I realize now that Uncle Louis’ passing hurts a lot — for the usual reasons like him just not being here, but also because this is the final scene by a remarkable generation of individuals.

Looking back now, as we often do when someone important in our lives passes, I can feel the substance of this man and his contemporaries who helped to weave the fabric that is me, that is this whole up-Island community.

With winter dragging here on Martha’s Vineyard and holding back early signs of spring, I wonder what is the Islander’s overall mood these days. Lousy? Upbeat? Fair to middling?

How chilly these winter nights be

For my father and my uncle, bowling offered a more athletic alternative to canasta. They joined the men’s bowling league and brought me along for good luck, or practice.

Fifty years later, the question is, what changed? Is the South and the country as a whole a better place because of the direct action at that time? The answer is more complicated than a simple yes or no.