A SPECIAL THRILL!

By Edwin Cooney

I experienced an unexpected and special thrill just today and I'm anxious to share it with you because of what it means to me!

As many of you are aware, for the past six years I've been president of the Alumni Association of my alma mater, the New York State School for the Blind, a residential school in Batavia, New York. Batavia is situated on the New York State Thruway between Rochester which is 31 miles to its east and Buffalo which is 36 miles to its southwest. When I was young, Batavia was a city of about 18,000 people, pretty convenient for both working and shopping for its citizens.

A residential school, there were about 200 students who attended NYSSB from all parts of Upstate New York. One of the attendees during the mid 1950s was a boy named Karl, who was also known as Mickey. Michael was his middle name Karl told me. Karl was born in Schenectady and lived in Scotia, a suburb of Schenectady.

Karl and I weren't particularly close which means we really didn't play together much and when I chatted with him early today, I could tell that his memory of me was vague. However, he was very pleasant as he confirmed the reality of the memories I have of him. For instance, I remember he had a sister Marilyn, I recalled that his nickname was Mickey, that he had a lot of sight for one of our students, and that he used to stand up on a playground swing and swing as high as he could and, just before bailing, cry out "happy landing!"

As of this writing, Karl's presence takes me back across the decades of friends and experiences to a time, although bedecked with its own worries, that was comparatively a time of innocence.

In a vivid way, he is a most pleasant part of my history. I've always been impressed with his childhood daring and even more with the fact that he got away with it unscathed!

Hence my question is obvious. Has anyone suddenly and unexpectedly appeared in your life thus taking you back to a time so very different from today? If so, I hope there's a gift in it for you as there was for me.

Like our families, neighborhoods, country and even the world in which we dwell, each of us possesses a multi-faceted history filled with sunny rooms and dark places each of which leaves a subtle but nevertheless permanent impression on much of what follows in our lives. I've spent probably less than a total of five minutes recalling Karl since I last knew him some 63 years ago. However, my memory of him is both happy and even wondrous.

During our short chat, I didn't inquire and he didn't offer anything about his life experience. I haven't a clue (well, only a faint clue!) as to whether he went to college (although I highly suspect he did!) Nor do I know anything about his politics or his marital experience — if he even had one. I share this with you for two reasons both practical and substantive.

First, I hope this enables you to recall a time and event that energizes your memory and your sense of well-being.

Second, if you're so inclined, remember that everything, great and small, is the result of someone else's hopes, fears, ambitions and accomplishments.

We all, more often than we realize, have an effect on someone else's life experience in some small way.

I hope there's a day in your future that gratifies you just as this day does for me.

RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED,

EDWIN COONEY