"THAT GUY IS GREAT"

By Peter Vuono

Dedicated to my old friend Tom Wall

     I'm not a baseball fan. However, back in 1973, I went to a Red Sox game with my college friend Tom. We got really good seats and because we arrived early, we got to see the White Sox batting practice. Leading the practice was a coach who I had never seen. He had started coaching the White Sox after having played in the majors and coaching in Mexico. Everything went quietly and uneventfully  until practice was over.

     This coach took a bag of baseballs and started handing them out to all the young fans next to the 3rd base dugout. As if this wasn't enough, he started handing out several baseball bats. We had seen a ball here  and there given to the fans but not like this avalanche of gifts! It was at that moment that Tom exclaimed, "That guy is great!". I squinted to see the name on the back of the shirt. It read"Minoso".

    Minnie Manoso was from Cuba. He played in the Negro Leagues in 1946. In 48 he was taken on by the Indians and later with the White Sox. With the Sox he would have 8 seasons of batting .300 or better. He was an All-Star 7 seasons and a Golden Glove winner 3 seasons. He was the 1st Black Latino in the majors and the 1st Black to play for the White Sox. He was American League leader in stolen bases 3 times and the 2nd player to play in the majors for 5 decades .He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2020. He passed in 2015.

    But STILL, the thing I remember and admire most about this guy was that act of kindness to kids that I'll never  forget  although it was 53 summers ago. So this author's question to the reader is this: When Minoso met his maker, what counted more; his being a super athlete or his acts of kindness and his love of kids?

   I'm not worthy to know what the Lord thinks or what judgement he made. However I'll bet that when judgement was passed it must have sounded something like "That Guy Is Great!".

    

 PFIZER,AND GOD: OR HOW I COPED WITH COVID

 By Peter Vuono

   On 2/10/22 I tested positive for Covid-19. It was just after my geriatrician gave me a completely clean bill of health with no temperature, no diabetes and good blood pressure. I was one of the few lucky ones who didn't get hit hard. I missed only one weight workout and never missed a cardio workout throughout. My symptoms were minor and I want to share with you why I think so.

   First and foremost is the vaccine. Are you aware that 900,000 of our fellow citizens have passed due to this disease nationwide? I'm 69. I've had open heart surgery and my body max index screams obese! If this isn't enough comorbidities, then I don't know what is; the walking dead perhaps? I had all three shots with no aftereffects following. Whoever that bodybuilder was in CA who wrote,"If your liver doesn't quiver, and your bladder doesn't splatter, take another shot because it just doesn't matter", the man was a genius in an odd sort of way!

  Next is my vitamin regimen. I didn't just take them as a quick fix. For the last two years I've been preparing for battle and my daily regimen looks like this: Vit C 3000mgs, B-12 50mcgs, Vit E- 100I.U, Zinc-50 Mgs., Magnesium-250Mgs., Melatonin- 1Mg., Glucosamine-2000mgs., Fish Oil- 2,000Mgs., Boron- 30Mgs., Tongkat Ali-850Mgs., Maca-50Mgs., Turmeric- 200Mgs., Saw Palmetto- 1400Mgs.,Iron- 30Mgs. I may have left a few out but at this point it doesn't matter. For decades I've tried through my nutrition to strengthen the immune system and I'm certain this helped but I honestly don't know how much.

  Two of my doctors pooh,pooh Vitamin C. Humans, gorillas, chimps, the fruit bat and some birds cannot synthesize this vitamin. According to double Nobel Prize winner- Dr. Linus Pauling- vitamin C decreases the amount of lipoprotein-a in the system which contributes to increasing plaque in the body. It DOES strengthen your cardio-vascular system. So what about my open heart surgery you ask?

  My disease was passed down through blood lines. I started lifting weights again 2 weeks after I got out of the hospital.

  If you're a guy make sure that both your free and total testosterone levels are optimal. This is done through a blood test. If your "T" levels are low, an endocrinologist can help you obtain optimal levels. This is imperative for keeping healthy in so many ways. Too little testosterone can lead to cardio-vascular disease among other things. I've been monitoring my levels for over a decade.

  Finally, I believe that my personal faith has helped. In our religion, we believe that saints can intercede and further petition God along with our personal requests. If you don't believe,  that's cool, but there is no viable explanation I can give.Saint Roch of France is the patron of dogs and epidemics. It's NOT Saint Corona as many believe. He was a wealthy nobleman who gave it all up to fight plague in Italy. When he contracted it, he ostracized himself to the woods where a hunting dog found him and brought food every day! I've been petitioning him ever since the virus hit the USA.

  You may think that this is all quite out of the ordinary and abnormal. I gave up normalcy in 73 when I became a powerlifter. Besides, didn't the scarecrow say in the Wonderful World of Oz that "It is the unusual people that deserve consideration in this world"?

  With the exception of the vaccine these are unusual means indeed but if anything I've said gives you either help or hope for a better and healthier tomorrow than I am most pleased. God speed.

 "  HEALTH IS THE GREATEST GIFT"- BUDDHA

 BROUGHT BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND

For Danny Derito- 11/26/50-12/8/21

By Peter Vuono

   Years ago, I wanted to write a  fictional tale about a comedian, who after having a heart attack was brought back to life because young comedians were copying his jokes so frequently. In the ending, the comedian's widow met her husband at a club reincarnated. He proceeded to introduce her to famed comedians under their real names such as Julius Henry Marx and Milton Berlinger. I realized that this is not so far fetched after all when I read Thich Nhat Hanh's "The Art of Living".

   In this book, Hahn, a Buddhist Monk,  mentions that none of us really dies because of a phenomena called "continuation". When one sees a cloud, it slowly dissipates but it then changes to rain falling to earth and then continuing above in the water cycle.

   If my students remember anything about me they will remember many laughs and perhaps facts that I taught them. I still mourn the passing of my friend and magician Don Savoie However, I still do many tricks that Don taught me. Therefore, Don's body is gone but his memory remains forever. This is what made me think of a dear school friend-Danny Derito who recently passed before Christmas at a young age.

  Danny and I were good friends in the 70's at Massasoit Community College. We dined together, went to restaurants together, visited friends together and were on an intramural hockey team together. More than anything, I remember Danny's perpetual warmth and humor. He was so funny, that even now, 47 years later I STILL use his jokes.

  Before Danny became self employed he was working maintenance at a popular restaurant. I walked in one evening and he was arranging the flower pots and floral arrangements.  He immediately exclaimed, "Look at this, they've made me the plant manager".

  At an awards ceremony that I attended at school, Danny was, of course the MC. He was dressed to the nines in a new tuxedo. Half way through the ceremony, Danny announced, "I'm terribly sorry for the way I'm dressed, my tailor had the flu". There were dozens like this that I still use today.

  Thich Nhat Hanh, was right; although I mourn the absence of Danny's corporeal self, his warmth and jokes remain in my heart and mind and it is there that I frequently visit him. This will hold true also of all your friends, loved ones and inspirations who have passed. They are not truly dead; they live on in your memory and in  your heart. They  will ALWAYS  be brought  back by popular demand.

"THE KEY TO IMMORTALITY IS BY LIVING A LIFE WORTH REMEMBERING"- Bruce Lee

 PEOPLE WILL NEVER FORGET HOW YOU MADE THEM FEEL.

TITLE BY MAYA  ANGELOU

STORY BY PETER VUONO

DEDICATED TO THE MEMORY OF VIET NAM VET/ART TEACHER BILL ALLEN-1944-2021

        Just a short time ago, one of my son's favorite teachers-art teacher Bill Allen- passed on. Bill was a courageous Viet Nam vet but always talked in quiet calming tones. It was almost as if he was a close follower of Buddha or Lao Tzu. One June day in 2006, Bill had a meeting with my wife and me about my son, Mike. I honestly can't remember the specifics but I vividly remember the quiet, sincere complimentary remarks Bill made about my son. I NEVER  forgot the feeling that this gave me and now, after Bill's passing, the meeting reminded me so much of Maya Angelou's quote , "People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did but people will never forget how you made them feel"

        Bill's kindness brought me back to a wonderful gesture that I experienced in the late 70's. One of my Down's Syndrome students-Patty encountered  the towering Phys. Ed. dept. chair Don Vanderstreet who at 6"6" was an imposing figure with a heart of gold. Patty and Mr. Vanderstreet spoke briefly, both smiling widely. When Patty got back, I asked her,"What did you and Mr. Vanderstreet talk about, Patty?". To this, she answered, "Nice Things". Although Patty's disability kept her from remembering the dialogue, like Maya Angelou said; she remembered how she felt when finished.

      Finally, this brought me back to an incident that I, as a young kid, never forgot in 1967. My family and I were friendly with pro wrestler Tony Altomare; a super guy in his own right. While at the 4 Seasons Arena in Walpole Ma for some matches, we met with Tony who took me in the locker room to meet the legends.They were all playing cards and the fan favorite "baby face" ignored me. However imagine my delight when the 350lb. "heel" Jesse"Bull" Ortega, stopped the game, stood in my presence, shook my hand while smiling from ear to ear and signed an autograph. Mr. Ortega would pass away at the age of 44 but I never forgot how he made me feel!

   There are so many other incidents that I could cite but I think that you, the reader, can see where I'm going here. Mother Teresa said, "Do small things with great love". Starting with my former colleague Bill Allen, I remember these wonderful memories  and I'm reminded that they happened so that I would go and do likewise and spread good feelings which will in turn propagate  with so many others.

       

       

DIFFERENT BUT SAME

Title from Karate Kid

Story from 2 previously
published works by Peter  Vuono from Powerlifting USA


   Back before the internet I had published about 70 articles on powerlifting and bodybuilding. Most of these magazines are long gone. I had a series in Powerlifting USA about Pioneers of Power. Of the champs that I wrote about who were still alive, three wrote to me to thank me. One even wrote from prison! I would never besmirch the others as they may have very well never have known but two of the three who did had amazing power of body AND heart that would make these two persons very much the same  when, if seen today, people would formulate an opinion that they should be adversaries.
   On 4/17/77, in Nashua, NH, Silver Star winner Joe Zarella promoted the 1st  national powerlifting meet for women only. Stephanie Moody, of Ohio, competed and came in 2nd as a middleweight. She would later be a national champ in both 1979 AND 1980. She would compete in the 1st women's world championships in Lowell and her 396 deadlift was 20 lbs. higher than strength legend Bev Francis.
    I wrote about her in 87 and in writing to me Stephanie told me that she didn't realize the amazing fact that I stated in her article. On that day in Nashua in 1977, she became the FIRST African American woman to compete in a WL meet of any kind. Stephanie told me in her letter that her dream of strength immortality was achieved in her being the FIRST, a record that cannot be broken.
   The 2nd  person who took the time to thank me was the immortal police officer from Huntington Beach, Pat Casey.  Pat, as everyone knows, became the 1st to bench press 600 with 617.25 in June of 67. He would go on to be the 1st man to squat 800 and total 2000 for 3 lifts. He too wrote and invited me to California. Unfortunately, I never made it. Pat succumbed to cancer in 2012. I communicated with his widow who told me that Pat NEVER took steroids and was a very spiritual man. Pat was so tough that he worked out 12 days before he died.
   Both were a kindred spirit in powerlifting and although some groups would see them on opposing sides of a conflict they were also kindred spirits of the heart in that they took the time to thank a total stranger for acknowledging their greatness.
   This author is sure that the reader has picked up on the premise that this author is trying to make. However it is hoped that when we see someone that others tell us we should be at odds with we should remember the prophetic  words of Mr. Miyagi; that a person can certainly be, "Different but Same".

WWJD?

By Peter Vuono

   After seeing the death of an innocent at the hands of law enforcement in Minneapolis last week ; I drew my own opinions and conclusions from the Bible. In the days of John the Baptist, the closest thing to police were soldiers. They came to John who was even revered by Herrod and asked, "What should we do"? John replied, "Plunder no one and accuse no one falsely". Plunder means taking another's goods or property  by force. I think it's easy to say that the death of a helpless individual at the hands of the police goes way beyond plundering and the 4 should be punished accordingly.
   Then I thought about the rioting and looting. Didn't Martin Luther King Jr. say,"Darkness cannot drive out darkness ;only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that"? I don't ever recall Dr. King inciting the  violence that we see today as an adjunct to the protesting which, in itself is just.
   Many innocents can be injured such as fire fighters, bystanders and shop owners. If a person's car is destroyed or his business looted, it effects his or her family and livelihood. The loss of one's property and business can only trickle down to others who are innocent. Some of us in Massachusetts well remember Victoria Snelgrove, who at age 21 was shot in the eye with a misplaced pepper ball killing her for only being a bystander at an out of hand Red Sox victory celebration in 2004.
   So what possible biblical referenced could I allude to in my denouncing of violence? Some of us remember the scenario in the Garden of Gethsemane 2000 years ago. When Jesus was about to be taken into custody by the high priests, Peter decided to get violent. He drew his sword and cut off the ear of the servant of the high priest. Jesus rebuked him saying,"Put up thy sword. For those that live by the sword die by the sword". He then touched the servant's ear, healing him completely. A strong statement 2000 years ago and a strong statement now. Many didn't listen or take heed to what he said then and I marvel at why 2000 years later too many of us still do not listen or take heed now.

SAINT ROCH-PATRON SAINT OF EPIDEMICS AND DOGS

BY PETER VUONO

DEDICATED TO ALL DOG LOVERS


     When I see the incredible valor of all of our health care workers throughout the world I can't help but think of their predecessor, Saint Roch of France who , in spite of being a nobleman, traveled to various cities in Italy to cure those afflicted with plague at the age of twenty.  Just prior to the passing or Roch's parents, his father,  a wealthy nobleman ,on his death, bed decreed that his son would be the new governor of Montpelier France.
     Very much like Prince Harry,Roch denounced his birthright and traveled to Italy to the hospitals of Acquapendente, Cesena, Remini, Novara and Rome to assist in healing the sick who were inflicted with plague all across Italy. It was said that Roch healed victims completely by merely laying his hands upon the afflicted.
     While assisting in the town of Piacenza, Roch contacted the plague himself. Not wishing to infect anyone, he ostracized himself to the woods and constructed a hut made from branches and leaves. Miraculously, a small spring of water arose nearby.
      Living in the town of Piacenza was a count Gotthard Palastrelli who enjoyed taking his dog to hunt. Palastrelli didn't realize however, that the dog found Roch and stealthily made trips to Roch's refuge with bread each day! When the count followed his dog to see exactly what was happening, he found Roch fully healed and later became an acolyte.
      When Saint Roch retuned to Montpelier, France was at war. He was arrested by the soldiers of his own uncle as a spy and thrown into jail. Roch refused to say who he was thinking that he would fully obey any fate that God would bring to him. After 5 years in a dungeon he succumbed and passed in the year 1376 at age 28. He was identified after his death by a birth mark in the shape of a cross on his chest. He would later be made a saint by Pope Gregory XIV and is the patron saint of infectious diseased, epidemics, persons unjustifiably jailed and dogs because of the bond he shared with the count's hunting dog.
     In Saint Roch cemetery in New Orleans there is a chapel constructed at least 100 years ago. In a side room of the chapel there is an enormous cache of ex-votos made from plaster and plastic along with dozens of crutches and other apparatus of assisting the afflicted. An ex-voto is a realistic "thank you" given to a saint for healing.
     Only a few visit his chapel and appeal to him for help. Very few of us either know of  or appeal to him However, I wonder how better off we'd be and how many fewer would suffer and die if we did.