August 2009 Archives

Today's news is the ultimate. The economy has completely rebounded, everyone who wants a job has one, a house in every pot, and the clunkers have been replaced by high IQ cars..

The health care question is now all solved, and insurance rates have plummeted. A hospital stay is actually affordable. Swine flu has gone the way of "when pigs fly."

All wars, any wars have been halted, they're going to solve the issues with video games. Winner takes all. Our troops will be taken out of harms way.

The global eco-system is now under control, and green is now the favorite color of more than just Kermit the frog. The honeybees are back in perfect balance, and butterflies are free.

How do I know all these great things?

It HAS to be so!! One of this week's lead TV morning news stories was the issue of Michelle Obama wearing shorts on vacation. Pundits everywhere have taken every different stance on this hot-button issue. Water coolers only offer hot water now, as discussions around them are so heated.

Are they technically Bermuda shorts, in which case, does this solidify our relationship with England, Bermuda being English and all? Or is the hemlength shorter or longer, having a completely different significance. How much of the First Leg was visible? What does temperature have to do with anything? This is the President's wife, for goodness sake, flying and deplaning from Air Force One!

Were any First varicose veins uncovered? Secret Service suddenly needed a code name for cellulite. shsh.

Talk about your LIFE SAVORS! When this is a top story, we have truly run out of things to be concerned bout.

If only.

I usually ignore re-runs, I get bored easily, and why would I want to spend time replaying something that's not that important anyway.

Today, however, I decided to take a short break, and turned on Oprah which was a rerun, or I guess they like to call it "previously recorded" or other rhetoric that I forget right now. But that's not the point. Right as I turned it on, Oprah's teaser for the next segment talked about Hal Colston who graduated in the same 1971 class at York High as I did.

I had a vague recollection of what the show's segment was about, I believe from the newspaper, and couldn't wait to see it since I missed the first time.

There he was, the founder of something called the Good News Garage that makes cars available to people who simply can't afford the repairs on their present cars or their own car just dies. Many of his clients, he said are single mothers, who just need a helping hand.

There was a testimonial or two from people he had already helped, and a donation was made to the program. Talk about a kick to the "uplift zone!" Imagine the lives he has changed, and given hope where there might not have been any.

I remember Hal, or Harold as quiet, extremely intelligent, and seemed to have goals. In fact, he was one of the brightest in our class, and went onto use all those brains and talent to help other people. He didn't appear to be rolling in dough, just rolling in care for others.

He is just one big, fine, example of one who overcame all the turmoil in our school at that time, and went on to make a positive mark on the world. And let's face it, he got to meet Oprah, and she expressed her admiration of him. I'd say that's a pretty good day's work, and York can be exremely proud of someone whose roots started here, and grew into a fantastic plant.

I have a friend who just amazes me. We've been friends since we were both about 2 years old, eons ago, so we know pretty much about each other.

At least, I thought I did. Until I witnessed her at work. I recently went to visit her at her work, Autumn House at Powder Mill, on a business matter.

When I got there, she was on the phone, so I quietly waited and checked out her office. When she hung up the phone, we started to talk about our families, and she was telling me about her son's schedule, when the phone rang again. She was immediately taken out of "mom" mode, spoke with detail and complete confidence about one of the patients. She ended the call, picked right back up about her son's busy schedule, exactly where she left off, when the phone rang again.

Again, she turned into Nurse Rebecca and handled precisely the problem at hand. She hung up, picked right back up on David's many involvments and overlappings in school activities etc. A nurse walked in with something that needed immediate attention.

Again, Rebecca handled it, and got back to our discussion, which then launched into the reason for my visit.

Rebecca always received high marks in school, and was always outstanding at what she attempted, getting two degrees in her career. I guess her fiends just took it for granted that she was smart--we just didn't know that she is so adept at being able to shift gears without missing a beat.

But then again, when I look at her, and we're talking, she turns into "Becky" and she has an infectious giggle and is tons of fun. She is never boring, and is always involved in something.

Went down again yesterday for a quick stop to talk to her, which never happened. On the phone when I got there, just as she waved hi, the phone rang again, and her voice was announced over the loudspeaker for another call. Then people I assumed were nurses kept filing into her office, all the while she was on the phone, handling some kind of emergency. I quietly exited the office, having to almost trip over all the people, and figured I'd talk to her later.

When you're used to seeing someone in a certain light, and then you get to see the "another" side of them, such as their professional side, it can be so amazing. Rebecca certainly impresses me, and I've know her for a looooonnng time, not near as long as I've know Becky however. But I feel blessed to know both personnas.

How can you be anything but sad when the obituary of Tom Chatman appeared? I can't imagine there were too many people in York who didn't know him, or at least know OF him.

I personally met Tom for the first time when I worked at the courthouse, and parked in the garage across the street. I had had some kind of problem, I don't remember exactly what it was, I just remember that he personally took care of it right away. And that after that, he remembered my name, and would inquire how I was doing whenever I saw him at work, or around town. He did this with everyone, I'm sure too many to even count.

At one point, we realized that he also knew my brother. Back from the 60's, when he was a detective on York City police force. My brother had his Barracuda jacket stolen. (Remember Barracudas), He went down to the police station, and Tom happened to be the one who took the "case." My brother said he thought he knew who had taken the jacket, and when Detective Chatman asked how he knew this, Rick said, "because it doesn't fit him right." Chatman then asked my brother how he could be so sure, and asked what size my brother thought Tom was. Rick answered the question spot on, convincing the detective he knew what he was talking about.

Rick worked at Wiests mens department at that time, (Remember Wiests?) and the detective often bought clothing from him after that.

And then even 30 years later, Tom remembered him, and would always ask about him as well when he saw me.

Then when Tom worked as a tipstaff for Judge Uhler (also one of York's best), he always cut a sharp command of respect, fit for a courtroom. In the hallways, he had a wonderful, professional, yet extremely friendly demeanor. He was the perfect balance of personal and professional. We have truly lost and Officer and a Gentleman. We'll miss you.

And speaking of good things in York, I met one of my friends at what used to be our favorite routine spot, the coffee shop in Martin Library. The last coffee shop that was in there made an exit under less-than-wonderful circumstances. So we may have been a little skeptical, but hey, we both love the library, and coffee almost as much.

Glad we did.

Mike, who is an owner of the shop whipped up a fantastic iced latte that looked just like the one in the picture on the wall. It was one of the best I've ever had.

Conversation with him was entertaining, and just fun. Turns out he had just had a nasty tete-a`tete with an airbag that left his face with some cuts and brushburns, and his recounting was pretty enlightening.

Beyond that, just about everyone that came in had some banter with him seasoning their coffee.

It was such a pleasure to be back in one of the best hangouts in York, conjoined with a whole building full of free reading. Come on, in just doesn't get any better than that!