It’s 7:20 pm, and I’ve just finished a bunch of yard chores that I began around 4:00 this afternoon. During that time, Priscille and I picked a second batch of wild raspberries – it’s a bumper crop this year: A pint of those is destined for our friend, S.B., who deserves a lot more from life than merely that. But it’s the thought that will accompany the gift, and we wish our friend nothing but good blessings.
Now, before you conclude that I’m getting far too syrupy, I need to disclose that I’m on the patio, quenching my well-deserved thirst with a bottle of Saranac Hefeweizen Wheat Ale, purchased as part of a 12-bottle, summer variety pack, at the Super Saver on Route 22 East in Somerville, next to Post Hardware.
My wife is quenching her own thirst with a bottle of Bud Light Lime: “Everything in moderation,” my Mom was fond of reminding me. Just think of all the good things in life that turn into sour experiences through abuse. Drinking to excess is, in this case, the obvious example.
Beer has a long history and tradition. Some researchers claim that it was first brewed thousands of years ago in Egypt. Pilgrims, of all people, brought its process with them when they settled in New England. It makes sense, because potable water could go bad on a long sea voyage and become contaminated, whereas the alcoholic content in the sudsy brew would keep it drinkable for a longer period of time. At least that’s what I’m told. I’ll raise a glass to that.
One of us will drop off your raspberries, S.B. Hope you enjoy them.
Ah, summer . . . . What a good season.
Showing posts with label Bridgewater Observations. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bridgewater Observations. Show all posts
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Thursday, July 10, 2008
It’s Wild Raspberry Season in Bridgewater
Early this evening after completing my gardening chores, I checked the wild raspberry patch in the back yard and discovered it was begging to be picked. My wife came out and collected a batch while I completed my work. A few minutes later I pitched in to help. Between the two of us, our first pick of the year yielded a full stainless steel bowl – I’d estimate at least three dry pints of some of the best, natural, organic berries around.
As I was moving in and about that thorny berry patch, I found myself slowing down and enjoying the work. It was then that I realized: You can’t get stressed out doing this – it’s one of those pleasant pastimes with Mother Nature where you just relax and benefit from the work that she’s already done for you.
It also reminds me of the seasons, and of how there are just so many of them for any one of us, regardless of status or income – kind of God’s own way of leveling the playing field, something which so many of us fret about and which the guy upstairs has already taken care of in his own way.
As I was moving in and about that thorny berry patch, I found myself slowing down and enjoying the work. It was then that I realized: You can’t get stressed out doing this – it’s one of those pleasant pastimes with Mother Nature where you just relax and benefit from the work that she’s already done for you.
It also reminds me of the seasons, and of how there are just so many of them for any one of us, regardless of status or income – kind of God’s own way of leveling the playing field, something which so many of us fret about and which the guy upstairs has already taken care of in his own way.
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Happy Birthday, Betsy Ross and Uncle Sam
Here’s hoping that you will resonate with a few personal, patriotic musings coming from a backyard patio in a small corner of Bridgewater:
Tomorrow, we celebrate the founding of our nation, one of the most successful experiments in human governance – perhaps the finest in all of history. Yet, to listen to so many strident internal voices which have been railing and lashing out at America and at the caliber of its citizens, you could be excused if you did not comprehend the fullness of the achievements attained in this land in just a little over 200 years – a mere blip in time.
There has been so much recent stridency and self-interest; such a disproportionate degree of self-perpetuating victimhood – one accompanied by a sense of entitlement made obvious by too many at all the strata of our population, that it is sometimes difficult to put one’s hand on the real pulse and life-blood circulating across this nation, keeping it alive and vital. Despite all of its faults – and this country has many – it still burns with the brightest light.
Just look around: How many people are beating at the exit doors of our northern or southern borders – or at our sea ports on the east and west coasts – looking in droves for ways to escape to other nations for greener pastures?
Conversely, just observe the hundreds of thousands of people beating down the entrance doors on our southern border, as well as the uncounted others of foreign-born origin from all other points of the globe, struggling and hoping to obtain green cards and visas to get in.
I’m not a Pollyanna, but remember this: Always look at what people do – not what they say – and witness those who flock to this country. What they seek and hunger for is at the very core of what defines the essence of our values on this troubled Fourth of July.
Happy birthday, America.
NOTE: For an excellent editorial about this American holiday, see "America, still beautiful," at http://www.mycentraljersey.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080704/OPINION03/80703071/1062
Tomorrow, we celebrate the founding of our nation, one of the most successful experiments in human governance – perhaps the finest in all of history. Yet, to listen to so many strident internal voices which have been railing and lashing out at America and at the caliber of its citizens, you could be excused if you did not comprehend the fullness of the achievements attained in this land in just a little over 200 years – a mere blip in time.
There has been so much recent stridency and self-interest; such a disproportionate degree of self-perpetuating victimhood – one accompanied by a sense of entitlement made obvious by too many at all the strata of our population, that it is sometimes difficult to put one’s hand on the real pulse and life-blood circulating across this nation, keeping it alive and vital. Despite all of its faults – and this country has many – it still burns with the brightest light.
Just look around: How many people are beating at the exit doors of our northern or southern borders – or at our sea ports on the east and west coasts – looking in droves for ways to escape to other nations for greener pastures?
Conversely, just observe the hundreds of thousands of people beating down the entrance doors on our southern border, as well as the uncounted others of foreign-born origin from all other points of the globe, struggling and hoping to obtain green cards and visas to get in.
I’m not a Pollyanna, but remember this: Always look at what people do – not what they say – and witness those who flock to this country. What they seek and hunger for is at the very core of what defines the essence of our values on this troubled Fourth of July.
Happy birthday, America.
NOTE: For an excellent editorial about this American holiday, see "America, still beautiful," at http://www.mycentraljersey.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080704/OPINION03/80703071/1062
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Cool Summer Thoughts
The man’s name sounds like an anachronistic mouthful: Maltbie Davenport Babcock. I doubt you’ve ever heard of him; neither have I – until, that is, I stumbled across a book of his, chock full of stimulating insights.
I like old books because in them, one can find some of the darndest examples of modern thinking such as, for example: “The tests of life are to make, not break us.” Hard to swallow, but a good one to hold on to when things get rough.
Or this one: “No person has a right to amusement, or knows the real joy of it, who has not earned the right by work.” Ouch! Better not show that one to the wrong people.
How about this? “Dependable people – their price is above rubies.” No comment required.
The musty-smelling volume from which I drew this mere sampling of cool ideas is so old, that it is no longer protected by copyright law – and, that legislation now protects certain works for as long as 95 years! Old Babcock’s mind shows that the validity of some concepts is never out-dated.
Stay well. Thanks for checking in.
I like old books because in them, one can find some of the darndest examples of modern thinking such as, for example: “The tests of life are to make, not break us.” Hard to swallow, but a good one to hold on to when things get rough.
Or this one: “No person has a right to amusement, or knows the real joy of it, who has not earned the right by work.” Ouch! Better not show that one to the wrong people.
How about this? “Dependable people – their price is above rubies.” No comment required.
The musty-smelling volume from which I drew this mere sampling of cool ideas is so old, that it is no longer protected by copyright law – and, that legislation now protects certain works for as long as 95 years! Old Babcock’s mind shows that the validity of some concepts is never out-dated.
Stay well. Thanks for checking in.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Marriage, Loneliness, Divorce
Ron Rolheiser is a talented author and columnist whose work is in the same vein and spirit of writers like Thomas Merton and Henri Nouwen. In one of his books, he advises that, “. . . no relationship can ever fully take our loneliness from us.” He goes on to say that many people “Get married precisely because of loneliness.” Later, they discover this doesn’t work, “. . . foist the blame on their marriage partner . . . and seek new relationships, hoping to someday discover the rainbow of total fulfillment.”
Rolheiser develops that idea in greater depth in his book, but the foregoing brief excerpts may give some insight into at least one of the reasons for the high U.S. divorce rate which keeps people from enduring relationships. Just something to think about.
Rolheiser develops that idea in greater depth in his book, but the foregoing brief excerpts may give some insight into at least one of the reasons for the high U.S. divorce rate which keeps people from enduring relationships. Just something to think about.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Coming Through
In my blog of Tuesday, June 17th, I mentioned that I had to turn back from attending a public presentation, because of wind-driven storm damage to the windshield of my car early Monday evening.
It’s good to know that some businesses keep their commitments. My insurance company is State Farm – has been for many years. Luckily, I’ve not had any major claims to present and, with all of the competitive insurance ads, I sometimes wonder if I could not get a better price deal. Maybe I could.
But it was gratifying to know that, from the time I made my after-hours call to this insurance company on Monday night, it took only one phone call to get through to the right series of persons, and to set up an appointment at my home to have the windshield replaced.
During my call I informed the call taker that I needed to have my car back in operation by Friday. She set me up with a service coordinator who, in turn, connected me with a representative of Safelite Auto Glass. That person set me up for a service call for today (Thursday), between 12:00 pm and 5:00 pm. I was asked to verify the status of the job around 12 noon, Thursday. Today, I did and, wouldn’t you know, the service technician was already on his way to my home when I called to check, just before noon.
Dealing with people and companies who have set up competent business processes to deliver an on-time customer solution with no hassle is a great relief. The opposite, as many people have found out, is a nightmare.
I don’t know how matters would have turned out, if I had been involved in a more disastrous insurance situation but, to borrow from one of my Mom’s many aphorisms, “Always give credit where credit is due.”
I miss you, Mom & Dad. Stay well all of you out there, and thanks for checking in.
It’s good to know that some businesses keep their commitments. My insurance company is State Farm – has been for many years. Luckily, I’ve not had any major claims to present and, with all of the competitive insurance ads, I sometimes wonder if I could not get a better price deal. Maybe I could.
But it was gratifying to know that, from the time I made my after-hours call to this insurance company on Monday night, it took only one phone call to get through to the right series of persons, and to set up an appointment at my home to have the windshield replaced.
During my call I informed the call taker that I needed to have my car back in operation by Friday. She set me up with a service coordinator who, in turn, connected me with a representative of Safelite Auto Glass. That person set me up for a service call for today (Thursday), between 12:00 pm and 5:00 pm. I was asked to verify the status of the job around 12 noon, Thursday. Today, I did and, wouldn’t you know, the service technician was already on his way to my home when I called to check, just before noon.
Dealing with people and companies who have set up competent business processes to deliver an on-time customer solution with no hassle is a great relief. The opposite, as many people have found out, is a nightmare.
I don’t know how matters would have turned out, if I had been involved in a more disastrous insurance situation but, to borrow from one of my Mom’s many aphorisms, “Always give credit where credit is due.”
I miss you, Mom & Dad. Stay well all of you out there, and thanks for checking in.
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Time Out
One of the challenges in writing a blog like this is the choice of appropriate topics. Certainly, by reading newspapers, magazines and by taking in TV, there is plenty of grist for the mill. The problem, though, is that much, if not most, of the subject matter is, to put it bluntly, less than elevating.
If it isn’t the Bush administration messing up in Iraq, it’s the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives standing in the way of a bi-partisan solution; or, similarly, it’s the Governor of New Jersey and the rest of the elected and appointed officials in Trenton obstructing one another’s efforts to fix the budget and funding mess; meanwhile, a meddling and aggressive New Jersey Supreme Court, taking advantage of Trenton lawmakers’ unwillingness to solve controversial issues, continues to make law from the bench, instead of restricting itself to interpreting existing legislation.
Should I go on? Oh, yes. There is also the matter of Somerset County’s trysting with the Park Commission, a creature of the electorate, which a majority of the Freeholders denied citizens their right and privilege to vote upon last fall. And, what about the Bridgewater-Raritan Board of Education and its Superintendent, who thought that they were doing us a favor this spring when they ‘returned’ money to us that was ours in the first place?
Had enough for one day? I have!
To all of you great dads out there who have to put up with all of this baloney, day-in and day-out, as you succeed in raising your families, have a memorable Father’s Day. Heed my advice for tomorrow: Attend worship services. (If your tradition points to the synagogue or temple, I hope you already did.) Don’t open up a newspaper or magazine and refrain from turning on the TV. Have a good time outdoors with your family and friends. Then, when the clock strikes 9:00 pm, turn on the TV to the Celtics and Lakers, and enjoy one of the best match-ups and rivalries in NBA finals history. I’m one of those lucky sons-of-a-gun whose wife actually enjoys watching a classic sports event with her spouse!
Be well, and Happy Father’s Day, guys: You deserve it
If it isn’t the Bush administration messing up in Iraq, it’s the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives standing in the way of a bi-partisan solution; or, similarly, it’s the Governor of New Jersey and the rest of the elected and appointed officials in Trenton obstructing one another’s efforts to fix the budget and funding mess; meanwhile, a meddling and aggressive New Jersey Supreme Court, taking advantage of Trenton lawmakers’ unwillingness to solve controversial issues, continues to make law from the bench, instead of restricting itself to interpreting existing legislation.
Should I go on? Oh, yes. There is also the matter of Somerset County’s trysting with the Park Commission, a creature of the electorate, which a majority of the Freeholders denied citizens their right and privilege to vote upon last fall. And, what about the Bridgewater-Raritan Board of Education and its Superintendent, who thought that they were doing us a favor this spring when they ‘returned’ money to us that was ours in the first place?
Had enough for one day? I have!
To all of you great dads out there who have to put up with all of this baloney, day-in and day-out, as you succeed in raising your families, have a memorable Father’s Day. Heed my advice for tomorrow: Attend worship services. (If your tradition points to the synagogue or temple, I hope you already did.) Don’t open up a newspaper or magazine and refrain from turning on the TV. Have a good time outdoors with your family and friends. Then, when the clock strikes 9:00 pm, turn on the TV to the Celtics and Lakers, and enjoy one of the best match-ups and rivalries in NBA finals history. I’m one of those lucky sons-of-a-gun whose wife actually enjoys watching a classic sports event with her spouse!
Be well, and Happy Father’s Day, guys: You deserve it
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
A Cool Treat
Is there such a thing as a day too hot for ice cream? If there is, then Monday and Tuesday take the cake, so to speak. With the temps pushing the 100° mark, it was no time to get in the car for a drive to an ice cream stand. Tonight, though, was quite different – a perfect time for an early-evening jaunt to the nearest ice cream parlor.
Usually, from our home in Bridgewater, we head west on Route 22, to the very popular Polar Cub, a short drive from the Bridgewater Commons. That spot has as wide a selection of ice cream treats and flavors as you could want. The service is fast, and the product is good.
Tonight, though, we took advantage of one of those promotional coupons that appear in the free-standing inserts of the Sunday newspaper. (You know: all those multi-colored glossy advertising handouts that you have to sift through before you can do any serious reading). My wife clipped a coupon for the Cold Stone Creamery in Bedminster. It’s in the Hills Shopping Center, just off 202-206 north, in Pluckemin.
For seven bucks, we ordered two mouth-watering waffle bowls filled with plenty of ice cream and a blended add-in of your choice. You’ll have to be a little patient, because the service tends to take a little longer due to the hand-blending that the servers do to fill your individual order. It’s fun to watch them. Besides, why be in a hurry for something that’s supposed to be a delight to watch and to consume?
Usually, from our home in Bridgewater, we head west on Route 22, to the very popular Polar Cub, a short drive from the Bridgewater Commons. That spot has as wide a selection of ice cream treats and flavors as you could want. The service is fast, and the product is good.
Tonight, though, we took advantage of one of those promotional coupons that appear in the free-standing inserts of the Sunday newspaper. (You know: all those multi-colored glossy advertising handouts that you have to sift through before you can do any serious reading). My wife clipped a coupon for the Cold Stone Creamery in Bedminster. It’s in the Hills Shopping Center, just off 202-206 north, in Pluckemin.
For seven bucks, we ordered two mouth-watering waffle bowls filled with plenty of ice cream and a blended add-in of your choice. You’ll have to be a little patient, because the service tends to take a little longer due to the hand-blending that the servers do to fill your individual order. It’s fun to watch them. Besides, why be in a hurry for something that’s supposed to be a delight to watch and to consume?
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Something Serious to Worry About
This will be quick: I’ve just returned from a book discussion group. One of the participants had been absent for months – she had undergone cancer diagnosis and treatment. The good news is that the cancer was removed and she has been deemed cancer-free – no follow-up chemotherapy or radiation needed.
The not-so-good news is that the Marine Corps unit of her son-in-law was ordered to a second term in Iraq. He was part of the initial deployment in the second Gulf War, survived it, came back to the U.S. and stayed on as a reservist. He is now on active duty and planning the logistics for his team which will be re-deployed to Iraq in September for a seven-month tour.
As you read this over the weekend, think about that woman and her son-in-law . . . and of that other woman – the wife being left behind. Perhaps that long commute to work; the long wait in the check-out line; and that exasperating manager at work aren’t so unbearable after all. Maybe all those other inconsequential episodes of life that can bother us so much are nothing compared to the ravages of a cancer gone wild, or of a man getting his ticket punched for a second tour in Iraq.
Possibly your life is pretty good.
The not-so-good news is that the Marine Corps unit of her son-in-law was ordered to a second term in Iraq. He was part of the initial deployment in the second Gulf War, survived it, came back to the U.S. and stayed on as a reservist. He is now on active duty and planning the logistics for his team which will be re-deployed to Iraq in September for a seven-month tour.
As you read this over the weekend, think about that woman and her son-in-law . . . and of that other woman – the wife being left behind. Perhaps that long commute to work; the long wait in the check-out line; and that exasperating manager at work aren’t so unbearable after all. Maybe all those other inconsequential episodes of life that can bother us so much are nothing compared to the ravages of a cancer gone wild, or of a man getting his ticket punched for a second tour in Iraq.
Possibly your life is pretty good.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Gulf vs. Getty
Yesterday morning, after completing two exercise loops on each of the three levels at the Bridgewater Commons Mall, I drove the car into Somerville for a few errands and to gas up. It’s startling to see how much the price of fuel can vary within the distance of just a few blocks.
Not so long ago, the Gulf station on the corner of Mountain Avenue and West End Ave. (across the street from the Skylands Community Bank) regularly posted some of the very lowest prices in the area. Yesterday, the price was $3.599. Only a few blocks away, at the corner of Cornell Blvd. and West End Ave. (across from Thul Auto Supply) Getty was pumping the same stuff for $3.439, or $.16 less per gallon. That’s worth driving a couple of blocks to save significantly on a fill-up.
Sunday, along Route 22 West, beyond the Somerville circle, gas prices hovered around the $3.479 mark. None of us knows how long gas prices will continue to spike, but it looks like the good old boys from Riyadh and Houston have us all over a barrel.
Not so long ago, the Gulf station on the corner of Mountain Avenue and West End Ave. (across the street from the Skylands Community Bank) regularly posted some of the very lowest prices in the area. Yesterday, the price was $3.599. Only a few blocks away, at the corner of Cornell Blvd. and West End Ave. (across from Thul Auto Supply) Getty was pumping the same stuff for $3.439, or $.16 less per gallon. That’s worth driving a couple of blocks to save significantly on a fill-up.
Sunday, along Route 22 West, beyond the Somerville circle, gas prices hovered around the $3.479 mark. None of us knows how long gas prices will continue to spike, but it looks like the good old boys from Riyadh and Houston have us all over a barrel.
Monday, April 21, 2008
What Recession?
The official measure of a U.S. recession is two successive quarters of negative economic growth. But, as I heard one commentator recently, present economic expansion – though still positive – is very low and, he opined, if it feels like a recession, then it is.
I don’t know if that last statement is true or not, but anyone who found himself at Costco in Bridgewater Sunday afternoon would have to rethink this whole recession issue. Every checkout register was busy recording purchases. Each line reached into the shopping area, and all of Costco’s oversized checkout carts were brimming.
My wife and I were in one of those serpentine lines that day with only an outdoor table umbrella. At $99.99, it would be hard to find a better comparable value. But the place is a madhouse on weekends. Anecdotally, at least, most people who shop at Costco in Bridgewater don’t seem to have changed their consumption habits much.
I wish we could get a micro-economic assessment of GDP growth specifically for Somerset County, New Jersey. If that number were reported side-by-side with national data, it might show better results, even though the housing market in Somerset County is still depressed.
Within spitting distance from our home, there is a better-than-new ranch house on a large parcel of land that is on the market at a price far below what it would have fetched just 18 months ago. Now, that’s depressing!
I don’t know if that last statement is true or not, but anyone who found himself at Costco in Bridgewater Sunday afternoon would have to rethink this whole recession issue. Every checkout register was busy recording purchases. Each line reached into the shopping area, and all of Costco’s oversized checkout carts were brimming.
My wife and I were in one of those serpentine lines that day with only an outdoor table umbrella. At $99.99, it would be hard to find a better comparable value. But the place is a madhouse on weekends. Anecdotally, at least, most people who shop at Costco in Bridgewater don’t seem to have changed their consumption habits much.
I wish we could get a micro-economic assessment of GDP growth specifically for Somerset County, New Jersey. If that number were reported side-by-side with national data, it might show better results, even though the housing market in Somerset County is still depressed.
Within spitting distance from our home, there is a better-than-new ranch house on a large parcel of land that is on the market at a price far below what it would have fetched just 18 months ago. Now, that’s depressing!
Friday, April 18, 2008
Life is a Gift
Life in the present is a magical, mystical, moving moment. There is no past; only the memory of it. There is no future; only the anticipation of it.Pause and savor the present moment – the now of our lives, that evanescent slice of time which has been given to us and which, in reality, is all that we can absolutely count on, because that is all that we have to work with.
This can be a difficult and painful concept to accept, because most of us – this writer included – can easily delude ourselves into believing that we have tight control over the events of our lives. All our successes: jobs, good marriages, children, achievement in public life, good relationships with friends and family, good health; all tend to confirm that.
But, when life-altering events hit us smack upside the face: the loss of a good job, betrayal by people whom we have trusted, good health turned sour, the death of a loved one etc., we are reminded in a not-so-subtle manner that personal control is fleeting, and that life is for now – not to be squandered in narcissistic self-indulgence – but to be lived fully in the living present.
Note: The daffodil was photographed locally this spring by a friend and photographer who wishes to remain anonymous.
Sunday, April 6, 2008
A Happy Coincidence
As the TV commercial for financial services says, “Life comes at you fast.” It can also deal out quite a few surprises, some good, and others … well, you can fill in the rest of the blanks.
Friday night, though, was, for Priscille and me, a happy occasion. We had gone out to Luna Rossa’s Italian eatery in Pluckemin to celebrate our wedding anniversary. That section of Bedminster so closely abuts the northwest tip of Bridgewater, that it might as well be part of the township.
We had reservations for an early evening dinner, arriving just about an hour or so before working people start dribbling in. Our server made sure that the wine glasses were steadily filled with Chianti, as we slowly dined our way through warm bread, appetizers, and a salad. It was just about then, that four Bridgewater friends spotted us as they approached to be seated at the next table.
What a pleasant surprise it was to see the Tracys and the Conlons, who live at opposite ends of Bridgewater. Both couples are long-standing residents here. John Tracy served with me on the Bridgewater-Raritan Board of Education and became a trusted ally. Bernie Conlon was also a backer. Their wives, Susan and Barbara, were part of a group of rock-solid, active women supporters.
Today, these four are simply friends with whom we are able to share wonderful memories of times past, as we bump into one another along the path of life in Bridgewater Township. Most of us have recollections of life’s events from which we have grown and learned, (some of which we’d just as soon forget!).
On the other hand, some of those memories are identified with the cheery, smiling faces of friends that, when fate causes them to cross our paths once in a while, only evoke the best of thoughts. The two couples we bumped into at Luna Rossa’s last night comfortably fall into the second category.
Friday night, though, was, for Priscille and me, a happy occasion. We had gone out to Luna Rossa’s Italian eatery in Pluckemin to celebrate our wedding anniversary. That section of Bedminster so closely abuts the northwest tip of Bridgewater, that it might as well be part of the township.
We had reservations for an early evening dinner, arriving just about an hour or so before working people start dribbling in. Our server made sure that the wine glasses were steadily filled with Chianti, as we slowly dined our way through warm bread, appetizers, and a salad. It was just about then, that four Bridgewater friends spotted us as they approached to be seated at the next table.
What a pleasant surprise it was to see the Tracys and the Conlons, who live at opposite ends of Bridgewater. Both couples are long-standing residents here. John Tracy served with me on the Bridgewater-Raritan Board of Education and became a trusted ally. Bernie Conlon was also a backer. Their wives, Susan and Barbara, were part of a group of rock-solid, active women supporters.
Today, these four are simply friends with whom we are able to share wonderful memories of times past, as we bump into one another along the path of life in Bridgewater Township. Most of us have recollections of life’s events from which we have grown and learned, (some of which we’d just as soon forget!).
On the other hand, some of those memories are identified with the cheery, smiling faces of friends that, when fate causes them to cross our paths once in a while, only evoke the best of thoughts. The two couples we bumped into at Luna Rossa’s last night comfortably fall into the second category.
Saturday, March 1, 2008
Franklin A. Yates, Bridgewater Citizen
Frank was a long-time resident of Bridgewater – longer, in fact, than the lifetimes of most people in this township.Although born in Ancón, Panama Canal Zone, just two years before the canal’s completion by a U.S. led construction team, Frank would not see the U.S. mainland until his late teens, when he left to study at MIT in Boston.
His dad, who was a U.S. citizen, had gone to Panama to teach English, where he subsequently married a native Panamanian, Eudoxia Arias. At the time, U.S. law recognized the child of such a union as a citizen of the United States.
The survival skills and disciplines which Frank acquired in his childhood and teen years in Panama would serve him well throughout his life. He was an intelligent and diligent tri-lingual student. In high school, the French Consul presented him with an award for best student. Frank would go on to graduate from Balboa High School as valedictorian.
Frank was especially proud of his proficiency in Spanish. During his years in Bridgewater, he always sought out Spanish speakers, and never passed up a chance to strike up a conversation when he saw Latinos or Hispanics working in his neighborhood.
Although Frank belongs to an era which is slowly but irrevocably slipping into the past, he left a set of values and characteristics which are timeless. He was a highly-focused, self-effacing, selfless person, rigorously dedicated to his family, job and community. Had he been a participant in the workforce of the 60’s and 70’s, the growth years of the electronic and computer industries in the Bay State, he could have comfortably written his own ticket.
Instead, when Frank graduated from MIT sporting an electrical engineering degree, he slammed headlong into the job market of the Great Depression. Even that was not enough to daunt his indomitable spirit. He eventually landed a job in the Boston area, where he met his wife-to-be, Marjorie, a Jersey girl and Radcliff student.
The couple moved to Bridgewater, where Frank and Margie settled down and raised a family. Frank landed a war-related job where he was the key person to develop sub-horsepower electrical motors. This engineering achievement would provide critically-needed accuracy for anti-aircraft guns.
I could go on, but you get the idea: We all stand on the shoulders of people who preceded us and to which we owe gratitude and the obligation to follow in their footsteps. That’s really part of the essence of America, isn’t it?
Frank left us on Wednesday, February 20th, at the age of 95. But the example of his life still shines in Bridgewater.
Note: Did you know that Presidential candidate John McCain was also born in the Panama Canal Zone?
Monday, February 25, 2008
A Look at “Having Arrived”
If you want a snapshot of how celebrities see life in contrasting ways, just check out yesterday’s edition of PARADE magazine. Under the section entitled, What I did with My First Million, TV’s Judge Judy speaks about her rise from a low-paid job to her current success, as she describes her ability to buy expensive shoes, “There were those lousy discounted shoes in navy and brown, plus black ones I craved at full price. I bought the black ones. I paid full price. I knew then that I’d arrived.”
Speaking in a similar mode, Matt Lauer, co-host of the Today Show, comments about his early career insecurity and his subsequent purchase of a property in the Hamptons upon which he eventually built a home. He volunteered that, “Even now I can hardly come to grips with the fact that maybe I’m finally permanently all right.”
Interesting, isn’t it, how so many celebrities seem to define their success with statements that get right down to cash and big houses? We know something about that in Bridgewater, an affluent community where some define success in similar terms. There are, of course, alternate views.
In the same issue of PARADE, under ParadePICKS®, singer-celebrity, 88-year old Pete Seeger was asked how he felt about the future. He responded optimistically that, “My country has done wonderful things that nobody believed we would do: civil rights, women’s rights, freedom of speech. The nonviolent revolution will come next.”
When asked about his finest achievement, he volunteered, “I was able to exploit a great American tradition – that you may speak your mind. The establishment never moves unless they are pushed by the people.”
Isn’t it remarkable that some will underline success in economic terms only, while others expand the definition to include our national achievements and one’s ability to personally impact government?
Note: For the full text of these and other comments, see the February 24, 2008, edition of PARADE magazine at http://www.parade.com/articles/editions/2008/edition_02-24-2008/My_First_Million and at http://www.parade.com/parade-picks/2008/paradePick/item/music/pete-seeger-american-masters-pete-seeger-the-power-of-song.html
Speaking in a similar mode, Matt Lauer, co-host of the Today Show, comments about his early career insecurity and his subsequent purchase of a property in the Hamptons upon which he eventually built a home. He volunteered that, “Even now I can hardly come to grips with the fact that maybe I’m finally permanently all right.”
Interesting, isn’t it, how so many celebrities seem to define their success with statements that get right down to cash and big houses? We know something about that in Bridgewater, an affluent community where some define success in similar terms. There are, of course, alternate views.
In the same issue of PARADE, under ParadePICKS®, singer-celebrity, 88-year old Pete Seeger was asked how he felt about the future. He responded optimistically that, “My country has done wonderful things that nobody believed we would do: civil rights, women’s rights, freedom of speech. The nonviolent revolution will come next.”
When asked about his finest achievement, he volunteered, “I was able to exploit a great American tradition – that you may speak your mind. The establishment never moves unless they are pushed by the people.”
Isn’t it remarkable that some will underline success in economic terms only, while others expand the definition to include our national achievements and one’s ability to personally impact government?
Note: For the full text of these and other comments, see the February 24, 2008, edition of PARADE magazine at http://www.parade.com/articles/editions/2008/edition_02-24-2008/My_First_Million and at http://www.parade.com/parade-picks/2008/paradePick/item/music/pete-seeger-american-masters-pete-seeger-the-power-of-song.html
Sunday, February 10, 2008
An Unexpected Good Start
Saturday morning dawned crisp, cold and overcast in Bridgewater. As is my winter weekend morning habit, I arose early, put on a pot of coffee; donned a pair of sweats, a fleece vest, a hat, and walked down to the bottom of the driveway to pick up the newspapers.
There are several regular joggers in the neighborhood, so it’s not unusual to greet one as he or she passes by. Yesterday was no different. As I stooped to gather up one of the newspapers, a well-bundled young woman with just the oval of her face showing, slowed down from her jogging, picked up the other newspaper and handed it to me.
We exchanged greetings and smiles, and she continued on her way. What a refreshing occasion it is to run across such a simple yet meaningful act of kindness.
There are several regular joggers in the neighborhood, so it’s not unusual to greet one as he or she passes by. Yesterday was no different. As I stooped to gather up one of the newspapers, a well-bundled young woman with just the oval of her face showing, slowed down from her jogging, picked up the other newspaper and handed it to me.
We exchanged greetings and smiles, and she continued on her way. What a refreshing occasion it is to run across such a simple yet meaningful act of kindness.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)