Today I was nominated and approved as a trustee for our local library. I was very excited about the opportunity to serve on such a prestigious board.  I think the public library system is one way to protect our freedom of speech and access to information.  I always enjoy reading a banned book. It makes me feel empowered. That banned book had something in it that scared a group of people and that group worked very hard to interfere with my right to read whatever it is that I want to read. It doesn’t matter than the subject was not of interest to me or the language was a bit rough. It is still my choice to read that book, if I so choose.  I would hope our libraries are one way to prevent censorship to become rampant in our country.  This is one reason why I love our country. Our rights our protected by a document written so long along but with so much foresight as to protect the rights of our citizens far beyond their wildest dreams.

     So in my ongoing celebration of banned books, here are the “Top 10 Banned Books for the Twentieth Century”:

10. Grapes of Wrath (1939) by John Steinbeck

9.   Lady Chatterley’s Lover (1928) by D.H. Lawrence

8.   Slaughter House Five (1969) by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.

7.   To Kill a Mockingbird (1960) by Harper Lee

6.   Fahrenheit 451 (1953) by Ray Bradbury

5.   The Catcher in the Rye (1951) by J.D. Salinger

4.   Tropic of Cancer (1934) by Henry Miller

3.   The Naked Lunch (1959) by William Burroughs

2.   Ulysses (1922) by James Joyce

1.   1984 (1949) by George Orwell

     Now, of course, this is a very limited number of books that have been banned or challenged. If you go to the American Library Associated at http://www.ala.org/ala/oif/bannedbooksweek/bbwlinks/100mostfrequently.cfm, you can download a list of the 100 most frequently challenged books between 1990-2000.  I say read a banned book.  Go to your public library, borrow a banned book, and read for yourself to understand how their authors successful interpreted life and portrayed issues and concerns in our world. If we do not read, we can not understand.

     I am reminded of a quote by one of my favorite authors, Ray Bradbury. He said, “You don’t have to burn books to destroy a culture. Just get people to stop reading them.” Reader’s Digest, January 1994.

    This year, Banned Books Week is September 27 to October 4, 2008. But don’t wait until then. There are too many really good books that need to be read. Start now. You will surprised what you discover about yourself and the world around you!

I caught up with an old friend the other day. It’s been, let me think, years, lots of years. I typed the email into the header. Moved my cursor down to the subject link and typed

It’s been a long time *sounds like SPAM*

Delete

Where have you been? *sounds like phishing*

Delete

Hi from NY *sounds so prosaic*

But I’m okay with that one. I moved my cursor to the body of the email and began to type.

Hi. How are you? It’s been a very long time and I thought I would track you down and see how you and the family are doing.  We are all doing well since moving back to New York.  RJ decided to retire and we bought an Inn in Mumford, not too far from the Genesee Country Village and Museum.

I stopped and reread what I wrote. How impersonal! Doesn’t even sound like we were ever friends.  Delete.

I’ve missed them and I can’t seem to compose an email to tell them.  I looked at the phone and back at my screen. Phone. Screen. Why don’t I just call?  I picked up the phone and dial the number I found on the web. The worse that will happen is… what? Nothing. The phone rang only twice and Jim’s voice comes over the line, “This is Jim. Can I help you?”

“You sure can.” I said. “It’s been a long time.”

“Who’s this?”

“Deborah.”

“I thought I recognized your voice. How are you doing, Doll?”

It was as though the years between us melted away. We talked about family, kids, and work and when we were in school.  I decided that we have to be in a certain place, at a certain time, doing certain things, in order for us to get where ever it is we have to be to achieve what ever it is we are suppose to do. 

We promised to stay in touch.

I suppose that is one of the reasons why I write about relationships. That is what is important today, those connections with people. They reflect back to us who we are. How can that be done through email, which are snippets of unrevealing conversation.  Worse yet it is text messaging. Through an intricate series of letters and symbols, the writer successfully communicates his message. Communicates – such a cold word. Conversation, on the other hand, implies a connection between two people. Letter writing is another form of communication that allows the writer to take the time to express their feelings or the message.  I think that is why letter writing is becoming a lost art form. It means people need to expose themselves, open themselves up to others, become vulnerable.

Do you remember the expression, “We only hurt the ones we love.” It’s true because we know how. We know them; therefore, we know how to hurt them. Every time we write something, anything, we reveal a bit of our soul – the who we are – and that makes us vulnerable. That is probably why I respect writers. They are risk takers. They risk ridicule, hurt, anger, isolation, love, and understanding. It is the understanding that causes to write. To explain. To be heard. That is the joy of writing.

So the relationships we develop through our forms of communications create bonds that will transcend time.

Make that call or write that letter to someone you need to connect with. Relationships need to be tended. Tend that relationship today.

2.12.08

     Thank you, Michael Warren Thomas! I was so nervous. I've been interviewed once before for the newspaper and I've written many articles that have been printed, but radio - that's a horse of a different color. Fortunately, Michael made me feel very at ease, although I felt like a stumbled around a bit. There is so much to talk about and you want to make sure that you make good use of the time you have on the radio. It was pre-recorded so it'll be interesting to see how much he airs. The interview lasted 35 minues!!! I didn't think I could talk for that long. What am I saying??? I use to talk in the classroom all day, but then again, I was talking with my kids not at them. 
     Well, back to the interview. It will be aired tomorrow on WYSL 1040 (Buffalo/Rochester) at 11:00 AM. I will have the podcast available on my web site as soon as it airs. I'm not sure that is good or bad. Michael already told me that no one likes their voice on the radio. He doesn't even like his voice. Although I must say, he has a great radio voice - deep and rich. He has a great program that showcases local businesses and the Finger Lakes region. This is a really great exposure for the Inn especially since the capital improvement project is finished and we are moving forward with marketing.
     The weather was yucky today. Rain, then ice, then snow and now hear the wind blowing. It's times like this that I'm glad I don't have to drive to work.  Tomorrow I have guests checking in and I have to bake a pie for the Scottsville Rotary Groundhog Dinner. It's a fundraiser for the Wheatland-Chili School District for programming. 
     Next week I have a dinner meeting to prepare for. I should be fun. I'm making vegetable lasagna with French Cranberry-Apple Pie for dessert.  Then it's on to planning for Junior Achievement. I have a 3rd grade class this year and the teacher at Cal-Mum elementary, Erin McCory, is wonderful! It will be fun to get back into the classroom for a few lessons. We are building a city to teach community.  What fun!
     More tomorrow...

     Tomorrow I'm meeting with Michael Warren Thomas of WYSL to be interviewed for his radio show on Saturday. He thinks the Genesee Country Inn is a very special place (which it is) and that people would like to hear about it's history and everything we do here.  Very cool!  I'll tell you all about it tomorrow.

    Today was my first class of step aerobics. RJ thought it would be a good idea if we signed up for an exercise class at the school.  Actually, he wanted to swim laps and I have no interest in getting into a pool in the dead of winter.  I thought walking up and down 3 sets of stairs at the Inn daily was plenty of exercise.  I looked at the offerings a couple of times and could not find anything I was interested in. But then again, I wasn't really excited in doing anything. So today is the day. I almost got there on time if it hadn't been for the phone ringing. RJ answered it while I waited at the door dressed in a down winter coat, wool scarf wrapped twice around my face and head, and my wood cap to keep my ears warm. I looked outside to see the wind blowing snow wickedly passed by side door. Brrrr... Do I really have to go? RJ hung up the phone and said, "Let's take your car."
     Out we go, wind blowing, snow hitting my on the side of my face. RJ unlocked the door and in I hop. God, the seat was cold. Well, it should have been. It's 20 degrees with a wind chill in single digits. He started the car and turned on the windshield wipers. Ooops! Frozen to the windshield. He mumbled under his breath.
     "You okay?" I asked.
     "Yea," he responded.
     But he continued to mumble. I guess frozen windshield wipers were not what he expected 10 minutes before I have to be to a class that I only signed up for because he was suppose to be swimming the same day I was stepping.  Oh, I forgot to tell you... he class was cancelled. 
     Anyway, he brushed off the windshield and turned on the defroster to release the wipers and off we go.  I didn't think anyone was there at first and I said, "If no one is there, that's it for me." He didn't say anything because he saw the cars before I did.  He dropped me off at the front entrance to the high school. I immediately just out of the car and rush into the building. I stopped at the office and said to the gal behind the class, "I know I'm late and I have absolutely no idea where I'm suppose to be."
     She smiled and said, "You are here for the step aerobic class? It's in the library and don't worry the instructor was a little late, too.
     The class was small and they had already started warming up. I stretched while I tried my sneakers and jumped right in. There were 6 of us plus the instructor: Helen, Sue, Kim, Devin, Eddy, and Mary. An hour later, I am back in the car heading home with RJ.
     "Did you like it?" he asked.
     "Yea, it was okay."
     "It's good to get out and meet people."

     I know he is right. I need to take more time for myself. And this is good for me. I'll be walking up and down my stairs tomorrow at the Inn.

     Boy, did I sleep well last night! I think it's because I had already decided that buying a new car was not a necessity.  RJ did a little more investigating and came up with the same conclusion. So now that is behind us and we are on to the next thing.  He'll be back to working at the Inn staining and painting and I'll be doing the marketing.  I still have a newsletter to finish and a brochure to write. We are running all these specials and hope that guests will take advantage of all these discounted rates.
     Today we went to Buffalo to visit Auntie Arlene and my sister. Auntie Arlene, RJ and I had a great time visiting and enjoyed Ted's Hot Dogs for dinner. How can anyone go to Buffalo and not have a Ted's hot dog?  I love their hot chili sauce with ketchup, mustard, onion, relish, and a pickle. Great stuff! Auntie Arlene found some old pictures of me as a kid. In one, I'm dressed in my communion dress and I'm kneeling in prayer. Very angelic! I acutally look cute. The other one was of me as a baby. I couldn't have been more than 10-12 months sitting on a blanket with a big smile across my face. It made me think of happy times as a child growing up in Buffalo on Bailey Avenue. 
     While I was visiting with Auntie Arlene, she started to tell stories from long ago when she was growing up. I've started to record them so they will not be lost. She told a story about a porter that worked at the tavern for my grandfather. He retired from his work on January 1, 1949 before he went to work for my grandfather.He was an immigrant from Poland and spoke very little English, but my grandfather offered him room and board for work around the bar. As a Porter, he would take care of moving cases of beer, alcohol, kegs of beer, or cans of food to their proper stops when deliveries were made.  He paid for driving lessons for my aunt because she was afraid to drive. Thank you, George.