Kudos to Claudia for her creativity and persistence in creating what is for me and for many others, our first blog experience. As Claudia can attest from my prior two e-mails to her, I have blossomed into such a chatty person so I hope you can all persevere through my first blog ever:
I am one of the few members of the class to still reside in Shorewood (along with Rick Cudahy, Kathy Nelsen and I assume Bano, our Police Chief, does as well). If someone would have told me 30 years ago that would be my fate, I would assume life had been unkind to me and that I had led a mundane and boring life and was maybe even living at home..uuuggh (though I love Helen and Ed, who still are alive and well). Actually, I am pleased to say, I have a wonderful life (no friends named Clarence though). In fact, I was saying yesterday to Dave Meyer over a bagel in Madison (really!) that there is one Shorewood person who truly changed my life. Actually the answer is somewhat surprising to me (Dave called it an epiphany..such a gift with words). I am sure you immediately think of those who could have had such an impact: Mr. Huth (of blessed memory) who taught Joan Walsh and I our journalism skills (at least Joan learned), Miss Zwitter (when I had her as a freshman, I cursed her name…as an adult, I think of her as being a fabulous teacher and a real hottie) or Luke Groser (where would I be in the business world without Consumer Economics, where I learned that 3 for a $1.00 was better than 4 for $2.00, or Advanced Consumer Economics, where I learned to avoid purchasing aluminum siding for a brick house. Actually they had the same lesson on an episode of All In the Family; I think Luke was inspired).
Oh yes, the person who truly changed my life was….John Malloy (class of 78, I hope referencing people from other classes doesn’t violate a class of “76 blog rule). I want to dedicate my first blog entry ever to John, wherever he is. John provided some sage advice to me 21+ years ago when I happened to see him at SHS at an open gym. I had finished my MBA at the Univ. of Washington and had then spent 9 months traveling overseas. Being penniless, I had returned home and thought my destiny was moving to the bright lights of Chicago. I had absolutely no interest in ever living in Milwaukee again. Anyway, I had somehow secured a job offer from M&I Bank here in Milwaukee from a man I played basketball with at the Jewish Community Center, and then got an even better offer with Arthur Anderson in Chicago. The choice was easy until I ran into my oracle, John Malloy. John had actually worked for Arthur Anderson in the same role previously and proceeded to describe what a sweat shop existence I would have as I worked 80 hour weeks on projects that involved countless weeks on the road. Because of John, I took the M&I job instead figuring I would give Milwaukee a year and move on. 21 years later, I am still very happy at M&I where I met my amazing wife with whom I have a fabulous 13-yr old daughter. In fact, if I hadn’t met John, who knows where I would be today (maybe I would have transferred to Arthur Anderson’s Houston office and become an Enron shredder). If I hadn’t met up with John Malloy, Ron Yee would not have had his same life (who is Ron Yee? Why he is the former towel boy at the Jewish Community Center who I helped get a job at M&I where he met a woman who introduced Ron to her sister whom he married…anyone still with me?) To paraphrase Clarence the Angel (who got my earlier reference?…it is called foreshadowing which I learned from Mr. Huth) said in It’s A Wonderful Life, you never know the ripple of effect of each person or each action. Maybe that is why we still have this connection with our classmates from SHS. There was a lot of rippling going on. Hey what a great name for a school paper!
Respectively submitted by Jim Neubauer, jlneub@sbcglobal.net
I am one of the few members of the class to still reside in Shorewood (along with Rick Cudahy, Kathy Nelsen and I assume Bano, our Police Chief, does as well). If someone would have told me 30 years ago that would be my fate, I would assume life had been unkind to me and that I had led a mundane and boring life and was maybe even living at home..uuuggh (though I love Helen and Ed, who still are alive and well). Actually, I am pleased to say, I have a wonderful life (no friends named Clarence though). In fact, I was saying yesterday to Dave Meyer over a bagel in Madison (really!) that there is one Shorewood person who truly changed my life. Actually the answer is somewhat surprising to me (Dave called it an epiphany..such a gift with words). I am sure you immediately think of those who could have had such an impact: Mr. Huth (of blessed memory) who taught Joan Walsh and I our journalism skills (at least Joan learned), Miss Zwitter (when I had her as a freshman, I cursed her name…as an adult, I think of her as being a fabulous teacher and a real hottie) or Luke Groser (where would I be in the business world without Consumer Economics, where I learned that 3 for a $1.00 was better than 4 for $2.00, or Advanced Consumer Economics, where I learned to avoid purchasing aluminum siding for a brick house. Actually they had the same lesson on an episode of All In the Family; I think Luke was inspired).
Oh yes, the person who truly changed my life was….John Malloy (class of 78, I hope referencing people from other classes doesn’t violate a class of “76 blog rule). I want to dedicate my first blog entry ever to John, wherever he is. John provided some sage advice to me 21+ years ago when I happened to see him at SHS at an open gym. I had finished my MBA at the Univ. of Washington and had then spent 9 months traveling overseas. Being penniless, I had returned home and thought my destiny was moving to the bright lights of Chicago. I had absolutely no interest in ever living in Milwaukee again. Anyway, I had somehow secured a job offer from M&I Bank here in Milwaukee from a man I played basketball with at the Jewish Community Center, and then got an even better offer with Arthur Anderson in Chicago. The choice was easy until I ran into my oracle, John Malloy. John had actually worked for Arthur Anderson in the same role previously and proceeded to describe what a sweat shop existence I would have as I worked 80 hour weeks on projects that involved countless weeks on the road. Because of John, I took the M&I job instead figuring I would give Milwaukee a year and move on. 21 years later, I am still very happy at M&I where I met my amazing wife with whom I have a fabulous 13-yr old daughter. In fact, if I hadn’t met John, who knows where I would be today (maybe I would have transferred to Arthur Anderson’s Houston office and become an Enron shredder). If I hadn’t met up with John Malloy, Ron Yee would not have had his same life (who is Ron Yee? Why he is the former towel boy at the Jewish Community Center who I helped get a job at M&I where he met a woman who introduced Ron to her sister whom he married…anyone still with me?) To paraphrase Clarence the Angel (who got my earlier reference?…it is called foreshadowing which I learned from Mr. Huth) said in It’s A Wonderful Life, you never know the ripple of effect of each person or each action. Maybe that is why we still have this connection with our classmates from SHS. There was a lot of rippling going on. Hey what a great name for a school paper!
Respectively submitted by Jim Neubauer, jlneub@sbcglobal.net
16 comments:
Jimmy, that's a wonderful life! Before I come to Milwaukee the next time (for our 31st?) I will dig out a copy of the Shorewood Cripples, our senior year parody paper, when I think Mr. Huth began to give up on both of us. The inspired goofiness of this post made me think of that parody issue for the first time in...30 years.
Just got off the phone with Sharon Dunkleman (Frank), (she lives only about 40 miles from me in Massachusetts), and she told me she saw you standing in line at the PAC fairly recently, and thought you were so nice and friendly. I rmemeber you being so as well. Then I access "slackers" and there you are? I actually had to get out my Copperdone to look up some people that Sharon and I were reminising about.
Great BLog, so glad you are doing well and happy. Also glad to see that someone from Milwaukee is imputing on this. I was beginning to think that we "Outsiders" had some sort of "Wonder Years" view of Shorewood that doesn't exist to folks still living in that mystical Square Mile they call Shorewood?
I loved Mr. Huth, had him for English and creative writing I think. I thought he was a wonderful teacher. Mr. Groser was great too, never again did I have that much fun in any Econ Class.
Hope to read more, hope you can encourage Bano to imput.......and find out if he in fact still in in posession of those famous Graduation Slides.
Deb R
Greetings to all greyhounds, from New Jersey, where the Szumski family resides, and where we've grown to 6 over the past 15 years. Count includes one goldendoodle, sons of 10 and 13, and my Mary.
Our 15-year old daughter is now just short of my age on that first day of school at SHS as an 11th grader. I do recall in full color meeting some of you all during the very first hour of that first day, in the mechanical drawing room. Singer, Biddick, Sushanek, Ivanovich, Pieskowski, Mrs. ? who ran the after-school session in the cafeteria. Marc's, Tuttle's ARCO station, the lake.
I still have 2 brothers, 2 sisters and their families living near Shorewood, and get a Milwaukee fix from time to time.
My career centered around NYC has been doing technology on Wall Street, starting when spreadsheets were done in pencil on taped together pieces of legal paper, and then on through and past the boom. The world of Web 2.0, including blogs and my space and youtube, open source collaboration, ruby and ajax, project management, agile and scrum draw me on. If I could change one thing, it would be the daily 2 hours of commuting into downtown.
Highlight of the past 12 hours: listening to my wife and kids practicing a violin, viola and cello trio in the livingroom. Lowpoint: finishing this entry to jump in the shower and head to work.
Best to all,
Mike
Mr. Huth was one of the all-time most extraordinary people I've ever known...my memory of him is one of the few things that has made me wish, over the years, that I'd been a better student. If I'd been a better student I might have known him better, and I'm sorry I missed that chance. Still, he an enormous impact on me -- anyone who models how human beings ought to behave as well as that guy did can't help but do so. I can think of maybe two other people who modeled that as well -- Fred Rogers and Julia Childs...and maybe nowadays, Amy Goodman. People who behave that well just absolutely knock me off my feet.
Julia CHILD, I meant!
Isn't google great?
I had to call my brothers, Ivars(SHS'77) and Ed(SHS'78), since John Malloy spent so much time at the Repins household. They were amused that John would receive such recognition. Then I had to call John and let him know, since my brothers are slackers in their own right, and would never get around to letting him know the status he has achieved.
James Lee,
First, glad to hear you/r family are well and say hi to Ed and Helen for me!
Second, cut the Crap! You - and you and I only - know the real truth. After all those teenage wasteland years we spent together playing hoops and tennis sculpting our "V" bodies while rapping about the girls in our school (wait, which one were you...the skinny one or the chubby one!?)and then only rarely keeping in touch with you over the past 30 years I think I have vested and empowered authority to speak on your behalf!
There....what would your precious Mr. H. say about THAT runon sentence!!!
Remember now, mia compadre....
It was someone else that truly shaped your life! And yes, it is a violation to cite another influence outside your alma mater. What blasphemy!
I will always remember how you idolized ME - my moves, my life - especially my haircut- and how you always begged me to date your sister (or was it your brothers?)-(xoxoxo to Fred and Mark, also!?)
Let the (blurred)Truth Games begin!!!
You know, Mitch, I'm really glad you raised that.
I wrote back to James Lee, privately, reminiscing about that parody issue of Ripples -- was it really called Cripples? How politically incorrect! I'm sorry! -- we published in senior year. Thanks to Jimmy's leadership, it was pretty much all photos of you. So...I can back you up here. John Malloy is just a cover story.
I think, if we're going to reconnect, we should all try to be honest this time around. Mr. Huth would want it that way.
I wanted to comment to my blog responders. Joan, before you mentioned it, it hadn’t dawned on me that making fun of the handicapped was politically incorrect. How did Mr. Huth let that one go? You would also think the future editor of Salon would know better. Me, I was future ruthless business man so what did you expect.
Deb, thanks for speaking nicely of me, though I detected some surprise in Sharon’s comments that I was so nice and friendly. Actually, I do remember seeing her as well and thinking that I bet I missed out on getting to know some great people (aww. there I go being nice again)
Mike, I am happy to hear that you have a great family life and a musical one to boot. I would think working on wall street has its high points, though I would dread the commute as well. I have to fight my way through Milwaukee’s downtown traffic myself and the 7 minutes is torture. Ok, I am rubbing it in, but there is not much we have over NYC so give me a break.
Claudia, I am sure Mr. Huth would have loved your comparisons. By the way, in the strange world of coincidences, I work with a woman who dated Mr. Huth’s son in high school. But it even gets more coincidental. One day, we were talking and it turns out her painter, Kirk, had set her up on a blind date with his brother, Clark. Of course it had to be your former Newton neighbors. Unfortunately the date was a disaster.
Anita, I think it so great you let John know that I revere his wisdom and speak of his life altering ways. I last saw John in the loop about 10 years ago at a bagel place. What is it with me and bagels anyway. However, I also eat sub sandwiches and to anyone who comes to Milwaukee, if you want a sub, go to the Subway on Wells, which is owned by Ivars.
Finally, my good friend Mitch, who only sends me one of those form letter Xmas cards at the holiday (ok, I do love getting it). Funny, how your memory has become eroded over time. Sure I did love your haircut. In fact every time I see the coif of Kim Jong Il, it brings back memories. I somehow recall you idolizing me and how I molded you into a great athlete. At 6’1” and 135 lbs (yes, that was my actual high school weight), I could have been something special on the football field (like the first down marker), but I purposely didn’t go out so you could get a chance. What thanks do I get? some mimeographed card with holiday cheer. And don’t think throwing kisses at my brothers makes up for it.
Mitch and Kim Jong Il...now I see it!
I'm going to be laughing all day.
That one image alone makes me happy I'm back in touch with you slackers. Thanks, Jimmy -- have a bagel on me!
To the Class of 76:
Due to recent comments about my resemblance to a World-hating, N.Korean crackpot (whom really has
"da bomb' in hair and clothing fashion - note the P.Diddy label when he appears next on Salon.com's annual Ten Most Reviled Bachelors list), I have now decided to unleash many Weapons of Mass Reconstruction - my distorted memories of you all!
1. Jim N. did not get rid of his pajamas with the feet until 11th grade!
2. Joan W. desperately begged me to convince Mr. Huth that the "Cripple" would offended no one except Jim N. - hence, "let't roll with the title!
3. Bill P. was really my understudy as Tony for SHS's West Side Story - when they found out I could only sing WHO songs in the shower they gave him the lead and his ticket to Hollywood where he understudied for Ron Jeremy for three years (find and watch Slackers Ball IV!
4. Jane L., Anita R., and Claudia C.: Ahh.........................!!!!!!
Some day, Mitch, there WILL be a place for you.
Sniff!
Signed,
The New Boss
In God's Country
Kim Jong Il .......
That is really funny,
Separated at birth. I too am laughing out load on that comparison.............
So what is wrong with feety pajamas? If you must know I wore them for a medical reason. As Debbie Herz (my seventh grade square dance partner) can attest to, I suffered from Hyper Hydrosis, which is excessive sweatiness of the hands and feet. I was required to wear feety pajamas or else risk permanent damage to Helen’s (my dear sweet mom) carpet fibers or risk having family members tumble on our linoleum. In fact, one time my brother Fred did a header late at night when he was trying to steal beer from our fridge. I would hope my classmates would show more sensitivity to my “condition”.
I also wanted to reply to Mitch’s earlier comment (in my blog comments section) about Bill Pick’s portrayal of Bernardo (Mark Hickman portrayed Tony, Bill was cast in the other role because he looked so Hispanic). I for one thought Bill captured the essence of other great SHS acting legends (yes we really did have them). For me he combined the sheer animal magnetism of John Fiedler (who played Mr. Peterson on the original Bob Newhart Show, but even more important was the voice of Piglet in Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day) with the whimsy of Charlotte Rae (who played Miss Garret on The Facts of Life).
By the way, the entire basketball team can also attest that Mitch sang only Who songs in the shower. However, if memory serves me right, he only knew two songs, Boris the Spider and I’m A Boy. Candidly, he sang the second song most of the time and it gave the team the willies.
James,
Thanks for correcting me RE: Bill P. and Mark H. - since you played Maria as if YOU were the definitive reincarnation of the young ingenue Nat Woods (so sorry she took that fatal boat trip w/ that no good future "No. 2" Bobby Wagner), you should KNOW, Ms. Right!!!
Also, I'm not scared of you like I once was and ever since you used to invite me over to your house under false pretenses (my Mom always wondered how one person could have so many "special" Jewish Holidays that required me bringing you hush money or gifts). My shrink still wonders how I could let you influence me back then, and now, regrettably, once again!!!
I only posted rebuttal comments on another blog post because I was confused again by taking too many of my "little helpers" with a six pack of Red Hooks and staying up late checking out this site.
Bring you, your buddy John M., John Fielder, Charlotte Rae, Bob Newhart and anyone else from that West Side Story production to the next reunion and we'll settle this dispute mano a womano! You can wear your feety jammies (like the old days) and I'll be wearing some slinky Versace creation with stillettos and matching accessories.
For your late in life information, my Mom figured since she had so many left over clothes and girly things from raising my sister, that she could save some bucks and just reuse them on me. Mom's the one that told me that the Who wrote that song especially for me. What's a groupie.....?
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