Tuesday

Sad news. Mandy (a colleague who teaches at the ALC) and I were just talking in Boston about Jack, a former student of ours. He is the one, if you recall, who I found reading my graduation letter with a shit-eating grin on his face. Mandy said that she really enjoyed having him in class and was amazed at how smart he was. I agreed.

We then talked about Jack's future. Even though his father worked him very hard in his construction business, Jack loved working for him and idolized him. I envisioned Jack taking over the business (and even thought about talking to him about helping me tear up my side walk).

Well, I just got an email from Mandy. Jack's father died. I know, sadly, what Jack is going through. However, I was fortunate enough to have Kristie and the kids and my brother and sister to help me through it. I hope Jack's family network will help him.

****

Leave it up to history teachers . . . yesterday I ran to run up to TRF because the two history teachers I gave a ride home forgot belongings in my car (glasses and a camera). I had other errands to run too, so it was no big deal. One of the final stops I had to make was at Hugos.

There I had a conversation I will never forget. I was jawing in the fruit isle with two workers, who were also students of mine, when an elderly man saw us standing and visiting. "You're both fired," he joked to the workers, Ryan and Kyle. "Actually, I don't blame ya. I'd rather be outside than in here freezing."

We laughed and continued talking.

Then the man interrupted. "I almost got into a fist fight," he said.

"Really?" Ryan asked.

"Yep. I overheard a man talking about the war. He said how he would gladly go over there and fight if he had to."

I wasn't sure where this was leading. I didn't know if the man was about to get on top of his soap box and if we were easy targets for his rant.

"That's how it goes," I said.

"Well, I told him," the man continued, "that once the first bullet whizzed past his ear, he'd be bawling and running the other way."

Then he launched into how he was a veteran, from the Korean war I believe, and how he had served as a sniper, killing 34 Koreans, before getting shot himself. His stories were incredible, so incredible, in fact, that I wondered if he was lying.

However, he seemed interesting enough and seemed lonely, so I struck up a conversation with him while Kyle and Ryan got back to work.

"You know what the problem is. If we'd only take some of the money we spend on bombs and bullets and educate and feed these people, we wouldn't have these problems."

I agreed.

"You know I had a job working construction years ago. The contractor hired some cheap Korean labor. You might think I wouldn't have worked with them. But I was happy to. In fact, I was the only one who could understand them since I learned the language. When they found out that I had fought against them in the war, they asked if I wasn't angry at them. I said hell no! They were just doing their job and I was just doing mine. When the war was over, so were any hard feelings."

I just nodded.

"Then one day I overheard the workers talking about their pay check. Here our boss had swindled out of some money. I told him to pay them what they deserved. Finally, I threw his ass on the ground and beat him. They thanked me and were so thankful. Even one of the American workers thanked me, he said that guy had it coming and he would have done it to him if he had been a little younger."

He had some other tall tales to tell, and I wasn't quite sure they were for real. But I finally thanked him for his service and we went on our ways. I never even thought to ask him his name. He would have been great to bring in to class.

*****

I just thought of another high light from Boston. On Friday evening, Mike and I went out for dinner and a beer. The bar and grill we chose opened out into the street. Our table was behind a pillar that faced the sidewalk, so we took note of the people who passed by.

We first took note of an African American gentleman who seemed to be a star in his own mind, for he came down the street talking to everyone (or most likely himself) and gesturing and shaking hands. When he started to talk to some of the people in the bar, Mike said, "Watch how quick security takes care of this guy."

Sure enough, within seconds the bouncers were out the door and escorting him past the bar.

Next up were the Jesus freaks. One had two boards strapped on proclaiming that you could not get to heaven on just good works, but you had to believe in Christ. He had a side kick who was handing out pamphlets, though they seemed to be interested more in the Red Sox game on the bar's big screen than in saving souls.

Finally, when after we got our bill, we hit the street for a little meandering before making our way back to the Omni. Now we have been hit up by several bums and street people while there. The first came on our first full day in Boston when a lady met us in the middle of street saying that she was not a bum and that her luggage (including her ID) had been stolen. She just needed some money to make a phone call to some relatives. We were having none of it and Jeff directed her to the police station. A few days later, Mike saw her and listened in. Apparently, she had dreamed up another tear-jerker story to prey on tourists.

However, as Mike and I walked down the street, we saw a bum perched on a landing not ten feet from the bar. He held up a cardboard sign that stated simply, "Help Me Get Drunk Tonight."

Mike and I took three steps past him. Then we both stopped, smirked, and began rummaging through our pockets.

"At least he's honest," Mike said.

"Gotta admire that," I said.

We handed him a couple bucks and told him to have a few on us.

*****

Kristie has been doing water aerobics.

Tonight I joined her.

I have a feeling I will be regretting that tomorrow. One doesn't get the full impact since one is immersed in water. But after the hour long workout and taking a few laps around the pool, when I finally hoisted myself out of the pool, my legs felt like Jello.

Now if we can just keep this up for the rest of the summer!