BORG WARNER, McCROY CORPORATION, MOREFIELD COMMUNICATIONS

BORG WARNER CORPORATION - From 1970-1985 I would often do remote video and photography shoots as part of my responsibilities at this company. I recall one time a few engineers and I went on a video shoot in Detroit.  We took the corporate plane which was stored at the Thomasville Airport.  I enjoyed this kind of "intimate" flying, since you got to watch the pilot do his thing.

On this trip I recall the pilot's reaction when I met him at the plane with cases of video and lighting equipment.  "You want to take all of that gear?"  Anyway, we stacked the video and lighting gear in the aisle between the seats and away we went. 

After the shoot, we drove back to the Detroit Airport for our return flight to York.  It was storming and the pilot wasn't sure if he should take off.  I recall him calling the tower and saying, "I have 6 SOB's on this flight".  When he got off the phone I asked him why he called us SOB's?  He said it meant Souls On Board, which wouldn't be what he would say if he had a corpse on board.  Didn't ask if that would be COB, but I thought this was interesting.  I also assumed that the airline industry believes that the soul leaves the body when we die. 

Anyway, the pilot decided to take off and attempted to fly above the storm.  It was a pretty harrowing flight since my gear was literally falling on us as the plane fought the turbulence.  Eventually all of the SOB's finally landed safe and sound and were happy to be back in Thomasville, PA.

If you want to see the the company plane just after we landed click HERE. 

McCROY - Spent a short time working at the Corporate Office during the mid 1980's.  Recall some interesting times, including helicopter trips to their New York City offices.  Also took trips to Oklahoma, not on a helicopter but on a private jet called "Here Comes PIA".  (The jet was named after Pia Zadora, the former wife of the former owner of McCroy; Meshulam Riklist). These trips were made during the 1986 acquisition of 700 TG&Y stores by McCroy Corporation. 

To be candid, I didn't enjoy my short stint at this now bankrupt company-but as I look back it is amazing how much I learned.  Hope my kids understand that sometimes the hard times are a much better teacher than when things are going well.

MOREFIELD COMMUNICATIONS - (1986-2011) During my early years with this company I would attend yearly technology trade shows, including a show called INFOCOMM in Las Vegas.  My first visit to Vegas was fascinating, since I had become much more observant (reference to yesterday's posting) and I thought Las Vegas was second only to New York City for interesting people to watch.  

Anyway, I was free one evening so it seemed like a movie would be good.  I had heard something about a movie called "Passion of the Christ" and saw that it was playing in a theater nearby my hotel. 

I am not sure (even after 10 years) what happened to me after watching this movie.  I sat in my seat long after it ended. While sitting there I read a paper that a representative of a church had given me when I came into the theater.  The paper included a quote by the director, Mel Gibson.  He said, "This is a movie about love, hope, faith and forgiveness. He [Jesus] died for all mankind, suffered for all of us. It's time to get back to that basic message. The world has gone nuts. We could all use a little more love, faith, hope and forgiveness."

Here I am in a town that could be defined as the best demonstration of "The world has gone nuts" and I just watched a demonstration of Jesus dying a cruel death for people walking the streets in this town and some of them had no idea. Since that time I have returned to my experience in the theater, and continue to wonder how often life stuff gets in the way of me remembering this basic message. 


Early in February 1989 I attended another week long conference at the New Orleans Conference Center.  I stayed at the Marriott in the French Quarter, during the Marti Gras season.  Even during the day Bourbon Street was filled with crazy bead-flinging people jams.  It was probably a good thing that I had evening meetings, since the place goes crazy at night.

Before I left town I decided to take a bus tour around the old city. This may have been the best part of my trip.  The guide said that Abraham Lincoln came to New Orleans twice as a youth and he and a friend built flatboats and brought produce down the river to sell in the city. Then, they busted up the boats and sold them for firewood.  The guide also said that seeing slaves auctioned off in the city--in the French Quarter--changed Lincoln forever. 

Someone asked the guide why the tombs are above-ground.  He said that much of the town is lower than sea level, so they can't bury the coffins.  Kinda' eerie.  The cemeteries are often referred to as "cities of the dead."