The Wedding Ring

On By scottpetersenIn American Airlines, Lost wedding ring, Rosa, Wedding Ring1 Comment

I find things.  As a kid I found Indian artifacts and detritus on Civil War battlefields (see post of 2/12/12).  Today, I find wallets, money, cell phones and jewelry (see post of 8/1/12).  Just by being observant. 

A few weeks ago, I was at O’Hare Field with my family.  Terminal 3 American Airlines.  Standing in front of a self-service check-in thingee.  Going through the ritual.  And I look down.  There is this circular object on the floor.  At first it looks like a small bare key ring.   My gaze sharpens a bit.  I bend down and pick it up.  It’s a wedding ring.   A man’s wedding ring.  I look around then squint at the inside.  There’s an inscription – a date in 2002 and the name “Rosa.”  I raise my voice inquiringly to those nearby — “Rosa”?   The only looks I get are the curious — not the that’s me or someone I know look.   I padded over to one of the AA stations (no. 39 as I recall) and I told the woman behind the counter that I’d found a wedding ring and that the inscription said “Rosa.”  I did not share the date.  I asked if she could make an announcement.  And she did.  Inside the entire terminal.  “Anyone losing an item that relates to Rosa please report to station thirty-nine.”   Now I had to catch a plane so I gave the woman my card and a few details on the ring and went on my way.   Ring in my left pocket.  As we walked, I heard the announcement a second – then third – time. 

Since then I’ve heard nothing.  I called the TSA and AA Lost & Found stations.  They have the details.   I sent an email to AA execs suggesting a post on Facebook about the ring.  But there’s been only silence. 

I have the ring on my desk at home.  Waiting.  In the bowl where I keep “found” money – and things.  I’d like to get a call.   I’m sure Rosa is standing there, arms akimbo, asking her hubby “where did you leave your wedding ring” and the poor soul is going “duhhh I dunno.”  If you have any ideas on how to get Rosa’s hubby out of big trouble, let me know.    

Roots and Wings

On By scottpetersenIn Alice Virgil, Nature vs. nurture, ParentingLeave a comment

Good parenting is critical for the development of children.  In my post of October 31, 2011, I spoke of how nature and nurture play a significant role in the growth and development of children.  How it is best to guide a child to achieve his or her greatest and highest potential rather than to “steer” a child into a parent’s choices of interests, profession and schools. 

In my post of April 23, 2012, I mentioned my attendance at a wonderful presentation by psychotherapist Alice Virgil who spoke on how to build strong kids (and on the things parents and grandparents can do to participate in this development).  Tops on her list were encouraging relationships, creativity, awareness, courage, initiative, morality and spirituality.  

Last Sunday in a sermon, our priest added further inspiration for parents using a famous quote of Henry Ward Beecher.  “The greatest bequest we can give our children is roots and wings.”  The book Hot Chocolate for the Soul expands on this point — and provides context:  “Good parents give their children roots and wings.  Roots to know where their home is, and wings to fly and put into practice what they have learned.”    

It’s a tough job being a parent (easier being a grandparent :)) but little words of wisdom like those above can’t help – but help.   

Typing

On By scottpetersenIn TypingLeave a comment

In college, I had a few really great courses. The most useful was the year long course on first aid which ended with me getting a Civil Defense medical responder card (remember – this was 1966).  This knowledge has come in very handy over the years.   But of all the subjects I studied — in high school and in college — the best course I ever took (one which serves me on a daily basis) was typing.

I am able to type the way one is meant to type. Accurately. Fast.  Fingers flying (whooosh!).  None of this two finger business.  I often type my own letters, reports and emails at a speed of perhaps 60 words a minute with minimal error.  Typing.  What a value-added learning tool for a young person today.  But do schools teach typing the way they did?  I dunno but if not, we should put it back on the menu. 

Do you know the longest word that you can write using the letters on the top row of a typewriter or keyboard?  I do. . . .  “Typewriter.”  Yep. . . .

Coming Attractions. . . .

On By scottpetersenIn Coming attractions, ViolenceLeave a comment

Donna and I went to the movies last Saturday. We saw “Zero Dark Thirty.” The movie was excellent and moving. It was the “Coming Attractions” that turned me off. Every coming attraction began with loud, angry violence. And each one got worse as the “attaction” wore on. We saw trailers for “Blood Demands Blood” “Dead Man Down” “The Call” “Pain & Gain.” All were smothering in violence, gunfire, car crashes and horror. I feel like saying “come on, people – don’t you know what you are doing to your children? To our society?” But I am one small drip of a voice.

Polish Jokes

On By scottpetersenIn Heteronym, Polish jokesLeave a comment

What happens if you eat yeast and shoe polish? Every morning you will rise and shine!  🙂  🙂

This is my only polish joke.  If you know any good polish jokes, I’d like to hear.  Wait a minute.  You thought I was going to tell a . . . . oh noooo.   Not me.  I was telling a polish joke.   “Polish” is one of those words that has two different pronunciations and yet a single spelling.  It is a “heteronym.”   Other examples of heteronyms are:

Abuse – I don’t abuse my body with substance abuse

Contest – I will contest the results of the contest

Excuse – I will excuse you if you have a good excuse

Tear – I would shed a tear if I tear my pay check

There are many such examples:  Lead, alternate, close, permit, duplicate, insult, august, produce, bow, graduate, bass, invalid, sow,  resume, dove, moderate, wound, minute, record, rebel, transplant, object, use, desert and so many others. 

I had better wind up this post before I run out of wind. . . . .

American’s Funniest Home Videos

On By scottpetersenIn America's Funniest Home VideosLeave a comment

While waiting for a carry out order at a restaurant in Boca Grande Florida a few weeks ago, I sat at the bar, sipped on a glass of cab and relaxed.  There were two televisions on.  Above the bar.  Both were tuned to the same program: “America’s Funniest Home Videos.” I’d never watched the program before, so I began to watch — with a tabula rasa. The tabula rasa quickly became a “what the $%^X!&?”

The setting of the show was a glitzy lounge with elegantly-attired people sitting around cocktail tables sipping on what appeared to be champagne or some pseudo bubbly.  And the host played “home videos” while babbling.  Many of the videos involved men being hit where it really hurts (prompting many laughs).   A lot of the clips involved people falling, tripping, slipping or otherwise embarrassing or even hurting themselves (guffaws and belly laughs).  And the elegantly-dressed people would howl and applaud like world peace had just been declared. 

There were three men and two women who were sitting at the other end of the bar (and not elegantly dressed) — paying rapt attention to the “videos” (which I suspect were for the most part staged).  They were laughing (one guy snorted as he laughed) and howling and poking each other every time someone tripped, fell, was bitten, smacked or fell into water (I think the beer helped inspire these reactions).  Watching this fivesome was more fun than watching “AFHV.” 

My bag of food arrived and I mercifully left — but not without my concluding that “America’s Funniest Home Videos” has got to be one of America’s dumbest programs as well. 

Wishbone

On By scottpetersenIn Camp Napowan, WishboneLeave a comment

One of my favorite restaurants in Chicago for lunch is Wishbone – located at 1001 West Washington (just east of Oprah’s studio).   The food is Southern/Creole.  I was introduced to Wishbone perhaps 15 years ago by my good friend Bob R. who served with me on the staff of Camp Napowan — a Boy Scout camp in Wild Rose, Wisconsin. 

On those rare – but delicious – occasions when I go to Wishbone, I am in a rut.  And I order the same thing.  Every time.  I order the crawfish cakes with two “sides”:  black beans and rice and mashed sweet potato topped with chopped nuts.  And an iced tea.  On Friday, my assistant treated me to lunch at Wishbone to celebrate my 42d birthday.  Would you believe 53?   How about . . . . never mind.  Anyway, the offering looked so good, I snapped a pic — just as I dug my fork into the mashed sweet potatoes.  That’s corn bread and cole slaw on the left. . . . Scrumptious. . . . . Would you believe 61?? 

Wishbone

A Gigantic Toy

On By scottpetersenIn Being a Grandfather1 Comment

Having just spent nearly 3 weeks with Eve (and Lauren and Trent), I have come to the sobering conclusion that I am not perceived by Eve as her grandfather. Instead I am viewed as a humungous (over)stuffed toy that happily interacts doing all manner of interesting and time-consuming activities.  We open and close doors ad nauseum.  We throw things with great enthusiasm like Sandy Koufax in his heyday  Since Eve is prone to pointing at things, I (being the dutiful grandfather) provide an on demand taxi service — taking Eve in whatever direction she points at and picking up whatever object may strike her fancy at any given moment.   Believe me. . . .  it is a slice. . . . .  A wonderful slice. . . .  

Boca Grande

On By scottpetersenIn Being a Grandfather, Boca Grande, Loose Caboose, Pink Elephant, TemptationLeave a comment

We have had a wonderful time in Boca Grande, Florida.  Here’s a picture of Eve, her stuffed Piggy and me (I am the one in the white shirt).   Was in Boca Grande nearly 30 years ago (and bought the rare book collection of the BG Library – which is another story).  The Loose Caboose (for lunch/ice cream), Temptation (for dinner) and the wonderful Pink Elephant are still there but sooooo much has changed.  Still great shelling and I found lots of sharks’ teeth on the beach! 

S&E

Courage

On By scottpetersenIn Courage, Malala, TalibanLeave a comment

In Michener’s classic Iberia, he facetiously observes of Spaniards “Anyone who eats chocolate and churros for breakfast need not prove their courage in any other way.”  I love Michener’s writing, but courage is not a joke.  To me, courage is shown by many special people.  These days, it is defined in one word — Malala. 

Malala Yousafzai was born in 1997 in the Swat Valley in Northern Pakistan.  She is 16 years old.  Malala and her family have lived under the Taliban boot for much of her short life.  As a girl, she has been forbidden to attend school.  The Taliban is known for crushing any attempt for girls to learn.  They burn schools and kill teachers suspected of teaching girls.  In 2009, Malala – at the tender age of 11 or 12 began speaking out about the need for girls to learn.  And to attend school.  She pubished a blog under a pseudonym through the BBC detailing life under the Taliban and speaking out against them.  She then began writing under her own name — and giving interviews on television.  All directed toward the need for girls to go to school.  

On October 9, 2012, the school bus in which she was riding was stopped and boarded by Taliban assassins.  They approached Malala and shot her in the head and neck.  Malala clung to life and was sent to the UK for surgeries.  On October 12th, 50 Pakistani clerics – to their credit – issued a fatwa (religious ruling) condemning the attack.  Malala is now up and around.  And she is speaking out.  Against the cowards who are the Taliban.  She is now under consideration for the Nobel Peace Prize.   She deserves it.  And the Taliban?  They deserve what they gave Malala.  Let’s deputize Mitch Rapp and Jack Reacher. . . . .