My Grandparents, Living Fully

The second Sunday of September is a worthy celebration of Grandparents' Day.

I have numerous memories of my grandparents, and on this occasion, I think about one particular memory for each.

In the wake of my maternal Grandma Dottie's passing last May, I recognize how strong her faith was, especially on what was literally a dark and stormy night.  I was in the midst of an overnight visit one summer, likely sometime when I was in high school.  Following dinner in the Savoy Room at her residence, Lexington Square in Lombard, I was in the Hyde Park Room participating in Wii Bowling.  A staff person came in and instructed everyone to return to their apartments because of a tornado warning.  I was spooked because of the lack of details, which my Grandma Dottie acknowledged.  

Yet as we returned to her apartment, and as the stormy conditions continued, Grandma Dottie, aware of the potential danger of the storm, kept calmly stating that if this night was her time, she was ready to go.  She had strong confidence that she was bound for Heaven, because of her deep grasp of faith.  (She was also quick to tell someone who called her to get off the phone because it wasn't safe to talk on a phone in a thunderstorm.  As God would have it, that night was not her time to depart her earthly life.  I knew I would think back on that night when her time came.  In the immediate hours after I learned of her passing, I called a few friends to share the news, and I shared that story with one of them.

Grandpa Martin, husband of Grandma Dottie, passed away almost 20 years ago.  He was the one person I knew really well who was a veteran.  I called him on Veterans' Day regularly each year.  He was often sitting in a room in their house in Wheaton near a telephone, and he typically was the first to answer when it rang.  He had such an elegant demeanor when he answered and offered a greeting, like "Good morning", or "Good afternoon."

My paternal Grandpa Jose owned a tavern for many years.  He learned jokes from the patrons, including one particular one about "brains".  It was a sort of inside joke between the two of us about "brains".  I can still picture him sitting in a chair in the living room, turning red from laughing so hard at a joke.

His wife, my Grandma Vel, is a very cultured person.  She enjoys attending mariachi performances, particularly Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitan.  Back in October 2015, we booked tickets to a performance at Orchestra Hall.  We made our way to downtown Chicago and through throngs of people in the afternoon following the annual Chicago Marathon.  Upon arriving at Orchestra Hall, we found out that the Mariachis were unable to get to Chicago because of something related to their flight itinerary, so their performance was rescheduled.  Grandma recognized she would be unable to attend the new date.  As we walked back to Union Station, she kept repeating over and over this comment Jimmy Carter had recently made about his cancer diagnosis, about taking the vicissitudes of life in stride.  She was sporting such a good attitude about the situation, I actually got fooled into thinking she had no problem with the sudden change in circumstances.  It was only later that I found out from her that she regarded the situation as a "disappointment".  Fortunately, we booked tickets a year later for the group's concert.  And I was amazed to see how immensely she enjoyed the performance in such a genuine way.

These memories, among others, speak to me about how my grandparents have all strived in their own way to live fully, which has been a blessing to me. Thanks be to God!

Two Becoming One

It was a great day 40 years ago today when my parents married.  They came together in love and so much has flowed forth from it throughout those years, including so much of what I've experienced in life.

During the past few months, I have reminisced constantly on memories of summer vacations, which was a custom that we enjoyed as a family while I was growing up.  In my reminiscing, I notice that my Mom was the brains behind those trips.  She has a keen ability to come up with great trip ideas and plan something wonderful.  I think about how my Dad was really good regarding the logistics for those trips, especially since he did so much of the driving, whether it was a road trip from Chicagoland, or from a spot where we rented a car.  Indeed, we had a great quality of time together on those trips, sharing scenic views, meals, relaxation, and visits to special sites like museums, historical sites, and then some.

Those trips are one great reason their marriage is something to celebrate, especially today.  They joined themselves together in a union, and put together their talents and unique abilities to make something remarkable.  All the memories that were created, even as I experienced them, speak to how they both put a special touch on what we enjoyed together as a family, contributing their unique parts, as they poured forth their love to make it something even greater in the life we have as a family.

Blessed be God!

A New Beginning 20 Years Ago

I was part of something momentous 20 years ago today, on Tuesday, September 3, 2002:  I started my first day of 6th grade at Percy Julian Middle School, making history along with all my 6th grade classmates as the first group of students to start at Julian in 6th grade, bound to be there for three years for grades 6-8.  And 3/4 mile west on Washington Boulevard, our counterparts made history doing the same at Gwendolyn Brooks Middle School.

Throughout that school year of 2002-2003, I heard people refer to us 6th graders as "guinea pigs", because we were the ones who were part of a new effort that District 97 was launching.  Of course, the unique part about starting at Julian was not only that it was new for the 6th grade students, but also for many of our teachers, who were embarking on a new stage in their careers moving from the elementary schools to working at the brand new middle school buildings.  (At one point after 6th grade, and likely even after graduating middle school, I went back to visit some of my 6th grade teachers, who remarked that they had gotten a new start there at the same time we students did.)

As the first day of 6th grade approached, I knew that I would be part of something momentous as Oak Park District 97 debuted two brand new middle school buildings, which would accommodate 6th-8th graders, blazing teh trail for the middle school experience that hundreds of students would have in the subsequent years.  Yet what I didn't fully realize on that first day of 6th grade was that it was a new beginning not only for the building, but also very profoundly for me, starting a powerful personal transformation, and it became apparent to me by the end of 6th grade that something enormously significant had happened.

As I reflect on middle school, I realize that many aspects of the experience tapped into my reflective nature.

I marvel at thinking that just by virtue of when I was born, I happened to be part of the group that would be first to attend 6th grade at the new middle school.  It's quite an honor, in some respects, for a group of 11-year-olds to have, adding upon what would otherwise be a typical first day of middle school.

I truly became who I am today because of the very particular set of circumstances that converged in my middle school experience, and if one puzzle piece had been out of place, it all would have been different for me.  Among the factors were starting at the time the new middle school was built, being the second of two sons (which gave me a different experience than my older brother had), and coming to middle school in the wake of September 11, a time that caused us to think a lot more intensely about who we are as Americans.  

Leaving my part of southern Oak Park to interact with others from all over the village was a chance to experience the diversity that is a hallmark of Oak Park.  That was reinforced in many ways, one of which was a unique elective class I had called Arts and Culture.  It was a yearlong class, during which we explored the arts and culture of different countries: the United States, Mexico, South Africa, and Japan.  It was a wonderful way to learn about these different cultures and get hands on by doing artwork related to those cultures.  It was a type of learning that was enriching.

My learning went beyond the classroom to participate in academic competitions, which I did more so in middle school than in elementary school. Beyond just the idea of competing for a prized place was the chance to take academics and engage with it in a more enhanced way, while enjoying it, so that I could feel like I was doing something beyond just studying.  I think about how the National Geography Bee was a way to engage with knowledge of the world in a richer way, beyond just the facts.

Furthermore, in the environment of middle school, I reflected much on who I am through learning about others as I was meeting so many new people.  Among my new friends and classmates, I met many Jewish people who talked openly about their culture.  My 6th grade language arts and math teacher, Mr. Brachman, talked very openly about being Jewish.

I also think about a conversation that my teacher Ms. Kelleher initiated during the opening minutes of our Career Modular Technology elective class one day.  She mentioned that she had recently been at the christening of someone in her family.  She then asked the Jewish students if they had any similar rite in their religion.  At one point, she wanted to steer attention back to focusing on our conservation, remarking, "We're learning about each others' religions [or cultures] here," as she called on me.  I felt the urge to bring up something partially unrelated, as I mentioned the day before was the start of a new liturgical year with Advent.

That kind of conversation defined why middle school was so transformative in my life. It was an atmosphere in which we could freely and openly talk about who we are.  As a result, I reflected more on who I am and came to appreciate my religion, culture, and ethnicity in a deeper way, more than I had ever before in my life.  It was in that frame of mind that I started preparations for Confirmation during 8th grade. Even though the process culminated in my Confirmation after I started high school, middle school still speaks to why Confirmation was so important in my life.  As I've said before, I've brought it full circle by teaching middle school RE.

Indeed, with all the self-reflection I did in middle school, it became the first time in my life I started to deeply focus and reflect on the higher aspects of life.  So school became about more than just going to class, but was a transformative experience that shaped me.  I have so much to celebrate because I still feel the effects to this day.

I'm reminded of Caliban's monologue in The Tempest, which was a play we read in 7th grade language arts class with Mr. Gates.  He starts by delcaring, "Be not afeard. The isle is full of noises, sounds and sweet airs that give delight and hurt not."  He ends by saying, "and then in dreaming, the clouds methought would open and show riches ready to drop upon me, that when I waked, I cried to dream again."  I was really nervous starting middle school, but there was so much I came to embrace in the experience, and I was wistful when it was done.  It was like a beautiful dream so that when I awoke, I truly wished I could fall asleep and dream it again.  I am fortunate that I have been able to live the dream anew in the 17 years since graduating, especially with my Religious Education students.

Even in my nervousness about starting at a new school in 6th grade, there was something, maybe subconsciously, that excited me about entering a brand new building with a modern design.  One feature that especially stirred me was the atrium where I could look up four floors while walking through the main corridor of the school.  From right outside the entrance of the commons and the auditorium, I could look up four floors and feel inspired that I was in a marvelous place.  The inspiration continued through so many experiences in the next three years, and I still feel it 20 years later today.

On a visit back to Julian in 2012, I photographed the atrium area inside that looks upward to a sort of skylight above the 4th floor, a view that inspired me as an 11-year-old.

P.S. I'm in the process of planning a presentation with the OPRF History Museum on the start of Julian Middle School, scheduled later this month on September 23.  It will be a live program on Zoom at 11 AM, and it should be available for viewing in archived form afterwards on the museum's YouTube channel.

In the Spirit of 1776 and 1783: Through My Own Eyes

September 3 marks the signing of the Treaty of Paris 1783, officially concluding the American Revolution and securing the independence of the USA.

September 2 marks another patriotic day, which happened 20 years ago today, when the PBS kids' show Liberty's Kids premiered on Labor Day, September 2, 2002.

The show has 40 episodes that tell about events of the American Revolutionary era, from the Boston Tea Party to the establishment of the US Constitution.  Viewers see the events through the eyes of four fictional protagonists who reside at Benjamin Franklin's home in Philadelphia.  There are three youths: James, French immigrant Henri, and Sarah, who came from Britain.  There's also Moses, a free African brought to slavery in North America who bought his freedom.  The first two episodes tell their back stories while also narrating the Boston Tea Party and its aftermath in Boston.  As part of seeing the events from their perspective, James is an aspiring journalist who drafts news reports on the events.  Sarah writes letters to her mother back home in England, as she awaits the chance to connect with her father, a British officer who is serving in the frontier of British North America.

This show had an enormous impact on me as a preteen, as part of a perfect coincidence of circumstances.  As I shall post about soon, this show debuted the day before I started 6th grade at Percy Julian Middle School.  My middle school years truly defined the important parts of my character, especially in my understanding of who I am as a citizen of the United States of America, and what that means.  

I started to think more about what it means to be part of the USA in the wake of September 11, just about a year before this show's debut, when we, as a people, rose up to embrace patriotism as a way to help us through the process of mourning and healing.  In that atmosphere, I started to think more about this country and its history and how that informs our identity.  I also felt a sense of patriotism months after September 11, and a month before this show debuted, seeing the US flag draped over my Grandpa Martin's casket and his interment ceremony at Lincoln National Cemetery as part of the honors he received for serving in the US Navy during World War II.

I already had a strong interest in the American Revolutionary time period, so I was eager to watch the show, and it became a regular habit on Fridays each week.  The school day would end at 3:30.  I would walk home, arriving around 4 PM.  After practicing piano and having a snack, I would be in front of the TV at 4:30 to watch the show, which lasted about half an hour.  I enjoyed it as a way to enter into weekend mode.

The show featured an amazing cast of characters from that time period, including George Washington, Thomas Paine, the Marquis de Lafayette, Samuel Adams, Alexander Hamilton, and John Hancock.  Some of these characters were voiced by famous actors: Billy Crystal as John Adams, Annette Bening as Abigail Adams, Ben Stiller as Thomas Jefferson, Walter Cronkite as Benjamin Franklin, Whoopi Goldberg as Deborah Sampson,  Liam Neeson as John Paul Jones, Sylvester Stallone as Paul Revere, Dustin Hoffman as Benedict Arnold, and Warren Buffett as James Madison.

I also learned about other figures with important stories, like Moses Michael Hayes, a Jewish person, although I have been unable to verify if he is a fictional character in the show, or if he truly lived. The series also gave a very nuanced telling of Benedict Arnold's story, as he was an esteemed soldier in the US army, earning even General Washington's admiration, before a souring relationship with peers and Congress caused him to betray the American cause and join the British army.  

Besides Paul Revere's famous night ride was the even longer night ride of Sybil Ludington, the teenage daughter of an American army officer who rode to alert soldiers to prepare for a British attack.

Another story I learned was about Elizabeth Freeman, a Massachusetts enslaved woman who sued for her freedom in court, and won, a sign of changing times in the Revolutionary era.  Phyllis Wheatley was an enslaved woman in Boston, who made a name for herself with her poetry.  She appears in the first two episodes.

I once checked out the complete series from the library, and in the extras, those involved in the making of the show shared how they had some very intentional conversations about how to address slavery in the series. Throughout the episodes, it's clear that the actions of the movers and shakers of this era had wide-ranging implications, and slavery was just one of them. 

The implications of the American Revolution became apparent in the final episode, which focuses largely on the creation of the US Constitution at the Constitutional Convention in the summer of 1787.  At the end of that episode, the main fictional protagonists reflect with Benjamin Franklin on the implications of what has just happened, and, even in the face of the challenges present, how much potential there is for the USA.

In the episode about the vote for independence and the Declaration of Independence, James learns an important lesson on the power of words, as he witnesses Thomas Jefferson in the process of drafting the Declaration of Independence.  Indeed, people throughout this era, as throughout all of history, have done their part and made an impact on history through their contributions, especially in written words.

This show resonated with me so greatly because it was an opportunity to see history and thus, appreciate it, which speaks to the title lyrics of the show's theme song, "Through My Own Eyes".  It was performed by two singers Kayla, who also voiced Sybil Ludington, and Aaron Carter, who voiced a private named Joseph Plumb Martin.  They performed it live at A Capitol Fourth concert on July 4 prior to the show's debut.

One of the scenes that stirred me most was President Washington's inauguration, in the final part of the last episode.  Reflecting on that scene, I realize that it was only about 2 1/2 years prior that I watched the first inauguration of President George W. Bush, the first time I had viewed a presidential inauguration ceremony.  That experience gave a certain feel to watching the scene of President Washington's inauguration as a way to see how the presidency got started under the new constitutional government.  It was a pretty exuberant scene, especially with the soundtrack that plays.

The tone of that scene was, in some ways, set in the third to last episode, we see how George Washington deliberately turned away from taking advantage of instability in the nascent American government to seize power for himself.  He instead convinced the officers of his army to cease their intentions of mutiny and show patience to Congress for paying them. Eventually, General Washington resigned his commission, a stunning act that even bewildered King George III.  The scene of that act was stirring to watch.  And by that act, George Washington set a new tone that would influence the nature of the government that the USA launched in the wake of the American Revolution.  Coming at the end of the final episode, the first presidential inauguration of George Washington was a fitting way to cap all the efforts of some many people throughout the American Revolutionary era to launch a new country with a government, unlike anything the world had seen before it.  

Indeed, as I experienced from watching the other episodes, I gained a new sense of what it was like when the USA came into existence.  Experiencing its origins helped me better appreciate what this country is about.  And the scene of President Washington's inauguration, among others, speaks to the impact this show had on me, truly making me feel proud to be a citizen of the United States.