Only on Catalina
Since I became “Catalina’s
Official Greeter,” March 10, 2014,
when the Chamber Of Commerce
assigned me to greet the cruise
ships and cross channel boats, I
have answered 43,916 questions.
These are some of the more
interesting/unusual questions/com—
ments I have answered:
“Where are all of the pretty
girls?”
“Where are all of the cute guys?”
(Of course, these two questions
came a week apart so they never
caught up with each other!)
“Where on the Island is Charles
Lindberg buried?” (Not on
Catalina!)
“Do you sell buffalo teeth?”
“How many sides does the Island
have?”
‘You must let others know
how much they are loved’
Since starting this column last
year, I have tried to be both educa-
tional as well as entertaining. I have
been told that some of my stories
have made readers laugh and/or
cry. I am now taking God’s direc—
tion and taking aim at our very
souls! I know that there are those
of you whose lives will be changed/
saved by this column. This will
undoubtedly be the hardest to write
yet most important column I will
ever write!
When I started doing the “Ghost
Tours” last month, I was a bit
ambivalent to say the least! How
can I talk about a subject that is
“unearthly” and strange, and yet'
trying to keep it from becoming
a cheap thrill experience. “USA
News” has namedit one of the top
10 Ghost Tours in the entire United
States so I realized that I was on
good footing, but I still had to make
it personal.
I have had a number of “encoun-
ters” and shared stories from others
who have personally verified them
as true. Many of them are written
in books available at many of our
local stores, but one story I shared
is SO personal that it has NEVER
been recorded and very rarely told.
This story will NEVER be shared
in written form until the death of
my 90 year old mother, who resides
in a nursing home in Sacramento
(although Mom subscribes to the
“Islander,” my sister has promised
to guarantee that this particular
column will NEVER be seen by
her).
On January 21, 1974, at
the age of 26, I was teaching
“Communication” at Indiana
University, Bloomington. Around
midnight I received one of those
calls that we all dread! My father
had called from the Avalon hospi-
tal! My younger brother, Bill, 24,
had committed suicide that eve—
ning at our Descanso Street home
in Avalon! Dad wanted me home
ASAP! The doctor then got on the
phone to tell me that he was going
to put my 71 year old father under
heavy sedation. He had found the
body and they were afraid that he
might do something drastic, even
suicide! They wanted me at the
hospital BEFORE Dad woke up!
I got off the phone and just laid in
bed crying, tryingto piece together
what just happened. I had to get
home to a OVERWHELMINGLY
emotional situation while needing
to guarantee that my students were
able to have a suitable substitute for
an indefinite period of time! TOO
’ MUCH TO DO and my grieving
rue carrier .s’nmsen ' ' ' ' ’ '
. rw
would have to be put on hold.
I was laying in bed, alright, but
certainly NOT asleep! Who could
sleep with this on their mind? I
was living in a basement apartment
of a six story building. Not many
came down my way. Suddenly I
heard the chain security latch jig-
gling. Was someone trying to get
into my apartment? As my work
area was small, I laid out all of
my students’ papers on the living
room floor. Suddenly, I heard the
papers rustling as if someone was
walking across them! SOMEONE
WAS INSIDE MY APARTMENT!
Bad enough my brother had killed
himself, NOW I was being broken
into! WHAT A'NIGHT!
With only my blanket to pro-
tect me, I waited to see who was
going to come through my open
bedroom door. I didn’t have to wait
long! In came a white fog, sort of
like a mist, that quickly settled to
the, floor, at the foot of my bed. A
moment or so passed when up came
a large white orb, about twice the
size of softball. Suddenly, I heard
Bill’s voice. “If I knew then what
I know now, I never would have
killed myself! Chuck, I have a com-
mission for you. You MUST make
others aware of the fact that they
have to let others know how much
they are loved!” As quickly as it
appeared, it left. (For years, I had
a large banner placed in my office
which read, “YOU MUST LET
OTHERS KNOW HOW MUCH
THEY ARE LOVED!”) I obvi—
ously shared this appearance with
NO ONE! I was beginning to ques-
tion my sanity!
That morning I took the first
available flight from Indianapolis
to LAX, was picked up by a former
professor, rushed to Fullerton to
be with my Mother (my parents
were divorced when I was 4, 1951)
and you can ONLY IMAGINE the
condition that my Mother was in!
Losing a child is so WRONG and
indescribable that- I den’t think
that there is a word for it! I tried
my best to calm Mom down, but
couldn’t stay long as I had to rush
to Catalina and Dad’s side.
I was rushed to Long Beach,
caught the boat, was met by a para-
medic, and taken to the hospital.
When I got to Dad, he was still
sedated. As I sat waiting for him
to come around, I noticed a small
piece of paper on his bed side table.
It showed a straight, horizontal line
with a squiggle leading up to a large
circular form with what looked like
a crude face inside.
When Dad came around we had
our moments of crying, hugging,
etc. When things calmed down, I
showed him the drawing and asked
him what it meant. He told me I
wouldn’t believe him, but I asked
him for an explanation anyway.
“Right after I called you last night
and before they sedated me, I saw
this white ball circle from the foot
! Catalina Golf Cart
BIKINI!
of my bed
and stop near
the ceiling.
It had your
brother’s face
in it and his
voice said,
‘Dad, I’m not
in pain any-
more!’” Bill, or whatever it was,
came to Dad and me, 2,500 miles
apart, at exactly the same moment
and exactly in the same form, with
personal messages that we both
needed to hear! It has been 42 years
and it STILL HURTS as if it hap—
pened yesterday!
Now I don’t want to get into
a discussion with my fellow
Christian friends about ghosts and
suicide. I am just reporting what
two witnesses experienced and
those words that I was charged
with, “YOU MUST LET OTHERS
KNOW HOW MUCH THEY ARE
LOVED,” in hopes that it might
give the hope to those who see no
reason to live!
Since then, God has sent to me
young people, most of them mere
teenagers and complete strangers,
to share with me their decisions
to take their own lives! WHY
ME? God knows why! Who bet-
ter to share with than a much older
stranger, who unbeknownst to them
had been through the other side of
the suicide coin.
Each time God gave me the right
words to cause them to reconsider.
In each case they NEVER thought
of the affect that their devastating
act would have on their family and
friends.
These young souls NEVER
wanted to hurt anyone, they just
didn’t hear those ultimate magic
Columnist
healing and encouraging words,
“I LOVE YOU” enough times to
believe it and to ease their hurting!
Of course, suicide doesn’t occur
“ONLY ON CATALINA,” which
is why I am trying to reach out to
as many people as I can! I am espe—
cially trying to tell the ones that
'this column was directed to, that
they ARE LOVED, God LOVES
THEM, and that is why He has
“commissioned” me to write this,
as painful as it has been! Whether
or not you believe the story relating
to my brother’s suicide, the need
and commission is still the same!
“YOU MUST LET OTHERS
KNOW HOW MUCH THEY ARE
LOVED!” Don’t go to bed a single
night without saying, texting, phon—
ing, writing this at least ONCE
EVERY DAY! Someone in your
world might 'very well need to hear
those words NOW and OFTEN
to help to decide between life or
death! “They know I love them, I
don’t have to come right out and
say it!” Don’t take a chance! DO
IT NOW!
To contact Chuck Liddell,
email him at chuckliddell.cata-
lina@gmail.com.
w 30] and E25 Crelcent “venue I
l
REAL ESTATE
(it BEE license #01 3934874
232 Clarissa
Duplex. Top Unit is l 00, l.S Bl.
Lower llnit is 2 El), 2 BA L804 5? +/—.
lot size l,9l0 Sf +/-. Back yard.
listed at
AVALON HOMES
223 03am Street
liewly built Contemporary Estate SEE/SBA,
6,000 SF +/‘, with 2,000 St at decks, infinity
pool, elerratar, monymore dasignerleatures!
Dilated at $8,300,000
333 [as learns
300,35“ 3500 SF 4-]-
Beautiful Tuscan-Style Estate Home.
Wrap around deck with arena 8, bill views.
6,760 SF +/- buildable lot included.
altered at $2,988,000
206 E. Wbtttley Avenue
Unique 5 unit complex. incredible ocean
view. 6.90) St +/r lat. (lose to town.
Dilered at $2,499,000
, i l Crescent Avenue
480, 40A seaside borne l,850 SF +/-
Surreal barber views, ocean-trout deck,
secluded garden patio, attached guest house.
filtered at $2,200,000
350 [as learns Avenue
Avalon Buplex. Quiet location, 2,872 SF 44'
Hillside and ocean views,
great income property.
$t,499,000
3“ E. Whittley
Baplex with panoramic ocean, harbor
and Casino views. 350 on main level,
ill) on bottom, will: rental income
New listing $5,250,000
108 Catalina Street
Duplex. 1,506 SF +/» Bath units are
r 180/2”. l biotic to the beach,
all street parking.
Offered at $849,000
3l8 Descansa Avenue
Charming 00, i 0A 655 SF #-
llll ‘ street parking. Comes lolly furnished
including 2008 Smart Car
New Listing $650,000
lN ESCROW
329 Descansa saucer
LlS't‘tNGS SOLD!
344 Clwissa Ave. $699,000
24 (abrifia 0r. -. $560,000
HC Vifia 9*60 - $530,000
113 Vteudelaa $180,000
HC Villa 8-06 $855,000
llC V’h'lct l-IT ‘ $549,000
340 Metropole Ave. $475,000
3i 6.5 Whittle}: Ave. $899,000
313 Catalina are. * $675,000
3l8 (laureate Ave. $519,000
Bahia Vista (-61 $399,000
llC Villa 24? $599,000
344 Trim - $349,000
l2'l iliavrdtlra - $519,900
HE Villa l-53 ' $699,000
320 Sumner avenue ~ $549,000
339 Monopole Avenue ~ $399,000
~ FEATURED PROPERTY ~
Will
till/ll
7/,“
ill
./
Only l prinatelyewned ollorrlolrlé vacant parcel
left ready to build your island barre. Excerpted,
v downward, certificate iron: soils engineer,
Villa 9-54
l 00, l BA, 90!) St +/-
location rental permit. Comes loreislurl,
with Bell (on. (loss to pool,
clubhouse and many amenities.
00ml at $449,000
‘ Villa l8-64
Spacious 00, 2 BA, l,029 SF+/-
Stunning ocean views, tiled floors,
large balcony. Sold furnished vr/goll cart
and load purchase included.
Gilead at Sl,000,000
Villa 6-1
2 00, BA, L469 Sir-l-
End unit with many upgrades.
Fireplace, sold tarnished
Offered at $795,000
Villa 2~33
00, 2 0A 860 SF+/-
Expansive arena views. Strong vacation
rental ltsitary. (times furnished will:
tsenter Gall cart
flilered at $599,000
Villa F72
2 00, 2 80 will Sit-1’
Spacious vritlr omitting views. Only 35 steps
to top of read. Comes furnished with
Bell cart and vacation rental remit
littered at $579,000
Villa 245
l 00, 280, 830 Sf +/-
Mastery earl unit, townharne style ville.
Private balcony, golf cart and variion
rental permit. New listing 55! 9,000
Ville 5-7 ,
l80, l BA, 94! Sir/-
Green views from erery roam. location
rental permit vritb a good rental history.
r insteiully furnished with gall tart.
Owner may carry.
filtered at $599,000
LOTS
l "READY TO 000.0” View lot
lore apporiunity to 0am island Property!
utilities on property. Financing available.
Enrollent inrestrneot opportunity.
For more into:
avalonlotslorsala.blogspot.ram
MO Hill St.
3,325 Sf +l- Hillside lat
Hillside 8c town views
$335,000
(866) 991-7871 *
www.4rzirecom - l 19/3 Sumner Ave.
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