Ordinary People, Extraordinary Lives

The month of May offers many landmark days of remembrance for our country.  May 1st is "Loyalty Day", a day in which we declare our loyalty to our country.  It was first officially observed in 1959 and was a reaction to workers' celebrations being held in communist countries on that day.  May 8th is "V-E Day" (Victory in Europe Day) the offical date of Germany's surrender signaling the beginning of the end of World War II.  The third Saturday in May is known as "Armed Forces Day" (from 1950) when we recognize all the branches of the military.  The day of remembrance that people are most familiar with is Memorial Day (Decoration Day) which honors the fallen and dates back to the end of the Civil War. 

It has been over 65 years since the end of World War II which means that those who have first hand knowledge of that era have dwindled significantly.  Thankfully, many of them wrote down their experiences to share with us.  This was a time like no other in our country and should not be forgotten.  One of the most memorable life stories from that time is that of Louis Zamperini.  He was an Italian boy from the wrong side of the tracks whose older brother helped him to channel his excess energy (street fighting and wild behavior) into long distance running.  He became world famous when he went to the Olympics in Berlin in 1936 and although he did not win a metal, people were amazed by his performance at such a young age.

Louis went on to collegiate track glory until 1941 when he signed up with the United States Air Force.  He was sent to Hawaii as a bombardier on a B-24.  On a search for a lost plane, Zamperini's B-24 went down.  He survived with another crew member only to be captured and tortured by the Japanese.  Unfortunately for Louis, his name was still known throughout the world.  His Japanese captors were thrilled to have a celebrity that they hoped to use to help demoralize American troops.  The Japanese were soon to learn that this would be no easy task.  Laura Hillenbrand has turned Louis Zamperini's life into an exciting armchair adventure for the reader.  This Memorial Day, take a veteran's memoir off the shelf.  Find out what ordinary people will do under extraordinary circumstances.  (You might even call them....heroes.) 
Thank you to all veterans and service members who are courageously serving our country.  We honor you.

Mom's Gift



"So sad"

When I was a little girl, she took care of me.  She fed me.  She washed my clothes.  She made me take baths.  She took time off of work and stayed home with me when I was sick.  She even cleaned my room. 
I'll never forget the time that Mom was spring cleaning behind the beds and found an old apple core.  The sound of my name being shouted echoed through the house and outside to our cul-de-sac.  I came running.  It's foolishness to try to escape THAT tone of voice.  I was told to hold out my hand.  Not knowing what treasure might be awaiting me, I did.  YUCK.  Never has one apple core done so much to change someone's bad habits.  I learned that if I wanted to have a snack in bed on those occasions when I stayed up all night reading, apple cores and other leftovers should be stored under my pillow where I would retreive them in the morning and dispose of them properly.  I dare not attempt this at night because my mother ALWAYS woke up when there was noise at night and I didn't want her to take my book away.

"Oh, is that fiction?"

Mom is a reader.  An avid reader who loses track of time and becomes deaf and blind when she has a book in her hand.  It doesn't even matter WHAT she's reading.  She goes into her "mom is reading now" zone and doesn't resurface for anything except "Dancing With the Stars".  Whenever she plans a visit, I stock up on titles that I think might keep her occupied while the rest of us are frantically running our ordinary lives.  Recently, she gave The Americanization of Benjamin Franklin by Gordon S. Wood an "it was interesting" which is probably a three and a half star rating for her.  Michael Oher's I Beat the Odds was given a "his early life is so sad" which is mom-speak for she couldn't put it down.  I am trying to decide whether or not to hand over Two Rings: a story of love and war by Millie Werber to her.  (It's currently at the top of MY reading pile and I won't get it back until she finishes it.)  I would like her to preview Margot Livesey's The Flight of Gemma Hardy for me.  I am a big believer of encouraging others to break out of one's reading comfort zone and she needs to shake that non-fiction addiction.

Mom, thank you for sharing your love of reading with me.  I know that at times you've called it a curse.  It is a treasure that I can share without fear of it ever running out.  This is a gift that grows and expands and is life-long.  It is common gound that we can share even when you are thousands of miles away.  Every time I have a book sharing moment, I think of you.  I am so glad I will always have this part of you to share with others.  Happy Mother's Day, Mom. 

"Interesting"

The Zen of Snoopy

The sun finally made a brief appearance in Manitowoc yesterday and I found myself thinking of one of my favorite childhood characters, Snoopy.  Remember the Snoopy dance?  The dance that all the Peanuts' characters did when things (finally) went their way?  They would throw back their heads, stick their noses in the air, and dance on their toes until the credits stopped rolling.  No character conveyed joy more completely than Snoopy.  If a day could feel like a Snoopy dance, yesterday was that day.

The best Peanuts' adventures (in my humble opinion) featured Snoopy and Woodstock with an occasional cameo by Snoopy's brother Spike.  Despite their inability to talk, or maybe because of it, these characters with their rich fantasy lives epitomized the reality of childhood.  Woodstock and Snoopy's friendship rang true.  They would argue and Woodstock would fly off in his haphazard fashion while Snoopy gave him an unintelligible tongue-lashing while shaking his fist.  Or Woodstock would end up in a scrape, often because of his size, and Snoopy would run to the rescue (after laughing that dirty Snoopy laugh at his predicament).  One always believed that some day Snoopy would get the Red Baron because Snoopy would never give up.  Who of us a child didn't wish that we would go for a walk and find a pet just like Snoopy?  We reveled in the joy of Snoopy and his adventures.

 

I suppose a character like Charlie Brown had to have a dog like Snoopy.  Even as a child, we recognized him as the biggest loser we had never met.  We would not have been able to bear reading his adventures if he hadn't had a dog like Snoopy or a philosophical friend like Linus.  (Kind of like when the Brady Bunch formed a singing group, went on the road, and became THE most embarrassing show to watch.)  Snoopy, Charlie and the gang have managed to stay relevant and relatable despite having lost their creator over twelve years ago.  Spring is the time to stop and smell the flowers, and do the Snoopy dance.  Snoopy would want you to.  Stop by the library and check out The Complete Peanuts (1950-1985).  We might even let you practice the dance.