I had finished the fight with cancer, and everything seemed to be going alright, although there were numerous medical issues connected to the chemo therapy.
This friend was very excited. "I've really got something for you," he said. "It seems to fit retired teachers with something still to offer." He told me how much he appreciated my presentations and my work in the years before my retirement.
During the very first meeting, I decided I would walk as much as possible to get my legs moving again.
That was not a good choice. I was a terrible color, and when I arrived at the museum for meetings, everyone could tell that pain was an issue as well.
To be honest, the new person, who supervised the group, feared I would have a heart attack during meetings or during any presentations I gave to teachers and students.
However, it was an incredible opportunity. I don't regret having done it now, because I always felt that teaching students about the Holocaust was vitally necessary in today's world--not just because they needed to know what happened, but also because I wanted them to understand how important it was to avoid making mistakes, that cultures made in the past: decisions that resulted in nations participating in genocide, either as bystanders or perpetrators.
I did workshops. The first one was a bust. Technology problems with a video link didn't work. The weather was very bad, and the tech people in Arizona never were able to connect to the live discussions in Washington D.C. It was the longest day of my life, but what can you say about Flagstaff, Arizona. I was never a fan of that state anyway, and that part of the state was really not something I enjoyed.
A workshop in North Dakota went very well. Everyone expected 25 participants. There were well over 80 there, and that was during early summer, when a major storm hit the area with high winds, heavy rain, and those crazy situations that pull up trees and damage houses in a minor way.
Another one in Reno went very well. That was my last workshop.
There is, however, one thing I didn't mention. The friendships I encountered while doing that work is so important, and I miss working with them. But I don't miss the meetings, except when my old friend would occasionally drop in to see everyone.
Times change. It's my time to enjoy life and spend it with wife, children and grandchildren. Life is too precious, and experience teaches me the same lesson every day: I can never spend enough time with family.
A grandparent can really make a difference. But it's more than that. I want each of my grandchildren to remember me. Nothing is more important than that. When they are old, I want to remember how I loved Disneyland, how I howled like a wolf, how I tickled them until they couldn't stand it any longer.
It's what you do when you're a Pop Pop.
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