I Needed Humor

“Let me tell you right now the one thing you’ll ever need to know:  Own things.  And let the things you own own other things.  Then you’ll own yourself and other people, too.” --Toni Morrison, in her book SONG OF SOLOMON 

The Kosovo War was ongoing with NATO intensifying its airstrikes against Yugoslavia to halt the humanitarian crisis and ethnic cleansing in Kosovo.  President Clinton announced a NATO summit to be held in Washington DC next month (April 1999) to commemorate NATO’s 50th Anniversary.  

I needed humor.  It was nice to receive a funny card from Marie-Antoinette: “I don’t understand today’s movies—all that violence and swearing...  and inside the card the punch line: ...And that’s just in the concession line.”  Ha-ha 

March 19, 1999 

Dearest Cousin Michael, 

Was sitting here thinking about you; thought I’d put a little smile on your face while I was at it!   

Don’t work too hard.  You've got to enjoy the fruits of your labor once in a while! 

Take Care and God Bless! 

Love Ya, 

Your cousin,

Marie Antoinette 

I hadn’t heard from that San Francisco teacher, Pat Crowley, in a while.  I was also trying to encourage more whisper talk about Verona Capital, of course.  I had been a part time teaching participant to her 4th & 5th grade class at Redding School in San Francisco to inspire them to write. I never forgot those days, so I sent her a postcard and she miraculously wrote back. 

March 20, 1999

Hi Michael,

Thank you for your recent postcard.  It’s great that you own your own business.  What type of business is it?  I had your address, but I thought you might have moved, so I haven’t corresponded.   

I am still working in the field of education, but I am no longer teaching at Redding School.  I left the school last Spring.  I am a mentor teacher employed by the SF Unified School District in the Teaching Internship Credential Program.  With the shortage of teachers, due to the reduction in class size for grades K-3, the district and SF State University have worked out a program where graduates with four years of college, have passed the BBEST exam, have been interviewed and are qualified to participate, are placed in teaching positions in S.F. They take their education classes concurrently with teaching in the classroom and have emergency credentials.  It is a two-year program.  The prospective teachers take 37 units during the internship period.  They are supported by experienced teachers like me who help them with curriculum, management, and organization, along with a supervising teacher from S.F State University who evaluated selected lessons they have to present.  First year interns receive 16 visits from the mentor teacher, while the second-year teacher receives eight visits. 

They also receive a salary from the school district while they are learning.  I have also given workshops for new substitute teacher and led a workshop with three Redding teachers at a National Institute held in San Jose integrating visual art into the science curriculum.  I also facilitated a visit by the institute teachers and administrators to visit Redding School to see selected teachers who have worked with me over the years presenting integrated art lessons across the curriculum to their students.  Everything went well.  Now, I am preparing for a workshop at Redding School for Parents and volunteers on Writing in the Upper Grades in April.  

Summers have been spent in Hawaii, on the East Coast and in Quebec.  I’m planning to go to Maui in May. 

So, as you can see, I’m still as busy and involved as ever.  Keep me posted on what you are doing. 

Fondly, 

Pat 

Alan and I met on November 20th, so we like to celebrate the 20th of each month—when we remember to.  Alan’s mom gave us a sweet postcard of a Tap Dancer in NYC from 1935 to commemorate this month’s 20th date along with a videocassette: 

Happy March 20th Anniversary. 

Since this video is a favorite of mine, I thought this can be included in our video night soirees. Happy! Happy! 

Love Always,  

Mommy & Jack 

Former coworker Reed Campbell also sent a postcard that his wife, Deanna, brought from China but he sent it from his home in Minneapolis: 

Hi Michael, 

My wife brought me this card for you on her trip to CHINA.  I was there in spirit.  It does remind me of San Francisco and the Golden Gate fog. 

Best,

Reed 

The Oriental foundation for all good manners is taken to be Confucius’s maxim: “What you do NOT like when done to yourself, do NOT do to others.” --from PANATI’s Extraordinary Origins of Every Day Things