Saturday, December 16, 2006
DAY BY DAY People often ask me if I kept a diary. I can’t say that I have, at least in a continued, serious manner. I did start such a day-by-day recording events in my exciting small town life style. I remember a time when I started such a project in a blue composition book. I realized that I was pretty much a hand-written account of the ways in which the weather forecasts had worked out in area. One of my favorite writers of the time, was O. O. McIntyre who wrote a daily column in the nearby Roanoke Va “Times and World-News”. The name of his column – always on the “Editorial” page - was “New York. Day-by Day” . He wrote about anything he found to be of interest or concern him. I read him and, although I was not, of course, aware that it must have happened that way until many years later. I switch from the “Diary” format - one the called a “Journal” I have always felt most comfortable there because it allowed me room in which I could report and comment. It is a good thing for any and all of us to think back over the paths we have traveled. On in rare cases do we meet with genuine self-made men and woman. I have a score of people who have helped me along the way. I will never be about to say sufficient to express my gratitude. The proper way to repay the is to make sure your present path allows time for you to pause long enough to share the fruits of some of the blessing you have known. I never knew O.O.Macintytre; never saw him; never talked with him. He was in New, York I was here in Virginia's Appalachian area. Through his words and example caused changes he never knew about at all in happning in far-off Virginia. So - a warning! Be careful - every day- in all that you think, say or do. Somewhere...some one may be seeing you as a model of what they would hope to become. Andrew McCaskey Sr amccsr@adelphia.net 12-16-06 [c369wds] .
Friday, December 15, 2006
STUDENT TEACHERS I shall long remember what it has mean to me and I am grateful again and again for the many advantages which have come my way because of my willingness - even eagerness to teach. My logical work area was Sunday School and now that I have grown physically less active – translated that means “old”, I miss it, too. I was fortunate to have grown up where we had what was then known as “Teacher's College”. The educational concept therein was to try to teach. The very idea of doing such a thing has,I believe, unfortunately faded away today as have then school themselves. It was a gradual process as each school assumed a fancier name for itself. The one in our town changed from a rather meaningless name of:”Radford Normal School for Women” or “Girls” - in popular usage. I remember the well-known actor and the founder of the famed ”Barter Theater” - the nation's first State Theater in Abingdon, Virginia – ad-libbing his own introduction to “Our Town”. He strolled leisurely on stage, as was his usual manner of movement and told the largely student audience the actors were pleased to be asked to, perform “here at the 'Radford School for Normal Girls'”. That sort of banter became more and more noticeable,I'd say, and to the “City of Radford” residents the name became simply. The local Radford citizen was known bristle a bit when some one jokingly wondered out loud why a scattered little town with, at best with six-thousand people called itself a “city”? It was entirely legal. State Law at the time designated any community of over five-thousand to be called a “city”. So, since both the “Normal School” and the “City of...” has such identification problems the fared well together. I had student teachers in just about every class at such a secondary staff and I know I profited from such a system. I do remember, too, how some suffered greatly in such on-job training when they met with not uncommon discipline problems. I am pleased when to hear of local colleges are working closely with public schools. It causes welcome growth and understanding at both levels. Andrew McCaskey Sr. amccsr@adelphia.net 12-15-6 [c381wds]
Thursday, December 14, 2006
WHERE DID HE GO? Tell me something, please. Not too long, I remember they were holding a courtroom trial for someone calling himself Saddam something-or-other. He, even “cleaned up”, looked like an aging hippie who found the mud but not the rainwater at some edge-of-the-Orient Woodstock celebration. I was told our soldiers actually, had to dig him up from a hole dug in the back yard of a small house which had served as his temporary residence during his flight. He made a pretty good model for an artist's “Study In Gray” sitting there in the Court Room within a square fence made of crib-like materials. Several of his associates were seated to his right and in back of him as he he began to speak in his own defense rather than to avail himself of the services of one of his trained, experienced lawyers. The man seems to have a positive genius for placing himself in suicidal situations. I am among those who wish the searchers had bulldozed all holes shut in the back yard of a certain small unoccupied house. They could have cited sanitation precautions. By choosing to be his own spokesman he has again asked for supreme modes of punishment. He is not at all realistic. He still thinks he is ruler of Iraq – it's proper “President “ fully endowed with special powers including those of life and death of those whom he rules. Then came the the “put off”...”delay”...”recess”...phase of the ”trial all, of course, expressed in impressive legalize terms. He must have followed the recommendations of his legal advisors in this delay tactic. Ramsey Clark among them, urged delay as expected and it has been established routine with them timed to coincide with accounts of the steady growth of anticipated an-ti-Bush sentiments in the United States. Any news item speaking critically of the handling of the war in Iraq lessens the nature of the punishment to be meted out to its former dictator for alleged war crimes. You may that after World War I Kaiser Bill was exiled all the way to Belgium where he chopped wood for the rest of his life. Is that the type of justice we can expect from “the greatest trial of the century”- but delayed for no good reason. Andrew McCaskey Sr. amccsr@adelphia.net 12-14-06 [c404wds]
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
BUSH BASHING I am feeling something very much akin to shame a and disgust. It happens every time I find citizens of our nation speaking in public of our President using disparaging terms. The first citizen of whom they speak is a person set apart in a precise manner to perform the varied duties of that office to the best of his abilities combined with ours. He was named to be “our” President, not just “yours”. Not “mine”, either. He is President of all the people rather than those of petty party of people expecting special advantages to flow their way automatically. The individual elected deserves co-operation, honesty, understanding an respect in keeping with the powers we share as citizens of this nation. There is certain mania right now among certain unsteady segments of our people to “bash Bush”. This is not as new as many user seem to think. I remember it being used in days before I was old enough to vote. If anyone of us small children had any dreams of some day becoming President and moving into the White House, we would have had such plans smashed by the unbelievably harsh verbal insults. I even remember being sorry for Al Smith when he was a figure in primary elections. He took his share of being bashed, as well. All our presidents seem to have such a groups following them around. I remember such things being said – and used as basic election materials. I can remember three them of them as being roundly scorned “womanizers” at various levels of depravity. Several were reputed to be not always sober. Two others were known to use profanity on occasion and they could lapse into street language if the situation demanded it be used. One, you will remember, was said to sleep easily and anywhere and he liked jelly beans. I'm realize how silly it sounds to even wonder if we will ever grow up and eliminate this “gossip” element in our election routines. Maybe it has a value we do not really appreciate to help us through some problem areas in our future. It reminds us that Presidents are “people”, too. Andrew McCaskey amccsr@adelphia.net 12-13-06 [c374wds]
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
HORSE LIFE> We happen to live about half way between one of Virginia's leading Horse Centers near Lexington,Va. and the Charles Town, West Virginia Race Tracks. It is only natural that we should see a great many fine horses being transported up and down U. S, Route #11 or Interstate 81. It is a real treat for us to see such fine horse flesh and one quickly come to appreciate the special care and attentions which the proud owners give their potentially prize-winning animals. They travel in fine horse trailers and all seem to be pleased with their lot. I wrote the poem “Horse Life" April 2, 1971 after following a rather elaborate transfer vehicle moving southward on Interstate 81.
HORSE LIFE H Horses live better than people. Oh, yes! Yes. Visit the horse country. See the plush stables, the private caravans – stalls on wheels, air conditioned. The fine menu - as horse feeds go - balanced plus good green in Spring and Summer; the finest of hays in Winter Warm blankets, if needed or fan-made breeze. But don't knock the horse's life. Theirs is no Welfare State. They work.. they run - daily and often, several times an hour they exercise, they prance, .they exercise, the prance about, they pose. They face obstacles, too, high, higher and highest. And they listen... Yes, they listen and learn to obey what they listen to - willingly. Eagerly. They strive to do better. They improve with practice. Y'know...come to think of it... that may be a reason why: “Horses live better than people!” That is - some horses and some people. Possibly. Probably. Andrew McCaskey amccsr@adelphia.net 12-12-06 279wds]
Monday, December 11, 2006
HO! HO! FOR STATUS QUO! It has been obvious and fully expected that Nancy Polosi, (D. Calif) the new, incoming Whip for the House and others who are stepping into new duties when returning to Washington,D.C. to set thing up their supposed liking. It is understandable and, perhaps, even right in a party sense - right, but I wonder if she and others will not find it somewhat embarrassing to find new problems arriving daily. They feel obligated to try to clean up some of the situations which have caused the term “scandal” to be removed or disguised a bit affect person, especially those whom they want and need to bring about promised changes in the Congressional way of doing things. A widening series of such difficulty have plagued the District offices and have caused the label of “scandal” to be bandied about rather loosely. It could be a good thing to let others know who, for instance, is in charge. Who will be setting and enforcing the rules and still performing oldsters and some gullible newcomers. By this time Polosi has certainly heard that incumbent William Jefferson (D) was named by the voters of the “reviving City of New Orleans” as their upcoming house rep in Congress. He took home an unofficial fifty-seven per cent of the votes in the Run off election. His opponent was a State Representative member - Karen Carter who succeeded in one main point in her campaign – that of not revealing her age - but she even failed to gain any headway against William Jefferson by frequently mentioning he is under a cloud in with the F.B.I. They are charging him with accepting a bribe. found the ninety-thousand cash in is freezer at home. He has yet to be charged, but when he is it will cause a sizable stir. The F.B.I. found the cool cash stored in his food freezer at his home. An ordinary bribe may be circumvented, perhaps, but this is no penny-ante situation wherein some lil' ol' ladies are buying rights allowing them to play forbidden games of Bingo in the back room at their “Stitchery Shoppe”. Rep. Jefferson does things in a grander fashion. After all, he is, Louisanna's first black congressman since Reconstruction Days. He will be accused of having accepted bribes from a company or companies seeking lucrative contracts in the Nigerian telecommunication business area. Such a situation could also adversely affect the already troubled reclaiming and repair work being done in New Orleans and other delta area cities, towns and villages...already with troubles enough to vie with. His democratic opponent , Karen Carter said: “I guess the people are happy with the status quo.” Andrew McCaskey amccsr@adelphia.net 12-11-06 [c462wds]
Sunday, December 10, 2006
ANOTHER IRISH VISIT I wrote this poem in Ireland in the later months of WWII. The exact site was a place called Bangor-By-the Sea. That would be Irish Sea over which we had come by ferry boat a day or so before – destroyer escorted, too, because the Nazis had tried to sink a ferry boat crossing from Stranraer, Scotland. There was a swimming pool called “Pickie Pool” at roadside and just this past week a visitor at our house tells me the pool is still there. It's on a gentle slope leading up to a hill called a “mountain” to “Floral Hall”- a temple-like building housing the city's Horticultural Society exhibits at that time. From that vantage point we had an enviable view of the rugged, rocky coastline. With disturbing regularity, we saw wreckage of ocean going ships – mostly freighters and tankers, I would say...the cold, dark sea water beating endlessly. It was a there I wrote much of the following poem as my major piece of deja vu during the war time years. EIRE REVISITED I've had the feeling and so have you, no doubt An uncertain teasing in your mind when traveling that you've been on that very spot before, a gadabout memory from some long-past peregrination unraveling. I remember one such place and time back years ago. It hit me in County Down, Belfast Laugh,Bangor-By-the-Sea. “Floral Park , up past “Pickie Pool” atop a promontory with a row of wave-racked freighters far area ...including one that used to be but was no more, just a relic, on the rocky shore. She'd been hauling coal, I was told and a North Channel storm lifted her on the rack of rock and broke her back. The door of the after cabin was still swinging crazily, I remember...a norm of movement for the gyrating gulls. No sound, of course metal being eaten away by slow, water-fed fire and due with waves still lapping at the stricken hulk as if they knew there was plenty of time, plenty of wreaks and many more staves of rusting metal being eaten away by slow, water-fed fire and due to crumble into near-nothingness; wash away to the down most rima unmapped on the ocean's floor; yesterday's pastured Valleys; a blue beginning for tomorrow's just-discovered jewel mine – a question mark to make a person wonder at what they see and seek the reason for how it came to be. Could it be that north born knife bearers of long ago chanced upon this place or even smashed upon these rocks, their cattle lowing in distress as they urged them from the deck and through the rocky barriers to shore to be the stock of present Nordic strains?.Or, could it have been a later one of us wandered from Lewis, Skye or Harris Isles and loved this scene so deeply that that I think of it today in a style of memories that tell me I have seen this place, this very shore -as some far-distant person - I have seen all before! Except, of course, the freighter, It came along much later. That's my memory to hold for a future seeker bold Who visits Bangor, learns its lore and says: “I'm certain I have known this place before!” Andrew McCaskey amccsr@adelphia.net 12-10-06 [c563wds]
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