Well once again Michael Jackson walks. Many will believe it was the money and notoriety that saved his skinny butt from becoming the featured poster boy of the state penitentiary. Still isn't this the beauty of this conuntry's judicial system? That a man can actually be tried, convicted and sentenced in the media as well as the court of public opinion, and yet somehow still come out a free man.
People must remember that this trial was not a trial of MJ's life and the way he has conducted it; this was a trial for specific incidents that obviously were never proved without a shadow of a doubt. And for this ruling we must all celebrate our system rather than castigate it, for it proves-- God forbid, that if any of us were ever falsely accused of a crime where the majority of the public bought into it, that there is still room for justice by a jury of your "peers". I use this term loosely as there really aren't any comparable subjects that are "peers" of MJ.
Still it isn't the fact that MJ has "beaten" this charge that has me as worried as other issues. We all know that something happened, the state just didn't have very credible witnesses or convincing case for that matter. My problem isn't so much with Michael Jackson being a child abuser as it the parents of the many boys who were either paraded through this circus, or had testimony revealing their completely abusive tendancies as parents.
Why is it we are all so quick to convict Michael Jackson for what are undoubtedly heinous crimes if true, when in reality he didn't go patrolling grade school campuses for these children. No instead the PARENTS would bring their little "sacrifices" to this guy...why are we not looking at removing these children from the "care" of these parents who would knowingly put their very own child in harm's way.
You would have to be from an Indian tribe deep in the Amazon to not know something of Mr. Jackson's less than clean past...so these "parents" are the real monsters...they fed Mr. Jackson. Yet through it all, we hear nothing of this...If I brought my child into harm's way and she was injured would we blame the harm or me? Why is it that all of these so-called "parents" are either pimping their kids in return for millions of hush money, or parading them into court rooms to substantiate their miserable conspiracies in an attempt to get rich? Yet we are not outraged and demanding that they stand accountable? This to me is a far more dangerous form of abuse, as these parents represent the actual life example and teacher of these children.
I think it's time that the DA call everyone of these parents and take as close a look at their past motivations as they did to MJ's underwear, magazine subscriptions, and anatomy. Let's see what this type of scrutiny would do to them, their families and their motivations.
I suspect many of these children would be removed from their care, as they cannot really be safeguarding their future if they would drop their children in the belly of a beast and allow them overnight sleeping arrangements with at best a very disturbed man. This is in no way meant to mitigate MJ's actions-- he is obviously an ill man, but the bottom line is, he needed the parents to act as intermediaries in these sordid trysts, unfortunately they were all too willing.........
Wednesday, June 15, 2005
Sunday, June 12, 2005
Summer Movie Reviews by Sophia Paynter
** Unless otherwised noted, the following reviews are completely un-edited reviews by Sophia Paynter, aged 6 1/2. She composes her "reports" without any help. ( or suggestions for that matter).---Editor, PAYNTERinFLORIDA
MADAGASCAR-Well me and my dad went to the moves and thoght of seeing Madagascar. it was about a zebra named Marty and he wanted to go to the wild and the penguins wanted to go to Antartica so they did. When they arrived they said this sucks how do other penguins live here? so they went back on the ship. and they arrived to madagascar! and sat on beach chairs and got a sunburn! but it semed like they didint care my favorit character was the hippo named Gloria. i gave this movie 80 stars.
THE SISTERHOOD of the TRAVELING PANTS--well we went to the movies again to see a very good movie it is about four teenage girls buy these blue jeans and the jeans are magical they fit every girl so they all go for vacasion exept my favorite named Tibby she had to work and the three other girls Lena Carmen and Briget go to have fun! Lena went to Greese to see her family Carmen went to see her dad and Briget went to do races and soccer.i gave this movie 60 stars
THE ADVENTURES OF SHARKBOY AND LAVAGIRL we went again to the movies to see a 3D movie this one was my favrit it was about a little boy named Max he broght hiss dream jornal to school to show everybody about sharkboy and lavagirl but a horable storm came when sharkboy and lavagirl arived and said they needed himto go to a planet he invented in his dreams planet drool.and had to stop mr electric the bad guy.i give this movie 1,002,845 million stars
MADAGASCAR-Well me and my dad went to the moves and thoght of seeing Madagascar. it was about a zebra named Marty and he wanted to go to the wild and the penguins wanted to go to Antartica so they did. When they arrived they said this sucks how do other penguins live here? so they went back on the ship. and they arrived to madagascar! and sat on beach chairs and got a sunburn! but it semed like they didint care my favorit character was the hippo named Gloria. i gave this movie 80 stars.
THE SISTERHOOD of the TRAVELING PANTS--well we went to the movies again to see a very good movie it is about four teenage girls buy these blue jeans and the jeans are magical they fit every girl so they all go for vacasion exept my favorite named Tibby she had to work and the three other girls Lena Carmen and Briget go to have fun! Lena went to Greese to see her family Carmen went to see her dad and Briget went to do races and soccer.i gave this movie 60 stars
THE ADVENTURES OF SHARKBOY AND LAVAGIRL we went again to the movies to see a 3D movie this one was my favrit it was about a little boy named Max he broght hiss dream jornal to school to show everybody about sharkboy and lavagirl but a horable storm came when sharkboy and lavagirl arived and said they needed himto go to a planet he invented in his dreams planet drool.and had to stop mr electric the bad guy.i give this movie 1,002,845 million stars
Thursday, June 09, 2005
Friends and Time
Funny how one day you're a natty headed kid with not a clue about life and the next your teasing each other about "'70's" hair do's, and each other's receding hairlines. Of course this observation is borne of my earlier observation of my daughter's fascination with the hippy Bo Bice. I apparently stirred the pot with this one as I heard from my dear friend the former Tracey Wright....and I mean "dear friend" most sincerely............
Of course I also heard from the Chuckstinator in Holland...he of very little hair these days, but a good sport all the same and the owner of quite an entertaining blog himself..."misadventuresofchuck".........
Still if nothing else Blogging seems to lend itself to plenty of retrospect at times, as this has been the case of late. I mean really-- writing about my DAUGHTER!! I'm still in shock I have a kid. And then there was Tracey's reply about her son in HIGH SCHOOL!!!! jesus...gimme a break. It seems like yesterday I was up to alot of no good and fun times with her in that little Omni...of course that's the great part about old friendships...you can pick up right where you "left off". Case in point would be, everytime we see each other he drift back to that magical night in 1979...November 11th actually---to Bob Marley and the Wailers in concert University of Pennsylvania...now I can tell this story a 1000 times, and no-one, unless they saw the great one himself...really can identify with what we saw that night. We boarded the train in Swarthmore station, laden down with a backpack full of Genesee Creal ales...of course my Mother entrusted her soon to be 16 year old son with the "responsible Tracey"..HA!.......
Hell I still don't believe we where there. But we were. We also were there for....get this-- Pope John Paul's visit to Philadelphia...not sure what that's all about. Still we did alot of funny things, we worked the Swedesboro-Gibbstown drinking circuit at Waynes Paradise Inn, limping home on more than one occasion, we even worked together occasionally...lifeguarding. We shared good times, funny times, sad times, heartbreak times..you name it. So it's with a nice sense of connection that I see her posting to this site after all these years gone by....of course it's also tempered with a great deal of amazement when she speaks of her High School children...who have great hair mind you....just like I had. Your the best Trac...funny, witty and always lurking even after all these years....maybe we'll have some more laughs this summer at the Jersey shore? I'll be up at Bill and Sal's in Avalon last two weeks in August....surely there's someone we haven't told the BM & the Wailers story too?
Of course I also heard from the Chuckstinator in Holland...he of very little hair these days, but a good sport all the same and the owner of quite an entertaining blog himself..."misadventuresofchuck".........
Still if nothing else Blogging seems to lend itself to plenty of retrospect at times, as this has been the case of late. I mean really-- writing about my DAUGHTER!! I'm still in shock I have a kid. And then there was Tracey's reply about her son in HIGH SCHOOL!!!! jesus...gimme a break. It seems like yesterday I was up to alot of no good and fun times with her in that little Omni...of course that's the great part about old friendships...you can pick up right where you "left off". Case in point would be, everytime we see each other he drift back to that magical night in 1979...November 11th actually---to Bob Marley and the Wailers in concert University of Pennsylvania...now I can tell this story a 1000 times, and no-one, unless they saw the great one himself...really can identify with what we saw that night. We boarded the train in Swarthmore station, laden down with a backpack full of Genesee Creal ales...of course my Mother entrusted her soon to be 16 year old son with the "responsible Tracey"..HA!.......
Hell I still don't believe we where there. But we were. We also were there for....get this-- Pope John Paul's visit to Philadelphia...not sure what that's all about. Still we did alot of funny things, we worked the Swedesboro-Gibbstown drinking circuit at Waynes Paradise Inn, limping home on more than one occasion, we even worked together occasionally...lifeguarding. We shared good times, funny times, sad times, heartbreak times..you name it. So it's with a nice sense of connection that I see her posting to this site after all these years gone by....of course it's also tempered with a great deal of amazement when she speaks of her High School children...who have great hair mind you....just like I had. Your the best Trac...funny, witty and always lurking even after all these years....maybe we'll have some more laughs this summer at the Jersey shore? I'll be up at Bill and Sal's in Avalon last two weeks in August....surely there's someone we haven't told the BM & the Wailers story too?
Thursday, May 26, 2005
Idoltry
Well as a famous man once said..."It all ends in tears" and so it did for Carrie Underwood last night after being crowned the "American Idol". Her tears I could give a rat's ass about, my 6 year old daughter's tears are another story. She was heartbroken to see her beloved rocker Bo Bice take second place after hanging through 2 hours of the most shamless self promotion I've ever seen.
I had become somewhat of a "fan" I guess when it became my daughter's and my routine to watch this show every week together, and watch we did faithfully through the whole 12 week airing. Sophia immediately took to the rocker BO, declaring after the first night that the long haired, bearded hippyboy was her favorite. This got me to thinking that one day her "favorite" boy could and probably won't be the image I have in my head for her, which is a future worry i will delay dwelling on for now. Still it was with sadness for her as I watched her excited face well up with tears as the winner was announced? What do you say to soften that first real crush let down?
The whole idol phenomenon is a bit scary anway, as there seems to be little to idolize when most of these kids have their past transgressions outed by the likes of The Smoking Gun or others. Yet I also understand the mind of a 6-year-old girls, or at least I think I do- and in her mind, Bo was the end all and be all of stardom. Cute in a way, but sad still to see your child reduced to tears over something so contrived and scripted. I assured her that Clive Davis dug Bo more anyway, and he even said so a week before, and that he wanted to record his album, so he must be better than Carrie. This had little of the intended effect and so off she went with tears on her cheeks to bed....
I had become somewhat of a "fan" I guess when it became my daughter's and my routine to watch this show every week together, and watch we did faithfully through the whole 12 week airing. Sophia immediately took to the rocker BO, declaring after the first night that the long haired, bearded hippyboy was her favorite. This got me to thinking that one day her "favorite" boy could and probably won't be the image I have in my head for her, which is a future worry i will delay dwelling on for now. Still it was with sadness for her as I watched her excited face well up with tears as the winner was announced? What do you say to soften that first real crush let down?
The whole idol phenomenon is a bit scary anway, as there seems to be little to idolize when most of these kids have their past transgressions outed by the likes of The Smoking Gun or others. Yet I also understand the mind of a 6-year-old girls, or at least I think I do- and in her mind, Bo was the end all and be all of stardom. Cute in a way, but sad still to see your child reduced to tears over something so contrived and scripted. I assured her that Clive Davis dug Bo more anyway, and he even said so a week before, and that he wanted to record his album, so he must be better than Carrie. This had little of the intended effect and so off she went with tears on her cheeks to bed....
Memorial Day +4 part 2
A good friend responded to my latest Memorial Day observation quite astutely when he mentioned not only is he also annoyed with the whole Tillman fiasco he also mentioned another forgotten "hero" Jessica Lynch. This brave young woman took a bullet and kept shooting untill her ammo ran out, only to use her knife. We've since learned that this too was an embellishment of the facts. This lead me to wonder if this wasn't a concerted effort on the part of the military, designed to glorify these individuals and in the process, make the enlistment even more attractive to any wanna be youngsters.
I wonder how many 18-year-olds are presently receiving basic training that may have enlisted inspired by the heroic-- if not less than honest portrayal of these individuals. Of course regardless of what they did, they are to be commended, but outright lying by the military establishment is very worrisome in a time of so much suffering already. Funny how this administration decrys the "false' depictions and imflamatory stories Al Jazeera and other Arab outlets produce, it seems to be a case of the kettle calling the pot black.....
I wonder how many 18-year-olds are presently receiving basic training that may have enlisted inspired by the heroic-- if not less than honest portrayal of these individuals. Of course regardless of what they did, they are to be commended, but outright lying by the military establishment is very worrisome in a time of so much suffering already. Funny how this administration decrys the "false' depictions and imflamatory stories Al Jazeera and other Arab outlets produce, it seems to be a case of the kettle calling the pot black.....
Tuesday, May 24, 2005
Memorial Day +4
We're now 4+ years into W's war on terror and it appears we've only stirred a hornets nest of hatred towards our policies and people. Though as scary as this is, the real legacy lies in this years' Memorial Day commemorations as we now have 1600 soldiers who have given the ultimate sacrifice for an arguably dodgy cause at best.
As a father I try to conceive of the pain of losing a chid so horrifically, and I am always drawn back to the root question: For what? I love my country as much as the next guy, I want to stamp out terrorists and I want America to be safe. Is starting an unnecessary and unprovoked war in the most volatile region in the world supposed to really make this happen?
Yesterday I watched as Pat Tillman's family one by one denounced the George W. war machine as having used their son's glorious sacrifice for their own warmongering public relations battle. It wasn't that he was killed by friendly fire -- this is and has always been a by-product of war, the crux of the problem is the US's inability to report the "truth" even after Tillman had given the ultimate sacrifice. So my question begs to be answered: If we are lied to when our children die in service to their country, why then should we believe the very reasons we're even fighting for?
All Americans should this year, more than most, remember that what this Memorial Day really stands for is not cook-outs, beaches, and boardwalks-- but rather tombstones,amputations, and devestating war. That we too often insulate ourselves from the real truths of the holidays we celebrate is a fact, and that in reality for over 1600 families this Memorial Day is but another very raw, painful reminder of a policy gone wrong from the start. This should not, and cannot demean any soldier's service or sacrifice, as I have the utmost respect for anyone who would go 10,000 miles away from his family and fight an enemy like no other--an enemey with no real face, front lines, or even uniforms. Still this country continues to bleed four years after 9/11 and it's time we all ask the tough questions of whether we are allocating our resources in the best possible manner. Hell, even Colin Powell has dropped off the radar from this administration. Being a man of high honor who has both witnessed death and war, I believe he is still disapointed that the White House allowed him to go the UN with that less than verifiable "eveidence".
Is this not the greatest irony that a man who spends his entire life in service to his country, not in words-- but in deeds-- and with honor, truth, and conviction, is himself the sacrificial lamb of the truth? Let's hope by this time next year we have a clearer vision for what we ought to be doing to help the world see peace, since fighting for peace is such an oxymoron.
I wonder if we had taken $100 billion and distributed it as agressively in the name of peace, health, and education to the very people we have chosen to bomb, maim, and kill-- if our investment would be yielding much better long term dividends? I don't want to sound like a daisy waving peacenik-- because I'm not - Afghanistan needed to be cleansed of the Taliban and the hatred it spread, but if we could have tried to change world opinion through peaceful altruistic means maybe, just maybe, we might see ourselves liked by the world as much as we are liked by ourselves.
Isn't this the real problem with our country? Americans by nature, deed, and example are good peace loving people, giving milions upon millions domestically and indeed internationally to those less fotunate. For this we see ourselves as a fair, generous,understanding and compassionate people -- unfortunately we have a policy abroad which presents a completely different face to the world-- bully, mighty, warring, and wasteful. We have allowed ourselves to be painted completely differently than we see ourselves.
So enjoy your Memorial Day, but don't forget that for everyone of those 1600 Soldiers, Airmen, Sailors, and Marines, how many lives are directly affected by their deaths. Maybe each person's death has a ripple effect through 1000 lives around them in the course of their lives...that would mean that 1,600,000 people are feeling the very raw pain of this war as we cook our hotdogs and drink our beer here at home - well behind the "front lines"......God Bless ALL of us-- not just America.
As a father I try to conceive of the pain of losing a chid so horrifically, and I am always drawn back to the root question: For what? I love my country as much as the next guy, I want to stamp out terrorists and I want America to be safe. Is starting an unnecessary and unprovoked war in the most volatile region in the world supposed to really make this happen?
Yesterday I watched as Pat Tillman's family one by one denounced the George W. war machine as having used their son's glorious sacrifice for their own warmongering public relations battle. It wasn't that he was killed by friendly fire -- this is and has always been a by-product of war, the crux of the problem is the US's inability to report the "truth" even after Tillman had given the ultimate sacrifice. So my question begs to be answered: If we are lied to when our children die in service to their country, why then should we believe the very reasons we're even fighting for?
All Americans should this year, more than most, remember that what this Memorial Day really stands for is not cook-outs, beaches, and boardwalks-- but rather tombstones,amputations, and devestating war. That we too often insulate ourselves from the real truths of the holidays we celebrate is a fact, and that in reality for over 1600 families this Memorial Day is but another very raw, painful reminder of a policy gone wrong from the start. This should not, and cannot demean any soldier's service or sacrifice, as I have the utmost respect for anyone who would go 10,000 miles away from his family and fight an enemy like no other--an enemey with no real face, front lines, or even uniforms. Still this country continues to bleed four years after 9/11 and it's time we all ask the tough questions of whether we are allocating our resources in the best possible manner. Hell, even Colin Powell has dropped off the radar from this administration. Being a man of high honor who has both witnessed death and war, I believe he is still disapointed that the White House allowed him to go the UN with that less than verifiable "eveidence".
Is this not the greatest irony that a man who spends his entire life in service to his country, not in words-- but in deeds-- and with honor, truth, and conviction, is himself the sacrificial lamb of the truth? Let's hope by this time next year we have a clearer vision for what we ought to be doing to help the world see peace, since fighting for peace is such an oxymoron.
I wonder if we had taken $100 billion and distributed it as agressively in the name of peace, health, and education to the very people we have chosen to bomb, maim, and kill-- if our investment would be yielding much better long term dividends? I don't want to sound like a daisy waving peacenik-- because I'm not - Afghanistan needed to be cleansed of the Taliban and the hatred it spread, but if we could have tried to change world opinion through peaceful altruistic means maybe, just maybe, we might see ourselves liked by the world as much as we are liked by ourselves.
Isn't this the real problem with our country? Americans by nature, deed, and example are good peace loving people, giving milions upon millions domestically and indeed internationally to those less fotunate. For this we see ourselves as a fair, generous,understanding and compassionate people -- unfortunately we have a policy abroad which presents a completely different face to the world-- bully, mighty, warring, and wasteful. We have allowed ourselves to be painted completely differently than we see ourselves.
So enjoy your Memorial Day, but don't forget that for everyone of those 1600 Soldiers, Airmen, Sailors, and Marines, how many lives are directly affected by their deaths. Maybe each person's death has a ripple effect through 1000 lives around them in the course of their lives...that would mean that 1,600,000 people are feeling the very raw pain of this war as we cook our hotdogs and drink our beer here at home - well behind the "front lines"......God Bless ALL of us-- not just America.
Saturday, May 21, 2005
A Father's Pride
Well the torch has been passed...my wonderful 6-year-old daughter is blogging! Wow, I think when i was 6 I was still learning to ride my two-wheeler...today's kids are so smart, though Sophia's abilities are most likely due to her love of reading....you got read to want to write. And such a coherent blog....she'll be signing on often and adding her little perspectives to this site...stay tuned
My School Fair-- By Sophia Paynter
Hi my name is Sophia daughter of PaynterinFlorida, i am 6 1/2 . This is my first blog yesterday me my Dad my Mom and myUncle went to my school fair at North Palm Beach Elmentary. And the first thing i went on was the bounse house. And i play mini golf saw my freinds played some games . After that i did sand art my bottle had a butterfly i put some beatiful colors in it. i also got a tatoo! My tatoo was on my arm it was a beatiful butterfly. i also want to tell you about when i went into a maze where i had to craw in it oh! and it had good air condishining but i also played games and won a prize it was a baton it was a beatiful baton oh! and before i forget i took a picure with the build a bear workshop bear and then i went home to have dinner and watch the muppets Wizard Of Oz.
Friday, May 20, 2005
Ahhh Friday, finally.
Finally!, I haven't yet been able to completely unpack from my sojourn north to Philadelphia so I anticipate a week-end of "getting it together"-- laundry, house cleaning etc. Then I shall retire to my auxiliary office-the beach for some much needed chill time(sorry Chuck). It'll only be 7 days before the next round of northern visitors with the impending arrival of the mighty Yogaman himself, the venerable Flash makes a Memorial Day appearance, beginning at 9am on Friday the 27th at Palm Beach International Airport. His Yoginess will then lead the enlightened to the Juno Beach pier for an impromtu beach session. The FM will be relaxing until Tuesday morning taking in all that the Palm Beaches have to offer....of course not to be outdone our eldest brother Captain Kaos himself makes a "backdoor" entrance as well- sneaking in via the Ronald Reagan Memorial highway (Fl. turnpike). He arrives Friday also and he'll be bringing along support---the EDman...his son who now makes Orlando his homebase....so the Memorial day weekend looks to be strong and long...I will be stocking up on the Becks in anticpation. So there it is...a 7 day reprieve before the next wave of northern immigrants....that's the beauty of Florida, constant reminders of your northern past....until later...PAYNTERinFLORIDA out.
Thursday, May 19, 2005
Hall of Fame
In other news here in Florida it was one week ago today I was standing before hundreds of high school girls and nuns (go figure) giving an introduction speech to my incredible mother Alice V. McCormick for her induction into Little Flower Catholic High School for Girls Hall of Fame. An honor for sure as they only have about 50 inductees in their 65 year history containing 37,000 alum. The honorable Alice earned this distiction the old fashioned way....hard work, service and faith. To say it was an honor to be chosen to introduce her is putting it lightly, as I know the many friends and family who were in attendance felt she was deserving for not just her Peace Corps service but her loyalty and love she has shown the many people in her life for so long...congrats Mom!
Hurricanes are a coming....
Wow, just saw the future in Central America.....none too eager to witness that fury again. Last year was my eigth year in Florida and my first time at having to evacuate. Those poor people in C. America are so unprepared, having been to that area a few times it's a pretty safe bet that corrugates metal and adobe shacks are not what you want to be in. Last year was trying enough for me in a concrete block house, what with no power for days, no gas, no supermarket. i guess the upside to abject poverty is that you don't miss what you don't already have, still I guess prayers are in order for the many thousands who will surely know the terror of the impending fury....
Saturday, April 30, 2005
Hall of Fame Introduction Remarks May12, 2005
Good afternoon to the faculty, students, distinguished honorees and their families, Ladies and Gentlemen.
Today it is my pleasure to introduce a woman who in my view embodies the very spirit of Little Flower’s mission statement-- my Mother- Alice V. McCormick. Her lifetime of service to others both civically and globally, as well as her spiritual, academic. and professional accomplishments have provided me with a glimpse of just how influential her early years at Little Flower were for her.
It isn’t often that a son gets the opportunity to return to his Mother’s High School, let alone introduce her in the very auditorium where her hopes, her dreams, her future, and indeed character were pondered and developed—so the magnitude of this moment is not lost on either my self or my four brothers today. With this in mind, I decided to fly from Florida with my daughter Sophia to be here today to introduce my Mom because of how proud I am of her.
I’m quite sure if anyone were to ask my Mother what the proudest or most meaningful accomplishment was in her life, she would respond by saying it was her being blessed to have had five healthy sons, all of whom she enjoys equally diverse and vibrant relationships with; as we all represent a different period in her life-professionally, spiritually, and educationally speaking.
Several years ago I was fortunate enough to travel to Central America to see my Mother in Honduras where she was serving in the Peace Corps – honoring a commitment made to herself some 40 years earlier-- a dream delayed, yes—forgotten, no.
Throughout this incredibly hot and un air-conditioned week I strolled around Alice’s pueblo meeting it’s people and documenting everyday life with my camera while amusing the townsfolk with my Spanish skills. As luck would have it, this was the week my Mother’s class was to begin teaching to the town’s 8th grade boys and girls. I welcomed this event as a real opportunity to see the “altruistic” Alice at work.
The class My Mom had chosen to teach was on issues that all teenagers-- regardless of nationality, ethnicity, social position, or gender will face—Issues such as peer pressure, self esteem, respect for one’s self, and for even more importnatly-- for others.
I knew that the “Mother” Alice was to her own five sons, would enable her to connect to these teenagers as well regardless of language or cultural barriers, so I sat back and got ready for the show.
Much to my surprise, soon after the class began I realized the person I was seeing through my camera lens was NOT my Mom—instead I was seeing what these children were seeing- a confident, caring, and devoted bilingual woman. Here I was in the middle of Honduras in a tropically sun-bathed classroom in October, with my Mom conducting her class completely in Spanish- and the kids loved it. I was never so proud, nor was I ever so sure that my Mom was indeed in the right place at the right time. Despite all of us missing her at home, I knew that our loss was to be this small town’s blessing.
This is the Alice McCormick I know—caring, giving, compassionate, yet tough when she needs to be. Like many things in life—perception never quite equals reality. And I believe Alice’s perception of herself has never really balanced with how her many friends and family have seen her. My Mom has adopted a much more modest view of her herself and of her service to others-- as opposed to the often glowing admiration those in her life have for her, myself included.
So in many ways Mom this day represents validation—more to you than to us. Validation for what WE your family and friends have known and said for years-- that you are to be commended for your dedication and service to the many people that your service to has altered, impacted, and enriched their lives. Your lifelong positive messages have not been lost on your five sons or your six grandchildren—who all see in you the example and the result, of hard work, reaching for your dreams, and most importantly never, ever giving up.
And so ladies and gentlemen, faculty, students and distinguished honorees-- it is with immense pride, love, and respect I present to you My Mother, my friend-Alice Veronica McCormick LFCHS for Girls class of ’57.
Good afternoon to the faculty, students, distinguished honorees and their families, Ladies and Gentlemen.
Today it is my pleasure to introduce a woman who in my view embodies the very spirit of Little Flower’s mission statement-- my Mother- Alice V. McCormick. Her lifetime of service to others both civically and globally, as well as her spiritual, academic. and professional accomplishments have provided me with a glimpse of just how influential her early years at Little Flower were for her.
It isn’t often that a son gets the opportunity to return to his Mother’s High School, let alone introduce her in the very auditorium where her hopes, her dreams, her future, and indeed character were pondered and developed—so the magnitude of this moment is not lost on either my self or my four brothers today. With this in mind, I decided to fly from Florida with my daughter Sophia to be here today to introduce my Mom because of how proud I am of her.
I’m quite sure if anyone were to ask my Mother what the proudest or most meaningful accomplishment was in her life, she would respond by saying it was her being blessed to have had five healthy sons, all of whom she enjoys equally diverse and vibrant relationships with; as we all represent a different period in her life-professionally, spiritually, and educationally speaking.
Several years ago I was fortunate enough to travel to Central America to see my Mother in Honduras where she was serving in the Peace Corps – honoring a commitment made to herself some 40 years earlier-- a dream delayed, yes—forgotten, no.
Throughout this incredibly hot and un air-conditioned week I strolled around Alice’s pueblo meeting it’s people and documenting everyday life with my camera while amusing the townsfolk with my Spanish skills. As luck would have it, this was the week my Mother’s class was to begin teaching to the town’s 8th grade boys and girls. I welcomed this event as a real opportunity to see the “altruistic” Alice at work.
The class My Mom had chosen to teach was on issues that all teenagers-- regardless of nationality, ethnicity, social position, or gender will face—Issues such as peer pressure, self esteem, respect for one’s self, and for even more importnatly-- for others.
I knew that the “Mother” Alice was to her own five sons, would enable her to connect to these teenagers as well regardless of language or cultural barriers, so I sat back and got ready for the show.
Much to my surprise, soon after the class began I realized the person I was seeing through my camera lens was NOT my Mom—instead I was seeing what these children were seeing- a confident, caring, and devoted bilingual woman. Here I was in the middle of Honduras in a tropically sun-bathed classroom in October, with my Mom conducting her class completely in Spanish- and the kids loved it. I was never so proud, nor was I ever so sure that my Mom was indeed in the right place at the right time. Despite all of us missing her at home, I knew that our loss was to be this small town’s blessing.
This is the Alice McCormick I know—caring, giving, compassionate, yet tough when she needs to be. Like many things in life—perception never quite equals reality. And I believe Alice’s perception of herself has never really balanced with how her many friends and family have seen her. My Mom has adopted a much more modest view of her herself and of her service to others-- as opposed to the often glowing admiration those in her life have for her, myself included.
So in many ways Mom this day represents validation—more to you than to us. Validation for what WE your family and friends have known and said for years-- that you are to be commended for your dedication and service to the many people that your service to has altered, impacted, and enriched their lives. Your lifelong positive messages have not been lost on your five sons or your six grandchildren—who all see in you the example and the result, of hard work, reaching for your dreams, and most importantly never, ever giving up.
And so ladies and gentlemen, faculty, students and distinguished honorees-- it is with immense pride, love, and respect I present to you My Mother, my friend-Alice Veronica McCormick LFCHS for Girls class of ’57.
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