Letters from the Dim & Distant Days

.....OK. I said once in a while & this is one of them. During the chore of moving all of our collective gatherings of over 27 years from our den (about to be redecorated) into our living room, I came across a folder containing letters to me from former colleagues and students. One of the first that I received came from a graduate student in the class I was teaching as an Ass't. Professor of English at C.W. Post College in 1965. And since I've drawn a blank as to what I can print in this blog, I thought I might as well include some of the letters so that my great grandchildren, if I ever get any) could get an idea about what kind of teacher I am/was. Although these might be somewhat self-serving, who cares? This is the venue to preserve them before they are lost in antiquity.

Anyway, I was teaching a course to graduate students called "Teaching English in the Secondary Schools" and this came as a letter to me with a 5c stamp on the envelope:

"Dear Dr. Ross,

.....Up to now, the A's & B's I've received in my 'ed' courses haven't meant much, because, frankly, neither have the courses. But yours has been the happy exception, and so I was delighted with my A. I enjoyed your course and the reading and writing it entailed. I think that a good measure of how involved I got is the fact that I read 'English Sentences' all over Switzerland.

..... You're a born teacher--the only real kind--and it was a pleasure and a privilege to be in your class. Best wishes for a happy Summer. Cordially, Mrs. Marian Lesser " (June, 1965)

(Excerpt of a letter from a former student who in 1968 came across an issue of the HS newspaper of Sept. 1963)

".....included in it was an interview with a very perceptive man, who said that a teacher 'has to inspire; he is a catalyst'. Naturally, these words meant more to me than they might have meant to most, for they were your words, and they redefined for me the role your teaching has played in the careers of many of your students--and the influence (having been exposed to your guidance and direction) that that teaching has had on my own life. Each time I happen to run into an old classmate, yours is the name that seems to stand out above all others in discussions, and yours seems to be the influence that is still most keenly and deeply felt!

..... I know that in my own life during the past ten years, your teaching has provided 'inspiration', and the lessons of integrity and dedication learned in your classes have provided a 'catalyst'--and will certainly continue to do so!----

..... Thank you for giving us something meaningful to remember and for teaching us lessons that extended far beyond the classroom. With love, Betsy K. (Class of '58)" June, 1968

Letter from a former student teacher:

"Dear Doc:

.....It's very difficult to express my gratitude to someone I regard as the 'ideal teacher'. Strange as it may seem, I never had an idol until I watched you teach for the first two weeks. .....To put it mildly, it blew my mind as much as it may surprise you.

.....The experience you have given me is an outgrowth of the warmth and consideration you transmitted so kindly. Because of you I know now exactly how I want to teach, and this goal gives me something to work for in the years to come. Someday, I hope your 'osmotic' approach will become my own as well. Thanks, Jackie." (1965?)

Thaaaat's all fooolks--for now.

Family Tree of a Talented Family

.....I just reminded myself that my previous blog was written on Bastille Day. Not too many people that I asked knew that, or else they once knew but being old, they forgot. Actually, no one remembered what happened in France on that day over 200 years ago--just about the time we were celebrating our independence.

.....Bastille Day is the French national holiday which is celebrated on 14 July each year. It commemorates the storming of the Bastille on 14 July 1789, during the French

Revolution. The Bastille was the name of a prison and symbol of the absolutism of the Louis XVI, Attacking the prison was a representation of freedom and the fight against oppression. Traditionally Bastille Day is celebrated with a military parade on the morning of 14 July, on the Champs-Élysées in Paris in front of the President of the Republic. Many large-scale public events are held, including a military parade in Paris, as well as spectacular fireworks, concerts, dances, and partying into the wee hours.

.....But today I didn't mean to write about Bastille Day. Just thought I'd add something I ought to have thought of on my blog of July 14. But, now I do want to write about cousins and the Auslander family. As far back as I could remember, my maternal grandparents were Isidore and Rebecca Auslander, who came here from Russia in 1882 and settled in the Bronx. Isadore's parents were Abraham Auslander and Bessie Reitenberg both of whom were born in the Ukraine. So, they were my great grandparents. Isadore and Rebecca had six children; Harry, Herman, Irving, Shirley, Bessie & Esther. They, in turn sired 15 children. And 13 of them are my cousins, six of whom still carry the name, Auslander. I don't have enough time or energy to tell you how many second cousins I have, but they are numerous!

.....Over time, all my cousins became scattered thoughout the country, Boston, Arizona, Chicago, California, New York, Florida, etc. Consequently, we lost touch with each other and knew little about our lives. I thought it a good idea--through email--to have each of them who still survive write me a short bio of them, their lives, and their families and then I would make a document of their responses and send it out as an attachment to an email. Thus far, I have received seven replies. I think that reading these "bios" will prove very enlightening about our cousins' lives, and bring closer together, the descendants of Abraham and Bessie Auslander, the great grandparents, and my children's great, great grandparents.

"But if the while I think on thee dear friends...all losses are restored and sorrow ends." (W.S. Sonnets)

.....I began writing this blog on August 8, 2007, and in another month it will be three years old. The original purpose was to write a journal that might be of interest to my descendants. That is why I began with the title, "Paternoster in Condoland." Not that I would be a "father" to them, but perhaps more of a great grandfather--or so. The subjects that I have written about have been taken from the kind of life I have been living in South Florida as a senior citizen living in a condo community with many activities. Sometimes my postings have been somewhat banal and localized on the food and dining, on movies, on sports and on other non-controversial subjects. Other posts have embraced such subjects as religion and politics, and thoughts on liberalism, ennui, heroism, etc. with particular attention to my own views on these subjects, although with, hopefully, no disrespect for the views of others. Since 2007, I have written almost 600 postings on this blog, and to preserve them I've published six volumes under the "Paternoster" title and one book with the title "Fires in the Heart". I will soon have enough posts to publish a second volume under that title. Most likely that will be the last.

.....Writing my memoirs and this blog has been fun, has kept me busy, and for an old guy has kept my mind sharp while I cannot say the same for my body. I believe there is a difference between ills of the body and good health. I do enjoy good health. My vital signs are all in good shape, and I have no blockages that might affect my heart; so I suppose I'm on my way to 90. I plan to become the oldest living WWII vet. I also plan to write this blog less often. The comments that I once received have dropped off, and I surmise that my readership has done the same. I imagine they have gotten tired of checking to see if there is an article to read, and I can't blame them. I will miss them--Phil, and Ellin, and Robert Fox, and Mike, and Bill, and Barry, and Lou, and Helen, and Annette, and Joel, and Bobby, and Bonny, and Robin, and even Anonymous. So this blog will go the way of Golf, and Marathons, and Acting, and walking, and singing--like layers of skin peeling off. But I have suffered losses much greater than these. Well, everyone can check once in a while to see if they have missed any that I will write when the muse moves me.

SONNET LXXIII (William Shakespeare)

THAT time of year thou may'st in me behold
When yellow leaves, or none, or few, do hang
Upon those boughs which shake against the cold,
Bare ruin'd choirs, where late the sweet birds sang:
In me thou see'st the twilight of such day	5
As after sunset fadeth in the west,
Which by-and-by black night doth take away,
Death's second self, that seals up all in rest:
In me thou see'st the glowing of such fire,
That on the ashes of his youth doth lie	10
As the death-bed whereon it must expire,
Consumed with that which it was nourish'd by:
—This thou perceiv'st, which makes thy love more strong,
To love that well which thou must leave ere long.

"There's a divinity that shapes our ends." (Hamlet)

…..I fail to understand all the James LeBron bashing that I read in the media. I’ve read that he was cruel, that he was disloyal, that he is a traitor. What a bag of dung! Here is a professional athlete who sacrificed millions of dollars more in order to play where he would play happy, and where his extraordinary talent could be used to win a championship just as all future Hall of Famers want to do and need to do in order to put a stamp on their legacy. He played seven years in Cleveland and management did very little to build a team around him. Now they're crying. Oh, sure, they brought in the dinosaur, Shaquille O’Neal, who was about as much help as a bb gun helps to bring down an elephant. And what’s all this talk about loyalty? How many times has management dropped a player who has been with them for many years without an ounce of being sorry about it?

…..Why shouldn't LeBron go wherever it pleases him to go? Why should the millions in Cleveland that he doesn't even know have it the way they want it to be? Why should he do what others want him to do? He is a “free” agent but some want him not to be so free. He is free to play with friends just like you and I once did—and still do. They played together and won a gold medal in the China Olympics. James gave Cleveland seven years of good Karma. But it’s now his turn. When he goes to Cleveland for a game, they owe him appreciation, not jersey burning. All three of these athletes do great philanthropies and community service with their money for children, and people should know that. I'm not a basketball fan, so I don't care where they play, but they have an absolute right to go wherever they choose--just like we have, regardless of what others would have us do. Their decisions should be respected, and so should they. I didn’t care for the way LeBron advertised his decision on an hour TV show. I’ll admit that was egotistical, if not arrogant. There had to be an easier and less celebrated way to announce his choice. But the way he did it is not relevant to his freedom to choose his own destiny.

The Sunshine, Rain, Lightning, and Hurricane State

.....Yesterday I wrote about the nutritional habits of seniors in South Florida, and today I will continue to delineate the activities indigenous to this area by residents of the numerous condominium communities that have more social unions flourishing than do a month's worth of Facebook or Twitter entries. About 98% of the retirees who now live here are from Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, and Pittsburgh. Those who come from any other area of the country are about as sparse as Democrats at a Tea Party rally. It appears, as well, that these retirees divide themselves into various condominiums according to their religiosity--such as Jewish condos, Protestant condos, Catholic condos, and who knows? Perhaps Islamic condos. Most Jewish condos are located on the East coast of Florida; most of the others on the West coast and Boynton Beach. Talk of "birds of a feather flocking together!" However, keep in mind that those living on the West coast must come East if they want a bagel.

.....Now I can't speak for the activities at other condo communities, but at ours--here at Huntington Lakes in Delray Beach--we have the New England Club, the Greater Philadelphia Club (Lesser than Greater Philadelphians, I assume, are excluded), the Pittsburgh Club, the Boomers' Club (for those under 80), the New Generation Club (for seniors with Gregorian calendars or inflated egos), the Men's Club (a sexist organization), the Singles Club (with mostly women, of course). Now, we also have clubs for athletic types such as the Ping Pong Club, the Shuffleboard Club, the Canasta Club and the Paddle Ball Club. We offer, if you can believe it, a Snowbird Club which meets every first Sunday at 10:30am in the ballroom. In the summer months attendees at this club's meetings are about as sparse as Palestinians at a Passover Seder. And thanks to Snowbirds we get our restaurants back.

.....But then there are the specialty clubs like the Anglers Club for those who are hooked on fishing; the Duplicate Bridge Club--confusing because there is really only one; the Computer Club (often in need of a grandchild); the Library Club; the Billiard League (really? A whole league?) with experts to cue members how to play. For those seniors with some sporting blood and leftover agility there is the Tennis Club, the Golf Club, two Bowling Clubs for members with balls, and the Outside Volleyball Club (there really is no indoor club). And finally, there are the artsy clubs such as the Dance Club, the Choral Society, the Library Club, the Karaoke Club (practice for cruising, I suppose), the Wood Sculpters Club, a splinter group, and for those with thespian bents, there is the Theater Workshop.

.....But not everything is confined to the reservation. For those who wish to embark on other endeavors, there are the slot machines, poker, and blackjack tables at local casinos--Las Vegas style. Who needs the Strip? And for seniors about to retire, don't forget that down here we have Disney World, Sea World, Lion Safari Country, Key West, and a gigantic oil slick to keep you from bathing and therefore safe from shark bites and pelican poop. Come on down! Bring a friend.

"Man shall not live by bread alone." (Matthew IV)

.....Since this is a blog, or as I prefer it to be called, a journal basically about seniors who have retired and living in Florida, I would be remiss if I did not report for posterity at least one of the orgiastic activities that this segment of society indulges in. And I don't use the word "orgiastic" in the sense of frenzied sexual activity (there is no such thing here), nor a night of bacchanalian revelry. Oh, no. I refer to its substitute--the unbridled and wanton desire for food--and especially for the "early bird" attractions of local restaurants. The early bird is the preferred method of dining by retirees in condoland. The requirement is usually to be seated before 6pm. And the attraction is the discounted prices of the entrees. Its a legitimate activity, especially for those living merely on social security. For those who are more financially endowed the attraction is the voluminous choices of fare.

.....The primary incentive for lunch is the lure of "Buy one salad, get one at half price if you buy a beverage." Or, "Get a mini-nova platter with a dollar off and a free six-pack of Immodium tablets." The catch of discounted breakfasts is that you must be seated before 11am--the time I usually get out of bed. The evening meals involve a cornucopia of delectable chefs' creations of many countries' cultural food identities, such as Italian, Chinese, Japanese, Indian, Mexican, Cuban, or perhaps, Australian steaks consumed in Outback. However, if you are in a hurry to make the show in the clubhouse, you dine dismally at Wendy's, McDonald's, Burger King, or Kentucky Fried.

.....And to tell the truth, most homes maintain immaculately clean ovens. On Easter, Passover, and Thanksgiving there are always luscious spreads at Too-Jays or Flakowitz. But on Mothers' Days, Fathers' Days, Birthdays, and Anniversaries, if you aren't taken for lobster at Chinese Gardens or The Station House, you are liable to be mightily disappointed. So then, if one decides to retire to South Florida, the only nutritional motto that is acceptable is "Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow ye diet."

INDEPENDENCE DAY 2010

..... So here I am about to celebrate my 86th Fourth of July with a dinner of hot dogs, French fries, and a diet coke, and I always get that burst of patriotism when I see and hear the explosion of fireworks in the evening. But I don't get that feeling when I think of how sparse patriotism appears to be in America at this point in her history; how divided the country is in its perception of what direction we need to be taking on a myriad of difficulties--the economy, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the oil devastating our shores, our divisions on immigration and global warming, and our relationships with foreign countries.

.....This is the only country that deliberately started with a good idea, born in a Revolution and fired by patriotism. Whatever happened to “patriotism”? When President Obama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, instead of evidential patriotic pride that an American was chosen, there appeared much wringing of hands, more gorges rising, more lamentation and dismay, more cringing editorials, more letters to the editor from know-nothings and racists, than any show of patriotism that I could uncover at the time.

…..One would think that we were in an irate foreign country because one of theirs was not chosen. And whatever happened to “…and crown thy good with brotherhood from sea to shining sea”? Like Petrucchio in “Kiss me Kate” I asked myself, “Where is the life that late I led?” I remember the patriotic fervor that once swept over our country in WWII instead of the rancor that envelops it now. Naval commander Stephen Decatur, in a toast given at a banquet in Norfolk, Virginia said, "Our country! In her intercourse with foreign nations, may she always be in the right; but our country, right or wrong." Perhaps this is somewhat chauvinistic, so what’s wrong with a little chauvinism now and then? It's merely patriotism taken to the very edge. Only the recent performance of our soccer team in the World Cup seemed to draw together Americans of every persuasion. But that's not good enough.

…..Adlai Stevenson once said that ".....America is more than a geographical fact; it is a political and moral fact, the first community in which men set out in principle to institutionalize freedom, responsible government, and human equality." And Teddy Roosevelt felt that “.....This country will not be a good place for any of us to live in unless we make it a good place for all of us to live in.” I hope to live to see that happen by some future Independence Day.