Somewhere I read that a Prophet is without honor in his own country.
I send stuff to my children, and they read it, usually, and even
comment on it, sometimes. But I don't expect anything from my
efforts. They are for my edification. Maybe one day they will run
across them and something in them will make them smile, and share some
of their memories with their offspring. I've simplified my
responsibilities to two. One is to please me, but even before that
one is to please Cathy. I've found that when I've managed to please
Cathy, I have pleased myself. Two pleased people in the same room is
awesome.
Carl Jarvis
On 8/22/17, Miriam Vieni <miriamvieni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
No, I've never thought of writing a book. Too much work. But I did, at one
point, begin to write short pieces, two, to be exact, which I sent to my
daughters, about various bits of my life. No one commented on them or asked
for more. So I decided that I was probably imposing on them, rather than
sharing with them. So, apart from my posts to Blind Democracy and DB Review,
and material I've written in the past for professional purposes, I shall
remain part of the anonymous masses.
Miriam
-----Original Message-----
From: blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Carl Jarvis
Sent: Tuesday, August 22, 2017 11:05 AM
To: blind-democracy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [blind-democracy] Re: Dick Gregory and other subjects
"Extrovert", you touched on an interesting point, Miriam. Extroverts are
probably poorly equipped to tell Introverts how to cope with Life.
Two very different approaches. And unless one is skilled in how to
interact, it's possible to do more harm than good. What little I know on
the subject was learned at the expense of my early students in the
Orientation and Training Center. Of course I was a Soldier in the NFB's
Blind Army, marching in lock step to the orders of President Kenneth
Jernigan. So in the mode of, "One Size Fits All", I would gather my
students together and head out for the South Center Mall, a crowded
sprawling mass of shops and inside and outside walkways. The purpose was to
demonstrate, by putting my students on the front line, that we could both
find our way around this maze safely, but locate the shops we wanted, and
learn what was in them. I would march my students into the open entrance of
a shop and ask them, "Can you tell what is inside?" We would sniff and
crane our ears trying to determine what was before us. If we were not able
to tell, I would march them inside and call out, "May we have some
assistance here, Please?" Usually a clerk would scurry over, fearful that a
bunch of blind people would trash the merchandise trying to find their way.
We would then chat a bit, finding out what was sold, and deciding if any of
us wished to buy. And then we marched off to the next shop.
Always some of the students hung back unwilling to behave so boldly.
In my ignorance and my "training", I assumed that they were simply
uncomfortable with their blindness, and in time they would "come out of
their shells". Who knows how many people's potential progress I damaged by
this, "Only one right way" philosophy.
Cathy is an introvert. No shrinking violet, just an introvert. She would
rather sleep in, wake up slowly, have a quiet cup of coffee, maybe some
toast, stare at the birds outside, and follow it all up by snuggling down
with a good book. All the while I am jumping about, preparing to "Do
Stuff", and driving her to distraction. I grin when I think of what would
have happened if Cathy had been my student, and I tried to march her into a
shop she did not want to enter. Her Italian side would come out...oops,
that's a negative stereotype.
But in spite of it all, I mean my "extrovertness", I am a reader, too.
We, my two sisters and I, were raised in the public library. And each night
before we headed for bed, Mother would settle us down by reading from the
exciting children's tales, like Mary Popins, The Adventures of Alice in
Wonderland, The Water Babies, Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. Even after
becoming blind in my left eye, I could walk along the street reading a
paperback. And after I became totally blind I took to Talking Books like
the old duck took to water.
But whether an introvert or an extrovert, each of us have something to
share, with those who understand the value of sharing. Have you ever
written your life's adventure for others to read? You, like me, have
wandered through most exciting times. I finished reading my great
grandfathers journal, describing his travels around the Eastern part of
Washington and Northern Idaho, in a day when Grizzly Bears were a bigger
threat than Humans. His blunt and open prejudices help fill in a picture of
how "Rugged Individuals" dealt with their world.
My folks produced a book of their memories. Cathy, my younger sister and I
had it finalized and published. We had thirty six copies printed, and gave
my sisters and myself 12 copies each to distribute as we chose. But best of
all, I have safe and secure in my desk drawer, my dad reading each of their
writings, so I could also "read"
the book.
It's on my To Do List to put these tapes in order and have them put on
cartridges for my children and grand children.
Here in Washington, the Washington State University Library has a collection
of books, like my folks, and papers like my great grandfather's. Such
collections as this give flesh to history's bones.
Carl Jarvis
On 8/22/17, Miriam Vieni <miriamvieni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Carl,
Well, I'm overwhelmed by your activities. I need a lot of sleep. Bed
at 10 and up at 5 and awake during that time? I'd never survive that.
But I never could deal with early mornings at all, although I'm wide
awake and energetic at 11 pm. But yes, since I am housebound and have
no grandchildren, I have lots of time to read, although these days, I
can fall asleep reading in the afternoon. The other thing is that
reading has always been one of my favorite things. My mother and aunt
read to me when I was a child. In school, I was in a sight
conservation class where there was a closet of large print books. I
spent days and days reading them. I manipulated so that I could avoid
going to my regular class because it was boring and one had to sit
still and not talk, so I spent more time than I should have in that
sight conservation class where I read books, fed the turtles, watered
the plants, and drew pictures. That's why, when the "free school"
movement came along in the sixties, I understood and supported it.
But that's a whole other subject. Anyway, I'm not an intellectual, and
there are limitations to what I wish to read and what I can
understand. But the books that I have read, provide a depth of
understanding of things that, I don't think, one can manage to get in any
other way.
I read your descriptions of your life with wonder and envy because I
am not healthy, have so many disabilities at this point, and have
never been an extrovert.
Miriam
-----Original Message-----
From: blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Carl Jarvis
Sent: Tuesday, August 22, 2017 12:15 AM
To: blind-democracy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [blind-democracy] Re: Dick Gregory
Miriam,
You are much more of a reader than I. Time restraints being what they
are, I do a great deal of skimming. Although when some new twist or
concept raises its head, I do slow down. But I don't do many of the
hour plus You Tube presentations, and I skip over several great internet
publications.
Looking back I recall that much of my concentrated reading was between
the hours of Ten and Two, hours that this old man needs to be flat in
bed getting up the strength and courage to face another day. I turn
in most nights at ten and wake up at five. While I dress and shave
and stuff like that, I listen to Amy Goodman. Six finds me making
coffee and toast, or some sort of cooked cereal...unless Cathy does up
bacon and eggs. I get on line around seven and by eight thirty I
usually prepare for the days clients. We hit the road around nine,
arriving at our first client's door between ten and ten thirty. We
see only one or two folks in the afternoon, arriving back home by four
or five. As I get older I find that I can't wait too long to draft a
report on the days activities, then there are the calls to be made,
new clients to chat with and schedule, resources to hunt down, orders
to be prepared for the appliances we've spent the day promising to
people. While I wrap up the office stuff, Cathy stops her work and does a
fine dinner...which we promptly consume.
We mostly eat around seven, watching the mindless Wheel of Fortune and
Jeopardy, or chatting. Then I do a bit of reading on-line, running
off at the fingers, and generally having a good time. We keep a
Talking Book on the headboard and usually we can count on one of us
still being awake after half an hours reading. So, as you can guess,
I'm nowhere near as quick as I was in my younger years. And I expect
that in a couple of years more I will realize that I'm not as fast as I
was at 82.
So this is a long winded round about explanation why I continue to
listen to Richard Wolff. Yes, he does sound a bit pompous, like the
old school master peering down his long aristocratic nose at what he
believes to be slightly dull students. But I do still gain things to
ponder. The same is true of a program I've listened to for several
years. The Media Project. It's a collection of three people, usually
an editor, a professor and the head of the NPR station in Albany.
They discuss the media. It's a laid back chat, but it gives me
another insight. I ran across a rebroadcast from a Seattle station
about 4:00 in the morning. I found it on-line and check in at least a
couple of times each month. If it were an hour program I'd probably
skip it, but I think that a half hour sitting in with some folks that
have given me the feeling that I'm with old friends, is worth it.
The other thing that is troubling to me, since I was trying to pull up
the names of the people on The Media Project, is that I'm struggling
to pull familiar names, dates and events up from wherever they have
been tucked. I avoid public speaking other than presentations about
our services. Since splitting my Braille finger, my ability to read
fast enough to speak from notes, is no longer reliable.
Do these signs of advancing age trouble me? Of course they do. But I
also know that becoming upset will only make life unpleasant for me
and those I love. So I adjust. And I have learned to let go of some
tasks that I held near and dear. For years I edited the WCB Newsline,
and in later years stayed on the state-wide Newsline Committee. I
bowed out of that committee last year. I am no longer on the various
state committees that used to keep me dashing into Olympia or Seattle.
It's been several years since Cathy drove me to the Bainbridge Island
Ferry on the first leg of another trip. Today we ended a three day
visit with our eleven year old grand daughter, taking her to dinner at
the Olive Gardens in Silverdale before taking her home to Gig Harbor.
I do believe that at my age I am learning balance. Balance is the key
to a happy, successful life. As we stayed chatting with our daughter
and her husband, Elizabeth, our four and a half year old grand
daughter wrapped herself around my right leg and shouted up some
little girl noises that her daddy translated for me. "Grampa Jervis,
I want you to come to my birthday party...okay?" Elizabeth and I have
bonded! Just like Cathy and Gracie, the elder sister. "Of course I'll be
at your birthday party. When is it?"
I replied with enthusiasm. "October nineteen", she chirped...October,
and already she's planning? I can see several years ahead of us
entertaining little girls who arrive with their Planners under their
arms, chock full of the things that they and grandma and grandpa are going
to do.
And I'm smiling.
Carl Jarvis
On 8/21/17, Miriam Vieni <miriamvieni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
I have to admit. I've given up on Richard Wolff. Basically, it's
because he bores me. He has a message, which I've heard, and he keeps
repeating it in different permutations. And he does seem to be
talking to his audience as if we were all rather slow witted. He
takes what his guests say, and repeats much of it in simpler language
for his mentally deficient, uneducated audience who, he is sure,
needs everything simplified. So, after several weeks, I decided that
I'd prefer to listen to something else or read a book, rather than
listen to Richard Wolff. Other podcasts have also been discarded. But
I just found a new one, which I find interesting, Citations Needed.
It involves Adam Johnson from FAIR and another guy whose name I
really didn't catch, who talk about how the media presents information.
Counterspin does that and it's a FAIR podcast, but it's beifer and
slicker.
This podcast was mentioned on Counterspin and is relatively new. What
I'm realizing is that a lot of the material covered in these podcasts
is familiar to me, but I like podcasts that present the material in
an interesting manner. I've finally figured out that The Dig, the
Jacobin podcast, is, well actually, Jacobin is the magazine of the
Social Democrats of America. At least I think so. The podcasts can be
very interesting if the person being interviewd is interesting.
Sometimes, they're very sort of academic. There's been a series on
Latin America, packed with information, but sometimes, my mind
wanders. The podcasts to which I listen, from different sectors of
the left, diverge somewhat in their opinions, and there's some
quarreling among factions about some things. Sometimes, I'm clear
about where I stand. Sometimes, not so much.
Miriame
-----Original Message-----
From: blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Carl
Jarvis
Sent: Monday, August 21, 2017 2:44 PM
To: blind-democracy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [blind-democracy] Re: Dick Gregory
I suspect people's dialect and speech pattern can be offsetting to
some folks ears. I had a bit of that feeling when I began listening
to Richard Wolff. Not only the accent, but how he paced his words
and left me with the feeling that he was talking down a bit. But I
totally appreciate his points of view. He's been on Thom Hartman's
TV show several times. Maybe he'll move Thom a bit more toward the
Left.
And speaking of how we talk, Thom Hartman has that bland, all
American voice. It never gets in the way of my listening to what he
has to say. But that does not make him right all the time.
Regarding Dick Gregory, I agree that much of his material was aimed
at a Black audience, and they got the message and the humor. Which
was the whole point of his routine. Bill Cosby's routine was aimed
at me, and others like me, and he was very skilled at it. While I
can find the man disgusting, I still can listen to his routines and
chuckle over the pictures they bring into my head.
It's hard to keep the talent of an individual separate from their
actual selves. People want to know all about the folks who entertain
them. Red Skelton was not a nice man, but to a small boy listening
on the radio, he was very funny. Grandpa McCoy, Walter Brennon, was
about as Racist and White Supremist as they come, but I never
confused the delightful characters he played, with the man. The man
who built our house did a grand job. But it turned out that he was a
stogy ultra conservative. While he had bad political judgement, he
built one Hell of a decent house.
So I tip my hat to Dick Gregory, the comic I did not personally find
so funny. The people he reached with his humor needed him far more
than I did.
And also there is the fact of this man turning from what could well
have provided him great financial security, to give all of his
support to those people needing him.
Carl Jarvis
On 8/21/17, Miriam Vieni <miriamvieni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Carl,
I just finished listening to Democracy Now. Gregory's humor is very
different from Kosby's, I think, because it wasn't solely humor. At
least in the material I just heard, all of the humor included
definite social messaging, most of it, directed at black audiences.
In a way, it was a kind of preaching. And in he end, he was a
social activist because his humor was scene as disruptive to the
social system. Amy said that he was not allowed any more
entertainment platforms because of his activism. Any messages that
Kosby had for black audiences, came straight from the white man,
just as Obama's messages did.
As for Jerry Lewis, I don't remember any discussion about him at all.
Perhaps people in different parts of the country, perceived him very
differently. This reminds me of an interchange with a midwestern guy
from the DB Review list, that I had yesterday. It had to do with a
podcast called, Just The Right Book. The woman who hosts it, was an
attorney doing some sort of financial stuff, but she ended up owning
a bookshop, or maybe it's a small chain of bookshops in Connecticut.
She's really very sophisticated and business savvy, but she's in her
sixties and has a very heavy New York, probably Brooklyn or Bronx
accent, and I'm sure her background is Jewish. My internet friend
said that he listened to the podcast a few times, but he was very
put off by the way Roxanne talks, so he stopped listening. Actually,
I also find her manner of talking rather irritating, but not so much
that it would cause me to stop listening. I'll listen to an episode
if I'm interested in what she's talking about.
Miriam
-----Original Message-----
From: blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Carl
Jarvis
Sent: Monday, August 21, 2017 11:30 AM
To: blind-democracy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [blind-democracy] Re: Dick Gregory
My sense that Dick Gregory was not as entertaining as some of the
later Black Comics, like Bill Cosby, was not meant to detract from
his central role in the Fifties, Sixties and Seventies as a Civil
Rights Advocate.
Gregory, in my opinion was far more of an influence through his
daily life than was Bill Cosby, over whom I absolutely fell off my
chair laughing. But Cosby used his enormous talent to satisfy his
own greed, while Gregory used his talent to open doors for all
Blacks and people of Color. Amy Goodman had an hour with clips out
of past interviews with Dick Gregory on this morning. While my
respect for him grew, I still found his humor to be not so funny.
As for Jerry Lewis and my claim that many people saw in him a
negative stereotype of a NYC Jew, That was my recollection of years
of hearing people talk about him. People who "loved" the man, even
as they made cutting remarks.
Maybe I read more into all of that, just because I never, ever liked
anything about Jerry Lewis.
Carl Jarvis
On 8/21/17, Miriam Vieni <miriamvieni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
I wanted to add to this conversation because there was a piece
regarding Dick Gregory on Unauthorized Disclosure that I heard this
morning. I do think that Carl's and Roger's posts have sold him short.
There was an amazing interview with Dick Gregory held in 1964 on a
public radio station in which he responded to the interviewer's
rather naïve questions, with excellent imply phrased explanations
of what it means to be black in America and also, some predictions
about the reactions of white people as they begin to comprehend
that they are a minority of the world's population with less power
than they're accustomed to. There was also an excellent little
stand up comedy bit about what it was like for a black person to
order food in a restaurant in the South. Additionally, Gregory has
a history of working for a variety of causes of which you would
approve, starting in the 70's.
Miriam
