MUSINGS SERIAL 4 HEART TOUCHING EPISODES

EPISODE 1 SELF BELIEF

Reproduced is A true story by Mildred Honor received thru email.

“I am a former elementary school Music Teacher from Des Moines, Iowa. I have always supplemented my income by Teaching Piano Lessons for over 30 years.  During those years, I found that children have many levels of musical ability, and even though I have never had the prodigy, I have taught some very talented students.  However, I have also had my share of what I call  'Musically Challenged Pupils’.


One such Pupil was Robby. When 11 year his Mother (a Single Mom) dropped him off for his first Piano Lesson. I prefer that Students (especially Boys) begin at an earlier age, which I explained to Robby.  But Robby said that it had always been his Mother's dream to hear him play the Piano, so I took him as a student. 


At the end of each weekly Lesson he would always say ‘My Mom's going to hear me play someday.'  But to me, it seemed hopeless; he just did not have any inborn ability. I only knew his Mother from a distance as she dropped Robby off or waited in her aged Car to pick him up.  She always waved and smiled, but never dropped in. Then one day Robby stopped coming for his Lessons.  I thought about calling him, but assumed that because of his lack of ability he had decided to pursue something else. I was also glad that he had stopped coming. He was a Bad Advertisement for my Teaching!


Several Weeks later I mailed a flyer recital to the Students' homes. To my surprise, Robby (who had received a flyer) asked if he could be in the Recital.  I told him that the Recital was for current Pupils and that because he had dropped out, he really did not qualify. He told me that his Mother had been sick and unable to take him to his piano lessons, but that he had been practicing.  'Please Miss Honor, I've just got to Play,' he insisted.


I don't know what led me to allow him to play in the Recital - perhaps it was his  insistence or maybe something inside of me saying that it would be all right. The night of the Recital came and the high school gymnasium was packed with Parents, Relatives and Friends. I put Robby last in the Program, just before I was to come up  and thank all the Students and Play a finishing piece. I thought that any damage he might do would come at the end of the Program and I could always salvage his poor performance through my 'Curtain Closer'.


Well, the Recital went off without a hitch, the Students had been practicing and it showed. Then Robby came up on the stage. His clothes were wrinkled and his hair looked as though he had run an egg beater through it. 'Why wasn't he dressed up like the other Students?' I thought. 'Why didn't his Mother at least make him Comb his hair for this Special Night?'


Robby pulled out the Piano bench, and I was surprised when he announced that he had chosen to play Mozart's Concerto No.21 in C Major.  I was not prepared for what I heard next.  His fingers were light on the keys, they even danced nimbly on the Ivories.  He went from Pianissimo to Fortissimo, from Allegro to Virtuoso;  his Suspended Chords that Mozart demands were Magnificent!  Never had I heard  Mozart played so well by anyone his age.  After six and a half minutes, he ended in a Grand Crescendo, and everyone was on their feet in Wild Applause!!!


Overcome and in Tears, I ran up on stage and put my arms around Robby in Joy. 'I have never heard you Play like that Robby, how did you do it?'  Through the  Microphone Robby explained: 'Well, Miss Honor, Remember I told you that my  Mom was sick?  Well, she actually had Cancer and passed away this morning.  And well... she was  Born Deaf, so tonight was the first time she had ever heard  me Play, and I wanted to make it Special.'


There wasn't a Dry Eye in the house that evening.  As People from Social Services; led Robby from the stage to be placed in to Foster Care, I noticed that even their Eyes were red and Puffy.  I thought to myself then how much Richer my Life had been for taking Robby as my Pupil.  No, I have never had a Prodigy, but that night I became a Prodigy... of Robby. He was the Teacher and I was the Pupil, for he had taught me the meaning of  Perseverance and Love and Believing in Yourself, and may be even taking a chance on someone and you didn't know why.


Robby was Killed years later in the Senseless Bombing of the Alfred P. Murray Federal   Building in Oklahoma City in April, 1995”.

A Thought!  

So many seemingly trivial interactions between two people present us with a choice -Do we act with compassion or do we pass up that opportunity and leave the world a bit colder in the process?

EPISODE 2  INTEGRITY

If you have integrity, nothing else matters and if you do not have integrity nothing else matters  
                                              APJ Abdul Kalam

BUTCH O'HARA
13.3.1914 TO 26.11.1943

Story Number One

Many years ago, Al Capone virtually owned Chicago . Capone wasn't famous for anything heroic. He was notorious for enmeshing the windy city in everything from bootlegged booze and murder.

Capone had a lawyer nicknamed Easy Eddie. He was his lawyer for a good reason. Eddie was very good! In fact, Eddie's skill at legal maneuvering kept Big Al out of jail for a long time. To show his appreciation, Capone paid him very well. Not only was the money big, but also, Eddie got special dividends. For instance, he and his family occupied a fenced-in mansion with live-in help and all of the conveniences of the day. The estate was so large that it filled an entire Chicago City block. Eddie lived the high life of the Chicago mob and gave little consideration to the atrocity that went on around him.

Eddie did have one soft spot, however. He had a son that he loved dearly. Eddie saw to it that his young son had clothes, cars, and a good education. Nothing was withheld. Price was no object. And, despite his involvement with organized crime, Eddie even tried to teach him right from wrong. Eddie wanted his son to be a better man than he was. Yet, with all his wealth and influence, there were two things he couldn't give his son; he couldn't pass on a good name or a good example.

One day, Easy Eddie reached a difficult decision. Easy Eddie wanted to rectify wrongs he had done. He decided he would go to the authorities and tell the truth about Al Capone, clean up his tarnished name, and offer his son some semblance of integrity. To do this, he would have to testify against The Mob, and he knew that the cost would be great. So, he testified. Within the year, Easy Eddie's life ended in a blaze of gunfire on a lonely Chicago Street. But in his eyes, he had given his son the greatest gift he had to offer, at the greatest price he could ever pay. Police removed from his pockets a rosary, a crucifix, a religious medallion, and a poem clipped from a magazine. The poem read:

The clock of life is wound but once, and no man has the power to tell just when the hands will stop; at late or early hour. Now is the only time you own. Live, love, toil with a will. Place no faith in time. For the clock may soon be  still.

Story Number Two

World War II produced many heroes. One such man was Lieutenant Commander Butch O'Hare. He was a fighter pilot assigned to the aircraft carrier USS Lexington in the South Pacific. One day his entire squadron was sent on a mission. After he was airborne, he looked at his fuel gauge and realized that someone had forgotten to top off his fuel tank. He would not have enough fuel to complete his mission and get back to his ship. His flight leader told him to return to the carrier. Reluctantly, he dropped out of formation and headed back to the fleet.

As he was returning to the mother ship he saw something that turned his blood cold: a squadron of Japanese aircraft were speeding their way toward the American fleet. The American fighters were gone on a sortie, and the fleet was all but defenseless. He couldn't reach his squadron and bring them back in time to save the fleet. Nor could he warn the fleet of the approaching danger. There was only one thing to do. He must somehow divert them from the fleet.

Laying aside all thoughts of personal safety, he dove into the formation of Japanese planes. Wing-mounted 50 caliber's blazed as he charged in, attacking one surprised enemy plane and then another. Butch wove in and out of the now broken formation and fired at as many planes as possible until all his ammunition was finally spent. Undaunted, he continued the assault. He dove at the planes, trying to clip a wing or tail in hopes of damaging as many enemy planes as possible and rendering them unfit to fly. Finally, the exasperated Japanese squadron took off in another direction.

Deeply relieved, Butch O'Hare and his tattered fighter limped back to the carrier. Upon arrival, he reported in and related the event surrounding his return. The film from the gun-camera mounted on his plane told the tale. It showed the extent of Butch's daring attempt to protect his fleet. He had, in fact, destroyed five enemy aircraft. This took place on February 20, 1942, and for that action Butch became the Navy's first Ace of W.W.II , and the first Naval Aviator to win the Congressional Medal of Honor.

A year later Butch was killed in aerial combat at the age of 29. His home town would not allow the memory of this WW II hero to fade,  and today, O'Hare Airport in Chicago is named in tribute to the courage of this great man. So, the next time you find yourself at O'Hare International, give some thought to visiting Butch's memorial displaying his statue and his Medal of Honor. It's located between Terminals 1 and 2.

          SO WHAT DO THESE TWO STORIES HAVE TO DO WITH EACH OTHER? Butch O'Hare was Easy Eddie's son.