MEMOIRS PART II

SUNNY, BUT NOT TOO BRIGHT!

There was only one way to get a suntan when I was young.  We didn't have tanning booths or tanning lotions and when we wanted a golden tan, we got it from the sun.  One summer Kris Anderson and I decided to sunbath.  We cut numbers out of paper (our boyfriends football jersey numbers).  We had the bright idea to tape the numbers to our stomachs and after tanning we would take off the paper and the numbers would be highlighted in our albino white skin.  It was going to be so cool.  Kris told me about the fireman's tower (a 25 foot wooden scaffolding frame) by the fair grounds.  The fireman occasionally practiced drills there and she thought we could climb to the top and sunbath, but we quickly realized there was no ladder to get up to the first landing.  Kris suggested we climb on the car, she would push me up and then I would reach down for her.  Genius idea and it worked like a charm.  

We sunbathed for hours, but when it was time to leave we faced another dilemma.  Getting down was going to be much harder than climbing up, there was nothing to hold on to and a good six feet in between the landing and the top of the car!  Kris wanted to go first, so I held onto her hand, but I lost my balance and it broke the grip!  She fell and caved in the entire top of her dad's car.  Honestly, it looked like craters of the moon!  Her eyes bugged out like a cartoon character and she screamed, "My dad is going to kill me!"  When I heard her scream and saw the look on her face I panicked!  I got so scared I jumped right off the landing into thin air and landed on the dusty ground in a puff of smoke.  Frantically, Kris got inside the car and pushed on the roof, it miraculously popped back into its original shape.  Yowzers, I swear we had nine lives because you couldn't even see a crease or crack in the paint.  Once again we had escaped the jaws of death, and a split second later we were looking at the pearly white numbers on our tan stomachs... "Sure looks cool!" I said, admiring the #65 glowing like a torch.  "Yeah, looks so cool!" She replied with a tone of victory in her voice and we drove off into the sunset!

SCHOOL SPIRIT!

Great experiences happened at Moscow High School.  We didn't have a lot of money to spend or the high tech privileges that kids have today, so we created a life that was authentic and filled with character and imagination.  Most of the students went to school together their entire lives which made it very difficult to remain anonymous.  If someone new moved into our school, we quickly grafted them into the branches on our tree and they became a part of the heritage of MHS.  Most experiences will never be forgotten, for our lives were constantly filled with unexpected pandemonium.  Our first year as freshman; we survived a weeks worth of initiation.  The freshman boys had to dress like girls, the girls couldn't wear any makeup and they had to rat their hair until every hair stood on end.  We all wore signs around our necks that said, "Lowly Freshmen Deserve Punishment" and gave sticks of gum to the seniors upon command.  We pushed grapes down the hallways with our noses, had to be prepared to sing the school fight song impromptu, kiss the stinky feet of the seniors, and enslaving ourselves to carry books, bags and a lot of who knows what from place to place... but loved every minute of it!  Our class was indeed the best at MHS.

It was a dare that got the president of the senior class, John O'Driscoll,  to stick his arm (up to his armpit) in the lunchroom garbage slop for just a few quarters and Morris Musseau who swallowed a couple of live goldfish out of the tank in the art room - to see the girls squirm.  Gary Curtis won the award for having the biggest, slimiest spit wads hanging from the ceiling in study hall, until a wet and juicy one fell from the air and splattered in the middle of Mr. Little's desk... BUSTED!  Cathy Brown and Suzanne Robinson's lockers were always filled with glass pop bottles and each time they opened their doors, the clanking sound would resonated through the halls as the bottles fell on the floor.  We'd be sitting in class and hear the familiar sound, everyone would shake their heads and nod, knowing it was either Suzanne or Cathy!  They saved pop bottles to trade in at IGA grocery store and took the money to buy donuts at Moscow Bakery or candy from Hunters; both were just a couple of blocks from the high school.  If they were lucky, Mike Turk would cruise by in his 1935 Chevy and offer them a ride.  He looked a little like Paul McCartney and if there was ever a McSteamy at MHS, it was Mike Turk.  There were so many great things that happened the four years I was there that I can only scratch the surface.   

We tip our glasses in celebration for the honorable mentions: The initials that were mowed on the side of the hill overlooking the city by John O'Driscoll and Lance Labine, the night creatures that spray painted '68 on the rocks next to Highway 95 going North (sorry about the sprained ankle David Mumm), to those who put blue food coloring in the water fountain at the University of Idaho (news paper worthy), the stolen skeleton from Mr. Harman's science class found hanging in a stall in the girls bathroom, the dead fish that someone threw in the ceiling light in the library and I am sure there are many, many more that I am not privy to or have forgotten.  I don't know how the class of 1968 found the time to get an education, but we did!  What is most important is that we all care for each other and have remained great friends for over a half century.

IN MEMORY 

Today I got down my senior year book and I was thumbing through some pages when I read something written that brought tears to my eyes.   It read:  Linda, The time has really flown by, but we have had a lot of fun together.  You are a real blast to be around... even if you do put snowmen in my locker!  We'll see more of each other in the future, okay! Never change and have a good time in the years to come.  I wish you only the best.  Love, Mike Dumas  

It was a moment of sadness for me when I reflected back on our friendship.  Mike died in a car accident and he left behind his broken hearted fiance and his family and friends who loved him dearly.  He was the man who always had a smile on his face and a dream in his heart.  This is dedicated to our friend, Mike Dumas.

My locker was not very far from Mike's locker and every opportunity we had during school we'd throw pencils at each other.  It got to be a real competition to see who could sneak up, pitching a pencil across the hall and hit the other one.  He would end up with my pencils and I would end up with his, but I always came out ahead, because the ones I threw had the erasers worn down beyond the metal and his were always nice and new!   One day during lunch hour, I slipped outside and made a snowman; complete with eyes, nose, and stick arms.  I carefully carried it back into the building and put it in the bottom of Mike's locker.  When he went to get his books after lunch, he opened the door to find a snowman melting at the bottom of his metal locker.  It was such a surprise to him, he loved it and told me that it was so sad to see it melt away.  It must have made a real impact on him, for in the ten year reunion booklet, Mike wrote that it was his most memorable experiences at MHS.  

I didn't see Mike for along time after we graduated and then one day he showed up at my door.  He was preparing a trip up the coast and back... riding a bicycle!  He figured it would take him a couple of months and he had come to say goodbye.  I was shocked that he was riding a bicycle across five states and told him he was crazy.  He promised to come visit me when he got back and share his adventures.  Sure enough, one day I got a call from him and he was on his way over.  We talked for hours and he shared experiences about the time it rained so hard he had to climb inside a black garbage bag along side the road and wait for it to quit.  One time, someone pulled a knife on him and he was so scared that he didn't know what to do, so he just jumped on his bike and rode like the wind!  I could see the pride he had in accomplishing his goals and I was truly impressed.  Shortly thereafter,  I moved away and we lost touch.  When I found out he had been killed in a car accident, I was devastated with grief.  Mike was so unassuming and kind, and he valued his friends above all other possessions.  Sometimes, we take people for granted, believing they will be around forever, but much like the snowman that had quickly melted away... one day, Mike Dumas was gone. by, Linda Sumner Urz, One fine day.

MEMOIRS

Little moments that made a big impact. 

LITTLE SHAVERS

I was not much older than ten when my friend Ann Marie Everson and I decided to shave our legs.  It was summertime and we were planning a day at the public pool, but first we had to take care of business.  Believe me when I say that neither one of us knew what a stupid thing we were about to do and we were extremely sneaky because my family was lurking on the other side of the door!  We secured the lock, got down my dad's double edged razor, (the one with the thin blade that wobbled back and forth in the carriage) grabbed the lathering brush and cover Ann's right leg with a smooth coating of cream.  I remember how excited we were about the deviant mission!  Ann started at the bottom of her leg and with one quick swoop, she shaved off about six inches of the skin covering her shinbone!  The pearly white shaving cream was a shocking contrast against the bright red blood spilling from her wounds, but the real fear came from the look on her face!  She started hopping around on her left leg and her wounded leg flailed about like there was a hinge at the knee cap!  I could see she was in pain and I panicked.  I grabbed the first thing in the medicine cabinet that resembled a cure.  It was Campho Phenique (a strong liquid oil used to treat cold sores) and I pored it down her leg.  The pain must have been excruciating!  Ann ricocheted off the four walls of the bathroom like an atom and her voice escalated to levels far beyond that of a siren.  Needless to say, my mother came through the bathroom door like a battering ram and... well, the rest is history. 

LILLIAN 

I grew up in a large family with a lot of mouths to feed and being the youngest might have been an advantage at times, but I was definitely at the bottom of the totem pole.  As kids, we were always trying to scrounge up enough spare change to go to the Nuart or Kenworthy theaters, usually stopping by Fountain's grocery store to buy some candy on our way down Main Street.  That's when a penny bought several pieces of candy and 3 cents afforded a double decker ice cream cone!  The Inscore family (Lillian and Jasper) owned the Hillcrest Motel and provided jobs for me and my siblings when were young.  I believe noble and good people come into the lives of others at exactly the right time and their family blessed all our lives for the span of 20 plus years.  Lillian was the type of woman who's door was alway open, she kept a well stocked fridge and never turned anyone away.  My older brother and two sister worked there throughout their teenage years and when I was eleven I asked her for a job and she hired me!  Lillian gave me a sense of self worth and little did I know that ten years later I would become the manager of another motel they owned in town.  We were all blessed and my family holds Lillian in the highest esteem.  You see, it takes a very special person to recognize the value of an eleven year old child, and she knew the worth of my soul.  She taught me to work hard, to earn an honest days wages and to appreciate my contributions to life.  I believe there are angles that go before us to prepare the way for our success and Lillian was mine!  When she passed away a few years ago, a piece of my heart went with her, but her positive influences have continuously directed my life.  She was a perfect mentor and example to follow after.  

DRIVING MISS, CRAZY!

Miss Maybelle Gehrke (Gurkee) was the librarian at Moscow High School for as long as anyone can remember.  She was a tall thin and cranky spinster in her late 60's with an extremely ridged personality.  This combination made it impossible to refrain from causing chaos in her library.  Students loved driving her crazy and it became a ritual to find new ways to torture her throughout the year, but all those years at MHS left a trail of pranks that eventually sent her into retirement!  My freshman year someone let a chicken go in her library and it was flying all over the tables.   Each time Ms. Gehrke tried to catch it, the chicken pooped everywhere.  It was a sight for sore eyes and she looked like a tall skinny chicken chasing a scared little chicken.  Another time, someone put an alarm clock behind the books and when the alarm went off... so did she!  She was so mad when she found the clock that she threw it in her metal garbage can and it went off again, but this time it was much louder from the sound vibrating off the metal , she nearly lost it!  One year the library smelled like death.  The janitor, principle, and Miss Gehrke were searching for the wicked smell, later they found limburger cheese behind the cast iron heating vents.  Another year she was walking from the study hall back into the library, someone threw a hand full of pennies at her while her back was turned and they came clinking down all around her.  Immediately, she turned around and said, "Some nerve, whoever threw those pennies while my back was turned is a real coward!"  I don't know how they did it, but at that moment another hand full of pennies came showering down around her like rain and she nearly went up in smoke!  I really think she was somewhat amused in the quality of our pranks; I know we were.

CAR TROUBLE

When Joyce Davis moved into the neighborhood my life shifted dramatically.  She was mischievous in an innocent sort of way and I followed one step behind her with a grin on my face that looked like I had a hanger in my mouth.  My father had an old Plymouth automobile sitting on the lot next to our house.  One day Joyce saw the keys in the ignition and got the crazy idea that we were going to drive the car, but when she turned the key nothing happened.  She convinced me that we could start the car by giving it a push down the road, and then pop the clutch.   Neither one of us had a valid drivers license and that should have been the first clue we were in trouble!  We pushed the car up and down the street for over an hour trying to start it.  Finally, we pushed it back into it's resting place.  One of the neighbors told my dad about our antics and that night at the dinner table he said, "Next time you decide to drive a car make sure it has an engine in it!"   My brother laughed hysterically, but my mother was not the least bit amused and grounded me for two weeks.  

BUMMER!

When I was a student at Moscow High School, my best friend Sheila Walter and I were walking home from school.  We lived several blocks away, but not far enough to ride the school bus (which we thought we were too cool for anyway).  We were seniors in high school and life was as prim and proper as it gets.  We were walking on Third Street when a delivery van driven by Richard Steffen came barreling up the road.   Richard was honking the horn to get our attention and there were arms waving out every window.  Sheila and I looked back to see what was coming toward us.  Several members of the football team had big smiles on their faces and they were waving their arms frantically out the windows to get us to notice them.  Sheila and I  were flattered that all these boys were so eagerly seeking our attention and a little puffed up in ourselves.  I remember thinking that this was the height of my glory as a student at MHS, until the van squealed by and we saw someone mooning us out the back doors of the vehicle!  Mike Schierman later confessed that it was his eclipse that blocked out the sun shining that day. by, Linda Sumner Urza, One fine day.

Getting Past Yourself!

Have you looked at the faces of people lately?  I was in Costco today waiting for a family member and I got completely caught up watching people come and go (I suggest the next time you have a moment in public, look around).  I was sad to see how many people resembled the walking corpses in The Night of The Living Dead.  Their faces were lifeless and void of expression!  I wondered the price these people had to pay to be in their own presence. 

It was sad to watch and I wondered who or what had sucked the life out of these wonderful people!  Occasionally, there were human beings that emerged from the crowd that were glowing with radiance, but they were few, far and in between.   These wonderful souls reminded me of the rainbow that appears right after a dark and dreary storm!  These people possessed a countenance that radiated gratitude and happiness, their eyes were sparkling with the passion of life, and they all seemed to possess a powerful strength to counteract the frigid world around them.   

There were many obvious things about these content and happy people.  They were constantly looking for opportunities to make a difference in the space around them.   While others were suspended in a sleep state, these good people were eagerly engaging in a life that had value and their presence was powerful beyond measure.   They all seemed to possess the same attributes.  They were polite and kind to those around them, they were genuinely complimentary to others, and their spirits seemed to overflow with gratitude!   I wanted to jump out of my seat and follow these bright and shining people like an excited child would march after the Pied Piper.  

I was taken aback by the contrast of the two entities and I realized their was a tangible energy coming from those who had chosen to emulate a positive message.  The light and energy surrounding them was so visibly that I could almost reach out and touch its essence.  I blinked my eyes several times in amazement as I watched this unfold.   Strangers were intentionally gravitating toward them with the desire to interact.  It was incredible to witness this magnetic pull, but quite the opposite effect was happening for those individuals who resembling the walking dead; people were going out of the way to keep their distance.  I was amazed at the visible contrast between the two forces.  

I wondered what my spirit looks like from afar?  Was I wearing a dark and dreary armor of death and woe is me or was I shining in my own light?  At that moment I made a conscious decision to change the space surrounding me through my thoughts and actions and to be constantly aware of how I interact.  I am going to get past myself and remember the divine reasons I am here in this life!  

It takes a committed desire to change, but in reality how much time does it really take to see something incredibly wonderful about someone and let it be known?  I've been around long enough to see there is a lot of pain in the world and there are many people in need of a soft place to fall.  If we resolve to make a difference through a few simple changes, we can soften the world through our example.  We can perpetuate the brilliant light emulating from within; you know, that perfect light thats draws others into a more positive center of influence.  

I wanted to change the space around me, to start giving from the "inside out" and to be a constant contributor of love and well being.  After this experience, I came home and wrote down six positive affirmations to help me remember who I am and to assist me in staying focused on my new resolutions.  

Draw light and inspiration from the source of creation and constantly emulate it from within.  

Commit to genuine acts of kindness daily (great or small, they are precious gifts to be given)! 

Love others for who they are and do not judge or condemn them for who they are not.

In a world where I can be anything...  be a good one!

Live with a greater purpose in mind, (there's not an opportunity to pass this way again)!

Live an authentic life.

This year will fly by like the wind and there are no recalls, rebates, or redoes with "time gone by".  We all have the power to change the very elements that surround us and it will take a "higher level of consciousness" to raise the next generation, but everyone has a role to play!  Individually, start by getting past yourself to see what's on the other side of ho hum... it might be surprising to find out that it's a better you!  by, Linda sumner Urza, One Fine Day.  

"I Want To Buy A Miracle."

I Want To Buy A Miracle is one of my favorite stories that I've shared with my children over the years.  It was written anonymously and there was much controversy whether it was fact or fiction.  In my perspective that isn't important; rather, it's the message and the impact that it has on the reader.  The story is crystal clear; we are the miracles that happen in the lives of others.  No matter how great or small the gift... it still counts as a miracle to those in need.   

This Christmas my niece challenge everyone on facebook to give of themselves; pay it forward, so to speak.  I was looking for ways to emulate her request and had no idea the sweetness that I was about to experience. 

Later that day a friend of mine stopped by the house and she had been working out in the rain in a light weight jacket.  She was soaked to the bone!  I took off her jacket to throw it in my dryer and noticed she was shivering uncontrollably.   I went to my closet, pulled out my grey wool coat and asked her to please put it on.   It fit like a glove.  "I want you to have this coat."  I said as I buttoned the front snugly around her little frame.  The tears welled up in her eyes and at first she declined, but I assured her that it was meant to be and I would be honored if she would keep it.    

After she left my home that day, I was filled with the kind of warmth that a coat or warm fire cannot provide.  The feeling was much deeper and more glorious than the noon day sun.  I realized that I was the one that had received the greatest gift that day!

This story  is the perfect example of the difference one person made in the lives of many, through acts of kindness.  Each person can do their part according to their ability to give.   No matter how great or small the gift, it's magnificent to the receiver!  

'I Want To Buy A Miracle.'

A little girl went to her bedroom and pulled a glass jelly jar from its hiding place in the closet.  She poured the change out on the floor and counted it carefully.  Three times, even.  The total had to be exactly perfect.  No chance here for mistakes, carefully placing the coins back in the jar and twisting on the cap, she slipped out the back door and made her way 6 blocks to Rexall's Drug Store with the big red Indian Chief sign above the door. 

She waited patiently for the pharmacist to give her some attention but he was too busy at this moment.  Tess twisted her feet to make a scuffing noise, nothing!  She cleared her throat with the most disgusting sound she could muster, no good.  Finally, she took a quarter from her jar and banged it on the glass counter. That did it! 

"And what do you want?" the pharmacist asked in an annoyed tone of voice.  I'm talking to my brother from Chicago whom I haven't seen in ages," he said without waiting for a reply to his question.  "Well, I want to talk to you about my brother,"  Tess answered back in the same annoyed tone.  "He's really, really sick... and I want to buy miracle."

"I beg your pardon?" said the pharmacist." His name is Andrew and he has something bad growing inside his head and my Daddy says only a miracle can save him now.  So how much does a miracle cost?"  "We don't sell miracles here, little girl. I'm sorry but I can't help you," the pharmacist said, softening a little.  "Listen, I have the money to pay for it. If it isn't enough, I will get the rest. Just tell me how much it costs." 

The pharmacist's brother was a well dressed man.  He stooped down and asked the little girl, "What kind of a miracle does your brother need?"  "I don't know," Tess replied with her eyes welling up.  I just know he's really sick and Mommy says he needs an operation, but my Daddy can't pay for it, so I want to use my money."  "How much do you have?" asked the man from Chicago.  "One dollar and eleven cents," Tess answered barely audibly.  "And it's all the money I have, but I can get some more if I need to."  "Well, what a coincidence," smiled the man.  "A dollar and eleven cents -- the exact price of a miracle for little brothers." 

He took her money in one hand and with the other hand he grasped her mitten and said, "Take me to where you live.  I want to see your brother and meet your parents.  Let's see if I have the miracle you need." 

That well dressed man was Dr. Carlton Armstrong, a surgeon, specializing in neuro-surgery.  The operation was completed free of charge and it wasn't long until Andrew was home again and doing well. Mom and Dad were happily talking about the chain of events that had led them to this place. 

That surgery," her Mom whispered. "was a real miracle. I wonder how much it would have cost?" Tess smiled.  She knew exactly how much a miracle cost...one dollar and eleven cents ... plus the faith of a little child.

We may never know how many miracles are needed by those who surround us, but if we are intuitive to the needs of others, they will manifest.  A miracle is not the suspension of natural laws; rather, the actions of higher laws.  I challenge everyone who reads this post today to change the way you look at others.  The challenge is to use your eyes to see farther than the end of your nose, your hands to reach out in service, your arms to cradle the weary, your mind to be free from any judgements, and your heart to guide the way.  For are we not all one...  by Linda Urza, One Fine Day.

GIFTED

The gifts I would give to my friends and loved ones this New Year would come from the heart and be so genuine and impressionable that renewed life would spring forth from a weary soul.  My gifts would not come in a package with a bow, for they would need no presentation, but they would come sweetly from my heart to yours.  

The first gift I would give is my example of FAITH.  To "believe" in things that are not seen, yet are manifest in the pure in heart through faith.  For a believer no explanation is necessary and for a non believer no explanation is possible!  Faith is the foundation of eternal life.

The second gift I would give is that of UNCONDITIONAL LOVE.  "To truly love someone... not for what they have done in the past or for what they may become in the future, but for who they are today.”

The third gift I would give is that of CHARITY.  This precious gift can heal the gapping wounds of the broken hearted and change a world of pain and sorrow into heaven on earth. 

The fourth gift I would give is that of HOPE.  Hope builds dreams, and dreams are what make little boys want to grow up to become men and little girls believe in the miracles of tomorrow.  

The fifth gift I would give is that of GOODNESS.  When you do good, you get good, and you feel good!  The greatest counsel my parents ever gave me when I was a little girl was "to be good.”  Goodness produces “great” and the world is in need of great men and women!

The sixth gift that I would give is that of FORGIVENESS.  Those who truly understand the power of forgiveness are those who emulate peace and harmony throughout the world.  Forgiveness will melt a heart of ice and break down walls of stone.

The seventh gift I would give is that of PATIENCE.  Patience teaches that everything comes gradually and at it’s appointed hour.  Patience is the center of unconditional love.

The eighth gift that I would give is that of FRIENDSHIP.  There is no greater companion in this world than a true friend.  A true friend is one who wants the very best for you.   They want to see you succeed above your own expectations and strive to push you to the very top, only to celebrate your glory as though it were their own.

The ninth gift that I give is that of PEACE.  Those who have attained peace in the middle of the storm will usher in the millennium.  The peacemakers are the meek and mild who shall inherit the earth.  

The tenth gift that I would give is that of ETERNAL LIFE, but this gift was already given by the Messiah, who made it possible for all the other gifts to be given and to Him I am grateful!

May 2011 bring the blessings of Heaven. 

by, Linda Sumner Urza, One Fine Day