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VigilanceVoice
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VigilanceVoice.com
by
Cliff McKenzie
Editor, New York City Combat Correspondent News
Friday,
September 19 - Ground Zero Plus 737
FROM THE ARCHIVES
Thursday--September
19, 2002—Ground Zero Plus 372
___________________________________________________________
Eulogy To Char
The Last Breath Of Courage
___________________________________________________________
by
Cliff McKenzie
Editor, New York City Combat Correspondent News
GROUND ZERO, New York
City, September 19--My mother-in-law died yesterday. It was a peaceful
death. She was sitting in a chair in Helena, Montana. She went fast,
without the lingering illnesses that an 88-year-old is subject to. Her
greatest fear of death was that she would "linger," and be infirmed.
My wife and older daughter, and grandson Angus, a September 11th baby
just over three months old, left this morning to be with the family in
Montana.
My wife's father had called within ten minutes of Char's passing.
Almost simultaneously, my computer screen went on the blink. It turned a
pastel pink, and has remained that way ever since. I am typing this with a
rose-glow background.
I figure Char is telling me something--that she's still around,
watching, worrying, as mothers do, about her child, her grandchildren, her
great grandchildren. It's her way of telling me she's now a Mother-In-Law
of Vigilance, a Grandmother of Vigilance, and a Great Grandmother of
Vigilance. She's joined the Vigilant in the sky, watching over us all.
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Char's joined the
Vigilant in the Sky |
Char came from strong
German roots. Her maiden name was Schneider. I used to call her Hitler
Jugund (child), out of earshot of course. She was a very strong woman with
whom I butted egos more than once. When she visited, we had to oil the
walls to make room for her ego and mine to coexist. We were like two sumo
wrestlers, never taking our eyes off the other, always itching to get the
other in some headlock over a point, a philosophy, or an opinion.
Char carried her egotism to her death. She argued with doctors all
the time about impending death.
Doctors working with the aged try to prepare them for death. They
attempt to joke about it. They make small talk about it. Some just state
the facts that this ailment or that is part of the process of dying, and to
attend to certain problems is just a matter of prolonging the inevitable.
Char would hear none of that.
She took issue with her doctors. She wasn't ready to die, even if
the Grim Reaper's scythe was hissing over her head and the sound of his
whetstone could be heard sharpening his scythe's blade.
I grew to appreciate her attitude.
She was an active octogenarian, even though her mobility was
restricted by much pain and weight she couldn't lose until her most later
years. She and her husband took numerous trips each year, rejecting the
idea they were to sit in some room and wait for the final sunset. We
always worried about them driving.
Char was a matriarch. Few would question she ran the family. or at
least was the family's "front-man!"
She was a World War II mother, raising her three children while Stan,
her husband fought in the war. Women, historically, made a giant
breakthrough during the war. They proved their independence to survive and
prosper on their own, and to mix the ability to be both a homemaker and a
worker. Some say the feminist movement started when America's backbone
comprised women supporting the nation while the men fought in distant lands.
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|
Char fought and
sought for a better life |
Char's Tutonic
constitution added to her zealous, feminine/masculine nature. She was
raised by "Aunt Minnie," not her parents, her mother died when she was seven
and her dad remarried. She learned early to "fend for herself." She had
an older sister, Peggy, who is still alive and active. They lived near the
poverty line, a rugged simple life of survival.
Char fought and sought for a better life, and got it. Financially,
she was secure because she married a man from the East Coast who rose to be
key cog in Montana mining. Like Char, he was a strong Republican who
provided oversight to various government budgets in his spare time.
Socially, Char weaved among the ranks of Montana's "rugged
individualistic elite." She knew everyone and everyone knew her. If they
didn't know who she was, she let them know.
Religiously, she was a devout Catholic and offered her time and
skills in working with different marginalized elements of the community,
including acting as a board member for a home dedicated to helping unwed
mothers. She was a member of the Lewis and Clark Republican Woman's Club,
serving as parliamentarian for over 25 years.
Early in her marriage, she was instrumental in getting the
kindergarten started in the public schools as well as assisting in the
formation of an American Legion baseball team. She had a keen interest in
the scouting program being a leader for both Girl Scouts and Brownies. She
was a trainer for Girl Scout leaders in the Helena district and served as a
counselor at Camp Thunderbird (a scout camp north of Helena). She was also
a den mother for the Cub Scouts. Char was a busy volunteer, spending energy
and time as Director and Trustee for the YWCA. She and her husband started
the Recreation Council in East Helena. After her husband became the manager
of the East Helena smelter, she was renowned as the "hostess with the
mostess."
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Char was an
accomplished gardener and tended many gardens |
Char was extremely
active in sports, an avid fisherman and an accomplished gardener. No one
dared hint he or she had a more beautiful flowers or yummier raspberries.
She won several golfing trophies and a favorite pastime was boating at 'her'
Gates of the Mountains on the Missouri River. In addition to her daughter,
she was blessed with two sons, eight grandchildren and seven
great-grandchildren.
One might say, she lived a rich, fruitful, boisterous life. She was
always outspoken, always determined to be right, and, she usually was.
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|
Young Char
look-alike 'Hitler Jugund' |
Perhaps that's where
we rubbed each other wrong. I liked being the "most right," and when
confronted with someone who would challenge my "righteousness," I
bristled. Char challenged me frequently. Neither of us backed down from
the other.
On one occasion I banned Char from my house. My ego exploded, and
for the next five years when they came to visit, I removed myself from the
house, refusing to concede that my ego had ruled by mouth. Eventually, we
normalized relations, but it was not unlike a Palestinian-Israel pact, with
each side keeping a wary eye on the other, always prepared for the next
"attack."
I had been rather crude in my attack, telling Char to remove her
"fat Nazi ass," from my house, and if she ever wanted to visit the
grandchildren she could do so from the street, but not set foot on my
property. Unfortunately, the fuel that sparked the battle was over a tip
left for a waiter. I didn't think she'd tipped enough, and added some.
That was kindling exploding the unstable plutonium of our relationship.
The tip was only the fuse; our egos were the bombs.
In world affairs, most battles between nations result from two
forces refusing to back down over some small issue each side magnifies.
When war results, the innocent are victimized.
My behavior with Char created great strain on my wife and children.
They got caught in my egotistic crossfire. Char had her own angst over
the issue, and when we finally agreed to meet after many years of
stonewalling each other, I wondered how I had let myself get so out of line
with my duty to protect my children's relation with their grandmother. By
default, I forced them to take sides either with me or "gaga." Gaga was a
nickname I gave Char when the kids were very small--it was the name of a
Gorilla at the San Diego Zoo. I just couldn't leave well enough alone.
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|
Gorilla + Grandma =
GaGa |
These past few years,
however, Char and I grew into another relationship. I would call it a
Mature Vigilant Relationship. I think we both realized how immature we had
been with our egos, and understood the fallout from our conflict cast
shadows on the children.
Fortunately, my wife and I always encouraged our two daughters to
think for themselves. I insisted that their opinions, not mine, were most
important. Our house rule was to "think for yourself." Perhaps that's
one why is a die-hard Republican Federal Special Agent and the other is a
die-hard Democrat, Masters of Divinity social justice activist. Neither
was under-the-gun to agree with my opinion their grandmother was obstinate,
Hitlarian, and supercilious--virtues of character I grew to appreciate over
time.
I forgot to give Char credit for her stance on life. She grew up as
I had, with nothing in relation to what she wanted. She learned to fight
for everything she had, and to achieve in spite of obstacles that often
hindered those who came from "the other side of the tracks." What she
acquired in life was the Courage to stand up to her Fears, the Conviction to
overcome her Intimidations, and the ability to take Right Actions rather
than fall victim to the quagmire of Complacency that bogs down so many of
their Hopes and Dreams.
I learned to fight hard and long as a child for my dreams and
beliefs. Like Char, I would not let them go. I held onto them with an iron
fist, for they were my jewels, just as her opinions were hers. It took a
war with Char for me to realize the real importance wasn't which of us was
right, but doing what was right for the children, and eventually for the
grandchildren.
On the day of her death, another event coincided to remind me Char's
legacy hadn't died.
* * * * * *
* * * *
It centered around a controversial sculpture by Eric Fischl titled
"Tumbling Woman" displayed at Rockefeller Center. The bronze artwork
represented those who jumped or fell to their deaths from the World Trade
Center on September 11.
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"Tumbling Woman"
controversial sculpture |
Last week I noticed the
statue. My wife and I were on our way to take pictures of Fifth Avenue
store fronts, and took the passageway that led us past the statue. I
paused and studied it. I didn't read the inscription, but noticed the Rodin
nature of the figure. The figure was balanced on her head, legs splayed and
arms reaching up. It reminded me of Rodin's work--rough emotional
passion--a raw exhibit of human nature's strength in the most difficult of
situations.
Later, I was to realize this was a statue of a woman who jumped from
the World Trade Center--Fischl's tribute to those who had died that day by
choosing the moment of their death, rather than be victimized by the fire
and smoke and Terror of letting death take them.
I had been at Ground Zero that day, and witnessed the bodies falling
from the windows, flailing as they tumbled down at over a hundred miles an
hour. I knew each had chosen their death. I knew what kind of courage
it took to leap to one's death.
But New Yorkers didn't see it that way. They castigated the art as
"horrible" and "sickening" and "too graphic" and forced the statue's removal
last night. Rodin's works were also initially treated as "grotesque"
symbols of human nature and snubbed, but over time, his work was considered
"brilliant."
Raw humanism is hard for most people to take.
I thought of Char in respect to the statue.
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|
Charlotte Schneider
Lane |
In her own way, I'm
sure she had chosen to "leap from life." She knew the horrors of a
"suffering death," and refused to participate in the idea she should concede
life and let old age take its toll.
Knowing her as well as I did--from a purely egotistical viewpoint--I
believe she was fighting death every inch of the way, cheating it out of its
"suffering moments." I believe she chose to "leap from life" rather than
have death's hand slowly, agonizingly choke life out of her and she just
let go.
I find it troublesome that society looks upon the statue of the
"Tumbling Woman" as something "grotesque." I felt strength from the
statue, and elegance. Fischl fashioned his work with love and respect--and
the woman's pose was almost swan-like, strikingly powerful even at the
moment of impact. It was a statue of sacrifice, and radiated the power of
life at the moment of a horrible death.
I also believed those righteous critics of the statue never faced
death. Having faced it more than once in my life, I know the power of
Courage in the face of fear. It rises up from within one's inner self and
makes choices that others may not make.
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Char refused to
cower |
I
remember
being
pinned
down
with
bullets
chewing
all
around,
and
choosing
to
rise
and
rush
the
enemy
rather
than
lay
there
and
die
a
certain
death.
I
knew
death
was
imminent
my
choice
was
the
desire
to
cheat
death
out
of
its
moment
of
fear,
when
we
grovel
for
our
lives
rather
than
turn
them
over
with
pride
and
dignity.
I
don't
think
those
who
leaped
from
the
buildings
died
in
fear.
Like
Char,
they
refused
to
face
death
in
a
cower,
but
rather
threw
back
their
shoulders
and
offered
themselves
to
die
with
all
the
power
of
life.
While
that
may
sound
paradoxical,
it's
not.
One
can
die
with
a
whimper
or
a
bang,
as
Robert
Frost
says.
And
the
"whimper,"
I
believe,
simply
means
one
can
die
in
grips
of
fear,
while
the
"bang"
means
one
can
die
with
the
courage
of
life
on
their
lips.
Char's
life
was
constructed
out
of
Courage.
It
is
doubtful
her
last
breath
was
of
Fear,
but
rather
a
full
inhalation
of
a
life
well
lived,
a
proud
life,
a
life
composed
of
her
ability
to
stand
up
for
what
she
believed,
regardless
of
its
consequences.
I
believe
those
who
leapt
from
the
World
Trade
Centers
took
a
long,
deep
breath
of
life
before
they
leapt.
I
could
hear
that
breath
being
taken
in
the
Tumbling
Woman
statue
as
I
passed
it
the
other
day.
At
the
time
I
didn't
know
what
it
was.
But
I
do
today.
It
was
Char
taking
one
last
Vigilant
breath.
It
was
all
the
Sentinels
of
Vigilance
taking
their
last
breath.
I
only
wish
the
world
could
hear
them
too.
September
18
--
What
Are
You
Willing
To
Die
For?
©2001
-
2004,
VigilanceVoice.com,
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rights
reserved
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