Educating Nonny and Pops
by
Book Cover & Preview Text
In 1926,on the kitchen table at 33 Theodore St. Dorchester, Mass., I was born. My mother and father named me Edward Greenberg. I was delivered by Dr. Mann, the family doctor at that time. I am pretty sure that I had a silver magnet in my mouth at the time. The house was a sturdy three-Decker owned by my grandfather who would one day teach me to recycle. His name was Yossel. He was also the landlord and lived on the second floor with my grandmother Lena. The third floor was for my Aunt Fanny, her husband Izzy Klein, and my cousins Cissy, "Buts’y" who’s real name was Roy and his brother Charlie.
My cousin "Buts’y" went to work when he was about fifteen years old and got a job working for Krivitsky the butcher. He became expert in the art of "chicken flicking" which turned out to be the job of physically yanking out the feathers of the chickens by the roots and then skimming the carcass over a gas burner. Presto! An expert chicken flicker was ready, willing and able to perform all the necessary duties to further his career in the butcher business. Actually the next step in the learning of his profession was to perform the preparation of the different cuts of beef. Aunt Fanny Klein would explain this part of "Buts’y’s" work as being similar to the skills of a fine surgeon. Well that’s the way it translated to me, in Yiddish anyways. Aunt Fanny Klein was a wonderful lady who was one of the Duchins. I loved her very much.
"Buts’y’s" career through his entire life was spent as a professional in the meat business and he did very well. He joked with the women shoppers and they loved it. He always made their day. "Buts’y" was older than I. When I returned home after the war he loved telling everybody no matter who they were how he used to change my diapers when I was a baby. He has since passed away and I lost a cousin and a dear friend.
Families were closer when I was a boy than they are today. I suppose that has a lot to do with lifestyles. It would be very unusual in those days to see a household with both parents working. Lots of families in the nineties and into the year two thousand are doing what has to be done to take care of their own. The divorce rate is also unusually high which accounts for the large number of single parents who need help in the raising of their children. We also must account for the growing number of single divorced women who have children and are unable to make it by themselves. I was told, this is the ninety’s. Now it is the year two thousand. What’s going to happen now? We are the grandparents who love-em and just ain’t gonna leave-em. We will keep doing what has to be done as long as we are able to do so. Thank God, that those of us that are strong enough in mind and body are able to do" our thing". Never forget that some of the children of today will be the leaders of tomorrow. We must reach out to help the children for the sake of tomorrow.
Formats
Book Details
About the Book
The Cool Generation I, Edward Greenberg, was born, seventy -four years ago and raised in Dorchester, Massachusetts .I have been married to Norma, for fifty -four years and we have twenty, grandchildren, including two great. My grandparents came from Europe. My father Ralph was a dress cutter and a former navy man. My mother, Mary, was a housewife. I left school, during the Second World War to join the Navy where I served in the South Pacific, as a gunner’s mate. My grandfather Yossel taught me both the junk and waste business. My knowledge of both businesses provided us with a comfortable, living. I have spent my entire lifetime in a career as a professional recycler. Some of the unusual, formerly considered non-recyclable, projects, I brought to fruition, are described in this book. Recycling gave us the opportunity to travel around the world and visit my family. I do not think I would have been able to travel as much to see my family doing any other type of work. Eddy Duchin, the orchestra leader was my grandmother, Lena's, nephew. His son is Peter Duchin, who also has an orchestra in New, York. Barbara Walter's, father, Lou Walters, hired my Aunt Polly as his book keeper, her husband "Bob " as a, "Jack of all trades" including, my Uncle Benny (Srol), as a bartender when the Latin Quarter first opened. A relative of the family was the financier of the Latin Quarter, originally. In 1998 we had moved to, settled and semi retired on beautiful Cape Cod .You know the expression, "I would go to the ends of the earth for you." We did just that by following and visiting our daughter and son who both did humanitarian work in such places as India; Iran; Nepal and Indonesia; just to name a few of the places Nonny and Pops have been to visit them. We love our grandchildren as all grandparents do. It was a project and a half to go and visit them. Steven was divorced and he asked if he and three of his children could move to the states to live with us? We agreed. The boys then ages nine, eleven and thirteen, were an aspiring pop group called Bon Voyager, and were to make their first album. Steven (Fred) wrote all the songs. A year passed. Again Steven asked to bring his two youngest from Europe to live with us. Nonny and Pops plates were loaded as it was. It was a tough act to follow. Nonny rolled her eyes. ( Oy Vey!!) Pops pinched himself to see if he was dreaming. Love won in the end. Martin age nine and daughter Joy almost eleven, became a part of our lives. Steve (Fred) eventually was to get his own place. The education of Nonny and Pop's had just begun and we still see the kids every day. Steven lived in countries such as Bangladesh, Nepal ,India, Pakistan, all over Europe and many countries too numerous to mention. He helped a lot of the run away, throw away kids from all over the western world that had traveled east. A lot of them would get sick and some got fouled up on drugs. He also met and did some work with Mother Theresa while in, Calcutta, India. The night before Mother's Day, nineteen ninety -nine, the Bon Voyager, boys stayed up very late with their father Steve (Fred). The next morning Nonny was presented with a beautiful song that Steve had written, that the boys sang and dedicated to her for Mothers Day. It turned out extra special. It was recorded, called "The Tribute", and dedicated to, grandmothers and special people who were helping to raise their own grandchildren or other children. The boys have also performed for, Queen Noor of Jordan at the Boston Commons, where she appeared for Unicef. They sang at the Special Olympics at Boston University plus many other shows, some as far away as Fargo, North Dakota. Educating, Nonny and Pops will take you on an unusual trip through a lifetime of adventure and travel. Through the golden years of helping to bring up a second family. Come along for an interesting journey. ~-
About the Author
Born in Dorchester, Mass, in 1926, Edward Greenberg has been recycling since he was fourteen years old. He lived in the same house as his Grandfather, who was in the trash and junk business. His grandfather at that young age took him to work to learn the business. This knowledge would provide a way to make a comfortable income for his family. He joined the U.S. Navy in 1943 as a youngster. He served in the South Pacific, during the Second World War. In 1947 he met and married his wife. They have been married for fifty-four years and have twenty grandchildren, including two great grandchildren. He and his wife actually traveled to the far corners of the world, visiting their family, where most of them lived and worked. He now lives with his wife and grandchildren on Cape Cod, Massachusetts.