JUNE 2022

THE FOUR SEASONS OF JACKIE ROBINSON

This year marks the 75th anniversary of Jackie Robinson's Major League Baseball (MLB) rookie season (1947) as well as the 50th anniversary of the untimely passing (1972) of this truly remarkable man.  I just finished reading a newly released biography titled TRUE: The Four Seasons of Jackie Robinson, by Kostya Kennedy and published by St Martin's Press.  This book is an unconventional but innovative biography in that it examines four transformative years in Mr Robinson's inspired life:

1946, his first year playing minor league ball for the Montreal Royals; 1949, when he won the Most Valuable Player award in just his third season of his MLB career with the Brooklyn Dodgers; 1956, his final season; and 1972, the year of his untimely passing.  Each of these four chapters are titled after the four seasons - Part One:Spring (1946), Part Two:Summer (1949), Part Three:Autumn (1956) and Part Four:Winter (1972).  Hauntingly, if not appropriately, there is a "fifth" chapter titled The Afterlife, which affirms in the author's words, "Whatever the context and circumstances, Jackie Robinson remained true -- true to the effort and the mission, true to his convictions and contradictions."

While the organization and content of the book evokes The Holy Bible's Ecclesiastes 3 ("To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven ..."), it also gives fresh, new insights and deeper context into information about Mr Robinson's life.  This is accomplished by a vivid writing style that brings to life these four transformative years through interviews with fans and players as well as surviving family members who witnessed Robinson's impact in both public and private venues.  One such example is the memorable steal of home plate by Robinson in Game One of the 1955 World Series (eventually won by the Dodgers in seven games vs the Yankees).  In a very close play, the umpire ruled it safe, much to the vehement chagrin of Yankee catcher Yogi Berra.  The image of Robinson sliding in safely conveys a sense of determination, defiance and triumph in the face of adversity.  In the ensuing decades and long after the passing of Jackie Robinson, the "out, safe" exchange continued whenever Berra would encounter Rachel Robinson (Jackie's widow).  Typically, in his gregarious manner, Berra would say "Out" when he would see Rachel, and in return, with a gentle smile she would say "Safe."  This lifelong exchange had a special poignancy in 2015 when at a celebration for Berra's 90th birthday, Rachel greeted the Hall of Fame Yankee catcher by sweeping her hands out, palms down, giving the "Safe" sign while Berra replied by giving the "Out" sign with his right hand.  The two then gave each other a big smile and embraced.

In reading this wonderful biography, yours truly vividly recalled the beautiful eulogy delivered by the Reverend Jesse Jackson in 1972 at the memorial service for Mr Robinson.  The Reverend Jackson movingly described Robinson as "...the Black Knight in a Chess game.  He was checking the King's bigotry and the Queen's indifference.  He turned a stumbling block into a stepping stone ... and his body, his mind, his mission cannot be held down by a grave."  The closing chapter of TRUE features a photograph of Robinson's grave site depicting Mr Robinson's very own words as his epitaph: "A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives."

As a man of faith, a lifelong fan of Jackie Robinson and one who loves baseball, this biography affirms that this truly great man is Safe at Home.  Please join us here at the Galaxy Nostalgia Network by celebrating the inspired life of Jackie Robinson not only by checking out this new biography but also through acts of charity to others.

 MAY 2022

CAMEOS & FACES IN THE CROWD

This month we invite all the members of our wonderful Galaxy audience to participate in a fun reminiscence of classic film, TV and music videos.  One of the most interesting features in the aforementioned media venues is the cameo -- i.e., a brief appearance of a well-known person within the tapestry of the story.  In many instances, cameos are not featured in the credits and so it becomes a treasure hunt in identifying famous or favorite people that are essentially faces in the crowd!

Here is a sample of notable cameos.  Perhaps one of the most famous was the recurring cameos by film director Alfred Hitchcock in 40 out of his 54 classic films from the late 1920s to the mid 1970s.  Often Hitchcock would be spotted in a crowd scene near the beginning of his many films and this was viewed as his "signature" or "watermark" for his artistic directorial work.  This made for heightened audience interest right from the start as filmgoers would keep sharp lookout for the iconic director whose cameos were so brief that if you happened to take your eyes off the screen for a single moment you would miss him!  One of the most interesting cameos was in the 1944 film "Lifeboat" (set in World War II).  In such a confined setting, Hitchcock was seen in a newspaper being read by one of the characters while seated in the lifeboat.  Specifically the newspaper showed a before-and-after photo sequence of Hitchcock in an advertisement for a weight-loss program.

Some classic cameos on film are only "heard" but not seen!  Two such instances are in the motion pictures "A Letter to Three Wives" (1949) and "King of Kings" (1961).  "A Letter to Three Wives" tells the story of a woman sending a letter to three women, informing them she has left town with one of their husbands but not specifying which one!  The unseen woman who wrote the titular letter is a constant presence throughout the film because of her occasional narration of key events in the story, including the surprise but ultimately satisfying ending.  This "voice" cameo was uncredited but was performed by Celeste Holm.  Similarly, the Biblical epic "King of Kings" was narrated by none other than Orson Welles.  His deep, sonorous voice, while familiar to one and all, was also uncredited.  But it played a noteworthy part in heightening the illuminating story on the life and ministry of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Baby boomers who watched the "Batman" TV series (1966-68) will fondly recall the window cameos in which very famous people would have brief conversations with the Caped Crusader and Boy Wonder as they would scale up the side of tall apartment buildings.  There were 14 such window cameos that included such luminaries as Sammy Davis Jr, Dick Clark, Don Ho and Edward G. Robinson.

For those who remember "Friday Night Music Videos" in the 1980s, there is the official Bruce Springsteen "Dancing in the Dark" video of the Boss performing at a 1984 concert in St Paul, MN.  In this truly amazing video -- noted for the very high energy level by Springsteen, his bandmates and the audience -- a 20 year old Courtney Cox (a full decade before her iconic Monica role in the 1990s TV series "Friends") is first seen standing in the front row right up against the stage fully involved with the concert and then in the closing sequence is brought up on stage by Springsteen to dance with the Boss in what is now regarded as a scripted spontaneous event!

What are your favorite cameos?  What made them so special or memorable to you and your loved ones?  We invite you to share them by emailing us directly through the GNN website or posting to the GNN FACEBOOK page (and "liking" us when doing so).  If you are looking for a fun way to make binge watching more interesting, using the "cameo" theme is a fun way to revisit favorite films, shows and music videos.

 APRIL 2022

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JANE GOODALL

This month we pay tribute to Dame Jane Goodall, DBE, as she celebrates her 88th birthday (April 3).  Dr Goodall is a familiar if not lifelong presence in the consciousness of baby boomers who came of age while watching her pioneering work in primatology and anthropology unfold in real time through the National Geographic media platforms from the mid-1960s to the present day!  Goodall is regarded as the world's foremost expert on chimpanzees.  This United Kingdom born scientist who earned her University of Cambridge doctorate in Ethology (study of animal behavior) has helped raise awareness and understanding of conservation, sustainability and ethical treatment of animals.  Her pioneering work showed that similarities between humans and chimpanzees were evident in emotion, intelligence as well as social and family relationships.  Jane Goodall's trailblazing career has not only expanded the boundaries of science but has opened up new pathways (or in corporate business terms - broken the glass ceiling) so that the once male-dominated fields of primatology and anthropology are now nearly evenly made up of both men and women.  In sum, she has been a role model of professional excellence, dignity, integrity and dedication.

Most baby boomers first became acquainted with Jane Goodall through the National Geographic publications (School Bulletin for young readers and its adult mainstream National Geographic Magazine) and most notably, via network TV, the 1965 primetime National Geographic Society special "Miss Goodall and the Wild Chimpanzees."  In these venues, a worldwide audience witnessed how Goodall gave personal names to each of the chimpanzees instead of numbers, as she observed them to have unique and individual personalities - a rather unconventional idea at that time!  She recorded peaceful, affectionate behavior along with an aggressive side to chimpanzee nature.

In the decades that have followed, Dr Goodall has not only helped to raise awareness and understanding of the animal kingdom, but her humanitarian and environmental work has helped inspire public support for pursuance of scientific research as a career path.  Her title of "Dame" is associated with the DBE award (Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) which reflects her scientific contributions along with public service via charitable organizations and research institutions.

A couple of fun facts or trivia concerning the inspired life of Jane Goodall:  First, her career benefited enormously from the mentorship she received from the famed paleoanthropologist Dr Louis Leakey. Goodall worked directly for Dr Leakey, who later sent her to various parts of Africa to do field research and in between pursue academic study with the leading authorities of the day.  Dr Leakey also helped raise funds to help Goodall with her scientific research.  A second fun fact shows that Jane Goodall has a good sense of humor.  The famed cartoonist Gary Larson featured two chimpanzees grooming each other in his "Far Side" comic strip and when one discovered a blonde hair on the other, inquired "Conducting a little more 'research' with that Jane Goodall tramp?"  As Dr Goodall was in Africa when that cartoon was published, the Jane Goodall Institute thought it was in bad taste, describing it as an "atrocity" and threatening legal action.  When Goodall returned from her travels and saw the cartoon, she thought it was amusing and stopped the Institute's legal action!  In Larson's Far Side Gallery 5, Goodall wrote the preface and praised his work while detailing her perspective on the controversy!

One more fun fact, and this occurred very recently (March 3, 2022) as The Lego Group -- in honor of Women's History Month and International Women's Day -- issued set number 40530 "A Jane Goodall Tribute" that depicts a Jane Goodall minifigure with three chimpanzees in an African forest!  In appreciation for her groundbreaking work that has promoted a better understanding of our world, please join us in wishing Jane Goodall a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY ... and many more!

MARCH 2022

March Madness - Remembering Jim Valvano

"Don't Give Up...Don't Ever Give Up"

Every year during the month of March, the entire nation seems immersed in an ongoing conversation regarding "bracketology" -- an exercise in which sports fans from the most serious to the most casual are busy filling out their matrix in guessing which collegiate basketball team will win the annual NCAA College Basketball National Championship.  In previous GNN Blogs we have celebrated touchstone teams (e.g.,Texas Western Miners who won the 1966 national title as the first team to start five African-American players in a title game) and amazing coaches (e.g., UCLA's head coach John Wooden, the Wizard of Westwood who piloted the Bruins to 10 national titles in 12 years).  But this year we remember a very special man (appropriately born in the month of March) whose legacy transcends the basketball court: Jim Valvano.

James Thomas Anthony Valvano (March 10, 1946 - April 28, 1993), nicknamed Jimmy V, had a successful head coaching career with various schools, most notably with North Carolina State University.  As the head coach of the NC State Wolfpack, Valvano led his team in 1983 to perhaps the most surprising national championship in NCAA tournament history.  The Wolfpack qualified for the NCAA Tourney, but with a 3rd place finish in its conference were not favored to advance very far.  However, big things were in store for Valvano's squad as they "survived and advanced" -- (a phrase coined by Valvano himself) -- by registering a double overtime victory against Pepperdine in the first round, and then riding that momentum all the way into the Finals where the Wolfpack would be matched against the heavily-favored Houston Cougars (who were top-ranked nationally and a #1 seed).  The Wolfpack (ranked 16th nationally and a #6 seed) became the champion of underdogs by scoring a last second basket as time expired to win 54-52.

In the moments immediately following this surprising victory, Valvano was immortalized in sports video history as he was shown running around the court looking for somebody to hug while celebrating the Wolfpack's improbable national title.  This video clip is always shown during "March Madness" as one of the tournament's most celebrated moments as it captures the unbridled joy of triumph in the face of overwhelming odds.  Much has been written about Valvano's inspirational leadership and the deep personal relationship he established with his players during that amazing championship run, and we commend the GNN audience to read these wonderful books to learn more.  For those who enjoy video programs, there is the ESPN "Survive and Advance" documentary on Valvano and the NC State 1983 NCAA championship as part of the network's 30 for 30 - Volume II anthology series.

While these celebrated coaching and athletic accomplishments are noteworthy of commemoration, there is much, much more to the life of Jim Valvano.  Nearly 30 years after his passing, Valvano's legacy continues to inspire millions of people because of the courage and inspiration he demonstrated in the public eye while terminally ill with cancer.  During this heroic battle, Valvano affirmed the timeless values of love, hope and persistence with the public rallying cry of "Don't give up, don't ever give up."  Several weeks before his passing, Valvano delivered the following remarks while accepting the Arthur Ashe Courage and Humanitarian Award, and it is these words that reflect the legacy of an inspired life:

"To me, there are three things we all should do every day. We should do this every day of our lives. Number one is laugh. You should laugh every day. Number two is think. You should spend some time in thought. And number three is, you should have your emotions moved to tears, could be happiness or joy. But think about it. If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that's a full day. That's a heck of a day. You do that seven days a week, you're going to have something special."

In this same speech, Valvano closed by saying that "Cancer can take away all of my physical abilities. It cannot touch my mind, it cannot touch my heart, and it cannot touch my soul. And those three things are going to carry on forever. I thank you and God bless you all."

As we get ready for March Madness by filling out our brackets, let's also take a moment to celebrate the March birthday of Jim Valvano while remembering an inspired life that made him both a hero on and off the basketball court as well as a legend of the game.

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                       TRIBUTE TO OUR PRECIOUS MAGGIE

August 12, 2010 – January 25, 2022

LIFE LESSONS LEARNED FROM MAGGIE

By Rev Protodeacon George Anthony Haloulakos

We have commended our precious pet Maggie into the loving embrace of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We had to alleviate Maggie's suffering from Degenerative Myelopathy – a debilitating illness exactly like ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) in our precious pets with the same impact as ALS has on humans. I did a prayer service while assisting the two veterinarians and kissed Maggie more than several times to help her on a heavenward journey. All of this took place at home as we utilized a truly amazing service called PAWS INTO GRACE.

She will be cremated and her cremains will be hand delivered to us in a special urn made of Acacia wood with the inscription:

Our Precious Maggie

Aug 12, 2010 - Jan 25, 2022

We are also getting a special paw print to go with it. Believe it or not, Maggie departed this life at the same hour as Mom & Dad, and three years to the month of my father's passing! In some ways I feel as if I am reliving it all over again. I am so grateful that God placed this special pet in our lives as Maggie impacted so many in the course of her ministry here on Earth. With this in mind, I would like to share lessons I learned from Maggie.

> Lead a Christ Centered Life: Maggie lived her life in the way Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ teaches us to be. Each day this Pembroke Welsh Corgi showed love, peace, patience, joy, kindness, goodness and faithfulness. In this way, Maggie exemplified that the love from a pet is a reflection of God's love – it is unconditional!

> Bearing One's Burdens While Helping Others: Maggie was a registered service animal for more than 10 years and impacted the lives of hundreds if not thousands of people in the venues she served. She did this despite having to endure major hip surgery as a 6-month old puppy and then foot surgery when she was 3-years old. Maggie's own experience with health challenges enabled her to establish deep connections with everyone she encountered, even in the most casual circumstances. As a working dog, Maggie was able to give comfort to others as a:

Teaching Assistant at UC San Diego Extension – From 2010 – 2020, Maggie accompanied me to the main campus and satellite learning centers four days a week. For four to six hours each of those days she provided comfort to students both in and out of the classroom. During breaks from class we would walk about campus drawing crowds of students as Maggie would allow everyone to give hugs, pets and kisses plus posing for lots of pictures that ended up in multiple social media networks.

Therapy Dog at Le Bleu Chateau Assisted Living & Memory Care Center – From 2011 - 2018, Maggie helped minister to the elderly, memory care and those afflicted with major illnesses such as cancer patients. Maggie provided a steadfast, vigilant presence to alleviate the loneliness and isolation of those stricken with such conditions. In this same capacity Maggie helped my parents into that Long Day's Journey Into Night and thereby enabled yours truly (along with my wife Sharon) to fulfill the sacred duties associated with such a monumental task.

Grief Comfort at Forest Lawn – Hollywood Hills: Maggie was a regular at Forest Lawn from 2018 – early 2020. Maggie was involved with every aspect associated with the passing of Mom and Dad including keeping vigil at the graveside services for both. She not only provided grief comfort to those in attendance for those memorial services, but on recurring visits to Forest Lawn Maggie would allow everyone (staff, visitors, clients, et al) to give hugs and pets while receiving kisses, thereby assuaging the grief of all those she encountered.

> Grace and Composure in the Face of Adversity: In her final weeks here on Earth, Maggie found comfort and joy in receiving laser treatment and water therapy to help her live her Best Possible Life. At our home Maggie was able to enjoy beautiful sunsets each day and stargazing at night while surrounded by love and her favorite toys. As a man of faith I believe Maggie was already planning if not contemplating the next phase of her journey. We had placed her on home hospice care the week prior to her peaceful departure from this life.

Maggie completed her mission here on Earth with dignity and integrity. Our precious Maggie is now reunited with Mom and Dad while in the loving embrace of Our Lord Jesus Christ, forever our furry angel.

Remembering the Way We Were - Reflections on Childhood and Coming of Age as Baby Boomers

by George Haloulakos

Baby Boomers (i.e., those born between 1946 to 1964) from all parts of our nation and all walks or stations in life have a remarkable degree of similarity of shared experiences associated with childhood and/or coming of age.  This is not mere nostalgia but rather a reflection of a confluence of several major factors or variables that profoundly shaped the lives of those born in the aforementioned period.  In 2015, Robert D. Putnam published a book titled Our Kids: The American Dream in Crisis.  As the Baby Boomer generation transitions into retirement, this is a very important read that enables one to understand the uniqueness of shared experiences that may seem quaint or outdated but are of vital importance in understanding where we have been, where we are now and where we may have gone off the rails.

    A good many GNN followers are familiar with such childhood reminiscences as playing ball in the streets as well as the front and back yards in the neighborhood, riding bikes everywhere, staying out all day in summertime and not checking in with parents until dinnertime, drinking water out of a garden hose, and so forth.  There were no "play dates" or "gated communities."  People knew their neighbors along with their children.  Factory workers, shop keepers, office workers, local government officials, teachers, public servants such as police officers, firefighters and so forth all lived on the same block.  On the same block residents included high-income earners as well as those of more modest means.  The only outward signs of wealth were either an extra car in the driveway, recreational vehicles (e.g., camper or speedboat), being the first in the neighborhood to have a color TV set or perhaps a swimming pool.  Less visible but also significant signs of affluence were having a cabin or weekend getaway locale and perhaps a country club membership.  All children, regardless of their economic status, attended the same schools and participated in the same extra curricular activities.  Kids from all backgrounds found a relatively level playing field in the classroom as well as in the context of extra curricular activities (artistic or athletic).

    Mr. Putnam's book, Our Kids, is a real page turner as he demonstrates the similarity of childhood experiences across different regions of the USA in which neighborhoods were far more representative of the population at large than today.  Our Kids, does not so much as provide ready-made answers as it does in asking the right questions that helps to explain the way we were!  It would seem that the key factors accounting for the unique shared experiences we find relatable as baby boomers is the confluence of economics (specifically a deeper, more well established manufacturing base greatly augmented by the 1960s Space Age), parenting and/or mentoring, family structure and supportive institutions (e.g., churches, schools, parks & recreation, libraries).  While there are supporting statistics to document the author's observations, the book really shines when it focuses on the poignant real-life stories of people who grew up as baby boomers and those that followed.

    As I read Our Kids, I was reminded about the importance of parenting as well as economics, especially in relation to education.  In the greater Los Angeles area, for example, the difference in cost for a college education (think USC vs UCLA as a microcosm of private vs public institutions) was not so much a consequence of where your parents were on the economic ladder, but rather how the economy of that period provided greater choices for one and all.  In my own experience, the kids who ended up attending USC rather than UCLA had more to do with how parents prioritized their personal spending, especially if you were a first-generation American (i.e., child of immigrant parents).  Those parents chose to forgo having the latest model car or other amenities, did not own a weekend get-away residence, did not belong to the country club and often lived in a more modest, less ostentatious home in order for their children to pursue higher education.  Those kids who were on scholarship (including athletics or sports) either at private or public institutions had parents who were more interested in what went on in the classroom than on the ball field.  

    A good example was UCLA's Gary Beban (whose parents were of Croatian and Italian heritage), the university's only Heisman Trophy Winner (1967) who noted in multiple interviews that his mother and father ALWAYS expressed interest in how he was progressing with his studies but cared less about his athletic exploits (though taking pride he excelled at both by also achieving status as an Academic All-American to accompany his Heisman Trophy).  Mr Beban, who graduated on time with a Bachelor's degree in European History, himself stated he was at UCLA for the scholarship and to pursue higher education.

Mr Beban's experience reminds many of us that we were greatly blessed to have grown up in a two-parent household in which a stay-at-home mom complemented the father who worked full time to provide for the family.  There were teachers who went the extra mile in offering tutoring or special tips to how parents could work with their kids on improving their basic skills in reading, writing and mathematics so they would not be left behind. Clearly it was a very different time and place in our nation's history.  I could go on, but you get the idea of the subtle but critical interplay of economics, parenting/mentoring, family structure and supportive institutions that has shaped the common experiences we recall as baby boomers.  

   Our Kids, by Robert D. Putnam, is clearly an important book and worth sharing with others to document that our shared memories are not the by-product of nostalgia but very real and life affirming.

    Have any of you read this book, and if so, what are your impressions?  What special experiences did you have that perhaps may not be relatable to the present generation but help to define who you are?  Please share your thoughts by posting to the Galaxy FACEBOOK page @galaxynostalgianetwork,  (and please remember to "like" us when doing so) or via e-mail to the GNN web site.

If you would like, please connect with me via LinkedIn (where my active following is now 1,100+ and steadily growing).  View my profile at:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/rev-protodn-george-haloulakos-cfa-bab6b43

"WAR AND REMEMBRANCE" - World War I and Christmas on the Battlefield

by George Haloulakos

Last month's GNN Blog about the "Peanuts" comic strip (written and illustrated by Charles M. Schulz) prompted a number of reminiscences about Charlie Brown's pet dog, Snoopy.  As we are in the midst of the Holiday Season, this appropriately included vivid recollections about "Snoopy's Christmas," a hit song from 1967 by The Royal Guardsmen that is repeatedly played on radio airwaves along with time honored Holiday themed songs throughout the month of December.  In this classic Christmas novelty song Snoopy is on the losing end of a dogfight with the Red Baron.  But just as it seems like it is all over for our hero, the Red Baron breaks out a bottle of Champagne and the two rivals celebrate Christmas with a holiday toast!  The two World War I rival pilots part ways knowing they will resume combat on another day, but NOT on Christmas!

   What is generally not known is that this novelty song is based on the historic event of the first Christmas Eve during World War I, often referred to as the Christmas Truce.  It was during this time that German and British infantry men emerged from their trenches in which they bartered cigarettes, played soccer, sang Christmas songs, exchanged prisoners along with exchanging Holiday Greetings and holding joint burial services!  With the truce running for several days there was extensive fraternization between enemy forces in open daylight that involved well over 100,000 soldiers! This amazing event for humanity (that also extended to French and Belgian forces) occurred despite the orders of high command.  Candles were lit and placed upon both trenches and Christmas trees, thereby reminding everyone that Light Eternal from this Holy Season would shine forth, even on the battlefield.

   The National WWI Museum and Memorial has an online collection of personal accounts from this unique historic event and we would encourage our GNN audience to learn more by checking this out.  In the meantime, we would like for any of you that have served in the military (including your loved ones) to please share special Christmas memories connected with your military service -- especially during wartime -- by posting to the Galaxy FACEBOOK page (and please remember to "like" us when doing so) or via e-mail to the GNN web site.

If you would like, please connect with me via LinkedIn (where my active following is now 1,100+ and steadily growing).  View my profile at:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/rev-protodn-george-haloulakos-cfa-bab6b43