The Right Season: A Memoir: John E. Bush

By John E. Bush

I encountered the outside world in the fi rst grade. It was the beginning of my journey on the discrimination segregation road, a long road that has taken me through high school, college, the US Army, and university into the world of work. The journey has left me with negative and sad experiences that will remain with me until my demise. However, I have had many happy experiences, especially teaching, travelling the world, and making many friends. Most of all, my students have remembered me with appreciation and love. As a Black gay man, my special hero was James Baldwin and Dr. King gave me hope that living in the United States would get better. Although like most of you, I have lived and survived in a troubled world. Things slowly continue to get better.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: May 11, 2016
• ISBN: 9781514488492

John E. Bush

John E. Bush holds a BA Degree from Delaware State College (University), Masters of Science in Education from Westminster College (PA) Masters of Art and Ph. D (Sociology) University of Pittsburgh. He taught in the New Castle (PA) public schools, College Misericordia, Westminster College (both PA) and University of Massachusetts Dartmouth from where he retired. He has traveled widely through out the world and many of the writings in this book reflect experiences gained during those travels. His book Changing Circumstances: Poems for Our Times was published by Xlibris in May of 2008. This book is dedicated to the memory of his father, Charles Summer Bush.

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© 2016 by John E. Bush.

Library of Congress Control Number:       2016906782

ISBN:              Hardcover                            978-1-5144-8851-5

                        Softcover                              978-1-5144-8850-8

                        eBook                                   978-1-5144-8849-2

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

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Rev. date: 05/24/2016

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Contents

The Right Season

Disappointment And Hope

Faith And Fun

Revelation

More Revelations

The Next Lesson

Facing The Unknown

The White World

Knocking At The Door

Religion, Sociology, And Education

Still In The White World

THE RIGHT SEASON

W hen the sky is magnificent like it is today and the sun adds the warmth that makes the day special, it is difficult to remember that this is November. The leaves have been falling for weeks, and there are many millions more in line waiting for their turn to descend and clutter, to be collected and hauled away while their descendants wait to be born and continue the process. Like everything else that lives and dies, they become a part of something else. Although they all tend to be green in the summer months, in autumn, they become various colors of red and orange and yellow, revealing their differences and at the same time creating mosaics of different hues. In summer, one thinks of them as being all the same unless their shapes and forms reveal that they are in different families. Yet all are known as leaves, and they face their demise when winter comes.

Fallen leaves clutter the lawns, walkways, and roadways. It is not their intention to clutter, but they are subject to the winds’ desire. They are dead and are perhaps awaiting their final resting place. Of course, many of them will be collected and hauled away, while those that remain will eventually disintegrate, never to be seen again.

As I look out my window, the view is dominated by a huge oak tree whose leaves are now red, orange, brown, and fading green. The browns have begun to fall but not in totality. The tree still has many leaves, somewhat like Jacob’s coat of many colors. I haven’t seen many squirrels scampering beneath the tree and climbing it, hopping from branch to branch. I don’t know what they are up to this time of year, but I know they do not go into hibernation. Perhaps they are lying low because asphalt is being applied to the roadways, and they don’t want to get their feet all sticky. They are pretty clever except when they are crossing busy streets, and they appear to think they can make it in any situation. However, in many occasions, it turns out to be their last trip.

I still recall the day that one started to cross in front of my car and I honked the horn. My intent was for it to go to the other side quickly, but the squirrel decided to return to its beginning place, and in the process, my wheels flattened it, thus ending its time on earth. Now I refrain from honking when they are on the road. I do all I can to not interfere with their passage. And so it is with all living things, the seasons demand that changes be made. Chipmunks, groundhogs, and rabbits hibernate in the winter months. Many birds fly to warmer climates, and I am sure other plants and animals make adjustments in colder months. And of course, we human beings adjust to winter by heating our homes, dressing in warmer clothes, and spending considerable time looking forward to spring because most of us do not look upon winter as the right season for our comfort.

Today, it is gloomy. The sun has not made an appearance, and at times, the wind gusts have been very strong. I exited a building around noon and was thrown off balance. Of course, it takes all kinds of days to make a season and eventually a whole year. We simply have to adjust our minds and bodies to manage the changes. On many occasions, the days conspire to let us know that yesterday is not today. In summer, there are many days that appear to be the same, and we give no thought to differences. Everything is green, and all is in order.

So today, the big tall bushy oak tree is not as beautiful as it was a few days ago when the sun was brilliant and the sky was blue. Yet it still appears to be almost fully clothed, seemingly defying the winds that are taking the leaves from the surrounding trees. Only the tallest branch of that tree is devoid of leaves, and I wonder why. Perhaps it is because it is living in a different wind pattern. The roads surrounding the trees are wet, and the dead leaves are moving dramatically and crazily when the wind attacks them, and one can see that some of the leaves dancing in the streets are green! They look out of place among the browns, but nevertheless, they are still sisters and brothers, all in the same family the surrounding trees.

Upon outside inspection, I have observed that the tree that I referred to as the tallest branch, is a separate tree. It stands alone behind the tree of many leaves, living in its Winter nakedness. It does not possess a single leaf. My close up view of the bushy reddish tree revealed that it is not as huge as I thought, but no less beautiful in its Autumn dress.

DISAPPOINTMENT AND HOPE

T oday, I got the courage to go and renew my driver’s license. I have been hesitating to go because I know that my ability to read small print has decreased with age. For some reason, they make you read small print. I don’t know why it is necessary when one can easily see other cars, people on bicycles, and even squirrels crossing the road. As I feared, I did not pass the test because I could not read the little numbers, that is, I could not read enough of them to pass and had to settle for a restriction . . . no night driving!

At the moment, it is nearing four o’clock. In about two hours, it will be dark, which means I cannot legally go out to dinner or drive to the basketball game, etc. It doesn’t make sense to me, and neither did the explanation I was given at the license bureau, something about other cars approaching on the driver’s side at night, etc. I think it is simply something to keep elderly people off the roads at night when younger drivers are rolling along at high speeds. Who knows? Dark, dreary days are not conducive for attempting to understand the policy. And dark, dreary days are not conducive for