My bipolar 36 hours

10/08/2009

Like a girl waiting for her prom date... who never showed up.

On Tuesday, I had a date with Naomi and so I was getting ready for it.
I took a shower, shaved and trimmed my goatee. Put on a nice black, long sleeve collared shirt and dress pants and went to work. I did my 1-on-1 as normal as working with a crazy person can be and did my write up. My coworker and I talked a bit and I dropped a few hints that I wanted to leave soon, but he still had more to tell me. Eventually I got the other coworker to drive me to the restaurant. He doesnt speak much english but a very nice guy. Means well. He brought me into the restaurant and there was no waiting area so I just waited outside on a chair that he had dragged over from ... somewhere. I had to convince him that I would be ok and thanked him for the
ride.

This deep voiced italian sounding guy was out side and was talking to me and greeting the regulars. He asks my entire life story and why I am here where I came from, where I work my mom being from revere, "oh who's your mother" and later, I am origenally
from chelsea, "oh, who is your father?" ... He was getting frustrated for me as time passed. He called her a jerk for making me wait, later he even called her a "son-of-a-bitch". I laughed.

Oh, so after I said my last name, he goes, "so where were you bar mitzvahed"? it through me off a bit, didnt think my last name was a known-jewish name? It doesnt
end in berg or stein? So I told him. He goes "I was bar mitzvahed in roxbery" (now it is a very black area, my mom said 50 years ago, it was all jewish)
so I said "I didnt know there was Jews in roxbery? he goes "and they make pretty good pizzas too". I said just like italians make some great chinese food.
( a chinese restaurant in revere owned and ran by italians) He would come and go from the restaurant. He told me he had a blind girl work for him back in the day. She could do everything. she was a hot ticket "if you gave her shit, she would give it right back" At 7;20 I gave up... I was hungry. I did not cancel my ride, but went in, ordered an ice tea. called my parents, they were going to pick me up. I told my waiter I would be leaving, can I pay for my ice tea. He said sure. He brought it to me I asked how much it was, he said 2 bucks, I gave him a 5, he asked if I wanted change, I said no. He thanked me, said if I wanted another tea, let him know. I didnt have to, when I was almost done, he brought me one and some napkins. The owner came over to me and said "she never showed up, ha?" I said nope... but dont worry, I'll be back.

My mom came in shortly after. The owner was out side and said by to me. Told my mom what he told me, about how he thinks she is a jerk and will club her one if he sees her. (lol I'm telling ya, he was more ticked off than I was) My dad got out of the car and asked him if his name was jack. It was, my dad knew him from waaaaay back in the day. My dad said he owns 4 places and the origenal one was in boston.

so I get home after going to dinner with my parents. I check my email and here is what I found...

(sent at 4;28pm)
email 1:
Hello Jonathan, Can't remembered if I RSVP'd or not. I should be there after 6, unless traffic is terrible or if I need to be with my father. As far as I know he's doing fine. So I'll see ya there.
-Naomi

(email 2)
Jonathan, Typical, right after I write the last message, things change. I am so sorry!!! I hope you get this before you leave work. You never left me your #, so I can't let you know. I can't make it tonight. Write to me and I should know tomorrow whether or not I can make it Thursday, otherwise, we'll have to figure something else out.
Again, I apologize. I was looking forward to meeting you and of course the food!
Til later,
Naomi

SO? I cant be mad at her. I knew her father was having issues.

I replied to her, gave her my number and hoped we could talk tomorrow. so I hope she calls or writes me another email.

I feel mad when I think of waiting 80 mins, but there was nothing we could do if we didnt have each other's numbers.

I just ... dont know. So we'll see.

WEDNESDAY

My advance graduate supervisor passed away in August. The college was having a remembrance for him.

I got to the college just before 6 pm and waited for a former class mate of mine to walk to the class. (was not formilliar with the building so sent out
an email to see who was going and if I could meet up with someone) It was a large open room. There was rows of probably 20 chairs by 10 rows but each section
in a square circle. They had a microphone set up in the middle of the intersection. They had music playing, later found out it was his favorite music.

Part of one section was for the family. There was students, coworkers from the college and his practice.

The MC of the event read the prof's acomplishments, well, it was more like a minny biography.

He was from Hollywood cali, went to college and for his master's in the state and went to Pitsburg for his doctorate. He did his doctorial internship for
a drug center in Worcester MA where he went on to start up his own practice. He started at my college as a part time prof and soon had his hand in every
part of the college. He also taught at Worcester state college, Clark U, and others. He also was a marbble specialist. He had antique marble stuff and
would go to flee markets and on line to buy and sell marble products..

When the opening part was finished, it was an open forum. One of the Prof's daughter got up and thanked everyone for being there and being so suportive.
She appreciated it.

I heard a few of his students talk of how great of a man he was. How he was so helpful and caring.

I told the guy who walked me to the room that I wanted to say something. He said he would get the mic for me.

I stood and was handed the mic. I knew what I wanted to say. I had 3 things I wanted to say.

My name is Jonathan. I was a student of Paul's, he was a supervisor of mine for the cags procem class. I want to tell a different story from everyone
else. We have heard all this nice stuff about him, well, I am going to share a not so good side. He was the hardest profesor I ever had. He espected
perfection from each of his students. I was so frustrated with his perfection that I put down the thesis for a year. Last December I decided I wanted my
degree so on some Saturday I called him up and said I was ready to finish the paper. So we went over it, he told me what I had to correct. I called an English
teacher of mine from High school to go over it with me as well. I sent it to paul and he said "no no no, Jonathan you have 5 more things to correct.
You have to put the period here and not there and here you need to double space the line." so I took the paper back and I made it perfect. He pushed me
and anyone else that was in my class with him I knew he pushed them too. When we thought we could not do anything else, he would push us more because he
knew we could do it. I learned more than I ever thought I could. He stretched myability beyond what I thought was posible. I thank him for that.

Another story I would like to share is about the first day of class. He said something that I think of from time to time. He said "If you are late for
class, I don't want to hear your reason. You could be saving someone from a burning building or you could be smoking a joint in the parking lot, either
way, you were not in my class."

Just one more thing. For the people who know me, you know I am a huge sports fan. I would even cary a radeo to class. Well as hard as a profesor he was, out side of the classroom, he would talk rredsox baseball with me. Wether it was the 1960's redsox, the 1970's redsox or the present day redsox. I apreciated every side of Paul. thank you.”

Other professors and students spoke, telling some amazing stories about this man. At the end the MC read a letter from a former student who couldnt make
it. After that, the music was put back on and that was the end of it. My friend walked me back down stairs. Along the way some other profs tapped me and
said hi. One said I did a wonderful job and she liked what I had to say.

I am so glad I had gone and got to speak.

I am not one to speak in front of a croud but I wanted to and I did it.