As I enjoyed my daily stroll across campus, today, I considered that our Earth is engaged in it’s annual spring renewal, irrespective of our pandemic. The trees are resplendent with their blossoms. Squirrels are playing and frisky in their antics. They have always been comfortable on the campus of Southern Illinois University @ Carbondale…but they are additionally so..due to the lack of humans in the way of their happy antics. Today was cool and pleasant…and it had that, certain feeling, of promise and hope and renewal of life!
I enjoyed a few puffs of my wonderful Christmas gift from Aaron, my Christmas pipe, in my automobile. Remember, we are on a stay at home order due to the coronavirus, and I was on my way to Walmart for needed groceries…which is permissible…from necessity. I thought of friends and family and suffering and joy. MJ and I have a dear friend who is receiving chemo therapy for cancer. Another of our friends was in the hospital for a recent stroke. An old friend of mine is a new grandmother…with a beautiful new grandchild. The sky, above me, was a brilliant blue. The new grass was forest green…with the pleasant odor of wild green onions. Everything is a gift. Every moment is a photograph…in time…of our precious lives.
Jonathon arises at 5:00 A.M. and prepares for work, in the event that he is called in to his job at Key Control.
Aaron is working so hard to ensure that his warehouse and drivers are able to deliver the vital cleaning products and PPE that is so essential to the health and safety of hospitals.
I parked at our local Walmart this afternoon, at the end of the store that I customarily enter. The doors were locked and a gate had been hastily constructed to block, even, going up to attempt entry. Thus, I walked the length of the mega-store, and found more gates to facilitate the entrance and exit from the store. There was a nice young woman who greeted me and asked me how I was doing and cautioned me that Walmart was practicing social distancing and that I should stay 6 feet apart from other patrons. I am noticing more people who are wearing face masks or bandanas or scarfs…and people nod and, perhaps, smile when you make eye contact with them.
I ordered a Swiss Arm Knife, as a true Southern Illinoisan can never have to many pocket knifes. It is sky blue in color and made of aluminum. It has 2020 embossed on it’s back. Sky blue is a happy and hopeful color…2020 is the year of our pandemic.
The natural wonder of our Earth is progressing forward on it’s perfect clock. It is wondering where the humans have gone. It is up to us…how we return….
As I was driving to my walk, this afternoon, I noticed a group of young men who were jogging…and not social distancing. It is funny how I noticed this, now oddity, when not long ago the close pact group of athletes would have appeared normal and uneventful. They ran with the unabashed abandon of the invincible.
‘Dozens of choir members became ill after a rehearsal earlier this month in Mount Vernon. According to Skagit County Public Health, 60 members of Skagit Valley Chorale met on March 10. Within several days, 45 members became ill, 28 tested positive for COVID-19, and 17 members did not get tested but had consistent symptoms. Two people in their 80’s died.’ Q13 Fox
‘The city of Lynchburg is furious.
‘We had a firestorm of our own citizens who said, ‘What’s going on?’ said Treny Tweedy, the mayor.’
‘Some Liberty officials accuse alarmed outsiders of playing politics. Ms. Tweedy has called Mr. Falwell ‘reckless.’ And within the school, there are signs of panic.’
‘I am not allowed to talk to you because I’m an employee here,’ one student wrote in an email. But, he pleaded, ‘we need help to go home.’ New York Times
Have you ever gone cave exploring? I did when I was a much younger man. Caves are fascinating…they represent another and an unseen world. A cave is so completely pitch dark, you can not see your hand before your face…until you light your lamp. There are stalagmites and stalactites and flowing streams and dangerous drop-offs. It is not unusual for a cave explorer…a spelunker…to become lost in the strange and dark world of the underground…and never finding their way out, again, into the light of the noon day sun.
Light is hope…darkness is despair. The light that we have, that is illuminating our winding and rocky path through the 2020 pandemic is the advice of our medical professionals. Our faith is essential…it is vital to our survival. ‘But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.’ I Corinthians 12: 9-10 NIV
Dr. Anthony Fauci and Dr. Deborah Birks, President Trump’s key health advisors, predict up to 200,000 Coronavirus deaths in the United States…’if we do things almost perfectly.’ This is the best case scenario.
We humans have been united by a terrible force. No matter if some of us feel so young and vibrant and in tip top shape…that we believe that we are invincible. No matter if some of us have such a powerful christian faith that we are certain that God will protect us…in recognition of our zeal and religious fervor…we are all in this together. What I do…affects you. What you do…affects me.
What we are experiencing is a bit like the movie, Dead Poet’s Society, staring the magnificent Robin Williams, who played, John Keating, an English professor. One of the memorable quotes of his character was, ‘And medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love: these are what we stay alive for.’
Our lives, as dues paying members of the human family…must be guarded and protected and revered…if we are to ever hope for economic well-being!
This morning our church had a ‘Zoom’ worship service. What a joy to see our friends doing well, in their homes. The Spanish flu, pandemic, occurred from January 1918 – December 1920. ‘It infected 500 million people-about a quarter of the world’s population at the time.’ Wikipedia. Zoom and other social streaming programs are a tremendous aid in humanities world-wide effort at social distancing, to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Modern technology has proven to be a blessing. This morning, I was in church!
Fear is an insidious and compelling emotion. It tends to present itself in the darkest hours before the dawn. It hides in the shadows of creatures that are half seen…or felt as a dull dread and a sick feeling in the pit of our stomachs. At times we see the sudden movement of our fear out of the corner of our eye…and when we turn to observe it more fully…it is gone.
There is a family that has been fishing on the far side of a pond that several of the families in our sub-division own a partial of. I hear the father call out, joyfully, each time that he or one of his children catches a fish. I can hear him as he carefully trains his children in the art of fishing. I hear the joy and exuberance in their voices. I also hear the, fear in their dad’s voice…that he has worked to mask…in order that his precious kids…are not aware of his worries for them.
On campus, this morning, Jonathon and I saw a family… mom and dad and their little children, as they walked and laughed and enjoyed a beautiful Spring…Sunday in late March. In days gone by, it was somewhat unusual to be greeted by those whom you pass…now it is customary to smile and wave and say hello. We Baby-Boomers and all of the generations that have followed us…have not experienced a more communal event…than our fight with this 2020 pandemic. We see each other…we know each other…we understand that we are united in our fear and our hope…we feel the darkness like a sackcloth…and we rejoice in the brilliance of the sun!
Several words that are used to describe our profound emotions as we travel the long and curving path of life, are difficult to describe. We often say that we love someone or something or someplace, and yet if hard pressed to elaborate regarding about what it is that caused us to use that powerful word…we find it a bit like attempting to capture a beautiful cloud before it changes and morphs into something else. I see love when I see our nurses and doctors risk their lives to care for us during our pandemic. They work countless hours…often without the proper personal protective equipment…knowing that they have a great potential of contracting the disease.
Many times I have been comforted by a fellow traveler and made to feel less afraid of what I was facing and secure in the courage of their kind words…to only understand later that they were as a afraid as I was, and yet they cared about my wellbeing.
‘Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.’ I Corinthians 13: 4-5 NIV
I entered Schnucks supermarket and was greeted by a friendly attendant who offered to wipe my grocery cart with sanitizer and provide me sanitizer for my hands. This lovely person is in as much danger from the virus, as I am. Yet, she performed her work with a smile and the courage of protecting others! She did not ask me if I was a democrat or a republican…she recognized me as a fellow human being who was in need of protection from an unseen enemy.
We visited New York city on two occasions. One thing that I noticed was the regular sounds of sirens, both day and night. New Yorkers are reporting that they are hearing sirens as frequently as 9/11. The governor of New York, nor is any governor, exaggerating the need for more ventilators…now! The coronavirus is not a political issue…it is not a red or blue issue. Sadly…the scope of the pandemic…will affect families of all political and religious persuasions…and the loved ones of the ill people…will want them to have access to a ventilator!
Three and one half million people filed for unemployment insurance last week…and this is an increase of 1,500%, according to the most recent report. These are numbers that eclipse all records. The restaurant industry has been devastated. There are millions of Americans who not only eligible for unemployment insurance and 80% of our fellow citizens live from pay day to pay day. The Food Pantry’s in our area are shut-down…they are out of food! When I see people who care and are, visibly, burdened by the suffering of others…I see love.
Faith has always been a word that I find difficult to explain. ‘Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.’ Hebrews 11:1 KJV
Grandmother Askew, who passed away in 1969, read her Bible, daily. She told me that times were coming upon the world that would ‘try men’s souls.’ She had lived through the Great Depression. Grandma and her five children had been hungry…and had been forced to forage for persimmons to stave off starvation.
Media and movies and reality shows and Facebook and social media…have demanded our attention and captivated our minds. Now, in real time…as we are recently fond of saying, we desperately need each other.
My faith is increased when when I witness the love and concern and selflessness of our first responders, and our custodians, and our grocery store workers.
My faith is increased as we all stay inward…and look outward… to all who need our love and assistance and our, virtual, hand of love and help in this dark storm of the soul.
I spoke with my good friend, Jeff, this morning. Jeff and Margo live in London. They are experiencing a similar stay at home order. We commiserated regarding the rapidity and randomness of the virus. We committed to meet, somewhere in the world, once the pandemic is over…friends are precious…
As I walked the Campus of Southern Illinois University @ Carbondale, today, I was struck with the profound beauty of the picturesque blue sky…an azure sky. Although the state of Illinois is on a stay at home order, issued by our Governor, we are allowed to; walk, run, or hike, outside our homes. Campus is an ideal place to facilitate social distancing…as I seldom see another human. I was thrilled to hear my name called out and when I turned to see who was greeting me…there was my friend Sarah and her distinguished dog.
We are living, in real time, in a pandemic. People are dying. The United States has just experienced it’s deadliest 24 hours. This is someone’s mom…or dad…or sister…or brother…or grandmother…or grandfather. Lives have, already, been inalterably altered…forever.
When fiction and ‘Tall Tales’…bump their head against the hard tungsten steel of facts…the fanciful narratives evaporate like fog on a sunny morning.
Our medical professionals are heroes! Our grocery store cashiers and those who bag our food…along with custodians across the world…are heroes!
Our son, Aaron, is working long hours to ensure that his company’s, vital, cleaning and health and safety products, continue, to be delivered to hospitals and so many areas that desperately need the items.
It appears that our government is going to do the right thing in getting money into the hands of working people. It is difficult to shelter in place…if you have no ‘place.’
I read of so many of my friends who are now, from necessity, homeschooling. The comments are spot on and funny! Due to my working nights and, thus, not being able to see our sons, accept on weekends, MJ homeschooled Aaron and Jonathon…for several years. She is an extremely talented person.
Now is the time for us to reach out and help our neighbors who are financially hurting. The majority of our fellow citizens would have difficulty in laying their hands on $400 in event of an emergency…we are in the emergency of our lives!
If any truth has emerged from our present distress, it is that we are all in this together. The fragility of governments and economies, the political musings and hate speech of both political parties, the hollow promises of those who want to manipulate others for their own benefit…as the truth of an unseen virus…. jars us back into reality!
‘Quick reminder that if the roles were reversed and young people were more likely to die, our parents and grandparents would do absolutely anything and everything to save us.’
The rate of increase of the coronavirus, in Italy, has decreased for 3 days in a row.
World War II changed the world and created a new normal. Our 2020 pandemic…will give us a new normal. Hopefully it will be the normal of loving each other. Hopefully it will be the realization that we are much more alike than we are different. Hopefully…when we see the elderly…we will see our parents or our grandparents. We will bring the homeless and the cold and the lonely and those who are despondent and have lost all hope…into our homes and our hearts…
Mary Jane told me this morning that she had received the nicest email from our friend, Ro. As she shared the kind note with me, my heart was made light and I could see the light at the end of the tunnel. The efficacy of a few well placed words can make an important difference in your perception of the storm clouds.
Heroes are all around us. Our nurses and doctors are the front lines of our defense against the coronavirus. They deserve our admiration…and they, especially, deserve all of the Personal Protective Equipment that they need. They are mothers and fathers and sisters and brothers and sons and daughters. They are risking their lives to help the rest of us.
I spent my career in custodial services at Southern Illinois University @ Carbondale. I quickly discovered that the precious members of the Building Services staff were not only vital to the operation of our University, but that they were elite professionals. The selflessness of our housekeepers, throughout our world, is protecting the rest of us!
We find ourselves on a road that none of us have previously trod. Is it possible that prior to COVID-19…many of us were lonely in the midst of thousands…and, now, can feel loved and needed and a part of the family, although we are physically removed, for a time, by social distancing?
I saw my former pastor, Janice, delivering words of hope through a live stream on Facebook. Last Sunday I watched my pastor, Kerry, deliver words of faith and direction and encouragement, on youtube. This unusual and frightening time will be what we make of it. We may choose to cower and cover our heads, or we may look forward and reach out to our friends and neighbors and our family that we know, and those that we do not know.
The last few mornings, at 1:00 A:M:, I have been watching Pope Francis deliver a homily. His words are genuine and kind and uplifting. We have always been one family, although politicians and pundits and religions would have us believe otherwise.
Shutting our ears to the, expert, admonishing of our medical professionals is folly. Our precious millennial generation, on the beaches of Florida, are being deceived by their strong bodies and health. I was young, once, and I remember the feeling of indestructibility that is inherent in youth. However, it is not just about them…but the many others that they will infect, should they contract the virus.
We thought that our finances, separated us. We thought that the gated community would keep out the dangers. We saw the homeless woman, sitting by the front door, as we entered the five star restaurant for a luxurious dinner. Now we know…we are all the same. We are all destitute and hungry and naked and afraid…without our God…who is represented by our brothers and sisters in our, large, human family.
Fear is a terrible and mind numbing force. Fear leads to panic which leads to irrational emotions and actions. I had been reading, on social media, that there was a shortage of toilet paper at stores throughout the country. I thought that it was a joke. Yes we are in the beginning of a pandemic…but toilet paper? What about beans, or peanut butter, or coffee, or flour…or rib eye steaks? Today, Jonathon and I traveled to our nearest Sam’s Box store and discovered that, indeed they did not have a square of toilet paper. Also there were displayed many empty areas in the massive freezers sections illustrating a general run on food…and especially…paper! I engaged in the great toilet paper search last evening. As I walked the aisle of our local Wal-Mart I saw the barest shelfs that I had ever seen. I asked a friend who was working in the store if there was any toilet paper to be found? He told me to make my way to the automotive section, and specifically the RV area, where a little toilet paper could be found. I hurriedly, for a 62 year old, pushed my large cart, that was intended to hold my toilet paper purchases, to the automotive, RV, section of the humongous store. There was a young man who told me that, sadly, all of the toilet paper was gone…and all that he had left was some, ‘Dude Wipes.’ I said show me where they are, and he took me to a hook that had a few small packs of the magic product. I took a few…but not all of them. I then proceeded to the check out where I found two packs of equate sanitizer wipes. I told the nice young lady at the checkout that I had thought that the toilet paper shortage was a joke. She told me that the day before she had checked out a woman who had purchased $300.00 of just toilet paper.
Hand sanitizer, a product that is customarily as lonely as skate keys and button hooks…is now in such demand that there is not a drop to be found. Soap is an excellent hand sanitizer.
If you are prone to allergies or colds and coughs as the character Archie Bunker of the 1970’s television hit, All In The Family, would often say to his wife…’stifle, Edith!’ Be ready for the dirty looks and judgmental gazes of those around you. But, with all of the illogical emotions that come with our herd mentality that dictates, I will get mine…and the hell with you…we face a real and imminent threat. Decisions are difficult and, temporarily, life changing. Our University has extended it’s spring break and then will rely on on-line teaching of courses for the near future. Our Governor has ordered the closing of all schools in Illinois, beginning this Tuesday. Infectious disease experts have cautioned the American population to practice social distancing. Their professional advice is for us to attempt to ‘flatten the curve’ of COVID-19 cases in order to allow hospitals the ability to not be overrun by people who are ill with the disease. We can comfort ourselves, for a short time, that no one has been identified as having the virus, in our town. How can we be sure of this…when there has not been testing available? Perhaps we have no one ill…perhaps we have many more than we can imagine.
I had a painting of Jesus looking over Jerusalem, when I first became a christian. It hung in my bedroom. The painting spoke to my young zeal for following Christ, and my belief that he watches his creation with, sad eyes.
‘Oh Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thous that killest the prophets and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!’ Matthew 23:37 KJV
The sun was shinning brilliantly. The birds were twittering and the pond was placid and serene. Billy B. had walked campus this morning and had not seen a soul. He had felt, lonely. During his stroll, Billy Bump had not observed anything frightening, but rather an insidious beauty and preparedness for the serious job of learning. He noticed a deer stop and stare at him, for what seemed like, an hour or more. In reality it had been only a couple of minutes…but time was frozen. The deer looked as if she was thinking, ‘what are you doing here?’
Television was functioning as if their reporting was disconnected from reality. There was a group of happy senior citizens, playing cards and dancing and enjoying afternoon cocktails…seemingly without a care in the world. When a reporter interviewed one of the aged men, he announced that he was not only not going to engage in social distancing…but that the president did not seem to be too worried about the fake news regarding a virus, and he was not going to worry either. When the reporter asked the gentleman his age, he proudly announced that he was 85, and that he did not arrive at such an august number by running scared of every report that the media showed on TV.
The head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), Dr. Anthony S. Fauci announced to Congress that it was going to get worse before it gets better. ‘We can’t be doing the same kinds of things we were doing a few months ago,’ said Dr. Fauci.
Although, potentially, exposed to the virus, the president insisted that he was not worried about it and that he felt, ‘very…very…good!’ He went on the state that he felt no need to be tested. He held a re-election rally, where thousands of devoted followers attended. He promised that he would hold more.
The morality rate of the virus is somewhere between .7% and 15% according to health experts. The reason for the uncertainty in this most important of percentages is the lack of testing kits in the United States. Much of the testing is being done by two private companies, who are not obligated to share their results with the National Center For Disease Control. Although South Korea experienced their first occurrence of the virus at about the same time as the US They had tested 200 thousand of their citizens for the virus, while the United States had tested a fraction of that amount and was unclear as to the results…and was still waiting on test kits to arrive.
The president’s economic advisor went on television and assured the American public that the markets were in good shape and they continued to drop, as much as 2000 points in one day…driven by the mixed messages of leadership and the uncertainty of a plan of action.
Capitalism and our American ingenuity will save us, the religious schisms and sects and cults proclaimed. ‘Why…we are God’s people and the apple of his eye and his chosen and we must keep the undesirables out…and those from the, ‘shit-hole’ countries.
And…the invisible angel of death…visited the homes of the strong and the Pharaohs and the famous and the rich and the mighty… and the weak and the forgotten…
We all want friends. It is human to desire to connect with other humans and discover people that enjoy being with us and we with them. Often we discover people with whom we have similar interests and hobbies. Perhaps they are colleagues from work or fellow congregants at our church. I knew a couple that met in a bar…and a great marriage developed from that initial experience. However, there is another type of friendship that can develop, that may contain a power differential, between the participants that is inherently unstable and unequal in what the situational friends bring to the relationship.
I remember working in church duties, intermittently over a 50 year period, and, at times, discovering to my dismay that no matter how much that I did…or how carefully I performed the duties…somehow, they never measured up. Now, this dedication to service came from a christian zeal and a friendship with church leaders. The work was all volunteer and, periodically, the rewards were cruel criticism and stinging retorts.
I have been a leader in organizations…but more often than not…I have been a leader’s helper. During my lengthy career I can reflect on more than one unequal friendship that I was a participant in…and I did not realize the dynamics of the partnership, until it imploded. I have been friends with chancellors who when my usefulness was waining…. Seemed to forget who I was. I labored for a supervisor for 12 years, believing that my efforts were appreciated. I took that job because he beseeched me to take it. I liked him a lot. I worked untold hours, without pay, for my boss…who I was sure was my friend. We have not spoken in well over 20 years.
I, sadly, got accustomed to leaders assuring me that they were going to help me and do something for me…which included promotion and a raise in pay…and the promises… never happening. Probably the most disconcerting experiences, that I have had on numerous occasions, was to search for my friend, the leader, when the time came for them to back their promises to me…and not being able to find them due to a chameleon talent of blending into the scenery.
Leadership is hard! I had a member of my staff tell me, once, that they did not trust me. When I asked why, they could not point to a substantive reason. I inquired if I had ever told them something and not followed through and done what I said…and they responded that I had not. I asked if I had ever lied to them…and they said, no. I have said that I strove to never make a promise that I could not, reasonably, believe that I could keep.
During my career I had the propensity of speaking truth to power. Now…although I said some unpopular things to men and women who were much more powerful than me…I did not do so every day. To enjoy peace and collegiality one must be peaceful and collegial.
The popular axiom that I have attempted to live my professional life, implementing is; ‘to be good but not gullible, friendly but not familiar.’ It is a common malady of some leaders to marvel at what their hands hath wrought. I heard Michael Bloomberg say that he had worked, ‘really hard,’ to build his multi-billion dollar business. One of his democratic colleagues asked if he thought that, ‘perhaps some of the workers had responsibility for the Bloomberg business success?’
Leaders, pay attention to who facilitates your success!
Having been raised in Southern Illinois, I have not had the opportunity to meet with an abundance of famous people. My colleague, Garrett, and I were enjoying dinner at Jumers Hotel in central Illinois, one evening, in preparation for a work conference that we had driven to, that began the next morning. I observed a dignified and older gentleman pass our, ornate and virtually enclosed booth and I noticed that he had a, grand head of white hair…and the voice of the well known actor, Hal Holbrook. I asked Gary if he could look through the, small window that was in the back of his side of the booth, in order to ascertain if our neighbor was, indeed, Mr. Holbrook. He peered through the window and said that it looked like him…but that he could not be sure… On our way out of the restaurant the hostess told us that the actor, Hal Holbrook, sat near us for dinner, and that he was staring in his renown one person Play…portraying Mark Twain, at the local Playhouse.
We visited New York City and attended a Broadway play entitled, Taller Than A Dwarf, with Matthew Broderick, Siting across the aisle from me was, Leonard Nimoy and behind us was the actress, Lauri Metcalf. Ms. Metcalf, at one time, lived in Carbondale, Illinois. After the performance, as we walked back to our hotel…Aaron and Jonathon announced that, ‘there is Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick, and we all looked…intently. Mr. Bacon’s hair…was a bright orange and did not look real…perhaps a wig? When the famous couple saw that we had recognized them they began to walk…rapidly and Ms. Sedgwick began to furiously hale a cab. We regretted that the sight of four Southern Illinoisans…frightened the talented performers.
MJ and I were staying at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal, Canada. I was attending a conference for Physical Plant administrators that was being held at the famous hotel. The Queen Elizabeth is the hotel that John Lennon and his wife, Yoko Ono, held their, ‘Bed-Ins For Peace,’ which was a non-violent protest against the Vietnam War, in 1969. MJ and I were sitting in the bar of the hotel, late one evening, when in strolled the actor, Jon Voight and his wife. Having learned not to frighten the famous…we gazed…discreetly at the well coiffed couple. When they sat down at a table…Ms. Voight looked our way…and nodded…and smiled. We understood that we were in the presence of greatness.
So, governors of Illinois visited the campus of Southern Illinois University @ Carbondale on a semi-regular basis. They visited for a variety of reasons and those members of the campus community that were in their escort entourage were among the elite of the school and the leadership of the institution. One morning, my telephone rings and the chancellor’s office is on the line, requesting that I be present at the ground breaking for the Morris Library renovation, to be held at noon with Governor Rod Blagojevich present. I was informed that I would be participating in the golden shovel photo opportunity. The chancellor wanted to illustrate to the Governor that the constituency’s were actively involved in the capitol decisions of the campus.
The Governor…was late…real late. I had on my sport coat, and it was 95 degrees. When he arrived and shook hands…all around…we began the ceremony. I observed that the Governor was a slight built man with a massive head of coal black hair. He stared at me, from his seat on the stage…as I was sitting in the front row…I wondered if he was thinking, ‘who in the hell is that.’
After the event, my boss, Phil, said that we should go and meet the Governor…and so we did. As I introduced myself to Mr. Blagojevich I mentioned how glad we were have him visit our campus and that he was a morale booster. I noticed his intense eyes and a look on his face…that said…again…’who is this…and when can I get out of here?’ The University photographers, cameras were snapping. In about a week I received a half dozen photos of me and the Governor.
I framed one of the images and hung it on the wall of my office. My Director, Phil, framed one of himself shaking hands with Blagojevich…with me prominently in the background…looking a bit like an overheated and aged…body guard…and hung the picture on his wall.
The Governor had emphasized his opposition to university administrators and trumpeted that administration needed to be cut on all of the Illinois State School campuses. In his early days…he was often quoted that, ‘I do not know what a Provost is…but I know that we have to many of them!’
There was a political expediency in putting forward , we rank and file members of the community…but sadly the Governor had his personal career and advancement…ahead of the people who voted for him.
The Jazz Man 