Formerly Known As "Math Floor" Of THE SCIENCE BUILDING

________________________________________________________________________________________________

Moments after this picture was taken,

I got to hug Liza,

an executive secretary

at Jefferson

but

it was more embarrassment

than affection on my part

because my tears threatened

to flood the building

 ***

 

Two memories

[both within that hallway]

immediately came to mind:

 

One of my colleagues

was immaculately attired

in a three-piece suit

 

I complimented 

his wardrobe

and asked what 

was the occasion

"It's Thursday"

 was his response

 

After that encounter,

I was less likely

to dress casual

and more likely

to wear a blazer

to school

*

Another colleague

was greeted

outside his classroom

on the first day

of a school year

 

"Guess who was born yesterday?"

was his response

 

His  daughter is now

thirty-five years old

 

 During those years,

her Dad and I 

jogged/walked

over a thousand miles

 

The other teacher

moved to Chicago

years ago

 

We telephone each other

monthly

*

 

I taught on the "Math Floor"

very briefly

and was moved to 

a bungalow on a remote 

and quiet part

of the campus

but the third memory

on this page 

requires a qualifier:

 

No one in

Mr. Oliverio's CHESS CLUB

played chess

but the students welcomed

dining and hanging out

in my classroom

during lunch

 

Based on a concert photo,

 one of the"clubbies"

drew this for me:

 

 Howard Kurhan

was a substitute teacher

and a friend 

for many years 

I mailed a copy of this image

to Buddy Collette

and have an autographed

"Thank You"

from the man

intimately involved

in unionizing

musicians

 

I delivered a copy to

Abe Most

at the legendary

Chadney's 

and it caused quite a stir

 

Chadney's Resturant

was within three blocks   

 of my Burbank apartment

and across the street

from the NBC Studios

I wore a trenchcoat

to protect both

the gift image 

and myself

from heavy rain

 

The audience was restless 

because Abe's band

was rain-delayed 

before beginning

their performance

 

But Abe was distracted

when someone [me]

presented  him

with a gift

which he did not

show to his audience

but stared at 

with amazement

That audience

suspiciously looked at

the wet man in the trenchcoat

My unspoken response 

to them said

"I swear this is not 

a drug deal!"

The year was

approximately 1990

and the artist's name was

Mario M____

I hope to hell

he had a successful career

in the Art World

!!!

________________________________________________________________________________________________