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(And remember also to include how we traveled to different such schools throughout the region.  And the one which I still remember - was more of a ranch with horses and cattle. And the director of this school talked with me some and said that their home (he did not call it a school) focused on development of the "student" - he did not say "child" and that I would be going to the local public school, that they they took their boys to the school and picked them up after school. And that then the boys got to play some, ride the horse which was assigned to them, and then there was some time for soccer games before we cleaned up for dinner. Then after the meal we all gathered into the study halls (they were arranged by age/grade) and we would take two hours to study and that they, he and their counselors would be there to help and tutor us.

I did like the sound of it, especially the horses. Because I already knew how to ride horses and quite well I will add. Because when we lived in Manhattan I got to take riding lesson but these riding methods was the "English style" where we learned how to "post". Many years later I learned what what REAL MEN do when riding a horse. They ride "western style!" and they learn to barrel race and coral orinary cattle and many other such things. This was when I spent two whole long summers at Ranch Roy-L near Jonesboro, MO. The place was huge, several thousands of acres which as many cattle. And each boy was also assigned "a horse." We each also had "duties" and one of mine was to go to the large concrete outdoor floor where I leaned to "turn the seed over" in row after row to allow the sunshine to dry the seeds. And I got to those barns and returned by the horse I ahd been "assigned," I will add a photo I have kept with me on my horse in front of a large barn. 

Back to the ranch-school. I kind of liked the idea - especially the activities that I would have after scool. This time was when I around 12 and I really didn't care one way of another about the school part. By then I could read some. But all the other school stuff just didn't interest me. Ruth then asked, "What do you think (me)" I replied, raising my shoulders just a bit, "I don know, I don't really know as I want to go to a public school, and I be having to sleep in a large dormatory." [The dormatory part had reminded me of Australia. When we first landed there we all slept in long tents. For a long time. When I was moved to another city and "home, camp, whatever, I moved up in status for the slept in a large quick built building. But it didn't have any "bathroom" or lighting. And the actual beds were so few and it was two to a bed. Heads were on either opposite ends of the mattress where some did have. Others for quite a while it was something like plywood. But that was the way it was. And it was better than the tents.

So Ruth said, "I think you are right. Let's go and look some more." The director of the place then said, "Well, OK. But I think Mrs. Downing you should think it over, perhaps come again and look some more and let him (me) get better acquainted with our facilities. I think we can help the boys with their learning problems." What the director was alluding to was that he and Ruth had earlier long conversations over the phone regarding the school and my situation. It wasn't like we were walking along 5th avenue window shopping.

The next school we visited was near the big university. I forgot the specific name of this prep school but it was near Princeton University. At this scool I was first to take some tests to see if I would "fit in." There was no "looking around" until those tests were taken. So, I was escorted to a small room and then a person came and handed me each test to take. They were timed. Then when I had finished I went to the main waiting room where Ruth was sitting on a chair. Then after about an hour had lapsed the school "administrator" came into the room. He was very polite but also very to the point.

Miss Downing, I have to tell you blunty that Nenad has little chance of succeeding at our school. We focus on rigorous academic work and Nenad is just too far behind in his education level to possibly catch up here. {Important memory recalled. See on down page}You would be spending a lot of money for nothing. So, we just cannot accept him as a student. I'm sorry."

2023-feb-22 ** See double stars section just a way down.

 

I am blessed by the Creator with a great memory. When I look into my mind to recall a memory or time it is like watching a movie go by. I literally see and hear the events go by. I see the people as they were back then. I hear the sounds of the time and the colors. That is also why I often jump from subject to subject or topic to topic. It is that I am following the flow of a river. I have always supposed this is how most everyone recalls the past. In this case I will indent because I don't want to lose my place, But I want to show you what I mean. I don't want you to be left dangling in where you are in the story.

Before I start I looked up the word 'dangling' becasue I wanted to be sure I was using the word correctly. Quickly the memory of hearing "dangling modifier" came to my mind. To tell you the truth, I still don't know what the hell an "adverbial clause is" or "sentence fragment is" or what any other of that English grammar stuff means. To me English grammar is as loathsome as statistics: disgusting stuff. It is not that I hate grammar per se, rather it is the English that I loath. The Russian grammar I do not mind even though it is a little more awakward, difficult to learn. But WHY you ask. What's the difference? Here is the difference. The Russian does not lie. The English DO, through their constant changing of the rules. Because the English is RULE BASED but rule based with a universe of exceptions to the rule. When I landed upon the soil of San Francisco on my flight from Australia the very first thing my Serbian mother, Radja, said to me was,

"My son, beware the beasts in America.They are everwhere. America is a land with plenty of bull for everyone. But when they tell you that YOU must follow the rules - they mean YOU my son, not THEM must follow the rules in this rule based society of theirs."

"But mother dear ..." I asked somewhat confused. "What on earth do you mean?"

"My son, my son, YOU are the SHEEP of this land - to be sheared by THEM whenever they want more than they need"

"Oh, mother, do you mean like what's in the land of Australia where they shear the sheep all the time?"- the place of the stop-over before going to a better place - coming here to America?" .

"Da my son, da. The THEM is what is called by them -THE POLITICAL CLASS and by those that live in the great white man's house."

"THEM, THE POLITICAL CLASS! LIVING IN THE BIG WHITE MAN'S HOUSE. Jakofs dobro, Jakofs dobro, mother. Ya ponimayu, Thank you mother, spasibo!" I replied in joy WITH my best Serbo-Russian.

"My son, my special son, no, no. DA to their politicians and them living in the white man's house. They are the Jakofs. But the rest of them are bleating sheep, crying because they are always being sheared. Now son, go find you the toilet."

"But where mother shall I look?"

"Everywhere my son, go where-ever you want. This is San Francisco. Land of the free to go whereever you find the need."

And the historian says, today, 2023, when when arrive in San Francisco from other lands, before you touch the soil of America with your feet, you are handed a pair of galoshes to be paid first and in rubles - less the night soil of America spoil your trip and cause you to be disappointed by the sights and the smell of the land of the free and not want to come back.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**  Back on topic. And this is important to how things turned out for me. A lesson I have always followed throughout my life is 1. Recognize good advice from those you can trust. 2. Follow that advice unless you know and understand the subject at hand better than the person giving the advice. Becasue of that recognition you CAN trust the advice given by this person and it behooves you to follow his advice.

 

** 2023-feb-22 what i am going to elaborate on here is that the dept. of engineering asked me to stay over for a while after the acts test were completed. I did and then he came out to see me. He said that I had done very well indeed in ALL the act sections BUT the math. I had done poorly in that area. He said my overall score becaues of the high levels in the other subjects was enought for me to be accepted into Tennessee Tech. But he said that I should be aware that Tennessee Tech was much more demanding on the engineering and math courses and that I should seriously consider perhaps chosing University of Tennessee. He allowed that after all because I was living in Memphis I could go to the Martin branch of UT which was only about 70 miles away. He said I would find UT not as tough in the math section. Now Tennesse Tech was like Georgia Tech, a high reputation for excellence in engineering. I figured he had no reason to go out of his way to deceive me. As I have stipulated above - you must make an assessment of the person who is making a recommendation of a thing you ought to do. And to be truly objectie you must remove your FEELINGS when deciding. I said to myself, he has no reason to be trying to steer me wrong. I followed his advice. Interestingly, in my 30 year career in engineering NO ONE ever asked me what my grade point average was. Even during the work interviewing process. So one of my purposes in writing my autobiography is for young people, you might say age from about 14 on up - showing them how I made it from being a flop to making a real good paying job for 30 years plus. SO THE LESSON IS: LEARN TO JUDGE PEOPLE AND ALWAYS ASK YOURSELF WHEN SOMEONE MAKE OUT LIKE HE WANTS TO BE YOUR FRIEND. WHAT IS THE BASIS OF HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH ME, WHAT AM I TO HIM. WHAT HAS HE TO GAIN BY "BEING FRIENDS."AND REMEMBER THE OLD BROOK BENTON SONG, FOOLS RUSH IN WHERE ANGLES FEAR TO TREAD And you will make out alright.

 

 

 

- Why too, did a medical doctor and psychiatrist, Janey, and a psychiatric social worker and researcher who had already established her credentials with her work and position as deputy director for refugee resettlement in Europe with CWS (World Council of Churches) and, I believe as one new paper clipping denotes is so, also deputy director with WCC (photos will be included as this all developes) - . . . why did they enroll a child with obvious learning deficiencies in prestigeous Scarlsdale School? Where I also soon got the bounce. But I will never forget the kindness of one teacher, Mrs. Price who, how can I put it, was a mother to me when I had never known one.

When I had got my driver license (16) and Ruth had to attend some conference in Manhattan, I asked that we might go by way of Virginia Beach where Mrs Price and her husband had retired; and to show her some of my paintings. One of them she said reminded her of a river and the book, "There is a River" which delt with Edgar Cace, the sleeping giant. She had read that book and recommended that I too read this book.  She said that I would too would find much meaning from its reading. And Mrs. Price also added, "I also believe that there is a river which flows ..." and she shared with me some of her philosophy and reasons for her faith in God. It is all true what I say and Ruth was there and I still have the small photo of her which she gave me to keep. And I did so.

Many years later when I wrote my tribute to Master Sun Hwan Chu, in the prose "My Philosophy of Investigation, 1984, following his car accident and becoming a quadriplegic" the allusions (word used as 'indirect reference' Amercian Heritage Dictionary) I used in "...faith is a river which flows certain to the sea . . . came from that moment in time when Mrs. Price shared with me why she had hope and faith in her future and why she had a strong faith and belief in God; and why there is a river which carries us to this sea of faith - and to the light of insight and understanding.

END THE OPENING OF THE ADVENTURES AT WATKINSON PREP SCHOOL FOR BOYS.