Reading for Treasure: April

Reading for Treasure is my list of articles (and other readings) that are worth your attention. Click here for an introduction!

This photo essay is a celebration of so many good things! The New York Times headline doesn’t begin to describe the celebration of this wonderful piece: “Asian and Asian-American Photographers Show What Love Looks Like.” 

Why are COVID numbers going up when more and more people are being vaccinated? The Atlantic explores the ramifications of acting like one is vaccinated when one is not. The article, “Vaccine Cheat Days Are Adding Up” is a quick exploration of why we need to “‘Just hold on a little longer.’”

The title of my blog should make it clear that I am a huge Mr. Rogers fan. This wonderful little article from The Washington Post defies expectations when the author tells us about, “What happened when I showed vintage Mister Rogers to my 21st-century kids.” It reinforces our continuing need for all the wonderful qualities of Fred Rogers. 

Nonprofit Quarterly published a piece that was originally published on the author, Dax-Devlon Ross’s blog.   “A Letter to My White Male Friends of a Certain Age” asks us to think not only about how racism hurts us, as White people, but to engage with Blackness and step up and really fight it. It is a nuanced and detailed letter that I strongly recommend you read. 

Chicago Tribune reports that “the American Academy of Pediatrics released a statement this week affirming its commitment to protecting the health and well-being of LGBTQ young people and condemning legislation that does the opposite.” Specifically, the AAP opposes recent anti-trans legislation:  “Stop targeting transgender kids in youth sports, says American Academy of Pediatrics. Bravo.” 

Parenting never stops. No matter how old you are or your children’s stage of life, parenting is a lifetime commitment. As most (I really want to say all) teachers will tell you, some parents are far too involved in their children’s activities. When we rob our children of their independence and agency, especially for our own well-being, we stunt their development – at any age. This article from Fatherly, presents “7 Signs You're a Codependent Parent — And What to Do About It.”  

Finally, some good simple advice from Lifehacker; I never thought about the color of my child’s swimsuit or how it might help with their water safety. This article provides some simple commonsense recommendations: “Look at These Safety Color Charts Before You Buy Your Kids' Next Swimsuit”

I am currently reading Dark Matter by Blake Crouch

Computer Wimp Forever!

I started saving for my first computer when I was a freshman in high school in 1978. My friend introduced me to playing simple Star Trek games on the school VAX. He taught me BASIC so we could go to our local Radio Shack and torture the salesmen by programming infinite loops into the TRS (we called them trash)-80s. 

I was hooked. When my school purchased Apple IIe computers, I started playing with simple programs to create animations and do simple data processing. I wanted one of these! 

By the time I got to college, I was still saving for my own computer. No one in my dorm had a personal computer. My first programming courses made me use cards and sent me to the sub-basement of the tech building to run them. I knew there were other approaches. 

Finally, a friend gave me the first issue of MacWorld and suggested that, instead of an Apple IIe, I might want to buy the brand new Macintosh. Almost simultaneously, our college made an agreement with Apple and student prices for the tiny personal computer made it time to spend my savings. Of course, there was an eight-month wait. I plunked down my savings and bought my first Mac in 1984! 

In some ways, I was quite different than who I am today. However, my desire to research the hell out of everything was already in place before I turned twenty. So even before I had my computer, I was reading books about personal computing, programs (not yet called “applications”), and the still infant concept of communicating with other computers via a telephonic connection called a modem. 

My favorite guide and the book that became my bible was called Computer Wimp by John Bear. The subtitle was “166 things I wish I had known before I bought my first COMPUTER!” I would quote Dr. Bear to my parents, friends, and family when they questioned me about this “computer business.” 

Bear introduced me to the idea of buying a computer based on the software rather than the hardware. He talked me out of my “but wait” paralysis that some better and cheaper computer or program would appear on the market as soon as I purchased something. 

Bear’s writing style was accessible and his tone was light. The book didn’t take the heavy technical approach that many people used when they learned the amount of money and time I was spending on my computer. 

Computer Wimp made me a backup fanatic. This lesson has saved me, my grade, my work, my class, my students, and my sanity. I became a back-up-alholic! Recently, my computer crashed and my multilayered backups made the recovery nearly painless! 

More than the list of lessons, the book suggested that computers were not going to be the exclusive domain of engineers. Communications majors like me could make good use of them. Bear didn’t get everything exactly right. He thought that, “The free standing computer may fade away as small computers are built into various household tools and appliances.” He was partly correct. He didn’t predict the rise of the Internet, but he gave me the tools to find it myself. 

Computer Wimp was my starting point. It was the beginning of a lifelong computer connection. My little Mac followed me through college. By the time I got to senior year, I had an account on both Compuserve and America Online. One winter break, I blew the lid off my roommates’ and my phone bill with all of my online time. Going online at that time meant tying up the phone line and being charged by the phone company by the minute. It was easy to overspend. Who knew that I’d spend so much discussing Star Trek with people all over the world! 

I became a personal computer person. I became the computer wimp! I upgraded that old Mac and moved on to the MacPlus and to a PowerBook (which I still have), eMacs, iMacs, Macbooks, and Macbook Airs. I have used other types of personal computers both at home and at school, but I have found PCs (I call them pieces of c) far less human-friendly to this computer wimp than my Macs. 

Computer Wimp introduced me to the questions, issues, and attitudes that have shaped me as a computer user. Although I did not become an engineer or programmer (yet), my computers have been an integral piece of my teaching and my life. I can’t imagine working without them. 

Call me a nerd, a geek, or some other fine term of endearment, my love for computers can be traced back to my dear high school friend’s intervention and the wonderful writing of John Bear. I will forever be a computer wimp!

The Year Concludes: Looking Back at 2020 - Part 4

November started without the kids. This had been my life when I retired, but in March my son came home, then my daughter and her puppy in May. They stayed for more than 100 days and then left together for D.C. 

My children’s phone calls were a mainstay of my day. The boomerang of a full house turning empty wasn’t working for me. I love being with my children. I love being together – and that puppy is joyful! I missed them. 

My son was could look for a job anywhere. He was networking, taking seminars, and doing interviewing – and helping his sister. It was delightful that my children got along so well that they could live together –without their parents- for long stretches of time. I was overjoyed. I just wanted to be overjoyed together. 

At home, things continued as they had for months. I kept walking – just without a dog. I walked with my wife daily and usually took a second walk listening to podcasts. 

Since we were home all the time, the house was showing the strain: the front deadbolt wasn’t turning, the dishwasher died, the light switch in the bathroom cracked, we could no longer use the kids’ shower. 

We were reminded constantly of our fragility by the ever-rising COVID numbers and the parade of passings. It felt like condolences were one of the few things we had in plenty. 

Although the election was at the beginning of November, the discussion about the results dragged on. There were constant cries of fraud without any evidence. I worried that those trying to create alternative election results would bend reality. 

My Sunday Confirmation Class was a port in this storm. My co-teacher and I had challenging conversations with our students about everything that was going on. The kids were eager to wrestle with issues, values, ideas, and especially politics. We had a guest speaker and began to take virtual field trips. 

Thanksgiving was stressful. The kids planned to return and everyone would quarantine and test. The kids isolated in DC, we did the same in Deerfield, and my folks stayed in their home, but everyone had exceptions: doctor appointments, errands of mercy, physical therapy. Beyond the usual Thanksgiving stress, we worried about testing and contagion. 

Since it was just the two of us at home, cleaning the basement moved quickly. I finally got a call from the Illinois Department of Employment Security and filed a police report, contacted the Social Security Administration, the IRS, and changed all of my passwords. It was work to ensure the fraudsters did not gain access to my digital life. 

The election was often a focus. I watched What the Constitution Means To Me. Yet, the controversy dragged on. The president would not concede despite the clear evidence he had lost. It felt like a losing team refusing to shake the winners’ hands at the end of a game. 

We had our last Loyola classes. Our teacher was in Hawaii! We learned with this group for a year and a half, so it was sad to end on Zoom. We are hoping for a reunion when it is safe. I stayed connected to the activities and people at Deerfield High School. I saw a beautiful online choral festival concert, a discussion of the fall play, and a spectacular video holiday extravaganza. 

I was extremely anxious about a dental cleaning. I have rarely been so nervous about anything. Increasingly, I worried that even having six of us together for Thanksgiving was too dangerous. We saw friends on Zoom or FaceTime since the temperatures dropped. 

Friends of many years picked up and moved to Michigan. We attended an online library program with Ibrim Kendi. I sent the woman who cuts my hair a check since I was not going to her shop. I worked hard to stay in touch with friends, family, former colleagues, and others. 

The house was quiet, calm, and very clean, but we were eager for the kids’ return They shipped stuff ahead. Days before they got on the road, my son’s computer died. We talked about backing up and data recovery. 

Daylight saving time gave us a nice extra hour of sleep. We changed all the batteries in the smoke detectors and things were beeping for a week! My wife was feeling much more like herself and we took longer walks despite the cold. 

Finally, the kids returned. I wore a mask when I picked up my rental car and didn’t realize it was a smoking car. It smelled horrible. It was only a few hours to South Bend. It was incredible to have everyone together again. 

Two former students reconnected out of nowhere: surprise blessings. My Confirmation class took a virtual field trip to the Unitarian Church and still wanted to talk about politics. I continued my book clubs, played games with the kids in the evening, and got way too excited about virtual backgrounds on Zoom. 

We had a family discussion via Zoom about Thanksgiving. We defined what were and were not acceptable risks. My son and I were tested at our doctor’s office. My wife and daughter waited in a five-hour line at the Department of Health and their results didn’t arrive until days after Thanksgiving! My folks were tested, too. Great to be negative! 

We slipped into the old routine made new by the weather. Walking the dog was now a colder endeavor, but just as joyous. My son started interviewing for jobs and was getting second, third, and fourth interviews! I organized our annual meeting for our homeowners association. We picked up food from restaurants in Evanston and walked around town. The dog had his own playdates. 

I found a way to let my folks see Zoom calls on their large TV instead of just on their computers, but I couldn’t do it distantly. As Thanksgiving approached, my anxiety grew. Planning the Thanksgiving menu was complicated. We put ingredients on our Instacart orders, got things online, and did our best to prepare distantly. 

I watched Star Trek: Voyager during my morning workouts and Star Trek: Discovery as it was released. These shows were so comforting as the world became increasingly frightening. 

Thanksgiving arrived! My daughter cooked and we assisted. We awkwardly wore masks when we were not eating. It was wonderful to be together. We hadn’t shared a meal this way in months. While we were anxious about COVID, being together was happy and healing. The next day, I went to my parents’ house and fixed all their tech issues. 

In addition to her regular job, my daughter organized a conference on teleheath with her health policy society. The kids and I played Settlers of Catan in the evenings. I continued to tutor, teach Sunday school, and go to online events. I arranged for another distant field trip with a church in Chicago and a Buddhist temple in Michigan. 

My daughter cooked and baked and everything was delicious! I washed lots of dishes! My son’s new computer arrived and he vowed to back up more often. We had another Zoom call with the DHS retirees and created a retiree directory. The dog needed a vet visit for tummy issues. 

For Hanukah, we got my parents virtual tickets to see some music shows. On the first night of Hanukah, all of us visited the Botanic Gardens for a light show. It was great to be together, distantly and outdoors. My wife could now walk through the displays without pain. 

The weather varied from quite cold to warm enough to eat outdoors. My daughter took some time off. We made it vacation-like by ordering in brunch and bringing in a few more dinners. Friends dropped off cookies and latkes, which were special and sweet. We sent notes, gifts, and thank yous. We drove through a neighborhood in Chicago famous for Christmas light decorations. 

Holiday food flooded the fridge. The dog preferred the TV remote. My wife organized a gift drive through the congregation. We had a mountain of presents in our yard! The kids watched West Wing. 

My son signed up for webinars, seminars, and classes as he interviewed for jobs. He made lists of things for an apartment. We hiked in the woods, learned to play Ticket to Ride, and dressed warmly. Our daughter made plans to go back to DC in January. The new dishwasher finally arrived! I started planning the congregation’s twentieth anniversary instead of washing dishes. 

The weather was still in the 20s and sometimes up into the 50s at the end of December, so we met my parents for outdoor walks. We thought that meant winter would be mild; we were wrong! My wife took the family to Rogers Park for a tour of her old neighborhood and stories of her childhood. One the way home, we went through Skokie past my childhood home.

We were Zooming for everything: conversations with friends, Shabbat services, funerals, shivas, and even another reunion of my college science fiction club! I helped a congregation in Michigan discuss renaming. We traveled further from home to try new restaurants. The kids put my daughter’s game console on our TV and played video games together. My wife bonded with the dog by feeding him salmon. My daughter helped her brother with his resume. 

Healthcare folks were getting the vaccine, but I was still very anxious. The COVID numbers were up and yet we saw photos of people traveling. How could they do that? We sent money to our snowplow service because there hadn’t been any snow– until December 29th. 

I was walking the dog when it started snowing. The dog loved it! He kept going outside to catch snowflakes and roll! Snow became a mainstay of his diet. 

My daughter’s work did not let up. Holidays or not, she worked ten-hour days or longer. It was good she was home and we could help her make all the pieces fit. 

As 2020 ended, we were together. I tried not to think about how soon we would be separated. The year ended unceremoniously, but we were healthy, happy, and home.