The bottle shown above is just an example of one, but in 1954, at age seven, I found such a bottle that looked old and yes, it contained a note.  I took the bottle to Mr. Harris at the grocery story for I thought he might tell me how old the bottle might be and he did just that. He looked at it carefully and said it was probably at least fifty years old.

On the mile long walk back to our cottage from the beach, I thought about what story the bottle told.  Maybe it was a sailor on a merchantman that ran aground on the sandy shoals in a storm and he didn't think he was going to make it home. So, he wrote a note to his wife telling her goodbye.  Or perhaps, should it be older, it could have been the Captain of a schooner caught by pirates who let him write a note to his dearly beloved before forcing him to walk the plank.  It could have been many things, but the more I thought about it, the more I thought I would leave it untouched.  That way it would allow my imagination to wander and create different stories about what that bottle and its content mean.

Arriving back home, my big sister was the only one there and I just told her I was back and I was going next door.  My retired Coast Guard officer neighbor. Mr. Culpepper, was sitting on his patio before the heat would rise and I thought he could tell me more.  He knew the Atlantic like the back of his palm and I was hoping he would add some more information about my find in addition to what Mr. Harris told me.  He waved as I walked up and asked what I had in my hand.

"It's a bottle with a note in it, Commander," I said, "and I thought you might be able to tell me where you think it might have come from. It was in the edge of the water so it must have washed up after yesterday's nor'easter."

This kind and smart man took the bottle and slowly turned it around, looking at the bottom and the wax sealed cork at the neck and asked me if I wanted him to open it and pull out the note.   I told him no, that perhaps I could change my mind someday, but I thought leaving it as is would stir my creativity.  You see, I already had interest in writing stories and the Commander was the source of many that I tried to make notes about for later.  He continued to look at the bottle and ponder, then he scratched his head and looked at me and began to talk.

"I'm no bottle maker, Son," he opened, "but I believe this one is from Europe originally. Perhaps it's Spanish because it has an M on the bottom which could be for Madrid, but whether it is or not  I am pretty certain it is from Europe since the neck is different from ours and it is also heavier. I also would bet it's between fifty and one hundred years old because by then they had mastered more of a mass production than they had earlier.  It likely was used for wine. Now, I don't want you to go thinking that means it floated all the way from Europe because that's nearly impossible. But it could have been from Cuba and was picked up by the Gulf Stream, then blown ashore in a storm. It's as good a bet as any.  Hope that gives you some ideas and if you decide to open it, the added wax will make it tricky so bring it to me and I could do it without breakage."

Well, I took it back home with me to Virginia and never opened it.  But it did allow my imagination to run wild and free and it did inspire me for a couple of essays that I had to write later. When I left for college, it was on my dresser but when Mom decided to give up the big house and go smaller, it disappeared.  So I wonder to this day what the message could be.  Mom was always a little more skeptical, saying that probably a little boy like me down the beach had thrown it in the ocean and it drifted up the beach to me.  I still cling to the notion that it was something more dramatic and later, when married with two little children I had a similar experience that told me I should have opened the bottle.

My mother-in-law had an antique desk that she was having appraised.  The appraiser told her in advance to empty it out so he could examine it completely to be accurate.  As I took out one of the drawers and emptied it, I found a false bottom in the drawer and lifted it. There underneath was a letter, aged and folded, and I carefully opened it and read it.  It was written by a soldier for the Confederacy, sick with dysentery in the swamps between Richmond and Williamsburg defending Richmond from the advancing union forces. His letter was written in April 1862 and he was telling his sweetheart that he might not make it home to York County from the war, that he was fearful of death. I gave it to my mother-in-law who also read it and she would have the appraiser look at it, too. When he did, he said it was authentic, judging from the age and wear of the paper and the style of writing and choice of words by the soldier.

Wow, I thought.  I guess I really messed up with that bottle. But then I remembered, that bottle is what got me interested in writing and had it not been for the way I dealt with it, even today I would probably never have opted to be a writer in my later years.  At least it gives me something to think about and perhaps I better write the story of what I hoped it represented. Isn't it amazing how one small event can stick with you for life?




0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    ABOUT ME

    Hi, I'm James, a writer who studies nature,  animals and all things created by God. I also write from time to time about what I think God expects of us.  I would love to hear your thoughts on these subjects. I hope you enjoy my comments.

    Archive

    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012

    Picture

    Categories

    All
    America
    American Sports
    Animals
    Armed Forces Day
    Conservatism
    Doctorpatient0717615167
    Elections-2016
    Florida
    Florida-politics
    Freedom
    Freedom-of-speech
    Geese
    God
    Gods Glory0546cd6883
    Health Care
    Honor
    Integrity
    Jesus Christ
    Koch-brothers
    Leisure-time
    Love
    Military
    Nature
    Primaries
    Proverbs
    Safety
    Savior
    The Future
    Top-political-donors-list
    Tyrannical-government

    RSS Feed

Thanks for contacting northfloridawriter.com.
Photos used under Creative Commons from Arian Zwegers, trvlto, thomas pix, taberandrew, Justin A. Wilcox, Glyn Lowe Photoworks, ckay, phalinn, curtis palmer, bnpositive, oddsock, HooLengSiong, jespahjoy, illustir, ljlphotography, Out at Bob's, The Labour Party, ljlphotography, Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com, eli.pousson, JasonParis, Fibonacci Blue, wht_wolf9653, bsabarnowl, ` TheDreamSky, Ken_Hoffman, dsearls, NCinDC, James Byrum, DonkeyHotey, Waiting For The Word, cliff1066™, possan, dpape, David Holt London, akeg, Waiting For The Word, Glyn Lowe Photoworks, MilitaryHealth, yukali, infomatique, goforchris, cliff1066™, Wootang01, dctim1, Donald Lee Pardue, LizMarie_AK, campdarby, CedarBendDrive, bill85704, faeparsons, TMAB2003, cliff1066™, Rennett Stowe, KOMUnews, cliff1066™, chris.huggins, USDAgov, mat_walker, gruntzooki, DonkeyHotey, ljlphotography, Elvert Barnes, Paulsasleepwalker, facebook.com/snapshotsofthepast, foto3116, Miller_Center, digitonin, BostonCatholic, Watt_Dabney, jepoirrier, EpicFireworks, derekskey, cletch, DonkeyHotey, KOMUnews, DonkeyHotey, ravensong75, Alan Cleaver, Francisco Diez, hermmermferm, cod_gabriel, Marxchivist, Fibonacci Blue, dbgg1979, “Caveman Chuck” Coker, David Barrie, rjs1322, Just Another Wretch, Keith Laverack, Waiting For The Word, whoohoo120, AFS-USA Intercultural Programs, Brett Jordan, yisris, Michael Hodge, Waiting For The Word, MilitaryHealth, doceggman, AlmazUK, taberandrew, cliff1066™, krossbow, shinya, The Jewish Agency for Israel, kudumomo, “Caveman Chuck” Coker, cliff1066™, johntrainor, emilio labrador, cliff1066™, EraPhernalia Vintage . . . (playin' hook-y ;o), **emmar**, Mrs. Gemstone, Andrea Westmoreland, Jeff Kern, Waiting For The Word, Abdulsalam Haykal, Donald Lee Pardue, roberthuffstutter, Dougtone, b1mbo, DonkeyHotey, paularps, kaatjevervoort, Simon Davison, BONGURI, Marion Doss, ex_magician, Bergfels, Brett Jordan, Tim Evanson, Art4TheGlryOfGod, Jeff Kubina, sskennel, DonkeyHotey, VirtKitty, Rodrigo_Soldon, resistealeau, MilitaryHealth, edalisse, Mervi Eskelinen aka tasselflower, Kaz Andrew, nitram242, Andrew Aliferis, uitdragerij, Paul J Everett, Joe Shlabotnik, Jeffrey, Harry Thomas Photography, Tim Evanson, U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service - Northeast Region, Ron Cogswell, Nationalmuseet, escapedtowisconsin, Michael Cory, DonkeyHotey, timsamoff, mrbillt6, bnilsen, themonnie, valeehill, dichohecho, Waiting For The Word, technochick, cliff1066™, RTD Photography, Randy Wick, Enokson, Rising Damp, DonkeyHotey, Waiting For The Word, SteveNakatani, Fovea Centralis, Dru Bloomfield - At Home in Scottsdale, lisaclarke, Mulad, Roswell_UMC, Bengt Nyman, U.S. Embassy New Delhi, FreedomHouse2, SuperFantastic, Rory Finneren, Alaskan Dude, Larry1732, Mr. T in DC, ikewinski, Ivy Dawned, RLHyde, Waiting For The Word, heartajack, dyogi, dailymatador, David Paul Ohmer, Pleuntje, Leonard Bentley, midwestnerd, Donald Lee Pardue, DonkeyHotey, Oli-Oviyan, PatrikWalde, flamesworddragon, The U.S. Army, Zach Heller Photography, DonkeyHotey, EvinDC, Marine Corps Archives & Special Collections, Ronnie Macdonald, Gerry Dincher, The U.S. Army, Jeff Belmonte, DonkeyHotey, Texas Military Forces, jim.greenhill, Ben Sutherland, the Original Jeff Martin, Loz Flowers, CBP Photography, spbpda, OCVA, Hot Rod Homepage, brianholsclaw, dozodomo, quinn.anya, KOMUnews, wtstoffs, Leo Newball, Jr., lilli2de, dmott9, Justin A. Wilcox, sören2013, boboroshi, newagecrap, CoreBurn, simminch, ninahale, EvinDC, Mister Awesome, HeyRocker, beggs, Donald Lee Pardue