The shortest month of the year is here. “Februarius” was the festival of purification for the Sabines. I vaguely remember something in the Church calendar about the blessing of throats this month? Pope Gregory kept it, so it must have had some Christianizing. It is the time when we think of spring, being just around March’s windy comer. It’s the President’s month. Our present President is suffering from media malaise in the form of the Jones’ scandal and the like. It is appropriate, in a way, that one accuser has such a common “All American” name, Jones. It is not the only thing All American about it; she is riding on the crest of new-age gossip. Listen to the words of Maureen Dowd, who says:
“But the case (Jones matter) is also a distressing illustration of the longevity of gossip in a society where salaciousness has become the polluted air we breathe. It used to be that dirt came and went. It was all a matter of a news cycle or two. Now the dirt lives on and on, and makes a career of itself. It is simply shocking the number of people who put bread on the table by not letting tawdriness die. It’s the system that needs the make over.”
To which I add a hearty “Amen Maureen!”
The sleaze of the Jones matter has had lots of company. Books, like the “Dark side of Camelot”, and the TV deluges of O.J. Bobbit, Amy Fisher, and such. It is comforting to see a well-known columnist like Ms. Dowd put the blame where it belongs. She’ll takes pot shots at any one, including Clinton, but her insights, and shots, are never through muddied glasses.
I had no sooner finished writing the above when a new scandal engulfs the front pages. Some former white house internee with a Polish sounding name apparently liked the coverage Ms. Jones was receiving, so why not give it a shot. It is no credit to our culture to note the Polish Pope’s historic visit to Cuba is given less space in the newspaper, than a Polish descendant’s sexual fantasies. But as the “they say”:
“It sells newspapers!” but isn’t that just proof of the point?
I can acknowledge that “anything” involving our President is news, but for how long, and to what extent? These questions are the things Maureen Dowd thinks about which the media should be concerned. They should lead, not be led.
Enough preaching, and it’s not even a Su11day. Nor do I believe any of you who suffer these ramblings are not in some agreement with Ms. Dowd.
But more to the ramblings: I read about a writer who having learned that Gandhi believed one should be silent at least one day a week The writer decided to try it and chose Sunday as his day. He has been at it now three years. It has presented some interesting situations. I don’t think I could do it. I do enjoy the solitude of the long run and the quiet of the early morning as the world awakens. It heightens my awareness of the surroundings and the problems of the day. It helped solve some of them, as sometimes the “committee of a good night sleep” does. He, this advocate of silence, even had dates and wooed his wife while engaged in his Sunday Silence. He humorously reports that she loved it. He would just nod or shake his head. She did all the talking. I am sure there are times when June and other wives would loved to have that opportunity! Silence is Golden.
Mary and John MacDonald have come to visit. They were the couple that introduced us to Disney’s Magic Kingdom and Epcot. Mary is June’s sister. I still remember the skepticism with which I approached our first visit and how easily I learned it wasn’t just for kids. We will begin the month of February with a three-day visit to the kingdom. We will also visit MGM and Universal Studios and, maybe, Sea world. I am like a little boy again looking forward to being entertained (the trip has been postponed to the first week in March). The weather predicted made it seem a wise move, so my “looking forward” has been extended.
John is the CEO and founder of “Impact”. It is a non-profit corporation located in Kensington providing employment and vocational education to low income Philadelphians. He is also the golf director and coach, of the Temple University Golf Team. He is a golfer himself. He was the club champion at Melrose CC three years in a row. Last year he and his son David arrived against different opponents in the semi-finals. They both lost avoiding, if both had won, a final with father against son,
He came down to attend the golf coaches’ convention in Orlando. He called, while there, one night to say he had gotten in a round. His score was 73! That is approximately 30 strokes better than my best. It is only one stroke over par for a certified 18-hole course.
With John in Orlando, we took Mary to see that other theme park in Central Florida: Busch Gardens. It was a day of remarkable entertainment. We saw animals perform, then humans, and in between even had some popcorn. The animals were dolphins and a seal. They put on a water show where the fish are literally flying. The reached heights of twenty to thirty feet straight up out of the water and flew over ropes held nearly as high. They danced standing upright across the pool gyrating to the rocking music. The seal could easily be awarded the “Best Ham” prize for the manner in which he clapped his fins and encouraged the audience to join him in praising his efforts. The day’s entertainment started with them, and then we moved on to the humans. Things even got better. We had an International Music Festival in Der Festhaus while we chewed our lunch. They sang and danced the favorites of many countries, from Italy, to Spain, to Ireland, to Germany and even to U.S. At times we were encouraged, and did, join in the singing, especially songs like “When Irish Eyes Are Smiling”, and “Harrigan”, or “YMCA!” After lunch we were captivated by an ice show. “Hollywood on Ice” is beautiful people singing and skating to music from the movies. It was the second time June and I had seen it (although I think I nodded off the prior time) and it was just as fascinating to watch. Following these lyrical interludes we hit the musical highlight of the day, a show of young people entitled “American Juke Box”. They sang and danced to music of the jukebox and more from 1940 through 1990. The voices were outstanding. We were sitting in an outdoor theater not more than 15 feet from the stage and the voices were beautiful to hear. The energy, the movement of the show left you breathless. The age of the performers ranged from 18 to 28…June asked one of the performers who came out to greet us good byes. We agreed it w»s tough to tag any one them as near 28.
Our last performance was something entirely different. A group of Russian gymnasts and jugglers performed their “last” show after two year run in Busch’s Stanleyville Theater (we learned that from the people directly in front of us in the first row who were there just because of that.) They were comic performers doing balancing feats that made you hold your breath; tumbling and juggling that had you laughing. They were called “Ashikin Group”. They had a great number of loyal fans and when they finished, from the middle of the crowd came a sign in
“Russian”: “We love you, good bye!” The same people who advised us it was their last show provided the translation. Next show at the Stanleyville is Tommy Dorsey and his orchestra!
In between shows we viewed Orangutans and Gorillas roaming and chowing down in their habitats; rode the monorail over the African veldt, where we watch flying gazelles, roaming rhinos; gazed at tigers, white and yellow, playing in their backyards. It was a delightful, entertaining and educational outing. Come on down!
Mary and John visit gave us an opportunity to be tourist guides. We took them on the ride through the beaches. We start at Madeira Beach in the southern end, where we first staved in Florida when John was in the Veteran’s Hospital in 1991. We drive north through Madeira Beach, Reddington Beach, Indian Shores, Sand Key, to Clearwater Beach. Here is one of our favorite luncheon (or dinner) places, called
“Shepherds “A buffet that handles any kind of hunger. We did some walking about the beach area and their pier. We headed home with a promise to return to Madeira Beach to watch the sun going down. As it turned out we just made the beach as the Sun sat upon the horizon ready to descend. It was a glorious and radiant as ever. June, pointed out, however, that being up four stories, as we were the previous Sunday in Hurricane, at PasdeGrille, gives you a better view. It enables you to see the reflection of the sun on the water. But even on the ground the Sunsets here are breathtaking.
The earth moving as we watch the sun disappear brings to mind a story of a young man, who upon first learning this fact, tries an experiment. He jumps as high as he can. He does it several times. He then says to the person who had informed him that the earth moves, and the sun stays still…”Well, if that’s so how come every time I jump up in the air, I come down in the same spot?” Good question! I guess it just doesn’t move fast enough, but when you watch the sun disappear into the Gulf it seems amazing how fast it happens. It seems, if the earth moves that fast, the young man should come down in a different spot.
Did you ever notice when you buy a new car, or a new model of anything, that shortly thereafter you seem to see them everywhere? Well, I’m having that experience with “Winnie the Pooh”. I suppose I should be precise “Winnie ille Pu” my Latin version of the classic. I now have seen several people, young and old, in the supermarket wearing “Winnie the Pooh” T-shirt, sweat shirts, etc. I noticed Mary, June’s sister, had a Winnie sweatshirt. Then the climax, Winnie makes the news! A Lady Minister in Parliament, with the extraordinarily British name of Lady Gwyneth Dunwoody, (I’m not kidding!), is lamenting the fact that the original stuffed toys that inspired A.A. Milne’s story are on display in a New York city Library! It seems that Dutton Publishing Co. brought Pooh, Tigger, Eyeore, Kanga, and Piglet over here for a promotion in 1947. They were brought with A.A. Milne’s permission. In 1987 the Publishing house donated them to the Library with the condition that they be publicly displayed. Ms. Dunwoody’s lamentation:” I saw them recently and they looked very unhappy indeed” And further: “I am not surprised considering they have been incarcerated in a glass case in a foreign country” The complaint arose just as the British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, is coming to meet with President Clinton regarding Iraq. We have been assured that the plight of the Pooh stuffed animals is not on their agenda! As Piglet might say “Oh! Me!”
Incidentally for those who care, I am still struggling with the Latin Winnie ille Pu. But in between I’m reading the Book of Ruth from the Old Testament. It goes down a lot easier thar1 the idioms and slang of Christopher Robin and Pooh Bear.
We wish you all a Happy Valentine’s Day. The end of the month brings Ash Wednesday. I was surprised to learn our Lutheran Church here dispenses ashes. I had the idea it was strictly an RC practice. It is never too late to learn. Until next time, stay well and as happy as you can…see ya!
February 26, 1998
Dear Ron & Mary:
Well now you have the one-year mark properly celebrated for the guys next is College Graduation. It seems to me that that’s the way it went, with occasionally pauses in between for high school, grade school camping trips, boy scouts, cub scouts, shore trips, other trips, and stuck in there somewhere we made a living and ate and slept…but then there are times it seems so long ago I have difficulty remembering any of it!!! I am sure it was a great party and I just learned my documentary producer, Tommy, forgot his digital camera so we’ll just have to be satisfied with scanned photos of the affair!
We are having a great time with Marge and Dan. They arrived Monday night and we haven’t stopped yet…tomorrow we’re off to the Everglades for a weekend. We did manage to squeeze in a Lenten Service yesterday to start lent and as noted above I was surprised to learn the Lutheran Church dispenses ashes. We really got “dispensed”. Each of us had such a black cross on our forehead it could be seen a block away. June cheated and pulled her bangs down over it to hide it!
Thm1ks for the e-mail, Mary, and we are open all the time for any more you care to send. Give the guys hugs for me and consider yourselves equally hugged…
Love, Dad