Shine

“Show me where to look
Tell me what will I find.”
Collective Soul

Thursday morning errands included food shopping, picking up medicine at CVS (behind the counter was a young woman who looked like Taylor Swift), mailing our tax returns, getting a glasses screw fixed, and dropping off my Living Will at Dr. Ostroski’s. At the library read an article in “Vanity Fair” about JFK, Jr., risking his life kayaking with his girlfriend years ago. Grabbing a burger and fries at Mickey D’s, heard two geezers were debating the difference between a republic and a democracy about them both being alternatives to monarchy but that the Founding Fathers, distrusting direct democracy, came up with all sorts of checks and balances in establishing the American republic. Was tempted to add my two cents. Listened to the great Terri Hemmert spinning songs at the noon hour on WXRT, including Collective Soul’s “Shine.” Hemmert, who started at the station in 1973, does a Sunday “Breakfast with the Beatles” show and was invited to the White House last June when President Obama presented Paul McCartney with the Gershwin Prize.

After one final revision based on Ray and Trish’s excellent suggestions, I sent “The Journeys of Maria Perez Arredondo off to TRACES editor Ray Boomhower. Aaron Pigors showed me the almost completed DVD about Eileen Bender, ten minutes of tributes followed by our 90-minute interview. It’s awesome. Sheriff Dominguez dropped off a clean copy of “Valor” along with a warm note reiterating that the project wouldn’t have been possible without my assistance.

Talked to Steve’s class about urban and rural life in the Region during the 1920s, contrasting the rapid growth of the “Magic City” of Gary with the rural life during Portage’s “quiet years.” The students generally read the remembrances of old residents with gusto, and one woman personally knew two old-timers from her church and mentioned that her grandmother had attended Froebel until forced to quit to support the family. Showed the class 1929 yearbooks for Portage (Crisman School) and Gary (Horace Mann). Crisman had eight seniors and included a page of jokes, including two racist ones. Many of the Mann girls have bobbed hair and belonged to sororities. I reminded students to keep journals diligently. Waiting for the elevator, I asked one young woman if she was doing anything interesting over Spring Break. “Yeah, getting my wisdom teeth removed,” she replied making a sour face.

With Wisconsin Democrats are still in Illinois the governor has found a way to have legislation passed stripping public employees of the right to bargain collectively. Indiana’s Mitch Daniels did the same thing by executive order seven years ago. Brady Wade, outraged by the Republican class war, is calling for Chesterton High School students to walk out early tomorrow. The afternoon Chesterton Tribune mentioned that over 5,000 people demonstrated in Indy and the chickenshit Republicans adjourned, supposedly because of the lack of hotel rooms since the Big Ten tournament was taking place. IU lost its first game to nobody’s surprise.

Aaron Pigors’ latest version of the Eileen Bender DVD tribute is fantastic. I’ll show it to former FACET director David Malik for suggestions and then send copies off to the FACET office and the Retreat Planning Committee chair.

Though Matt Damon and Emily Blunt are terrific, “The Adjustment Bureau” was disappointing and unrealistic, with a climactic chase scene that lacked suspense. The audience is supposed to believe that higher powers have taken away human beings’ free will for civilization’s own good – during the two times in history when this was not the case the result was the Dark Ages and then WW I and WW II. The plotline – Senate candidate meets ballerina – would have made a better story without the supernatural mumbo jumbo.

My alma mater Bucknell defeat Lafayette in the Patriot League final to win a NCAA tournament berth. Six years ago the Bisons upset third-seeded Kansas in its first NCAA appearance ever. I spent the first six years of my life across the street from Lafayette in Easton, Pennsylvania. On campus was a monkey tied to a chain or rope that I’d enjoy visiting. Whenever Lafayette hosted football rival Lehigh there’d be a big parade in front of our home.

I’m looking into summer teaching possibilities at Bucknell and Hawaii, where I got a master’s degree. The idea would be seminars combining journal keeping and oral interviews having to do with everyday life and local history. At Bucknell, there was an uneasy relationship between students and “townies,” which would be interesting to explore 50 years later. The interaction between “Islanders” and students from the mainland and overseas would also make for an interesting study.

Brady Wade called off the walkout at Chesterton when the administration threatened to throw the book at him. I’m disappointed in the school’s over-reaction but glad that Brady did the sensible thing.