Last night I spoke with Linda. Wow, she sounded great. I had not spoken to her in years but her voice and her fantastic laugh were exactly the same. She was my very best friend in high school and probably the most important thing that happened to me in my four years at Our Lady of Wisdom Academy. Not that OLWA was a bad school because it wasn't. It is just the fact that my attendance there was based on fear.
What could I possibly mean, you ask yourself.
So here is the story - I was one of two girls in my 8th grade class at St. Michael's School in East New York, Brooklyn to have been accepted in the Catholic Diocesan High School for girls, Bishop McDonald. It was considered a great honor and it was completely tuition free. It was also considered prestigious and had a reputation of having all the top notch teachers from the entire area. There were nuns of many different orders doing the teaching; and it was perceived as having a more liberal philosophy. But - and this was the decisive but - the school was located in Downtown Brooklyn and required a subway ride into the "bowels" of Brooklyn. My father would have no part of it. He saw dangers lurking all around and did not want his little girl to disappear beneath the streets of Brooklyn. By this time in my life I had already had enough years of fear drummed into me so I didn't even fight the decision. Sad, huh? I would go instead in the opposite direction and take the Atlantic Avenue bus into Queens to attend Our Lady of Wisdom Academy with my cousin, Nancy, who had started at OLWA a year earlier. It was assumed that Nancy could "protect" me and show me the ropes.
I have always regretted that I did not take that other path into the excitement and dangers of Brooklyn. I still believe that Bishop McDonald was the correct choice for me but FEAR pushed me down another roadway. It was just one incident of many where fear interfered with my life decisions. I still battle the fear enemy to this day. Nonetheless, I met Linda and if I had gone elsewhere to school I would not have met her. Thanks Linda, for being such a special friend at a crucial time in my life. We all need a special, loving, funny, kind friend when we are 13 years old and Linda was all that for me!
Mary Beth
Friday, January 8, 2010
Thursday, January 7, 2010
The Class of 1965
Here is an update on "The Class of 1965":
I have put three of our original groups into collages and I need to get feedback from my classmates regarding the rest of the groups.
I have started to research the history of the years we attended SVH Nursing School (1962 until 1965). It is amazing stuff. I had forgotten what an interesting time period this was.
I looked at where we all came from in order to attend SVH
I have started to get the slides together in my head.
I am excited over this project and hope to create something that will be meaningful and exciting to the Class of 1965.
Mary Beth
I have put three of our original groups into collages and I need to get feedback from my classmates regarding the rest of the groups.
I have started to research the history of the years we attended SVH Nursing School (1962 until 1965). It is amazing stuff. I had forgotten what an interesting time period this was.
I looked at where we all came from in order to attend SVH
I have started to get the slides together in my head.
I am excited over this project and hope to create something that will be meaningful and exciting to the Class of 1965.
Mary Beth
Retirement is Not Boring
There seems to be so much to do. I never understand people who think retirement is boring. I have a checklist in my mind and sometimes I even jot down items on a To Do list which is really a better idea because I'll get to the end of my day and then remember that I forgot to do something very important. I did three miles on the treadmill so that takes about 50 minutes and if I re-start some weight resistance exercises (vital to help prevent bone loss) there goes about hour and a half or more of my day. Then there is time spent eating breakfast, reading the newspaper, making the bed, deciding and preparing the evening meal, talking to friends on the phone, sending birthday, get well, or sympathy cards, etc. Now there is time spent writing in my blog. There are the routine jobs such as laundry, cleaning toilets, vacuuming. Some days I attend Mass. Some days I go out to lunch with a friend. Some days I clean up to get ready for company or clean up after company has been here. I try to spend a little time reading.
Which reminds me of the fact that last year I took a course offered by our local library called, Love and Forgiveness. It was a very interesting and worthwhile course and it was completely free. Since I live right down the street from the library and the title intrigued me I couldn't resist signing up. The course was several months in length and all the participants were loaned six different books (brand new at that!). Each month we would read one of the books and then come to the library on the scheduled night and discuss the book as it related to the subject of love and forgiveness. The discussions were led by a young, bright, female professor from a local college. I really enjoyed the course although we just scratched the surface of this extremely complex subject, i.e., love and forgiveness. Interestingly, even though the discussions were held in the evening, most of the participants were women and most of the women were older - close in age to yours truly. Anyway, I guess the reason I went off on a tangent and brought this all up is the fact that I believe that love and forgiveness are tremendously interesting subjects and I would love to hear what other people think and believe about these intangible things. In our course discussions we talked about such things as brotherly love, parental love, romantic love, unconditional love, etc. We talked about forgiveness after someone inflicts physical and/or emotional injury on us. We talked about forgiveness after cheating and betrayal. So, what are your thoughts about love and forgiveness? Or should I be a bit more specific? Mary Beth
Which reminds me of the fact that last year I took a course offered by our local library called, Love and Forgiveness. It was a very interesting and worthwhile course and it was completely free. Since I live right down the street from the library and the title intrigued me I couldn't resist signing up. The course was several months in length and all the participants were loaned six different books (brand new at that!). Each month we would read one of the books and then come to the library on the scheduled night and discuss the book as it related to the subject of love and forgiveness. The discussions were led by a young, bright, female professor from a local college. I really enjoyed the course although we just scratched the surface of this extremely complex subject, i.e., love and forgiveness. Interestingly, even though the discussions were held in the evening, most of the participants were women and most of the women were older - close in age to yours truly. Anyway, I guess the reason I went off on a tangent and brought this all up is the fact that I believe that love and forgiveness are tremendously interesting subjects and I would love to hear what other people think and believe about these intangible things. In our course discussions we talked about such things as brotherly love, parental love, romantic love, unconditional love, etc. We talked about forgiveness after someone inflicts physical and/or emotional injury on us. We talked about forgiveness after cheating and betrayal. So, what are your thoughts about love and forgiveness? Or should I be a bit more specific? Mary Beth
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
The Class of 1965
I have committed to compiling a history of the Class of 1965 of St. Vincent's Hospital and Medical Center School of Nursing, 158 West 12th St., NY, NY. and I will use my blog to keep me focused and energized in this endeavor.
In life, when we make decisions regarding which paths to take and which paths to leave untraveled, these decisions frequently have amazing consequences. One path leads to another path and then a turn in the road leads to another path, and on and on - all stemming from the initial decision.
In 1962, as a senior in high school, I had been accepted to St. John's Hospital on Queens Blvd. in the LI City/ Flushing area. I had been measured for my uniform and my parents had paid the acceptance fee. Then, I received notification that I was accepted at St. Vincent's Hospital School of Nursing in lower Manhattan. My Mom said something simple like,
Mary, I think you should choose to go to St. Vincent's as my cousin, Genevieve, had some experience with St. Vincent's and it has a very good reputation.
Thank You Mom. I always considered this decision one of the best decisions I ever made in my life. So tonight, in earnest, I will begin the story of the Class of 1965.
MB
In life, when we make decisions regarding which paths to take and which paths to leave untraveled, these decisions frequently have amazing consequences. One path leads to another path and then a turn in the road leads to another path, and on and on - all stemming from the initial decision.
In 1962, as a senior in high school, I had been accepted to St. John's Hospital on Queens Blvd. in the LI City/ Flushing area. I had been measured for my uniform and my parents had paid the acceptance fee. Then, I received notification that I was accepted at St. Vincent's Hospital School of Nursing in lower Manhattan. My Mom said something simple like,
Mary, I think you should choose to go to St. Vincent's as my cousin, Genevieve, had some experience with St. Vincent's and it has a very good reputation.
Thank You Mom. I always considered this decision one of the best decisions I ever made in my life. So tonight, in earnest, I will begin the story of the Class of 1965.
MB
Simpler Life
In yesterday's Times Union Newspaper (Albany, NY) I came across the following fact:
"The National Association of Home Builders reports that in 1950 the average new single-family home was 983 square feet. By 2004, the average square footage had grown to 2,349 square feet".
Is it any wonder that things were simpler in the 50's? You couldn't be bogged down with too much stuff because you wouldn't have the space in your house to store it. And to think, couples typically had much larger families. Especially Irish Catholic couples! You wouldn't think twice about sharing a bedroom with one or more siblings. I remember that being wonderful fun. My parents even let me paint the 8 by 9 foot bedroom that I shared with my baby sister the darkest purplish-blue you have ever seen. We never had any decorating magazines at 62 Interboro Parkway.
When I went to Nursing School and didn't have a roommate for awhile I dragged my mattress down the hall so I could sleep in the room with a couple of my friends. I didn't like sleeping alone since I had shared a bedroom my whole entire life. The next day, the sh__ hit the fan when the housemother found my my mattress under my friend's bed. I had left my mattress there as I intended to sleep in Gerry and MM's room every night until they found me another roommate. The nuns made a big thing out of this finding. If I remember correctly, they even sent me to speak with the psychologist. I think they thought that I was gay and they wanted to nip in in the bud. Surprising they should feel that way since my Nursing School was in the heart of Greenwich Village. I did get another roommate pretty quickly and after that all was well again.
Back in the 50's the whole family made due with one bathroom. Only the wealthy had more than one bathroom. When you have only one bathroom you don't have to clean three. Wow, what a pleasant thought.
So the moral of the story for me is that I will make a conscious effort to simplify my life in 2010. Goodbye excessive stuff, goodbye clutter. I even have a couple of friends who have offered to help me since they know this is not an easy challenge for the daughter of the Junkman. We didn't have a huge house when I was growing up but a lot of my schoolmates lived in apartments so I felt lucky . In spite of a relatively small home, (I have no idea of its square footage but it was a railroad flat design with two stories - bedrooms upstairs) my parents threw out NOTHING! Never, ever. At 94 years old, my father's e-mail address contains the word junkman and rightfully so. This apple doesn't fall far from the tree. But ask me again next Christmas and I will tell you that I am once and for all clutter free. Except of course for the sentimental things!!
Mary Beth
"The National Association of Home Builders reports that in 1950 the average new single-family home was 983 square feet. By 2004, the average square footage had grown to 2,349 square feet".
Is it any wonder that things were simpler in the 50's? You couldn't be bogged down with too much stuff because you wouldn't have the space in your house to store it. And to think, couples typically had much larger families. Especially Irish Catholic couples! You wouldn't think twice about sharing a bedroom with one or more siblings. I remember that being wonderful fun. My parents even let me paint the 8 by 9 foot bedroom that I shared with my baby sister the darkest purplish-blue you have ever seen. We never had any decorating magazines at 62 Interboro Parkway.
When I went to Nursing School and didn't have a roommate for awhile I dragged my mattress down the hall so I could sleep in the room with a couple of my friends. I didn't like sleeping alone since I had shared a bedroom my whole entire life. The next day, the sh__ hit the fan when the housemother found my my mattress under my friend's bed. I had left my mattress there as I intended to sleep in Gerry and MM's room every night until they found me another roommate. The nuns made a big thing out of this finding. If I remember correctly, they even sent me to speak with the psychologist. I think they thought that I was gay and they wanted to nip in in the bud. Surprising they should feel that way since my Nursing School was in the heart of Greenwich Village. I did get another roommate pretty quickly and after that all was well again.
Back in the 50's the whole family made due with one bathroom. Only the wealthy had more than one bathroom. When you have only one bathroom you don't have to clean three. Wow, what a pleasant thought.
So the moral of the story for me is that I will make a conscious effort to simplify my life in 2010. Goodbye excessive stuff, goodbye clutter. I even have a couple of friends who have offered to help me since they know this is not an easy challenge for the daughter of the Junkman. We didn't have a huge house when I was growing up but a lot of my schoolmates lived in apartments so I felt lucky . In spite of a relatively small home, (I have no idea of its square footage but it was a railroad flat design with two stories - bedrooms upstairs) my parents threw out NOTHING! Never, ever. At 94 years old, my father's e-mail address contains the word junkman and rightfully so. This apple doesn't fall far from the tree. But ask me again next Christmas and I will tell you that I am once and for all clutter free. Except of course for the sentimental things!!
Mary Beth
Monday, January 4, 2010
The Christmas Tree Came Down Today
My brother and his wife (more like my sister) left for Long Island at 12 noon today and even before they left I started to take down the Christmas Tree. Since they are such close family, they do not consider this kind of behavior rude.
I almost always let out a sigh of relief when the Christmas Holidays are over. It is not that I don't like Christmas, it is simply that it is all too much, similar to eating too large a portion of a rich desert. Every year I try to simplify Christmas but I never quite get there.
I think I have a pretty good handle on what is important to me about Christmas. The older I get the more attached I become to the concept of the newborn Christ Child and the hope that this special birth implies. I believe that Love was born at Christmas and this brings me hope and peace. I love getting together and spending time with family and friends - that is the part of Christmas I really love. I like seeing the lights that people put up on their homes. In the cold and darkness of winter these lights seem to shine all the more brightly.
There are, however, a lot of things about the holidays that make me sad. It seems that everyone is suppose to be happy and festive and this makes sad occurrences even more depressing. We actually attended two funeral services over the holidays. It doesn't seem right that someone should die during the Christmas holidays. People who are feeling sad are surrounded by people who are in a party mood and this just doesn't seem right to me. It's nobody's fault, but just not right.
I fill up with tears every time I hear the song, "I'll be Home for Christmas", because it reminds me of the year that Uncle Joe O'Donnell was killed in action on Heartbreak Ridge in Korea. We received the news of Joe's death in late October 1951 and that Christmas was a heart breaker for the entire O'Donnell family. "I'll be Home for Christmas" had special meaning that year and it still has special meaning for me whenever I hear it.
Sixteen years ago, my sister and brother-in-law had a little boy, Joseph, in early December. He was born prematurely and only lived for 24 days. I always think of him as the December Child as he lived for most of the month of December and then died the day after Christmas. I didn't feel much hope that year. Anger was my predominant emotion. I threw the Christmas tree out the back door and smashed some of our ornaments on our back patio. The Christmas miracle we had been hoping for didn't come to pass. I guess we will always think about little Joseph during the Christmas holidays.
So it seems that being together and having others to share are joys and our sorrows is what Christmas is all about. This we can do all year long so that every day will be like Christmas.
May you have people who love you to share your joys and your sorrows throughout 2010.
Mary Beth
I almost always let out a sigh of relief when the Christmas Holidays are over. It is not that I don't like Christmas, it is simply that it is all too much, similar to eating too large a portion of a rich desert. Every year I try to simplify Christmas but I never quite get there.
I think I have a pretty good handle on what is important to me about Christmas. The older I get the more attached I become to the concept of the newborn Christ Child and the hope that this special birth implies. I believe that Love was born at Christmas and this brings me hope and peace. I love getting together and spending time with family and friends - that is the part of Christmas I really love. I like seeing the lights that people put up on their homes. In the cold and darkness of winter these lights seem to shine all the more brightly.
There are, however, a lot of things about the holidays that make me sad. It seems that everyone is suppose to be happy and festive and this makes sad occurrences even more depressing. We actually attended two funeral services over the holidays. It doesn't seem right that someone should die during the Christmas holidays. People who are feeling sad are surrounded by people who are in a party mood and this just doesn't seem right to me. It's nobody's fault, but just not right.
I fill up with tears every time I hear the song, "I'll be Home for Christmas", because it reminds me of the year that Uncle Joe O'Donnell was killed in action on Heartbreak Ridge in Korea. We received the news of Joe's death in late October 1951 and that Christmas was a heart breaker for the entire O'Donnell family. "I'll be Home for Christmas" had special meaning that year and it still has special meaning for me whenever I hear it.
Sixteen years ago, my sister and brother-in-law had a little boy, Joseph, in early December. He was born prematurely and only lived for 24 days. I always think of him as the December Child as he lived for most of the month of December and then died the day after Christmas. I didn't feel much hope that year. Anger was my predominant emotion. I threw the Christmas tree out the back door and smashed some of our ornaments on our back patio. The Christmas miracle we had been hoping for didn't come to pass. I guess we will always think about little Joseph during the Christmas holidays.
So it seems that being together and having others to share are joys and our sorrows is what Christmas is all about. This we can do all year long so that every day will be like Christmas.
May you have people who love you to share your joys and your sorrows throughout 2010.
Mary Beth
Sunday, January 3, 2010
The Midnight Hour
I am feeling badly that I have neglected my Blog but it is now midnight and I need to get some sleep so I will have to neglect it a little while longer. I have been "blogging" myself to sleep every night as Christmas and New Year's Eve are so full of emotion for me. Every night I "write and write and write" in the notebook in my head, if only I could get it into the computer. Tomorrow, I promise to get back to writing in earnest. In the meantime, I want to wish you all a marvelous 2010.
Mary Beth
PS. I appreciate those who sent me encouraging e-mails. Thank You.
Mary Beth
PS. I appreciate those who sent me encouraging e-mails. Thank You.
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