THE ESCAPE ARTIST


By Peter Vuono


     Throughout my life I adopted several older men as role models and mentors in an attempt to help me fill gaps that were left along the way. One was a Shriner's Clown, another a powerlifter, an olympic lifter , one an Olympian and others teachers. There was also one who was a veteran, master magician , teacher and one of the kindest of souls that I've ever met. This was my friend and mentor, Don Savoie, who I lost on Aug 5, due to liver cancer.
     About 20 years ago, Don and I were attending an auction at the Magic Art Studio in Watertown. An old movie poster of the little known film, "The Escape Artist" came up. I wanted it because I, at the time I specialized in escape magic. It showed a magic shop and actor Jackie Coogan, who played the owner was mentoring a young Griffin O'Neal. I, was, of course, outbid but I think of that poster more now than ever.
     This is because every time I walked in to Don's Joke shop in Quincy Ma, Don worked his magic on me and taught me some of the most amazing prestidigitation I had ever seen(some of which I use in my current act) using modest household items such as newspapers,cards, coins, play money and even a juice can!
     This is why I entitled this narrative "The Escape Artist". It is because when Don mentored me he had me totally engrossed in a world of delight which helped me escape, even if it were for only a short while, from the many trepidations, stress, and pressures that I go through each day. To me THAT is the consummate "Escape Artist" . I have met so VERY few men who have been able to share that type of magic with me and with Don, I feel so tremendously blessed that I did.


"It is important to remember that we all have magic inside us"- JK Rowling

    

  MAGIC MAN

By Peter Vuono


     Since 1990, in addition to teaching I decided to be a pro comedy magician. It was indeed a gratifying job making kids laugh as part of my work. I later incorporated it into the classroom and even, at times, used a  ventriloquist dummy to teach the kids with!
     However, there were a few secrets behind my act other then how to  perform the tricks.  In truth   I'm not always funny. When the show is over  the ones I love  the most see my weaknesses and frailties  However, every  so often, one serendipitously comes across a person who has the magical ability to make one smile and feel good about oneself for the entire day long after they have departed from him! Such a person is my friend Donny Samuelson who we lost January 27th.
    Donny had a miasma of talent. In addition to his college degree he was a walking encyclopedia of sports. He used this vast knowledge in enhancing his many positions as a counselor and recreational consultant; not to mention his gifted sports writing for a variety of newspapers. However Donny possessed a talent which this author thinks surpasses all the others. Donny made every individual he ever came across feel important; and with Donny, is was no magic act- it was authentic!
   For 15 summers, Donny was the greeter and charge' d'affaires of our beloved Duxbury Beach.
When he approached one's car, he exuded an incredible and authentic warmth which  attached itself to me as if placed there by osmosis and stayed with me the whole day. After 15 years of this warmth
I know that it will always be with me and Donny will never really be gone.
   Writer Robert Henri once said, "Why do we love the ocean? It is because it has some potent power  to make us think things we like to think". I certainly do not think that it was merely a coincidence that such a magical place would have as it's ambassador such an extraordinary man.

P.E.D'S -PRODUCING EXCELLENCE FOR DOLLARS

By Peter Vuono

     To appease the masses and help them to forget about economy and other unpleasant vicissitudes, the Roman Empire introduced gladiators which flourished for nearly 1000 years peaking from the 1st century B.C. to the 2nd century A.D.. It was finally eradicated in the 5th century A.D. with the advent of Christianity. We are more civilized than that now but pro sports and the entertainment industry now serves the same purpose for the masses as did the games of the Circus Maximus. One huge difference now is that the athletes are not competing for their lives but for their livelihoods which is just as important if they have family and enjoy all the perks of being a pro sportsman. This is where I'd like to allude to the latest Boston athlete, Steve Wright, who was said to have tested positive for Human Growth Hormone. Personally I will NEVER besmirch or vilify any athlete that uses PED's. I'll explain why after I inform you as to where this all started.
     According to a 1985 Time Magazine article German Historian Otto Freidrich claimed that Hitler's physician Ernst Gunther Schenk gave hormones to Hitler and the SS troops. When the Russians moved in during WWII, they took all secrets pertaining to testosterone.
    In the mid 1950's The American Olympic Lifting team took with them as their team doctor, decorated war veteran, Dr. John Zeigler who was one of America's most brilliant scientists. When Dr. Zeigler found out that the Russians were using testosterone and beating the Americans, he was incensed. Upon returning home, he approached the Ciba corporation and for a fee of $100.00 created the 1st anabolic steroid- methandrostenolone- better known as Dianabol. Dr. Ziegler allowed his judgment to get clouded by his competitiveness and patriotism and took a step that would put to  shame Victor Frankenstein. He disseminated Dianabol to weightlifters at the York Barbell club in PA. Later, a Olympic team trainer in approximately 1963, took the drugs to the NFL. It is alleged that the Chargers were the 1st team to use them and that year at an AFL conference game., they clobbered the Boston Patriots 51-10. If you think PED's are exclusive to sports, think again. Do you really think that all the action stars of today got that way due to whey protein and vitamins? According to the fine book"The 20 Best Bodybuilding Steroids On the Market", author Robin Barratt states,"Every well muscled film and TV star, fitness presenter, singer and celebrity most likely takes steroids to help them look the way they do". With that, I'd like to get back to my reasons for not vilifying any athlete caught.
   Do you remember the famous speech in "Patton"? It went, "America loves a winner and won't tolerate a loser". Athletes are pressured by fans, media, owners and sponsors to win. Winning is worth billions of dollars! If just ONE person uses a PED to achieve an advantage, then the rest of the athletes are pressured into doing likewise rather than losing their ranking and ultimately their jobs. It seems that we, as a nation(and I'm not sure why) are obsessed with winning and like it or not, it pressures athletes to appease the masses as they once did centuries ago. I don't blame the athlete. What he or she does is an aftereffect of giving the crowd what it wants. Given the panoply of possible health issues that can occur, it's a very sad story indeed. The gladiators once raised their sword to the emperor and stated, "We who are about to die, salute you". I guess now, we really haven't changed that much since then at all.

NO ONE GETS OUTTA HERE ALIVE

By Peter Vuono

Many thanks to Dave Walbourne for encouraging
me to write this.


     Back in 1975 I trained at the Bob Backus Olympic Health Club in Pembroke, Ma. I had many fond memories there. We were all strength athletes(bodybuilders, powerlifters, Olympic lifters and weight throwers) and we were pretty much addicted to achieving physical excellence in one way or another. I had a bodybuilding friend there(Barry) who once said,"If I only had a head, I'd do neck exercises". That's pretty much how we all felt. None of us either knew or cared that according to most biologists, men lose 1% of their total testosterone every year after the age of 30!!! As I aged, this proved to be true. In 1983, when I was 34, I weighed 178 and deadlifted 567.5 at a powerlifting contest in Nashua . In the late 90's I took a hiatus and when I came back in 2004 I deadlifted 500 and again in  2007 and 08 when I was 54 and 55 respectively. Fast forward to 2018. After deadlifting  425 the previous year I only did 400 at age 65 on a 12" platform. This was a world record in the International All-Round Weightlifting Assoc. but I was still distraught and depressed! The biologists were right; 30 years later I had only 70% of my strength left. Much of it was maintained by Clomid.
   Clomid is not a steroid but a fertility drug that I first heard about in the Underground Steroid Handbook in 1980. It causes the pituitary to excrete gonadotropins(Leutinizing hormone) which, in turn go to the cells of Leydig to create endogenous testosterone. Each year, since I was 50, I've had my total and free"T". tested along with my prostate specific antigen which is an enzyme excreted by the prostate. If levels of this enzyme increase, it can be indicative of prostate cancer.
   As my testosterone increased due to the Clomid(700ng/dl on a scale of 300-1100) so too, did my PSA which raised a red flag. You see, testosterone, because of an enzyme in the blood known as 5-alpha reductase, can convert testosterone to a hormone called dyhydrotestosterone which is most plentiful in the PROSTATE! How Ironic that the more I increased testosterone that my PSA score would come closer and closer to cancer. It's nature's and God's way that we are only allowed so much health and so much time.
   My endocrinologist immediately cut my Clomid intake and my last PSA test went from 3.55 to 3.53 in about 6 weeks. Currently, I am taking two all natural agents(Saw Palmetto and Lycopene) to further decrease the amount of DHT. So the reader may wonder why I'm writing this. First and foremost, it's a warning to all men starting at 50 to GET THAT PSA TESTED! Secondly, it's a message to my strength athlete comrades and perhaps a reaffirmation to myself.
  We all want to prolong our health and stay strong forever. It's just NOT  going to happen. We have to find  solace in that God has a plan that our lives here are just  an interim between the now and the hereafter. My faith teaches that there is such a place and I pray that there is because no one gets outta here alive.

MIKE KATZ-  A Hero's Kindness is Never Forgotten

By Peter Vuono

   I'm always looking for quotable quotes for my twitter account and I stumbled across an excellent quote by Maya Angelou which said," I've learned that people will forget the things you say, people will forget the things you do but people will not forget how you made them feel." Suddenly, when I read this, my mind sailed all the way back to 1975 when I had the serendipitous occasion to meet one of my many strength heroes, teacher, NFL player and bodybuilding great- Mike Katz.A brief back story is warranted here.
   Mike Katz was born in New Haven in 1944. He grew up diminutive in size, wearing glasses and Jewish. Because  of this he was bullied and his dad thought it may help Mike's self image to dabble in football and weight training. Mike did so and played high school football and also for South Connecticut State. He became so good that the New York Jets drafted him in 1966. In 1968, Mike was illegally clipped by an opponent severely injuring his knee. He played in many games with extreme pain and eventually asked for his release just one year before the Jets won the Super Bowl.
It did not, however, end here; rather it was the beginning of a legend.
  Working out primarily in his North Branford garage gym, Mike grew to a height of 6'1" and a weight of  a solid 245lbs. After having won all the regional contests the Hamden HS Health and Phys. Ed. teacher won the IFBB Mr.America in 1969 and the 1972 Mr. Universe contests.
  Mike's quest for the Universe title in the 1975 Mr. Universe was depicted in the movie "Pumping Iron" He came in a disappointing 4th but what was more important was the sincere humility which he showed in the face of losing. He showed no anger and was wondering about his family. He showed great joy in the 1st place finish by his team mate Ken Waller. I had wondered if this humble character was real and indeed it was.
  When I approached Mike in Waterville Maine after a  powerlifting contest, I was indeed star-struck and wouldn't stop talking. Mike sensed this and humbly smiled and nodded as if to say,"It's OK, I realize how excited you are.". He told me that he was going to a contest in Italy and even though it was nice to go to places like California to train, it was nicer to be home. I never forgot the moment.. His kindness and humility stayed with me ever since just as Maya Angelou had said.
  Mike went on to teach for 33 years and with his son, Mike Jr. he operated about half a dozen Planet Fitness gyms. In 2002, he was interviewed by the New Haven register. In the interview he mentioned that"In my dying breath, I'll still be teaching". How true this is when his kindness is something I remember so much more than his personal gains.

   THE MAGICAL GARDEN

By Peter Vuono


     Journalist Andy Rooney once said that "Teachers have thousands of people who will remember them for the rest of their lives". This is certainly true of my friend and former English teacher Joe Sullivan. I was in Joe's class in 1969 when I was in the 10th grade. It was an amazing time in American history and Joe did more than keep up with the changing times. He inspired, encouraged and enhanced our creativity. He, during the poetry unit, allowed us to bring in pop tunes so that we could analyze the style the artist used. He never raised his voice or got angry- he didn't have to.
    Today, unfortunate English teachers are forced to placate students with perfidious tomes written by gangbangers  in an attempt to capture their attention. I was fortunate enough to to be given classics by Joe which I have never forgotten. When I think of Sydney Carton saying,"It is a far,, far better thing that I have ever done", how true it applies to the readings I was lucky enough to have been given.
   Joe and I lived in the same city. It still has many good people but it has slowly suffered a metamorphosis of degradation. This all ceases when one exits the back door of Joe's home into his personal garden.  When I first saw it, I thought that I had stepped into the Garden of Eden, Narnia or even the Shire of Bilbo Baggins. There was a field that went on as far as the eye could see totally obfuscating the darkness that surrounded it. There was row upon row of trees, fruits and vegetables of every kind. It showed me that although the world is getting worse that some things could still shine through the darkness.
   So when I left the mortuary and thought about Joe's magic garden, I remembered that there was another that he left behind- his classroom. He inspired, encouraged and helped me so much to "self actualize"  as Bruce Lee called it which is merely making myself as good as I  could possibly be.
   I had enough confidence to continue to write and although I'm the furthest thing from Checkov I self actualized and got many articles published and continued to write, all because of Joe's classroom.
   Someone once said that ,"If you can bring one moment of happiness into the life of a child, you are a coworker with God". That being said, it is obvious that Joe is going, to"A far, far better rest  than he's ever known".

TO BE KIND

By Peter Vuono

     Like most people, I have a twitter account and am now up to about 800 Tweets.
I try to use inspirational quotes ranging from fictional characters to Mark Twain, Lao Tzu, Buddha and the Bible. However, I think my favorite is from Bruce Lee who said,"A person can never forget someone who is kind to them". This is where my sister-in-law's husband Randy comes in who was recently taken by cancer.
     I remember a family wedding where Randy was dancing with my 10 year old daughter Amy. Randy intended to make this moment in time fun and memorable for Amy; so he picked her up off her feet while they danced. Neither Amy nor I ever forgot it and it was well over 20 years ago.
    Fast forward another 20 plus years to a family pool party. My son Mike does everything within his power to bolster self confidence. He's a world record holder in weightlifting, a teacher and a Black Belt. However one moment with Uncle Randy 7 years ago carried as much weight to enhancing  Mike's self esteem as  did all the other accomplishments.Uncle Randy hadn't seen Mike in quite some time. When he saw him, he was in awe and exclaimed,"Mike you look great; just like Arnold Schwarzenegger!" Yesterday,10/14/18, at about fifteen minutes after Randy passed, THAT compliment was the first thing Mike mentioned  about his beloved uncle. In China, any man who is older and beloved to a younger man, is often called "Uncle". That is how Mike viewed Randy.
   Mother Teresa once said,"There are three things in life that are important: the first is to be kind, the second is to be kind and the third is to be kind." Randy enjoyed many games such as cards, sports and especially golf. I never really knew how good he was at those games but there is ONE game that he really excelled at- the game of life.