DEFENDER OF THE FAITH

By Peter Vuono

   Although much is said about Santa Claus during Christmas time, very little is said about the origin of St. Nicholas. There is so much about him that it would fill many books. However Nikolaos was born in the year 270 AD in Turkey. His parents were of Greek descent but were Christian. Nikolaos had decided to lead a religious life from the start and to travel and profess the word of God.
   However while traveling in Italy he was arrested and jailed under the reign of Diocletian the very Emperor who  would later execute St. Sebastian, a centurian who would become the patron saint of athletes. Fortunately for Nikolaos, who would later be called Nikolaos the Wonder Maker, he was released after Diocletian was dethroned and replaced by Constantine the Great, the first Christian Roman Emperor who would put a stop to Christian persecution.
   Many remarkable deeds are attributed to Saint Nicholas, but his affiliation with children stems from a chilling tale originated in France. Three school children were both working and playing in a field. They wandered into the nearby town and became disoriented and lost. They entered a butcher shop(some versions say it was an inn) and asked for help. The butcher drugged them, killed them and placed them in a salt barrel to preserve the bodies.
   The tale has many versions as to how much time passed. Some say immediately and others say seven years. However Nikolaos , who by this time had become a bishop, was told in a dream about the horrific carnage perpetrated upon the innocents. He immediately went to the butcher shop and ordered that the salt barrels all be opened. The butcher, seeing who it was had no alternative but to comply.
   Nikolaos put his hands over the barrel and enunciated, "Children arise". The three boys came to life and were returned to their families.  Although Nicholas has been called the patron saint of so many causes he is first and foremost the patron saint of all children: the defender of the faith.

FOREVER A TEACHER

By Peter Vuono

     Throughout my youth it was necessary for me to get as much validation as I could from older men who were "father figures". One was Joe Zarella who was a Silver Star winner and a women's rights advocate. Another was Bob Backus an Olympian, Pan Am champ and world record holder.When I first met my friend Harvey, he was so strong that I thought he was in the Olympics. He's been advising me on training for 50 years.Recently one of the many men I looked up to was taken from us by cancer on November 5th.
    My gym teacher, Don Vanderstreet was a towering mountain of a man at 6"6". He carried himself well and although very sure of himself never possessed one iota of prima donna. Instead he carried around with him a perpetual smile, a twinkle and a knack for making people smile. He was a master of encouragement!
   One day in the cafeteria, one of my Special students-Patty- was talking to Don. When she came over to me, I asked,"Patty, what did you and Mr. Vanderstreet talk about?" She answered so simply and succinctly, "Nice things". This Special child so brilliantly summed up Don's life and persona. He always spoke "nice things" and left you laughing, smiling or just feeling good about yourself.
   One time in the 80's there was an introverted kid named Mike at the school. Mike loved weightlifting and was easily stronger than any 3 people. Yet Mike did NOT want to take gym. Don thought about it and asked me if Mike could train for gym credit at my ramshackle garage gym. Twice a week, Mike used his pick-up and hauled down a bar and bumper plates. He lifted vigorously and we engaged in great lifting conversation. Plus, thanks to Don Vanderstreet's superb improv, Mike got an "A"!
   The defining moment. however, which is indelible on my mind about Don's gift of encouraging came when I asked him if I could put on a school wide arm wrestling tournament. Don said,"sure" but it was NOT a small task. I had to borrow a truck from Joe Zarella and drive the one hour ride from Billerica to Brockton with a 250lb. stand up arm wrestling table chained to the bed of the truck. How I got it into school was a mystery.
   When the day did come and the kids pulled wrists with tenacity it resembled the movie"Over the Top" where Sly Stallone arm wrestled pro wrestler Magic Schwartz. The kids screamed, howled and made and had an uproariously good time!! After a couple of matches, I looked up to Don's office which had a huge picture window.
   He was looking down on me with a smile on from ear to ear which is just as vivid now as it was 40 years ago. It was a smile of encouragement that I'll carry with me always.That one smile gave me validation!
   Now, life has changed but it hasn't ended.  Thanks to these vivid memories Don continues to smile down on me; forever encouraging ,forever validating and being forever a teacher.


"If you bring one moment of happiness into the life of a child, you are a coworker with God"- Anonymous

WHEN MIND AND STRENGTH HAD GONE

By Peter vuono

(Dedicated to the heroes and victims of Mandalay Bay 10/1/17)


     It is stated in the first chapter of John- "In him was the life and the life was the light of men. and the light shined in the darkness and the darkness grasped it not" It is clear that interwoven in the perfidious carnage foisted upon the innocents of Mandalay Bay,  many lights of bravery shined through the shroud of darkness. People acted as human shields even with strangers. Others used their vehicles as ambulances to transport the wounded. Still others used their own clothing or hands to add pressure to bullet wounds and it gives us hope in knowing that these selfless virtues have prevailed since the beginning of time .
    I once wrote a short tale about an ancient MMA fighter, Polydamas of Satoussa; so strong that he could hold back a horse drawn chariot and kill a lion  with his bare hands. The 6"8", 300lb. Pankratiast, who lived 2600 years ago. held up a cave ceiling that was collapsing just long enough for his friends to escape. He did not survive. However, his spirit and the same fortitude the heroes of Mandalay Bay had shown prevailed and as was predicted in the book of John, "The darkness gasped it not".
   As a kid, one of my favorite books was HG Wells Time Machine. A story which takes place 800,684 years from now. There were two kinds of people, one terribly savage and another peaceful, helpful and intrepid. This second type helped the Time Traveler escape certain death just like Polydamas and the true to life heroes of yesterday. And  it is the heroes and victims of Oct1, 2017 that make me believe the last line of Wells' tale will prevail even 800,000 years from now- "When mind and strength had gone gratitude and tenderness still lived on in the heart of men"

SLEEP  APNEA- THE ANTI-STEROID!

By Peter Vuono

     For many years I always made myself aware of my total and free testosterone levels due to the fact that I was a competitive powerlifter. I started taking blood tests in 2003. I had taken a hiatus from competition from 1997- 2004 and I wanted to know how much my body had changed. The scale for Total Testosterone usually runs from 300ng/dl to 1100 ng/dl, although the Free level of testosterone is far more important.
    My total levels in 2004 floundered at the low normal range at about 320ng/dl. This however never bothered me as I did not yet at age 51 incur any noteworthy symptoms of low T. Also I deadlifted 500 at a bodyweight of 189 at age 51 and 500 again in 2008 at age 55 at a bodyweight of 181.
   In 2009, however, my levels fluctuated from below 300 and above 300. I decided to see renowned endocrinologist, Dr. Andre Guay who put me on Clomid. Clomid is a fertility drug which has been around since the Underground Steroid Handbook of the 80's. It causes the pituitary to release gonadotropins to seep down to the Cells of Leydig and thus create testosterone.
   This helped a great deal but levels fluctuated from 520(just once) down to about 312. Just before Dr. Guay retired he told me that the only thing he could think of for my levels not attaining a higher plateau was sleep apnea. However, like me, Dr. Guay was not a fan of the CPAP mask. The plan was to stay above 300 ng/dl  and when this couldn't be attained we would try injections of testosterone cypionate  also know as Depo-testosterone.
  On a whim, I took the results of a 5 year old polysomnography test or a sleep apnea test. I got a prescription for a CPAP machine and decided to try it. CPAP stands for continuous  positive airway pressure which was developed by Dr. George Gregory at the Univ. of Cal in SanFranciso. What the mask does is pump air into the windpipe and thus opening it up so that blockage of the airway is eradicated.
   It is well known that in addition to lowering testosterone, apnea can cause stage 2 diabetes and various heart and cardiovascular complications. Once I got used to the mask, I fell asleep much quicker and deeper. I also found that I was more refreshed in the morning. This would prove to be a tremendous buffer to the sedating Metropolol Succinate that I was taking for high blood pressure.
   I also noticed that my testosterone levels soared. I went up to a total level of 639 ng/dl in about 6-8 months. My last reading was at  649 at age 63.  In May of 2017 I deadlifted 425 at age 64 at a bodyweight of 196. Prior to this, my deadlift was a poor and consistent 400 at the past three contests.
This was all done while on a knee with bone on bone osteoarthritis. One can only imagine what I could do with two good knees.
   Men; if you're getting symptoms of low testosterone and/or also have sleep apnea, do what I did; get a polysomnography test and try the CPAP. Your energy and health will improve and you'll be doing a huge favor for anyone that depends on you!

  

THE CLOWN'S PRAYER

By Peter Vuono


     I have  a friend named Tom Kennedy. Tom is my mentor in the magic business. My mom gave me Tom's number and after I contacted him, he kindly, without ever asking for anything back, took me under his wing and introduced me to the world of magic. After I thought I was ready, I entertained for the next 26 years. If I was successful  in making just one of the thousands I stood before laugh, I owe it to Tom.
   Tom is naturally funny. He constantly makes me laugh. To paraphrase George Burns, "If you're 18 and you get no laughs, you become 80 very quickly. Also, if you're 80 and you get laughs right away, you become 18 very quickly. Tom Kennedy will always be 18. Tom is a Shriners clown. He's entertained thousands of kids who were maimed or burned from fire. He has wiped away the tears of many for decades. This is why, it's so incredibly disconcerting to me that many clowns are not being employed because  the  public wrongfully associates a good horror movie with a good children's entertainer.
   I loved the movie "It" and Tim Curry is a favorite of mine. I intend to see the remake but unlike much of  America, I leave my thoughts about a good horror movie at the door of the theater. I don't understand why so many people can't differentiate. It puts the good work of Tom Kennedy and many of his colleagues in the same category as horror and this is wrong.
  Do you remember Chris Farley? Chris was, in this author's opinion the finest clown ever produced by Saturday Night Live. Chris, in spite of having addictions, was a man of deep faith. He always carried a copy of "The Clown's Prayer", in his wallet. The prayer was tearfully recited by his beloved brother at Chris's funeral.
   Tom Kennedy gave me that prayer which I will include here today. I hope that when you read it, you too, like Tom, will understand the true nature and intentions of authentic clowns. That's my prayer for you, for Tom , for children and for laughter.



                                                   THE CLOWN'S  PRAYER


     Dear Lord,
         As I stumble through this life, help me to create more laughter than tears, dispense more happiness than gloom, spread more cheer than despair. Never let me become so blaze that I fail to see the wonder in the eyes of a child or the twinkle in the eyes of the aged.. Never let me forget that my work is to cheer people, make them happy, make them laugh, make them forget at least for the moment, the unpleasantness in their lives.
          Never let me acquire success to the point that I discontinue calling on my creator in the hour of need, acknowledging and thanking him in the hour of plenty, and in my final moment, may I hear you whisper, "When you made my people smile, you made me smile"
          
  

A BOY AND HIS HERO

By Peter Vuono

     Several years ago, I wrote a story for my son entitled" Other than Scorpion, Sub-zero and Jackie Chan, Whadda Ya Wanna Be When You Grow Up?" Super heroes were very important to my son. In fact, I'm convinced that if it were not for heroes like George and Steve Reeves, Bruno Sammartino and so many like them, I would have had a different and possibly inferior job, personality and life.
     Therefore I encouraged Mike to follow heroes of every sort from Hercules to Donnie Yen. Mike was born in both the year and hour of "The Dragon" in the Chinese calendar and I knew that good things were very possible as "The Dragon", among other things can stand for heaven.
     In addition to getting a Black Belt, Mike took up bodybuilding and slowly turned into a demi-hulk of sorts. He became 6'2" and 200lbs. He covered himself with the Chinese word" long" which means Dragon and broke a world record in the right hand dumbbell bench press and the left hand dumbbell bench press for an organization called the United States. All- Round WL. Assoc. However it wasn't until recently, that I understood what he was doing; he was putting on a costume and becoming like the heroes he emulated The main and necessary ingredient however was his heart and desire to help others.
     After getting his Phys, Ed. degree, Mike went to work for 9 hours a day teaching gym to urban kids , most of whom were in great need. I remember that Jackie Chan once said that the most important thing is the children because they follow us.  Then one day, I visited my son's work site and I realized what was happening. One of the kids calls him "dad", others clamor to be picked up by him and carried to their destination. Slowly but surely he was becoming just like his heroes of old. Perhaps not on such a grand scale as a movie screen but in God's eyes, a grand scale indeed.
     There is a proverb that states""If you bring one moment of happiness into the life of a child you are a coworker with God" I'm so proud of my son for taking this path because every boy needs a hero.
  

IRON ARM/ KIND HEART

By Peter Vuono

     Sometimes I have a problem with putting my priorities in place. You see, when I was a kid, the thing I craved more than anything else was physical strength; mainly because I didn't have it! I was a weakling in the truest sense and my heroes were those who inspired me to better myself physically. I couldn't read enough or see enough about Steeve Reeves, George Reeves or Bruno Sammartino.
    Finally, at age 15, I got a set of weights and trained for two years privately in my room, ashamed of anyone seeing how weak I was. I gravitated to the YMCA, to Bob Backus' Olympic Health Club and finally my own personal gym at home. I had moderate success in powerlifting and simply idolized anyone who was stronger than I. Then one day, in Easton, Ma., I heard a sermon by Father Lucio Filipino twenty five years ago.
   He talked about the foibles of the human spirit and mentioned that those things were only human weakness. He said that when we are called upon by our maker to account for ourselves, we'd be asked just one thing, "Who did you serve?" I then realized that it's not how much I deadlift, it's not how many touch downs, it's not how much money we earn or how many degrees we receive, it's "Who did I serve"!
   Here I am 25 years later and I know a man who constantly reminds me of this. His name is Jeff Ciavattone. Jeff is about 35 and stands 6'3". He weighs a solid 260 lbs.  I witnessed him doing a deadlift with two, thick handled dumbbells;  weighing  262 pounds EACH! Jeff has an iron arm and back all right but it's his character that brings me back to Father Lucio's sermon and keeps me grounded.
  Jeff is ALWAYS kind and never boastful, He is the epitome of humility. He is affable and gregarious and takes as much joy in everyone's success as he does in his own. He's the kind of guy that would always be there for a friend or stranger. Jeff works in Boston AND London. He takes trips across the pond to work in robotics as frequently as I go to the grocery store. However, I know for sure, that if I had an emergency, he'd fly back in a heart beat to help me or his loved ones.
  So when I see Jeff, I'm reminded of the oh, so important homily on what's important for the next time that I'm lead astray from the truth-"Who did you serve?" Some day, Jeff, like all of us, will be called upon to answer this question with what I think is an enormous resume. I can only hope to do the same.

" I feel if I can take a second to make someone happy, why not do it?" Bruce Lee

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST

By Peter Vuono

     In 1764 the Country of France was ruled by King Louis XV. In the South Central portion of the king's domain was an area called Gevaudan. This lush remote area was inhabited by mostly uneducated peasant farmers and sheep herders. The people were devout and peace loving and unfortunately fell prey to the  the single most maleficent serial killer in history.
     The beast of Gevaudan was NOT a myth or legend. It was said to be a wolf but not a wolf. It was described as a large wolf, a lion, a hyena, a prehistoric canine( a dire wolf) or a hybrid dog/wolf.
Whatever it was, the carnage that it foisted on these people was beyond belief. From June of 1764 to June of 1767, The Beast or "La Bete Feroce" as the French called it, savaged and killed 113 people. It was non-discriminate in that it killed and devoured young children, teens and adults. There were approximately 16 decapitations in it's malevolent path and oftentimes it would rent arms and legs completely off the victim's torso. However on August 11, 1765 it would meet it's match with a petite 19 year old girl.
   Marie-Jeanne Valet was an employee of a local cleric. On this day she was crossing the River Desges with her younger sister Therese. The Beast was hiding in the bushes and lunged at the girls. Marie-Jeanne, however, had the wherewithal to carry a weapon similar to a spear with a bayonet-like blade on each end. Her instinct to protect her sister overshadowed all fear. The teen drove the spear into the Beast as it lunged impaling it in the chest. The creature howled and fell. It then lunged into the water rolling over several times before disappearing. It is interesting to note here that in October of 1764 hunters TWICE found and shot the beast with.61 caliber flintlocks accurate to 100 yards. On BOTH occasions, the beast got UP and ran unharmed!
   Thanks to Marie-Jeanne's valor, both she and her sister would NOT be one of the 113 victims of what some people thought was the Loup Garou (werewolf). It would later be killed in 1767 by huntsman Jean Chastel with a short ranged blunderbus filled with melted and blessed  silver made from medals of Mary.
   After the battle, the King's royal Gun bearer, Francois Antoine, was so impressed by Marie-Jeanne's courage that he called her "Joan of Arc". The local press labeled her "An amazon". Her greatest honor for her bravery was a magnificent sculpture done by artist Philipe Kaepplin which still stands in a church yard in Auvers France which can be viewed on the internet.
   Marie-Jeanne is entirely forgotten, until now. However, it is hoped that her story will rekindle the the wonder and awe of the human spirit when evil is pitted against our willingness to lay our lives down for our friends.


" Whence this creature came, no one knew; as to what he was, no two persons could agree; but the terror inspired by his presence was universal" Charles Dickens

EDITOR' NOTE- The writings of Gustavo Sanchez Romero and S.R. Schwalb were the main sources of reference for this short story.

THE KING OF HEARTS

By Peter Vuono   Dedicated to the families and students of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School- Parkland Florida- 2/14/18


     In the year 270 AD, Rome was governed by the Emperor Claudius II. Claudius was nicknamed Claudius Gothicus which means conqueror of the Goths because of a bloody campaign where his armies defeated the Goths. There were other times where he was nicknamed Claudius the Cruel and with good reason. Claudius started out as a soldier and was a man of great stature and strength. He at one time, knocked out the teeth of a horse with one punch.
     When he became emperor, he wanted to insure that his men would fight fiercely and have nothing to live for. He therefore let out a decree which forbade marriage or engagement for ANY and ALL soldiers.
At about the same time, there lived a priest in Rome named Valentinius which is translated as Valentino in Italian and Valentine in English.
    Valentinius boldly defied the Emperor and went about Rome marrying whatever couple desired it. It wasn't long before the Emperor was made privy to it and the local Prefect was ordered to arrest Valentinius. The Emperor ordered that a three tiered execution would take place for this outrage. Valentinius would first be clubbed; then stoned and if he survived the first two, he would finally be beheaded.
     While in jail, Valentinius befriended the jailer Asterius and his daughter who was both blind and gravely ill. After blessing  the child, she almost immediately had her sight and health restored! They would remain friends until the bitter end. In the last correspondence that Valentinius made, he wrote a letter of farewell to the daughter of Asterius. At the conclusion of the letter he wrote,"From your Valentine".He was executed on February 14, 270 AD.
    After his death, Saint Valentine would be canonized a saint by the Catholic Church and regarded as the patron saint of love, marriage and young couples. If you spend Valentine's Day with a significant other, then bravo to you! You are both celebrating the power of love and the man who gave his life to enforce it- Saint Valentine, the King of Hearts.


" I HAVE GIVEN YOU MY HEART; DO NOT GIVE ME YOUR HEAD ONLY"- BRUCE LEE

THE WARRIOR AND THE SCHOLAR

By Peter Vuono

   Recently at the California hosted Golden Globe awards, a well known actress expressed disapprobation over  the president- elect regarding his derision of a handicapped reporter. As a Special Ed. teacher of 36 years I couldn't agree with her more. However she completely negated her worthwhile message by saying"If you remove all the foreigners from the country you will be left with only football and MMA, and that's not art". Personally, I take great umbrage to this comment as martial arts have improved my son's self image and mine to a point where we believe in ourselves and aspire to achieve more in our lives. Moreover,. to say that martial arts is not an art is a gross mendacity!
   Martial arts as we know it, originated thousands of years ago in India. Through the transmission of Buddhism it moved to China and greatly influenced Shaolin Kungfu. From there it spread to Okinawa, Japan and later to America. This actress seemed to forget two basic things about martial arts; first, most of it's most famous practitioners are" foreigners"  who were never removed from this country at all.  Secondly, artists such as Jet Li, Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung, Jean -Claude Van Damme, Bruce Lee and Donnie Yen who practice a  variety of MMA  have made literally hundreds of movies which have grossed billions for Hollywood.
   The number one box office hit at this writing is- "Star Wars- Rogue One"- This movie stars martial artist, Boston's own Donnie Yen. I would chance to say that this movie will gross more than any 5 of the best known movies that this factually unencumbered actress has made. Given the immense amount of movies and the billions in receipts, one can only ask,"How is this not art?" How many more people are familiar with Return of the Dragon over Sophie's Choice? People who have such an immense audience should measure their words more carefully. It sometimes reveals how much they really don't know. As Bruce Lee once said,"Empty heads have long tongues".


"The warrior and the scholar unite back to back. We defend our country. We have no weapons. We conceal our secrets and ask for forgiveness if we are forced to use them"- Kenpo Creed