Today's MOZEN: A Moment of Grace

They are usually fleeting; normally lasting only a few minutes. They also come at the oddest times and usually under the simplest of circumstance. They may be ephemeral but those brief Moments of Grace are always spiritual - at least to me.

It's a warm feeling of well-being, when all is right with the world. At that very moment, your stars have aligned, your ducks are all in a row, a steady course has been set, and everything, in its own time, will be just fine. You have no doubts.

I had just such an experience last night. It was cold; below freezing - the kind of weather for a nice cuddle under a warm, hand-made quilt. 

On this night, I was fortune to have access to both.

So, when it was time to sleep, I quickly stepped out of the chilled air and slid myself between the sheets and under the quilt. My girlfriend, Amanda, was already in bed and rapidly approaching sleep. I immediately came close to her to spoon against her warm body, She responded gently to my presence, eagerly accepting my embrace.

Then, as an added bonus, my little bear of a cat, Joe, jumped onto the bed and quickly ensconced  himself at our feet, providing further warmth and comfort.

Within seconds, that feeling washed over me: it could only be described as a State of Grace! It was if I was bathing in the pure light of simple satisfaction. At that brief, fleeting moment in time, my existence was as complete as it would ever be.

I drank it in deeply, as I would from a tumbler of the best bourbon.

I giggled gleefully, sighed. And smiled. Broadly. Completely.

And, then I slept. . . 

When You Think About It. African American History Month

You may be hearing the year 1619 quite a bit lately. It’s a seminal date in African American history as it was the year when 20 black African slaves were introduced into what would eventually become The United States of America at the nascent Jamestown settlement in Virginia. It is therefore often cited as the beginning of the black African presence here.

That may be a convenient date. However, the history of Africans in The New World is much longer and much more complicated.

The presence of black Africans in the Americas, mostly as slaves, can be traced back to the late 1400’s with their presence in what would become part of the modern United States as early as 1526.

That’s a nearly 500-year presence.

And, for far too much of that time, Africans have born the burden of bondage in one form or another. Remember, millions of others came to these shores bearing hardship and tragedy, but virtually only black Africans were brought here completely against their will and literally in chains.

Now, we say we have made progress with eliminating racism like that’s a badge of honor! But shouldn’t we be questioning why our society is so deeply rooted in racism in the 1^st place???

But have we really?

Just to prove how far we still must go, another young black man was literally beaten to death for mostly just being BLACK – and in the ultimate irony, by 5 other black policemen!!

So, yes, February may be African American, a.k.a. Black History Month when we celebrate the contributions, against staggering odds, of our black brothers and sisters but what does it really mean if there is no justice. Without it, there can be no peace.

When You Think About: Santos and the GOP. Perfect Together

First, let it be said that I ALWAYS felt that George Santos was a phony - from the very first time that I saw him.

I had no idea who he was as he was not a candidate in my voting district. But, of course, as an unexpected winner for Congress in his, he was being given a considerable amount of coverage on the local TV news.

I was watching his victory speech with my girlfriend. Much to her dismay, I'm sure, she will have to act as my witness; from the very first frame of video, I swear that I could tell that he was an out-and-out phony. In fact, once again as my girlfriend would attest, I was flabbergast that I seemed to be the only one noticing! I mean, his supporters were roaring in the background.

Everything about Santos (the name he is currently being identified as), to me, reeked of insincerity: his smile, his body language, his clothing, his copious amounts of what appeared to be make-up, his remarkably straight, ultra-white teeth, spray-on tan, and his "little boy" haircut.

Of course, at this point, none of the details had been released defining him as a lying sack of shit. It was just a feeling, a vibe. I've been a photographer for a LONG time and one of the keys to any success I may have had lies with my ability to get a sense of people/situations to capture them in the light of THEIR truth.

Frankly, I couldn't believe that he was elected. But, obviously, he was chosen by the voters and their decision would have to be respected. (How all of his deceit went undetected by his opponents and the press until now is a story for another post.)

That is until HIS SHIT STORM OF LIES TOOK OVER HIS LIFE!

Rather than spend a considerable about of time to document ALL of his blatant LIES, let me streamline the process by simply saying, if his lips are moving, he's lying. He tries to defend himself (when he bothers to) by saying they're not lies but embellishments. Screw that - I know a lie when I hear one!

I'm not a psychiatrist but I think it safe to say that the man has some type of pathological condition that simply prevents him from telling the truth.

But, that's not my problem or ultimate concern. What IS is the Republican response to the situation.

Mr. Santos, despite a growing groundswell of opposition, refuses to resign and, so far, the GOP leadership, led by Kevin McCarthy, has not only generally turned a blind eye, has even appointed Santos to a few important Congressional committees! 

Any reasonable person should/would legitimately ask, why, especially in the face of such irrefutable evidence, would you do so?

Well, the answer is simply - and, unfortunately, typical of today's Trumpian GOP; they need his head count to keep their razor thin majority in the House - thereby, once again, demonstrating their lust for power over the integrity of our very Nation.

Obviously, they deserve one another.

Today's MOZEN: Color Blind

Growing up in the 60's in Fort Lee, NJ wasn't exactly like "Leave It To Beaver". But it sure wasn't quite "The Jeffersons" either.

Neighborhoods were not flashy but, rather, solidly working-class with a fair amount of ethnic diversity featuring a healthy mix of Irish, Italians, Christians, and Jews. However, the racial component was virtually lily white. There were a handful of Asian families but I can't recall a single black family that we even knew of much less associated with. In fact, I really didn't experience any aspect of black life until I attended university at Rutgers in Newark!

However, despite that deprivation, since I was so into athletics as a young man, most of my roll models were black! I don't think that it was some type of spiritual awareness but much more practical: I loved playing football and most of my favorite players were, well, black.

I remember my first encounter with a professional football player - who also happened to be black. His name was Sherman White and he was making an appearance at the local Shop Rite. I was about 12 or 13 and since I lived just a few blocks away, I walked to the store early so that I could get a good spot to meet him.

When I did, I thought I saw a god. He was big. He was handsome. He was incredibly well-dressed, and his dark skin made him look like he was carved out of a block of ebony. I swear his feet never touched the ground when he walked - like a mythical black panther.

It never occurred to me that role models came in particular "colors." Now, I understand that it is important to see others who look like us and have achieved great success to show us the possibilities - especially for minority communities. But, at that time, it simply didn't matter to me - he was a pro and he looked and acted the part. That was fine by me.

Furthermore, my favorite player on my favorite team (the NY Giants), Ron Johnson, was African-American. I even wore his jersey #30 in his honor for my entire playing career. I even went to great lengths to find and wear Puma football shoes - just as he did.

Of course, my parents played an important part in emphasizing the only truly important thing about a person is their strength of character, not the color of their skin. That just seemed natural to me - and it still does.

Today's MOZEN: A MOST VIOLENT GAME

In my day, I was a pretty damned good football player, mostly as a defensive specialist - good enough to be named captain of both my high school and college teams. Unfortunately, most of those teams weren't very good but that's not the point of this post.

What IS most important was that I loved playing - until I didn't.

I have to admit right off that part of my initial attraction was that it IS a violent game and I was so gentle in my soul as a boy I was afraid that if I didn't "toughen up" I would never make it in the world I was most familiar with - both my father and his brother were excellent players in their day and I wanted to make them proud. In fact, my father would go through great lengths to attend my games and often offer needed and eagerly accepted advice after a contest.

On the other hand, my mother hated everything about football; so much so that she never attended any of my games AND I had to hide ALL injuries I may have incurred (and I had a few) from her - my father instructing me, for the sake of peace and harmony, to "keep it between us".

So, in a very real sense, I had something to prove, mostly to myself, and football would be that vehicle.

I wasn't very big at all but I was quick, strong, and fearless. I followed the instructions from my coaches to make punishing tackles by "putting my face in there". I did that so many times that I stopped counting how many times that I broke or damaged my nose! Still, I persisted. That was the point - persistence against all odds.

For as many punishing hits that I delivered I received back, in at least equal measure, every blow leaving a lasting impression - even now when I close my eyes tightly, I can still envision the little flashes of light that came with EVERY blow to my head. Still, I believe that I managed to escape that violent game mostly with no long-lasting ill effects.

So, one would reasonably ask, why would someone expose themselves to such potential harm - for fun?

Well, like the game, the reasons, at least for me, are complex.

I had something very personal to prove, especially to myself. And, in it's own way, football did that for me. For every time I was knocked down, I found a way to get up. I'm sure that there are better ways to learn this but it worked for me!

And, the nature of the game itself is one that can bring awe to the observer. Allow me to explain: in my post-football career, one of my jobs was as a news cameraman. As part of my duties, I was able to shoot some professional football games from Giants Stadium. I also had the privilege of photographing multiple space shuttle launches. And, I will say this; being on the sidelines for both is an awesome experience of power and explosive energy, the only difference is that one is mechanical and the other completely natural.

However, at one point, the game held nothing for me BUT violence. Besides, I had pushed a 5'10", 190 lb. body as far as it would go. I was NOT going to be a professional football player. And, you know what, it all worked out in the end.

I suppose that George Sauer, the late, great NY Jet wide receiver who quit at the height of his career, said it best when writing for the NY Times (paraphrasing):

Football is a game of great contrasts. On one hand there is incredible skill and grace and on the other, brutal violence. When I could no longer rationalize the difference between the two, I quit.

Of course, at this time, our attention lies with Damar Hamlin of the Buffalo Bills. May he recovery fully and continue his life unabated.

Today's MOZEN: GIVE THANKS!

It seems that I've been around a lot of death lately. I suppose the fact that I'm approaching 68 years-old has a lot to do with it. I, like all of us, have had friends who have not had their fate allow them to live their lives as long and completely as I already have. It's a privilege, indeed.

Of course, another factor that comes into play is Social Media. For all its ills (and there are many), it allows us an almost instant connection to others whom we would not ordinarily hear about - at least for some time, if at all.

And, it sure seems to be happening an awfully lot lately.

But, then it got me thinking; well, death has always been with us. Always. Just because we are not hearing about it doesn't mean it isn't happening every nano second in every corner of the globe.

Simply put, in the ultimate paradox, there is no life without death.

So, we'd better get used to it - if you haven't already.

I know this is terrifying for most - even those of great faith. And, I understand. It scares the shit out of me too! I love my life and want to live it as thoroughly and as long as I can. But that doesn't mean I can't or don't accept death. It means I'm working on understanding it.

I'm just not ready - yet.

There are cultures that still embrace physical death far more than our modern society allows for. In a tradition we now feel almost barbaric, wakes, including the body of the deceased, were held in a loved ones home. It certainly connected us more powerfully to the fact that we will all meet the same fate - whether we are ready or not. 

I'm getting to the age where I'd better be!

But, all of us, no matter what our age or relative station in life, should experience all the joy - and sorrow - life has to offer. Because, like it or not, someday, we will not have that privilege.

If and where we may wind up after we are done with this gig, I cannot say and never will know - until I do.

In the meantime, I will GIVE THANKS for the very breath of life I now enjoy.

Today's MOZEN: I'M BACK!

 

As I get more involved with my podcast, BEING FRANK, and teaching at Fordham University, I've been left with less time for my first love, writing. But, I will always return to her because I am compelled to. So, here I am.

I must, however, state that there IS another factor that has curtailed my output. And, that is; how many times can you write basically the same thing - over and over again? It's like the proverbial and legendary Groundhog Day!

Still, it must be said again.

Donald J. Trump is a terrible human being, a grifter, liar, and thief. Of course it involves politics - his suck - but, it goes beyond that - he is just plain bad for our Country for more reasons than I can to write about - again.

So, there. I did say it - AGAIN.

Why?

Because, as I write this post, reports have us anticipating an evening announcement where His Orangeness will proclaim his candidacy for President in 2024.

And his minions will roar with approval.

However, this time, hopefully, there is a difference.

You see, this time, based on the very poor performance by GOP candidates, particularly those hand-picked by Mr. Trump, in the recent mid-term elections, those minions have been greatly reduced in number! They seem to eating one another (figuratively, of course).

Look, as is the case with most cults, he will always have his hardcore supporters who, quite literally, would die for him. But, I believe that number will NEVER exceed 30% again.

And, that my friends, is good news. Perhaps, just perhaps, we will live up to what Winston Churchill allegedly said about us: 

You can always count on the Americans to do the right thing - after they have tried everything else*.

*It cannot be verified that he actually said that, but he should have!

Today's MOZEN: Our Miracle Cure.

Every family has their own urban myths, legends, and folklore.

Ours was the miraculous healing power of a tube of goo known as A&D Ointment.

Despite being only reasonably sure that the ingredients included at least an infusion of vitamins A and D, my mother used it on EVERYTHING - from blisters to burns to gaping wounds. Diaper rash, scratches, hangnails, hemorrhoids, and even sore nostrils from too much blowing could be cured by it.

Applied liberally to any affected area, its incredible healing powers went to work almost immediately. I swear that if you rubbed it on your chin over a toothache, the pain would subside - at least that's what we were led to believe.

And we not only used it on ourselves; our pets were the recipients of the A&D treatment, too. It a dog had any type of rash or wound - yup, you got it - a healthy gob of the goo was applied - usually with great effectiveness.

So, to this very day, if one were to open my medicine cabinet, one of the first things that would come tumbling out would be a tube of A&D Ointment.

Today's MOZEN: When Cruelty IS The Message

When you feel like you need to use cruelty to make your point, even a powerful, important one, you've lost any claim to the moral high ground. However, perhaps even more disturbing, is the fact that people who perpetrate such inhumanity simply don't care. In fact, the cruelty IS the point.

Of course I speak of the recent tactic employed by certain Republican governors (nod, nod, wink, wink) of busing (or, in some cases flying) people who have crossed our Southern border seeking a better life for themselves and their families to so -called Sanctuary Cities like New York and D.C, often at a cost greater than it would have been to provide them the services they so desperately need. Florida's governor, Ron DeSantis, even went so far as to use Florida taxpayers' money to FLY a group of migrants from Texas to that bastion of liberalism, Martha's Vineyard - as if they might have ANY facilities to help these poor people.

Photo: Stefani Reynolds, AFP/Getty Images

It has also been reported that these people, even if they had signed releases, did so under the false pretense of work, aid, and housing.

Mostly to make a political point.

The point trying to be made is that it is unfair to let border States (virtually all controlled by the GOP) to bear virtually the entire burden of the enormous amount of people crossing their borders.

And, you know what? From that POV, they're right. The mayor of Laredo, Texas, a major southern crossing city, deals with up to 26 busloads/day! This, of course, is an untenable situation for ANY city. It is an issue and HAS BEEN for a long time. But there has been no major immigration legislation passed since the Reagan era. This is the fault of BOTH political parties. However, a closer examination of the voting records show that it has been the Republican party's resistance to ANY reasonable solution preventing any meaningful change.

However, to use human beings - HUMAN BEINGS - as pawns to make a point lacks the compassion and ethos of what America was SUPPOSED TO MEAN - and that's not HAPPPY HORSESHIT. You either believe in our mission of "give us your tired, your poor" or you don't.

Obviously, there are many in this Country who don't - and they have always existed. Despite what many so-called patriotic Americans refuse to acknowledge and contrary to what it so well defined on The Statue of Liberty, we have ALWAYS resisted immigration, especially if it involved darker races from different cultures.

The is FACT.

KKK 1930/ Photo: Henry Guttman/Getty Images

As a matter of policy, the US Government has often passed legislation limiting the entrance of certain ethnicities over others, i.e. the white races.

And, they would do so again if these Governors have their way.

Look, I'm not blind. I AM empathetic to those who bear the brunt of it on the border. SOMETHING needs to be done. And, I also KNOW that cruelty to our fellow human beings is not the answer - and never has been.

Mayor Adams (official photo)

 Perhaps NY City mayor, Eric Adams said   it best in an interview this morning when he   said (paraphrasing) that this was a   humanitarian crisis and should be shouldered as such - by the ENTIRE Country. To handle it as is being done now is contrary to the ideals of what is supposed to mean to be an American.

I couldn't agree more.  

When You Think About It: Not Too Much To Ask

 

Many people are screaming bloody murder over President Joe Biden's latest attempt at reducing the crushing student debt incurred by millions of Americans, both young and old, while receiving their college educations. The plan calls for forgiving up to $10,000 for people making less than $125,000/year and $20,000 for disadvantaged students who received so-called Pell grants.

Of course, the majority of people expressing the most outrage seem to come from the party of NO, i.e. the Republicans. However, there are many other, fair minded Americans who also believe that the measure goes too far.

Their argument generally goes something like this:

I worked 96+ hours a week while I was going to school just to pay my own tuition.

or

No one ever gave me anything! I paid my loans back. Why should I pay for anyone else's?

or

Poor financial planning on their part does not constitute a crisis on mine. They should have planned better.

Of course, there is some validity as to what they are saying. After all, speaking very personally, that's EXACTLY how I managed to go to college.

First, I worked regularly while I was attending Rutgers University in Newark, NJ. And, I commuted, mostly because it was cheaper. I so desperately wanted to go away to school but I realized that it was beyond my financial means. Also, the cost of my education was incredibly reasonable. When I started there in 1973, if my memory serves me correctly, I was paying about $40/credit. At the 15 credits/semester required to receive a degree that's $600/semester!

That's right, not including commuting costs, books, and other expenses, that's $1200/year.

$1200!!

I would challenge anyone in America to provide the quality of education I received at Rutgers-Newark for $1200 year.

I still had to take out small loans to get by - and paid them back, with interest.

But, that's ancient history.

Here are the numbers today: The average cost/year for a college student, including tuition, books, supplies and daily living expenses = $35, 551 (private and public institutions). Considering student loan interest and loss of income, the ultimate cost of a bachelor's degree = more than $500,000*.

$500,000!

So, what was very doable for me has become virtually impossible for most.

Still, the question remains, why should I pay for someone else's education?

Well, I look it from 2 points of view. First, I don't have school aged children or grandchildren, yet I pay school taxes - gladly - which brings me to my second point. We do these things because they are the right things to do. In order to have a great society we need to take care of one another - and that includes the opportunity for EVERYONE to receive as much education as they are suited for.

It's also in our best interest to facilitate this because a highly educated society benefits ALL of us. And, this is not to take away from those who pursue a different vocation. They also provide valuable services for our society and should be rewarded accordingly. And, generally speaking, they ARE. But the pursuit of a career as a mechanic cannot be compared to those who pursue a career in medicine.

I know that this can leave us feeling cheated. I understand. Why should these people have advantages that no one gave us? Well, look at this way - because they are disadvantaged in ways that we could never even imagine.

And, let's deal with the situation at the source, i.e. why has the cost of a college education increased 179.2% over the last 20 years?!**Also, we need to address the interest rates charged on these loans which can be as much as 14.99%.***

Remember, we are all in the same ocean but not necessarily in the same boat. Some have ships, others canoes. Some are simply swimming. Let's give everyone the tools they need to handle the storm. 

* https://educationdata.org/average-cost-of-college

** https://educationdata.org/average-cost-of-college-by-year

*** https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/loans/student-loans/student-loan-interest-rates