The year 2002 is a memory. It is now in that data box in our head where things past are stored. Unfortunately, unlike the data boxes on a computer we have little control over what enters and remains there. We would like to delete some of them, or prohibit them from coming in, but the data box in the head doesn’t work like that. The only form of deletion we do have is time. Over a period of time we note that some of those things we stored are not re-stored quickly or not at all. It is very annoying too when those things stored that you would like to have moved over to the “forgotten” or delete box just won’t move. But be that as it may, we do enjoy looking back and into that box of good memories and the year 2002 had quite a few. Without giving any priority to any, the one that covered more of my time and interest was being a member of the Church’s call committee. It was a new experience in many ways. I had never played a part in selecting my spiritual adviser and leader in the prior 60 years of my life. Other than selecting which church I would attend. It was just not done. In my law practice I had never worked with an organization, committee, that hired someone. I had one secretary for 9 years, and then another for some 25 years, so hiring help was not one of my tasks. I had never worked on a committee outside of the politics whose particular goals were and are far removed from a pastoral call committee. It gave you an opportunity to meet a variety of personalities all dedicated to this important task but none of them leaving the individuality nor talents out side. I remember one of the earlier meetings when Cindy, one of the woman members, stepped up to the black board and drew a time line with comments as where we needed to go and the limits we had put upon us. Why I was surprised shows you how little I had worked with women committee members of any sort in the past who did usually little more than agree or offer useless complaints. The core idea that I received was that all the personal interest in the task was left behind and the goal became the “personal interest”, i.e., to obtain a dedicated spiritual leader for our congregation. The details of the meetings, the trips to go and listen to the nominee, the interviews, the preparation of lengthy documents called “profiles”, all were overshadowed by the importance of our decision. A goal oriented group whether to win a football game or fix a community problem always creates and is directed by a spirit. It becomes almost tangible in some instances and with us it seemed so. We would call it a Holy Spirit since our task was of such a spiritual nature. When we reached for unanimity on our selection to present to the Church council and the congregation, it was not without its doubts by a few and the enthusiasm of others. What was amazing to me, and to others, is when the task was accomplished and we selected David Swenson, a former pastor from Madison, Wisconsin, we were ready to accept pats on the back as to our wisdom and ability. We were ready to do that publicly but privately we were amazed at the choice we had made. I made it a point, after the performance of the ‘prospect’ Dave that had just won a 90% plus vote of approval by the congregation, of thanking him for “making us look so good”. We had done our job but we all looked back in awe of how well we had done it. It was proof to us that that Spirit surely led us down this chosen path without our really knowing it. So it will be a great and happy memory for the box marked “2002” in my head.
The proud grandpop had three other memorable events in the graduation of the twins, David and Sean, and Tommy from High School. We feel particularly close to the twins since they spent the early part of their lives in our lives. We later had them as companions on our trips bringing us surprises on every one of them. We, June and I, often are ready to accept all that they do well as a result of those years with us and reluctantly admit that their parents, Walt and Tracy may have played a small part in their successes. They along with Tommy as we have noted in earlier issues all finished with high honors and won scholarships to what are called, by some, “prestigious” colleges. As the year wound down and they were finishing their first semester it was encouraging to see how well they were adapting to a whole new life. Sean and Dave were here to spend some time at Christmas and we got an in person report. Tommy has given us one via emails. He has become an assistant editor for the Harvard Independent, a weekly paper of the school. He is in the Art department and reviews cultural events such as plays, stand up comics, movies and even an advocate for the retaining of building to allow its dance program to grow. His articles are on the web page www.harvardindependent.com if you care to jump in for a look.
The year brought to an end our house being surrounded by swirling dust on a road oozing with mud. The new road and sewers going both up and down Connecticut Ave. and Helena Street, our corner, were in place. We happily said good bye to our enforced “gated community” since for it to remain meant more dust and mud. It appears so far that the drainage is working since we have been inundated this fall with more rain than many previous years and we are not flooding at the usual intersections on Connecticut Avenue.
The year’s last few months, November and December saw a return to me of good health and energy. It is so much so that I am back to the standard old problem of having to watch my weight since it is eagerly expanding. We have been managing to get a walk of some kind in almost daily, except when weather such as rain and cold windy days make it too tough.
As the year wound down I spent a good part of it reading about Theodore Roosevelt and his term of office a hundred years ago. The biography was entitled “Theodore Rex” and was written by Edmund Morris. I learned that the title of “Theodore Rex” was a name given by the author Henry James after some visits to the White House. My previous knowledge of Teddy was from reading about his bringing the Panama Canal to United States in John McCulllough’s “Path between the Seas” the story of the creation of the canal. I remembered him too as a character in the play “Arsenic and Old Lace” which we had seen years ago. In that play, as you may recall, the nephew of the two Victorian Ladies believes he is Teddy Roosevelt. Each time he proceeds up the flight stairs on the rear of the stage he shouts “Charge” after drawing his imaginary sword. The way most people are reminded of Teddy is as the Rough Rider leader of the charge up San Juan Hill in the Spanish American War in Cuba in 1898. Another way is “Teddy Bear”. I didn’t know it but those cuddly little bears came to life in 1902 as a result of a cartoon of Teddy bear hunting in Mississippi. He loved to hunt. He went on a bear hunt and had no success. His friends therefor captured one and tied him to a tree. Teddy arriving back after an unsuccessful attempt sees the animal bloody and nearly dead. He tells his friends to put it out of its misery since he is not so poor a sportsman as to shoot a captured animal. The event was captured by a political cartoonist Charles Berryman in the Washington Post. It showed a black bear being roped about the neck by a very white catcher. Roosevelt is shown turning away in disgust. The caption under the cartoon read, “Drawing the line in Mississippi”. The public like the bear cartoon so much it cried for more. The bear kept appearing but slowly shrunk to being just a cuddly cub with “big ears like a prickly pear”. It caused FAO Schwartz to have bear cub dolls made for them to sell. A guy named Michael Michton of Brooklyn New York made one too. He asked the President for permission to name him after him, thus came “Teddy”. The President agreed he could but thought it would be of little advantage to Michael or the bear. This year in November, 2002 “Teddy Bear” was one hundred years old !
The most impressive thing to me about his life was the scope of his interest. He read voraciously. He made a living writing before his politicking; he loved the outdoors and an active life. He had a tennis court built next to the White House. He was a good and loving father and husband. He was a Noble prizewinner for this mediation of the Russian-Japanese war. He refused to spend the money on himself or his family since he rightly believed he was chosen as arbiter because he was the President. In other words he was a great deal more than just a “rough rider” or soldier of fortune.
The author summed up his achievements:”..official histories would celebrate his administrative achievements, the Monroe Doctrine reaffirmed, the Old World banished from the New World, the great Canal being cut; peace established in the Far East; the Open Door swinging freely in Manchuria and Morocco; Cuba liberated (and returned to self government just in time for his departure); the Philippines pacified; the Navy hugely strengthened, known literally around the world; the Army shorn of its old deadwood generals …;capital and labor balanced off, the lynch rate declining, the gospel of cleaner politics now actually a gospel, and enough progressive principles established, or made part of the national debate, to keep the legislative reformers busy for ten years.”
As an off shoot of my remembering Theodore Roosevelt as the character “Teddy” in “Arsenic and Old Lace” I re-read the play. It was as funny as when I saw it. I found one more humorous piece, it was in the arrival home of another nephew Jonathan with his plastic surgeon. They are hiding out but it seems the plastic surgeon’s work has made Jonathan look like “Boris Karloff” much to his chagrin. He plans to have that altered. People keep saying “You look like Boris Karloff”. In the original case, guess who played the part? You’re right Boris Karloff. Till next time, Pax Tecum.