It Is Our Duty

I remember this woman. She is forever seared into my memory. She was small, maybe around the age of 75. She seemed like someone's wife and mother in another time. She sat patiently and quietly. Her eyes every few minutes looked towards the door. She was expecting someone. That person was late. Or, maybe, she had her day wrong. That happens in retirement homes. The mind goes-- either it is going when you first arrive or it starts to go when you are living there awhile. Either way, her eyes were pitched towards the door. After some time had passed, she realized the person she was waiting for was not going to show. Her hopes seemed to drop from her and she became older, somehow, more fragile. She quietly got up and went to her room. Another day of waiting and wanting to leave, but, unable to... This visit happened at a retirement home around 2002. The home was up north somewhere, I think around Vernon Hills. I went there with a co-worker of mine because he was visiting his aunt and he didn't know if he could stomach the visit alone. I understood. I was there as emotional support. In truth, I didn't particularly like my co-worker, but, I felt sorry for him. I also understood his feeling. My Grandmother Mary-- called ''Nana'' by all of us-- was in one of those homes the last couple years of her life. The times my sister and I visited her there were heartbreaking. A once vital, fun, boisterous woman was now a shell of a human being. She had suffered the deaths of my father and brother in a six month period and had surrendered her mind to dementia. She lasted a year and a half at her retirement home before death released her... Going with my co-worker to this retirement home I looked around the place and observed life there. Some patients seemed to thrive there. It was a nice place with many things for the residents to do. The standard games of Bingo and shuffleboard were being honored. And, I did see a piano, too. I would imagine that there was some hearty singing around it. The residents belting out the songs of their day, hopefully, remembering the words correctly. There can be some joyous times for those who are living out the final years of their lives. Companionship. Perhaps, a romance between some. And, the shared knowledge of a good life lived.... There is the other side. There is illness, physical abuse, and, just plain neglect. There are horror stories that, once in a while, emerge for us to hear. We do not want to hear them, but, we must. Because these people are our parents generation-- ''The Greatest Generation', as the media has so coined it. They took care of us and made us the people we are now. They taught us to be responsible, caring, hard-working, dependable, and, to help the less fortunate. Now, they are the less fortunate and we must help them in their golden years. It is our duty, a small payback for what they have given us... Now, there is always some government bullshit that hurts these people. Cutbacks because of budget reasons . I don't want to hear about that. It is inconceivable how coldly our government treats our elderly. No other major country treats its aged as cruelly as we do. They are cast aside in the road. The cost of prescription drugs drains the already limited finances of senior citizens. So, why are we charging them anything? Did they not pay into a system for many years that was going to take care of them when the time came? Now we cheat them out of that promise by skyrocketing costs to keep them alive.... I understand how costly it can be. The elderly consume more medicine and have more doctor and hospital visits than any other age group. So what? Does the government think these sick and desperate people are somehow scamming the public? I would think they would gladly change their way of life to be healthy again if they could. But, the government and insurance companies and drug companies  charge them hand over fist for the right to live. This is criminal, in my eyes. Why can't we house them free of charge? Why can't we give them the medicine and care free of charge? We can afford it--- a few less military planes could save billions of dollars to be funneled back into health care. Tax payer dollars just recently shelved out four million dollars for the Obama's to vacation in Hawaii. Nobody should tell me that we don't have the money.... Also, for extra cash, we start taxing religious organizations who specifically target older people. These fuckers use charm, and, a good old-fashioned fear of death, to scam money from these frightened people. Yet, they are tax free. Collecting from their plate sure would solve some money issues and allow the elderly to sleep warm at night... Respect is a word that is constantly thrown around these days, often without the true meaning being understood. Lack of respect for the elderly is partly big government and big busines, but, also society must share the blame.We find no time to visit the sick, but, we have time for our favorite T.V. shows. This ''Greatest Generation'' gave self sacrifice and lived through the toughest of times. They lived through a Depression, a World War, the Cold War, the bad blood in the fight for Civil Rights, and, now terrorism. They have borne the struggle with remarkable success. The ultimate goal was to leave a better world for their kids-- meaning us. And, in many cases, they are shoved away when they are no longer needed and forgotten. Not by me, and I know, not by you reading this. Compassion sparks understanding, which leads to action, which produces results. That is what is needed. Lets hope the powers that be can someday wake up and join us on the decency side. It is a tall order, I know... Once in a while, I think about that woman I saw in 2002 at the retirement home. Just by the law of averages I assume she died not long after I was there. She probably lasted a year or two, perhaps, a little longer. I think why she has stayed with me after all this time is that she had a slight resembelance to my mother. Mom, thankfully, never got to that point, but, had she, I would think she would have been very much like this woman. Maybe, your mother would be like this woman, too... Looking towards that door at a life she used to lead...

Bridge Over Troubled Water

They called them the ''Boiler Room Girls''. These were six women who had worked for Robert Kennedy when he ran for President in 1968. On July 18, 1969, there was a party for them on Chappaquiddick, a small island connected to the town of Edgarton on the nearby Martha's Vineyard. The party was a bit of a sad reunion for the girls. When Bobby had been shot and killed in 1968, all of the hopes for a better world seemed to drain away from these girls. The night of the party was to try to restart the flame of hope again. Also at the party were six men: Joseph Gargan, a Kennedy cousin, Paul Markham, a friend of the family, Charles Tretter, an attorney, Raymond La Rosa, John Crimmins. And, spearheading the party was the Senator from Massachusetts, Edward Kennedy.... What happened after the party may never be completely known. But, there was one fact: Mary Jo Kopechne, one of the ''Boiler Room Girls'', was found drowned in Ted Kennedy's car. According to Kennedy's grand jury testimony later on, he and Mary Jo left the party around 11:15 pm. Curiously, she left behind her purse and hotel key at the party. The rumor for years has been , perhaps, some sexual contact was on the minds of both. Kennedy has denied it - he was married, Kopechne was single. Whatever the reason, Kennedy and Kopechne were crossing a narrow bridge called ''Dike Bridge''. The car made a wrong turn and crashed into the water. Kennedy made it out, but, Kopechne drowned... Now comes the controversy. Kennedy did not report the accident until the next morning- almost 10 hours after it occured. And, only after two amatuer fishermen had discovered the car in the water and alerted the police themselves. The diver who was sent down by the police, John Farrar, found the body. Farrar later testified that Kopechne did not die from the vehicle crashing into the water, but, rather from suffocation, based upon her body posture-- also later confirmed by the coroner. Farrar also said that Mary Jo might have survived had there been a more immediate rescue. Farrar  found her body in the backseat of the car, her face turned upwards, gasping for air. There were finger nail scratches on the top of the roof, inside the car.... In her final moments, while trying to fight for her life, this poor girl was trying any way to save herself.... Farrar concluded his testimony by estimating that it took Kopechne three to four hours to die as the water slowly rose over her. During that time, again, a quicker rescue would have saved her... Why Kennedy didn't report the accident sooner has always remained a mystery. The conspiracy theorists suggest he did not want to jeopardize his career. He was, after all, driving late at night with a young attractive woman who was not his wife after a party. And, as we all know, the Kennedy men have never had a history of monogamy--- with the possible exception of Bobby Kennedy. There might have been some hanky-panky going on. Fine, that is not against the law. However, leaving the scene of an accident , and, failing to report said accident until much later on is a crime. I truly believe Ted Kennedy was in shock. I do. And, when people are in shock, sometimes reasonable behavior eludes them.... Sometimes... Kennedy's actions after the crash speak otherwise... He walked back to the party after the accident. He passed by four homes. Any one of those homes he could have stopped at and made a rescue call. He did not do this. When he returned to the party, he talked to his cousin Gargan, and the family friend Markham. Immediately, all three went back to the scene of the accident. Gargan and Markham tried diving to see if they could save Kopechne. Their efforts failed, Kennedy later testified. The men drove back to the ferry, and, both Gargan and Markham insisted that Kennedy must alert the authorities. Kennedy didn't. The other guests at the party were informed on what had happened and were hustled off the island quickly... Back at his hotel, Kennedy said he removed his wet clothes and collapsed on his bed. By 7:30 am the next morning- about 8 hours after the accident- Kennedy was scene talking ''casually'' to other hotel guests, according to the police report. The guests later testified that Kennedy did not seem to be upset at all emotionally. At 10 am, Kennedy entered the Edgartown police station and officially told the police what had happened. The police already knew.... Kennedy was later charged with the crime of leaving the scene of an accident. Because of his position in life, it was little more than a slap on the wrist. The Kopechne family was eventually given a settlement of close to two hundred thousand dollars by the Kennedy family. Til this day, Mary Jo Kopechne's family has not spoken publicly about that night, nor about Ted Kennedy's behavior... What has always fascinated me, though, is the complete silence of the other people at that party. The ''Boiler Room Girls'' and the five other men. What did they observe? How much do they know about the accident? Nobody has spoken out, even after Ted Kennedy's death in 2009. There are stories and rumors about these people all over the Internet, but, there is no solid evidence of anyone speaking out. My guess is that they must have been paid off handsomely for their silence. They know what went on the infamous night before the accident, and, possibly after the accident, but, they aren't talking. No books, no interviews, nothing. Their silence has been well bought.... I have always admired Robert Kennedy. To me he was the one truly decent man in that family. Even though he could be ruthless at times, his innate decency and caring for people always shined through. At times, John Kennedy had that too. With Edward Kennedy, I can't feel any positive thoughts for the man. He makes my skin crawl. His public record in politics has shown many worthwhile causes he has supported to help the less fortunate. He was a very effective Senator, whether you agree with his politics or not. He seemed to care about helping people..... I just wish he had those feelings at Chappaquiddick when Mary Jo Kopechne was fighting for her life in his car....

Training Day

The man fell out of bed at the crack of 9 am. He knew what was awaiting him. It was destined in the stars that fate chose him for his mission. He didn't want it. He was ''chosen''. Once the fickle finger of fate picks you, you are a marked man. He couldn't deny it. Various individuals saw differently. They said he was a fool and a sadist. They asked him to ignore his destiny. Why put yourself through the agony? It could end up badly? The man didn't listen. He had to do this. Not just for his country, but, also for the little kids that looked up to him. He had seen it in their eyes in past years. He was living their dreams also. To not answer the call for his mission would crush the human spirit and break the hearts of unknown millions out there in the wilderness. And, so it was with a great deal of gusto-- and, the need to pee-- that the man stood up, walked out of his bedroom, and, started his first day of training. The mission? Sit-up 2012... After the bathroom break, and dancing to the ''Footloose'' sountrack, the man strolled forward to start the day. He walked past the coffee table stacked with fitness magazines, religious relics, and Faith Hill photos. He headed for the kitchen-- that oasis of fun that for  so many years served his appetite and soothed his soul. This morning was different, however. Long gone were the legion of pancakes and bacon. There was no omelette. That belonged to the past. The man had an egg. He cracked the yoke in the glass, took a breath, and drank it down in one gulp. Vomiting soon followed... After cleaning himself up-- and, a quick twenty minute nap-- he walked back to the bedroom and dressed. The man put his lucky workout outfit on. It took a good ten minutes to blow the dust off the outfit, but, the man dug in. After strapping on his running shows-- also needing to have the dust blown off them-- he grabbed his keys and left the security of his condo. Outside lay his training. Outside lay his public to cheer him on. Outside also lay a parking ticket on his car.... When he emerged from the building, the man felt reborn. There were, of course, some reporters waiting for him. The build up to his yearly sit-up usually brought the media. ESPN did a quick interview with the man. He said he would be doing a sit-up as usual, but, also laid the big one on people too-- there would be a push-up after the sit-up!!! Wildly, the people looked at each other in astonishment. Both of these mammoth achievements in one day? Why were we so lucky? The man said that a man's reach should exceed his grasp, or, what is a heaven for?... And, then he was off, leaving onlookers in shock and wondering who farted. The kids in the neighborhood ran beside him. He didn't mind-- he was driving anyway. All along the street were his people. The man was quite touched that the mania has produced the goodness in people. He also liked seeing the women holding his picture up. ''Scolerimania'' was the new term on people's lips.... After driving to the national park named after him, the man got out of his car after pulling his pants up.The real training would start now. Out of sight of the public and the media, he kneeled down on one leg to pray to God. The man was praying that God would tell him to go home and forget this nonsense of physical fitness. The Good Lord let him down. God told him to train for his day of infamy. The man took it like a man and burst into tears... After his crying jag-- and, a twenty minute nap-- the man layed down on the ground on his back. The knees went into position. With both hands behind his head, he started the sit-up. He made it up a third of the way before he blacked out. When he woke up after twenty minutes, he stood up and pondered. Yes, it would be a long road to the final day. It will be Super Bowl weekend. Five weeks. He asked himself, could he do it? He asked himself, could he live up to the expectation of so many millions? He asked himself, would the world suffer more if he failed? And, mostly, he asked himself, why are you talking to yourself in the middle of a freezing park?.. The man got back into his car. He drove home. It had been a good first day of training. He felt proud. He felt wisdom. He felt up his neighbor lady. Tomorrow would come soon enough with another day of training. The first hurdle had been leaped, though. He survived....Then he ordered a pizza...