June 10,1945

June 10, 1945

949 W 12th St

San Pedro, Calif

Dear Father, Mother and the rest of the folks at home,

Well, it’s about 9:30 Sunday evening and oddly enough, I feel as tired as I would at the end of any working day altho I certainly haven’t done much. I got up shortly after six this morning since as usual I didn’t feel like sleeping when I could and pasted in my Li’l Abner scrapbook before and after breakfast. Breakfast was the usual Sunday one — three waffles. Three waffles is too much for me but Mrs. Johnson is shocked that I don’t eat more so I eat three to appease her.

I was going to walk down to church this morning but got delayed so that I had to take my car anyway (Mrs. Johnson had a ride with somebody else). Our new student pastor preached this morning. he has one year left in the seminary and has been in charge of several congregations before for short times so he is well experienced. He hails from northern Minn, went to G.A., is (I guess) about 25+ years old and looks like the Swede he is. He is a fairly intelligent fellow and quite likeable. Mrs. Johnson asked him up for dinner and before and afterward we sat and talked, which is why I happen to have learned so much concerning him. The only thing wrong with him is that I am afraid he is too much of a guy who likes to run around and meet people. That of course is o.k. and dandy as long as it doesn’t affect me, but I am afraid it will. It seems every time that I permit myself the indiscretion of trying to improve my personality by mingling with people I get my fingers burned. Perhaps I shall learn eventually to tend strictly to my own affairs, which policy when followed in the past has proved satisfactory.

I really wish now that I hadn’t moved here to the Johnsons, despite the nice room and conveniences I have here. The real reason I moved here was that I thought it wasn’t good to be living alone in the apartment I had. Now, life has become somewhat intolerable in little ways and I would like to move but hesitate to do so for fear of hurting Mrs. Johnson’s feelings. Another thing I don’t like is the associations I have in the church here. I am appalled at the inane characters on which I spend my time in that respect. I should never have allowed myself to become as closely associated with it as I have. It bothers me many times that Christianity is so closely linked with the innate worth of each individual while so many of them are obviously superfluous and of no use either to themselves or humanity.

Well it’s ten o’clock. Not much of a letter for ½ hour’s effort. I guess I’ll woo Morpheus; perhaps I shall be more successful at that.

With love

C.P.