The Mega Big RMS TITANIC & Little ole Me

The RMS TITANIC & ME

Scanned Copy of my First Boarding Pass

I have always been fascinated with the story of the Titanic---and I have always been mesmerized by the Sea--never afraid of it. In fact, I love boating so much that a long boating trip that ended in getting home through a severe a storm was, to me, exhilarating.  We made it from Block Island, NY  back to Sea Girt, NJ--tired, but safe.  So, I consider myself as owning a pair of 'sea legs'.


To date, I've been blessed with being able to see two separate Titanic Exhibits.  One visit to an exhibit was on July 13th, 2007 in Denver, Colorado, and the other visit was in Vegas at the Lexor Hotel and Casino on March 22nd, 2009.   (I am giving the dates here because I'll be showing you something here later in this writing that will require they are mentioned).


Anyway,


When you visit a Titanic Exhibit you are given a replica Boarding Pass like the one pictured on the left.   I was given mine when the entrance fee was paid.  So it sort of gave you some time to examine it while you walked over to the make shift gangplank that led you to the beginning of the exhibit.  I was like, "How Cool is this?" and absolutely thrilled with mine.

Scanned Backside of Boarding Pass

My Boarding Pass revealed that I was a 1st class passenger and my cabin D-19.My name was Mrs. Edwin Nelson Kimball, Jr. (Gertrude Parsons).  I was age 45 and from Boston, Massachusetts.  I was accompanied by Edwin Nelson Kimball, Jr. (husband).  The reason for my travels the boarding passes notes 'Returning from a holiday in Europe with her husband'.


I later found out by way of Lee W. Merideth's book "1912 Facts About Titanic (Revised Edition) that the D Deck is also considered the Saloon deck.  The Saloon Deck had open access to the outside and was where most of the meals and cocktails were served. 


In Merideth's other book, "Titanic Names" I looked up my maiden name Conway and found that the one Conway aboard Titanic was a Steward in the F & B Service.  I kinda thought that was pretty neat because I've been a Bartender since I'm twenty-one years old, and most of my employments have been in the Food & Beverage Industry.   


Just to let you know, twenty-five year old P.W. Conway boarded the Titanic in Belfast, lived in London, England and didn't get a seat on any of the Life Boats.   I would have to do some digging to find out if I'm related in anyway to P.W. Conway.  I'll let ya know if and when I ever find out.



Getting back to the Boarding Passes, which has my interest peaked about who this Gertrude Parson's.



Okay so in the exhibit in Colorado.   I was Gertrude Parsons.  By the way, my Mother's middle name is Gertrude, and my 4th grade teacher who looked exactly like my mother, was Mrs. Parson's.  I remember telling my girlfriend that when I read it on my Boarding Pass at the Exhibit.  I thought it was odd.


I also thought it was odd, that when I walked up the Gangplank and handed over my Boarding Pass to the exhibit attendant who was all dressed up in era clothing.  He tipped his hat to me and said, "Ah, Mrs. Kimball, how is the Piano business?".   I smiled big, cause not only was I a first class passenger on the Titanic, but I was married to Kimball Pianos.  The first piano I ever bought myself was a Kimball, and every time I sat down to play it, I would first have to go through a series of ten or fifteen minutes sneezing marathons.


I just thought the whole thing was really really odd.  The exhibit is something I think every Titanic enthusiast should see.  The second you walk into the first compartment of the exhibit,  "you feel it".  It's fun too, how just like the ship, they divide the exhibit up into compartments.  Anyway,



You do.  You feel it.  A silence occurs in you, when you look at the items they brought up from Titanic's.  Then there is one part of the exhibit where you get to stick you finger through a hole and touch a part of the Titanic's hull.  I didn't understand the reasoning behind it why they would let you do that, but of course I didn't it.  And when I did, I noted exactly was time it was too.  Why?  Well, because when you are a interprating stargazer and doing something that is really extraordinary---you note the time.  Because later, when you are able, you'll want to erect the chart and see what was going on at that moment.

And as told, that's exactly what I did when I got back home. But I also, started wanting to look at charts for the Ship too, so I was search and came across Eileen Grimes' Titanic Astrology:  The Grand Design of a Famous Shipwreck.  Well, I ordered it up right away, because she was proclaiming to have found the Star Sign Signature of the Titanic.  Meaning that there was certain degrees of the planets in their celestial longitude that were appearing over and over and over again in the charts related to the event and the people connected to the Titanic.


Now you don't need to know anything about Astrology to read this book.  Eileen does the job to explain the abc's of star logic to you nicely and with the unerring details and parellels to the Titanic.  You'll love it.  And you can even find out if you have it in your own birth chart.




In addition, while I was living in Tuscon, Arizona a small Titanic Exhibit was coming for just a couple of months.  I saw an ad appeal for Ticket Sellers and Tour Guides on Craigs' List.  So I followed the directions and wrote a quick little note why I would like to apply for the position and what knowledge of the details did I know about the  Titanic.


My first phone interview got me a second scheduled interview.  The gal had told me, "Well, you've convinced me, but now you have to convince the "top dog"---so be sure to have a dazzling performance ready for your second interview".  I had like three days to prepare for my performance to land me a position as a Titanic Tour Guide that paid $13 a hour.   I was getting my game on!  I really really wanted to once again be surrounded by ???????? of the Titanic.



Oh, I was getting prepared alright, I couldn't wait to perform my script I had all my Titanic books opened and started talking to the walls, the bird, the dogs and the mirrors.  I was going to dazzle "the top dog". Then life happened and the next thing I knew I was in my car journeying back home to New Jersey.  So I never got to dazzle the "top dog" with my Titanic knowledge.  Dang!