Election Blues

Well, boys and girls, it is finally over, finished , done, in the can, one for the books, baked in the cake. And we move on as a nation. I know, I know some of us...many of us, are frustrated at what some may consider the archaic electoral college system that decides how we elect our nation's leader.
It is an indirect system that attempts to give all of our states equal footing when deciding who gets to hold the highest office in the land.  We vote for designated electors who in turn, vote for President.
This was designed to allow those states with smaller populations to have similar political clout as those that have a higher population...a reflection of the old "states rights" feelings of our Founding Fathers...take note of   phrase..."Founding Fathers".

Our country was divided before the election, and to some extent, it remains so at this point.  One candidate received more of the popular vote, but did not receive the needed number of electoral votes to win.  The other won the required number of electoral votes, but lagged behind in the popular vote tally.  The President-elect will take office knowing the majority of the people in his country did not support his candidacy, not an enviable position to be in.

This is only one of a handful of times this has happened.  And this has happened twice in my lifetime.
Many Americans are calling for an end to the electoral college system, but for me that is a discussion and a battle for another day.

Now, I may be saying something here that some may not agree with.  That usually has not stopped me in the past, and I am reluctant to paint any other American citizen as a less stellar person. So, here goes...and I am treading lightly:

This election has exposed a dark underbelly of racism and misogyny that many of us had hoped was out-of-date.  Please do not think I am saying all those who voted for the President-elect are all racists and misogynists; they are not. Many hold respected conservative views and values that are important to the fabric of this nation: hard work, persistence, and a deep love of family and nation...these values are also held by many people who voted for the losing candidate as well. But, as I have said in the past, some boys just don't want any girl to win.

I had hoped I would be able in my lifetime to vote for and elect a woman President, and I did one of those two things. I hope that on today, my daughter's 38th birthday, she and her sister and niece will be able to do both within their lifetimes.

...Keeping the faith

“…I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith”  2Tim 4:7

We are in the season of races. As I write this, the Chicago Cubs have secured another shot at redemption on their road to the World Series.  The Cubbies, as their long suffering fans affectionately call them, have not had an easy time of it throughout their long history. The Cubs were established in 1876 and are the longest playing franchise in its original city. In 1906, the Cubs won a Major League record 116 games, finishing 116–36 and posted a modern-era record winning percentage of .763, before losing the World Series four games to two. The Cubs won back-to-back World Series championships in 1907 and 1908, becoming the first Major League team to play in three consecutive World Series, and the first to win it twice. The team has appeared in a total of ten World Series. The Cubs have not won the World Series in 108 years, and they had not won the National League pennant in 71.  The cause, of course is that famous or infamous “Billy Goat Curse”

 In game four of the 1945 series, the Curse of the Billy Goat as allegedly laid upon the Cubs when Wrigley ejected Billy Sianis, owner of the “Billy Goat Tavern” came with two box seat tickets, one for him and one for his goat.  Wrigley demanded the goat leave the park due to its unpleasant odor. Upon his ejection, Sianis uttered, "The Cubs, they ain't gonna win no more." The Cubs lost game four, lost the series, and have not been back since. That is until yesterday.

While scrolling through my Facebook page earlier this week, I saw a photo of my son holding my 8-month old grand-son on his lap, both decked out in Jets green bemoaning the fact that, even at this early juncture in the football season, they are no longer contenders. But you don’t have to feel sorry for the little guy; his Mom is a rabid Giant’s fan and will quickly break out the blue wardrobe in time for him to be happily bounced on her knee as they switch to the team that is still in the race.

And of course, there is that other race going on…the one we all can agree has definitely gone on far too long.  The one that will mercifully be over by the second week in November. The day cannot come soon enough for me.  We have endured more hours of politician pundits parsing all sorts of campaign speech than we really want to think about as we are being bombarded by debate clips, sound bites from rallies and dinners, and more opinions from talking heads who argue among themselves over who won what and where and why. It will be over soon.

In today’s New Testament Reading we hear the words attributed to the Apostle to the Gentiles, Paul in one of his Pastoral Letters to his students and companion Timothy. Timothy was the child of a Jewish mother and a Gentile father. He was sent by Paul to settle some dispute with the early Church at Corinth. One thing about these letters is evident: we read them in vacuum.  We don’t know what the other half of the correspondence looks like. But they also give us insight into the workings and philosophy of the early believers.

In this letter Paul shares with Timothy his disappointment at being deserted and defenseless in his journey of faith.   His persecution is real, and he is tired. He is sounding frustrated and exhausted. Many of us in this time and place feel the same kinds of frustrations with our own work, and like Paul we need to understand that our work has value. Paul tells us :“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race. I have kept the faith”.  Notice Paul does not claim that he has won either the fight or the race.  He has fought mightily and completed his race. We should all hope for the same thing. Being number one is not in Paul’s sphere. His number one is not the world’s number one.

This past week I received the news that a dear friend had died.  We met when we were in our early twenties. She was a friend of my sister’s who became my friend as well.  She and the guy in her life…later her husband, were two wild and crazy kids. After they were married they were sent to Malawi with his job, and there they found Jesus. Their children and church work became an important part of their lives together.  Once they returned to England…his birthplace, they became lay preachers and were eventually ordained to the priesthood in the Anglican Church.  They shared ministry in a small struggling working class parish in Canley near Coventry where she ran mothers’ groups, teen groups and cooked large and authentic Italian meals for everyone in the neighborhood. He led liturgy and ran Bible study. Together they were a formidable clergy team. About six months ago, she found out she had inoperable cancer, and died surrounded by her family on Thursday morning.

She did not win her fight with cancer, yet she did fight the good fight. She received no prize for running the programs and touching the lives of so many, but she did finish the race.  And I have no doubt that she kept the faith. My hope for all of us today is that we, like Paul and my friend, will preserver and have the grace and faith to do the same.

The Seasons; They Are A-Changing....

I can feel it in the air.  Summer and all that it entails is on the way out, and autumn is about to segue into  the city.

A few weeks ago, I was in Paris with friends and relatives enjoying the last throes of summertime in the city of light.  We visited shops, restaurants, cafes, parks and museums jacket-free and foot-sandled. We took an evening Seine River cruise watching the twinkling Eiffel Tower and the brilliant sunset that accompanied it.   And then...BAM! The last two days of rain and wind came upon us, indicating that even the French are facing the same seasonal changes we were anticipating.

On our return, I could feel the change approaching. The days are getting shorter. The sun's light has a different slant and feel and reflection.  The moon is rising higher and the night sky is changing...different stars and constellations are making their return to the soon to be winter sky. Orion, Ursa Major and Minor, and Cassiopeia are making their annual appearance in the night skies along with the planets Mars, Venus and Jupiter. These twinkling lights make stargazing this time of year a joy, and I often spend evenings just watching the eastern sky as they move across it.

It is always sad when summer leaves the scene. Back in time when I was a student, it meant a return to the classroom and more studying, returning from our summers in the countryside, returning to our urban neighborhood in New York City and getting back into the normal routine. That pattern continued as I taught school: for me the year ended in August and began in September.

But nowadays, as the leaves start to turn orange, red and gold, I think of times past, and the years that have seemed to fly by me. How life is changing all the time, as fast as the summer leaves turn to flame and, once brown and withered, fall to the ground.

This time of year seems to bring out the melancholy that rests easy in my spring and summer soul.  I often think about Marcel Proust and his lengthy literary work "Remembrance of Things Past" ( in French "A la recherché des temps perdu"). This is considered to be one of the defining novels of the twentieth century known for its theme of involuntary memory. These moments of being drawn into a moment of memory triggered by a sound, a sight, a smell or even a sensation often happen this time of year. The sound of the rake scrapping up the fallen leaves; the sight of autumnal colored branches swaying on a blustery day; the smell of apples baking in a cake or pie; the sensation of the autumn wind blowing against your face and messing your hair: these triggers can cause those involuntary memories to rise up and capture you unawares.

And...this is not a bad thing. Some melancholy can be good for the soul as long as we don't sit in it for too long. Luckily for us, winter is never far behind the fall. The season filled with festivities that brings with it the anticipation of things soon to be...new life and hope  And hope does spring eternal.
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One of my favorites:

https://www.bing.com/search?q=autumn+leaves+barbara+striestand&form=EDGEAR&qs=PF&cvid=8fea62527b2947698feb703669c47aa3&pq=autumn+leaves+barbara+striestand

One hymn, two congregations

This past Sunday I got to attend church twice at two very different congregations. One located in a residential section of a New York City outer borough, the other smack-dab in the middle of Manhattan where Broadway and Fifth Avenue cross nestled nicely at the edge of a lovely city park.
One is a housed congregation, the other is in an open space that is subject to the various twists and turns of local weather in the Northeast United States. In one I read the Gospel, introduced the prayers, and dismissed the faithful in my role as deacon of that congregation.  In the other, although I was asked to read the reading from Jeremiah, I got to spend the rest of the time just being part of the congregation...a nice change for me.

Both groups shared prayers for peace and understanding.  Both groups prayed for a member of the congregation celebrating milestones, whether it was a child returning from a trip to visit relatives in Europe, or a member celebrating a milestone birthday. Each group recited the "Lord's Prayer" together, most from memory, and both groups partook of a shared communion of bread and either wine or grape juice. And...both groups got to sing the same rousing hymn at the service.

"God of Grace and God of Glory" was written in 1930 for the dedication of Riverside Church in Manhattan by its then pastor, Harry Emerson Fosdick, ordained Baptist minister and former World War I chaplain.  Fosdick was a strong supporter of the social gospel movement; the hymn was written while the nation, and indeed the world, was in the throws of the Great Depression. The repeated call :"Grant us wisdom; grant us courage..," definitely spoke to the members of his congregation, and soon the hymn, which is now sung to that classic Welsh tune "Cwe Rhodda"...don't ask me to pronounce it...I know it when I hear it...is now widely sung throughout mainline Protestant congregations . It is a real rouser with great high notes for tenors and sopranos to trill about, but baritones and altos...like me...can also join with joyful noise.

But just what are we asking for when we engage in this particular hymn? Well, the answer to that question lies at the end of every stanza: For the facing of these days; for the living of this hour; lest we miss they kingdom's goal; and serving thee whom we adore. Pretty straightforward, and it certainly still speaks to us today.

But in my study of this hymn, I discovered a stanza not in the hymnal:

"Set our feet on lofty places,
Gird our lives that they may be,
Armored with all Christ-like graces,
In the fight to set men free.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage,
That we fail not man nor Thee,
That we fail not man nor Thee."

I will admit that this stanza has some language that as a life long feminist, I find a bit,well, paternalistic, but the sentiment still holds true. In this season of electoral decision, I think we need to remember that our charge is to choose the person most qualified to  lead this nation into a future where our overarching responsibility will be to further the rights and responsibilities of all of those who live, move and have there being in our home nation.

Here is a rendition of the hymn:
http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=god+of+garac+eand+god+of+glory...you+tuebe&&view=detail&mid=07CCED045503B9C37E7A07CCED045503B9C37E7A&rvsmid=C8C75E2584C601F4BEC7C8C75E2584C601F4BEC7&fsscr=0&FORM=VDFSRV

Waiting for those who work.....

I am having a walk-in shower installed in my apartment.  It is amazing how many different trades are involved in this task: designers, contractors, plumbers, tillers, glassmakers, and others are all involved in removing the old tub, upgrading the plumbing pipes, installing specialized flooring, laying the "mud" or mortar for the floor tiles, measure and measure again to get the correct measurements for the wall tile..carefully cut each tile to make the corners match and line up evenly. These gentlemen, and I do mean that in all due respect, are indeed master craftsmen whose creations and knowledge of their "trade" enrich our lives.

And the work of these folks, as well as those of carpenters, cabinet makers, stone masons, violin makers, mechanics, welders, ironworkers, and electricians take many years to hone and refine.  These are careers that involve a strong basis in pure mathematics and a knowledge of the sciences like chemistry and physics that need to be mastered in real life situations. My own children will attest to the fact that I have declared many times that all things are either geometry or physics...or a combination of both: baseball, bowling, soccer, tennis, football, hockey; these all have elements of both in their execution. And if we taught math and science with an eye to theses applications, more students would be directly involved in learning these important skills instead of asking, "Why do I have to learn: fill in the blank geometry, algebra, physics, chemistry?" Educators need to show the practical applications in the real world as well as the formulistic equations and graphs that can be applied to the world of work.

During my tenure as an Intermediate School Teacher, I was exposed to the work of the Salvadori Institute that was connected with the architecture department at City College of New York.  They taught the application of pure mathematics and physics in the built environment. Inspired by my summer fellowship with them, one, by the way, I was told by a supervisor I was NOT eligible to take because I was a social studies teacher, I introduced a unit on the bridges of New York and challenged my students to learn the history of NYC bridges and create models of them.  It was an exciting unit, and one I did at the end of the school year after the regular curriculum was finished. It was a huge success, and wound up being a real feather in the cap of our school.  Some of my students, not just the "honor" kids, had their creations exhibited at the Institute's fundraising event that year. I also got to take a class to CCNY to meet other students from other NYC schools who shared their work and vision for a new re-creation of the site of the recently destroyed World Trade Center.

What was important to me at the time was that my students, most of them students of color, had never been on a college campus, nor had they seen the diversity of our city university colleges up close. And even though I was NOT their math or science teacher, the students were able to see that math, angles, density of materials, force, gravity, and other mathematical and scientific facts they had studied actually had real life implications.  lesson all of our students should be exposed to in this age. 

Manufacturing jobs are NOT coming back to the United States...get over it. But, there will be a demand for people with trade skills, mathematical understanding and scientific thinking who will be building our future.  Let us bring back real vocational/technical education in high school or post high school to make sure we continue to have the next generation of skilled craftsmen and women to lead us on. And let us make sure all of our students have the opportunity to be exposed to the possibility of doing this important work.

Biding the time through November...

I don't know about you, but I am so very done with presidential politics. I don't want to have any more conversations with friends, family, neighbors or aquaintances debating the merits or demerits of the various and sundry folk who are currently running for elected offices in our nation.  I instead intend to make some personal space and time for knitting, reading, praying, meditating, swimming, and eating watermelon.

Knitting is a skill I learned in grade school, my best friend at Nativity School, Dorothy Jane Zilkowski, and I would knit together. I learned to knit watching my mother who, although she was right-handed, knitted left-handed because she was taught by a left-handed friend. I learned the basics from Mom, but Dorothy taught me the nuances of creating patterns with differing stitches.  I began by following patterns, and later on began to create patterns of my own relying on the algebraic equation mantra that one side of the equation must equal the other side  I create Irish knit scarves making up patterns based on seed stitches, simple cables and bobbles.  They are obviously not the traditional patterns, but my own creations.  Currently I am working on a shawl that has about six inches to completion and am already thinking aobut the next project.

Reading, done well, needs continued honing.  When I was a student, I was required to read many academic texts since I majored in History and later became a teacher.  Teachers have to do lots of reading to keep up with new developments in the profession.  When I got my second Master's in Theology/Church History, I got to do quite a bit of reading original documents for my research and thesis. But now my reading is more for pleasure.  I tend to read mysteries while traveling and non-fiction if I need to sharpen the grey matter. Unfortunately, reading local newspapers has lost its charm, and I now cherry-pick my daily diet of NewYork Times, The Daily News and Staten Island Advance articles. Crossword puzzles are still personal favorites,but that is another story for another day.

Praying is a daily discipline, although I have to admit, sometimes I let prayer time slip aside for other events that I might think are more pressing.  This is not a good thing, setting aside some time every day to do this is a personal challenge and goal.  In the Christian tradition, similar to both Judaism and Islam, various daily prayer times are  carved out: Matins, Noon Prayer, Evening Prayer and Compline ( also known as Vespers) traditionally frame the prayer lives of those in Christian monastic communities and provide a structure for personal devotion.  My personal goal is to intergrate Morning Paryer and Compline into my life.

Meditation techniques were introduced to me by the Rev. Claire MacPherson at General Seminary. I have tried several types over the  years and have settled on a modified  Buddhist meditative practice involving controlled breathing and focusing.  I have actually used these techniques with unruly classes and nervous teacher/candidates with excellent results.  I find this practice is also handy when I am forced by events I have little or no control over such as standing in long lines at stores, banks or international customs.

Swimming is a summer time indulgence that just gets better and better.  I live quite close to a city municipal pool that opens for special senior water aerobics early in the morning.  The class allows me to get in some quality exercise and swim time four times a week throughout the summer months.  I miss it tremendously once the pool shuts down in September.

Watermelon??  What can I say???...the proverbial summer fruit/food.  I don't think I have ever met anyone who dislikes watermelon, and sharing it is one way to bring a smile to the faces of anyone who is given a piece.  I do like the newer varieties that are virtually seedless.

So, I am trying to occupy my mind with sunny summer distractions so I don't have to think too much about the craziness of our American election madness.  I just wish I was more successful at filtering it all out.

Hot Time, Summer in the City...

Lyon's Pool SI,NY

We are well into the summer here in the northeast and especially here in New York City. Many of the natives will be heading out of town to the mountains and lakes of the Adirondacks or the beach communities of the nearby Jersey Shore or  Long Island.  But here I am...staying in town for another summer, and loving it!

Across New York City there are municipal pools.  Some are indoor, others are outside and only open during the mummer months.  This year the pools are opened until September 2nd. The three on Staten Island, where I live, are often underutilized.  I live around the corner from Lyons Pool and Recreational Center.  In Fall, Winter and Spring, I use the cardio-room and its treadmill at lest three times a week. In the summer I go to the early water aerobics class Monday through Thursday.  It is a forty-five minute workout.  There are also swimming classes for children and adults plus lap swimming in the morning and evening. One of my favorite things about living here is sitting on the roof deck listening to the children enjoying their time at the pool.

Jacob Riis Park

And lest we forget, New York is a city based on islands on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean; there are numerous beaches in four of the five boroughs: Queens, Brooklyn, Staten Island and the Bronx have more than their fair share of lovely beaches which are free to the public. From Midland Beach on Staten Island to the beautiful shore of Jacob Riis Park in Queens, Coney Island in Brooklyn and Orchard Beach in the Bronx, these beaches can be reached by subway, bus or car and offer cooling sea breezes to any resident who has a bathing suit, beach towel, an umbrella and a Metro-Card in hand. Bring along a cooler with a few sandwiches and cold drinks (non-alcoholic only permitted), and you can spend a day at rest "by the beautiful sea."

Another New York institution is free "Shakespeare in the Park" offered every summer by the Public Theater.  I recall watching Raul Julia and Meryl Streep early in their careers in "The Taming of the Shrew", a great production of "As You Like It", and others over the course of living here.  Nowadays, I do not want to wait on long lines for the tickets, but now the Public distributes free tickets in the boroughs. And here is a hint, if you can get to Staten Island, the ticket availability here is very good.

Bethesda Fountain

If beaches and pools are not your cup of tea, there are always time to take a stroll on a tree lined path in one of the city's many parks.  Each borough has one or more large ones that often have ponds, streams and other water features.  On my home county of Richmond you will find the lovely Clove Lakes Park that includes, as its name implies, lakes that offer boating and fishing...mostly catch and release. In Brooklyn the amazing Prospect Park is a green haven of serenity and peace.  Central Park in Manhattan is chocked full of ball fields, walking paths, lakes, and the lovely Bethesda Fountain where I hung out as an undergraduate at Hunter College. Fresh Meadows in Queens is another one of the parks where city residents can relax and contemplate nature at its best.

If it either rains or gets too hot to stay outside, there are several local museums that are both free and air conditioned! These include the National Museum of the American Indian, a branch of the Smithsonian Institute which is located at Bowling Green near the SI Ferry. The American Folk Art Museum near Lincoln Center is also free and houses a great collection of Amish quilts.  Other free museums include The Bronx Museum of the Arts, the Harbor Defense Museum at Fort Hamilton in Brooklyn, The Hispanic Society of America and the New York Public Library building at 42nd Street and Fifth Avenue.  Oh, by the way, all public libraries have free public bathrooms as well.

And remember, the ultimate free New York experience is riding the Staten Island Ferry. Just be careful that you don't fall for one of the Statue of Liberty/harbor tour ticket hawkers.  The SI Ferry is free, round trip takes about an hour ( you have to get off in SI, walk around to the waiting area to get the boat back, or you can walk along Bay Street to Pier 76 and get a great pizza for less than it would cost in Manhattan), and you can take all the photos of the harbor and statue that you want.  Just, please, let us natives sit  on the Brooklyn side in peace to read our paper. If you want to impress your significant other, take her/him on the ferry leaving at sunset and sit at the back.

Staten Island Ferry

So, there you go, boys and girls...lots to do here if you decide that a staycation is for you this summer.  Just remember, we have to share our city with tourists. We depend on them to bolster our economy...smile and keep walking.