Introduction
I have decided to post these stories under a separate posting from the rather lengthy posting of my two weeks in Madison, Wisconsin. Remember my story about Peggy Sue's Cafe from the first ten days of this adventure? When I was in Madison, I had several random interactions that added to my rich and satisfying two week stay. It is important that you read what proceeds this post, because I will be making references to items that I have written about earlier.
It is amazing how these conversations begin:
"Will you take a photo of us?"
"What did you think of the place advertised on your tee shirt?" "I am going there soon."
"You know, I use to play baseball at this park when I was a kid." "So did I."
"Hi, may name is Jay Voss, and I used to live in this house when I was growing up."
I hope that you find these encounters as intriguing as I did.
Tom and Stephanie
Following the Art Fair on Capital Square on July 11, Ann, Sally, and I stopped at quaint little boutique coffee and wine shop on Lakeside Street in Madison. Ann had been here before because the former owners had included the selling of yarn as an incentive to stop and have a cup of coffee or yarn. It is a small, unassuming building from the outside, but when you enter through the doors, you are greeted with a wine bar settled in the midst of rich, dark wood and furnishings. The coffee bar with a sandwich menu is in the back where the place where many students chose to hammer away on their laptops and explore the internet. There is a side door leading on to a pleasant deck that provides a limited tree framed view of Lake Monona. We chose to purchase a glass of wine and found a comfortable table on the deck. At some point, I started to take a few photos of Ann and Sally. The couple sitting next to us offered to take a photo of all three of us. We said yes, and soon we were engaged in an interesting conversation with our new acquaintances, Tom and Stephanie. Somehow are conversation drifted toward the philosophical and Tom was telling us about a book he had just finished focusing on the the theories of thinking of Clare Graves who developed an interesting approach to thinking and problem solving in the 1950s. He was a contemporary of Abraham Maslow who developed a hierarchal theory of human motivation and Lawrence Kohlberg, known for the stages of moral development. These latter theories, I had studied early on in my preparation for the teaching profession. As Tom began to talk about Graves' Theory, I began to wonder if he was a professor at the UW. After all, he had that professorial look; he was enjoying an afternoon with his wife at this comfortable gem of a wine bar, and he was quite articulate. So I asked Tom, what he did for a living. I was intrigued when he said that he and Stephanie owned their own real estate company located not too far from Capital Square and that they had been residents of Madison for some time. In fact, Stephanie was born and raised in Madison. This story is already getting too long, but I was inspired to look up Clare Graves and his theory following this serendipitous meeting. I am not qualified to say anything about the theory, but I found an interesting chart that offered a comparison of this theory with several other theories on why men and women behave the way they do. I considered adding the chart to the blog, but since I could not begin to explain the comparison, I have chosen to give you the website reference instead. Website: http://www.integratedsociopsychology.net/comparison_map.html
As part of the conversation, we also talked about locations in Madison that had meaning for us and Stephanie had much to say about her history and experiences in Madison. It is hard to quantify the significance of meetings like this and others I have had on the trip, but I find them as unexpected pleasures that enhanced my trip significantly. It all started with a request for a photo.
I have decided to post these stories under a separate posting from the rather lengthy posting of my two weeks in Madison, Wisconsin. Remember my story about Peggy Sue's Cafe from the first ten days of this adventure? When I was in Madison, I had several random interactions that added to my rich and satisfying two week stay. It is important that you read what proceeds this post, because I will be making references to items that I have written about earlier.
It is amazing how these conversations begin:
"Will you take a photo of us?"
"What did you think of the place advertised on your tee shirt?" "I am going there soon."
"You know, I use to play baseball at this park when I was a kid." "So did I."
"Hi, may name is Jay Voss, and I used to live in this house when I was growing up."
I hope that you find these encounters as intriguing as I did.
Tom and Stephanie
Following the Art Fair on Capital Square on July 11, Ann, Sally, and I stopped at quaint little boutique coffee and wine shop on Lakeside Street in Madison. Ann had been here before because the former owners had included the selling of yarn as an incentive to stop and have a cup of coffee or yarn. It is a small, unassuming building from the outside, but when you enter through the doors, you are greeted with a wine bar settled in the midst of rich, dark wood and furnishings. The coffee bar with a sandwich menu is in the back where the place where many students chose to hammer away on their laptops and explore the internet. There is a side door leading on to a pleasant deck that provides a limited tree framed view of Lake Monona. We chose to purchase a glass of wine and found a comfortable table on the deck. At some point, I started to take a few photos of Ann and Sally. The couple sitting next to us offered to take a photo of all three of us. We said yes, and soon we were engaged in an interesting conversation with our new acquaintances, Tom and Stephanie. Somehow are conversation drifted toward the philosophical and Tom was telling us about a book he had just finished focusing on the the theories of thinking of Clare Graves who developed an interesting approach to thinking and problem solving in the 1950s. He was a contemporary of Abraham Maslow who developed a hierarchal theory of human motivation and Lawrence Kohlberg, known for the stages of moral development. These latter theories, I had studied early on in my preparation for the teaching profession. As Tom began to talk about Graves' Theory, I began to wonder if he was a professor at the UW. After all, he had that professorial look; he was enjoying an afternoon with his wife at this comfortable gem of a wine bar, and he was quite articulate. So I asked Tom, what he did for a living. I was intrigued when he said that he and Stephanie owned their own real estate company located not too far from Capital Square and that they had been residents of Madison for some time. In fact, Stephanie was born and raised in Madison. This story is already getting too long, but I was inspired to look up Clare Graves and his theory following this serendipitous meeting. I am not qualified to say anything about the theory, but I found an interesting chart that offered a comparison of this theory with several other theories on why men and women behave the way they do. I considered adding the chart to the blog, but since I could not begin to explain the comparison, I have chosen to give you the website reference instead. Website: http://www.integratedsociopsychology.net/comparison_map.html
As part of the conversation, we also talked about locations in Madison that had meaning for us and Stephanie had much to say about her history and experiences in Madison. It is hard to quantify the significance of meetings like this and others I have had on the trip, but I find them as unexpected pleasures that enhanced my trip significantly. It all started with a request for a photo.
Haley of Victor Allen's Coffee Shop on Monroe Street
I think it was the second day, I went to Victor Allen's, my coffee shop of choice on Monroe Street. There are several on this terrific street in Madison, which has developed its own unique and attractive culture since the years when I use to ride my bike down to get my haircut at Art's Barber Shop or stop at Rennebohm's Drug Store for a cherry coke at the fountain.
On this day, I approached the barista to order a cup of coffee and a bagel. Her name is Haley and she wasted little time asking me about Mackinac Island advertised on the front of my tee shirt. She said she was going to spend some time there in the near future and wondered what it was like. This was connection number one. I proceeded to tell her about my visit there and the enjoyable bike ride I took on the island. I asked her if she was in college? She said she had just graduated from high school and was going to attend the UW. A second connection. I asked her where she went to High School? She said Edgewood and now there was a third connection. At some point, she told me she spent the first 9 or 10 years of her life in western CT, a fourth connection. She has grandparents in Thomaston and Wilton and lived in Waterbury through Grade 4 when her dad took a job in Madison. I hope I have all those facts right, but she told me was going to be in Connecticut soon to visit her grandparents.
Haley, perhaps we will meet on the streets of Danbury or you could try out the Starbuck's in New Fairfield. At any rate, Haley welcomed me with her great smile many of the subsequent mornings that I stopped at Victor Allen's during the rest of my stay in Madison. Who would have thought that a bright colored tee shirt with logo could start a conversation. I will probably never see Haley again, but she is now one of the treasured serendipitous stories I encountered on my trip.
I think it was the second day, I went to Victor Allen's, my coffee shop of choice on Monroe Street. There are several on this terrific street in Madison, which has developed its own unique and attractive culture since the years when I use to ride my bike down to get my haircut at Art's Barber Shop or stop at Rennebohm's Drug Store for a cherry coke at the fountain.
On this day, I approached the barista to order a cup of coffee and a bagel. Her name is Haley and she wasted little time asking me about Mackinac Island advertised on the front of my tee shirt. She said she was going to spend some time there in the near future and wondered what it was like. This was connection number one. I proceeded to tell her about my visit there and the enjoyable bike ride I took on the island. I asked her if she was in college? She said she had just graduated from high school and was going to attend the UW. A second connection. I asked her where she went to High School? She said Edgewood and now there was a third connection. At some point, she told me she spent the first 9 or 10 years of her life in western CT, a fourth connection. She has grandparents in Thomaston and Wilton and lived in Waterbury through Grade 4 when her dad took a job in Madison. I hope I have all those facts right, but she told me was going to be in Connecticut soon to visit her grandparents.
Haley, perhaps we will meet on the streets of Danbury or you could try out the Starbuck's in New Fairfield. At any rate, Haley welcomed me with her great smile many of the subsequent mornings that I stopped at Victor Allen's during the rest of my stay in Madison. Who would have thought that a bright colored tee shirt with logo could start a conversation. I will probably never see Haley again, but she is now one of the treasured serendipitous stories I encountered on my trip.
Joe and His Dog on a Walk in Wingra Park
On one of those days when I was sitting and observing activities at Wingra Park, my reverie was interrupted by a dog that ran by my comfortable park bench and sort of surprised me. When I looked in the direction from where the dog came, I saw a man who looked about my age carrying a leash for the dog. He walked up the knoll where the bench was located. We exchanged hellos and he started down the the other side of the knoll. One of us, I cannot remember who, remarked about how nice the park was. I told him that I was surprised at how many different activities were happening in the park at that very moment. I said that I used to play a lot of baseball in this park when I was a kid. He told me his name was Joe K. and I recognized the last name. He had graduated from Edgewood High School in 1959, I in 1961. We knew many of the same people and recalled some of the old ball teams like Sweeney's Shamrocks and the Cuba Club that graced the playing fields at this park so many years ago. We also shared some information about people we knew in common at Edgewood. I asked if I could take his photo and told him about this blog. Hope he gets a chance to look at. I wish I had captured a picture of his dog, but I missed the boat there. This encounter lasted about five minutes, but it was one more case on this trip when I was lifted up by an unexpected meeting with someone just passing by.
On one of those days when I was sitting and observing activities at Wingra Park, my reverie was interrupted by a dog that ran by my comfortable park bench and sort of surprised me. When I looked in the direction from where the dog came, I saw a man who looked about my age carrying a leash for the dog. He walked up the knoll where the bench was located. We exchanged hellos and he started down the the other side of the knoll. One of us, I cannot remember who, remarked about how nice the park was. I told him that I was surprised at how many different activities were happening in the park at that very moment. I said that I used to play a lot of baseball in this park when I was a kid. He told me his name was Joe K. and I recognized the last name. He had graduated from Edgewood High School in 1959, I in 1961. We knew many of the same people and recalled some of the old ball teams like Sweeney's Shamrocks and the Cuba Club that graced the playing fields at this park so many years ago. We also shared some information about people we knew in common at Edgewood. I asked if I could take his photo and told him about this blog. Hope he gets a chance to look at. I wish I had captured a picture of his dog, but I missed the boat there. This encounter lasted about five minutes, but it was one more case on this trip when I was lifted up by an unexpected meeting with someone just passing by.
Theresa and Brian of Euclid Ave.
This last story may take a bit longer to tell. It started with my attendance at 8:00 AM Mass at Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic Church located just a block away from the home where I spent 17 of the first 24 years of my life. I love returning to this Church of my youth. I have found that the culture of the Church has developed into a people centered community supporting the kind of openness inspired by the current Pope, Francis. Its first iteration was constructed in the 1950s and I served many weekdays, Sundays and holy days on the altar. In recent years, they renovated the Church by moving the altar from what is today the back of the Church to what is today the front of the church. My Mom attended this Church all the years that she lived in Westmorland. She experienced the structural and cultural changes over time and was not reticent about commenting on the changes. Her funeral was at this Church back in the winter of 2002. Ironically, she had spent many years singing in the Funeral Choir at the Church. I have included a photo of the inside of the Church and a photo of Fr. Nolan who said Mass. It is a contemporary architecture, perhaps ahead of its time in the 50s, but now perhaps fitting the definition of classic contemporary, if such a designation exists.
So, on this particular, day Mass ended and I walked out to the parking lot. I decided to drive by my former home just to see if anyone was outside. In recent visits to Madison, I have always driven by the house a few times, but have never had the courage to go up to the door and introduce myself. This morning, I saw that the front door was open and because this is the trip where my goal is to initiate conversations with people I have never met, I decided to turn the car around and go back and knock on the door. As I pulled up, Brian E. was leaving the house on his way to Church. I walked up to him and introduced myself and said that I had lived in this house for 17 years. He was very pleasant, but needed to be on his way. He told me his wife would be happy to talk with me.
As we were chatting, his wife, Theresa came running out of the house and asked if I was a Voss? I said yes, and she went on to tell me that they were hoping to meet me or my sister, Lynn, someday. She told me stories about when they bought the house from my Mom, and how gracious she was to them. She invited me in and gave me the grand tour and described in great detail what they had remodeled and what they had not changed. The kitchen was different, but the living, dining, and what my family called, the "Back Room," looked pretty much the same. She told me that they used the fire place, something we never did in my 17 years of living there. I was able to see my bedroom and the rest of the upstairs, including my parents' and sister's room. They had expanded the rather small upstairs bathroom to be a bit larger by borrowing space from my sister's room. However, the changes still left the majority of the second floor looking as it did when we lived there.
She showed me the basement where my Dad had done some tiling and painting, a room where our family played a lot of ping pong and where I would sing along with Buddy Holly and Roy Orbison to the 45 records playing on my small record player. Theresa and Brian had turned the basement into a "Man Cave" dedicated to the Green Bay Packers. Theresa told me that when they put up the new wall they wrote my Mom's name on the original wall. She related to me a number of stories that day about my Mom and how much she meant to them when they moved in over 20 years ago. We took photos in front of the fire place and outside in front of the house.
It was a thrilling beginning to my last Sunday in Madison. My sister, Lynn, her husband, Paul, and I joined our cousin Paula for breakfast at the "Egg and I" where I shared the story of this wonderful morning with all of them. It was a day of family heritage. Paula has done a lot of work tracing the genealogy of our family, and she gave me some print outs about the Voss and Kunz family that added to the family remembrance of this morning. I cannot tell you what a thrill all of this was.
This last story may take a bit longer to tell. It started with my attendance at 8:00 AM Mass at Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic Church located just a block away from the home where I spent 17 of the first 24 years of my life. I love returning to this Church of my youth. I have found that the culture of the Church has developed into a people centered community supporting the kind of openness inspired by the current Pope, Francis. Its first iteration was constructed in the 1950s and I served many weekdays, Sundays and holy days on the altar. In recent years, they renovated the Church by moving the altar from what is today the back of the Church to what is today the front of the church. My Mom attended this Church all the years that she lived in Westmorland. She experienced the structural and cultural changes over time and was not reticent about commenting on the changes. Her funeral was at this Church back in the winter of 2002. Ironically, she had spent many years singing in the Funeral Choir at the Church. I have included a photo of the inside of the Church and a photo of Fr. Nolan who said Mass. It is a contemporary architecture, perhaps ahead of its time in the 50s, but now perhaps fitting the definition of classic contemporary, if such a designation exists.
So, on this particular, day Mass ended and I walked out to the parking lot. I decided to drive by my former home just to see if anyone was outside. In recent visits to Madison, I have always driven by the house a few times, but have never had the courage to go up to the door and introduce myself. This morning, I saw that the front door was open and because this is the trip where my goal is to initiate conversations with people I have never met, I decided to turn the car around and go back and knock on the door. As I pulled up, Brian E. was leaving the house on his way to Church. I walked up to him and introduced myself and said that I had lived in this house for 17 years. He was very pleasant, but needed to be on his way. He told me his wife would be happy to talk with me.
As we were chatting, his wife, Theresa came running out of the house and asked if I was a Voss? I said yes, and she went on to tell me that they were hoping to meet me or my sister, Lynn, someday. She told me stories about when they bought the house from my Mom, and how gracious she was to them. She invited me in and gave me the grand tour and described in great detail what they had remodeled and what they had not changed. The kitchen was different, but the living, dining, and what my family called, the "Back Room," looked pretty much the same. She told me that they used the fire place, something we never did in my 17 years of living there. I was able to see my bedroom and the rest of the upstairs, including my parents' and sister's room. They had expanded the rather small upstairs bathroom to be a bit larger by borrowing space from my sister's room. However, the changes still left the majority of the second floor looking as it did when we lived there.
She showed me the basement where my Dad had done some tiling and painting, a room where our family played a lot of ping pong and where I would sing along with Buddy Holly and Roy Orbison to the 45 records playing on my small record player. Theresa and Brian had turned the basement into a "Man Cave" dedicated to the Green Bay Packers. Theresa told me that when they put up the new wall they wrote my Mom's name on the original wall. She related to me a number of stories that day about my Mom and how much she meant to them when they moved in over 20 years ago. We took photos in front of the fire place and outside in front of the house.
It was a thrilling beginning to my last Sunday in Madison. My sister, Lynn, her husband, Paul, and I joined our cousin Paula for breakfast at the "Egg and I" where I shared the story of this wonderful morning with all of them. It was a day of family heritage. Paula has done a lot of work tracing the genealogy of our family, and she gave me some print outs about the Voss and Kunz family that added to the family remembrance of this morning. I cannot tell you what a thrill all of this was.
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