The End Of A Civic Nightmare

       I only wish my friend Laura Fleming had lived to see this day. She voted but died before the results were finalized.

     This is the end of our Civic nightmare. I don't want to go through this ever again and will be on the watch for the tell-tale signs of authoritarians in our midst. We have to do a better job of considering all of society. Our future actions whether they be in business of politics must reflect the ideal that we are all in this together.

     I am very grateful for the record number of people who turned out to vote this month, and the early voters too. Though it would be less stressful if all the states adopted some sort of uniform way of counting the votes. Some states counted them as they came in and others life Pennsylvania didn't start counting the mail-in votes until 7AM on Election Day.

    I called this post "The End Of A Civic Nightmare" to highlight the fact we can now begin again doing those activities which bring us together, which speak to the better angels of our nature. This will be long, deliberate process because we didn't forsake our duties all at one time and we won't acquire the new Civic habits that we require overnight. Though we can become more focused on those small activities which help to make our society a better place for everyone. I recall some of my earliest lessons in Civics were participatory and not so much a lecture from one of my fellow citizens. By these I mean my own engagement with our elementary school's Safety Patrol and the yearly bicycle inspections which were conducted by the police. Some and seemingly insignificant examples add up when everyone is doing something. My hope is that we will all find ideas big and small to pursue and contribute to so we never are in this sort of situation again.

 

 

Laura Fleming

      I got to know Laura long after we graduated in a class of over 550 students. She was a tireless worker for so many causes. I feel lucky to worked with her on a couple of class reunions. One of her former students, Sanjana Rajagopal, gave her a eulogy better than I ever could:

 

Woke up today morning to the news that my AP Euro teacher, History Bowl chaperone, and all around one of the sweetest people I knew passed away. I still vividly remember her encouraging my love for Russian history and taking a giant group of us to DC for History Bowl Nationals not once but twice. Even recently she told me she was so happy to see me teaching, and to see my research headed in a direction very much related to her class. Our last face to face conversation was in the library of RHS, where I was telling her about my plans to do the PhD.

When I see my students today on Zoom, I’ll keep your wonderful heart, patience, and care in mind, Mrs. Fleming. You touched the lives of so many at Ridgewood High School. 

 

Uncle Harry Ahearn

     He was the only teacher I could ever recall being given the nickname "Uncle Harry." It was if he were the kindly old uncle we loved to visit with.

He believed every student could and should get A's. He posted the Rangers(not Texas) score in the morning after every game. If they won, it was large. If they lost, it was tiny. He was also a member of the Finnigan's Wake Society and read about a third of a book every night!

Karen Rose:

He was my favorite, what a sweetheart! Bob Sullivan and I sat next to each other and talked endlessly about the Boston Bruins before class began. He was always supportive and patient, but when we got the "disapproving parent look" we knew it was time to shut up fast. He loved to "argue" about hockey with us after class though.

Laura Fleming:

My sister had him for US History Through Literature. Apparently, he used to have little ants making the comments on essays. One of his US II students came to me upset one day because Mr. Ahearn was telling them that he was a communist in class! He didn't realize it was just a "devil's advocate" technique. I felt very fortunate to become his colleague and learn a little bit from him to take with me. I think I get the prize now for spending the most time on the Constitution, something for which he was notorious! There is a scholarship in his name that one of the Mrs. Rosengrens (sorry I forget which one!) announces every year at the Senior Awards ceremony.

Laura Fleming

     My classmate Laura is well known for many things, among them honesty, compassion, and selflessness. We worked together planning our 35th RHS reunion and share a common interest in history. She discovered my blog on her own, which ought not be a surprise as she is an Advanced Placement history teacher at RHS. She suggested to one of her students to interview me for the high school newspaper and I gladly told the paper how things have changed over the years. It showed Laura at her best as a teacher, always looking to help her students improve their capacity to understand the general relations of particulars. In this case, an original contribution to the school newspaper regarding high school life now and when she and I were growing up together in Ridgewood. I was humbled to be asked for an interview and remain grateful to her for allowing me to be a source for her students' education.

     During my weekly visit to Facebook I read the following news about her recent health diagnosis:


     "For over 35 years, Laura Fleming (RHS Class of 1977) has dedicated her working life to the students at Ridgewood High School. Whether it’s through imparting her knowledge in U.S. History, World History or European AP classes or as advisor to the History Bowl and Political Discussion Clubs, Laura has made a difference in the lives of thousands of students and in some cases, their children!  She’s also lent her time to supporting veterans by organizing events for Memorial Day and Veterans Day.  Her colleagues have also benefited from her willingness to share both her time and expertise.

     Now, it’s time for the community to help make a difference in the life of LauraFleming.
Why?  Laura was recently diagnosed with Metastatic Uterine Leiomyosarcoma, Stage 4.
Having been through a roller coaster of emotions--as well as appointments, tests and procedures--over the past few months.  Laura has now begun treatment at Memorial Sloan Kettering to fight this rare cancer.  She knows the battle won’t be easy, but she is ready for the fight."

A photo from our 35th Reunion. Lenni Maguire and Laura Fleming.

 https://www.mightycause.com/story/Bgz7ig

Laura Fleming

Courtesy of Tom Thurston who had a son graduate this past week from RHS. This is from the RHS Weekly View:

Laura Fleming has been teaching at Ridgewood High School for thirty years as a member of the History/Social Studies Department. She holds a Bachelor of the Arts in History, and a Master of the Arts in Social Studies Education. She is also currently continuing her education in the field of history.

One of Your Favorite Memories of Your Time at RHS:
One of my favorite memories was judging the pie-eating contest at a pep rally two years ago. I tried to give the seniors a chance to win, but the freshmen were too quick for them!

What Advice Would You Give Every Student:

My advice to students is to remember that nobody is perfect, but every one of us is perfect.

Something You Don’t Know About Me:

I was raised in Ridgewood, went through the entire school system, and was one of the first 1st grade students to attend Hawes School when it was built. I even had the chance to meet Henrietta B. Hawes.