The "How To Recognize A Stroke: A New Indicator Arrives" Story

YOU CAN HELP SAVE A LIFE!  Memorize these letters: STRS

It was an ordinary day.  Reading my emails when I found one from the son of an old friend.  Opened it and began to read what might save my life or the life of a person I may be with at the time.  It talked about how to identify a stroke by using the letters S. T. R.  But, now there is one more letter that should be added to that trio which is one more letter "S".  The email began with a short story that started during a BBQ where a woman stumbled and took a little fall.  She assured everyone that she was fine even though they offered to call paramedics.  She said she had just tripped over a brick in the walk because of her new shoes.  They got her cleaned up and got her a new plate of food.  While she appeared a bit shaken, she went about enjoying herself the rest of the evening.  Later that evening her husband called telling everyone that his wife had been taken to the hospital after they returned home and died shortly after.  She had suffered a stroke at the BBQ.  Had they known how to identify the signs of a stroke, perhaps she would have survived.  All don't die after suffering a stroke, but of those that do survive, some are helpless and hopeless.  I read that if a doctor can get to a stroke victim within 3 hours he or she can TOTALLY reverse the effects of the stroke.  The trick is to recognize the stroke, diagnose what to do and get the patient medically cared for within 3 hours; which is tough.  And, sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify, especially if you have no idea what to look for during an episode that may include a stroke.  Now, doctors say that a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple questions:

S - Ask the individual to SMILE

T - Ask the person to TALK and SPEAK a SIMPLE SENTENCE (coherently) 
i.e. "Chicken Soup is better warm."

R - Ask the person to RAISE both arms.

If he or she has trouble with ANY ONE of these tasks, call 911 IMMEDIATELY!  

But, wait.  There is now one more letter to add to that equation.  Another letter "S" should be added which means to "STICK" out your tongue.  If the tongue is "crooked", if it goes to one side or the other, that is also an indication of a stroke.  A cardiologist says if everyone who reads this story would send it to 10 more people, you can bet that at least one or more lives can be saved.  Please remember the letters STRS and perhaps you may be the one to save the life of a person.  I have now done my part to forward the email, now it is up to you to do so also.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Would You Know If You Were Having A Heart Attack?" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Talking with my friend Hal about his recent heart operation he had to repair a valve in his heart.  He was scheduled to have a pig’s heart valve used to replace his, but it was found that they could remove the diseased part and attach the two halves together and not have to use the pig valve.  Perfect, since the pig valves are said to last about 10 years and depending how old you are when you have the operation, you may have to have the same operation a second, or even third time, during your lifetime.  I often wonder what condition my heart may be in since my brother experienced atrial fibrillation and had that corrected some time ago.  Being that he is 5 years younger than me, I often wondered what shape my heart may be in. 

What would I feel if I was having a heart attack?  Would it cause me to grab my chest and agonize in pain like I see on TV and in the movies?  Would it feel like a balloon in my chest which is about to burst?  Well, over the past couple of years I have read about what you feel when having a heart attack and it really differs from person to person.  For some it starts as the feeling of having indigestion while others feel they have pulled a muscle in their chest.  I found that every year in the United States, about one million people suffer a heart attack!  Wow!!  And, of those one million, about 150,000 of then die according to the American Heart Association.  So, how can I diagnose myself and tell when I might be having a heart attack and be one of those 850,00 that survive their heart attack.  Some of the reading material tends to contradict itself and can lead to denial among those that have pain.  From what I have found that seems legitimate, if you feel something in your back, chest, jaw or tooth that you have never experienced before, head or call for help.  And, if you have had a heart attack and survived, if you have a second one, or even a third one, your symptoms may be totally different than what you had the first time.  And, it’s not always a pain you feel.  It could be just discomfort or an ache.  And, if you have pain and feel the need to Google “chest pain”, it’s probably best if you call 911.  An article I recently read told about five different patients who had a heart attack and what each felt at the onset of their heart attack.  The first man was a white man, 60 years old.  He was an EMT who should have known better.  He had a stabbing pain in his back when he climbed the stairs.  He figured he needed to see his chiropractor.  About a month went by and after eating he felt what he said was indigestion.  So, he retired to his couch.  Then the pain radiated to his jaw, shoulder and arms.  THAT’S WHEN HE THOUGHT HE MIGHT BE HAVING A HEART ATTACK!.  He finally asked his wife to call 911.  He was in so much pain by now that he had to lay on the floor.  Today he keeps a constant check on his blood pressure after having survived open heart surgery.  A second person, a white woman who was 66 years old was sitting in a movie on Valentine’s Day, 2015.  She started to feel as if she had just eaten a big meal, but she hadn’t.  Then she grew short of breath, but didn’t say anything to her husband since she knew he wanted to see the movie.  She began to think it was the Chinese food she ate at lunch.  Then the pain began in her shoulder, arm and jaw, but she still said nothing.  What’s the matter with these people? 

I guess you never think it can happen to you.  It wasn’t until the following morning that she checked her BP and found it to be 192/98.  She had a 100% blockage of one artery and 98% in another.  But, her chest never hurt!  She too had surgery and is alive today.  One other man, a 54 year old black man, a retired semipro football player and gym rat and body builder. Used to aches and pains and nicks and dings from his playing days, thought he had pulled a muscle in his chest and shoulder.  He knew he should have headed to the hospital, but he had an errand to run.  Now, this was a guy who was a trained CPR instructor.  After the 5 minute errand, he finally realized he was having a heart attack.  He had a triple bypass.  He also had two more after not recognizing the symptoms of these, since they were different than the first.  He is still alive today!  I have read other stories of what have happened to many others including listening to my brother before he had a quadruple bypass.  I am well aware of the minor aches and pains that may be the start of something bigger.  I don’t want to rush to conclusions, but I still want to be able to see my grandkids graduate from college and maybe see a great-grandchild someday.  So…I’m going to be a sissy and take anything that’s different and have it checked immediately.  Maybe you should also!  Don't you too have something to live for in the future?  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Life With Technology: Part II - A Teenager Living Without It!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Fooling around with my iPhone, trying to take a few photos of my passport and driver's license for an upcoming vacation.  My phone seems to stay in my pocket more than out of my pocket, but then again...I'm not a teen anymore!  Visits from our granddaughters is always interesting and fun, but they tend to have their iPhone in their hand every minute they are are awake.  I know, they aren't the only teenagers who are like that, but they seem to miss so much of what goes on around them when they have their eyes glued to their phones.  An article in the Lancaster newspaper's  Education section a few weeks ago featured a story by a young girl named Deanna who was a high school senior at Garden Spot High School in Lancaster County.  She titled her story "On life as a teenager without social media." My guess is she is about 18 years old and writes about how she managed to survive her public school career without social media.  She makes the statement that she not only survived, but thrived without social media.  I find it hard to imagine anyone 18 years old sitting down to eat, watch TV or even go out with their friends without a phone glued to their head.  How she got through four years of high school without using social media is truly amazing.  In the article she writes that she has to explain many times to friends why she can't message them on Snapchat.  They often seem puzzled when she tells them her value as a person isn't dependent on how many followers she might have on social media.   Oh, how she would have loved living in the era when I was in high school.  Social media wasn't more than television, radio or the local paper.  And being social was more about what movie everyone was going to see or who could we ask to go bowling with us rather than how many apps we had on our phone or how many followers we had accumulated.  Do you realize that it was only about 20 years ago that mobile phones came into being.  That seems like ages ago to someone in high school, but it is only a small part of my life.  The teenagers of today never lived in a time when there weren't mobile phones.  They never experienced a birthday or holiday when their most requested present had to be the latest version of some mobile phone.  Today, more than 2 billion people use some sort of social media every single day.  That number is roughly one third of the world's population.  I'm one of them.  Are you one, also?  I look at, read and contribute to about a half-dozen sites daily.  You're reading one of those sites right now!  Now you see why Apple, Samsung, LG, Sony and hundreds more phone manufacturers are so wealthy.  Deanna, in her story, writes that the US Department of Health and Human Services reports that use among teenagers is staggeringly high: more than 70% of teens use more than one social media site each day.  I find that number low.  But, social media is also one of the leading causes of mental health issues and identity crises in young people today.  Pressure from peers to create social media accounts and have an online social presence is a big thing to teenagers.  And, while the teens are trying their hardest to be "cool" online, many health professionals and even the teens parents are discussing the dangers and pitfalls of social media.  Deanna tells about how hard it is to discover and develop you own unique voice and where you may stand among your peers.  Social media doesn't make it any easier to discover your identity.  She explains that she was late getting her first smartphone and as a result, was content with her life's direction by that time.  She decided that Facebook, Twitter and Snapchat weren't for her.  She does use her phone to text and call friends and classmates, but that's about it.  Luckily, my two sons and daughter didn't have the extra pressure of social media as they were going through their teenage years.  Drugs and alcohol were enough to try and conquer.  But, two of my children now have teenagers and are experiencing what my wife and I had to do when they were teenagers, but only two-fold with social media added to the list.  Deanna says she is likely to join the social media landscape some day, but wanted young people to understand that there is no stipulation that forces them to establish and maintain an online presence.  She advises teenagers to be their own person, follow their own path and join only if you want to, when they want to.  She is a strong individual and I commend her for her courage in fighting the urge to join social media.  It seems she is one of the few who have chosen the path she has, but she will be stronger for it and will look back in years to come and realize what she accomplished in her life that she probably wouldn't have, had she been tied to social media for a lifetime.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Life With Technology: Part I - Love It Or Hate It" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Sitting in front of my desktop iMac sharing it with someone on the phone from Apple.  I placed the call since I can't get rid of this stupid box that sits on the right side of my computer screen.  How they can visit with me on my computer still amazes me, but on the other end of my phone is a guy telling me to do this or do that so I can get back to work again without the box getting in my way.  I have made calls to Apple for help with my iPhone, my desktop computer as well as my MacBook Air laptop.  And, every time I call, they know exactly what to do to correct my problem.  One time it took close to an hour, since they had me upload the newest operating system which I should have done when it was first available, but I didn't think it was necessary to do so.  I can still remember buying our first computer that drove me nuts.  After using a typewriter for years and years to do just about everything, to have a computer that could do even more for me, but drove me insane in the process, was at times more than I could handle.  Well, I survived and I know I will continue to survive, but its not always easy for a "senior" to do so.  You may have noticed that some of the stories I have posted over the past month might have large type one day and small type the next.  That's not on purpose, but because I haven't the slightest idea why it is happening.  I know at one time I must have hit a specific key on my keyboard for that to happen, but since none of the keys light up when I make a mistake, I have no idea which key to blame.  I know...I should get back on the phone with Apple, but they have to be getting tired of me calling.  And, perhaps you enjoy reading 14 point one day and 10 point the next day.  And, I'm not the only "senior" who has that problem.  Yesterday I opened the "Together" section of my newspaper and there was my favorite author, Robert Olson, telling his readers how he hates his computer some days.  He writes..."How it is a frustrating piece of junk, useless to the nontechnical person, and extremely irritating when I have a deadline to meet."  My sentiments, exactly.   And, its' not only the computer on my desk or the one I hold in my lap.  It's the phone I can't figure out some times as well.  And...the car dashboard and the microwave oven and the home alarm system and the desktop printer and the stupid dishwasher and...I could go on and on.  

I know it's me, but when I had an electric typewriter I had none of these problems.  Of course, I couldn't send what I had just typed to a friend in another state, or somewhere around the world, unless I put the note in an envelope and put postage on it and gave it to my mailman.  Might reach them in a week instead of a second.  Now, I type my stories and with the push of a key you can read them, for which I thank you.  But, I will survive and I do find it neat that if I don't spell a word correctly, my computer automatically corrects it for me.  At least mosr of the time.  And, I have become pretty good at typing without having to look at my keyboard.  It was back in 1960 that Miss Morse, the old gray-haired teacher in my 11th grade typing class, taught me how to type. We used IBM electric typewriters and when you made a mistake you couldn't hit a back button and correct it.  It counted against your words-per-minute which determined your grade for the class.  I used to be able to type about 70 words-per-minute with very few mistakes and didn't have to look at the keyboard.  Actually got a good ride in her class.  While I sit here typing this story I am reading what my fingers are typing, but the fingers don't travel as fast as they once did.  I realize that my computers aren't going away with the return of the manual typewriter, so I just have to suffer through the dreadful phone calls to Apple.  Not that they aren't nice to me, but I can only imagine what they say to their other technicians after they get off the phone with me.  And then I think what's coming!  A car that you can climb in the back seat and it will take you somewhere by itself.  A robot that will mow the grass and rake the leaves for you.  Now that would be really neat.  A camera built into a pair of glasses that will take a photograph of whatever you are looking at with a blink of your eye.  A device you can hold in your hand and it will take a photo of yourself.  Oh, yeah!  We already have that, don't we.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Vigilante #17540" Story

It was an ordinary day.  The headline on page A-1 read, "Vigilante Justice."  Wow, I haven't heard that word for years.  Brought back memories of Zorro, Robin Hood and even The Lone Ranger, all childhood heroes of mine from years ago.  Well, maybe not that many years ago, but...enough said.  Big photograph at the top of the article shows the side of a man's face from the nose down with a tattoo on his neck that read "17540".  Guy called himself "Mr. 17540", since he lives in nearby Leola, Pennsylvania which has the same zip code.  Mr. Justin Perry is 33 years of age and a self-styled vigilante, but totally different than my heroes from the past.  Seems he draws people to his social media page and then confronts then, in a bullet-proof vest, when he shames them before his massive online audience.  Not my idea of a smart move, but it seems to work for him, since he has had almost three dozen "busts" within the past couple of years.  He poses as a young girl of the age of 15 and hopes to draw older men into his sexual web so he can confront them, video-tape them and present text and evidence he has assembled on the perpetrator to law enforcement.   He has created a conviction in one case, but the embarrassment and stupidity of his "clients" is what makes him continue his vigilante justice in hopes of punishing his clients.  I will admit it takes quite a bit of daring to do what he does, but he does so since he has a 15 year-old step daughter that he fears may be approached by someone such as he is trying to get off the street, so to speak.  The newspaper story was intense as well as interesting, but the "Opinion" article published three days later by the editorial staff on the newspaper saw it quite differently.  The article stated that they believe in the rule of law, but enforcing the law properly requires dedication and education,  much like that learned while going to school to be a law enforcement officer.  Law enforcement is dangerous work that requires rigorous training, strict discipline and skills honed by practice.  Not the way Mr. Perry is doing it.  They go on to say that an untrained person, feeding on the approval of a crowd on his media page, can unwittingly cause a great deal of harm.  They also understand the impulse to want to name and shame perpetrators of child sexual assault.  Trying to catch sexual predators is serious business and should be left to trained people.  "Just flying by the seat of my pants," as Mr. Perry says, isn't enough.  The editorial staff concludes with...Some things are just too important to be left to amateurs, however well-intended, who are making it up as they go along, and being egged on by social media fans.  Mr. Perry certainly isn't Zorro or even Robin Hood.  His bullet-proof vest may not be enough sometime and he will wish he hadn't opened this can of worms.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an oridnary guy.

The "We The People: A Brief History Account As LDub Sees It" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Late October of 2019 and I am attempting to read and understand a 6-page section of my Sunday newspaper titled "Perspective".  Almost all of the entire section is devoted to the United States Constitution.  

 If you are an American citizen, have you ever read the U.S. Constitution?  If you are a citizen of another country or nation, have you ever taken the time to read your Constitution or perhaps your code of laws?  I have never done so myself, but in order to try to understand what is happening in our country with the impeachment of our President, I found the newspaper section very helpful.  There is no way I can even begin to tell you everything about our Constitution, since the six pages of the "Perspective" section wasn't able to do totally so for me, but I can give you a very brief overview of what our Constitution includes.  The Constitution begins with the following:  "We the people of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."  What follows are seven (7) Articles which do everything from describe the structure of the government to describe what to expect from the President that we elect.  Each Article has varying amounts of Sections to it depending upon how detailed it needs to be.  Following the Articles are a list of ten (10) Amendments that were constructed by both the House of Representatives and Senate and approved by a two-thirds majority of both Houses of Congress.  These 10 Amendments are referred to as "The Bill of Rights" and describe the legal rights of each citizen of the United States of America.  All ten of these Amendments were written by 1789.  After that date, 17 more Amendments were added with the last being added, or ratified, in 1992.  Our 27th Amendment prohibits lawmakers from raising their salaries before an election takes place.  It was actually first proposed  as part of the original Bill of Rights, but was strangely bypassed for the next 200 years.  So, there is my brief history course as to the laws and working of the government of the United States of America.  If you aren't extremely interested in law, or might never have have gone to school to be a lawyer, my guess is you never read, word for word, everything I just described in this story.  I do feel I have a better understanding of our Constitution, but certainly will never remember most of what I just read unless I review it over and over again.  Perhaps that will happen in my next lifetime!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "It Was So Much Fun Typing The Word 'Cabooses'" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Sun was shining brightly as I pulled into the parking lot of the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania in Strasburg.  Cold January day, but I had plans for a special visit with a former student.  The lot was empty and after checking my watch, realized I was a bit too early.  Backed the car from between the white lines and headed a quarter-of-a-mile east to a place I had wanted to visit for years...The Red Caboose Motel.  

Sign at entrance to the Red Caboose Motel

I had passed the place over a hundred times and always said to myself that I must stop sometime and take a few photos...so, I guess today is the day.  Headed east from the Museum and in a few minutes pulled into the parking lot.  "Lancaster County's Red Caboose Motel offers a little bit of train history tucked away among the peaceful Amish farms of Strasburg, PA" it says in an online advertisement for the motel and today I am going to see exactly what goes on at the place.  

The Red Caboose Motel lobby. 

It was back in 1969 that Don Denlinger placed a bid of $100 on nineteen 25-ton N-5 cabooses (yes! that's how it's spelled) that were being sold as surplus from the Pennsyl- vania Railroad.  Six months later he was the proud owner of 475 tons of steel railroad cars that followed the rest of the train down the tracks.  The web page for the motel says that "Hard work, sweat, perseverance and prayer paid off and the official grand opening and open house was on Mother's Day 1970."

One of many rows of cabooses.

During summer months I have always noticed many people walking around the grounds of the motel with the myriad of cabooses in the background and wondered if it was something I might want to try.  Grabbed my Nikon and got out of my car for a trip around the grounds.  I had read that tens of thousands of travelers, rail enthusiasts and even locals have stayed at this place since it opened, and hopefully I would be able to snap a few photos of the place today.  

An Open House sign sat outside this caboose.

Four years ago the Prickett family bought the motel from the original owner, Donald Denlinger, and operate it along with the Casey Jones' Restaurant which happens to be two Pennsylvania Railroad P-70 coaches that were built in the 1920's.  The kitchen for the restaurant is a box car that connects the two coaches.  Originally, Don had painted all the cabooses red, but today they vary in color depending upon the railroad line they represent.  

Interior of caboose.  Bed, bathroom and double bunk on
the left with table and chairs and double bunk on right.

The oldest caboose is from 1898.  The grounds sport a few rows of tracks that hold the many cabooses with space between them for patrons to park their cars.  I began to document each caboose until I realized that was just going to be impossible and who would want to look at all those photos anyway.  After about a dozen cars I just enjoyed looking at the cars and the different logos on them until I came to a car that had a sign in front that declared "Open House."  

Another row of motel cabooses.

Walked up the steps and into a motel room that at one time might have visited more states than I had ever seen.  Entered into a very small area that had a double bed on the left with a few chairs and table on the opposite side and a TV on the wall.  I assumed it was the master bedroom and living quarters.  Directly behind the bedroom was a very small bathroom with a mirror outside the bathroom door.  

Outside of the restaurant cars.

The rear of the car had bunk-beds on either side which would hold a total of four people.  Above me were windows that gave light to the room.  A phone and a light or two added necessary evening light to the room.  If you suffer from claustrophobia and have a couple or three very active children, this isn't your dream vacation spot to stay, but for something totally out of the ordinary, you'd love it.  After my photo shoot was over I found my way to the nearby farmers field where I managed to find a few weeds to feed to the resident alpacas.  A few minutes later I was back once again, standing at the front desk at the Railroad Museum waiting to visit with my former student.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

Inside one of the dining cars.

Two more rows of cabooses.

A friend greeted me!

The "Does This Sound Eerily Familiar?" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading highlights of the latest book written by Brenda Wineapple titled "The Impeachers: The Trial of Andrew Johnson and the Dream of a Just Nation.  

Author Brenda Wineapple

Her book was published this past May, 2019 with a Kirkus Review stating:  The impeachment of a president is a court of last resort —even one who willfully breaks laws while in office.  Thus this lucid, timely study of the sole impeachment trial convened until 1998.  After reading that I was hooked into finding more about her book and how it might mirror the current impeachment trial we are now experiencing in the United States.  But, what greatly influenced my decision to read more about her book was the fact that Lancaster's congressman, Thaddeus Stevens, was part of the proceedings.  

Wineapple's new book

I have written many stories about Thaddeus Stevens over the past 10 years and find him to be not only interesting, but a loyal American.  And, to top off my interest about Stevens' role in the impeachment, I opened the local newspaper a week or so ago and found an article written by Lancaster's "The Scribbler" (known to all in Lancaster, PA as Jack Brubaker) titled "Thaddeus Stevens at forefront of 1st presidential impeachment."  His article opened with...Thaddeus Stevens, looking "emancipated but inexorable," limped into the Senate chambers in late February 1868.  "We do impeach Andrew Johnson, President of the United States," Lancaster's congressman told the assembled senators, "of high crimes and misdemeanors in office."  Wow!  Wanting to read more about Brenda's book, I "Googled" her.  

Thadeus Stevens

She began her book with...Six years ago-deep into Obama presidency-when impeachment wasn't on anyone's mind.  But fascinated by the first-ever impeachment of a U.S. president, she learned what happened and now dramatically recounts the story of the period shortly after Abraham Lincoln's assassination, when Vice-President Andrew Johnson, known as "the Accidental President," ignored Congress, pardoned rebel leaders, promoted white supremacy, opposed civil rights, and called Reconstruction unnecessary.  Congress had to stop the American president who acted like a king.  As far as Thaddeus Stevens is concerned, he expressed his concern about Johnson's pro-Southern polices shortly after Abraham Lincoln's assassination elevated Johnson to the presidency.  

Sketch on the front page of Harper's Weekly
for March 14,1868 portrays U.S. Rep.
Thaddeus Stevens, with cane, accounting
to the Senate the decision by the House
to impeach Andew Johnson. 

Stevens wanted to know if there was any way to arrest the insane course of the President.  He also said that if something is not done the President will be crowned king.  Stevens was one of a few who assembled evidence to indict the president.  Brenda Wineapple is said to be enthralled by Stevens, one of seven House managers of evidence against the president at his Senate trial.  In May of 1868, 54 senators serving at the time voted 35 to 19 to convict Johnson, one man short of the two-thirds majority required to force Johnson from the White House.  Thaddeus Stevens died that summer, but only after he had said, "The country is going to the devil."  Little did he know that although impeachment had not succeeded, neither had it failed.  Johnson's presidency, with only a few months to run, was ruined.  Will history repeat itself, once again?  I guess only time will tell!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Pictures From My Town of Lancaster" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Opened a few of my folders and discovered a treasure of historic photos I have been collecting for quite some time.  Most have come from one of two sources; The Lancastrian Facebook Page and Remember When...In Lancaster Facebook Page.  Thought I would share them with you today.  Being that Lancaster, Pennsylvania, is my home town and is one of the oldest inland cities in the United States, some of the following go back quite a few years.  Hope you enjoy them.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

Logo for the Remember When In Lancaster Facebook page.  Click to enlarge photos.

Logo for the The Lancastrian Facebook page.

Lancaster's Fire truck many years ago.

Rocky Springs Amusement Park in the south end of the city.

The gang, The Paxton Boys, murdered Indians held in the Lancaster Prison in 1763

What set of photos from Lancaster wouldn't have an Amish photo?

A story in itself!

Remember the old time gas stations and the dinger hose you drove over
that rang the bell inside the garage to alert the owner that you needed gas.

Lancaster Fair Grounds, 1912.  The fairgrounds are now the Donnelly Printing Co. 

1966 protest against the Viet Nam War.

Hubley Toy Factory was about two blocks from my house as a child.
Always enjoyed looking at the toys in their display cabinet.

And who didn't take in a drive-in movie from time to time.
If you never did, you missed out on a great experience.
RCA Corp. was also located a mile from my home.

General Edward Hand lived in the southern end of Lancaster.

An aerial view of Rocky Springs Park.

This all started in 1839 when someone installed a bathtub in their house!

The "The Biggest Myths You Thought Were True!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Going through my junk email (I know...my wife warned be about doing this after the last scam I fell for) when I came upon a link to a story titled "10 Facts You Thought Were True But Aren't).  Should I click on it or not?  What could happen if I did?  Would it destroy my computer and send smoke into the air?  I clicked on it!  Waited a few seconds and when I didn't smell smoke, or even see any, I began to read the 20 facts that I thought were true, but aren't.  So...you ready for them? 

1. The truth about unsticking pasta.  Oil stops pasta from, sticking together...NOT TRUE.  Oil actually makes the pasta greasy.  The stirring prevents it from sticking.
2. The truth about Left and Right brain.  There is not solid division between the talents of both hemisphere and if one can learn better than the other.
3. The truth about the Three Wise Men.  Nowhere in the Bible does it state that there were three wise men.  Due to the fact that there were three gifts at the cradle on the birth of Jesus, people just assumed there were three wise men.
4. The truth about how dogs sweat.  Dogs sweat by salivating—nope, they regulate their body temperature through panting.  Dogs actually sweat via their footpads.
5. The truth about water rotation in toilets.  A flushed toilet does not rotate the opposite direction in the Southern Hemisphere and Northern Hemisphere.  The Coriolis effect doesn't alter water in toilets.
6. The truth about Albert Einstein.  Albert Einstein failed mathematics—this is not true.  He failed an entrance examination for a school but he excelled in mathematics.
7. The truth about vaccines and Autism.  Vaccines do not cause Autism.  Groundless fears based on manipulated results and fraudulent research has fueled this belief.
8. The truth about alcohol and brain cells.  Alcohol does not kill brain cells.  Even in alcoholics and very heavy drinkers, brain cells aren't killed, just damaged.
9. The truth about your tongue.  There aren't different parts of the tougue for each type of taste: sour, bitter, salty, sweet and savory or meaty.
10. The truth about a missing person report.  The police do not require 24 hours before you can report a missing person.  Once you believe the person is missing you can make the report.
11. The truth about only using 10% of your brain.  The proportion of the brain that is active at any one time is completely task dependent, however, ultimately every section of your brain is active practically every day.
12. The truth about sleepwalkers.  It is actually fine to wake sleepwalkers, they will be confused for sure, but they will be OK.  In fact it is better to wake them than allow them to possibly cause injury to themselves.
13. Milk does not increase mucus in anyway.  There is no need to avoid diary if you have a cold.
14. The Truth about bananas.  Bananas do not grow on trees, they grow on large herbs that just resemble trees.
15. The truth about bats.  As blind as a bat...Bats are not blind, not only can they see but they also use echolocation.
16. The truth about shaving.  Shaving does not thicken hair nor is it darker or coarser.  It simply appears that way because the hair grows back with a blunt tip.
17. The truth about chewing gum.  The chewy base of the gum is not digestible but passes straight through your digestive system, it does not take 7 years to digest.  The remainder is simply absorbed.
18. The truth about Adam And Eve.  Adam and Eve did not eat an apple.  They ate the forbidden "fruit", there is nowhere it Genesis that states the fruit was an apple.
19. The truth about the Egyptian Pyramids.  Slaves did not build the pyramids, this ancient construction job was considered a great honor granted only to the respected laborers, who remain entombed near the site today, according to the Egyptologists.
20. The truth about Ninjas.  Ninjas didn't wear black, the outfit came from years of fiction and folklore.  Actual ninjas wore anything that would help them blend into daily life.

Well, how'd you do.  Did you know the truth about everyone of the 20.  I certainly didn't.  #17 can't be correct, since it was close to 7 years ago that I was chewing a piece of Black Jack and swallowed it.  And, it was almost exactly 7 years to the day that it came out, still black.  Geez, I sure hope that was gum! Now I'm beginning to worry!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Linking Hearing Loss With Dementia" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Sitting in front of my iMac punching the keyboard in my office while a couple of cats are looking out the window at the birds in the trees and the squirrels gathering sunflower seeds from the ground.  The three of us enjoy our time together...that is until I get too cold and have to drop the window down and ruin it for the cats.  Now, this has absolutely nothing to do with my story....until my wife yells to me to answer the phone.  "Sorry, I didn't hear it," I yell back to her.  And, that's how it goes from time to time, for you see I have a hearing loss.  I have written about it a few times before, but I recently read an article about the risk factor of developing dementia if you have a hearing problem.  I can remember when I was a child and saw my granddad wearing these things over his ears.  Found them fascinating!  Needless to say they were his hearing aides.  Today, my hearing aides are pushed into my ear with a small clear plastic piece that can be seen, but only if you search for it with your eyes.  Many of my friends wear hearing aides and when I recently visited with a former student of mine who I hadn't seen for over 50 years, he too was wearing them.  I questioned him about them and he said that being an airline pilot will do it to you.  Hearing those jet engines on a daily basis does it to everyone in the industry.  He even mentioned that the hearing protection they wear when directing a large plane into it's proper location won't keep you from losing your hearing.  It was about a month ago that while reading the Lancaster newspaper, I came across an article in the "Together" section of the paper that was titled "Sound Effects."  The sub-head read: Science seeking answers for what has become the largest modifiable risk factor for developing dementia.  Got my attention, so it did!  Hearing loss is now known to be the largest modifiable risk factor for developing dementia; exceeding that of smoking, high blood pressure, lack of exercise and social isolation.  By preventing or treating that hearing loss in midlife has the potential to diminish the incidence of dementia by 9%.  Doesn't sound like much, but what if that 9% was meant for me; or even you?  Nearly 38 million Americans are afflicted with hearing loss which increases the risk of dementia, depression, falls and even cardiovascular diseases.  Wouldn't you want to do something about it if you had the chance?  Your brain has to work harder to process sound and if you have a hearing loss, no matter to what degree, the brain has to work harder to understand what it hears, thus depleting its ability to perform other tasks.  Are you someone who has a hearing loss and says it doesn't bother you?  At first I was like that.  I did enjoy the quiet at times; even in a noisy room.  Then I realized that it shut me out of so many things; even a friendly conversation with friends at a meal.  I knew I couldn't hear like I used to and I knew exactly why.  In the early 1970s I coached the rifle team at the high school where I taught.  We practiced all year; with no ear protection!  I didn't know any better; neither did anyone else!  Then, at the end of my 5th year of coaching my wife told me I better stop to see the school nurse, since I couldn't hear what she was telling me anymore.  Some might laugh and say I was doing it on purpose, but in my case that just wasn't true.  So I went in to see the nurse, she did a hearing test on me and looked at me and said, "Your hearing is awful!!"  I made an appointment the next day to see a hearing specialist who had me in a pair of hearing aides within a month.  

My Life Savers

I also never stepped foot in the rifle range after that.  Getting people with a substantial hearing loss to use hearing aides is an enormous challenge for family members, friends and even the family doctor.  For me, I never knew how bad it was until it was too late.  And, the damaging effect of noise exposure is cumulative.  Be aware that if you are someone who works in a noisy environment, listens to music through headphones, uses a hairdryer daily or is subjected to noisy traffic on a daily basis, you are probably in need of hearing aides.  That is unless you wear ear protection all the time.  Betcha don't, do you?  Just like me.  I'm on my third pair of hearing aides, since my first pair, and they work better and are easier to place in my ears than ever before.  No one can see them unless they are standing to my side and stare at my ears.  And, so what if they know.  Chances are they should be wearing them also.  And, if it helps one little bit that I won't develop dementia: well, I should have done it long before I did.  I was one who was stupid and didn't think the noise of a .22 rifle being fired in an enclosed area would bother me, but boy was I wrong.  It not only ruined my hearing, but just about ruined my life.  Thank goodness my wife noticed and made me go see the nurse.  Who knows what I might be fighting my now.  Don't be a victim as I was.  Do something about it!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "555 Miles Divide Lancaster From Lancaster" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Checking the website for the South Carolina County known as Lancaster.  Seeing how it may compare to its sister County, and my hometown, Lancaster, Pennsylvania County.  

Outline of the state of South Carolina

Though they are 555 miles from one an- other, they both share some of the same history as well as both being known as either the "Garden Spot of America" or the "Garden of Eden."  Lancaster, PA was founded in 1729 and is one of the oldest inland cities in the United States while Lancaster, SC was founded in 1785.  

The shape of Lancaster County, PA is similar

Today, Lancaster, PA has approximately 60,000 residents while Lancaster, SC has about 10,000 residents.  The first settlers in Lancaster, SC were Scots-Irish who migrated south on the Great Wagon trail from Lancaster, PA.  They traveled to the Waxhaws region of Lancaster, SC which today is just north of the Lancaster, SC county seat.  At the time the Scots-Irish moved south, they came upon a "Garden of Eden" of Native Americans which included the Cherokee, Catawba and Waxhaw tribes.  

Both share the same logo

The new arrivals from up north, which included many from Lancaster, PA, ushered in an era of sizeable change.  They named the new area for their homeland in England, the region of the famous House of Lancaster that opposed the House of York in the War of the Roses.  Both Lancaster, SC and Lancaster, PA claim the Red Rose emblem as their "Coat of Arms" of the House of Lancaster.  

Monument in front of the Courthouse in Lancaster, South Carolina

Recently, Lancaster, PA's resident newspaper historian, "The Scribbler" Jack Brubaker, made a visit to Lancaster, SC where he and his wife toured the courthouse and viewed the Confederate monument that stands in front of the courthouse.  Jack wrote an article in the Lancaster Newspaper about his travels.  

An 1877 photograph of the square in Lancaster, Pennsylvania

Lancaster, PA also has a Soldiers and Sailors Monument in the center of town, near where its courthouse once stood in center city.  My home city's monument stands 43 feet high and has a rectangular pillar topped with a statue of a robed woman on a pedestal known as "The Genius of Liberty."  She stands facing north so her back faces away from the Confederate States of America which were defeated during the Civil War.  

Painting of what the Courthouse in Lancaster, PA used to look like

There are also four statues of men representing the four branches of the American armed services which surround the center statue.  It was erected within a decade of the end of the Civil War.  The statue which stands in front of the courthouse in Lancaster, SC is 30 feet in height and has a single soldier standing atop it.  It wasn't dedicated until 1909.  During the Civil War, troops under Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman occupied the town of Lancaster, SC.  The soldiers looted the town and stabled their horses in the sanctuary of the Presbyterian Church that had been built in 1862.  That had to be a real slam to the residents of Lancaster, SC!  

A more current photograph of the statue in Lancaster, SC

Lancaster, PA had many famous residents with President James Buchanan being one of them, while Lancaster, SC can also lay claim to a President in Andrew Jackson.  Today, both Lancasters still have some of the best farm land in the country.  And, we still share the Red Rose emblem, but do differ in that Lancaster, SC still harbors some of the same attitudes that were supposed to have been laid to rest after the Civil War.  My guess is that will never change!  Though Confederate flags are not seen near the monument in Lancaster, SC, I'm sure you will still see them at many other locations in Lancaster County, SC.  Some things will never be laid to rest in our nation!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Memories From What Seems Like Another Lifetime" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Standing in front of the old Manheim Township High School in the town of Neffsville, Pennsylvania.  Neffsville is a bit over 8 miles from downtown Lancaster as the crow flies and was where I attended Junior High School as well as Senior High School.  

What was at one time the Manheim Township High School in Neffsville, PA

At the time, the school was one of the largest school buildings in the country with a price of about $250,000.  The architect for the new high school was Henry Y. Shaub according to an article in the July 25, 1928 Intelligencer Journal Newspaper from Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  

The original one level school that used to be on the same location.

The new school, which according to Shaub, was to be one of the few modern buildings in Lancaster County and would have 26 rooms with an auditorium-gymnasium combination.  I entered the building as a 7th grader in the Manheim Township School District at the age of 12 and was in awe of my surroundings.  The auditorium was immense and the gym, behind the blue curtain at the front of the auditorium, was really neat.  On either side of the gym were stairwells that led to the basement where the shower rooms were located.  But, by the time I had reached the building, it was becoming obsolete and there were so many students in the building that my music class in my 7th and 8th grade years was held across the street in front of the school in the Neffsville Fire Hall.  By the time I was in 9th grade, a new High School, which held grades 9 thru 12, was opened and I had the chance to be a member of the first class to go through the school for four years.  That high school still remains in the same location, but only the original gymnasium, swimming pool (yep we had a swimming pool in the high school), and auditorium remain today.  The remainder of the school was demolished over many years and enlarged.  

Another, earlier photograph of the High School along Valley Road.

Well, that high school on Valley Road, where I went to Junior High wasn't the original school on that site.  The original school was built in the early 1920s and stood for slightly over 6 years.  Then on the evening of January 2, 1928, the school burst into flames and firemen from six local fire companies fought the raging inferno in zero degree temperatures.  Neighborhood cisterns and wells were emptied as well as a nearby stream which ran dry as water was supplied to fight the fire.  

High School graduation from the school on Valley Road years ago.

By the time the fire was extinguished, the school had burned to the ground.  Students had to go to school in nearby churches and fire company buildings for the next few years until what I am standing in front of today was completed.  Mr. Henry Y. Shaub was also the architect of the first building on the site.  The second building on Valley Road did have a planetarium added to it at one time, but that was eventually removed when the new high school opened in 1957 and had it's own planetarium.  The second rendition of the old high school was designed in the Art Deco style of architecture.  The ornamentation on the exterior of the school features line carvings that were completed by spraying sand with the use of compressed air to form the carvings.  On either side of the main entrance, which faces south on Valley Road, are tall human figures which are gripping iron chains  which are attached to the top of metal lanterns on either side of the entrance.  

The lettering and figures can be seen in this photograph.

On the front corners of the building are figures which appear to be standing guard over the building.  Directly above the front door is an engraved owl, but my favorite feature is the embossed Old English lettering at the very top of the entrance that reads, Manheim Township High School, in two lines.  Recently there was an article in the Lancaster Newspaper, which was written by renowned local architect Gregory Scott, that tells more of the story of the architecture of the building.  If you are a subscriber to the newspaper, you can access it online.  Today the building is still owned by the school district, but is now part of the Intermediate Unit 13 program in Lancaster County.  But to me, it will always be the huge big building that I entered as a young boy, having to travel by school bus for the first time in order to reach my destination.  What's even more memorable is returning to the school about 25 years ago to set up a print shop in the basement for a few years where I printed school documents on the AB Dick press.  Same basement where I received my first, and only, paddling as an 8th grader for shooting a spit ball, during lunch, through my straw at the girl on the other side of the table.  How time flies!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

Close-up of the lettering.  Click on images to enlarge.

Figures hold a chain that connects to the top of the light.

An owl can be seen in the center panel above the front door. 

This is another figure that also holds the lights.

On most remaining entrances to the school are embossed panels.

One of two corner figures that are "Standing Guard".

The front door entrance even shows an embossed design above the window panels.