A Week in Rome
In 2011, we visited Rome, in two installments.
We flew into Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino Airport, after a 13 hour flight from the United States. We had a packed schedule of visiting the catacombs, that evening and the Vatican the following morning, before being taken, by Bob’s Limo Service, to the port city of Civitavecchia, that afternoon to board a Holland American cruise ship…for the purposes of cruising the Mediterranean.
We toured the catacombs, Jonathon and I reluctantly, due to our extreme jet lag.
Aaron and I napped in the hotel room, upon our arrival at the Monte Carlo while Mary Jane and Jonathon indulged in lunch, at what became our favorite Roman Ristorante, during our visit.
The following morning, after I showered in a tube that was big enough for half of me, we proceeded to the Vatican, with an extremely friendly driver…who loved the ‘Boss’…and who exclaimed to us…that ‘to him…he was the best!’
Our private tour guide, Sergio, was waiting for us and escorted us into a side door of the the Vatican Museum, while we passed long lines of tourists waiting to enter the facility.
Sergio took time to explain many of the works of art to us…as well as physically guarding Mary Jane from the pressing throng that were in the other tours.
Sergio, simply, made the Vatican Museum and the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica…come alive for us!
As we were touring the Sistine Chapel…the majesty of Michelangelo’s paintings were breathtaking. Vatican staff, who were dressed in black, constantly admonished the large crowd, ‘silencio’, and we were soon to experience, first hand, that the admonishment was extremely serious.
As Sergio, who was speaking in a whisper voice, guided us through the facility, a woman admonished him to be silent. He then explained to the lady that he was a tour guide and that he was only doing his job. She proceeded to regularly berate him for his speaking…and he became, quietly, angry with her persistence.
I neglected to mention that on our first night in Rome we walked to the ristorante that Mary Jane and Aaron had visited for lunch. We passed several embassies on the three block journey. The complexes were guarded by serious looking soldiers with sub-machine guns hanging from their shoulders.
The most delightful waiter asked us what we would like to order and I told him that I would like to have his specialty. He responded that his speciality was not on the menu but that he would make the dish for each of us…if we desired.
We desired.
The special dish…was to die for.
When we left the ristorante we include a 20% tip for the kind gentleman…and as we were walking away from his business…and already out in the street he hurried after us. He implored us to come back to his eatery…and we assured him that we would…as three of us were returning to Rome and the hotel, Monte Carlo, for several days after the cruise.
Upon our return to Rome, and after our cruise of the Mediterranean, we took a 7 hour tour to Assisi. The tour was by bus and our guide spoke 3 languages, fluently, and proceed to tell us what we were passing on our 2 hour ride to Assisi.
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We first stopped at a little Italian village to see a church. We walked up hill for about a half of a mile. When we arrived, exhausted, our guide, announced, that, ‘there is the church and I will be under the tree.’
A woman from South Africa, chastised our guide for the majority of the journey and exclaimed to him, in all of our presence, that he was not doing his job and that she had been in charge of all tourism in South Africa…and that he could be better!
Our guide responded, on the countless occasions of constructive criticism, ‘Madam…Madam.’
Mary Jane, felt sorry for our, reluctant guide, and gave him a very generous gratuity.
We were looking for a red suitcase in Rome. As we gleaned, bits and pieces, from the Romans that we met on the street…as to where the suitcase stores were located, they spoke Italian and we spoke English…and somehow we communicated.
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When we finally found the store that had the red ‘gem’ we used a combination of hand gestures and smiles to purchase the clothes carrier and pay the proper amount of Euros.
On our last night in Rome we dined at a ristorante that was just across from our hotel. I was so tired…but I revived when, Jonathon presented me with a book by my favorite author, Ernest Hemingway. He purchased it in an old Roman bookstore that had some English titles.
We admired the Colosseum from the outside…but did not enter.
The traffic in Rome is the worst that I have ever seen or experienced! There are Priests riding red Vespas and cars that are half the size of our economy models. There seems to be no rhyme or reason to the rules of the road…and I could not distinguish if there were even lanes that the crush of vehicles were driving in. It appeared that each driver or motorcycle rider or Vespa rider or bicyclist…was searching for the….crack in the spacing of motorized madness…to place their vehicle in!
Our driver, for Bob’s Limo Service, told us that you must not make eye contact with the other drivers…as it was a signal to them that you were yielding them the right of way.
To dine in Rome…or throughout Europe…is to dine al fresco. Often we sat on the sidewalk that adjoined the ristorante on the left and the, busily traveled road, on the right.
I observed that most of the men that I saw had a bag that hung over their shoulder…called a ‘man bag.’
We visited a leather shop where the owner, handcrafted leather bags and satchels, and the work was well done and intricate and expertly fashioned.
I told a young woman that was working in the store that I wanted to purchase a ‘man bag’ but that my friends in America might think me, different, for doing so. She insisted that I purchase the bag and wear it proudly…and I did as she instructed!
Romans are warm and friendly and inviting of tourists.
The first morning that we awoke at the Monte Carlo Hotel…we were blown away by the luxurious breakfast that we had displayed before us. It included the finest of salamis and cheeses and croissants and chocolate and the hotel was immaculate.
The young waitress asked me if I wanted my water, ‘con-gas’, and I responded that I wanted no gas…but only water. She looked at me in a perplexed manner…and I soon learned that she was inquiring as to whether I desired regular water, still, or carbonated water?
On one of our last evenings in the hotel, we were enjoying a drink from the bar, and made the acquaintance of a man and his sister, who were from England. The man told us that he had been robbed on the train and that if it had not been for his sister…he did not know what he would have done. He was quite friendly and jovial and the next morning when we spoke to him…he did not seem to remember us.
The Opening of a Door
‘All the world’s a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
And one man in his time plays many parts,….’
As You Like It, Act II, Scene VII William Shakespeare
Life can be likened to the seasons of nature.
We, first, are young and blooming and the sap is rising and we are ready to meet the challenges that life has for us.
Then, we excel under the bright sun shine of summer. We grow and flourish with each passing day…and we, even, have to engage in some weeding…on a regular basis.
And, in the autumn of our lives…our colors are most brilliant…and our accomplishments are great…and we feel the slowing process of time.
In the winter we warm ourselves by the fireside of our memories and we lean on our faith and our family.
I woke up to the sad news of the passing of our universities chancellor, Dr. Carlo Montemagno. Chancellor Montemagno had announced to the university community, in June, that he was battling cancer.
I had the privilege of hearing him speak, on more than one occasion, but the last time that I had the honor was at a Presbyterian Men’s group meeting, last month.
I had always been inspired by the chancellor’s words…but never more so than that, evening, meeting of our church group and my connection with Carlo and his care for others and his struggle and humanity.
I could see that Carlo did not feel well…and that a lesser man and leader…probably would have not been there.
His words regarding his desire to see SIUC, flourish once again, and to ensure that the faculty and staff were considered and protected and valued by him…in the most difficult times that our university has experienced…were heart warming.
Many times the greatest of leaders…are the most misunderstood.
My friend, Jeff, asked me that last time that we visited he and Margo, if I thought about my mortality…much?
I said that I often considered our earthly lives…the foyer of the house of our dreams.
It is the audition for something much greater than we can imagine or conceive.
When the door opens…we will think…what was I worried about?
‘
Ghost
I have always enjoyed a good ghost story.
The yarns regarding; Dracula and Frankenstein, and the Wolf-man or the Creature from the Black Lagoon, were fascinating to me.
I had, models made of plastic, that I bought at our local Ben Franklin Dime Store, for $1.50 or less, that I glued together and hand painted. For me…they were works of art!
The movies that these monster characters were depicted in, were highlighted in what was called Monster Magazines.
My cousin, Billy, had amazing and realistic rubber masks that fit over your entire head and that looked like the; Creature or Frankenstien or Dracula and the Wolf-man.
During my first years as assistant superintendent for Building Services at Southern Illinois University, we had a ghost sighting at the administrative building for the university, Anthony Hall.
In those days, the 1980’s, the majority of our student custodial worker staff, were Malaysian.
One night, a Malaysian, female student, was working in Anthony Hall and proceeding to the third floor, by elevator, to ensure that the lights were shut out and the office doors locked. When she walked off of the elevator…she saw to her right…a woman that was dressed in a white blouse,that was buttoned up to her neck, and a long black dress, and her hair in a bun on the back of her head. The student noted that the woman did not speak to her…and thus being frightened…she got back on the elevator and, raced, to find her boss to tell him of the unusual occurrence.
The Malaysian student had no idea that Anthony Hall had originally been constructed as a women’s dormitory and that it was named after the famous, suffragette, Susan B. Anthony.
The crew supervisor, that she reported her strange encounter to, later took me into the attic of Anthony Hall and showed me, old photos, of women dressed just like the woman that the student described.
After the students, ghostly visit, word spread rapidly throughout the Malaysian community and the campus community. Not only would no Malaysian student students work in Anthony Hall…but, also, the Vice President for Campus Services requested that I write a full report, for him, regarding the ethereal encounter.
When we were in Stratford-upon-Avon in England, we were staying at a lovely hotel that had a great garden,that was ideal for smoking some English cigars in.
As I sat in the garden of the hotel and awaited my sons, Aaron and Jonathon, and my life long friend, Jeff, I noticed the image of a young woman, in the window of a room on the the top floor of the hotel.
The image did not move and was out of place and…creepy.
When I returned, a few minutes later, the young woman in the window…was gone.
I took some photos of the fire that was generated by lighting charcoal for my grill in the preparation of grilling out…and the results had more than one ghostly image in them.
Photo by Mikes Photos on Pexels.com
Being a science fiction fan I have often wondered about the quantum physics test that illustrates, that microscopic images…seem to appear in two different places…simultaneously….until they are looked at by the observer?
We are all made of the elements that construct our universe. Scientist assure us that energy never dies…we are made of energy….
Is the life after death…experience…closer to us…than we have ever imagined?
40 Years A Saluki
Tomorrow, October 10, 2018, marks my 40th year of caring about all things at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale.
I remember, clearly, looking and listening and hoping for a call from the Superintendent of Building Services, George O’Hara, with an offer for a position as a Building Service Worker I.
When I received the telephone call with the offer of my carer opportunity…I was thrilled!
I was speaking with an extremely interesting student, this morning, who happened to be disabled and in a wheelchair…and joyful to be a member of the SIUC community.
I am transported back to the first evening that I worked at Southern. It was a chilly October night and I could not believe my good fortune to have become a part of the university family.
My conversation with my friend, today, reminded me of why I love SIU and Southern Illinois. He mentioned that he had come from Chicago, 20 years ago, to attend university and that he liked the surroundings and the people, so much, that he never left. He went on to say that he considers himself, more a Southern Illinoisan than a Chicagoan.
SIUC has brought financial stability and a secure life path to me and my family.
The university has brought the world to my doorstep! On my first night of work I was placed on a crew that had student workers from several countries. Being exposed to the gift of diversity…my world view was expanded exponentially.
Southern Illinois University taught me that there is something, rare and glistening and worthy of caring about and fighting for and attaching yourself to…for life…in Southern Illinois…SIUC!
‘The Saluki or Persian Greyhound is a dog originally bred in the Fertile Crescent and ancient Iran. The Saluki classed as a sighthound and is typically deep-chested and long-legged. Salukis are sighthounds–hunting by sight-and run their quarry down to kill or retrieve it.’ Wikipedia
A Saluki can run 42 miles per hour.
The Saluki is the mascot of SIUC.
And, so, the young man from Eldorado, Illinois came to university. My childhood friend, Jackie Brooks, had enrolled at SIU…but never attended.
My mother encouraged me to go to Barber School…because it did not seem to her that I enjoyed studying.
Yet, as I came in the door of the housekeeping department…I immersed myself in the total university experience and ultimately became friends of chancellors and presidents and even gave them advice…from time to time.
The Building Services staff are among the most dedicated people that Southern Illinois University has…and the university should be honored to have them.
The sacrifice that I have, personally witnessed up to and and including this day, is unparalleled in commitment to the success of our university!
Building Services staff’s dedication to excellence…knows no bounds. They struggle to keep the university, immaculate, with a skeleton staff.
The mentorship that SIU’s housekeeping staff exhibits for their, custodial student colleagues…is an example for the entire campus.
Over the past 40 years…many have asked me what I did at SIU…and have often guessed that I was a professor. When I respond that I worked my entire carer in the custodial department…they proceed to tell me how needed the housekeeping services are.
What they do not realize…is that being a member of the Building Services family….was the greatest honor of my life!
Remembering
The story of our life is the story of our memories.
As time passes all to quickly and days are filled with activity that changes more rapidly than the flying of a weavers shuttle…our memories of the joys of our days and who mattered and matters to us and our, ‘fuel,’ that fills our engines of motivation…can be replaced by the current cares and concerns and politics of the moment that we are experiencing.
I often reflect on my dear mother and what an advocate that she was for me. One afternoon, when I returned from school and the second grade, I mentioned that the teacher had taken my arm and shook me, when she became so upset that I did not understand her ‘new’ math.
The next afternoon, just after the last bell had rang and I was proceeding out of the classroom…there was mom entering and she was visibly upset. She asked my teacher if she had grabbed my arm and shook me…and she replied that she had.
Mom told Ms. Blackwell that if she ever touched me again…that she would ‘kick her ass!’
Ms. Blackwell apologized profusely…and she never shook me again.
My mother never had a lot of money…but if she knew that her friends or family or neighbors or fellow church members were in need…she would quietly give them money….and tell no one about it.
I can see the big tears in my dad’s eyes when a team of doctors examined me and told him that I had a heart murmur.
I, vividly, remember the mystery and excitement and adventure of being newly married and having my sweet wife on my arm…and our dreams for the future.
I can see Aaron in his bassinet in the nursery at Carbondale Memorial Hospital, with his little blue hat on…and how he cried the loudest in the nursery and the attending nurse telling me that he had character!
As we were walking around the DuQuoin Fairgrounds and eating ice cream cones, Jonathon told me that we must save some for Aaron.
I remember being so very poor…and hungry at times…with no money to pay the electric bill and the fear of having my power shut off.
I was so grateful when I was hired at Essex International factory and was assigned to make wire harnesses for Chrysler trucks. I was paid $1.75 per hour or $14.00 a day.
When I began working at SIU I was amazed at the compliments and kind remarks that I received from both my customers as well as my supervisors. I knew that I was going to have a wonderful carer with the university.
In Bible School, when I was 7 or 8 years old I was asked to say what I knew about Moses and the exodus of he and the Hebrew nation out of Pharaohs cruel captivity.
When I had finished my little speech…the instructor told me that she had never heard anything like what I had said…and that she thought that I might become a preacher. The experience made such an indelible impression on me…that I have remembered it until this day…and mark that occurrence as the time that I became a christian.
It is easy to not be able to ‘see the forest for the trees.’
Sometimes as we travel the winding and circuitous road of life…we must climb a hill and look backward at the many twists and turns and priceless experiences that have led to our present moment.
Success Is Incremental
I recall being a member of the Civil Service Council at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale for over fifteen years and then a member of the State Universities Annuitants Association, as the Council’s representative on that Board, for four years.
During those times I spent nearly five years as the president of the group.
We had attempted, for many years, to have Veteran’s Day, recognized as a holiday at the University. We felt, strongly, that our precious veterans, deserved a day where the university shut it’s doors in remembrance of their sacrifice.
Finally, we were able to succeed in convincing our university leadership that, Veteran’s Day was appropriate for a university holiday, when it fell between Monday – Friday.
The quest to accomplish this innovative was about twenty years.
Chancellor Wendler asked me to chair a committee regarding excellence in the civil service community. This committee examined the viability of pay raises for civil service staff…that were out of season and were based upon excellent performance and job duties that encompassed areas outside of the employees job description.
We were able to obtain this powerful enhancement to the lives of civil service staff, and many benefited from this needed, financial, recognition.
The hourly pay for many in the AcEs Union was below par, as regarding the comparison to other similar jobs at Illinois State Universities.
When we took the issues of many of our civil service staff being eligible for food stamps, due to their low hourly rate of pay, we were able to obtain a pay increase for those classifications, that fell below the norm, of compensation, for Illinois Universities.
When I became a member of SIU Building Services…it was basically a white man’s club.
There was one woman foreman and few women that worked as crew supervisors or Building Service Worker’s.
There were few African Americans in the ranks of the housekeeping staff.
There was one disabled employee.
There was one, openly Gay, employee.
As the years passed…I was determined to change the complexion of Building Services…if I ever had the opportunity.
Prior to my retirement I had promoted women to leadership positions at both the crew level and the foreman level. Five of my eight foreman were women at the time of my retirement.
African Americans were actively hired and promoted and the recommendation for my replacement, by me, was an African American woman.
At the time of my retirement I was humbled and proud to, be recognized, at both the state and national level for the hiring and advancement of persons with disabilities, both intellectual and physical, and they were among our finest staff!
I knew of several Gay staff that felt comfortable and welcomed in Building Services…and I was honored to call them my friends and colleagues.
And, so, our political leaders are telling us that they felt for Dr. Christine Blasey Ford…and that they thought she had a compelling testimony…and that they believed her….but that they just can not believe that Bret Kavanaugh… is the guilty party.
Our president, ridiculed Dr. Ford and mimicked her and was received with uproarious applause and laughter.
God forbid…if it is your daughter or your wife or your mother or your sister…who is sexually abused…do you anticipate that you will be laughing?
Is it the reality that many of our politicians believe Dr. Blasey Ford…but do not believe that Judge Kavanaugh is the culprit…or is the cold and hard fact that….they really do not care?
Yes, the criminal standards for guilt are that you are innocent until proven guilty.
Are the criminal standards for guilt…the same for a job interview?
It would be increasing difficult to be caviler regarding a woman who has been sexually assaulted or harassed…if they were a member of your family.
I have taken the temerity to mention some of the successes that our civil service community at SIU were able to obtain and enjoy…and I can attest that I was told, by intelligent colleagues, that we would attain none of them.
I was labeled a friend of African Americans and the disabled and women…and I wore those titles as a badges of honor!
Success…is truly…incremental!
‘Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil, that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!’ Isaiah 5:20 KJV
Travel is Life
We humans are great mimics.
Photo by Adrianna Calvo on Pexels.com
My mother said to me, on numerous occasions, ‘monkey see…monkey do.’
Being social, and by default, tribal creatures…we often identify with our small group.
We tend to reflect the ideas and biases of our neighbors and friends and fellow parishioners. We identify with our geographic location and the customs associated with it.
Simply put, our reality can be a small as a snow globe…or it can be ‘Global.’
We were in Venice, Italy. We were staying in a lovely, flat, with our dear friends, Margo and Jeff, and the flat adjoined a busy courtyard.
Venice is magical! It is over 120 islands that are connected by pedestrian bridges. You may climb twenty steps, ascending the bridge and subsequently descend fifteen steps to the other side. This is due to the varying levels of the two islands that are being joined by the bridge.
Each Venetian shop has tall rubber boots to facilitate the continued operation of the business when it is flooded. Yes, the shops and courtyards flood on a regular basis…as apparently did the flat where we were staying, by evidence of the four pairs of rubber boots that were in the closet. Water was in the foyer of our building, many mornings of our stay.
One day, in Venice, I was sitting outside our flat, without my friend, Jeff, who was ill. I was smoking an Italian cigar and enjoying the, ever, passing throng of tourists and natives.
I became interested in a group of young people who were filming various people that they encountered. They, posed a young man and his girlfriend, and took several shots of them.
Then they came to me. A gentleman asked if I would allow them to film me…as I was, ‘very beautiful.’ At that point I was 57 years old…and had never been referred to as beautiful…and so I let them film!
It turns out that the Italian students were filming for the Venice Film Festival…and my moment in the sun consisted of a one second clip of me taking a puff of my Italian cigar and uttering the word, ‘yeah.’ Oh, I was also wearing my hat from Nice, France.
Outside our flat was a beggar, with the face and demeanor of an angel, who sat, on the steps, near our door each day. Jeff, gave him food and he was humbly grateful.
Venice has wonderful and and intricate, hand made, masks. They are customarily worn during the Carnival of Venice, ‘forty days before Easter, on Shrove Tuesday (Martedi Grasso or Mardi Gras), the day before Ash Wednesday. The festival is world-famous for its elaborate masks.’ Wikipedia
We took a Ghost Tour, one evening, during our stay. The chilly rain magnified a mysterious atmosphere as it landed on the ancient cobblestones. We visited Marco Polos home as well as the location of a murder…a decapitation! Our tour guide told us that some people see the floating head of the murder victim in the water that was just off of the dock that we were standing on…I looked!
Probably, one of the most enjoyable Venice experiences was Mary Jane and I riding in a gondola. There are so many gondolas that the narrow canals can become quite crowded and it was enlightening to observe our gondola driver expertly maneuver between the other boats and buildings.
If you have seen Venice on television or the internet, you may have wondered if the buildings, along the canals, are sitting in the water…they are.
We visited a bookstore that had books stacked from floor to ceiling and steps made out of books that led up to a wall made out of books…that you could stand on.
We boated to the Venetian island of Murano to observe the world famous Murano glass being made. Murano led Europe in glassmaking for hundreds of years. It is mesmerizing to see the glassblowers working with the molten glass to fashion items of delicate and multi-faceted beauty and wonder.
On our last evening in Venice, we had dinner at our favorite restaurant and were served by our favorite waiter, a Mr. Bean lookalike, and I reflected on what it would be like to live in this beautiful place?
I also could not help but think about Jeff and I watching, the real, Mr. Bean, on his iPad and laughing at his escapades.
October is Knocking at Our Door
Having been born in October, a week before Halloween, may, partially, explain my love for the autumn season.
I recall anticipating the end of September, when I was in grade school, because I knew that my birthday signaled the beginning of the holiday season!
I have already received my 61st birthday present from Aaron and Jonathon. It is a stereo record player!
The sound quality is amazing!
I now am the proud owner of two record players, one upstairs and one downstairs…and around 60 or 61 vinyl LPs to listen to.
My, former, stereo record player, that I received for my eighth grade graduation…got lost in the diaspora, I had a large collection of vinyl records and had made a hobby out of obtaining one each month, from the Columbia Record Company, and listening to them on a regular basis.
When I moved from my parents home, the day after my high school graduation, and at the age of 17…they were lost…along with my comic book collection…in the family burning barrel.
Jonathon loaned me his Comic Con pass today in order for me to be able to peruse the wonderful collection of, vintage, comics and action figures and so much more.
Many of my fellow shoppers at Comic Con were dressed in the most interesting of costumes including; zombies and vampires and Freddy Kruger and Star Trek characters.
Jonathon bought me a Captain Kirk, vintage, action figure…and…now…I have ordered a Mr. Spock…on eBay!
I saw, vintage, comics of the original Star Trek that originally sold for 15 cents, being sold for $75 and $125…and I owned both of them as a child in the 1960s.
I was inspired by the Southern Illinois University Chancellor, Dr. Carlo Montemagno, as he spoke to our Presbyterian Mens Group last Tuesday evening. This is a man that has taken on a Herculean task in endeavoring to stop the enrollment decline at our beloved university and increase it to over 18,000 students.
On top of this challenge…the chancellor was stricken with cancer and has been weathering that, tremendously, difficult health challenge.
He spoke to our little group the other night…and I wanted to tell him that he should be resting and recuperating. Such dedication and courage and strength in the face of adversity…is inspiring!
My friend, Sarah, is almost done with her chemo. I have been friends with the Sheffer’s for many years and Sarah worked in my office, at one time. Her courage and strength is an example to us all!
The Sheffer family is the first family that I knew that went all out for Halloween. They, actually, inspired me to have a renewed appreciation for the holiday.
Sarah’s chemo ends around the time of Halloween…and I know that there will be a celebration!
And, so, Thanksgiving and Christmas are in our sights…and it really is not so important who is a Republican and who is a Democrat.
It really is not so important as to…who is in and who is out.
It really is not so important as to who drives the new car and lives in a new house and who drives a used car…and rents.
It is important that everyone has enough to eat.
It is important the everyone has a roof over their head.
It is important that everyone has someone who cares about them.
It is important that our children are shown examples of love and care and inclusivity and not hate and disregard and prejudice.
The Blessing of Normalcy
As we travel on this little blue dot…racing through the cosmos…and as far as we, currently understand, being the the only intelligent life in the universe…we tend to discount the good days.
I said, many years ago, that success is incremental.
Failure is also incremental.
However, we often get lost in the woods when it comes to our daily, seemingly, normal lives.
The routine of helping your children with their homework and watching them play basketball or baseball or engage in tumbling class…and seem to be routine…when in reality is it stunning in its specialness and rarity!
Working, day in and day out, and having a job that you are good at and being respected by your peers and supervisors….can feel mundane and pedestrian…when in reality it is an angel looking over your shoulder…causing you to succeed!
Having your loved ones with you…and easily accessible at a moments notice…seems as if it has always been so…when in truth…it is a gift that may not always be at your fingertips…and as precious as a rare diamond.
Feeling the warm sun on your face, as you are luxuriating in the ocean and looking at the white sugar sand of the beach….is special and could be singular in your life experience.
To have a government that cares about you…and all of its citizens…and to have elected representatives that will stand up for you and your rights…and will stand against the popular political and expedient rhetoric…is not regular normalcy…but as rare as the ‘gold of Ophir.’
Family vacations and the laughter and the fun and the sheer joy of each others company and mutual companionship….is more beautiful that a Picasso painting or a Rembrandt…or a Peter Max work of art!
I walked on our beloved university’s campus this morning. It is family weekend. I saw the mothers and the fathers and their precious children…as they explored our campus.
I sat and watched a talent show put on by our sororities and fraternities and marveled in their youthful exuberance and zest for life and their ability to simply find the fun and joy in everyday living!
When I witnessed the smiles on their faces and the inquisitiveness of their desire to know more about Southern Illinois University…I was encouraged and energized and revitalized by their passion for learning and their dedication to making our world…better.
Take nothing for granted!
Never…believe that happiness or good times or peace…is your birthright.
Work to make life for your fellow human beings…better.
Labor to assist the downtrodden…and those who have no voice.
When the abused…or the children or the elderly…say they have been abused or mistreated….believe them!
Money and possessions…are nice…but they do not last.
Position and power is satisfying…but it will evaporate…much as our glaciers are currently evaporating.
How we treat the members of our human family…is the only measure and the only yardstick and the only ruler and the only standard…that we will carry into the next life.
Money and power and fame and authority…is similar to the static that we received on our televisions in the 1960’s. All it accomplishes is the obscuring of the clear picture of a wonderful life!
A Caring Leader
This evening I was privileged to hear Southern Illinois University, Chancellor, Carlo Montemagno, speak to a group from the First Presbyterian church in Carbondale.
I have heard Dr. Montemagno speak on several occasions and have always found him to be an inspirational orator.
The Chancellor began by recalling a, dismal plan, to cut departments and services that fell below a certain statistical floor. It was called a sustainability plan and contained, the elimination, of many academic programs that were located in departments that were not appropriate for them and programs with low enrollment and significant faculty dedicated to a few students.
His academic restructuring plan is designed to best utilize the resources that are available at SIUC.
Carlo said that he endeavored to speak with every faculty member on campus, regarding their ideas on academic restructuring.
He mentioned, that prior to the closing of the Housing Towers, Food Service was serving 300 breakfast each morning and that now they are serving 900 breakfast each morning…because the students that are housed on campus are now all together and going to breakfast together.
Dr. Montemagno, noted, that one of the first realizations that the had, when he came to Carbondale, is that the university and the region were inextricably linked. He knew that if the university failed…the entire region would suffer.
As Carlo spoke this evening…I was struck with his humanity and his sincerity and his courage.
I have known many SIUC leaders…and this fine man is the genuine article!
I saw, tonight, that Chancellor Montemagno cares about people…and it caused me to care about his vision and his efforts and to seek some, small manner, in which to help.
The Happy Traveler 