As the years pass and my productivity declines, I find myself dialing back on many of my activities. So far that has not included this weekly column. I still derive a lot of enjoyment from it, particularly when a specific column motivates the readers to comment on it. I try to acknowledge feedback when it is received, but my weak acknowledgements are inconsistent with its significance.
For example, the recent pair of columns on Route 66 stirred memories in a number of the readers. Tom Grossi reported that he and Jerry Martincic had driven Route 66 to California in 1964 in Tom’s 1960 Corvette. Not to be undone, Mark Snyder notified us that he, his brother, and his father had made the trip in 2004 in a rehabilitated Studebaker, relying on a guide book to locate all of the remnants of the original route. Tony Iannichione was surprised to learn that I had been the owner of an Austin Healey Sprite; Tony had owned one when he was in college; he drove it to the Florida Keys and back.
The column on “My Fair Lady” and my rants about the superiority of Broadway musicals seventy years ago generated a lot of comments. Don Colton reminisced about seeing operettas at Pitt Stadium when it was the home of the Civic Light Opera, an experience that I also remember fondly. Phil Atteberry echoed my opinion and suggested “Carousel” and “Showboat” as “top five” candidates. Phil is the host of my favorite radio program, “Saturday Night Swing Session” on WQLN Erie and a legitimate expert on the Great American Song Book; coincidentally I am listening to his program as I write this – this week’s Spotlight is on Jimmy Rushing. Russ Smith, representing the chronologically challenged Virginia Beach pickle ball society, surprised me with the suggestion that a more recent show, “Mama Mia”, deserved mention.
Jonathan Maddy spoke for the Baby Boomers Generation; he learned to love music from the Golden Age from his parents’ records. He put in a plug for “Brigadoon”, “The Fantasticks”, and “The King and I”; hard to argue with them. Jonathan is my wife’s nephew; he and his wife Marsha frequently provide much appreciated feedback. She commented on the “Winter Wonderland” column with fond memories of her father shoveling snow off a neighborhood pond in Oil City so she and her friends could ice skate. Earl Edwards, an old Dravo friend, remembered tobogganing in South Dakota and, especially, the child on the front of the sled shouting “Fence” to avoid collision with barbed wire. Another Boomer, Russell Brown, reported that he didn’t remember the Big Snow; he was busy being born in the middle of it! Dana Spriggs’ memory of that event was of his grandfather bringing bread and milk to their new home on Bank Street from his house on Shady Avenue, on foot.
We had interesting feedback on the “Appreciation of Art” column. Joe Beck commented that he had a similar experience to mine with “Pictures at an Exhibition” when he visited a Salvador Dali Museum in Florida and had a docent explain the themes on which the paintings were based. Identifying herself as a fellow non-musician, Louanne Baily echoed my puzzlement with the general subject. My dear friend and nonagenarian role model, Larry Kennedy, paid me the ultimate compliment by requesting a hard copy of the column so he could refer to it frequently.
Another Dravo friend, Jack Bukowski, shared my concern about the demise of amateur sports and the relentless drive toward professionalism in our universities. He did suggest that the old tradition of putting Alma Mater ahead of vocational goals still survives at Division III schools like Carnegie Mellon. Brother Joe reminded me of the Depression years when our Alma Mater, Penn State, followed the University of Chicago and banned athletic scholarships completely. Ryan Tomazin also lamented this trend and noted that one thing hadn’t changed – Pitt still can’t beat Duke.
Role model and fellow freelance writer Bob Podurgiel chimed in on the Nippon Steel/US Steel acquisition with the quip, “Will the Steelers logo turn into a rising sun?” The same column prompted Art McAuley to reminisce on his days in the local steel industry as it collapsed four decades ago. Kevin Abt’s memories were similar. Everyone’s favorite barber, Ted Evangelista, was another reader concerned about this topic.
On a different note, long time readers of this column are well aware of my infatuation with the Iditarod dog sled race, easily my favorite sports event each year. A few years ago, members of our extended family began our own version of the NCAA basketball championship brackets predictions, based on the Iditarod. Since then it has evolved significantly. We have added a number of family friends to the competition, and supplemented it by a daily blog giving detailed updates on the progress of the race, for the benefit of interested sports fans with no access to news of the event, as well as to participants in the Prognostication Pool.
The first few years I won easily, primarily because I knew more about the race and the mushers than anyone else in the family. That is no longer the case; the last three years other prognosticators have prevailed. If any of you readers of this column would like to receive copies of the daily blog (best coverage of the Iditarod this side of Anchorage) or to participate in the prognostication competition, please email me and I will add you to that mailing list.
Rereading the first draft of this column and noting the names of the folks referenced, I realize how fortunate I am to have all of you as readers. It is a red-letter day when I have the good fortune to get your feedback and comments, including especially those of you merely saying “Thank you”.