Oscar's Dreams (4)

Oscar's parents wanted him to go to  a prep school taught by Jesuits. When he came to the open house, one of the teachers asked him what he wanted to go into.  Oscar had prepared himself for this question, and barely squeaked out, "Architectural Engineering. But the professor had a follow-up, "And what is that exactly?Oscar realized he was no longer dealing with the nuns but with professors who would challenge him and make him learn.

New beginnings are filled with hope, surprises, and an experiences one does not forget. Oscar found himself withdrawing into a shell.  He was awkward, pubescent, and lost. He finally met one friend who one would consider "strange."  They ate lunch together, laughed, made snide comments, and seemed to be with each other.  But as chance would have it, Oscar found another group of friends, who were cool and were even recognized by the jocks.  Oscar left his friend to be with the hip crowd.  Most of this crowd were rich, living in affluent suburbs of Detroit. Oscar's family didn't have the money, but his crowd didn't care. They had study dates together, lunched, and most important played pinochle. Oscar's self esteem was on an upswing and then he heard about sock hops. The school had one almost every Friday night, and Oscar was sure to be there along with his friends.  Oscar loved to dance. It gave him a sense of joy like no other. U.of D, being all male, they would often invite a sister school that was all female.  Soon, Oscar was in his element. Dances started around 7 and ended around11.Oscar never stopped dancing and met many teenage girls who were thrilled to be asked to dance. He danced into his senior year. He hung out in the student lounge where they could smoke play cards. And it was legal.

Oscar had taken 4 yrs. of Latin, all the required sciences and had done well with the SATS.The majority of the graduating class went to University of Detroit. which was only 2 miles away. Oscar wanted to go to Michigan State. The professors refused to give him a letter of recommendation, saying the only way to move on was to go to University of Detroit.(a Catholic university.) But, Oscar was not so easily dissuaded and he did get into Michigan State despite his professors lack of cooperation. 

Cancer Stud......(3)

Oscar continued his Catholic school training for eight years. Each year, a different nun was in charge of the room. This did not mean he escaped notice from the other nuns. By the time he got to eighth grade, he was convinced that if he said or did anything wrong, the earth would open and he would plunge directly to hell. This caused him much stress. As a male teenager, he seemed to have a hard-on most of the time. He tried to wear big shirts and loose pants, but unfortunately, the fashion was tight pegged pants,  He developed terrible posture, trying to bend and keep his member hidden. Member? Did he belong to a special club? (As a matter of fact he did. The world of all teenagers,) Wearing black framed glasses, his face constantly twitching and twisting, Other guys started  having girlfriends and although he knew this was considered normal, every time he approached a girl, they would shun him. This continued to chip away at his low self-esteem. He would return home each day and throw himself into his books. Then he discovered the library and thought he had finally gone to heaven. He lived in a blue collar, low middle neighborhood. Most fathers worked in factories and ate pierogi and kielbasa for dinner (Polish staples). 

He started spending his free time at the library, reading books which took him sailing with pirates, fighting the Wild West, and traveling on a Magic Carpet.  He had one friend who lived about a mile away who seemed to like the same things he did like bouncing a golf ball a hundred times straight on the concrete step in front of his house without stopping. Sometimes he developed a terrible headache but he thought even worse things might happen if he didn't accomplish his task each day. On weekends, he knew he had to complete the task twice a day. Otherwise, his family might die or he could develop farts in church. Everything changed once he started high-school.

One Singular Sensation.....

Nice way to start the week......

Happy 4th ......

      
                                Happy 4th of July.  Enjoy your holiday.

  

Weather permitting...

Recently, Chicago has been struck with severe storms. Last Thursday, the storm was so bad, it knocked out many windows in  high-rises along the Lake. It was truly raining cats and dogs. I'm not one that usually talks about weather or religion unless I have to. In fact, we have had so many warnings lately, I tend to ignore them. I also do not believe that Revelations has heralded the beginning of the Apocalypse. I do not expect The Four Horsemen, Jesus suddenly appearing for a final accounting, or Lake Michigan suddenly turning blood red. It does make me aware of global warming and the many changes that have occurred such as our blizzard in February which stopped the City. But, finally, there is nothing to do about it but adjust. I have visions of Waterworld and don't see myself doing well in that evironment since I like hotels over camping, and cars over hiking. So, I'm just going to "go with it" and enjoy the ride. 

Adventures of A Cancer Stud (cont'd)

I mentioned earlier that there would be a surprise at the end of the week. I will be writing something about the Cancer Stud every Friday.  Join me as we follow the Cancer Stud and his adventures. Last week, I gave a quick summary of the Stud, Oscar, but it is important to know more about him.

Oscar had not been good in sports and the only reason the boys tolerated him was because he let them copy his homework. The girls liked him since he enjoyed playing jacks, hopscotch, and dress-up. He was too young to know that Broadway show tunes existed. Oscar's father wanted him to be like other boys. He dragged him to baseball games, kicking and screaming, and forced him to play. "You swing like a girl. You can't catch a ball, sissy."  After one too many jeers, Oscar climbed the fence behind home plated attempting to escape the torture.  The coach eventually coaxed him to come down and told his father that he didn't think he was cut out to play baseball. His father cursed under his breath, took him home, and ignored him the rest of the week. Oscar was confused. He knew it was something all the other boys did but he hated it. He'd rather read or dance. What his father had forgotten, or tried to forget, was that when he five, his father had asked him to wear a grass skirt and do the hula. Oscar obeyed and people thought he was funny. Dancing= funny, sports= cruelty. In some ways, his father had contributed to his identity crisis, unknowingly. Or perhaps, his father had secret wishes to wear the skirt.

 Oscar would never know. Instead, he began having nightmares and walking in his sleep. Once he woke up and realized he was peeing in his father's shoes. His father was quite angry about this. But, Oscar had been sleep walking and could not be held accountable for his actions.

His mother instilled a fear of germs. He washed his hands numerous times a day, especially after urinating. That was considered very dirty. "Did you wash your hands, Oscar? Oh yes, mommy. I spent a long time soaping them to make sure everything was killed."

When Oscar began kindergarten, the teacher couldn't get him to take a nap because he was too busy washing his hands. When she brought this to his mother's attention, she was very pleased and definitely thought washing was certainly much more important than napping. That afternoon, she took Oscar shopping to get him a very special treat, a Fels Naptha soap bar. It was known to kill every single thing it touched

Oscar grew up thinking germs could kill you on the spot and it was very important to stay clean at all times. This idea was also enforced when he went to Catholic school.

Shut The Front Door

I am always surprised when certain phrases become part of our vocabulary. Although I haven't used this yet, I know I will at some point. Tonight, I heard it at least 3 times. It's probably because it's kind of "naughty" and a nice change to the one it replaces.What new phrase or word has become part of your vocabulary? I've often said, "That fudging cancer." 

Relationship Fix

I've decided that the easiest fix for most relationships between men and women is that the women learn some sports stats and rules of at least one sport. And men learn to speak with their emotions for at least five minutes a day. Then there will be some communication between the sexes. For the rest of us, I would recommend taking up a hobby or getting passionate about something in your life. I know, Oprah said the same thing. It's not new but I do think it works. There is a reason for this post, which you learn later in the week. I'm practicing suspense. 

Statue Dance

Last week, melanie and marko danced an extraordinary number, Statues, on So You Think You Can Dance which brought the judges and the audience to their feet. Enjoying dance is a great way to prevent prostate cancer. :} 

Singing In The Rain.....In Chicago

It seems like it's been raining for 40 days and 40 nights here and I'm looking for the Ark. In the meantime,I came across Gene Kelly's rendition of his song and dance. It is truly a classic. Check out his dancing.

Reunion Reality

Memory

Before going, I heard such comments as, "Don't miss it, You have to go, It will be fun." Well, I waited two days before posting to make sure I could count on my observations. You're issued a name tag with your high school graduation picture. If that isn't enough of a shock, you then meet some of your classmates. If you don't see the name tag you won't know who they are. Once you read the name tag, you still won't know who they are. Then what do you say? "You haven't changed. You look worse. I don't know who you are." My experience was the last comment, for the most part. Even worse, the people I recognized, didn't recognize me and vice versa. Normally, I would have gone straight to the bar, but since I am an alcoholic, I couldn't do that. That meant I had to deal with the anxiety. Luckily, I came with two friends I have stayed close to. We did make attempts to meet others and each of us had some success. What made matters worse, there were reunions of 10 other classes ranging from 10 to 50 years from our class going on  simultaneously. Food consisted of cold hamburgers and salty chicken. Class pictures where we felt like we were being herded into a corral. We insisted we didn't look as old as the class ahead of us. (Sarcastically). To sum up, it was just another reminder that I'm getting older. We all are. No, you can't get away from it. But, I've always thought denial was a great coping mechanism. I still hold on to that. I may be 67, (reality sucks) but I feel 45 (sweet dreams). I probably won't see these guys again and what was the purpose. I did have some meaningful conversations with a few guys I did remember and who knows, we may keep in touch by telepathy. Phone numbers, e-mails or tweets were not exchanged.I may be the only person who feels this way and that's fine. The rest of you who feel compelled to go to these reunions, I suggest hitting the bar as soon as you can.

REALITY

American Bandstand and the l950's

In the l950's Dick Clark's American Bandstand was one of the most popular shows for teenagers. He had the best artists and his own group of high school dancers. Everyone knew him. Most learned dances from the show. I was one of them. We knew such dances as "Hand Jive, The Stroll, Twist" to name a few. Hair styles ranged from Waterfalls, DA's (Duck ***) Preppie and there were the Greasers and the Preps. I came from a Greaser neighborhood and went to a Prep all male high school. There were the usual cliques of the Jocks, The Intellects, The Weirdos. Everyone wanted to fit in and be cool. I bring this up because I am going to high-school reunion and I find myself worrying about how I'll fit in. What will I wear? How does my hair look? I hear that this is normal, but age is the equalizer. I believe this is true. People have married, divorced, raised families, lost careers, and yes, some have died. One report indicates that most men are either divorced or depressed. I will soon find out. I wonder how many have had prostate cancer but I don't think this is a good lead in question. Stick to things like, "I remember you. You were the quarter-back, the basketball star, the jerk (maybe not that one.) This should be an interesting experience. (I hope.)

The Tonies With Patrick Neil Harris

Enjoy The Tonies.  If you haven't seen the Tonies, this number is well worth watching.  

The Tonies With Patrick Neil Harris

If you haven't seen the Tonies, this opening number was one of Patrick Harris' best. Enjoy the Tonies. 

A Little Sunshine In Your Life

When everything seems bleak, headlines continue to spread bad news, and your anti-depressants don't seem to be working anymore, it's time to get a little music in your life.  Smiles are known to decrease prostate cancer. When all seems lost, play the ukelele. It's bound to bring on smiles.

Hot Dawg

There seems to be a lot of attention these days on being appropriate with your hot dawg. To me, this is the one and only way to appreciate the hot dog.

Wha's Sup

Hangin'.  So hot outside I can't walk too long without panting.  Luckily,  I get to go to Doggie Beach, which  is a stupid name for the place, so I say, "See 'ya at Splash."

Knowing Noh

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Noh theatre was derived from the Japanese word for skill or talent. Skill takes as much work from the artist as it does from the audience. If you don't know what I'm trying to say, hold on, because I know you will soon know noh. Noh theatre deals with dance and involves 5 pieces including a ghost or spirit who moves through the play.  Knowing when to tweak and when it is time to move on takes skill. A sense of timing. Nathan Bransford makes a point of this in his last post when he mentions Natalie Whipple's post about all you need to know regarding submissions.  I found this to be very helpful.  If you don't know  Nathan Bransford, he has recently written a book called, JACOB WONDERBAR AND THE COSMIC SPACE KAPOW, which is a YA book  getting a lot of good press. Check out JACOB WONDERBAR. 


I know this is a good time for me to take a small break from prostate cancer. You too should know when to stop and when to move on. 

Tug-Of-War

Ken is not going to win this.  This is my toy and I've already chewed and slobbered all over it. You'll see.  He will not take this away from me.  It is mine.

Hot And Raw.....Hound Dog

In tribute to another King. Elvis Presley....The King Of Rock And Roll.

He would have been 76 yrs. old today. Moving your hips has proven

to keep your prostate healthy.