INDIVIDUAL SESSIONS WITH THE TATOR WANNABES - Chapter Thirty Three

INDIVIDUAL SESSIONS WITH THE TATOR WANNABES

SAM

Patria and I planned to see each applicant for an average of twenty minutes, and we started with Jack. We encouraged the others to simply deepen their connecting skills by moseying until we held our final full session. 

Jack arrived at the teacher’s lounge at 9:00 am. I began, “Well, Jack, tell us whether or not you think your $10,000 was well spent this week?”

“For me, personally and even professionally, I believe it was. For my firm and its client, probably not.” He took a minute to look me in the eye and then Patria, then, with a bit of questioning in his own eyes, he said. “Now, I do want to tell you who I was working for; it was for the Norse family.” Patria looked puzzled, and it took me a minute or two to recognize the name Norse, and when I did, I looked at Jack in amazement and a bunch of mixed emotions – anger, fear, confusion, and I don’t know what all. He told us about Danny and Ella’s tramway incident.  He had not seen the video of the incident nor the meeting we had with the Norse’s and the family. “The parents of Bruno wanted me to find out what kind of cultish school Danny Sherman and Ella Haloran went to that had cultivated such violent behavior.” He smiled, looked at each of us, and chuckled. I asked him if he would stay a few minutes after we finished with our interviews with the others, so he could see the videos. He said he would do that. “Patria, do you remember me telling you about it last fall, just before Thanksgiving?” I turned back to Jack, “So, Jack, what kind of dirt did you discover about our violence-prone outfit?” Patria nodded and added that she wanted to know too.

“I’ve been mulling that over all last evening and most of the night, and I’m still not sure what I will report. I’m thinking of following your philosophy of simply telling them about my experience this week, but I am quite sure they will have a hard time understanding and believing me. They live in a completely superficial world, both personally and professionally. I had learned that Mother Norse had inquired about enrolling the daughter, and possibly the son, in a Smiles school last year, but withdrew when she learned that both parents would have to waste their time attending a six-week parenting class. So, I knew your school was a ‘dangerous’ outfit.”

Patria said, “So, Jack, what are you going to tell them? How about thanking them for bankrolling your tuition so you could attend a wonderful course that is helping you become a genuine caring person?” Jack chuckled and said he’d think about it while he waited to see the videos.

Patria and I had looked over our roster earlier and agreed that the three alumni of the Two Thousand Smiles schools were ‘shoo-ins’ as tators, and we hoped they would be available when the new school opened in the Fall. We asked them which of the six remaining applicants they would enjoy working with. There was one man and two women who they thought needed to work on their self-esteem, and they encouraged us to tell them about a group of two that they had found personally helpful. Two needed to work on being more assertive and bolder, and not wait for others to take the lead. And then there was Chet. All three agreed that they had finally begun to like him and said that he just needed to get more immersed in the non-hierarchical way of being with his fellow tators, if he was chosen to be one. Both Patria and I were amazed to find that the three Smiles graduates were definitely on the same page as we were, and we told them so. We followed their suggestions and made similar recommendations to our remaining interviewees.

Before we had our final group gathering, we met with Chet. In his jovial way, Chet sat down and said, “I think I’m the last of our group. And I hope I am last but not least.” He chuckled a bit nervously and looked at each of us in anticipation. Patria sat more formally in her chair, cleared her throat, and judiciously said, “Well, Chester Gorman, we believe…” She was working hard to keep from laughing while Chet sat there looking worried…”You will make a very good…” Again, she hesitated and kept looking stern, then broke down giggling…” and wonderful tator!” She stood up and stepped over to Chet and put her hands out, palms up, motioning him to get up. Chet jumped up, and they hugged. His smile was back, and he was glowing. “Wow, you had me going there, Patria.” He gently pushed her back and then pulled her back for another hug.

Patria said, “We think you will do well, but we also think you need to do more to immerse yourself in the humanistic kind of thinking. We’ll give you a list of books we think you'll like that will help you grow, and we’d like you to visit one or two of our Smiles schools and workshops. I liked what you said to Jack about jumping over the canyon.

Chet went to join the rest of the group, and Patria, and I showed Jack the video of Danny, Ella, and the Norris family. Jack kept shaking his head, muttering tsk, tsks, as the three of us sat there and watched the videos. I watched Jack closely as he was mesmerized by the two videos. As I turned the video player off, he took a deep breath and exclaimed, “Well, that was certainly a different picture from the one they presented to my associate and me at our office. Thanks for showing it to me and the Norse’s did see these videos, did they not?” I nodded, and he added, “Well, it makes it easier for me to talk to them now. Thank you.”

So now, let’s join the others and celebrate being alive. Are you up for that, Jack?”

“Definitely, and feeling better than I have in years – maybe in my life!” 

IS OUR QUEST FOR A SCHOOL OF SMILES PIE IN THE SKY? - Chapter Thirty Two

IS OUR QUEST FOR A SCHOOL OF SMILES PIE IN THE SKY?

SAM

I was glad to see and hear the easy chatter among the participants as we gathered on Friday morning. When we all sat down, I asked them to stand back up. “I’m glad to see you all relaxed and at ease with one another this morning and to celebrate our newfound freedom. Now, let’s sing this song from our childhoods, at least some of our childhoods”. I held out my hands and began, “When you’re happy, and you know it, clap your hands… and on down the line…Nod your heads, etc.” We all laughed and moved like little kids.

When we finished and sat down, I asked, “How many of you begin your workday with the same lighthearted feelings you have right now?” They all gave me an 'oh brother’ kind of look and shook their heads. “So, living and working and doing whatever we’ve felt compelled to be doing, is serious business, isn’t it?” I looked around the circle I saw questions on every face. “So now, tell me what you thought and more importantly, what you felt, as you read ‘Einstein’s’ letter. Who wants to start?” 

Jack chuckled and said, “As I was reading the letter, I thought about giving a copy to the judge and to an opposing attorney, and now, I’m thinking it would be delightful to ask everyone in the courtroom to join me in that silly song and dance we just did.” He grinned and looked around at all of us and added, “Of course, the judge would immediately order the bailiff to throw me in jail or something. We have really created a gloomy world; one based on insecurity, gloom, and fear, haven’t we?”

Patria said, “Unfortunately, we have. The letter stated that love is always and everywhere a force in the universe and here on earth, and if so, it sure isn’t evident to me, and really was not evident outside my home as I was growing up.” She looked over at oue sole black fellow and said, “Ted, you felt an awful lot of fear and anger in your life, did you not?” Ted nodded, and Patria continued, “So if God is love, he/she needs to get busy and stir up the soup of life and force-feed some folks, don’t you think?” She chuckled, and most of the rest of us joined her.  Ted said that his mother had really opened her heart to love and was the one who ‘saved’ him, i.e., gave him hope.

Susan, another graduate of a Smiles school, shared, “When I read the letter, I did think of my experiences in Smiles school, and I wished that all schools were like that. I read that Finland’s schools are like smiles, nurturing students and engaging them. Does anyone know about, or even visit, Finland?” 

No one answered Susan about Finland but David, a dark-compected fellow who was an immigrant from India, spoke up, “I read that Einstein did not write that letter but that it did reflect his thinking. And I like to think that humanity's evolution is heading in that direction. And I think we, at least most of us humans, are stuck in the ‘survival of the fittest’ phase of human evolution. I’m amazed at how many parents and teachers here and in India still believe that punishment is the only way to correct incorrect behavior – not just mean behavior, but simply incorrect behavior.” 

I responded to David, “And, David, what did you feel as you read it - beyond what you think?” I looked at everyone in the group and added, “I believe we put too much emphasis on thinking and not enough on feelings and emotions – they are what motivates behavior, more than just our thoughts.”

Della, an African American woman whom I learned was my cohort student Joe Jackson’s aunt and who currently lived with Joe’s family, spoke up. “Joe, my nephew, read it – beautifully, I may add – out loud, and his mother was upset by it. She shouted at Joe, ‘Hey, Son, is that Sam guy trying to pump more religion into you? I want to go see him right now before school starts up again,’ I didn’t see it that way at all. Joe’s mom is ten years older than me, and believes her strength is in her feistiness, but in reality, she is a very loving person, so she does reflect that letter’s power of love. When she calmed down, we had quite a good discussion about the power of love, and damned if my sis didn’t break down in tears when I told her I thought she was one of the most loving people in the world. We both think that organized religion’s insistence on teaching that we are all low-down sinners is just plain wrong. So, I thank you, Sam, for giving me that letter.” We all gave Della a round of applause.

We had not heard from Chet, our wise old man, so I asked him, “Hey Chet, you’re being very quiet. What’s going on in that not-so-old head of yours>”

“I’m thinking of that word, ‘love’, and trying to recall if I ever heard it talked about as a force in any way. In my years of teaching, I often felt a bit guilty that I was not following the dictates of my education professors, who said things like, ‘Don’t smile ’til Christmas.’ Anyway, when I got home last evening, my granddaughter was entertaining our church pastor and waiting for me. I had resumed attending a church after Maggie died, and I liked the pastor. I invited him to stay for dinner. I handed my Einstein letter to Cindy and asked her to share it with the Reverend while I ran out and got some food for us. When I got back with three Kentucky Fried Chicken dinners, they were deep into a discussion about the letter. The pastor said, ‘You know, Chet, I think that could be the kind of letter Jesus would give if he were living now. Whoever the author is, he is saying the same thing Jesus was teaching  - God is love, is he not?” Chet looked over at Della and added, “Don’t tell your sister what I said. I don’t want to kill her enthusiasm for this letter.”

I shared my ideas on the five phases of human development and told my ten ‘apostles’ that we wanted our graduates to be well into the fifth, or maturity phase, when they left us. We continued our lively study of maturity, as I had outlined it. I didn’t tell them I planned to email the letter to my cohort, but I asked them what they thought about sharing it with a bunch of fifth graders.

https://anewworldofhope.blogspot.com/2026/02/school-of-two-thousand-smileschapter_23.html

Chet replied, “I don’t think the fifth graders I taught years ago would understand it in any kind of depth, but I think my granddaughter and her brother would. Their mother, my daughter, says she wants her kids to be free thinkers and to be truly educated in their younger years and not be simply indoctrinated as we all were.” Three or four participants weren’t sure what he meant, and a lively discussion resulted. I especially liked Patria’s idea of seeing love as an invisible force surrounding us like the air we breathe, and that we need to learn to inhale it. Someone wondered if the Star Wars screenwriter was thinking this when he or she wrote, “May the Force be with you?” We all nodded and chuckled, and at the end of the day, we greeted one another with “May the Force be with you.”

EINSTEIN’S IDEAS ON LOVE - Chapter Thirty One

EINSTEIN’S IDEAS ON LOVE

SAM

I'm sending this early as an Easter 'present'.

Below is a copy of a letter often attributed to Albert Einstein. While many scholars debate its authenticity, those close to him have noted that these sentiments align with the great man’s deeper philosophies. Regardless of its origin, Jerry Haloran—the founder and leader of the Two Thousand Smiles movement—believes these ideas perfectly reflect the school's core values.

Please read this letter, contemplate its message, and note the specific ideas that resonate most with you. I hope you will discuss these ideas for Easter!

In the late 1980s, Einstein’s daughter, Lieserl, reportedly donated 1,400 of his letters to Hebrew University with the condition that they remain unpublished for two decades after his death. This is said to be one of them:

When I proposed the theory of relativity, very few understood me. What I reveal now to mankind will also collide with the misunderstanding and prejudice of the world.

There is an extremely powerful force for which science has yet to find a formal explanation. It is a force that includes and governs all others; it is the moving power behind every phenomenon in the universe, yet it remains unidentified by us. This universal force is LOVE.

When scientists searched for a unified theory of the universe, they forgot this most powerful unseen force. Love is light, for it enlightens those who give and receive it. Love is gravity, because it makes people feel attracted to one another. Love is power, because it multiplies the best we have and prevents humanity from being extinguished by their evolutionary inherited viciousness and current blind selfishness.

Love unfolds and reveals. For love, we live and die. Love is God, and God is Love. This force explains everything and gives life meaning. It is the variable we have ignored for far too long—perhaps because we are afraid of it, as it is the only energy in the universe that man has not learned to drive at will.

To give visibility to love, I made a simple substitution in my most famous equation. Instead of E=mc2, we might accept that the energy to heal the world can be obtained by multiplying love by the speed of light squared. We conclude that love is the most powerful force because it has no limits. After humanity’s failure to control the other forces of the universe that have turned against us, it is urgent that we nourish ourselves with a different kind of energy.

If we want our species to survive, if we are to find meaning in life, and if we want to save the world and every sentient being that inhabits it, love is the one and only answer. Perhaps we are not yet ready to make a "bomb of love"—a device powerful enough to entirely destroy the hate, selfishness, and greed that could devest  ate the planet. 

HOWEVER, EACH INDIVIDUAL CARRIES WITHIN THEM A SMALL BUT POWERFUL GENERATOR OF LOVE WHOSE ENERGY IS  WAITING TO BE RELEASED. 

When we learn to give and receive this universal energy, dear Liesel, we will have affirmed that love conquers all and can transcend everything, because love is the quintessence of life. I deeply regret not having been able to express what is in my heart, and which has been quietly beating for you all my life. Maybe it’s too late to apologize, but as time is relative, I need to tell you that I love you. Thanks to you, I have reached the ultimate answer! 

Your Father, 

Albert Einstein

PATRIA’S QUARTET CONTINUES AND GROWS - Chapter Thirty

PATRIA’S QUARTET CONTINUES AND GROWS

The afternoon session began with Jack asking Chet about his teaching history. Chet shared that he had spent two years volunteering at a Catholic boys' school. He revealed that while he initially liked the rigidity, but he soon learned that he was in a role more like a policeman than a teacher.

“There was a rule for everything,” Chet said. “It took me weeks to realize I was feeling fear nearly all the time and that 'my' students were too. Some students found fun by picking on weaker kids or annoying the staff, and I hated the gulf between the boys and me. I was told that was just the way it had been for centuries. I guess I believed that for a while.”

I tried to steer him back to his feelings, but he raised a hand in a “stop” gesture. “Patria, this is important. I visited my nephew in San Jose, and his kids were so eager to get to school—it was like me going to Disneyland for the first time. The school was called Two Thousand Smiles. Damn it, I want to spend my later years being a ‘Tator.’ That’s what those kids called their teachers.”

He sat back and took a deep breath, but he wasn’t finished. “So, Jack, what’s your story? I took a leap from retired teacher to Tator. How are you going to jump your Grand Canyon? How do you go from being a shyster lawyer to a humanistic Tator?”

The three of us looked at Jack. He looked defensive as he replied, “Well, Chet, I’m going to learn how to run and jump faster than I ever have. Until this week, I thought my greatest achievement was arguing a case before the Supreme Court. Now I see it was just a sideways movement. Becoming a genuinely loving person—that is jumping the canyon.”

Chet asked, “Did you win the case before the Supremes?”

Before Jack could answer, I jumped in. “Don’t answer that, Jack. It’ll put us off track. Our goal is to know one another better. But tell us, Jack, what is your biggest hurdle to becoming a more loving person?”

“I’ve realized that being truly loving isn’t just about learning new words or actions,” Jack said. “It’s about changing how we experience life and connecting with others. Kathy used the word ‘resonate,’ and I like that. If I want to be ‘real,’ I need to resonate with you. I left here yesterday feeling confused and resentful, thinking you all looked down on me.” He smiled tentatively. “I was more afraid of you three than I was of nine Supreme Court Justices.”

We all laughed, and he continued, “Now, I’m realizing I’m afraid of myself—that maybe I’m incapable of being real.”

Sensing it was time to shift the spotlight, I turned to Kathy. “How do you feel about us, Kathy? Me as your new Tator, Jack our not-so-shy ‘shyster’ lawyer and our grumpy Grandpa Chet?”

Chet chuckled. “Wow, Patria—shyster and grumpy! Are we doomed?” He grinned, clearly enjoying the exchange. “I think I’ll like the give-and-take of being a Tator much more than being a disciplinarian with thirty energetic kids. By the way, how many kids are in each cohort and class?”

“Last non-personal question,” I answered. “Ten per cohort and twenty per class. Each Tator is assigned two of each. Now, back to Kathy: what do you feel about me as your Tator?”

“I think you’re courageous to take on these two hard-headed gentlemen,” Kathy said. “I like how you encounter them without threats. My only experience with fear-based education was in college; I was surprised to find I was more fearless than classmates who had dealt with it for twelve years.”

I nodded my thanks, and Kathy turned to Chet. “Today, Chet, you remind me of my favorite grandpa—kind, funny, and pleasant. I’m starting to like you as I get past those outer walls we all put up.” She then turned to Jack. “Jack, do your daughters look forward to seeing you when you pick them up?”

Jack looked at the ceiling for a long moment. “Yes—if they know we’re going to Universal Studios or some other kid-friendly place. I think anyone with a car would do.” He turned back to Chet. “Maybe your granddaughter could give me a few lessons. Hey, would you and your granddaughter join my daughters and me for an outing? Could we make that happen?”

“You two can talk about that at the break,” I interrupted. “Kathy, thank you for questioning these old—and increasingly nice—guys.”

We continued exploring our connections until the session ended, we then rejoined the larger group. Sam asked the circle, “Our intention for these four-person groups was to achieve the intimacy we hope our students will experience in a month. Are we achieving that?”

Kathy jumped in enthusiastically. “I definitely experienced a connection. We went from antagonists to friends in only four days. Thank you, Patria.” Jack and Chet both nodded in agreement.

Sam then distributed copies of a letter that was supposedly written by Albert Einstein to his daughter. “We’ll discuss this tomorrow,” Sam said. We had decided it was important to ground our philosophy in the spirit of the great scientist, even if the ideas were contained in a fictitious letter.

A QUARRELSOME QUARTET–Chapter Twenty Nine

PATRIA – In first person – A QUARRELSOME QUARTET

“I hope that you are noticing that I am looking each one of you in the eyes and using your first names. From the first day of school, we use our first names and ask the students to do the same. We hope they do that in their own families, but we don’t ask about that. And I imagine you are, at least a little bit, wondering why we chose you to be in a foursome with me.” I silently looked at each one, and I could see the questioning in their eyes. “I chose you, Chet, to be in the group with Jack because you two would be the hardest nuts to crack.”

They glanced at each other questioningly and smiled. Before they could talk back, I went on, “And Kathy, I thought we could use your easy smile and experience having attended a school like Two Thousand Smiles. So, Chet, you look like you are about to burst. What is your good word or question?”

Chet put on a rather stern face and said, “Now, listen here, Young Lady…”

Before he could say another word, I said, “Drop that ‘young lady’ kind of shit, Chet. My name is Patria, and I prefer, and…”

Chet, just as firmly, interrupted me, “And you said I would be a hard nut to crack. My name is Chet, so there.”

“Touché, Chet, I was wrong to say that, and I should have said that we thought that your many years of teaching would make it more difficult to reinvent yourself as an informal and supportive facilitator than those in a younger generation. Is that better?” 

“Yes, much better, and I agree with you, and I like it much better than being seen as a ‘hard nut to crack’.” He smiled.

Jack chuckled, “And now, Patria, what kind of nut do you see me being, and why do you see me as one that is hard to crack? Oh, and thanks, Chet, for standing up for us.” 

I chuckled and responded, “Okay, Jack, if you are like every other lawyer I’ve ever met or read about, you have spent several years around folks who talk in a language that is quite impersonal and one that most of us don’t fully understand, and  I think puts a wall between us. And damnit, I should not have said that – it is not an I-Thou way of talking. So, Jack, I would like to get to know you and for you to get to know me. “ I turned to Kathy and felt more relaxed as I said, “Now, Kathy, please tell us what you are thinking and feeling right now.”

“I’m overwhelmed. I worked  and played at Two Thousand Smiles for 13 years, and I didn't feel that much tension until college. Wow, I’m glad you are with me, Patria. I would never have dared to even talk to Jack or Chet. I’m still not sure I want to get to know you guys.”

Chet reached over and put a hand over Kathy’s right hand, “I’m sorry to hear you say that. Kathy. I have two daughters about your age, 32 and 33, and I hope they are not feeling the way you are now. I’ll have to check. What can I tell you that will put me back into your good graces – or maybe get me into your good graces.”

“Now you’re talking like a damn old fool, Chet,” Jack muttered.

I nearly shouted, “Wow! I could never imagine we would start off so… oh… off-putting. Thanks for being so honest, Kathy. And Chet. Now, I know you are a grandpa. Tell me what I can do to get to know you better - as a person who wants to get back into the classroom.”

“I guess the best thing you can do is just encourage me and to correct me when I talk like a know-it-all old man. All three of you are younger than me, and I really don’t know how to be friends with people younger than me, other than knowing them in their roles. That Martin Buber, fellow, I guess, did know how to just be himself, but I don’t think I do.

“Are you just being yourself when you are with your wife?”  

Chet dragged a handkerchief out of his pocket and dabbed at a few tears, “Oh shit, I can’t be with my wife. She died three years ago.” He put his head down and murmured, “I’m sorry.”

I felt relieved and glad that Chet shared that, “Well, Chet, I’m not. Thank you. Now I’m getting to know you. And how are you doing? Three years isn’t very long. And are you living alone now?”

Chet took his hanky away from his face, glanced at me as if I were an old friend, “One of my granddaughters is staying with me, and she is a delightful companion. Maybe I can start talking with you like I talk with her.”

Kathy reached over and put a hand on his arm, “Please do, I think I would like to be your granddaughter.”

Again, Chet dragged his handkerchief out of his pocket and, through his tears, muttered, “Thanks, Kathy. Do you have living grandparents?”

“Yes, all four of them. My mom’s folks live in Colorado, and my dad’s live up in Riverside County. I get to see both pairs about once a month. The Colorado ones talk more I-Thou-ish than the other two. So, Jack, do you have kids and if so, how old are they?”

Jack first gave Kathy a ‘none-of-your-business’ kind of look, then caught himself, smiled, and said, “Yes, two daughters, and I see them almost every week.” He saw the questioning looks on the three of us and went on, “I’m divorced because my wife got tired of me being such a dick who spent more time being a big shot attorney than a real life person who didn’t have time or, maybe the desire, to be with them.” He did look a bit ashamed of himself and looked the three of us in the eyes and added, “Maybe you three can help me learn how to be with, I mean, really ‘with’ them in a more, ah, oh yeah, I – Thou kind of way.  Oh, and they are both girls, ten and thirteen.”

I said, “Hey, I like you better already. Thank you, Jack.” Kathy and Chet joined me and acknowledged Jack’s openness.  I was hungry, and I looked at my watch. My stomach was on time. “So, Julie has set up a nice lunch for us, so let’s take a break. I’m glad that we are ending our morning better than we started.” I didn’t say a word about sitting together, but we all sat down at the same small table and were served lunch. I explained to my quartet that the Smiles students were served lunch by a senior person every school day, and two big brothers and/or sisters sat down with four students, and that the dining hall was relatively quiet during the school year.