Posted on June 13, 2016 under Monday Morning Musings with no comments yet

A neigh sayer… the good kind!

 

“Always wear clean underwear when you’re travelling.”

Over the years we’ve all received some very useful advice from our parents and other wise people who have been around the block a few times. “You don’t tug on Superman’s cape;  you don’t spit into the wind.” ( Jim Croce ). I did a story over a year ago about a local businessman who ventured out to the Dairy Queen to pick up some grub… wearing his pajamas. It was mildly embarrassing when the car in front of him at the drive through stalled and he had to get out and help to push the car through the drive through.

I have a full length story  ( true ) coming up about a woman who gets herself into a bit of a bind on recycling day. She runs out to the curb with the blue bags … in her PJ’s, hair a mess, no makeup. You get the picture. Luckily she makes it safely back inside before anyone sees her. As she tries to get her two young children ready for school, she sees the recycling truck pull up and much to her horror, sees one of her bags that is not recycling. It is, she believes, a bag containing gifts which she left in the garage for safe keeping.

As the truck pulls away, she bolts for her car to track him down. You’ll have to read the story to hear how it all turned out. Look for “Trash Talking” … coming soon at Week45.

Back in the 50`s, it was not uncommon to see families of ten or more. The “ baby boomers” are still a (large) force to be reckoned with as they make their way through retirement. Large families today are a rarity. Occasionally you’ll see a blended family from second marriages that can produce some sizeable numbers.

I recently met a young family with seven children. After the birth of their first two children they decided to adopt a child from Ethiopia. It ended up being two sisters. Following this , they adopted another, and another and two more after that. One of these children ( the last of the adoptees ) has some serious medical challenges . I had a chance to get to know them as they travelled up from New Hampshire a few weeks ago. They will be the subject of this week’s “ Faces in the Crowd.” The story is called “ All in the Family.” No, this is not about Archie Bunker, Edith and Meathead! ( apologies to you youngsters who wouldn’t remember the sitcom of the same name ). Meg and Jeff, the parents, are truly remarkable people because they volunteer for a charity, in their spare time. How do parent of seven children ever have spare time?

Have a great week.

Posted on June 8, 2016 under Faces in the Crowd with no comments yet

 

“My dream is to try and help the world become a better place; a place where poverty  is alleviated and where people can live in peace and harmony.”

Meet C.S. Reddy

Chandra Sekhar Reddy Tupalle (in short CS Reddy) is a tall man with lofty goals.

He was born into a farming family (and both parents did not have formal education) in a small remote agricultural village called Morramkinda Palle of Andhra Pradesh State about 150 kilometers from Bengaluru, India. The village didn’t have running water or electricity and there was little in the way of public transportation, other than travel by foot or a bullock cart.

In order for the peanut and rice crops to grow, water had to be drawn from wells without the aid of any mechanized devices. Families travelled to weekly shandies (local markets)  to sell their goods and often used the proceeds to buy staples for home.

There was a scarcity of health care and education. The closest government school was five kilometers away. It was not unusual for children in the village to gather in a central location and sit in the sand, trying to learn some of the basics.

When C.S. was 8, his father and grandfather decided that in order for their children to get  education, they needed to move to a less remote location. They relocated to a property 10 kilometers away. Everyone was expected to do their share of the farm work before and after school. When C.S was in grade 7, he was thrilled when his father bought him a bicycle. The elation was short-lived when he discovered his father’s  motive: C.S. could get home from school quicker so that he could get right to work on the farm!

His brother, Sahadeva, dropped out of school to turn his attention to farming on a full time basis. Later on, Sahadeva became a very important person in C.S.’s life as he contributed financially to C.S.’s education.

Upon completion of grade 12, C.S. moved to the “Temple Town” of Tirupathi where he studied mathematics and statistics and achieved a Master’s of Science in Statistics. But his educational journey was far from over. He moved to the state capital of Hyderabad, ostensibly to find work but ended up doing some part time tutoring and research. This led to a Masters of Philosophy in Statistics.

And then CARE called upon him.

CARE is well-known world-wide as an organization whose mandate is to fight poverty, educate children and providing disaster relief. C.S. moved to Delhi and began his life’s work in trying to enhance the well-being of others. He returned home briefly in 1992 long enough to meet his future wife, Sabitha.  It was an arranged marriage, as was the custom. They had never seen each other prior to this occasion.

In 1995, he transferred to Hyderabad in a senior management position with CARE. A daughter, Sharmi arrived in 1998 followed by a son, Gautam in 2001.

Sabitha was quite surprised when C.S. came home one day in 2001 and announced that he was leaving CARE. But she needn’t have worried, as C.S. had a vision that was about to change the lives of many, particularly women. He founded a new charitable organization called APMAS, which was a women’s development society. He remains CEO of this pan India organization to this day.

C.S has a passion for healthy living and is a well-known marathon runner in his community. The Hyderabad Marathon, organized by Hyderabad Runners in which C.S. is a member, routinely attracts over 15,000 participants.

In 2011 he accepted an invitation to come to the renowned Coady International Institute in Antigonish to teach community-based microfinance, and he has come back every year since. He has an attachment to Antigonish and the feeling is mutual. He and his countrymen are quite fond of Canada. “Your country has wide open spaces, clean air, abundant natural resources and good governance,” says C.S. “Canadians and Indians are very much alike. They are warm and affectionate people.”

His colleagues at Coady speak of him in glowing terms. “He brings tremendous energy, enthusiasm and makes ground realities come alive in the classroom.”

C.S. has a lot of good miles left in him yet. “I will continue to strive to address inequality,” he says.

May this towering man with a big heart continue his marathon of helping others help themselves.

Posted on June 6, 2016 under Monday Morning Musings with no comments yet

The ” I just caught my first fish” look.

 

What is the very best way to rediscover your lost youth? Take your grandchild fishing for the first time. I once was a pretty avid fisherman and took my own children fishing in some of the local streams and rivers. I spent many, many peaceful mornings wading through the South River at 5:00 a.m. But like a lot of other things, a person’s interests change and several years ago, I got rid of all my fishing gear.

So, it was with some surprise when Betty arrived home a few weekends ago from “yard sailing” with two fishing rods in hand. “ Why did you buy those?” Not the first stupid question I’ve ever uttered. “ You are going to teach the grandchildren how to fish this summer.” She spent a grand total of $7.00 for a small child’s rod and one regulation size. No hooks, leaders, sinkers, bobbers or flys. Just two rods that looked like they hadn’t been used since Sputnik.

So when I got the call on the weekend to take Alison fishing, I waltzed up to Brendan’s ( it’s called Hawthorn Convenience but it will always be Brendan’s! ) and bought a small container of the basics. The license cost three times as much as the fishing rods. Keitha, along with Linda , who have been stalwarts at the store forever, filled in the license. “ What is your address. Date of Birth? Waist size?” She had her head down when she asked the last question.  I wondered aloud why Dept. of Fisheries would be remotely interested in my girth. And just like any sucker, I took the bait…hook, line and sinker. I blurted out 34 as she stifled a grin. I’d been had. She also told me ( and this was no joke ), that when I turn 65, the price of a fishing license will drop to $6.00 and change.

Ah, yes. I am starting to think about Senior’s Discounts. In Florida where tourism is their #1 industry, a senior is basically defined as anyone who can fog a mirror. If you look like you have your beginner’s license, they are still likely to give you a senior’s discount. Nowhere am I looking more forward to this than the barber shop. Please… stifle the snickers. I know what you’re thinking. “What is that crazy bastard doing wasting a penny at a barber shop?” I go for the camaraderie and always pick up a few story ideas.

I have a very interesting Faces in the Crowd story this Thursday. The subject is not from Antigonish but his story is quite remarkable.

Have a great week.