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A Spy is Caught by a Cavity!
Mar
I heard about this story and was dumbfounded. It seems to be true. Even if it isn’t, it is a fun story.
One day Lucille Ball, yes, the actress and famous for the ‘I Love Lucy’ show, for those younger-older folks. Lucy was driving home from the dentist after having a temporary filling installed, pending further work. As was the custom in the day, the filling was largely made from lead. Yikes!
Then gradually she started hearing a song, only her radio was off. The further along the road she drove the louder the song became and then faded as she continued her journey home. “What the heck just happened?”
Some days later she mentioned it to Buster Keaton. “Were you driving along Moore Drive?”
“Why, yes.” Lucy replied.
Buster then asked her if she had just had a filling done.
As life would have it, time passed until she took a different route home. Only this time she started hearing noises in her mouth like morse code. It continued for some time. She backed her car up and the sound got louder.
When she got to work she informed the security at the TV studio. They contacted the FBI who arrived to meet Lucy right away.
Further follow-up resulted in the capture of a Japanese spy. It was during World War II.
Apparently, the basic components of a receiver were all present; her body, the lead filling, mouth cavity, and more
How creepy is that?
This story got me thinking about mental health in general and how we react to it in others – and in ourselves. If that happened today, I’m not sure the reception by the authorities would have been the same if Lucy had been a dishevelled homeless person. Tough call.
This is a cautionary tale. I remind myself to be slow to judge the circumstances of others. I’m not always successful.
Please give this a bit of a think. Have you felt judged too quickly for something you said, did or for the way you looked? How did that impact you?
Can you recall a situation in which you judged another too quickly? What happened? If an apology was in order were you able to give it?
I’m curious about your thoughts. Please share your own bit-of-a-think below.
My thanks to Terry O’Reilly and his CBC show, Under the Influence, for the inspiration for this Blog.
Photo by Caroline LM on Unsplash
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And my thanks to St. Albert Seniors Association: 780-459-0433 for making this Blog possible.
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Thirty years ago I was waiting for a bus with my infant daughter who was in a stroller. I knew I’d need help with it and I looked around to see who I might ask. I ruled out the skinhead and teenage girls and settled on a middle aged man. But all of them quickly got on the bus when it arrived. It was the skin head who didn’t even need to be asked; he just lifted up the front end of the stroller and helped me. I clearly misjudged him based on his rough looks. I often think back on that small gesture and remind myself that one’s appearance doesn’t always reflect what’s underneath.
I’ve had similar first impressions that proved to be off base. I keep relearning, but at least not as frequently.