Sal's Reflections

On the flight from Des Moines to Charlotte I sat next to a woman who noticed the book I was carrying,Hitler’s Priest.She stated’my brother is reading that book and is loving it.”I gently informed her that I had written the book and while we were on the tarmac waiting to take off she texted her brother. He immediately replied and for the next few minutes we chatted about the book. A friend of mine, an author ,told me years ago to carry my books everywhere because you never know what interesting experiences they might provide.

It is the season of gift giving during Hanukah ,Christmas and other special feasts so I think I would be worthwhile to give out an unusual gift. This one needs no wrapping or special carrier and can be given in a few moments. I am talking about sending some emails to people who have and still do make a difference in your life. It is a wonderful energizer to feel loved and appreciated. So instead of the endless internet shopping or cursing while looking for a parking space at the mall think up a few special people and send them a special email gift,

I have interviewed many survivors of the Nazi era and I was always struck by the fact that torture and killing were the official policies of the  German government.We did not accept the common retort “that we were only doing what our lawful superiors were ordering us to do.”We labeled these persons as war criminals and when found we prosecuted them for their crimes.I always felt good that I lived in a country where this kind of policy would never take root. We in America were the brilliant city on the hill that spoke to the world about real ideals and caring. Yet we now know that from the highest office in the land we practiced unspeakable acts of torture and in some cases even murder. 9/11 was horrific but it did not give justification for what was ordered and carried out in secret torture locations. The difference here as opposed to the Nazi criminals is that there are no penalties for these immoral. ,illegal acts. We decry the facts but no one is named and no one will be punished or indicted. This is more than a blemish on who we are and letting these monstrous acts go unpunished is unthinkable. Torture besides the immorality never works and those who experienced it like Johm MsCain are living proof that it is never justified. Shame on the past administration and shame on this one for not having the guts to bring criminal charges against those that ordered it and those that carried it out.

The last few days my mind has conjured up numerous memories and stories from the past. Names from the past leap into consciousness from the recesses of my brain like Turtle,Ginzy,Dinty,Moonman,Lodie .This is the prelude to creating a cohesive story by collecting the jumble of pieces that eventually start to take shape when you write. I know the last part of the book but have not created a structure for the main body yet. The two main characters will allow me to develop so many themes such as friendship, political and social issues,humor,tragedy and the gamut of events that have transpired in two lives. My initial title for the book is “On the Corner” because as kids in Jersey City we spent most of our time hanging out on the corner. As usual I am open to any counsel or advice because the readers always have valuable insights.

Spent some time this weekend figuring out my next steps. There is a very slight chance that I will be accepted for the Berlin Fellowship. Even being the optimist that I am I understand the odds. If that were to happen I would write the third of the Holocaust Trilogy. In the event that it does not happen Yona and a few of my other friends have made a suggestion. I am going to write a novel based on what I first attempted as a play. It will have two main characters and will have stories about the seminary,Westfield,Frankl and all the time since then. If you want your name as one of the characters besides the two main ones and I will try to work it in. If there are many names I will use the old pick them from the hat routine.

It appears that in many ways the recent deaths of men of color by police have shown again how polarized we are. Immediate sides are taken and some of the bias of our world views are shouted at those who differ with our beliefs. Regardless of where you stand on these issues the fact remains that race is still a third rail in our country.None of us would for one second entertain the thought that it is almost impossible to grow up in this country without some racial bias. It knows no boundaries and whether we are white,black or any of the other colors of the rainbow we carry latent fears and bias. The disproportions in our world will not be solved by the reinforcement of these beliefs that often come from lack of exposure and contact. Negative outcomes such as  the number of men of color in prison and a host of other realities are way out of whack, and unless you are tied to the disproved so called science that labels people genetically inferior we must find ways to change the patterns that have too long dominated

I have my own version of”Tuesdays with Morrie” because I have the pleasure of regular meetings with Perry the light of the Corner Bakery. Yesterday’s life lesson was on forgiveness and he shared that he had for years been estranged from his youngest son. They had a contentious past there was almost no contact and one day Perry realized that if he died his son would always feel the pain of the unresolved conflict. He swallowed his pride called his son and built what he calls “…the best four years of my life. “His son was thrilled to have the opportunity and they became more than father and son, they became buddies. He paused while telling me this story and I could see he was rather tearful. His son died four years after their reunion suddenly and he said he would never have forgiven himself if the bad blood had not been resolved. He told me if there is anyone you know that has a similar situation have them try one more time.

Yesterday while going through hordes of papers and documents getting them ready for the shredder, I came across my attempt to write a play four years ago. The plot is built around two senior citizens who grew up in Jersey City and were best fiends but have had no contact for over forty five years. Now because of circumstances they are residents at Fox Hill retirement community outside New York City. Both widowers they are vastly different in many ways. One is a died in the wool progressive and the other is searching for Obama’s birth certificate. Despite this they are bound by a common culture and a rock solid friendship. I believe the dialogue is amusing and at times very serious. The challenge is structurally that I don’t have the experience to finalize the work. If there is a pro that is willing to co-author the work give me a buzz.

Friday I am having a shredding service come and get rid of the endless amount of papers that no longer need to be kept. In sorting through these papers a flood of memories spilled out and it was like watching an overview of my life. Names and faces popped out and for hours I felt the presence of so many people that had been part of my journey. Many were crossroad friends who entered at a period and then were gone. In essence though I realized while sorting that they were not gone and are still resident in me. It was much to my amazement a joy and not a chore to go through years of papers .It reminded me how much friendship and love have enriched my life.

Periodically I will fill my friends in on what is happening with my new novel and future events.It appears that 2015 will be quite busy as I have concrete engagements in San Diego, Dallas,Philadelphia,Greenwich,Hilton Head,Saratoga ,California, Rome and Munich .In addition there are many balls in the air for Cape Cod,Chicao,Minneapolis,various sites in New Jersey and New York.One way out chance is an agent has made a brief contact and informed me that one hundred reviews on Amazon would make him more than a little interested in pitching both books as movies. I need all of you who have read the books to please post reviews on Amazon.They can be brief but are vital ,especially for speaking opportunities.