L’Epilogue to Died Twice!: Yet Still Very Much Alive and Kicking...!!!

By Bernard D. Shapiro

After publishing Died Twice in 2012, Bernard belatedly realized that he had neglected to include additional multiple life teaching experiences that were “hidden in the crevices of his mind” or in a few instances, purposely omitted from his life’s saga.

Now in 2018, he has determined they should all be added to his original unauthorized autobiographical ramblings… that continue to be quasi articulate.

In addition to those twenty or so earlier overlooked memories, he devotes the last chapters of the l’ epilogue to his relationship with his French Femme Fatale…, aka The Paris Pistol, or just plain Catherine.

Unlike the original Died Twice, l’ epilogue is lighter, and “happier,” as it is essentially devoid of any additional personal tragedies or ultra sad experiences…. just a lot of fun and mystical instances…which he hopes his children, grandchildren and maybe even some friends will enjoy…

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Mar 10, 2023
• ISBN: 9781669867470

Book preview

l’epilogue

to

DIED TWICE!

YET STILL VERY MUCH ALIVE AND KICKING...!!!

2018

An additional compilation of quasi articulate

unauthorized autobiographical ramblings.

BERNARD D. SHAPIRO

Copyright © 2023 by Bernard D. Shapiro. 851211

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced

or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or

mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any

information storage and retrieval system, without permission

in writing from the copyright owner.

Xlibris

844-714-8691

www.Xlibris.com

Rev. date:  04/10/2023

CONTENTS

Dedication

Introduction

The Magician  1941/42

The Scalp Job   1943

The Orange Juice In The Face Almost!!!   1945

The Trading Card Caper   1946

Losing The Anchor   1949

The Working Boy   1945-1956

The Gambler   1945- !!!!

Thrown Overboard Circa   1949

Gryphon----From Day One   1953-57

Bernie’s Cars....   1954-2018

Cheating At Clark University   1957

My First European Trip Circa  1962

In The Army With My Friend Ira Fenster   1962-1963

Running Out Of Gas On The Lauren B  1975

A Unique Pool Design And Locaton Circa  1975

Counterfeiting At Les Bernard  1978

Labor Unrest At Les Bernard  1979/80

A Penny For Your Thoughts @ Les Bernard  1981-82

Poker As An Adult  1973-2018

Turning Around A Business and Losing A Friend:  2001

Joanna & Larry Lesser......... The St. Martin Connection  1995-2018

The Ardith & Charles Mederrick... St Martin Connection  2003-2018

St. Martin..... Ocean Beach Rescue circa  2004

The Costa Rica Saga  2007-20??

Spirituality Vs Reality  2011

Blair The Shaman

The Last Quadrant Re Visited  2018-???

Just Plain Catherine

Catherine Exposed  1943-2018

Culture Meets Beach Bum  2011-2018

Regrets & Blessings

The Next Generation

Dropping Of The Pants

DEDICATION

Whenever I choose to write about my life, it will always be dedicated to my only son Marc Jeffrey Shapiro, who turned fifty six on November 30th, 2018.

My heart goes out to him every day of my life as he has remained both mentally and physically disabled for over fifty one years.

He was never able to move on after his tragic accident, and I have been asked many times how I have managed to carry on since then.

I respond that I have survived by adhering to a paraphrase of the Serenity Prayer first spoken by theologian Reinhold Niebuhr circa 1934.

GOD

Grant me the courage and serenity to accept the things I cannot change

The strength to change the things I can

And the wisdom to know the difference

Amen

1.jpg

Marc Jeffrey Shapiro-September 1967

INTRODUCTION

S hortly after Laura passed on April 29, 2010, for some unknown reason, I sat down and started writing my unauthoriz ed autobiography. Working strictly from memory with absolutely no notes, I recounted numerous life stories, some sad, some serious, but many light and humorous.

I finally self published "Died Twice in 2013 and thought I had put to paper all of the funny & sad personal incidences I recalled, but in the ensuing five years, other stories have surfaced from the crevices of my mind, with some prompted by remarks made by friends which jogged my memory, some previously that were purposefully omitted from the original ramblings, and some as a result of things that I experienced in the last quadrant 2010--?????"

So here I am again, just after my eighty second birthday, finding myself stationed at the computer, putting on to paper those additional overlooked stories that kind of define who I am, and how I got to where I am.

Fortunately, these last years have been devoid of any additional life changing personal tragedies, but I did lose three of my closest friends, Randy Jones, Larry Lesser, & Charles Mederrick, which has left me with almost no contemporary male friends. I miss them a ton, but I do keep in touch with their widows, Sue, Joanna, and Ardith to see how they are doing, as they are a connection to my departed buddies.

I have chosen the easier way to tell the stories by not going back and trying to insert them into proper chronological order into the original "Died Twice," but rather to tell them now in the order in which they happened, and if interested you can go back and view them in their proper sequence in the compilation of my earlier ramblings., but what for???, as they are all just stand alone snippets from my life long saga.

Again, I have decided to document these additional twenty or so true stories, for my daughters, grand children, and any friends that may choose to read them.

Once again, I am personally accountable for any typographical or grammatical errors as I continue to edit my own story. Hopefully they will be few, and you as the reader can continue to overlook them, and concentrate on the narrative instead.

When I wrote the last chapter in the original version, I titled it The Last Quadrant 2010-?????. So now it will read The Last Quadrant 2018-?????

But first comes the newly remembered stories from my life. Here goes!!!!

THE MAGICIAN  1941/42

I could not have been more than five or six when my parents had a rental bungalow in Far Rockaway Queens, (Edgemere) I think on Beach 39 th St.????? I distinctly remember that we were not exactly on the beach, but rather one house removed which was close enough indeed.

I can recall the ice man coming every day (or was it every other day ?) walking up the steps, as the bungalow was on stilts, with a large cake of ice encased in his tongs which he placed inside the top of the refrigerator (oops I guess it was really an ice box back then) and I was allowed (under supervision) to chop the ice.

I slept on the second floor, but have no recollection of any stair case so I assume I just floated down to the kitchen when I awoke for the day.

I remember I was allowed to venture on to the beach alone to wade in the dormant pools of water that accumulated from high tide or the rain, but I was certainly not allowed unaccompanied near the ocean.

I was at that tender age a wannabe magician and I performed on Saturday mornings in our neighbor’s driveway across the street. (I guess we did not have a driveway) I hung a curtain and invited all the kids on the block to attend for a fee of 2 cents.

The show started when I emerged from behind the curtain (a bed sheet) and began with some rudimentary tricks including a trick pitcher which enabled me to pour milk into a cup, but then make the milk magically disappear from the cup. It was an amazing feat for a five year old to perform, and I do believe I ordered the pitcher from a magic book (or from the last page of a comic book), and it made me appear as a super star at that early age.

I then proceeded with some card tricks and ended up by sawing my young girl friend in half. Just joking!!!!! The kids all loved it and I ended up making about 12 cents as I must have had six attendees.

So does that qualify me as budding entrepreneur at age five?

Obviously I was a bit of a showman then, but certainly my outgoing personality was hidden for the next twenty or so years until I emerged as a founder of Les Bernard, and had to burst forth from my cocoon in order to create and promote my jewelry and run a successful fashion business.

Friends who know me now scoff when I refer to myself as shy, but trust me, although I am much more gregarious now, and certainly uncorked like vintage wine since Laura passed, I still do not like to stand out from the crowd, but I think that is changing as I get older and wiser.

THE SCALP JOB   1943

C irca 1943, my folks took me into the city I think to the Roxy or Radio City Music Hall; one of the two. On the way home to Forest Hills (really Rego Park) my dad hoisted me up in the train without noticing we were standing under a working metal fan. (no AC back then)

Thankfully, just as my scalp was being skimmed by the metal fan blades, my dad realized it and quickly lowered me, but the slight damage had been done and I was bleeding a smidge. Nothing really life threatening but it was indeed a scary incident.

Many of my friends blame my current mental state on that scalping but the truth is, it was minor compared to what it could have been if my dad had hoisted me an inch higher. Gulp!!!!

A near miss is as good as a mile.

THE ORANGE JUICE "IN THE

FACE" ALMOST!!!   1945

I was nine, and I remember I was a fairly good eater as I was a little on the chunky side and my nickname back then was Shaplopo, so I guess my friends all considered me a fatso, but Barney’s in NYC listed me as a customer of the HUSKY shop and I accepted that euphemism.

One day at breakfast, before heading out to school, my mom served me some freshly squeezed orange juice that she had just made with a lot of effort on her manual squeezer.

I just wasn’t in the mood for the juice which I refused to drink and my