My Aunt Rose’s Example for Today

Let me tell you about my Aunt Rose.  Yes, I know most people in my age category had an Aunt Rose.  This is about my aunt, in this case.  She came over from the old country when she was already a young lady, when my great-grandfather was able to send enough money to bring his family over from Skalat, Austria (later part of Ukraine).  Truth is, my grandfather, his sisters and mother, got stuck in Europe due to World War I, but made it to this country in 1920.  Out of his two older sisters, I only knew Aunt Rose, who lived in Brooklyn.  I always remember her, in my mind’s eyes, as always being dressed to the nines.  Her hair just right, makeup always on, and the little pocket book dangling from the nook of her elbow.  Supposedly, she always dressed up to give a good appearance her entire life.  I always said she kept her accent from Europe (my grandfather lost his), which my father swears was a Brooklyn accident.  I am sure that her calling me “Vayne” was not a Brooklyn accent!

My aunt came to mind when I realized how long we will all be staying inside, in some form of quarantine.  With no reason to go out, no reason to socialize and no reason to look our best, it is easy to stay in our pajamas all day (if you actually wear pajamas).  Or sit around in sweatpants, pass on the shower and use this “down time” to catch up / binge on all media.  I remember, as a child, when I was sick, it was great to not get dressed, lay on the couch and watch cartoons.  Our Mom would buy us a model to give us something to do.  Today, it is gloomy looking outside and it would be oh so easy to slip into a “sick day” mode (in camp language, a day of bunko-sleepo).  For our heads, it is better to get up, do something, set a task for the day, get up, get dressed and get to it.  We might be boxed in by the walls of our houses, but that does mean we do not have to be productive.  Those old puzzles that have been sitting idle in the closet waiting to come out to play?  Yay! We are doing them.

During this time of staying inside, quarantine, it is easy to let things slide.  This is what made me think of my Aunt.  At 90, Aunt Rose never let anything slide…I remember the last time Debbie and I went to visit her, when Gab was an infant and we went with my parents and Grandfather.  At this point, she was wheel chair bound due to a car accident (she was the passenger).  As always, she was well dressed, makeup in place, hair done just right and the pocketbook in place on her arm.  It did not matter her condition.  All these years later, her daily routine still sets the example that no matter the situation we find ourselves in, we should care of how we look and present ourselves.  If we motivate to make ourselves look and feel our best, then the more we help our mindset and can set ourselves up for success, even if we have to remain inside.

Do You Have A Vice For Me?

I like to project a clean cut image.  Don’t we all?  I have worked on myself by cutting my hair, engaging in personal development and taking on some responsibilities where the goals I wish to achieve and projects are plausible.  To use the phrase from the Bing Cosby / Andrew Sisters song, “You have to accentuate the positive, eliminate the negative, latch onto the affirmative and don’t mess with Mr. In-Between.”  In other words, play up the positive and play down the negative.  A vice, though not necessarily a bad thing, can have the perception of not being good. And, I am not referring to an addiction.  The difference is that an addiction is all-consuming and has a physical dependency, while a vice, sometimes categorized as immoral (value judgment), is something we can enjoy. 

I like beer.  There, I said it.  I do not mean give me a 12-pack of ice cold Bud and I am tickled pink.  I mean tasting and trying different beers.  About 27 years ago, I was happy with Bud.  Then I changed jobs and was introduced to a beer-tasting club by a guy the club referred to as Ace.  Not the name I called him, but his nickname serves my story and protects the innocent.  We would meet every other month and different distributors would bring in the beers they were handling, discuss the flavors, processes and, yes, sample the beverages.  During this time, I was introduced to Anchor Steam, Corsendonk (one of my all time favorites), Rogue (I won a gift set in a raffle), Thomas Hardy’s Ale (I have an anniversary gift pack) and Samichlaus (brewed once a year and at the time the strongest beer).  I never looked back.  I was into Microbrews before craft beers became the rage.  Moreover, I paid it forward.  I had a beer tasting at my parents house the night before my wedding.  I brought my Dad to a beer-tasting event and my brothers.  I have introduced people to “better” beers, who have in turn introduced others.  Wine tastings were always a thing.  I am happy to see beer finally reaching that status.

“Wayne, why would you share this now?”  This is a fun part of me that I felt like sharing (like everything else in my life), a hobby that I have enjoyed for years.  You do not have to drink beer only to get drunk, my friends.  Like wine, beer can compliment food; lighter beer for seafood, heavier (i.e., stout) for meat.  Some beers taste better where it is closer to the breweries, like Guinness – much tastier in Ireland.  For those of you who now think that I am nuts, next time you go out and are looking for the same old beer, try a beer flight, which is a fancy name for a sampler.  You might find out that there are some tasty beverages out there.

Cheers!

 

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