Pop ya collar

In my free time or shall I say when I am not working, I spend a great deal of time running around various kid friendly parks in town and in the surrounding cities. I lack the much needed backyard at home so I have no choice but use the park circuit to let the monsters play. We (as in the kids and myself) have given each park its own special silly name so that we keep track and really try to not visit the same place within at least a week to keep it fresh.

Today while I was sitting on a swing at "pirate ship" park, I thought about the "park and glove" scene from On The Waterfront. A truly classic film on many different levels. I can't help but dig the acting, the story, the music, the drama etc. I am a third generation longshoremen and I have grown up appreciating the benefits of union labor. The waterfront has changed quite a bit since this film was made but I still get the chills when I watch the scenes with the longies with their hooks on their shoulders. My grandfathers retired longshore friends said "we never did that shit" when I asked about the placement of the hooks. So resting the hook over the shoulder was either a East Coast trend or a Hollywood fabrication. However the hooks are real symbols/tools that represent the back breaking labor of unloading/loading cargo in the past.

Here is a taste of what I am talking about. Brando was soo f'n cool with his collar popped in that wool flannel jacket. The seasons are about to change a little. Time to bust out the jackets and hoods. Almost time to release some gear. Stay posted folks, these cards can't stay up my sleeves forever.