Time plays an important part in our culture. We speak of it as a living, breathing object, "Time marches on" or "the march of time." We speak of it, as a possession, "I wish I had the time," "I'm out of time," "Will please give me some of your time." We use it like a trader's commodity— money, "I bought some time," "My time was spent foolishly," or "Time well spent."
Time seems to fluctuate as our need or usefulness increases. Time never changes; it is still sixty seconds in a minute, sixty minutes in an hour, twenty-four hours in a day. Although it doesn't change, our perception of it does; from the prisoner sentenced to twenty years to the father seeing his twenty year old daughter on her wedding day, that same period is an eternity for one but a short time for the other. To a person trying to beat a deadline time is fleeting, to the employee starting the last day of work before his vacation, it is an eternity. It is unyielding, timeless and as in from the dawn of time yet relentless as in, "Time will tell."
Ecclesiastes 3:1-12 tells it all for us:
"1 There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven:
2 a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
3 a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain,
6 a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
7 a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
8 a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.
9 What does the worker gain from his toil? 10 I have seen the burden God has laid on men. 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. 12 I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live."
K
Friday, June 27, 2008
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Rock-a-bye Baby? Maybe
The "normal" pregnancy rate at Glouchester High School in Glouchester, Mass is four per year in a student body of twelve hundred, but this year the rate quadrupled to seventeen. Principal Joseph Sullivan suspected a prenancy pact amoung the girls to get pregnant and raise the children together by helping each other out. The expectant mothers were nearly all under 16 years old when they got pregnant. One of the oldest of the the group, Lindsay Oliver, 17, appeared on national televison said that was not true but just "a coincidence."
Glouchester Mayor Carolyn Kirk, Superintendent Christopher Farmer and School Committee Chairman Greg Verga held a press conference at City Hall and called the pact a fabrication. "We have not been able to confirm the existence of a pact." Superintendent Farmer reported "There were a group of girls who were being pregnancy tested regularly, leading one to conclude they were not trying hard not to get pregnant."
Wait, Superintendent Farmer, that was 150 tests administered at the high school clinic which indicates to me that they were looking for positive results not failures. In fact some of the health care workers reported long faces when given negative results and "high fives" when positive. There is some slight preceived benefit to a teen pregnancy:
Extra attention (positive or negative) given by the school, the mother's parent(s) and boyfriend.
Clearing of the complexion along with a sort of senrenity nicknamed the Madonna Effect.
Baby will help bring the bond between boyfriend and girlfriend even tighter together.
The mother will become a more complete person.
Their favorite teen star has had (or will have had) a baby and look at how the media treats her.
I believe we should go back to the flour bag baby concept for a high school course called "Home & Family." It would be a coed course where couples would be paired up and given a ten pound bag of flour to represent their "baby." Babies must be changed, "fed" and given tender loving care. No tossing the "kid" in the locker over the weekend. The child must not show evidence of abuse (torn paper wrapper) or mistreatment and a log must be maintained about diaper changings and feedings. Both students must work together to obtain a pass/fail grade. This is not to be an elective course but mandatory.
The charm and idealized legend of being a parent will soon wear off and any glorified thoughts of being a single mother will opt out as soon as possible.
K.
Glouchester Mayor Carolyn Kirk, Superintendent Christopher Farmer and School Committee Chairman Greg Verga held a press conference at City Hall and called the pact a fabrication. "We have not been able to confirm the existence of a pact." Superintendent Farmer reported "There were a group of girls who were being pregnancy tested regularly, leading one to conclude they were not trying hard not to get pregnant."
Wait, Superintendent Farmer, that was 150 tests administered at the high school clinic which indicates to me that they were looking for positive results not failures. In fact some of the health care workers reported long faces when given negative results and "high fives" when positive. There is some slight preceived benefit to a teen pregnancy:
Extra attention (positive or negative) given by the school, the mother's parent(s) and boyfriend.
Clearing of the complexion along with a sort of senrenity nicknamed the Madonna Effect.
Baby will help bring the bond between boyfriend and girlfriend even tighter together.
The mother will become a more complete person.
Their favorite teen star has had (or will have had) a baby and look at how the media treats her.
I believe we should go back to the flour bag baby concept for a high school course called "Home & Family." It would be a coed course where couples would be paired up and given a ten pound bag of flour to represent their "baby." Babies must be changed, "fed" and given tender loving care. No tossing the "kid" in the locker over the weekend. The child must not show evidence of abuse (torn paper wrapper) or mistreatment and a log must be maintained about diaper changings and feedings. Both students must work together to obtain a pass/fail grade. This is not to be an elective course but mandatory.
The charm and idealized legend of being a parent will soon wear off and any glorified thoughts of being a single mother will opt out as soon as possible.
K.
Monday, June 23, 2008
"School Days, School Days, Good old Golden Rule Days"
Well, it has happened again. A female teacher has had inappropriate relations with one of her male students. Maggie Laughlin, 23, a math teacher at a Mentor, OH junior high school is alleged to have oral sex with a 15-year-old student in late May of 2008. This became known after the eighth or tenth incident. There seems to be an epidemic here as this has often occurred before. In Lexington, NB in August 2006, 25-year-old math teacher, Kelsey Peterson had sex twice with her 13-year-old former student. In October 2006, Sharon Rutherford was convicted of having sex with two students under the age of 16. In February 2005 Pamela Turner, 27, a physical education teacher in Tennessee was charged with statutory rape when she had sex with one of her 13 year old students. In December 2003 a Tampa, FL former model— turned teacher, Debra Lafave, 24, had sex with one of her 14-year-old students. The ultimate case involved Mary Kay Letourneau a Seattle teacher who had sexual relationship with a 12 year old sixth-grader; who once bragged to a classmate that he could "sleep with the teach." Their union eventually produced two children. Letourneau spent more than seven years in jail and then married her lover—21-years her junior.
Coincidence here; I think not! Let's be the devil's advocate (in this case the defendant's advocate), and say these teachers were NOT responsible for their actions. There are at least three videos on YouTube where a teacher has been hypnotized in a classroom situation and filmed. Granted, they were acting as if they were clucking chickens and not performing sexual acts but the fact is they were not themselves and had no control over their minds or bodies.
What could appear to more innocent than a female teacher willing to help her struggling male student with his "problem?" The precocious "child" hypnotizes and seduces her, then leaves her with a post-hypnotic suggestion for further encounters. The unwitting teacher sees her pupil repeatedly not knowing that she is being duped. The events eventually come to light when the man-child cannot control his glee and begins to broadcast his tryst throughout the school. The law views the student as the victim and the hapless teacher as the seductress (which is the furthest from the truth).
A simple act of kindness and professionalism could cost the teacher her job, her career, as well as thousands of dollars in fines, bail money, court costs and legal fees. A young lecherous student whose only aim is self-gratification could ruin her life.
K.
Coincidence here; I think not! Let's be the devil's advocate (in this case the defendant's advocate), and say these teachers were NOT responsible for their actions. There are at least three videos on YouTube where a teacher has been hypnotized in a classroom situation and filmed. Granted, they were acting as if they were clucking chickens and not performing sexual acts but the fact is they were not themselves and had no control over their minds or bodies.
What could appear to more innocent than a female teacher willing to help her struggling male student with his "problem?" The precocious "child" hypnotizes and seduces her, then leaves her with a post-hypnotic suggestion for further encounters. The unwitting teacher sees her pupil repeatedly not knowing that she is being duped. The events eventually come to light when the man-child cannot control his glee and begins to broadcast his tryst throughout the school. The law views the student as the victim and the hapless teacher as the seductress (which is the furthest from the truth).
A simple act of kindness and professionalism could cost the teacher her job, her career, as well as thousands of dollars in fines, bail money, court costs and legal fees. A young lecherous student whose only aim is self-gratification could ruin her life.
K.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
I walked ten miles to school in the snow, up hill both ways.
When I was a kid in elementary school during the 1950's, I joined the Boy Scouts. One of the benefits of being a Scout was to receive a paid for subscription to Boy's Life magazine, a BSA publication. This large layout periodical told kids how to bake "planked fish," tied knots and other such stuff that would be useful to the scout who was to "be prepared."
Like any magazine it had advertisers, one of which was the Savage Arms Company of Utica, NY. Savage marketed the Model 24 over and under or combo rifle with a 22 caliber barrel on the top and a 410 shotgun barrel on the bottom, all controlled by the same trigger but which required a lever to select the proper barrel. I attended my first gun show just a few months ago, and I wondered if the rifle that was touted during my childhood would still be marketed. Sure enough, I recognized it immediately. I held this old relic in my hands as I would a long forgotten toy from that same time period.
You might cringe at such an analogy, toys and guns? Yes, but those were much different times; we would like to think it was an age of innocence. This was well before Columbine High School, school multi-murders and zero tolerance. It was also a time when a kid in my high school English class went to the principal and asked if he could bring his rifle to school for a oral presentation or demonstration (a kind of a show and tell). The principal had no problem with that; the student would have his parent bring it to his office in a zippered gun case with the bolt disassembled, the student would pick it up at the office just before the class, and at the conclusion of his presentation returned it the office for the parent to pick up. Oh yes, there was to be no live ammunition (I think he brought in a dummy shell to show how it was extracted from the chamber).
I can vividly remember that unique demonstration, how to hold the rifle, positioning the webbed sling just right to aid in steadiness. I remember the various demonstrated shooting positions—prone, sitting, kneeing, and standing and how triangulation with the sling and your elbow helped to steady the shooter's aim. I cringe to think that back then it was all that simple; just get permission from the principal and bring in a gun. In today's modern, litigation happy, lawyer-dominated world, that principal would have being summarily dismissed. I wonder how much today's kids have missed out of similar experiences.
I'm not a gun advocate mind you, but I can see an opportunity when one presents itself. Today, nursery school teachers may spend hours after kids leave the building wiping down toys, chairs and doorknobs with bleach or disinfectant to prevent the spread of germs. It's for the same reason you won't see a turtle anymore in the classroom—salmonella poisoning. We shelter our children preventing them from "possible" harm. Not very long ago a parent who thought along those lines would have been considered overprotective, today we call it being reasonably prudent. Ah, the good old times, gone but not forgotten.
K.
Like any magazine it had advertisers, one of which was the Savage Arms Company of Utica, NY. Savage marketed the Model 24 over and under or combo rifle with a 22 caliber barrel on the top and a 410 shotgun barrel on the bottom, all controlled by the same trigger but which required a lever to select the proper barrel. I attended my first gun show just a few months ago, and I wondered if the rifle that was touted during my childhood would still be marketed. Sure enough, I recognized it immediately. I held this old relic in my hands as I would a long forgotten toy from that same time period.
You might cringe at such an analogy, toys and guns? Yes, but those were much different times; we would like to think it was an age of innocence. This was well before Columbine High School, school multi-murders and zero tolerance. It was also a time when a kid in my high school English class went to the principal and asked if he could bring his rifle to school for a oral presentation or demonstration (a kind of a show and tell). The principal had no problem with that; the student would have his parent bring it to his office in a zippered gun case with the bolt disassembled, the student would pick it up at the office just before the class, and at the conclusion of his presentation returned it the office for the parent to pick up. Oh yes, there was to be no live ammunition (I think he brought in a dummy shell to show how it was extracted from the chamber).
I can vividly remember that unique demonstration, how to hold the rifle, positioning the webbed sling just right to aid in steadiness. I remember the various demonstrated shooting positions—prone, sitting, kneeing, and standing and how triangulation with the sling and your elbow helped to steady the shooter's aim. I cringe to think that back then it was all that simple; just get permission from the principal and bring in a gun. In today's modern, litigation happy, lawyer-dominated world, that principal would have being summarily dismissed. I wonder how much today's kids have missed out of similar experiences.
I'm not a gun advocate mind you, but I can see an opportunity when one presents itself. Today, nursery school teachers may spend hours after kids leave the building wiping down toys, chairs and doorknobs with bleach or disinfectant to prevent the spread of germs. It's for the same reason you won't see a turtle anymore in the classroom—salmonella poisoning. We shelter our children preventing them from "possible" harm. Not very long ago a parent who thought along those lines would have been considered overprotective, today we call it being reasonably prudent. Ah, the good old times, gone but not forgotten.
K.
Sunday, June 1, 2008
"May I Have the Envelope Please; and the Winner is...."
Can a ten-year-old plot and discontinued TV show about four New York bachelor girls find true happiness in a 2008 movie remake? The producers would like to think so and they're willing to gamble that fans of Sex and the City will be willing to spend millions of dollars to see their favorite show on the big screen. An even more interesting question—can fifty-two year old Kim Cattrall, aka Samantha Jones continue to carry off the role designed for her thirteen years ago as a man eating nymphomaniac? Then again she does look good an evening gown.
The typical Hollywood public relations mill is willing to put a lot of money into press parties and media events, etc. to pump up interest in what would be considered a rehash of the TV's Golden Girls that aired in 1985. You don't look a gift horse in the mouth, at least one the could bring you a tidy return on your investment or can you beat a dead horse to the finish line? My apologies to any inferred reference to Barbaro or Eight Belles.
Dedicated Sex and the City fans will love it, accountants will spend countless hours tallying up the results and make up artists will more than earn their keep. Making those four stars look years younger should earn this movie an Oscar as well as a walk on part at the Society of American Magicians' annual meeting. Readers, can you say abra-cadabera?
K.
The typical Hollywood public relations mill is willing to put a lot of money into press parties and media events, etc. to pump up interest in what would be considered a rehash of the TV's Golden Girls that aired in 1985. You don't look a gift horse in the mouth, at least one the could bring you a tidy return on your investment or can you beat a dead horse to the finish line? My apologies to any inferred reference to Barbaro or Eight Belles.
Dedicated Sex and the City fans will love it, accountants will spend countless hours tallying up the results and make up artists will more than earn their keep. Making those four stars look years younger should earn this movie an Oscar as well as a walk on part at the Society of American Magicians' annual meeting. Readers, can you say abra-cadabera?
K.
Sunday, May 25, 2008
So he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?" Luke 10:29
I had one of the most frightening experiences that I ever had. Yes, guys can have bad experiences as well. I had just finished driving thirty minutes on the freeway, had gotten off the exit ramp and was making a left hand turn to continue on to my office. My car died. I tried to restart it over and over again without any luck; I was not succeeding. There I was stuck in to the middle of traffic, frustrated, and surrounded by hostile drivers and unsympathic horns, feeling very sorry for myself. I heard the sound of a very familiar voice from a rolled down car window— it was "M" from my office. "K, do you need any help, is there something I can do?" I blurted out "I think I can get it started if I had a can of starting fluid," I said. "Where can I find it?" she replied and after receiving me instructions she drove off.
Another car pulled up; it was a second co-worker, "L" with her darling blond haired child in a car seat behind her. Even though she had the day off, and was going to her mother's house, she asked that familiar question as well "How can I help?" I start to feel better already when a third co-worker "J" called me on my cell phone and asked me if I was all right. I assured her help was on its way when the fourth co-worker, Sean pulled up behind me in his car. His four-way flashers signaled others behind him of my distress and not to use our lane. How can I say this without being silly? Sean was the best thing that ever happened to me just at that moment: he is very a familiar face, a confidant, and better yet a good friend.
For the next hour and a half he stayed with me, we joked, traded stories back and forth and tried to trouble shoot the no start problem. When "M" arrived with the stating fluid, he helped me try to restart my reluctant vehicle. He was my lifesaver, keeping me from going ballistic, or absolutely insane. The police arrived and finally the AAA tow truck, yet Sean stayed with me the entire time even giving me a ride to the office as well as helping me to chase down the parts needed to make the repairs.
These four people personify the story of "The Good Samaritan." I really can't say enough about them, some of which are less than half my age and old enough to be my children. They are a true friends who I shall always be thankful.
K.
Another car pulled up; it was a second co-worker, "L" with her darling blond haired child in a car seat behind her. Even though she had the day off, and was going to her mother's house, she asked that familiar question as well "How can I help?" I start to feel better already when a third co-worker "J" called me on my cell phone and asked me if I was all right. I assured her help was on its way when the fourth co-worker, Sean pulled up behind me in his car. His four-way flashers signaled others behind him of my distress and not to use our lane. How can I say this without being silly? Sean was the best thing that ever happened to me just at that moment: he is very a familiar face, a confidant, and better yet a good friend.
For the next hour and a half he stayed with me, we joked, traded stories back and forth and tried to trouble shoot the no start problem. When "M" arrived with the stating fluid, he helped me try to restart my reluctant vehicle. He was my lifesaver, keeping me from going ballistic, or absolutely insane. The police arrived and finally the AAA tow truck, yet Sean stayed with me the entire time even giving me a ride to the office as well as helping me to chase down the parts needed to make the repairs.
These four people personify the story of "The Good Samaritan." I really can't say enough about them, some of which are less than half my age and old enough to be my children. They are a true friends who I shall always be thankful.
K.
Sunday, May 18, 2008
It’s OK to Do What You Would Like to Do, Just Don’t Get Caught
We all believe in our inalienable rights of the freedom of speech, but just how far can it go? Forty-four students at Stevenson High School in Lavonia, MI were suspended for wearing tee shirts that said "Puschin' It To The Limit" on one side and "Class of .08 Seniors" on the other. The .08 refers to Michigan alcohol limit for intoxicated drivers. The high school principal, Steven Archibald, felt that it was the wrong message and promoted underage drinking. When asked by a local TV station whether it had anything to do with drinking, a student replied, "Oh, yah …it (the reaction from the administration) is kind of pointless…it's just a joke."
Archibald had gotten wind of the upcoming senior prank back in April and had sent parents two messages one by mail and the other via email warning them there would be consequences if this happened. The suspended students involved will have to earn back their right to attend Senior Prom and "walking" (across the stage) during the graduation ceremony. The suspended students were prevented from attending an honors award assembly that same evening.
Mother Against Drunk Drivers (MADD) felt the actions against the student were appropriate as most if not all are underage to begin with; while some suspended students felt that they were being unfairly singled out for their prank. One mother, Dawn Lewis, felt that it was unfair to punish the students who worn the tee shirt and to go after the person who designed the shirt in the first place. "They are kids…what are you going to do?"
Anheuser-Busch in a press release from the headquarters in St. Louis on May 9, 2008 may have anticipated such high jinks. "Especially during the prom and graduation season, parents may face pressure to host teen parties with alcohol," said Carol Clark, vice president of Corporate Social Responsibility at Anheuser-Busch. "By exchanging best practices through this new forum ( the Positive Parenting Connection page on MySpace at www.myspace.com/positiveparenting), parents can better understand their role in preventing underage drinking and also realize they're not alone in saying no."
K's comments: hmmm—two notices to "Cease and Desist" or "halt this planned activity" before the event happened are excellent points in Principal Archibald's favor, he is a good high school administrator. MADD spokesperson said the goal was to prevent underage drinking with zero tolerance, is also a good point. The adage "Kids will be kids" and "People have worn tee shirts worse than this."– are poor arguments. I recommend the American Civil Liberties Union or other lawyer groups not even think about getting involved in the one. You have bigger fish to fry.
K.
Archibald had gotten wind of the upcoming senior prank back in April and had sent parents two messages one by mail and the other via email warning them there would be consequences if this happened. The suspended students involved will have to earn back their right to attend Senior Prom and "walking" (across the stage) during the graduation ceremony. The suspended students were prevented from attending an honors award assembly that same evening.
Mother Against Drunk Drivers (MADD) felt the actions against the student were appropriate as most if not all are underage to begin with; while some suspended students felt that they were being unfairly singled out for their prank. One mother, Dawn Lewis, felt that it was unfair to punish the students who worn the tee shirt and to go after the person who designed the shirt in the first place. "They are kids…what are you going to do?"
Anheuser-Busch in a press release from the headquarters in St. Louis on May 9, 2008 may have anticipated such high jinks. "Especially during the prom and graduation season, parents may face pressure to host teen parties with alcohol," said Carol Clark, vice president of Corporate Social Responsibility at Anheuser-Busch. "By exchanging best practices through this new forum ( the Positive Parenting Connection page on MySpace at www.myspace.com/positiveparenting), parents can better understand their role in preventing underage drinking and also realize they're not alone in saying no."
K's comments: hmmm—two notices to "Cease and Desist" or "halt this planned activity" before the event happened are excellent points in Principal Archibald's favor, he is a good high school administrator. MADD spokesperson said the goal was to prevent underage drinking with zero tolerance, is also a good point. The adage "Kids will be kids" and "People have worn tee shirts worse than this."– are poor arguments. I recommend the American Civil Liberties Union or other lawyer groups not even think about getting involved in the one. You have bigger fish to fry.
K.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
The Lord is my Sheppard... He Restores my Soul
My experiences this past week, have put me into a stunning, traumatic shock. Could I be so oblivious to the world around me that I could not see what was happening? Was I so trusting that I was setting myself up for the biggest downfall of my life? Did I have horse's blinders next to my eyes? We see our children grow up before our very eyes, watch them metamorphous into adolescence and then mature into adulthood. Then we turn them nonchalantly loose. We turn them loose into a world, like sheep that are sent out into a pasture full of lurking, ravenous wolves, waiting to pounce upon them like so much meat at a butcher's shop window.
We as parents can only watch, hope and pray that all will turn out OK. We can only trust those eighteen years of education in school, teachings in Judaeo-Christian principles and instruction in scruples and ethics, have had an effect. It is like making a cake, we have mixed together all the ingredients, have set the timer, turned up the heat and have put the cake into the oven. Now, what remains is to watch and see (and hope for the perfect cake). If the makeup of materials lack something, if the temperature is incorrect, if the over door is opened at the wrong time, the cake will fail. They say that each of us has a guardian angle, pray for two angles for each of your children. One to diligently watch and the other to standby as a backup— a redundant system, just in case.
K.
We as parents can only watch, hope and pray that all will turn out OK. We can only trust those eighteen years of education in school, teachings in Judaeo-Christian principles and instruction in scruples and ethics, have had an effect. It is like making a cake, we have mixed together all the ingredients, have set the timer, turned up the heat and have put the cake into the oven. Now, what remains is to watch and see (and hope for the perfect cake). If the makeup of materials lack something, if the temperature is incorrect, if the over door is opened at the wrong time, the cake will fail. They say that each of us has a guardian angle, pray for two angles for each of your children. One to diligently watch and the other to standby as a backup— a redundant system, just in case.
K.
My Life's Partner, My Friend, My Equal
I met a couple today that had been married some fifty-two years who have shared a project that kept them both busy with displaying an egg decorated lawn these past fifty years. Called Eggshellland, see http://www.flickr.com/photos/tags/eggshellland/ for a photo montage, this couple has put their entire free time in emptying, painting, planning designs and building eggshell displays that are up for only an eight day period between Palm Sunday and two days after Easter. Their designs are based on common and popular themes such as Disney and Warner Brothers characters, local sport teams and a perennial, brightly decorated cross.
They are a true husband and wife team, with the wife doing the entire theme designing and planning and her husband, the painting and production. The eggs are painted in 24 brilliant outdoor sign paints called 1Shot, made in Gary, IN. Their children, grandchildren and other interested people have helped with the set up and execution of the design layout. Only four times has the weather threatened their fragile project with hailstones or crushing heavy snow, damaging thousands of brightly painted shells. Vandals have too have had their effect, but only once, a decade ago.
I guess, the real reason for this blog is to tell you about a couple who have decided to put their lives in a fish bowl one a year, for eight days; to let people see, experience and admire their creative talents. They have enjoyed showing their displays just as much as the visitors who have goggled in front of their home during Holy Week. They were not afraid to put themselves out and in some cases, have let others in on their creative venture.
Betty and Ron Manolio, I wish you many more years together in your creative journey as show us your combined talents. You are a couple this world should admire as well as emulate.
K.
They are a true husband and wife team, with the wife doing the entire theme designing and planning and her husband, the painting and production. The eggs are painted in 24 brilliant outdoor sign paints called 1Shot, made in Gary, IN. Their children, grandchildren and other interested people have helped with the set up and execution of the design layout. Only four times has the weather threatened their fragile project with hailstones or crushing heavy snow, damaging thousands of brightly painted shells. Vandals have too have had their effect, but only once, a decade ago.
I guess, the real reason for this blog is to tell you about a couple who have decided to put their lives in a fish bowl one a year, for eight days; to let people see, experience and admire their creative talents. They have enjoyed showing their displays just as much as the visitors who have goggled in front of their home during Holy Week. They were not afraid to put themselves out and in some cases, have let others in on their creative venture.
Betty and Ron Manolio, I wish you many more years together in your creative journey as show us your combined talents. You are a couple this world should admire as well as emulate.
K.
A Tale of Two Universities
It was the best of times; it was the worst of times; that happened in the month of May 2008. The best of times—Mallory Holtman, first base for the Central Washington Wildcats softball team, and shortstop Liz Wallace helped an injured opposing team member "walk" the bases. Sara Tucholsky from Western Oregon had just hit a homerun over the fence and was starting for second base when she realized she hadn't touched first. As she doubled backed to tag the base, her knee crumpled beneath her making it painfully impossible for her to run the bases. The ball would have counted as a single if anyone attempted to replace her, wiping out Tucholsky's only college career homer.
Holtman and Wallace opposing team members picked Tucholsky off the ground, cradled her between them and walked all four bases, stopping to let Sara's good leg gingerly touch each base in succession. The trio received a standing ovation from the crowd for this unheard of display of good sportsmanship. This act of kindness enabled them to appear on several morning television shows.
The worst—also in the TV news was announcement that 75 students from San Diego State University were arrested for possession and selling drugs. The grocery list of seized illicit drugs included: four pounds of cocaine, 50 pounds of marijuana, 48 indoor grown marijuana plants, 350 ecstasy pills, hallucinogenic mushrooms, 30 vials of hash oil, methamphetamines, and various prescription drugs. Also confiscated was $60,000 in cash. 25 others, not attending the university were also arrested.
Members of three fraternities, Theta Chi, Phi Kappa Psi and Delta Sigma Pi, were arrested, according to law enforcement. Three other fraternities were suspended Tuesday (May 6th) pending a hearing on evidence gathered during the investigation. Two drug related deaths of students at SDSU, prompted the investigation. Ray Poliakoff, father of one of the dead students, and an emergency room physician from Poway, CA, said SDSU "could have chosen to turn a blind eye to the whole thing. ... [but] if one kid gets saved, if 10 kids get saved, then it's worth doing."
The good—college sport rivals helping each other out; the bad—students preying upon others in their community and the ugly—San Diego's drug ring may be only a microcosm of the drug related extra curricular activities of the entire student population. Let us pray that this is not the case.
K.
Holtman and Wallace opposing team members picked Tucholsky off the ground, cradled her between them and walked all four bases, stopping to let Sara's good leg gingerly touch each base in succession. The trio received a standing ovation from the crowd for this unheard of display of good sportsmanship. This act of kindness enabled them to appear on several morning television shows.
The worst—also in the TV news was announcement that 75 students from San Diego State University were arrested for possession and selling drugs. The grocery list of seized illicit drugs included: four pounds of cocaine, 50 pounds of marijuana, 48 indoor grown marijuana plants, 350 ecstasy pills, hallucinogenic mushrooms, 30 vials of hash oil, methamphetamines, and various prescription drugs. Also confiscated was $60,000 in cash. 25 others, not attending the university were also arrested.
Members of three fraternities, Theta Chi, Phi Kappa Psi and Delta Sigma Pi, were arrested, according to law enforcement. Three other fraternities were suspended Tuesday (May 6th) pending a hearing on evidence gathered during the investigation. Two drug related deaths of students at SDSU, prompted the investigation. Ray Poliakoff, father of one of the dead students, and an emergency room physician from Poway, CA, said SDSU "could have chosen to turn a blind eye to the whole thing. ... [but] if one kid gets saved, if 10 kids get saved, then it's worth doing."
The good—college sport rivals helping each other out; the bad—students preying upon others in their community and the ugly—San Diego's drug ring may be only a microcosm of the drug related extra curricular activities of the entire student population. Let us pray that this is not the case.
K.
My Country ’tis of Thee, Sweet Land of Liberty..."
I have a friend who is going blind. He has had sight difficulties since high school some forty years ago, but now the doctors tell him that here is nothing more they can do for him. How very final that sounds; blindness is just around the corner. There is nothing that I can do for him except be there to hear his frustrations, listen to his dashed hopes and befriend him.
Today, Mrs. K. and I went over to his house and talked to him and his wife. He wanted to put up an American flag so he could still see it before he totally lost his sight. Two holidays are coming up: Memorial Day and Fourth of July and he wanted to be prepared. The two of us spent some time deciding where to mount the flagstaff, finally deciding to place it on a fencepost right outside of his front door. The sun shone brilliantly on it, really lighting it up. He was very pleased with the results and I was happy that the two of us could work on it together. He was never able to serve country even though he had gone to enlist. Yet, he is as patriotic as anyone you could ever find.
What brought me to write this blog is that he gave me almost all of his entire collection of military history books; some five shopping bags filled to the top. These were his favorite pastime. You could almost say that he was a voracious reader and was very knowledgeable of American wars. I can't imagine what I would do if blindness was my ultimate fate. He is still very optimistic; he and his wife went out and bought an illuminated optical viewer so he can read the books he hadn't given away.
If there ever was a person who could use a prayer to stop the progress of his blindness (or even possibly reverse the outcome) my friend could use it. His name is Ron and I don't he'll mind if you put in a good word for him with the Man Upstairs. God has helped the blind to see before.
K.
Today, Mrs. K. and I went over to his house and talked to him and his wife. He wanted to put up an American flag so he could still see it before he totally lost his sight. Two holidays are coming up: Memorial Day and Fourth of July and he wanted to be prepared. The two of us spent some time deciding where to mount the flagstaff, finally deciding to place it on a fencepost right outside of his front door. The sun shone brilliantly on it, really lighting it up. He was very pleased with the results and I was happy that the two of us could work on it together. He was never able to serve country even though he had gone to enlist. Yet, he is as patriotic as anyone you could ever find.
What brought me to write this blog is that he gave me almost all of his entire collection of military history books; some five shopping bags filled to the top. These were his favorite pastime. You could almost say that he was a voracious reader and was very knowledgeable of American wars. I can't imagine what I would do if blindness was my ultimate fate. He is still very optimistic; he and his wife went out and bought an illuminated optical viewer so he can read the books he hadn't given away.
If there ever was a person who could use a prayer to stop the progress of his blindness (or even possibly reverse the outcome) my friend could use it. His name is Ron and I don't he'll mind if you put in a good word for him with the Man Upstairs. God has helped the blind to see before.
K.
Sunday April 27, 2008
Mrs. K . and I went to hear a masters candidate thesis presentation at Ursuline College on April 22. Ursuline fashion professor, Susan Powers discussed The Changing Silhouette of the American Wedding Gown. She highlighted how American wedding gowns can be learning tools when studied as historical artifacts of material culture. An exhibit of wedding gowns was included in her presentation.
The main reason why I was there was that my sister and her husband had donated a wedding gown worn by my brother-in-law's grandmother in 1914. It was quite interesting to see how the wedding dress had evolved over the last 100 years. Then again there hadn't been any real drastic change at all. The dress still represented the vestages of a young woman's crowning moment—the day of her wedding. It represented a young couple's hope and asperations, the future they were to share from that moment on. The bouque of flowers were long gone, in some instances even the bride, groom and wedding guests. Only the gown itself remained—a testiment to its loving care and sentiment.
The candidate, Mrs. Powers. worn a gown of her own creation as she presented her paper; her husband dressed in a groom's tuxedo—wedding cake and coffee were served after the presentation. I was quite impressed in Mrs. Powers' paper, the self-designed gown she wore and her husband's participation and support in her disertation. Mr. and Professor Powers can be very proud of each other.
K.
The main reason why I was there was that my sister and her husband had donated a wedding gown worn by my brother-in-law's grandmother in 1914. It was quite interesting to see how the wedding dress had evolved over the last 100 years. Then again there hadn't been any real drastic change at all. The dress still represented the vestages of a young woman's crowning moment—the day of her wedding. It represented a young couple's hope and asperations, the future they were to share from that moment on. The bouque of flowers were long gone, in some instances even the bride, groom and wedding guests. Only the gown itself remained—a testiment to its loving care and sentiment.
The candidate, Mrs. Powers. worn a gown of her own creation as she presented her paper; her husband dressed in a groom's tuxedo—wedding cake and coffee were served after the presentation. I was quite impressed in Mrs. Powers' paper, the self-designed gown she wore and her husband's participation and support in her disertation. Mr. and Professor Powers can be very proud of each other.
K.
Pearl Harbor Revisited
All of us know about the Pearl Harbor sneak attack on December 7, 1941. The time was 8:00 a.m. (or as they says in the Navy --0800 hours) when a crewman went to the fantail, the rear portion, of his ship to raise the American flag. One minute later a torpedo from a Japanese bomber struck her on her port side. The ship began to take on water so rapidly that she began to list 15 degrees. The senior officer aboard, Lt. Commander S.S. Isquith, realizing that she was sinking gave the order for "All hands on deck and all engine room and fire room, radio and dynamo watch to lay up on deck and release all prisoners." The men were to go the starboard side of the she to avoid the shifting loose heavy timbers that had been stored on deck earlier. Four minutes later the list increased to 40 degrees and the order was given to abandon ship over the starboard side.
As the crew scrambled for safety, the increased list caused the timbers to loosen and slide into the water, crushing the men below. At about 8:12 a.m. the ship capsized after mooring lines snapped. "One of the ship's boats rushed in and picked up men in the water and commenced ferrying them to the beach. Constant strafing made the job hazardous, and many men sought shelter by swimming to the side of the mooring quay. The wounded and injured were treated along the shoreline or sent to the dispensary at the Naval Air Station at Ford Island. As survivors continued to struggle ashore, most sought protection in a pipeline trench dug by the Public Works Project."
Thirty officers and 431 men were reported to have survived the loss of the ship. The balance of the ships company, 58 men, remained entombed to this date aboard this ill-fated ship. Her hull in mostly submerged on the west side of Ford Island in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Its location and fate are not mentioned in the tourist brochures. Most persons visiting the historical sights at Pearl Harbor see the more publicized sites, including USS Missouri Museum, and the USS Bowfin Submarine Museum.
While 1.5 million people annually visit the more famous memorials, few know or visit the site of this sunken ship. Did I forget to say that the timbers stored aboard her deck were to protect it from target bomb practice? Had I failed to say that she was a target ship and wasn't deemed worthy to be on the Japanese hit list but was sunk in error? Did I mention the battle number of this forgotten shrine? It'sBB31-- the number of the battleship USS Utah. BB39 was the battle number of the more famous USS Arizona and now you know the rest of the story.
K.
As the crew scrambled for safety, the increased list caused the timbers to loosen and slide into the water, crushing the men below. At about 8:12 a.m. the ship capsized after mooring lines snapped. "One of the ship's boats rushed in and picked up men in the water and commenced ferrying them to the beach. Constant strafing made the job hazardous, and many men sought shelter by swimming to the side of the mooring quay. The wounded and injured were treated along the shoreline or sent to the dispensary at the Naval Air Station at Ford Island. As survivors continued to struggle ashore, most sought protection in a pipeline trench dug by the Public Works Project."
Thirty officers and 431 men were reported to have survived the loss of the ship. The balance of the ships company, 58 men, remained entombed to this date aboard this ill-fated ship. Her hull in mostly submerged on the west side of Ford Island in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Its location and fate are not mentioned in the tourist brochures. Most persons visiting the historical sights at Pearl Harbor see the more publicized sites, including USS Missouri Museum, and the USS Bowfin Submarine Museum.
While 1.5 million people annually visit the more famous memorials, few know or visit the site of this sunken ship. Did I forget to say that the timbers stored aboard her deck were to protect it from target bomb practice? Had I failed to say that she was a target ship and wasn't deemed worthy to be on the Japanese hit list but was sunk in error? Did I mention the battle number of this forgotten shrine? It'sBB31-- the number of the battleship USS Utah. BB39 was the battle number of the more famous USS Arizona and now you know the rest of the story.
K.
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Florida Teen Beating Video Taped
Polk County Florida prosecutors have decided to charge seven teens -- accused of pummeling a 16-year-old high school cheerleader and videotaping it for YouTube and MySpace -- as adults. An eighth teen is 18 years old and is considered by law as an adult.
All eight face charges of battery and kidnapping, punishable by up to life in prison. The six girls doing the beating range in age from 14 to 17 years old while the two boys who posted themselves as lookouts are 17 and 18 years old. Three of the girls face additional charges of tampering with a witness, which carries up to a five-year prison term.
The beating victim knocked unconscious, has bruises, a concussion and damage to her left ear and eye, although her family said she is expected to recover. The family would like a public apology from the girls, and they also want a law to protect kids on video and social-networking Web sites. The victim plans to continue her schooling at home rather than return to her high school.
The grandmother of one of the girls who was arrested says her family is suffering, too. The beating is alleged to have happened at her house while she was at work. Since the Sheriff's Office released the video this week, she has been receiving threatening, obscenity-laced telephone calls, and someone scratched her car.
Other parents of the perpetrators denied their child wasn't even at the scene, claiming they were in school or that it was a fair fight because it was one-on-one.Opinions on the Internet range from shock to disgust and outrage.
K.
Some material quoted from the Orlando Sentinal
All eight face charges of battery and kidnapping, punishable by up to life in prison. The six girls doing the beating range in age from 14 to 17 years old while the two boys who posted themselves as lookouts are 17 and 18 years old. Three of the girls face additional charges of tampering with a witness, which carries up to a five-year prison term.
The beating victim knocked unconscious, has bruises, a concussion and damage to her left ear and eye, although her family said she is expected to recover. The family would like a public apology from the girls, and they also want a law to protect kids on video and social-networking Web sites. The victim plans to continue her schooling at home rather than return to her high school.
The grandmother of one of the girls who was arrested says her family is suffering, too. The beating is alleged to have happened at her house while she was at work. Since the Sheriff's Office released the video this week, she has been receiving threatening, obscenity-laced telephone calls, and someone scratched her car.
Other parents of the perpetrators denied their child wasn't even at the scene, claiming they were in school or that it was a fair fight because it was one-on-one.Opinions on the Internet range from shock to disgust and outrage.
K.
Some material quoted from the Orlando Sentinal
Life
I received this from a friend and I thought I’d pass it a long; we had been discussing a new miniature computer keyboard
"K., I suspect eventually we will be able to talk directly to the computer with no need for the keyboard. In a manner of speaking, we already have this technology available in some cell phones.
"On the other hand ... we still have 45 million people with no health insurance, more than a million abortions every year, 20 percent of our people cannot read or write well enough to fill out an employment application or follow instructions on a prescription label, a high school dropout rate of 40 percent, and an old poor lady in her nineties, living on East 92nd street off Cedar, who eats canned cat food because that is all she can afford.
"We have laser-guided bombs that can seek out and kill someone virtually anywhere on earth, enough nuclear warheads to wipe out the earth completely, and troops in more than seventy countries around the world. Yet, we have one of the highest infant mortality rates, are way down the list of life expectancy for industrialized countries, and people in the prime of their life who are dying because they cannot afford the medications they require to sustain life.
"Lots ’o luck!"
Unfortunately this is true, it happens as a result of the importance we place on our priorities. If the welfare of the mankind were the topmost objective, things would be a lot different. We have a lot to learn and oh so little time to do it in.
Wishing all of you a very pleasant religious holiday.
K.
"K., I suspect eventually we will be able to talk directly to the computer with no need for the keyboard. In a manner of speaking, we already have this technology available in some cell phones.
"On the other hand ... we still have 45 million people with no health insurance, more than a million abortions every year, 20 percent of our people cannot read or write well enough to fill out an employment application or follow instructions on a prescription label, a high school dropout rate of 40 percent, and an old poor lady in her nineties, living on East 92nd street off Cedar, who eats canned cat food because that is all she can afford.
"We have laser-guided bombs that can seek out and kill someone virtually anywhere on earth, enough nuclear warheads to wipe out the earth completely, and troops in more than seventy countries around the world. Yet, we have one of the highest infant mortality rates, are way down the list of life expectancy for industrialized countries, and people in the prime of their life who are dying because they cannot afford the medications they require to sustain life.
"Lots ’o luck!"
Unfortunately this is true, it happens as a result of the importance we place on our priorities. If the welfare of the mankind were the topmost objective, things would be a lot different. We have a lot to learn and oh so little time to do it in.
Wishing all of you a very pleasant religious holiday.
K.
Our Sixth Sence--Fact or Fiction
I’m friends with a neighbor, whenever he knocks on the door, the dog run to the front door, her fur goes up and she gives this low threatening grown. Mrs. K. is not too fond of him either. She thinks the dog knows something and has a right to be suspicious. Do the two share some common intuition of this person’s character or agenda? Isn’t it a dog’s nature to be distrustful? Do they have some sixth sense that we human’s only have an inkling or completely lack?
Are you a good judge of character? Do your first impressions determine how you will treat someone for the time of your interaction or relationship? Or do you give people the benefit of the doubt, and let the course of time determine your opinion of their character? Luckily Mrs. K. and I hit it off pretty good during the course of our very early relationship that began forty-five years ago this month. If it hadn’t, I wouldn’t be writing this blog. Would our relationship have been the same had she known that I don’t finish projects in a timely manner, leave stuff lying out or that I go on my own program and don’t consider others? I’m very glad she didn’t know the "real" me—or was willing to try and change me.
I in turn don’t try to figure people out; I let them "evolve" into the characters they become. My interaction with them changes as they change. If things are going OK then that is the way our relationship will interact; this is especially true at my job. If they turn out to have a bad day (or week, or month) then I keep out of their way; I try not to "press the issue."
Each us of has our own method of handling our determination of another’s character and how it will affect our lives or day-to-day interaction with them. We have found what works best for us and then go with it. Perhaps it is a throwback to another more primitive time when we had only seconds to make that life or death decision, which saved our lives. In some cases this sixth sense in still in effect for cops and soldiers who encounter dangerous decision making choices everyday.
K.
Are you a good judge of character? Do your first impressions determine how you will treat someone for the time of your interaction or relationship? Or do you give people the benefit of the doubt, and let the course of time determine your opinion of their character? Luckily Mrs. K. and I hit it off pretty good during the course of our very early relationship that began forty-five years ago this month. If it hadn’t, I wouldn’t be writing this blog. Would our relationship have been the same had she known that I don’t finish projects in a timely manner, leave stuff lying out or that I go on my own program and don’t consider others? I’m very glad she didn’t know the "real" me—or was willing to try and change me.
I in turn don’t try to figure people out; I let them "evolve" into the characters they become. My interaction with them changes as they change. If things are going OK then that is the way our relationship will interact; this is especially true at my job. If they turn out to have a bad day (or week, or month) then I keep out of their way; I try not to "press the issue."
Each us of has our own method of handling our determination of another’s character and how it will affect our lives or day-to-day interaction with them. We have found what works best for us and then go with it. Perhaps it is a throwback to another more primitive time when we had only seconds to make that life or death decision, which saved our lives. In some cases this sixth sense in still in effect for cops and soldiers who encounter dangerous decision making choices everyday.
K.
Pearl Harbor Revisited
All of us know about the Pearl Harbor sneak attack on December 7, 1941. The time was 8:00 a.m. (or as they says in the Navy --0800 hours) when a crewman went to the fantail, the rear portion, of his ship to raise the American flag. One minute later a torpedo from a Japanese bomber struck her on her port side. The ship began to take on water so rapidly that she began to list 15 degrees. The senior officer aboard, Lt. Commander S.S. Isquith, realizing that she was sinking gave the order for "All hands on deck and all engine room and fire room, radio and dynamo watch to lay up on deck and release all prisoners." The men were to go the starboard side of the she to avoid the shifting loose heavy timbers that had been stored on deck earlier. Four minutes later the list increased to 40 degrees and the order was given to abandon ship over the starboard side.
As the crew scrambled for safety, the increased list caused the timbers to loosen and slide into the water, crushing the men below. At about 8:12 a.m. the ship capsized after mooring lines snapped. “One of the ship's boats rushed in and picked up men in the water and commenced ferrying them to the beach. Constant strafing made the job hazardous, and many men sought shelter by swimming to the side of the mooring quay. The wounded and injured were treated along the shoreline or sent to the dispensary at the Naval Air Station at Ford Island. As survivors continued to struggle ashore, most sought protection in a pipeline trench dug by the Public Works Project.”
Thirty officers and 431 men were reported to have survived the loss of the ship. The balance of the ships company, 58 men, remained entombed to this date aboard this ill-fated ship. Her hull in mostly submerged on the west side of Ford Island in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Its location and fate are not mentioned in the tourist brochures. Most persons visiting the historical sights at Pearl Harbor see the more publicized sites, including USS Missouri Museum, and the USS Bowfin Submarine Museum.
While 1.5 million people annually visit the more famous memorials, few know or visit the site of this sunken ship. Did I forget to say that the timbers stored aboard her deck were to protect it from target bomb practice? Had I failed to say that she was a target ship and wasn’t deemed worthy to be on the Japanese hit list but was sunk in error? Did I mention the battle number of this forgotten shrine? They are BB31-- the number of the battleship USS Utah. BB39 was the battle number of the more famous USS Arizona and now you know the rest of the story.
K.
As the crew scrambled for safety, the increased list caused the timbers to loosen and slide into the water, crushing the men below. At about 8:12 a.m. the ship capsized after mooring lines snapped. “One of the ship's boats rushed in and picked up men in the water and commenced ferrying them to the beach. Constant strafing made the job hazardous, and many men sought shelter by swimming to the side of the mooring quay. The wounded and injured were treated along the shoreline or sent to the dispensary at the Naval Air Station at Ford Island. As survivors continued to struggle ashore, most sought protection in a pipeline trench dug by the Public Works Project.”
Thirty officers and 431 men were reported to have survived the loss of the ship. The balance of the ships company, 58 men, remained entombed to this date aboard this ill-fated ship. Her hull in mostly submerged on the west side of Ford Island in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Its location and fate are not mentioned in the tourist brochures. Most persons visiting the historical sights at Pearl Harbor see the more publicized sites, including USS Missouri Museum, and the USS Bowfin Submarine Museum.
While 1.5 million people annually visit the more famous memorials, few know or visit the site of this sunken ship. Did I forget to say that the timbers stored aboard her deck were to protect it from target bomb practice? Had I failed to say that she was a target ship and wasn’t deemed worthy to be on the Japanese hit list but was sunk in error? Did I mention the battle number of this forgotten shrine? They are BB31-- the number of the battleship USS Utah. BB39 was the battle number of the more famous USS Arizona and now you know the rest of the story.
K.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Just When You Think You're Safe, Something Happens
Our house was broken into last Friday. I first saw that the gate to the yard was open, something I don't do because the dog may get out and go off on her own. There were footprints in the snow leading up to our back porch; a window in the storm door was open and there I found the smash window of the backdoor. I went around to the front of the house as I normally do and then called the police. "Get out of the house." I was told. "They may still be in there."
The police came in and checked the inside of the house; thankfully no one was there. The only thing missing was my laptop that was recently given to my by my wife. It was to be her old one; a friend at work had completely gone over it and had installed Window XP. The computer was clean, there was nothing on it, and I had hardly used it. That was the only thing stole, it was sitting on the couch, right next to the door. One cop said it was kids, it was small, light and valuable.
The second police office explained how easy it has been to get into, the broken pane was right next to the lock and was easy to open. He suggested we install a two-way lock—a key needed to get into from either side as well as installing a door with a more remote pane of glass.
I went to the home store and bought both, a lock and a door. Then the snow hit and I have a new door sitting in my house uninstalled. My life has changed. I will no longer be able to look out my back door window to see activities take place in the back yard without having to open it first. I'll have to think twice about being too friendly to people who come to my house, meter reader, paperboy etc. I'll have to remember how my house, my private life was violated and forced open and something stolen from me.
K.
The police came in and checked the inside of the house; thankfully no one was there. The only thing missing was my laptop that was recently given to my by my wife. It was to be her old one; a friend at work had completely gone over it and had installed Window XP. The computer was clean, there was nothing on it, and I had hardly used it. That was the only thing stole, it was sitting on the couch, right next to the door. One cop said it was kids, it was small, light and valuable.
The second police office explained how easy it has been to get into, the broken pane was right next to the lock and was easy to open. He suggested we install a two-way lock—a key needed to get into from either side as well as installing a door with a more remote pane of glass.
I went to the home store and bought both, a lock and a door. Then the snow hit and I have a new door sitting in my house uninstalled. My life has changed. I will no longer be able to look out my back door window to see activities take place in the back yard without having to open it first. I'll have to think twice about being too friendly to people who come to my house, meter reader, paperboy etc. I'll have to remember how my house, my private life was violated and forced open and something stolen from me.
K.
The American Dream--Life, liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness
I can still picture them both in my mind, two young men who died in their mid twenties. Both were oh so young and full of life, both filled with ambition, wanting to succeed, and both died by their own hand. The first, let’s call him "G," had an amazingly strong, firm handshake, very sincere. I told him he should enter politics because of his handshake, he had the strength to shake hands all day long and not let it faze him. He was very likeable.
G loved everything about the Spanish people, the language, culture, everything. Had he lived long enough he would he watched the Spanish TV stations incessantly, but they only became available after he died. G became enchanted with a Latino girl in his Spanish class in college and waited until the last day of that class to ask her out on a date. She refused; he went home, put a gun to his head and blew his brains out. So very impulsive, so very senseless. Why? Only G knew the hurt of rejection, it was way too much to bear. His act could not be reversed, no second chance, no turning back. It was his final solution.
The second young man was "D." D too was likeable, friendly and quiet. He grew up a small rural town and came to this area to make it "big." He was a good friend to have; his only flaw was he fell into the wrong crowd, and became addicted. Drugs have a way of turning a good, sensible person into something you wouldn’t recognize; like the book Dr. Jeckle and Mr. Hyde. Oh, they make you feel good; the worries of the world drop away as you "drop out." But the dark side to them is they can kill–as family and friends of D unfortunately found out. I’m sure D never knew, as reality (and life) just slipped away. "Just one more ’hit" before I go back home and face rehabilitation." His mother was coming to reclaim her son, to take him back home so she could monitor his recuperation, his return to the normalcy of living. Instead, she went home with his lifeless body to bury him in the small town family cemetery. His last ’hit" indeed became his last act.
I feel very sorry for both of these men, who perhaps represent only a microcosm of what happens on a daily basis in this world. They were energetic, full of life, searching for that elusive, difficult to find, happiness. Now they are nearly forgotten except by their respective families and a few close friends. Sleep in peace gentlemen, sleep in peace.
K.
G loved everything about the Spanish people, the language, culture, everything. Had he lived long enough he would he watched the Spanish TV stations incessantly, but they only became available after he died. G became enchanted with a Latino girl in his Spanish class in college and waited until the last day of that class to ask her out on a date. She refused; he went home, put a gun to his head and blew his brains out. So very impulsive, so very senseless. Why? Only G knew the hurt of rejection, it was way too much to bear. His act could not be reversed, no second chance, no turning back. It was his final solution.
The second young man was "D." D too was likeable, friendly and quiet. He grew up a small rural town and came to this area to make it "big." He was a good friend to have; his only flaw was he fell into the wrong crowd, and became addicted. Drugs have a way of turning a good, sensible person into something you wouldn’t recognize; like the book Dr. Jeckle and Mr. Hyde. Oh, they make you feel good; the worries of the world drop away as you "drop out." But the dark side to them is they can kill–as family and friends of D unfortunately found out. I’m sure D never knew, as reality (and life) just slipped away. "Just one more ’hit" before I go back home and face rehabilitation." His mother was coming to reclaim her son, to take him back home so she could monitor his recuperation, his return to the normalcy of living. Instead, she went home with his lifeless body to bury him in the small town family cemetery. His last ’hit" indeed became his last act.
I feel very sorry for both of these men, who perhaps represent only a microcosm of what happens on a daily basis in this world. They were energetic, full of life, searching for that elusive, difficult to find, happiness. Now they are nearly forgotten except by their respective families and a few close friends. Sleep in peace gentlemen, sleep in peace.
K.
Friday, February 22, 2008
I remember, I remember
I didn't think about it until I read someone's blog about the death of her mother and sister. My mom died 5 yrs. ago next month. I didn't realize how fast the time had gone by. Like it was just yesterday. I had been to her gravesite several times but perhaps not enough.
In my mind I play back the events of our lives as if it was a recorded movie. More often I remember the stupid arguments we had, two headstrong people of German heritage who could not compromise; who always thought their way was the best. Her favorite expression was "learn from the mistakes of others." I couldn't see it. Her mistakes were not going to be my mistakes. We were in different times, different places, and different sexes. We were so different, and yet so much the same. I see my mother in myself. We have the same drive and determination, the same ambition (or lack of it).
Mom, I wish we could have had decent conversations, like two sensible people. There are questions that I think of now that I wish I had asked. But then I thought you would always be there; and now you're not.
Thank you Suzette for jogging my mind.
K.
In my mind I play back the events of our lives as if it was a recorded movie. More often I remember the stupid arguments we had, two headstrong people of German heritage who could not compromise; who always thought their way was the best. Her favorite expression was "learn from the mistakes of others." I couldn't see it. Her mistakes were not going to be my mistakes. We were in different times, different places, and different sexes. We were so different, and yet so much the same. I see my mother in myself. We have the same drive and determination, the same ambition (or lack of it).
Mom, I wish we could have had decent conversations, like two sensible people. There are questions that I think of now that I wish I had asked. But then I thought you would always be there; and now you're not.
Thank you Suzette for jogging my mind.
K.
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