O’ Pioneers

I’m blown away by this particular commercial, not necessarily, because of what it is selling, but because of the recording.  The recording that of Walt Whitman’s poem on Manifest Destiny entitled “O’ Pioneers” is read with such fervor and feeling that one is compelled by the words that “Uncle Walt”  originally had written in his classic Leaves of Grass. 

 

Walt Whitman

This gentleman doing the reading is reportedly, Will Geer (1902 -1978) the noted actor and social activist.  Geer, however, did not start out pursuing a career in acting, but rather began going to school to become a botanist and even earned his Masters degree from Columbia in the subject. However, his desire to act overcame him and it ultimately led to a six decade pilgrimmage across riverboats, tent shows, Broadway, Hollywood, and television.  Will Geer even portrayed two of America’s greatest writers, Mark Twain and of course, Walt Whitman.

This man’s portrayal of Walt Whitman gives extra life to Walt Whitman’s words, so much so that the very commercial that is found above finds itself in the center of a major debate.  That debate fixates on the use of the Smithsonian Recordings of Will Geer reading Walt Whitman’s work to sell jeans.  I think that the commercial is exceptional and most of the time I’m oblivious to the fact that jeans are the center of attention in the ad. I’m completely captivated by the scenes of “America” and the voice that carries over all of it.  If anything, I believe that this series of commercials does more good for Walt Whitman and Walt’s works, which I know makes Mr. Keating happy.  Now if only we could do something for the remaining Dead Poets!

Robin Williams as Mr. Keating in Dead Poets Society

If you’re interested in the rest of Mr. Geer’s reading of this particular poem here is another video with the whole recording. If you’re interested in outdoing Mr. Geer here is the link to the poem itself, O Pioneers.

Jimmy V Classic

If you have been watching the ESPN family of networks over the past week, you have noticed that there have been a great deal of references to the Jimmy V. Foundation.  This week has been a week to honor and campaign for the Jimmy V. Foundation.  For those of you who are unfamiliar with the Jimmy V. Foundation: Here’s a little history:

The Jimmy V. Foundation has been in existence for approximately fifteen years, since 1993 and it has raised over $90 million dollars for cancer research.  Jim Valvano was a visionary who fought to eradicate cancer at a time when cancer was not the health magnate that it is today. Unfortunately, Jim’s own battle with cancer ended without success, but his dream and passion to raise awareness, as well as raise money to perform research continues. One way in which Jimmy V’s message continues to raise awareness is in the sport that he dedicated much of his life to, that being College Basketball.  Jim Valvano was championship coach at North Carolina State University and a world class broadcaster, therefore a doubleheader is planned every year that allows four elite men’s programs to demonstrate their talents as well as two of the top women’s teams. This year Florida and Rutgers, two of the top women’s teams will play on December 7th in New Jersey and  in a double header on December 8th Georgetown will play Butler and Pittsburgh will play Indiana.  As these games are played out, please enjoy the magic and enthusiasm that these young stars play with, but remember that their energy represents the life and death fight that is taking place in hospitals, hospices, and homes around the country. If you have the time and desire please think to donate or raise the alarm for cancer research, because according to recent research cancer will continue grow as a threat to the average individual’s health. 

If you’re looking for more information on the Jimmy V. Foundation – Here is an important link: Jimmy V. Foundation 

In case you’ve forgotten the inspiration that is Jimmy V.  Here again is his inspirational ESPN ESPY Speech:

 

P.S. I would be remiss, if I didn’t mention that we should be thinking of that infamous day 68 years ago in Hawaii! Please, think of those that fought and lost their lives that fateful Sunday morning. I will post again later about this particular day.

And the Sun Shines on the Bay…

What a great line from Journey’s “Lights.”  The song nicely describes the sun illuminating the Bay of San Francisco, and that image is so wonderfully etched in my mind after my 6 day visit to that phenomenal city.  The trip was a whirl-wind of activity, heading to Alcatraz, Fisherman’s Wharf, Ghirardelli Square, the trolleys, Grace Cathedral, the de Young Museum, Wicked at the Orpheum Theater, Lombard Street, Muir Woods, Sausalito, Haight-Ashbury, Little Italy, China town,  Union Square and of course the Golden Gate Bridge!  

Golden Gate Bridge

The trip gave me an opportunity to see what the West Coast is really all about.  It is a myriad of sights, scenes, delicacies and adventures.  I really couldn’t have been happier with all there was to do.  Furthermore, San Francisco was a clean environment: one of wide streets, easy transportation, and truly easy to understand (Some cities are complicated and confusing on how to manuever from one place to the next?) The city felt safe, you never thought the cast of characters you came in contact with were going to mug you or abuse you. Since I haven’t written on a daily basis about the trip. I figured I would use this synopsis as an opportuntiy to talk about the highlights.  

The first and most impressive part of the trip to San Francisco was Alcatraz! This US Penitentiary was so drastically impressive that mere words do not do any credit to its structure or history. What impressed me most about this particular site was that it did not hinge its entire experience upon the likes of Al Capone, or Robert Stroud a.k.a. “The Birdman of Alcatraz,” but more upon the actual history of the installation.  Because of this focus and the audio accompaniment that combined with the walking tour the prison of prisons  comes to life. I was completely awe-inspired from the moment the ferry brought us to port.  I started to imagine what thoughts must have gone through the minds of the criminals that were brought to “The Rock!” 

Alcatraz USP

 After this particular, site I really enjoyed the trolleys, which seems silly, but it was just a rush to traverse the hills and when I say hills… I mean hills that exist in San Francisco, by way of trolley.  The people who operate the trolleys must really have a good time, but also, have to be masters of the braking system. Plus, it is the one of the only moveable historical monuments in the country. So you get to ride a little history. 

Trolley being turned by hand

 The other thing that I feel I need to mention is the performance of Wicked at the Orpheum Theater in San Francisco, which included performances by Teal Wicks, Kendra Kassebaum, and Patty Duke. First, the Orpheum theater is theater constructed in 1926. It is a quaint location for any major production and it has hosted a myriad of events from silent films, to vaudeville, to Broadway productions such as what I had the opportunity to witness.  I had not been swept up in the commotion that was the Wicked extravaganza, but after seeing the show I can clearly see why this particular show is the craze that it has been. It’s music is catchy and leaves you with melodies that stick inside your head, but also, a story that is captivating and truly changes your impressions of the already established favorite, “The Wizard of Oz.” What I am most impressed with is how the story focuses on the characters who were minor supporting roles in the Wizard of Oz, but expands on their roles, without challenging the roles clearly defined by Judy Garland and the like. Particular note must be given to Teal Wicks and Kendra Kassebaum who were stellar. Their voices clear, picturesque and captivating. It becomes evident why there is such clamor over who portrays the roles of Elphaba and “Ga-Linda” the best. I truly enjoyed this experience and hope that I will get a chance to see them again. 

Therefore, if you have never had the opportunity to view any of these events I strongly encourage you to get on a plane and fly to San Francisco, because these three events alone would make it hard for you to leave the city on the bay. 

 

Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving is the commemoration of the Pilgrim Separatists overcoming the harsh obstacles of establishing a new colony in Plymouth, Massachusetts with the aid of their Native American allies, led of course by Tisquantum or as we know him Squanto.

In thinking about this year’s Thanksgiving, I wanted to focus today’s blog on the spirit of that first Thanksgiving and how the Pilgrims achieved such an incredible beginning, but only with the help and support of others.

This year has been a series of arduous emotional and physical tasks: my father’s passing, the sale of my home, the sale of my grandfather’s homes, the decline of other loved ones into alzheimers. The only way these have been and are being overcome has been with the aid and support of wonderful people, who have been present to add a kind word, make a kind gesture, or lend a helping hand. People have been so generous with their time that I cannot begin to express how thankful both my mother and I are. I know that we wouldn’t have found the strength to continue on without everyone’s time and energy. I have hope that like the Pilgrims, this may become the symbol of greater things to come. Some things have already begun to take shape, such as the creation of gameoncancer on wordpress, Twitter and of course our team for The Livestrong Challenge, and the Broad Street Run! I continue to be thankful for all your support and I hope that we can continue to work together to end cancer for everyone and through this add to everyone’s list of things to be thankful for.

The San Francisco Treat

Thanksgiving in my home has always been a family tradition. My parents, my brother and me were always together. It was a holiday for the immediate family. Since things have changed, I figured this year should be different. We should start a new tradition still be a family, but not necessarily sit at home and do the traditional Turkey day. I’m sure the turkey’s feel safe as they have been spared another day, though it’s kind of like when Sarah Palin pardoned the governor’s turkey, because tomorrow I’m sure we are still going to have turkey!!

With our change in tradition, I decided we would go somewhere else! Somewhere both my mother and I had never been, San Francisco. What a great idea! We would travel to a state we had never been to! So the plan was set, tickets purchased and the wait was on. After some tireless planning the day finally arrived. My mother and I made it through our conferences (parent/teacher) at separate schools and we were off on the 6 PM flight out of Philly!

The flight itself seemed to take forever 5 hrs, but we managed and landed in sunny San Francisco at 8:30 PM! From there we took a quick taxi ride over from the airport with our Eritrean driver who was rocking out to some crazy Eritrean music!!! Felt like a discotech!
Much of the ride in from the airport reminded me of Philadelphia, nothing particularly stuck out, but it was also the middle of the evening, so not totally surprised.
However, once we were out of the cab the multicultural experience that is San Francisco came alive. We arrived at the Omni Hotel San Francisco, which is stunning! We were greeted by a porter of Vietnamese decent named Romacito. He ushered us to the front desk where we met the most gracious individual. His name was Juan and he was from Spain (Awesome!) I haven’t tested my Spanish, yet, but fear not, it’s coming. Once in our room we were back in a cab with a Chineseman, who took us to Little Italy and here we found a
Quaint restaurant named Viva, which seemed right out of the Sopranos! Man, that’s a lot of culture in one sitting and we are not finished! Eating dinner I witnessed some
Crazy sights, thugs, preps, you name it, it was there. I was even propositioned by whores with their pimp standing their in full three piece suits! Very strange, but got me to thinking about which city is really more culturally diverse New York or San Francisco? This is going to be a crazy trip and I’m really looking forward to it!

Movember!

Variety of Mustaches

 The month of November has been renamed Movember.  Mo’s or Mustaches have been a part of history forever and as a means of celebrating the MO, The Movember foundation has created a fundraising venture to herald this facial history, but more importantly it is a means of promoting Prostate Cancer Awareness. The proceeds from raising funds as well as raising your facial hair go to the Prostate Cancer Foundation and The LIVESTRONG foundation. The Livestrong Foundation, as you know is near and dear to my heart, therefore, I believe in supporting Movember.

Here is the video that introduces Movember and explains its purpose and mission.

Now, I know what you’re thinking, but Dave, It’s the 21st of November, why would I want to do this now? Answer, because it’s never too late to register and you can still grow a decent MO before the month’s end. Even if you are not capable or feel it is foolish to attempt to grow a MO for the rest of the month you can still donate to the cause.  Here is the link for the U.S. addition of the Movember Foundation . If nothing else, I hope that today’s blog entry informs about one of the various ways in which Prostate, and testicular cancers are being fought in the U.S. and around the world. 

Thirty-three

Thirty-three… My brother would be thirty-three today. I like to think of what he would look like, what he would have accomplished and how our lives would be different? Unfortunately, those daydreams vanish with the cold facts of reality.
Today, however, was a day to focus on his memory, pay tribute to his memory and through his story aid a group of students who are entering their first holiday without a loved one. I was priviledged to have been asked to speak to a group of students about my experiences with loss in hopes that they might find some solace and tactics to cope with the holidays and the various emotions that will emerge.

I hope that what we discussed about finding positive stories and sharing those stories will aid these students in keeping the memory of these influential people alive. I know that without discussing my brother, pieces of him would slip away. Therefore, Happy Birthday, to my big brother, and the family’s source of laughter.

Empty House…

 

Empty House

The countdown to the sale of my house is now on five days. This coming Friday, all of the turmoil, work, and mental preparation for the sale of my house will be over.  This past Saturday, we emptied my house of all of the major furniture and it is looking like a more polished version of the house that I bought.  I can remember my first night in the house more than six years ago: me alone on an air mattress with nothing in the house except a clock, a couple blankets, the smell of fresh paint, and a great deal of ambition and hope for what the future held.  I think it will be fitting that my final night in my house is gearing up to look very much like it did when it began. Tomorrow, I head back to my home, possibly for the final time to do some cleaning and touch ups on the paint, so that I can hand it over to a young pup looking to own his first home. I wonder if his first night in the house will look like mine did. 

I think tomorrow, will be an emotional evening and I’m looking forward in some ways, to a night alone in the house to mull over the last few years and the various events that have occurred while I have lived in that house. Those moments have been a rollercoaster of emotions positive, and depressing, but I’m curious to see how I will fare when I’m thrust into the final moments of all of these memories.  Even more so, I’m curious to see if my first night without the house will be like the first:  one of wishful ambition.

Courage…

“Only when we are no longer afraid do we begin to live.” – Dorothy Thompson

Dorothy Thompson

Dorothy Thompson was an American journalist born in 1893.  What is remarkable about this woman is that she was the first journalist expelled from Nazi Germany, that taking place in roughly 1934. Dorothy was an avid Anti-Nazi demonstrator and was described by Time Magazine as one of the most influential women in America, behind only Eleanor Roosevelt.  I envoke this Dorothy Thompson’s name because I was fascinated by the above quote… It is so poignant and inspiring and I happened to think of it when I read the story of Elena Desserich. 

The Desserich Family - Elena is on the right

 

This is the story of a 6 year old girl who was diagnosed with a brain tumor.  Elena was given only 135 days to live and during that time, this exceptional light spent her days coloring and writing notes to her loved ones, and hiding them in places where they would be found later on, in hopes of brightening their days or more importantly giving her little sister, Grace some momentos of her big sister.  I was simply blown away by this article and the unselfish nature of Elena, that I felt it was a story that must be passed on. I can only hope that I live out the rest of my days with nearly as my courage as Elena displayed.  If you are interested the article is linked here  and so is the collection of her notes and diary that will make a new book entitled, Notes Left Behind.

 

Gym!

 

or actually haven't been.

It has been months since I have been back in the gym. Basically, coaching, teaching, moving, helping my grandfather sell and pack his place have consumed my life that I’m so crushed physically that I don’t feel motivated to go. That changed earlier this week, when I found an hour, like it had been a missing sock or the holy grail. I used that hour like it was two-bit hooker, not that I would know what that’s like, but I so the expression goes. The only problem was that by doing so I realized how much being away from the gym was affecting my body and even my mental state. I have ached for the last two days as if I had been in THON at Penn State! Every muscle is sore and muscles that I had long forgotten that existed, decided to wake up and collectively tell me how agitated they are.

This made me realize that I need to get back into a regular routine, because I still have ambitions of representing gameoncancer at the Broad street run in Philadelphia! Right now, Broad street sits off in the distance as a shiny beacon calling to me. The only unfortunate thing is that my body is not moving to the light. It’s scurrying away like Broad Street had H1N1! This weekend will be an opportunity to get back on track, especially since my grades will be just about finished. Plus, this week signifies the end of the football season.  I’m a little disappointed that it’s coming to an end, but I will be happy to have the time back. Until the end of the week, it’s going to be important for me to get back into a routine otherwise, I’ll end up looking like the Walrus in this picture: