The Chapel Hill weekly., 1957-09-20
Now and Then
By Bill Prouty

r.a. took in. Mama used 10 tell Us about an absent
aded relative q from somewhere down in Texas
man named Yancey recall ah0 had them all stood up
Uncle Yancey, we-to-do lunberman, would
hitch has two fine horses blackboard and take of
bright and earl for town Some Is or 20 miles distant
for little recreation. Thai night the story goes
Uncle Yancey would back home on the train
perfectly obivols to the fac ,cat had left his team
and rig in town.
In d1e course, Uncle Yancey would discover that
his rig and horses nowhere around, and when
ne had remembered where he'd eft them hed hop the
next train and 20 10 Tyler for ms outfit, only (yoI
guessed ~ to come back that night 4 train again
having forgotten what he had to tR3n for in the
second place
As if tins weren't enough. poor Old Jnce Yancey
said to have many times reached over and scratched
me mead Of the person closest himself when his
Uncle Yanceys) head began . tch.
For many years, Uncle Yancey and absent-mind-
edness synonymous to NJ when (and if ! thought
o either But in those days Observation-Disclosures the
farthest thing from my. mind and ! seldom thought
about the phenomenon.
Later on, however, when was in college a Of
absent-mndedness popped up near 70 me and 50
'iyid as 70 be brought indel!o.y into focus.
The case involved d professor at the University.
deceased who one day drove his auto up in front
Of the YMCA (you could do 50 in those days. and went
inside for Coke and conversation with Of his
colleagues When he came out If the Y' he completely
forgot his auto and went his office and his classes
That afternoon when he went to the customary
parking place (you could find parking space in those
days too) his gone. He went back into the
building and called the police and reported that his
had been stolen and walked home. After much look
ing around the vehicle finally located in front Of
the "Y and the professor notified Whereup0n he
went for the to return it home, only find that
the battery dead and that al the gas gone He'd
left the engine running and il had stopped when the
gas out.
This a great story and Of course enjoyed
it. But Of the fun that such stories ordinarily
bring missing for Ybb see I'd begun to do
funny little things myself You know like not remem-
bering where I'd parked the car, heading for
classroom when the next class in another building
in the opposite direction, putting mlsmatched
shoes. Little things like that you know-or do you?
Now the problem doesn't bother me any
No. don't have it licked but have Uncle Yancey and
the professor licked, and m resigned to my fate.
Sunday the clincher We in the Weekly
office working Tuesdays special Student-Merchant
Association Day edition when | heard Joe Jones say
some advertising material missing
volunteered 70 go TO the post office, got the keys
from Joe and for the mail. | looked into the
Weekly's box and that the material Joe wanted
not there, went down TO my box, opened it and
busted it out and returned TO the Weekly office and
gave Joe back his keys.
Alter Whle joe and decided thdt We could use
drink decided to 60 up to Jeff 70 get couple
Of Jimmys Cokes On the way to Jeffs reached into
my pocket and felt keys, and thinking they
Joes (havng forgotten that had returned them) ]
said Herere your keys, joe nearly forgot to return
them"
Joe took the keys, thanked and put them into
his pocket without even looking at them and We went
TO Jeffs
When returned found that ! had t. 20 down
to the dark for prints When got to the door
reached for my keys and they weren't in my pocket
Where in the world we're they? Maybe in the Gar
thought. They weren't in the On, Of course; !
thought, I'd eft,them in my post office box
Dsgusted at my forQetfulness went in and told
Joe that ! had to 20 to the post office and find
keys and that if he'd give me his keys again Id look
in the Weeklys box again. Joe reached into his pocket
and handed the keys and ! took them and headed
once again for the post office.
When I'd gotten about half way to the post office
! looked down at the keys ! was flpping around my
finger, and TO my utter they my keys
not Joes Then must have left Joes keys at the post
office, thought.
Joes keys not in the Weekly box, and after
Of the mamen had looked into the box for them
without finding any took the mail back to the Weekly
office and gave it to Joe.
Did give you back your keys when came back