The Chalkboard Man

In 1975 one of the more colorful characters that lived at Princeton-by-the-Sea– drat! I can’t remember his name or his face—but I do remember what he did—I guess, in his search for spirituality.

He stopped talking; he stopped communicating verbally. He didn’t speak to anybody.

He wore a small square chalkboard on a leather cord around his neck and if you wanted to ask him something he gave you a piece of white chalk to write with. His response, if he chose to answer, was on the reverse side of the chalkboard.

Obviously questions and answers had to be short because the chalkboard wasn’t big enough for long back and forths.

This went on for months. I don’t know how many months. The last time I saw him wearing the blackboard around his neck was at the Ketch JoAnne–and that was 30 years ago.

There are a couple of things I wonder about:

1. Is he still around and using his chalkboard?

2.Did he throw away the chalkboard—and find spiritual peace?