Hello again, Blogging Pals. Glad you're with me today.
This town has lost yet another wonderful individual who had a profound impact on my young life as well as that of many of my family and friends. On January 23, 2012, we all lost Dr. Etienne Roman Brown, known as "Lu" to those close to him. (He was ALWAYS Dr. Brown to me!) He had an extensive history and the lengthy obituary covered all of his wonderful accomplishments. But his history and accomplishments have nothing to do with why I will always remember him fondly.
Dr. Brown was a kind and soft-spoken man. He always had a smile for us, even though we were just kids. He was one of those doctors that actually listened to his patients, nodding his head and occasionally asking a question to probe a bit further. He was a doctor that even children my age were happy to visit. No fear for us there. His history will tell you he moved here in 1953. So did I. Of course, he was a doctor... and I was a newborn. *chuckle* Other than that, we didn't have a lot in common.
I remember falling ill when I was about 8 years old. I was rarely sick so this was something unusual. I was apparently quite ill as I do not recall Dr. Brown's "house call" to check up on me at my mother's request. I don't remember the ambulance that I think they told me took me to the hospital after he checked me out. I don't remember the 2 days I was in the hospital here, getting over double pneumonia. Heck... I don't remember much. I DO remember waking up and being incredibly hungry!! That was the day Dr. Brown visited my hospital room and told my mother I was ready to go home. Didn't have to tell me twice!!
Another very well-remembered event was when I decided I wanted to get my ears pierced. There were no "piercing kiosks" in the mall (what was a mall?!?) when I was about 13 years old. The standard way to have one's ears pierced included a slumber party at someone's house (never one's own!), a willing piercer, some ice cubes to "deaden" the ear lobe, and a large needle (or the occasional ice pick) for the piercer to wield. Oh... and one would have had to find a way to score a pair of earrings that would be suitable during the healing process. At any rate, I mentioned to my mother that I really wanted to get my ears pierced. I was going to begin high school soon and had gotten my first pair of contact lenses. Guess I figured the pierced ears were just one more thing I needed to start high school!!
Well, my mother had taken a lot of chemistry while obtaining her home economics degree at LSU. She had also gathered a lot of information about things like germs, bacteria, etc. She was not convinced that a cube of ice and an ice pick through the lobe was really the most sanitary way to have one's ears pierced. So... off we went to Dr. Brown's office. Yep. I was likely the only one of my friends to actually have my ears pierced by a Medical Doctor. He found it incredibly funny and laughed out loud when he asked my mother if the pierces were "even" only to be met by the side of her face shielded by her hand and her response "Yes!" You got it. She couldn't look. Thank goodness Dr. Brown had a good sense of straight and level!!
There are so many things this man did for this town. I can't mention them all here nor would I want to do so. Those who grew up here will have their own memories. Those of you who never knew him... well, just trust me on my judgment of good and honorable. That is the kind of man he was. He will be missed.
Until next post...
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