Clattering Sparrows (27 page)
Author’s Notes
My parents moved to the District when I was barely six months old, and I have always considered myself a native Washingtonian, although I was born in Brooklyn, New York. We lived on Oates Street in the northeast neighborhood that encompassed eight blocks east, west, and north of Bladensburg Road, as described in
Clattering Sparrows
until June 1954 when I graduated from Eastern High School.
I could not have asked for a better childhood, a better place to grow up, or to be a player in a more dynamic century of growth. To this day, I love the City and all it has to offer. I will always have the fondest memories of many places and events, but nearest and dearest to my heart are the many people that have touched my life.
Washington, D.C. is the Capital City of the United States of America. The City is named after George Washington, military leader of the American Revolution and the first President of the United States. Founded on July 16, 1790, it is a federal district, as specified by the United States Constitution.
The land forming the original city came from the states of Maryland and Virginia, however, the area south of the Potomac River was returned to Virginia in 1847, and is now incorporated into Arlington County and the City of Alexandria. The remaining land constituting the area now known as Washington, District of Columbia, was formed exclusively from land that once belonged to Maryland. Divided into four quadrants, the axes bounding Northwest, Northeast, Southeast, and Southwest radiate from the U.S. Capitol building.
The federal government accounts for twenty-five percent of the City’s jobs, and the presence of the many major government agencies, principally the Department of Defense, National Institutes of Health, and the Food and Drug Administration, has led to business and economic development both in the District itself, as well as the National Capital Region of Maryland and northern Virginia.
Of the many non-government employers, Washington, D.C.’s major universities and hospitals are regarded as some of the best in the nation. Among educational institutions, Georgetown University is older than the District itself, having been founded in 1789 by John Carroll; Gallaudet University was the first liberal arts college for the deaf and hard-of-hearing; and Howard University an historically black university was established in 1867 by congressional order and named for Oliver O. Howard. Howard University is the number one producer of African-American Ph.D.s in the United States.
The District is also a global media center. Most major news outlets have bureaus in the City, and it is home to Black Entertainment Television, C-SPAN, the Washington Post Company, the Washington Times, and XM Satellite Radio.
The City whose landmarks and museums make it one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country also boasts many venues for the performing arts with The Kennedy Center as its nucleus since opening in September 1971. It is home to numerous sports teams including the Washington Redskins, Nationals, Capitals, Wizards, Mystics, and D.C. United.
Over the years, Washington, D.C. has survived its share of political scandals, as well as the violent crime wave of the early 1990s when it became known as the “murder capital of the nation.” Many of the neighborhoods once plagued with violent crime are becoming safe and vibrant areas once again, as a result of gentrification.
Growing up during World War II, I learned at a very young age the magnitude of friendship, as I watched our small community bond into a family entity that supported each other in times of need.
When I was newly married, I learned to play the ancient Chinese game of Mah Jongg—American style—with three also newly married friends who lived in the same apartment building. It was 1957, and a whole new generation of players was discovering
the game of a hundred intelligences
. For over fifty years, I have played in a regular weekly game, and have spent many enjoyable afternoons taking part in numerous Mah Jongg luncheons and tournaments, as well.
I was delighted when my daughter-in-law Donna learned to play and I gifted her with a set the following Mother’s Day. At the ages of seven and nine, my granddaughters, Haley and Jillian, learned the game and soon became proficient players. Since that time my daughter Susan and my three grandsons, Andrew, Chase, and Zach, have all mastered the game as well.
When my husband Jack and I moved from Maryland to Cape Cod several years ago, and I knew no one here, I once again reached out to Mah Jongg. My visit to the Mashpee Senior Center to join in a Monday afternoon game opened the door to the countless new friends I now have, many of whom came to the Center for the same reason I did.
I am grateful for the many friends who have been there for me throughout my lifetime. I feel eternally blessed to know you all, and I treasure each and every one of you. The hand of true friendship, both invaluable and irreplaceable, isn’t about whom you have known the longest, but who came and never left your side. Sadly for many of us, the value of true friendship is seldom realized until it is lost.
Marilyn Land
GIRLFRIENDS IN MY LIFE
(Author Unknown)
When I was little, I believed in the concept of one best friend
But then I started to become a woman.
I found out that if you allow your heart to open up,
God would show you the best in many friends.
One friend is needed when you’re sorting things out with your man,
Another when you’re sorting things out with your mom.
Another will sit beside you in the bleachers as you cheer on your children,
Another when you want to shop, share, heal, hurt, joke, or just be you.
One friend will say, “Let’s cry together!”
Another, “Let’s work together.”
Another will meet your spiritual needs,
Another your shoe fetish,
Another will share your love for the movies,
Another will be your clarifier,
Another will be by your side in your season of confusion,
Another will be the “wind beneath your wings.”
But whatever their assignment in your life,
On whatever the occasion,
On whatever the day,
Or whenever you need them with you—gym shoes on and hair pulled back
To hold you back from making a complete fool of yourself,
THOSE ARE YOUR BEST FRIENDS!
It may be all wrapped up in one person, but for many, it’s wrapped up in several.
One from childhood
One from 7
th
grade
One from high school
Several from your college years
A few from old jobs
On some days, it may be your mother
On others your daughter
On others your sister
On others your neighbor
But whether they’ve been your friend for twenty minutes or twenty years,
Thank God for the women he has placed in your life to make a difference.
Good friends are like stars—you don’t always see them, but you know they are there!
May there always be work for your hands to do
May your purse always hold a coin or two
May the sun always shine on your windowpane
May a rainbow be certain to follow each rain
May the hand of a friend always be near you
May God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you!
Irish Blessing
A True friend reaches for your hand and touches your heart!
Author Unknown
Nothing but heaven itself is better than a friend who is really a friend!
Plautus
Friends are those rare people who ask how you are and wait for the answer!
Author Unknown
Friends are kisses blown to us by angels!
Author Unknown
There are big ships and small ships, but the best ship of all is friendship!
Author Unknown
A good friend is cheaper than therapy!
Author Unknown
A friend is one of the best things you can have and
one of the best things you can be!
Author Unknown
Acknowledgements
To the
Love of my Life and my best friend,
Jack
—
whose infinite love, support, and influence enabled me to make my dream come true; I owe you big time!
To Phyllis Stern and Ellen DiMeco—No words can thank you enough for your encouragement and support. As the initial readers of
Clattering Sparrows
, reading as I wrote, your comments and enthusiasm were greatly appreciated and spurred me on to the finish line, especially when you called from the airport, work, or anywhere you happened to be to ask when additional chapters would be available.
I would be remiss if I didn’t further acknowledge Phyllis for becoming my greatest advocate ever, and for sharing my passion to get
Clattering Sparrows
published.
To my many and too numerous to mention fellow Mah Jongg players from New England to Florida—I thank each and every one of you from the bottom of my heart for your nonstop inquiries about my manuscript as you waited patiently in anticipation of its publication.
To Selma Alden—my real life Su Ling—goes my deepest gratitude for your beautiful painting of An Lei’s Mahjong Set. Your talent and friendship are truly gifts to be treasured.
Selma Alden specializes in the Human Condition. The relaxing atmosphere of Cape Cod beaches, cafés, and vacation streets are fodder for her brush—many showing her love of people and her sometimes funny and satirical observations of people at leisure.
Working exclusively from her own observations, sketches, and photos, she presents to the public her impression of the amazing world around us.
From the very first Selma Alden painting I saw, I fell in love with her work.
Selma is represented by
Fresh Paint Gallery – Yarmouthport, MA
Chatham Art Gallery – Chatham, MA