The Greatest Honor

 

That is not the ocean.

It is Lake Michigan.  

After over four years, we were finally able to visit Michigan.  My sister and brother-in-law now live in the Grand Rapids area, as do my sister's daughter and son.

When last we visited, Carol had one grandchild.  Bailey, just under a year old, was her daughter Tiffany and Derek's young daughter, precocious and charming.

That has now grown to four grandchildren! 

Just like these baby geese we saw in Holland, Michigan, Carol's grandchild brood keeps growing...

...and growing! Now at FOUR (including Tiffany's second daughter, Morgan).

I can't begin to tell you what a wonderful, refreshing visit it was.

But, for me, personally, there was an extraordinary moment, an incredible honor, that I will cherish the rest of my life.

As shy as I am, most of you know that I can be quite the ham on stage. Whether good or bad, it gives me the rough equivalent of a runner's high when I hit the right zone.

I love reading aloud.  I love reading stories to children.  During the pandemic, I started Storytime with Mr. Tom, posting a few YouTube videos.  Like most of my creative attempts, it met with quite a thud.  Are they good or bad?  I can't tell because they're just not been - I am terrible at self-promotion.

But my grandnieces and grandnephews saw them, and their reaction and the reaction of their parents seem to be positve.

Other than that, they were pretty unwatched, so I got discouraged and stopped doing them.

But Nicholas, Carol's son, the proud father of two boys, Elijah and Evan, remembered.

When we came to his house for a get-together, we hadn't sat down long when he brought out a children's book and asked if I would read to the children after dinner.

Would I do that? I threw all shyness and hesitancy aside and said, of course, I would!

Who are these people?  My sister Carol, with Evan on her lap, me with the Cena book in my hands, Elijah, Tiffany with Morgan on her lap, Bailey, Tiffany's husband, Derek.  Alison is at the table, with Benjamin who is holding Carol's dog, Ellie.  At the kitchen counter is Carol's husband, Mike, and her son, Nick.  Behind the camera is Elijah and Even's mom, Kristen.

It was a book by John Cena (yeah - the actor) and featured eight different characters.

Did I do the best rendition ever done?

I don't know.  Probably not.  But what I do know is this -

I had a blast.  I got into the zone and felt that runner's high.  I let it rip, no hint of shyness, changing up and doing voices, highlighting every word I could.

I was afraid that one or more of them might get bored, start to squirm, or leave.  But they sat riveted, engrossed in the story I was telling.

Thank you, Nick, for offering me this moment.

It was the greatest moment, one I will cherish forever.

I can't wait to get back up to Michigan again.  

Warriors for a Great Cause

This is my father, Eugene Everett Strait.  Many of you who follow my blog, or are from Bridgeport, know how much I respect and admire him.  He passed away at 91 on September 22, 2013, but his influence, his love, his caring, will live with me forever.

My father dedicated much of his life to public education.  He was an excellent teacher, skilled in math, and teaching it not just to college prep students, but also to low achievers who had little interest or motivation to do well.  And yet, his techniques and caring turned many of those students around, achieving at levels no one thought possible.

He was a proponent of team teaching, and Bridgeport High School was built to accommodate that. Honestly, the technique didn't always work as well in real life as it did on paper.  But he wasn't so stubborn and full of himself that he kept advocating a flawed system.  He learned to adapt and adjust wherever needed.  Because he knew his ego wasn't as important as the successful education of his students.

He was Principal of  Bridgeport High School for many years, and was recognized as an education leader in the state.  He loved public schools and he helped make them work.

This is my sister, Carol Easlick, with her arm around her lifelong best friend, Peggy Kwater.


My sister wanted to be a teacher.  She graduated at a time when teaching jobs were difficult to come by.  She found positions with private companies first, and it seemed like public education would not be in her life.  Her husband was a brilliant teacher and coach, her father an outstanding school administrator, but she seemed destined to stand outside of her chosen profession.

But living near the state capitol, Lansing, she finally got an opportunity to participate in Education. She worked for the State Secretary of Education, and over time, became the legislative assistant, helping research and prepare laws and regulations, coordinating between the legislative and executive branch.  In other words, she got the kind of job that I can only dream about getting.

She worked on both sides of the aisles, and had both Republican and Democratic friends and allies. She struggled hard, under both Governor Granholm and Governor Snyder, to help make public education better.

It became harder and more frustrating as one of the political parties became more ideological, and more and more invested into a dislike of public education, some actively trying to dismantle and weaken it.  It became particularly difficult when the legislature was awash with outside money influencing them to put in charter schools, run by private interests that would not be subject to the same regulations and rules as public schools.

My sister has retired from the fight, but I am as proud as I can be of the contributions she made.  Like my father, she dedicated much of her life to the betterment of public schools.

And now we have selected a US Secretary of Education who is dedicated to the destruction of public education, someone who was in large part responsible for the decline and collapse of the educational system that existed in the state I grew up in, Michigan.  She has bought her way in, just as she did with the Michigan legislature, and she plans wreaking the same destruction on the nation as she did in Michigan.

Betsy DeVos is a betrayal to my father and sister, and to everyone who has worked hard for public education -  the very backbone of American democracy.

But I promise you this.  It won't happen without  fight.  Dad and Carol, you have been warriors for a great cause.  And now it is time for me to take up the cause of public education.  It is time for me to do my part.

Because, like both of you, I believe that public education is worth the fight.  And I am ready to fight.

The Georgia Straits on the Mackinaw Strait

It may have been a mistake.

We waited until our last day in Michigan to see Mackinaw Island.

We had a long way to drive to get home, and we were anxious to get on our way.

But it was something I wanted Alison and Benjamin to see, and I could see most of our future trips to Michigan concentrating on the west side of the state instead of the east.

In September 2001, when Benjamin was not even a year old, we came this way to go onto the island with my parents.  Unfortunately, it snowed that day, and was bitter cold and windy, so we passed up the opportunity.  I've been thinking about getting a second chance for them to see it ever since.

The first shock was the cost of the ferry ride to get to the island.  Being near the end of the trip, we were already skating past our budgeted amount.  But I thought, fine.  We'll get to the island and see what we can see without spending a lot on admissions.  We'll just see what we can see, get some fudge, take some pictures, make some memories and move on.

The ferry ride that day was one of the few that would take a special trip under the Mackinaw Bridge. Lengthwise, this is a more impressive bridge than the Golden Gate.  I don't think it quite has the Golden Gate's style or scenery, but it is nevertheless an incredible and solid engineering achievement.

It's getting closer!  I got about 20 pictures of this on my phonal device, but I didn't want to make this blog story the equivalent of a flip-it book.

Finally on the island, we discover there are very many impressive things - most of which cost money.  This is Fort Mackinaw, and it would have cost us $12 a head to get a closer look.

We did find that some of the churches were free to go into.  Here Benjamin is giving thumbs up to the "Stone Church".

One of the "grandest" things on Mackinaw Island is the Grand Hotel.  We found it cost ten bucks a pop just to walk into.  Okay, fine.  We'll just walk in front of it and see what we can see that way.

No such luck.  As we got closer, a polite lady in a spiffy uniform that reminded me of a stewardess, told us to take even a step further (on the SIDEWALK in front of the hotel) would cost us $10 apiece.  We thanked her and slowly backed up.

Before we left the island, I took a picture of the main street.  There are no cars on Mackinaw Island (although I did see a riding lawn mower).  They do have a ton of bikes, and horse driven carriages and vehicles.  So there is no odor of gas fumes and other auto pollution.  Not that the island is odor free, though.  There is a distinct odor of something else.  Only having horses does have consequences.

We did buy some fudge.  I kept meaning to take a picture of it, but every time I got it out, I would end up eating it instead.  It was delicious, and very similar to the Mackinaw Island Fudge I make and sell at WayGreen.  I would say it was very close, but slightly creamier than mine.  I'll keep working on it.

We were only there about three hours, and then we were ready to start our long trip back home.  The ferry back was my third boat ride.  I had begun to feel from my first two trips that I no longer got seasick.  I was not so lucky with that last trip.  I didn't embarrass myself too much, although I did feel like I could upchuck a tuna bunwich. 

I would detail our long trip back, but trying to take pictures in the car makes me queasy.  And I wanted to keep that fudge down.

A Superior Trip to The Pictured Rocks

The shores of mighty Lake Superior!  It's cold waters can make you hesitate, even in the summer - but not for these ducks.

I tested and can testify - it darn cold.

The weather was ideal....low 60s and breezy.  Just the way I love it.

Benjamin was ready for his almost three hour boat tour, when he found out that "Skipper" and his first mate "Gilligan" assured him that the trip was perfectly safe.

Luckily, we and others intervened and convinced him it was worth the trip.  Thank goodness he was convinced of its science worthiness by a Professor and a very friendly woman named Mary Ann.

The Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore proved to be a breathtaking treat.  The picture above is considered the Indian chief rock, although what I saw seemed more like the Red Dragon from the Bone comics.

We could have chosen to go to the park instead of the boat ride, but I could just see myself walking too far out from the cliffs/.  That is not a specialty of mine - cliff diving.  Especially when in some sections the water is only about three feet deep. 

The boat went into a small cove so we could be surrounded by the rock walls.

One pile of ricks was topped by a tree whose root structure was actually anchored in the mainland.

I loved this underwater tunnel carved out from the rock.  I took a lot of pictures but many of them have parts of  people in them,  It was sometimes hard to get a clear shot.  I had particular trouble with a millionaire and his wife (at least they seemed rich and snooty to me).  There was a also a woman pretty enough to be movie star, but I didn't mind her so much, especially since I was married to her.

This is am old lighthouse on Grand Island, one of Michigan's larger islands.  It takes Mackinac Island a step further - not only no cars but little to no electricity - no TV or wifi.  I don't think we'll be going there.

The UP was nice, but not a place we would like to live.  Too rural and buggy.

But it was nice to explore for a day.

How Grand to Have A Grand Niece!

OK, it's true.

I had been on vacation, which is the primary reason I didn't post much.  I tend to save the pictures and blog posts for when I get back.  Just the way I roll.

So the first stop on our vacation was......

East Lansing!

Or maybe it was Lansing.  Or Waverly.  Or something.  I'm not sure.  My sister and brother-in-law sold their home and are living temporarily in an apartment while a condo unit is being built for then in Grand Rapids.

Why are they moving to Grand Rapids, Michigan?

Well.....

Please see the picture just below....

This is their grand-daughter.  She is their daughter Tiffany's child.  Tiffany and Derek live in Grand Rapids.  So why are my sister Carol and brother-in-law Mike moving to Grand Rapids?

To be closer to their grandchild, of course.  I would be tempted to do the same, if I had a grandchild, which I don't.

Her name is Bailey.  She is roughly ten months old.  She is very bright and curious.  I did not see her cry. She was very happy and engaged with us.  She loves food, and is trying new foods every day.  She crawls and can push along with a push stroller type toy.  She is not using words yet, but her non-verbals are bery expressive, and she makes it quite clear whan she wants more food.

Here I am holding her up for a picture with me and Alison.  I was so happy that I did not make her cry.  I'm not always sure how kids are going to react to me, so it meant a lot to me that she responded well to me.

Yes, it's true.  Even though many my age have grandchildren, I do not.  But now I have a grand niece!  And it was a joy to get to see her this trip.

Oh, I also saw Carol and Mike, and Bailey's parents, Tiffany and Derek.  I guess I should have taken some pictures of them.  But I forgot.  I was to busy taking pictures of Bailey.

Here's another picture of Bailey.  Why?  Because I can.  And for that first day of vacation, that's basically what's on my phone camera.

Imagine what it will be like if I ever do get a grandchild.

I may have to re-name my blog.

Let My People Drink

I grew up near one of the largest bodies of fresh water in the world, beautiful Lake Huron.  It is a pure lake, fed from glacial waters.

In Saginaw County, we got our water from this mighty lake.  It was excellent water, delicious right from the tap, and safe,  We had a great water filtration system, the Saginaw Water Works.  I remember hearing that our water was considered the finest in the world.  It sounds like hyperbole, but I believe the water won in some competitions, so there was some justification to believe it to be true.

A community about 30 miles away from us also had fine water from Lake Huron.  That community, Flint, was at the height of middle class comfort in the 60s and 70s.  The GM workers were paid enough that they could own their own homes, send their kids to college, take vacations.  Poverty and it's ill effects had been significantly beaten back.  It's citizens helped make GM the strongest company in the world.

All that evaporated over the last thirty years.  Largely abandoned by the company it built, the city went into serious decline. Instead of exemplifying the great success story of the emerging middle class, it now represented it's decline under the Reagan/Bush years, and a global economy where every worker has to compete against the lowest common denominator.

The city government became harder and harder to manage, as the tax base melted into oblivion.  The state came up with an emergency management law that allowed the state to come in and, in essence, eliminate the power of the local officials, to overrule their ability to lead, and put themselves over the will of the local residents.

But the goal of these state-imposed managers was not to benefit the city, improve it's resources, put the money into it that it needed to recover.  No, the goal was austerity.  Strip the locality of it's community services, and replace them with nothing, or the emergency manager's private cronies.  Somebody's getting rich off this law, and it ain't the state or the locality.  It's private entrepreneurs, human vultures and con men, swooping in to pick off the remains.

In Flint, the State Emergency Manager got rid of the pure water that Flint was drinking and replaced it with water from the contaminated, polluted Flint River.  To save money.  Yes, to save money.  For those of you blaming the Flint city government, just stop.  Please, just stop.  They have no more ability to make financial decisions than an elementary school student council (probably less).  They rubber stamp what Flint's dictator, the state appointed Emergency Manager, comes up with.

So now, everyone in Flint has been poisoned.  The amount of lead in the water is unconscionable.  An entire generation of children have been damaged.  And all in the name of austerity and crony capitalism.

The State Emergency Management legislation needs to go.

The State Emergency Manager responsible for this needs to be indicted.

 The Governor of Michigan needs to resign.

And most importantly, Michigan needs to stop being at war with itself.  Those in the rural and white areas of the state need to stop looking at other areas of the state as alien and tax drains.  Michigan either survives and prospers together, or it goes down together - hard.

Flint and Saginaw and the besieged area I grew up in will never be the same, until the average working person understands he has more in common with the struggling workers in urban areas than they do with the crony capitalists who want to get rich off the backs of those who are striving just to feed their families, and give them access to clean drinking water.

The American dream is not dead.

It lies in the pristine waters of Lake Huron.  The waters of hope and kindness lie just offshore.  We just have to reach out to them, reach out to each other.

If you seek a beautiful peninsula, Michiganders, look about you.  The means are there to be one of the best places to live on Earth.  But you can't do it if you view your fellow man as your enemy.

Come together.

Get the sweet waters flowing again.