Happy Hump Daaaaayyyy, Yeahhh!
Mid week isn’t so bad either. I mean … it could be Monday again?!!!
First things first … So, in my last e-mail/piece, I wrote something that an old college chum brought to my attention when he asked if I wanted to write “White Public Schools … ” or “White PLAINS High School”. So, I told him that it was supposed to be “White Plains …” and that it was not a Freudian slip!! Thank you Lloyd Lawrence, Esquire! White Plains was very progressive, integrated its school district upon the passage of the Civil Rights Act (1964) which also called for the desegregation of public schools. White Plains was not just “white” and sought to include ALL the members of that community when possible. Of course, we had our racial tensions, too, and the High School erupted into a “riot zone” around the time I attended St. Paul’s School (1969 – 1972) in Concord for prep school! It was … and is not … a perfect City but I don’t knock White Plains High School.
It appears that our lives move in cycles. Ultimately, our bodies expire. Do you believe that YOU have a soul? A spirit? Or do you believe that when this physical existence ends … so do YOU? This is something that most people don’t contemplate … until the end. I remember when my mother was struggling with Alzheimer’s Disease, though I didn’t think she was on her “death bed”, she would often scribble things in a little Bible that I gave to her when I had completed this “program” I was attending. I still have it … it is underneath the small computer table in my living area. There are some meaningful words that she scribbled in it … including the day that I gave her the Bible … July 12, 1990 … one day before my birthday! She also had written in the rear cover: “The Shadow of Death … 9 – 14 … John 14 1 – 2 Transformat Heart”. She kept this little Bible with her … and I retrieved after her passing. Peace be still …
A gentleman that I have never met in person who graduated from Princeton and played football there, Mr. Steve Williams, suddenly passed away over this past weekend. I know that there are a lot of “Princetonians” (and non-!) who knew Steve personally, some enjoyed his splendid photographs, as did I, that he had posted on social media from time to time. He owned and operated his own video production business. His passing, too, was unexpected … as was my mother’s when she fell and hit her head during the aftermath of Hurricane Wilma. This caused her brain to bleed internally … and went undetected until she fell into a coma. I guess that all I am trying to say is … “What do you think your loved ones would want you to do once they pass on?” I suggest: “Carry On!” in a most respectful and spiritual manner, making and keeping their lives an integral part of yours!! After all, we ALL are connected!
Peace be with each of you,
John I. Cook
Educational Excellence 