Then Again - Diane Keaton [28]
As for James W. Newman, the founder of PACE, Dad couldn’t have cared less if he was a certified psychiatrist or psychologist. He bought the package hook, line, and sinker. Dad’s decision to implement the principles of PACE as a replacement for help from a genuine psychiatrist backfired, like all of his attempts to guide Randy into the responsibilities of his role as Junior Jack.
As Emmet’s nephew and Mary Alice’s son, Dad was attracted to impostors, swindlers, and frauds. It was part of his DNA. He didn’t question Dale Carnegie and Norman Vincent Peale. The thought that they might take advantage of the average Joe’s need to believe in simple solutions to complex problems never entered his mind. Ironically, Dad became successful despite being gullible. He actually had a craft and a degree from USC. Little did he know it was his hard work combined with an ingenuous manner of being honest to the point of naïve that made Hall & Foreman one of the most successful engineering firms in Orange County. His straightforward manner and lack of artifice worked wonders on everyone except his family.
August 15, 1969
Jack sent Randy to PACE for a retreat in La Jolla. Robin is going next week; Dorrie too. I just hope Jack is right and it works. He feels everyone in the family will profit from the benefits of PACE. We can’t work Diane in because she’s busy with her own life, but maybe later in the year.
August 22, 1969
“Hey, everybody, this is my mom and her name is Dorothy.” Randy made me feel like a queen when we picked him up after a week at PACE. He said it was a sort of “mountaintop-unreal-experience that makes it hard to drop back down to the flatlands.” That’s where the test comes. Can “I” make it work with others who don’t have PACE in their lives? “I” can if “I” try.
September 1, 1969
Robin came home from PACE. She loved it; Dorrie too. But it’s a constant strain to keep PACE in practice. So many things distract us. I hope it will work and we will be better people because of our strengths. The kids are seriously hanging on to the PACE concepts. They continue to read the books and practice deep relaxation. Jack feels they’ve learned so much. He has a lot of confidence.
Five Against One
My siblings survived PACE. Life went on. I stayed in New York. For Dad, it was the same. Number 1: Encourage everyone by making our faults seem easy to correct. Number 2: Try to make us happy about doing what he suggested. Number 3: Ask questions instead of directly giving us orders. And number 4: Talk about his own mistakes before indirectly calling attention to ours. He gradually gave up trying. After all, it was five against one.
September 5, 1969
Diane was on Merv Griffin tonight. She was Diane. Her walk, her laugh, her jumble of words. When she sat between Bob Hope and Merv, they teased her about dating. Bob Hope said, “All right, Diane, who is he?” She couldn’t get her words out. She was nervous and giggly, but with Bob Hope next to her everything she said was unaccountably funny. He actually made a comedienne out of Diane. I can’t exactly explain. Both Merv and Bob played off her all evening. I took pictures. Dad taped the whole thing.
September 18, 1969
I worked up enough nerve to call Bowers Museum to have the director look at my photos—whew! That took courage. I am trying to pull together enough good photographs to show him. I’m crossing my fingers.
Form Letter to Potential Magazine Editors
Mr. John C. Smith
Art Editor
XXX Magazine
(Address)
Dear Mr. Smith:
I can bring exceptional photography with strong natural character qualities to your magazine.