"Even Cold Kids Get "It"

         

                  Hello to you from your frozen “intrepid reporter” from Manhattan. A few posts back I wrote a piece about NYC’s Stroller Nazi’s.  They still exist but are not out in force during the recent cold sieges. But this time I want to turn the coin over and talk about how good the parents seem to be in this city. I see parents’ everyday with their kids and they do a great job. Let me tell you why.

                First of all (as you can imagine) this city is no place to have your kids away from your side.  I haven't seen one parent or guardian not have their kids right next to them walking the streets. The parents hold their hands or have them riding shotgun on their hip. The kids do not “act” up. No running away from their parents like I see in other places. No tantrums, (well, I did see one shrieking hellacious tantrum last summer by a 3-4 year that was worthy of an Oscar nomination) and no fighting with siblings either. These kids move right along, keep up and seem to know that getting to where they are going is important and that it’s all business on the streets.

                Even kids in strollers are incredibly quiet and accept the reality of going which they probably do several times a day. In contrast, I have seen kids getting into car seats that can do Act III of King Lear wailing non-stop with total abandon, but not these city kids, not even the toddlers. Of course in winter it’s likely their lips are frozen shut.

                Parents take their time to show kids about waiting for the walk sign and even when other grizzled New York(ers) walk against the no walk sign the parents almost never do, instead waiting to make sure the kids understand how it works. In the subway, the kids show no fear of being in the loud underground tube or the loud train pulling in that more often than not screeches to a halt. The kids just seem to “get it” at an early age. Parents talk with their kids, teach their kids, and have fun showing them interesting things (there is no end to things to see). Just imagine what kids see on their daily rounds: the good, the bad, the loud, the weird, the colorful, the inexplicable, and also the down and out people facing hardships. Yesterday I was out and when I got to the corner, there was a homeless woman sitting in the cold with a paper cup held in her hand. I was by her before I realized she was there but I stopped and pulled out my wallet and got a couple of dollars and went back to give it to her. When I was done I looked up and a kid about 5 had watched what I did and that made me feel best of all because that kid got to see we help people we don't all just walk past and ignore. It's that kind of thing kids get educated on everyday.

                The proof is in the pudding. I see the 12-16 year old kids walking home or taking some type of public transportation after school and not surprisingly they go in groups that range from two to six or seven. They stay together, they behave themselves, and they know how to negotiate wherever they need to get to. On a rare occasion I’ll see a young student walking by themselves but even they are nonplussed. They know what to do, who to avoid, how to be around adults and simply blend in with everyone. Almost all of them are polite and respectful.  I don’t see immature, goof ball behavior from early or late teens here. This is not an easy city for kids; it’s not “kid friendly”. No Chucky Cheeses, playgrounds, arcades, skateboard parks, water parks, for them. On the other hand they do get to see lots of life and figure out early how to behave and survive safely and comfortably. I get less bugged by the Stroller Nazi’s when I see the end product.  

 

"18 at -16"

                Today was the coldest January 7 temperature ever recorded in New York City.  Today the high temperature was -16 degrees. Many of my readers live in cold weather locations so you folks understand at least in theory what 16 below zero feels like. Some of my readers do not so I thought I would try an experiment. I decided to walk home the 18 blocks from Hunter College to my apartment in this frigid -16 temp to see what that would be like. Unlike the Donner Party, I live around lots of people so I figured (hoped) that if I went down someone would take their gloves off and with frozen fingers dial 911. I kid you a bit , but still there is an element of truth in that statement.

                First of all you should see how people dress in this kind of weather. Full length down coats with boots and fur hats that I like to call Dr. Zhivago hats. Many men also have full length coats. People wear hats with fur hats over the top of the first hat or hats and then hoods over them. I saw boots up to the knees, boots with triple socks inside that. Most people have on 4 layers of clothing or more. It’s like a combination of Eskimo and or Russian winter wear. For my jaunt home, I had on a thermal top with a tee shirt over that, a windbreaker type of long sleeve over that and my wool coat. I had on my Adidas running pants over the top of nothing. I wore fur-lined boots, and had a thick scarf wrapped around my neck covering part of my face. Gloves with metal flaking inside designed to reflect body heat back on to my hands. A Popeye Doyle sock cap to complete the ensemble.  Off I went about 6 pm.

                The first 2-3 blocks I was fine. I still had left over warmth from the being inside the college. I could tell how cold it was but after three blocks, I was still not too bad. Things begin to change in block four. I became aware that my cheeks were beginning to sting and my legs (the least protected) were chilling fast. By blocks 5, 6 my ears begin to sting, my lungs began turning cold as the intake of really cold air quickly overtook my internal body heat. My legs were getting really uncomfortable. On the good side of things, my feet and head were still okay.

                By block 7 and 8 I was really feeling it, especially now that I was walking into a 12 MPH wind. I started to lose feeling in my knees and I could tell my cheeks were turning red. My nose was by now running profusely and my hands were chilled thoroughly. Blocks 9-11 things got very uncomfortable.  I had to stop at each light and wake for the walk sign. My knees were now fully numb, my eyes were starting to water and I hoped the water wouldn't freeze on my face. I kept moving as fast as I could.  I was worried about how much cold air my lungs were taking in. My cheeks were really stinging. I regrouped about 3 blocks from home because I believed I would make it OK, but my hands and fingers were totally numb and, my legs were moving but I couldn't  feel them. Thank God my eyes stopped watering.

                Finally I reached my apartment (18 blocks=1 mile in -16) and when I took my gloves off to put the key in the outer door, my fingers didn’t work very well. I dropped the keys and tried to curse, but my teeth were involuntarily chattering. On the third try I got the door opened.  Once inside my apartment, I realized the temperature in my place had slipped to 52 degrees but I didn't care because that felt warm to me. Later on I know it won’t. I have maximum heat on but I have drafts coming through my windows and the wall a/c and 36 hours of this weather has made my place very cold. I’ll eat some hot soup and watch TV in double pajamas, under my down comforter with a blanket and quilt on top of that.  I know what you are thinking, that Will, what a scientist, always willing to risk life and limb to conduct experiments. Well, either that or you are thinking:  that Will, what a dumb-ass! Ha Ha Ha Ha

Sorry State of Academia

Academia is in a sorry state.

To get a PhD essentially takes a minimum of eight total years and for many people ten years.  To get a PhD in an academic subject like English  or History you have to be more than a good student you have to become a scholar. A scholar is one that understands complex theory in their subject. A person who is a masterly academic writer and even if you plan to concentrate on teaching it is nevertheless expected you will publish something in your field. How many people can do this? It’s akin to being a professional athlete. You not only have to have natural ability but also love of the work ethic. About 1% of the American population has a PhD. It’s a real accomplishment. In years past a person with a PhD would almost be assured of a full college teaching position. Not today.

Today, PhD’s are assured of nothing. In fact they have to scramble to get jobs. Under our current academia system, colleges hire a few full time professors but then have gobs of adjunct (part time) professors. We all know why the college has twice as many part-timers as full timers. (Money) Part timers get less pay per class and no benefits. Ever wonder why every college campus seems to be adding new athletic facilities, a new wing on the library and new performing arts center? I know I am biting the hand that hired me because I am an adjunct instructor but it’s still not fair to those that achieve the top level of academic success.

Even if I had had the candle power in my brain, I didn’t have the prep training or the time and patience to devote to reading all the theory and the sheer number of books needed to get a PhD. I was a ham-bone. I wanted to be in the classroom acting up Poe’s “The Raven”, or doing my melodramatic interpretation of Coleridge’s “Rime of the Ancient Mariner”. That was me but what about those who are devoted to becoming experts in their chosen field, becoming published authors, becoming  professors?

So there you go Doctor so and so, congratulations on ten years of devoted study now  see if you can get a job. Most, of you know, I have a carrot in the stew. My son has applied to the PhD program at the Graduate Center in downtown Manhattan and at Rutgers’s University across the river in Jersey. If accepted he is looking at more difficult classes, a long dissertation (mini book) and the prospect of having to get something published. This will take five more years. He’s a good scholar and very motivated, so it pisses me off (parently speaking) to think he could have a PhD someday but then have to hope and pray he can get a full time job somewhere. And how much will that job pay? PhD’s should be making way more than I did as a HS teacher (even with a Master’s) but he tells me a beginning full time position at a College or University might be 55K. Are you kidding me? What is going on here?

                Americans love to say having a good education system in this country is so important right?!  Every politician talks about how we have to make education a top priority but the fact is if education were even included  in the top ten of priorities in this country all levels of academics would be so much better  off.