The Two Whos

It is interesting that sometimes when you are relaxed and quiet, your mind can take you on a fantastic journey back in time…the memories can seem like yesterday and you can feel the tension and excitement and smell the smells almost like you were there again in real time.

This happened to Cece recently as she reminisced about Memorial Day as she grew up in a small town on Long Island.   At the end of May, just as the new growth was coming onto the tress and the weather began to warm, preparations were made.  The Girl Scouts practiced their flag ceremonies and flag carrying, their moms pressed their  uniforms  and got their little white gloves out and the bands practiced marching in formation and rehearsed how to play and march at the same time. It was almost parade time!

On the very day that was Memorial Day, people would begin to gather a few blocks up from Cece’s house.  Her family would walk up to the parade starting spot.  We saw old cars, and the Grand Marshall, the Gold Star Mothers, bands getting ready to play and people selling poppies.  We always bought poppies.  It was not until recently that Cece learned the meaning of the poppy.

From the Buddy Poppy Program:

Among all the flowers that evoke the memories and emotions of war is the red poppy, which became associated with war after the publication of a poem written by Col. John McCrae of Canada. The poem, “In Flander’s Field,” describes blowing red fields among the battleground of the fallen.

In Flander’s Field
by John McCrae
In Flanders Fields the poppies blow,
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky,
The larks, still bravely singing, fly,
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the dead.
Short days ago,
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved and now we lie,
In Flanders Fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe
To you, from failing hands, we throw,
The torch, be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us, who die,
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow,
In Flanders Fields.

So with their red poppies pinned to their lapels, the parade progressed down block upon block of the small town.  People lined the parade route and cheered and clapped and waved…proud to see their neighbors and friends marching and showing respect.

Cece and Yun are against war.  We are against killing.   They both work against it.     But on this day, let us remember the fallen…those that have died amidst a field of red poppies,or  searing heat, or  a  sea of green foliage, or an arid  dust bowl of rocks and dirt.  They are the father of a child, a son of a mother, a man of a woman….recently, some are mothers, sisters, and daughters.   They are human.  Let us say a prayer  and send light into the universe so that it illumines the darkness that is war.  One day, we hope that the world will be free of war…and that people can love and respect each other’s differences and not participate in passive or overt violence.  Are we dreaming the impossible?  Impossible things are happening every day! 

Post Script:Saturday morning about 20 of us cycled in to the Range Cafe in Bernalillo for breakfast.  Immediately upon entering, a man from the VFW was selling poppies for the Buddy Poppy Program!  Several of us proudly wore our poppies on our jerseys.  Of Course, Cece had to tell the man about her reminiscing about poppies and she made a new friend.

“Bye for Now” from The Two Whos

Wednesday, June 2nd: Registration and packet pick-up will be from 7:00 PM until 9:00 PM at the Embassy Suites, 1000 Woodward Place NE, Albuquerque, NM 87102. (505) 245-7100.

Thursday, June 3rd: Registration and packet pick-up will be from  7:00 – 9:00 AM and 5:00 – 9:00 PM at the Embassy Suites.  Multiple rides will start at the Embassy Suites parking lot at 8:00 AM.  There will be a special welcome reception not to be missed at the Embassy Suites at 7:00 PM.

Friday, June 4th: Registration and packet pick-up will be from 7:00 – 9:00 AM and 4:00 – 6:00 PM at the Embassy Suites.  Multiple rides including lunch will start at the Embassy Suites parking lot at 8:00 AM including a ride to Belen returning by the Rail Runner train  (limited to 40 riders). Evening ride to Route 66’s Nob Hill will start at 5:00 PM and there will be a showing of the movie “Route 66 by Bicycle: Pedaling the Mother Road” Limited Seating.

Saturday, June 5th: The Albuquerque Century (with 10, 25, 50, and 65 mile options) will start at the Embassy Suites parking lot at 6:30 AM. The Rally Banquet with entertainment and a guest speaker Lynette Chiang “The Gal From Down Under” and other surprise guests will be at the Embassy Suites at 6:00 PM.

Sunday, June 6th: An easy ride along the scenic Bosque Trail will start at the Embassy Suites parking lot at 8:00 AM.  A challenging climb up to the Sandia Crest (10,640 ft.) will start east of town at 8:00 AM. A noon ride to Historic Old Town to see old west gunfights!

For more information, please click on the following links:

Cece entertains a very covert fantasy!    Twice a week  at 5am she sneaks down to the gym at her apartment for a rendezvous.  But Shhhhh!  It is a rendezvous with gym equipment!    She is working out, doing plyometrics, working on her tree pose in yoga and going onto her favorite stair climbing machine.  Where is the fantasy in this you ask?

Well, twice a week, the stair climber asks her age and her weight.  For her age, she presses in 35.  For her weight up pops 150 pounds. This is the default for that age , she guesses.   Well those of you that know Cece know she is 52 and  she weighs more than 150 pounds!  She will never be a little skinny girl…not ever!

But this is the fantasy she indulges…that she is 35 and weighs 150 pounds.  Then the machine will allow her to do what she wants.  If she put in  her actual age and weight, the machine would tell her “Get off the machine. You can not do this.”    This happens with her heart rate monitor too.  Evidently when you get a certain age, the machinery tells you what you should and should not do!  It would not allow her to do the hill climbing intervals she does… it would just allow her to flat line.  So the fantasy is also a practical way to get the exercise she so desires.

So, what’s the deal with the machine?  Where does the machine learn to  stereotype people based on the look?  Oh!  No! They are programmed by people, who are used to using   “common sense” to  put people into different categories, and tell them what they can or can not do.  It can be aggravating when one is not ‘normal’ or does not always behave based on the ‘norm’, such as Cece and Yun.

Einstein said: “Common sense”  is the prejudice we learned before we turned 18.” So, to hell with the common senses,…we will just fantasize our way into unlimited possibilities!

“Bye for Now” from The Two Whos

This song  is  the theme song from the Tyler Perry  movie “I Can Do Bad All By Myself”.  To many professional and nonprofessional women, this is also a song of  revelation and empowerment.  Being  ’put down’ can be the subtle and gradual changing of our  own perceptions of ourselves and the world, and it can  create desperate self- doubts over long periods of time.  We must begin to question whether we are indeed the  ‘crazy’ one or the  ‘guilty’ one.  Let us listen to this song and say “not crazy” and  “not guilty.”

I dont need no one to put me down
And make me frown, just makes me look older
And I dont need no one to black my eye and tell me lies
I can do bad all by Myself

Somebody told me once that pain is a game we all gota play.
Then why am in over time & sudden death every other day
I know that for the good of life there’s a price we all gota pay
But ill pay till im poor and I still dont know
what it is to have a good day

Since everybody knows what it is that i need to do
well do me a favor
let me worry about me, and you worry about you

I dont need no one to put me down
Im on the ground, cant get no lower
And I Dont need no one to hang around
And make me frown, just makes me look older
And I dont need no one to black my eye and tell me lies
Dont wanna cry over
And Nobody else
I can do bad all by Myself

“Bye for Now” from the Two Whos

About The Mid-Week  Symphony: Since Wednesday is hump day, we have decided to take this moment  and have a bit of down time from the writing.  Each Wednesday, we would like to bring you a symphony of ideas, a harmony of thoughts, beauty, silliness and all things that make the fullness of life.  When we started this blog we wanted it to reflect our entire personalities and interests..and that means yes…. Cece loves  the Far Side Cows and Yun loves the mumble jumble philosophical books.   Yun and Cece have many varied interests and we would like to share some of them with you each Wednesday.

As a parent, we can not help but feel  exhausted at times by the endless demands of our children.  But the rewards are ten times more if we pay attention and are  present to the presence of our children.

Yun and Cece are riding  the Day of the Tread, a long distance riding event to benefit children’s hospital and cancer research.  Yun invites her son Gavin to come along.  So, they start training once a week.  Yun’s intention is really to get him out of the house and do some exercise.  “Exercise does anyone good.”   She believes.

She gets more than what she asks for.  On this particular windy day, after school and work,  the mother and the son gear up and out they ride into the wind and sunset.  The head wind is strong, so they have to push on at a crawling speed of 4 miles/hour at times.  “I am right on your tail.”  She chuckles every time she hears her son yell from behind.

Well, it is an  easy ride home as the head wind becomes a tail wind.  They starts talking.  Yun normally does not talk when she is riding.  Her son asks: “How was your work today?”

“Uhhh ……” Yun is caught by surprise! Her son’s mature and adult like conversation starter is new to her “Oh, I had a really good day, do you want to know more?”  Quick recovery,  Mom!

“I’d  love to know.”  The 8 year old replies seriously and sincerely as if in a business conversation.

“I met a new client today.  She is having some hard time and I am happy to work with her.”  Yun is trying to share without getting too technical.

“You are very smart!”  The 8 years old comments.

“I am glad that you have noticed.”  Yun is teasing the boy.

“Who wouldn’t?” The tone of the voice is so adult like so that Yun can not help but look at her riding companion trying to see if it is indeed  her 8 year old talking or another rider!

“You are also very nice, good with kids.”  The voice continues….  All Yun can murmur is “Well, thank you.” as her mind is trying to grasp what has happened to her baby boy.

Catching  herself reminiscing  she asks:  “How was your school today?  What was the most fun thing you did?”

“The play day was fun.  My team won the game of filling the bottle even though we had  the smallest sponge.   We played four corners, I saved Massia and Jason….  Tug of war was fun.  I did a slide attack and I almost fell.  Besides being mad at Patrick  a couple of times, I had a very good day…. oh….”   Now the 8 years old is like an 8 years old, chatty and unstoppable…  The boy talks all the way home, his eyes sparkle and he smiles  from ear to ear…  What a beautiful sight!

On outings with children, moments like this are  just like a box of chocolate, you never know what you will get.  How ever, no matter what you get, it always tastes delicious.

“Bye for Now” from The Two Whos