[Please click on the advertisers on this site. Simply clicking on will help me keep this blog going. You are under no obligation to buy anything.]
The Big 12 was a great league--in football, basketball, women's basketball, and most other sports. Today, it's just a shadow of its former self. The powers that be have allowed this thing to deteriorate to the point that now we are simply trying to avoid further public embarrassment. I never fully understood why we demolished the Big 8. That conference seemed about the right size, a manageable size, and its teams were competitive. Generally, these conferences are about football. The Big 8 was anchored in the north by Nebraska University and in the south by the University of Oklahoma. The University of Colorado and Missouri were both a force to be reckoned with and the others, including Oklahoma State University, Iowa State University, Kansas and Kansas State had their moments. There was nothing greater than the rivalry between Nebraska and Oklahoma, a nationally televised football game every Thanksgiving. The whole nation anxiously awaited this game.
For some reason we decided to expand to a twelve school conference. The old Southwest Conference was dying and we allowed four of them to join with us and form the Big 12. The addition of the University of Texas, Texas A & M, Baylor and Texas Tech rounded out our conference. There was little reason to bring in Baylor, except to placate the politics of the Lone Star State. This Big 12 didn’t dominate the football world, but their claims of national titles, and their contention each year for an opportunity to play for the national title, certainly meant that every year they were going to be a factor to be considered.
Political mistakes were made in the operation of this conference. The league probably acquiesced too much to Texas in allowing that one state to dominate the governance of the conference. But, those things happen when you consider that one-third of the conference was in the State of Texas. And, Texas University is a rich and powerful school, so much so that an alliance between them and any other school gives new meaning to the phrase, “unequally yoked together.” The conference should have from day one stated the rules. They should have explained that each school got one vote and they would all have to live with the vote. And, if they did not want to abide by that simple rule, they should have had no place in the conference. When Texas decided to act independently, without going “independent”, by creating their Texas Network in conjunction with ESPN, this was a death knell for the conference. This should have been stopped before it ever got on the drawing board. There should never have been any place for such a “network” because the Big 12 should have formed its own before Texas ever suggested theirs. But, this wasn’t what started the fractures in the conference.
Every team in the league has had its “ups and downs.” Texas and Oklahoma, who seemed to dominate the conference, have had their moments at the head of the table and, in other years, they have both been deemed a mid-tier team, even though neither has been considered a mid-tier program. For years, the northern division of the conference was weak. Nebraska, of all teams, was weak. They had a change in their coaching staff and it has taken several years for them to get back on track. Colorado, after capturing a national championship and being a powerhouse was relegated to the sidelines of contention for a title. Iowa State and Missouri would show glimpses of talent, but they were never in contention. Kansas State enjoyed remarkable success under Bill Snyder and Kansas showed signs of improvement, but only briefly.
While the northern division of the conference only achieved mediocrity, Oklahoma State University was slowly climbing above that level of play and breaking into the level of contention for the top spot. If Nebraska, Missouri and Colorado had spent more time paying attention to their own program and less to Texas, they too could have improved and been competitive. Oklahoma State just got better. A donor helped bring their facilities up to date, but, more than that, they brought in a coach, a very talented young coach, who had ties to the university and would not use the position as a stepping stone to a bigger and better school and program. They have improved each year until the present season in which they are contending realistically for a shot at the national title.
There were early rumblings when the conference expanded to twelve members. Offices were moved to Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas, and some events which had always been in Kansas City were moved to Dallas. Not everything which oriented the conference in a southerly direction was bad. The four Texas schools were part of the conference and it was right that their geographical interests be taken into consideration as well as everyone else.
Once, in an interview, the head coach of the Texas Longhorns, referred to the time when “the Big 8 decided to join the Southwest Conference.” That revisionist history plays well in Texas, but it is of little value and merit elsewhere. The Southwest Conference disbanded and four of the homeless teams were invited to join the Big 8 and become the nucleus of the Big 12.
There were signs of weakening in the conference which were present in various teams, and it soon became evident that cracks in the team would corrupt the stability of the conference. The coach who led Colorado to a national championship was replaced by someone unable to continue their tradition. The same thing happened to Nebraska. Their coach retired and he was replaced by someone from that long, storied tradition who seemed poised to keep them up to their expected level. But, another administration came in who saw fit to replace him with someone with no understanding of the Nebraska tradition, someone who seemed to worry more about opposing teams’ mascots than with his own team’s performance. They were weakened and the conference paid the price.
Kansas State’s coach retired and his replacement was unable to build on the work of his predecessor. Texas Tech’s coach had a controversy with a television personality’s son and he was accused of mistreating the kid. The university fired him and, in so doing, weakened the team. We quickly saw that a team cannot be harmed without doing harm to the conference. And, then we saw it again in Kansas. A coach brought them out of the basement of insignificance, only to be discovered cursing at the players. He was mean to the kids and they ran him off, damaging the team and cracking the foundation of the conference.
Missouri, for whatever reason, decided it wanted to leave the Big 12. They wanted to go to the Big 10 where they had greater academic standards. We all smiled at that rationale, knowing all along that there was more to it than that, suspecting that their anger at Texas was the greater reason. They toyed with this for some time and the Big 10 decided they needed to expand. They invited Nebraska to jump to the Big 10 and Nebraska jumped. Nebraska had never tried to hide their contempt toward Texas and the way they had attempted to dominate the conference. It may have been short sighted, but Nebraska cut its ties with traditional rivalries and alliances and moved on the Big 10. Missouri? Their invitation to join the Big 10 must have been lost in the mail; they had to remain in the Big 12.
Oddly, as Nebraska was cutting and running to the Big 10, Colorado left the conference and became a part of the PAC 10. We didn’t see that coming. Perhaps they too thought they were moving to a better academic conference. They don’t have any better sports record in that conference than they had in the Big 12. The cracks in the foundation of the conference were getting worse.
This year has been a year of instability for the Big 12. Playing with only ten teams, following the departure of Nebraska and Colorado, realignment has become the major story both in this conference and throughout the country. For a time, it looked like the Big 12 might cease to exist. Texas A & M announced it was going to move into the SEC. Oklahoma and Texas announced they were being courted by the PAC 10 and were considering a move. Several of our smaller members had no idea what would happen to them or where they might be able to go. It was finally announced that Oklahoma and Texas would remain in the Big 12 and try to make it work.
Texas A & M did little to hide their disdain for Texas and their complaining suggested an inferior feeling, a feeling they could not compete with their big brother living down the road. A & M has a tradition in football and they should be able to compete with anyone. It isn’t likely that they will be able to do any better in the SEC than they were could have done in the Big 12. I hate to lose them.
Missouri stuck its ugly head up again, saying they were going to the SEC. They didn’t say this time that they were seeking academic excellence. Had they done that, we would have probably broken out in laughter all over the country. The interesting thing is that today (10/31/2011) we are still waiting to see the formal invitation from the SEC to Missouri to join them.
The conference has tried to hold its numbers together by the addition of Texas Christian University (TCU) and West Virginia. Whether these will be successful additions to the conference is still to be seen, but the resulting conference cannot be as good as when it included Nebraska and Texas A & M. It’ll do, but not much more than that can be said.
No one knows what lies ahead for the Big 12. Perhaps one day Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Texas will go ahead and relocate with another conference. If that happens, the remaining teams will be left trying to make do as best they can. The real problem is that we are sparsely populated in the Great Plains, the natural geographical location for the conference. And a sparse population means limited television sets and television money drives collegiate football. That’s why we need an alliance with Texas. That’s why Texas carries such a big stick; there’s a lot of television sets in that state.
Whatever is going to happen in the future, this is where we are today. We still have member universities, including Iowa State, Kansas State, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech, Texas University, Baylor, TCU and West Virginia. We are still waiting to for the SEC to extend its invitation to Missouri. If and when it does, Missouri will be gone and they will likely not be heard of anymore. The remaining members of the conference will continue to be member universities. Texas will still be Texas. Oklahoma will continue to be Oklahoma. We will all have good sports programs, we will all battle for conference titles and, from time to time, we will compete for national titles. The rivalry between Oklahoma and Nebraska is a thing of the past and it is sorely missed. The rivalry between Kansas and Missouri will become a thing of the past and it, too, will be sorely missed. But, the Big 12 will continue to be a force in collegiate sports.
Monday, October 31, 2011
Saturday, October 22, 2011
A Dinner for a Date
Any young man who doesn’t learn to cook has a miserable life ahead. I try to explain to my son that he should have more pride than to expect a girl, or a wife later on, to cook for him. And, it is a shameful reflection on his parents, us, for that to occur. Every boy, every young man, needs to be able to cook for himself. The more independence he can assert for himself, the better person he will be, and not only that, there are a lot of girls, and young women, out there who cannot cook. So, every young man needs to be able to cook for himself.
There is a second benefit for being able to cook: it impresses girls. So, allow me to walk you through a date night, your place, a meal prepared by you for a girl you want to impress.
Clean your apartment, or other place of residence. (If you’re living with your parents, stop it. Move out and get your own place, something you can afford.) No one wants to spend the evening in a messy place. The best way to clean a place, and keep it clean, is to get rid of stuff, simplify your life and living. Get rid of clutter. Get a magazine or a sales catalogue from a hip store specializing in young people’s life and décor, and try to decorate using their suggestions. Find a picture you like and mimic it. Once you get it clean and organized, keep it that way. It is a lot easier to keep it clean than it is to get a dirty place straightened up. Simply make it a habit of picking up after yourself.
Get a pound, or slightly more, of round steak which has been run through one of those meat tenderizers, the kind that somewhat shreds it. It will take you a little time to prepare, but this, your major course, can be prepared while she’s sitting there in the kitchen in awe of your many talents. Cut the steak into bite sized pieces and throw it into a microwaveable safe dish. I prefer to cook this in a Corning Ware dish, just large enough to hold everything.
Sprinkle a little salt and lemon/pepper on the meat and allow it to sit while preparing something else. Have a little wine available for you and your date, along with a small tray of cheese and crackers. Have both a red and white wine available so she can have a choice before dinner.
In the refrigerator, have a salad made of mixed spring greens, in which you have dropped a few cherry tomatoes. You can buy it already made, but transfer it from its packaging into a bowl, covered with Saran Wrap, so it will give the impression of homemade. Also, buy a packaged dessert, a desert similar to a cheese cake. It is easy to make, just follow the directions. After completed, put a little canned cherry pie filling on top and keep it in the refrigerator.
Get some walnuts, no more than a handful, and toast them in a non-stick skillet. Simply place them in the skillet over a medium heat and allow them to toast. Mix well and often, shaking and tossing them. Don’t allow them to burn. It would be preferable to do this while she is there watching you because she will be impressed with the shake and toss method, but do it early because they need to cool down after being toasted. Set aside.
Earlier in the day, you should get some frozen rolls and prepare them according to directions. Try to have them come out of the oven just in time for dinner, or a little earlier. I recommend serving with a soft margarine, or, if you want to really impress her, get a quart of whipping cream and, assuming you have an electric mixer, mix it in front of her until it becomes whipped cream. Then mix it a little longer and it will turn to fresh butter. Mix this with honey to form a honey-butter spread. That little touch will be a winner and she will be duly impressed. If you smoke, I could tell you how to impress her by lighting your cigarette, but you don’t need to be starting now. And, she doesn’t need to be kissing a smoker; it’s something like licking the bottom of an ashtray.
You will need a bell pepper, red or green or a combination, cut into slices. You also need an onion peeled and cut into slices which are then separated into rings. You can prepare these two items, onions and peppers, ahead of time if you want and have them available in the refrigerator. Dump these pepper slices and onion rings on top of the meat. If you don’t have enough room, you need something a little larger. Next, dump in a can of Campbell’s Golden Mushroom Soup. Pour in enough red wine to cover the meat, cover and place in a microwave. Cook for 25 minutes on high setting.
Put on some music, some soft crooning preferably. Don’t play hard rock or anything else which would suggest agitation and dancing. The only dancing you want to consider is slow and close. Besides, you’re going to be busy preparing the rest of the meal. With slow music, she can sip her wine and sway to the music, all the time admiring your domesticity. I would recommend something by Frank Sinatra or, to show you are really cool, something by Landau Eugene Murphy, Jr.
While the dish is cooking, prepare either rice or egg noodles or chicken flavored Rice-A-Roni. If you prepare rice, use the 5-minute instant rice; it’s easier. And, if you prepare noodles, cook them, drain and put in a pan with butter; heat, salt and pepper to taste. But, I recommend the Rice-A-Roni. Have your oven set on 195° which is an appropriate temperature to keep your plates warm, as well as keeping anything warm which is prepared before the stew is completed.
Have a pot of boiling water in which you place some salt. Drop in about 8 asparagus spears. With asparagus spears, wash and cut off about the lower 1 inch of the spear. There is a more precise way to clean asparagus, but this will do for now. This is all the preparation asparagus needs. Place it in the boiling salted water for no more than 5 minutes. If you want to, experiment ahead of time. You want asparagus to still have some snap to it when served. It would probably be best to cook the asparagus after the stew has completed cooking. The stew will stay warm while you prepare the side dishes.
Prepare the salad dressing while she is sitting there. Don’t do it ahead of time and don’t pour it out of a bottle. This little action of making your own dressing will impress her. In a mixing bowl, place three tablespoons of raspberry jam and about a ¼ cup of apple cider vinegar. Thoroughly mix the two with a whisk. Add a tablespoon of Italian spices and whip in about ¼ cup or so of olive oil which is added slowly while whisking. (This is called “emulsification.” She’ll be impressed if you use that word.)
By now, the stew should be done. She may ask you what the name of the stew is and you should tell her it’s an old peasant dish, intended to bless a young couple’s relationship with health, prosperity and longevity. You’ll see a slight smile on her face as she takes another sip of wine. As the dish is preparing, when you have a break in the action, sit with her and join in with the wine and the cheese. Tell her how much you enjoy Landau’s singing.
Take the salad greens from the refrigerator and place in the bowl in which you have made the dressing. Mix the greens in the salad dressing and then place in two salad bowls which have been kept chilled in the refrigerator. Place the walnuts on a cutting board and rough chop with a chef’s knife. Sprinkle the walnuts on the salad in the individual bowls and then place two cherry tomatoes on each salad.
Using a slotted spoon, place some of the stew on each plate. (Remember, the plates have been kept warm in the 195° oven.) The liquid is simply for flavoring, you don’t need much of it on the plate. Place some of the Rice-A-Roni on the plate and then the 4 asparagus spears on each plate. Have a little melted butter ready and pour a little on the asparagus, then salt and pepper to taste. (A little lemon juice in the melted butter would be a positive. If you do that, use some of the lemon zest as well. But, don’t make it bitter to the taste. You just want a hint of the lemon.)
These servings don’t have to be overwhelmingly large. Remember, you’re not there to fatten up. You simply want to quit being hungry and, in the meantime, you want to impress her with your culinary prowess.
So, there you have it. There are two plates, separated by candles, on which you have the stew, the asparagus and the Rice-A-Roni, with a roll. You have the soft honey-butter which you have made in her presence. On the side is a salad, dressed with your very own dressing which she has watched you make. Serve this with a nice red wine, perhaps Chianti or Shiraz.
Afterwards, serve dessert. She didn’t see you make this, but she will be able to tell that you did. She doesn’t need to know you made it from a mix, but, if she asks, tell her the truth. Don’t lie when it’s unnecessary. Serve a light wine with dessert. I recommend a German wine, Liebfraumilch, which literally translates into English as "Beloved lady's milk.” You can tell her that.
There you have it. A perfect evening with Landau Murphy singing in the background. Now, I’m outta here and you’re on your own.
There is a second benefit for being able to cook: it impresses girls. So, allow me to walk you through a date night, your place, a meal prepared by you for a girl you want to impress.
Clean your apartment, or other place of residence. (If you’re living with your parents, stop it. Move out and get your own place, something you can afford.) No one wants to spend the evening in a messy place. The best way to clean a place, and keep it clean, is to get rid of stuff, simplify your life and living. Get rid of clutter. Get a magazine or a sales catalogue from a hip store specializing in young people’s life and décor, and try to decorate using their suggestions. Find a picture you like and mimic it. Once you get it clean and organized, keep it that way. It is a lot easier to keep it clean than it is to get a dirty place straightened up. Simply make it a habit of picking up after yourself.
Get a pound, or slightly more, of round steak which has been run through one of those meat tenderizers, the kind that somewhat shreds it. It will take you a little time to prepare, but this, your major course, can be prepared while she’s sitting there in the kitchen in awe of your many talents. Cut the steak into bite sized pieces and throw it into a microwaveable safe dish. I prefer to cook this in a Corning Ware dish, just large enough to hold everything.
Sprinkle a little salt and lemon/pepper on the meat and allow it to sit while preparing something else. Have a little wine available for you and your date, along with a small tray of cheese and crackers. Have both a red and white wine available so she can have a choice before dinner.
In the refrigerator, have a salad made of mixed spring greens, in which you have dropped a few cherry tomatoes. You can buy it already made, but transfer it from its packaging into a bowl, covered with Saran Wrap, so it will give the impression of homemade. Also, buy a packaged dessert, a desert similar to a cheese cake. It is easy to make, just follow the directions. After completed, put a little canned cherry pie filling on top and keep it in the refrigerator.
Get some walnuts, no more than a handful, and toast them in a non-stick skillet. Simply place them in the skillet over a medium heat and allow them to toast. Mix well and often, shaking and tossing them. Don’t allow them to burn. It would be preferable to do this while she is there watching you because she will be impressed with the shake and toss method, but do it early because they need to cool down after being toasted. Set aside.
Earlier in the day, you should get some frozen rolls and prepare them according to directions. Try to have them come out of the oven just in time for dinner, or a little earlier. I recommend serving with a soft margarine, or, if you want to really impress her, get a quart of whipping cream and, assuming you have an electric mixer, mix it in front of her until it becomes whipped cream. Then mix it a little longer and it will turn to fresh butter. Mix this with honey to form a honey-butter spread. That little touch will be a winner and she will be duly impressed. If you smoke, I could tell you how to impress her by lighting your cigarette, but you don’t need to be starting now. And, she doesn’t need to be kissing a smoker; it’s something like licking the bottom of an ashtray.
You will need a bell pepper, red or green or a combination, cut into slices. You also need an onion peeled and cut into slices which are then separated into rings. You can prepare these two items, onions and peppers, ahead of time if you want and have them available in the refrigerator. Dump these pepper slices and onion rings on top of the meat. If you don’t have enough room, you need something a little larger. Next, dump in a can of Campbell’s Golden Mushroom Soup. Pour in enough red wine to cover the meat, cover and place in a microwave. Cook for 25 minutes on high setting.
Put on some music, some soft crooning preferably. Don’t play hard rock or anything else which would suggest agitation and dancing. The only dancing you want to consider is slow and close. Besides, you’re going to be busy preparing the rest of the meal. With slow music, she can sip her wine and sway to the music, all the time admiring your domesticity. I would recommend something by Frank Sinatra or, to show you are really cool, something by Landau Eugene Murphy, Jr.
While the dish is cooking, prepare either rice or egg noodles or chicken flavored Rice-A-Roni. If you prepare rice, use the 5-minute instant rice; it’s easier. And, if you prepare noodles, cook them, drain and put in a pan with butter; heat, salt and pepper to taste. But, I recommend the Rice-A-Roni. Have your oven set on 195° which is an appropriate temperature to keep your plates warm, as well as keeping anything warm which is prepared before the stew is completed.
Have a pot of boiling water in which you place some salt. Drop in about 8 asparagus spears. With asparagus spears, wash and cut off about the lower 1 inch of the spear. There is a more precise way to clean asparagus, but this will do for now. This is all the preparation asparagus needs. Place it in the boiling salted water for no more than 5 minutes. If you want to, experiment ahead of time. You want asparagus to still have some snap to it when served. It would probably be best to cook the asparagus after the stew has completed cooking. The stew will stay warm while you prepare the side dishes.
Prepare the salad dressing while she is sitting there. Don’t do it ahead of time and don’t pour it out of a bottle. This little action of making your own dressing will impress her. In a mixing bowl, place three tablespoons of raspberry jam and about a ¼ cup of apple cider vinegar. Thoroughly mix the two with a whisk. Add a tablespoon of Italian spices and whip in about ¼ cup or so of olive oil which is added slowly while whisking. (This is called “emulsification.” She’ll be impressed if you use that word.)
By now, the stew should be done. She may ask you what the name of the stew is and you should tell her it’s an old peasant dish, intended to bless a young couple’s relationship with health, prosperity and longevity. You’ll see a slight smile on her face as she takes another sip of wine. As the dish is preparing, when you have a break in the action, sit with her and join in with the wine and the cheese. Tell her how much you enjoy Landau’s singing.
Take the salad greens from the refrigerator and place in the bowl in which you have made the dressing. Mix the greens in the salad dressing and then place in two salad bowls which have been kept chilled in the refrigerator. Place the walnuts on a cutting board and rough chop with a chef’s knife. Sprinkle the walnuts on the salad in the individual bowls and then place two cherry tomatoes on each salad.
Using a slotted spoon, place some of the stew on each plate. (Remember, the plates have been kept warm in the 195° oven.) The liquid is simply for flavoring, you don’t need much of it on the plate. Place some of the Rice-A-Roni on the plate and then the 4 asparagus spears on each plate. Have a little melted butter ready and pour a little on the asparagus, then salt and pepper to taste. (A little lemon juice in the melted butter would be a positive. If you do that, use some of the lemon zest as well. But, don’t make it bitter to the taste. You just want a hint of the lemon.)
These servings don’t have to be overwhelmingly large. Remember, you’re not there to fatten up. You simply want to quit being hungry and, in the meantime, you want to impress her with your culinary prowess.
So, there you have it. There are two plates, separated by candles, on which you have the stew, the asparagus and the Rice-A-Roni, with a roll. You have the soft honey-butter which you have made in her presence. On the side is a salad, dressed with your very own dressing which she has watched you make. Serve this with a nice red wine, perhaps Chianti or Shiraz.
Afterwards, serve dessert. She didn’t see you make this, but she will be able to tell that you did. She doesn’t need to know you made it from a mix, but, if she asks, tell her the truth. Don’t lie when it’s unnecessary. Serve a light wine with dessert. I recommend a German wine, Liebfraumilch, which literally translates into English as "Beloved lady's milk.” You can tell her that.
There you have it. A perfect evening with Landau Murphy singing in the background. Now, I’m outta here and you’re on your own.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Ken
The day after I was born, my brother celebrated his third birthday. He was born November 2, 1941, just a month and five days before the Japanese attacked the United States Naval Base at Pearl Harbor. He was that close to being a “war baby. “ I suppose there is a name for that generation; perhaps he was a “pre-war baby” or a “depression-transition baby.” Whatever his generational placement, he was my older brother.
We were close enough in age that we had some common and contemporary interests. But, he was older than me and he was turned in another direction. It was not until recent years that I came to realize it wasn’t his fault and it wasn’t my fault either. It was Eddie’s fault, our oldest brother. Eddie was the oldest kid in the family, and he was an accomplished and entertaining person. Kennith naturally found himself in a position to compete with Eddie for attention and status within the family. He didn’t have to be concerned with me, he was older and faster and stronger and smarter than me. He had to focus on Eddie who could and would outshine him in just about any contest. As Kennith was three years older than me, so Eddie was four years older than Kennith.
Kennith became Ken in his later years, but while he was still “Kennith”, while he was a very young “Kennith”, he decided what he would do with his life. While still in elementary school, he decided he wanted to be a math teacher, a goal he pursued with some enthusiasm. Graduating from high school in 1959, he enrolled in college and went straight through, completing his undergraduate degree in four years. After graduating from Oklahoma Christian College with a B.S. degree in Mathematics, he began his teaching career at Western Heights High School in Oklahoma City. The year 1963 was an interesting time in public education in Oklahoma. Typical of his peers, he began his career earning about $3,000 annually. Yes, for that time and in that place, $3,000 wasn’t much money. And, it surely wasn’t much money for a person with a college education and a professional certification.
He taught there for a brief period and then moved to the Detroit area where he taught at Michigan Christian College. By then, he had completed his work on his M.S. degree in mathematics. He taught at M.C.C. for the next ten years.
Kennith started something by going to college. There were five children in our family and when you review all the education and higher degrees we hold, it is amazing when one considers our mother did not complete her senior year of high school and our father quit school in the eighth grade, not an uncommon situation among Depression Era kids. Ken was the first in our family, and the first in either side of the family, to attend college and eventually graduate with a degree. Both my sisters and I followed him to college where we were all able to get at least a master’s degree and even more. I’m not sure any of us would have done this without his example.
After ten years in Michigan, he returned to Oklahoma where he gave up his teaching career to work for Southwestern Bell. He began there about the time computers were making their way into the workplace. Not only were they new to companies, but the personal computer was making its way into the American society. The company purchased a large number of these and Kennith saw his opportunity to make his mark. They were a company with a host of powerful pieces of equipment, but their employees didn’t know what to do with them. Seeing an opportunity, he began rewriting the instruction manuals so the workers could understand the new versions written in plain English. He then began teaching employees to use these new devises and how to apply them for greater productivity. For years, when I was asked what my brother did for Southwestern Bell, I had to simply tell them I had no idea, all I knew was that he did something with computers.
I was always envious of Kennith. As kids, he was faster and stronger than was I. I thought he looked better than I did, and there was no doubt he had much greater self-confidence. I think he had a more positive high school experience than I did. He was three years older and, thus, three years ahead of me in school. When I went to high school, I tried to follow in his steps. I joined the same organizations he joined and tried my hand at the same activities he did before me, sometimes with greater success than he experienced, often with less.
After going to college and securing his degree in math, he entered the teaching profession. I followed three years later and selected math as my major as well. I was pretty good at arithmetic, so why not. I discovered calculus my second year in college. He tried to help me through it, but it simply made no sense at all. Even before my calculus experience, I was losing interest in math. Even as a kid, I had always been interested in the past. I liked stories and I liked to tell stories, not just for the entertainment value, but for the educational value. Of course, it doesn’t hurt anything to be entertaining as well. I first moved into history and then into religion and eventually into the ministry, leaving all thoughts of math behind. Math was Kennith’s interest and I realized from that point on that I needed to be my own person and quit trying to follow in his steps.
Kennith raised two daughters, both of whom are a credit to their parents. Like most of us, he has lived a quiet life, enjoying his family and trying to make a difference in his small community and circle of friends. And, he has made a difference. He and Linda have taken on a cause of helping abused, battered and neglected children. Through his social club, he has championed these underprivileged children, taking their pains as his own, and their needs as a cry for help he could hardly ignore. He took to heart the words of Jesus, “Insomuch as you did it to the least of these, you have done it unto me.”
Kennith became Ken and, following his retirement from Southwestern Bell, he began teaching at the Oklahoma State University campus in Oklahoma City. He teaches math. It all makes perfect sense to him and he is masterful at imparting that knowledge to his students. Some people are talented like that. Perhaps the final words used to describe him should be, “Master Teacher.”
Kennith, as he’ll always be known to me, will turn 70 his next birthday. He will be the second of the Franklin kids to enter the eighth decade of life. The 40s didn’t bother me at all. The 50s and the 60s were taken in stride, but when my oldest brother turned 70 a few years back, it was difficult for me to take. We weren’t supposed to get older; we were supposed to remain carefree kids on the farm, as we were so long ago. But, Eddie turned 70; now, Kennith is about to turn 70; and, I’m only three years behind him.
We were close enough in age that we had some common and contemporary interests. But, he was older than me and he was turned in another direction. It was not until recent years that I came to realize it wasn’t his fault and it wasn’t my fault either. It was Eddie’s fault, our oldest brother. Eddie was the oldest kid in the family, and he was an accomplished and entertaining person. Kennith naturally found himself in a position to compete with Eddie for attention and status within the family. He didn’t have to be concerned with me, he was older and faster and stronger and smarter than me. He had to focus on Eddie who could and would outshine him in just about any contest. As Kennith was three years older than me, so Eddie was four years older than Kennith.
Kennith became Ken in his later years, but while he was still “Kennith”, while he was a very young “Kennith”, he decided what he would do with his life. While still in elementary school, he decided he wanted to be a math teacher, a goal he pursued with some enthusiasm. Graduating from high school in 1959, he enrolled in college and went straight through, completing his undergraduate degree in four years. After graduating from Oklahoma Christian College with a B.S. degree in Mathematics, he began his teaching career at Western Heights High School in Oklahoma City. The year 1963 was an interesting time in public education in Oklahoma. Typical of his peers, he began his career earning about $3,000 annually. Yes, for that time and in that place, $3,000 wasn’t much money. And, it surely wasn’t much money for a person with a college education and a professional certification.
He taught there for a brief period and then moved to the Detroit area where he taught at Michigan Christian College. By then, he had completed his work on his M.S. degree in mathematics. He taught at M.C.C. for the next ten years.
Kennith started something by going to college. There were five children in our family and when you review all the education and higher degrees we hold, it is amazing when one considers our mother did not complete her senior year of high school and our father quit school in the eighth grade, not an uncommon situation among Depression Era kids. Ken was the first in our family, and the first in either side of the family, to attend college and eventually graduate with a degree. Both my sisters and I followed him to college where we were all able to get at least a master’s degree and even more. I’m not sure any of us would have done this without his example.
After ten years in Michigan, he returned to Oklahoma where he gave up his teaching career to work for Southwestern Bell. He began there about the time computers were making their way into the workplace. Not only were they new to companies, but the personal computer was making its way into the American society. The company purchased a large number of these and Kennith saw his opportunity to make his mark. They were a company with a host of powerful pieces of equipment, but their employees didn’t know what to do with them. Seeing an opportunity, he began rewriting the instruction manuals so the workers could understand the new versions written in plain English. He then began teaching employees to use these new devises and how to apply them for greater productivity. For years, when I was asked what my brother did for Southwestern Bell, I had to simply tell them I had no idea, all I knew was that he did something with computers.
I was always envious of Kennith. As kids, he was faster and stronger than was I. I thought he looked better than I did, and there was no doubt he had much greater self-confidence. I think he had a more positive high school experience than I did. He was three years older and, thus, three years ahead of me in school. When I went to high school, I tried to follow in his steps. I joined the same organizations he joined and tried my hand at the same activities he did before me, sometimes with greater success than he experienced, often with less.
After going to college and securing his degree in math, he entered the teaching profession. I followed three years later and selected math as my major as well. I was pretty good at arithmetic, so why not. I discovered calculus my second year in college. He tried to help me through it, but it simply made no sense at all. Even before my calculus experience, I was losing interest in math. Even as a kid, I had always been interested in the past. I liked stories and I liked to tell stories, not just for the entertainment value, but for the educational value. Of course, it doesn’t hurt anything to be entertaining as well. I first moved into history and then into religion and eventually into the ministry, leaving all thoughts of math behind. Math was Kennith’s interest and I realized from that point on that I needed to be my own person and quit trying to follow in his steps.
Kennith raised two daughters, both of whom are a credit to their parents. Like most of us, he has lived a quiet life, enjoying his family and trying to make a difference in his small community and circle of friends. And, he has made a difference. He and Linda have taken on a cause of helping abused, battered and neglected children. Through his social club, he has championed these underprivileged children, taking their pains as his own, and their needs as a cry for help he could hardly ignore. He took to heart the words of Jesus, “Insomuch as you did it to the least of these, you have done it unto me.”
Kennith became Ken and, following his retirement from Southwestern Bell, he began teaching at the Oklahoma State University campus in Oklahoma City. He teaches math. It all makes perfect sense to him and he is masterful at imparting that knowledge to his students. Some people are talented like that. Perhaps the final words used to describe him should be, “Master Teacher.”
Kennith, as he’ll always be known to me, will turn 70 his next birthday. He will be the second of the Franklin kids to enter the eighth decade of life. The 40s didn’t bother me at all. The 50s and the 60s were taken in stride, but when my oldest brother turned 70 a few years back, it was difficult for me to take. We weren’t supposed to get older; we were supposed to remain carefree kids on the farm, as we were so long ago. But, Eddie turned 70; now, Kennith is about to turn 70; and, I’m only three years behind him.
Thursday, October 6, 2011
“If I Were a Rich Man”
Fiddler on the Roof is one of the classics of musical theater. Set in 1905 Tsarist Russia, it features a milkman named Tevye, a member of a Jewish community who faces conflicts in his life, both within his family from his wife and daughters and from the authorities who, by the end of the play, will order the expulsion of all Jews from the area. Toward the end of the musical, or the movie if one watches the film version, there is the pathetic movement of the refugee Jews leaving what was their homeland, carrying and dragging and pulling and pushing their few meager belongings. However, with all its sadness, the story is a delightfully funny study of human relationships.
The story is based on Tevye and his Daughters (or Tevye the Milkman and Other Tales) by Sholem Aleichem. Tevye is the father of five daughters, three of whom are of marriageable age. He has been married to Golde since they were young and the two of them have not accomplished much in life, monetarily. The show in its most early scenes shows Tevye, the local milkman, delivering milk. His horse is lame so he is shown pulling the milk cart himself. Speaking to himself, deploring his lot in life, he asks God, who would it hurt “if I were a rich man?” He then breaks into a song by that title, “If I Were a Rich Man.”
If he was a rich man, of course, he “wouldn’t have to work hard.” More than that, he’d “build a big tall house with rooms by the dozen, right in the middle of the town.” That house would have “one long staircase just going up, and one even longer coming down, and one more going nowhere, just for show.”
Poignantly, he also thinks of his wife, Golde. “I see my wife, my Golde, looking like a rich man’s wife with a proper double-chin. Supervising meals to her heart’s delight. I see her putting on airs and strutting like a peacock. Oy, what a happy mood she’s in. Screaming at the servants, day and night.”
Then he turns the song to the most important thing he could enjoy, if only he were a wealthy man.
The most important men in town would come to fawn on me!
They would ask me to advise them,
Like Solomon the wise.
“If you please, Reb Tevye…”
“Pardon me, Reb Tevye…”
Posing problems that would cross a Rabbi’s eyes!
And it won’t make one bit of difference if I answer right or wrong.
When you’re rich, they think you really know!
To sit in the synagogue and pray.
And maybe have a seat by the Eastern wall.
And I’d discuss the holy books with the learned men, several hours every day.
That would be the sweetest thing of all.
I can relate to Tevye. Who would it have hurt if I were a rich man? I, too, would live in a fine tall house with three staircases, one for “up”, one for “down” and the other just to look at. I’d have ducks and chickens and geese in the front yard, making noise as if to say, “There goes a wealthy man!” And, like Tevye, people would think I was smart. I could discuss the holy books with the learned men of town and I might even get a choice seat at church. And, I might be consulted in order to give my opinion about issues which matter.
I once attended a rich man’s funeral. A large crowd showed up to share their grief with the hundreds of people who filled the sanctuary to capacity. I told someone I didn’t know he was a member of the church which he so loved and worked so hard to carry on his own shoulders. Eyes rolled with a simple declaration, “He was on the rolls.”
Ah, yes, I thought, as I tried to think of six people who would care enough if I died that they might serve as pall bearers.
If I were a rich man,
ya ba dibba dibba dibba dibba dibba dibba dum.
The story is based on Tevye and his Daughters (or Tevye the Milkman and Other Tales) by Sholem Aleichem. Tevye is the father of five daughters, three of whom are of marriageable age. He has been married to Golde since they were young and the two of them have not accomplished much in life, monetarily. The show in its most early scenes shows Tevye, the local milkman, delivering milk. His horse is lame so he is shown pulling the milk cart himself. Speaking to himself, deploring his lot in life, he asks God, who would it hurt “if I were a rich man?” He then breaks into a song by that title, “If I Were a Rich Man.”
If he was a rich man, of course, he “wouldn’t have to work hard.” More than that, he’d “build a big tall house with rooms by the dozen, right in the middle of the town.” That house would have “one long staircase just going up, and one even longer coming down, and one more going nowhere, just for show.”
Poignantly, he also thinks of his wife, Golde. “I see my wife, my Golde, looking like a rich man’s wife with a proper double-chin. Supervising meals to her heart’s delight. I see her putting on airs and strutting like a peacock. Oy, what a happy mood she’s in. Screaming at the servants, day and night.”
Then he turns the song to the most important thing he could enjoy, if only he were a wealthy man.
The most important men in town would come to fawn on me!
They would ask me to advise them,
Like Solomon the wise.
“If you please, Reb Tevye…”
“Pardon me, Reb Tevye…”
Posing problems that would cross a Rabbi’s eyes!
And it won’t make one bit of difference if I answer right or wrong.
When you’re rich, they think you really know!
To sit in the synagogue and pray.
And maybe have a seat by the Eastern wall.
And I’d discuss the holy books with the learned men, several hours every day.
That would be the sweetest thing of all.
I can relate to Tevye. Who would it have hurt if I were a rich man? I, too, would live in a fine tall house with three staircases, one for “up”, one for “down” and the other just to look at. I’d have ducks and chickens and geese in the front yard, making noise as if to say, “There goes a wealthy man!” And, like Tevye, people would think I was smart. I could discuss the holy books with the learned men of town and I might even get a choice seat at church. And, I might be consulted in order to give my opinion about issues which matter.
I once attended a rich man’s funeral. A large crowd showed up to share their grief with the hundreds of people who filled the sanctuary to capacity. I told someone I didn’t know he was a member of the church which he so loved and worked so hard to carry on his own shoulders. Eyes rolled with a simple declaration, “He was on the rolls.”
Ah, yes, I thought, as I tried to think of six people who would care enough if I died that they might serve as pall bearers.
If I were a rich man,
ya ba dibba dibba dibba dibba dibba dibba dum.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)