The Great Return

George Henry Harrison returned home to the greatest gift he could ever receive, his child. Mr. Harrison left his wife, Shirley to fight in World War II. Before leaving for the war, George and his wife discovered that Shirley was three months pregnant. After leaving for the war, Shirley suffered financial worries and was forced to begin working in a factory. With British military demands higher than ever before, most of the wives of military men worked in factories to provide food, supplies and munitions for the war effort. While Mrs. Harrison worked in the factory, the baby, born on December 25, 1944, stayed with Shirley’s parents. Without being in constant contact with some parental unit, the baby suffered attachment issues, leading to tension when his father returned from war.
Facing the terrors of living during WWII, Shirley attempted to provide the best life possible for her son, Thomas. Without the financial support of a loving husband, she worked fifty-hour weeks making minimum wage, while her son stayed with family friends. Thomas cried much as a child due to the constant bombing of London by the Germans. Lying in his mother’s arms became the only way to comfort the child. Eventually, the Germans began to bomb London more and more causing Shirley to stay in the factory, because it was not safe for her to return home. Thomas became very attached to his mother and as the deafening bombings continued, he desired and required his mother’s comfort, which he could not receive. Finally, Thomas suffered from an eating disorder due to the lack of baby food during the war, causing him to suffer malnutrition. This sense of malnutrition continued with Thomas throughout his life and was the cause of Thomas’ large clothing. The baby w...

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...cked away in his room reading a book or outside fishing by himself.
After years of this attitude, George finally asked his son, “Why do you only read or fish?”
To which Thomas replied, “Reading calms me and makes me feel in control of when the story begins or ends and fishing has a deeper meaning for me. When I catch a fish and it flops around still attached to my rod, I feel a connection unlike a feel with humans. I get to choose when this connection ends by cutting the fish off the rod.”
George, perplexed by his son’s answer, simply stated, “I think I understand.”
George and his son never experienced the connection they both desired, but after learning about the meaning behind fishing for his son, George began to fish with him. They sat on the dock with their rods, neither speaking much, but both feeling the sense of accomplishment by trying something together.