MJ-Way

… I truly enjoyed coming down town to the J.L. Hudson Department store. I was a five foot- six inch tall, 120 lb. speck, in what could only be best described as America’s melting pot. This was the place to be if getting lost in the crowd was your cup of tea. It definitely was mine. The Downtown Detroit Days (DDD) being displayed on banners attached to light posts ensured large crowds for me to disappear into. The crowds would make their way to the department stores who offered large discounts on just about everything they sold. Today I would be headed to J.L.Hudson’s bargain basement. It was a store within a store. The employees always seemed so nice, and they went out of their way to help me. I must of had a face of bewilderment because I always seemed to get the attention of some young but very pretty sales women. I found my way to the bargain basement and was immediately approached by a young sales woman.

….She wanted to know how could she be of assistance, and I was immediately dumb struck. She was beautiful. I found myself awestruck but I remembered what I came here for and I informed her I needed tennis shoes. She smiled, and told me I came to the right place because of the Downtown Detroit Days discount I could get a pair of tennis shoes for five dollars. I was really surprised. She pointed to where I needed to go and as I looked in that direction I saw a large circular bin full of Nike tennis shoes. When I turned around to thank her, she was gone, and I was astonished she disappeared that fast. For a minute my curiosity was piqued, I thought I should go see where she went, but I remembered I needed to accomplish what I came for. I still had to catch the bus back to work.

…I picked out 3 pairs off tennis shoes, red, white, and blue. I would save two for work and one pair for the YMCA. I learned to play handball at the young man’s Business Club there, and got to be pretty good at it. On my way to the cashier I found a t-shirt that was not only a celebration of our nations bicentennial but also of Detroit’s 275th anniversary as a city. The French Fleur 1701- Detroit 1976 with the iconic “Spirit of Detroit” 275 years and our American Flag 200 bicentennial emblazoned on the front caught my eye immediately. It too, with the Detroit Discount Days, was only five dollars. I was able to cash out for just $20.00 and .80 cents with tax. Mission accomplished. I had to get back to work with half an hour to go, and was lucky enough to catch the north bound Woodward bus as I exited the department store. I rode the bus back to the medical center for a quarter. Those days are gone but the memories are priceless. My Life’s Journey To Be Continued … Proverbs 30: 1-9, John 1: 1-14

I could go from one end of the Detroit Medical Center, starting at MacLaughlin Hall, walking through the Old Civil War Harper Hospital, all the way to the the front door of the old Grace Hospital in a matter of minutes. I was becoming very familiar with all of the medical centers ancillary clinics and laboratories. I especially enjoyed locating the often undisclosed laboratories of the researchers in the houses that encircled Wayne State University. The medical centers marquee would be located on the address which assured me I had located the laboratory. I enjoyed going to these laboratories because they were often located in the Victorian styled homes that bordered the college campus, and the researchers always seemed to be very happy to see me.

… Even though I was bringing them work, they seemed very eager, and couldn’t wait to see what I was bringing. I would first, hand them the paper work which often explained what they needed to test the specimen for, how the specimen was prepared, and then the specimen. The specimen was kept in a separate container that looked like a lunch box. I let them open the box and remove the specimen. I made sure to wash my hands while they placed the specimen under a hood vent behind a glassed in area. They would inform me when to come back for the written report. They would also contact the requesting Physician and the Chief of Pathology of their findings before the report was written. They seemed so organized and I never had to worry about their paperwork. It was obvious they knew what they were doing, and enjoyed doing it.

…The extra trips that I made to these laboratories took a wear on my shoes. The other messengers had told me early on that I could go to” Hudson’s Bargain Basement” and by all kinds of Nike tennis shoes for under $10.00 a pair. They said they were replacing their shoes about once a month, and they weren’t kidding. I used a pedometer to gauge how many steps/miles I was completing in a day and it easily equated to 10 to 15 miles. That was not counting the trips made to the labs on the Wayne State University campus. So one afternoon on my lunch hour I decided to make the trip to J.L. Hudson downtown. I caught the Woodward bus for twenty five cents. At 11:30 am the bus was loaded and sometimes I would have to stand until seats were vacated. It never seemed very long before we would arrive at the J.L. Hudson department store. It looked like half of the bus patrons exited here as well….. MY LIFE’S JOURNEY TO BE CONTINUED…. Romans 15:5-7

…The Council of Three Fires were an alliance of the Ojibwe, Odawa, and Potawatomi (Anishinaabe) nations. They traded with the French explorers, intermarried, and found shelter at Fort Pontchartrain. They fought along side of the French Military battling the Sioux Indians who were both their enemies. I would see the same camaraderie some 275 years later at the Detroit Medical Center as our nation celebrated its bicentennial. The Detroit Medical Center was a city within a city. That is the best way I could describe it. The hospitals and clinics that made up the medical center were also connected by tunnels underground. In inclement weather, patients and staff could utilize them to traverse the medical complex.

…..I got very familiar with the medical center and all of its buildings. I would pick up specimens and deliver lab reports to all of the clinics, hospital nursing stations, and laboratories. I got to meet so many different people and couldn’t believe how friendly they were. They were mostly scientists, doctors, nurses, and students. Also, some were administrators, managers, and supervisors. The freedom I experienced while working as a messenger for the laboratories enabled me to see how the hospital system worked, and who was directing the everyday operations. There was a very rich history here and I was very glad to be a part of it. Everyone I came in contact with wanted to know all about me .These were the questions they primarily asked: Where I was studying? What was I studying? What subjects of study was I interested in?

…I had to laugh because they all seemed to give me advice on their particular field of study and hoped I would find that particular field as interesting as they did. I became quite the politician as I didn’t want to offend anyone by picking a particular area. I would point out I was still completing my first two years, Liberal Arts, and hadn’t picked a major yet. I also couldn’t believe all the different nationalities of people I was meeting.

… The Detroit Medical Center was definitely a melting pot. I met scientists from the Eastern Block who fled communism, the middle east who fled persecution from dictatorships, Europeans who had dual citizenships but preferred working in the USA because of lower taxes. America, Africa, India, Japan, Korea, Philippines, and many other countries were represented by the employees working here as well. Finally, the students who were enrolled in the schools of nursing, and Wayne State University made the melting pot complete. All seeking the same thing: wisdom and opportunity. My Life’s Journey TO BE CONTINUED Ephesians 2:1-9

…Working at the Detroit Medical Center I witnessed first hand what substance abuse was, and the toll it took on the human body. I had transferred from the Central Processing Department to work as a Currier for the Hospital Laboratories. I would miss my friends in Central Processing but I got to work with some real professionals in the laboratories and my new boss was fantastic. They had been recruiting me and I wanted to work a steady day shift, with every other weekend off, and the opportunities science offered me seemed endless. They helped me pass my Chemistry and Anatomy classes no doubt., but what I learned watching autopsies would stick with me forever. The pathology of disease and much of it self inflicted. Lung cancer and sorosis of the liver were many of the disease pathologies I witnessed upon examinations. I seriously cut back on how much I smoked and drank after viewing those autopsies.

…The Pathologist always quizzed me on the anatomy and if I could tell what the patient died from. They had hoped I would pursue a career in science, and I actually believed I was going to do so as well. However, that was not to be my future path. I didn’t know it at the time. I took the autopsies I was invited to view seriously, and I answered their questions when quizzed. Later in life I witness what the effect of drinking and smoking had on my father. He had his first heart attack at 55 years old and suffered a severe stroke at 66 years old. That stroke eventually took his life while he was was in rehabilitation for the paralysis it caused to the left side of his body. He was sober for at least 10 years but the damage caused by the addictions he suffered from earlier were too much. He never made it out of rehab. He had a massive heart attack and passed away.

…At the cemetery my younger brother stayed with me to witness my dad’s burial. I didn’t realize at the time that the same addictions would take him also at the age of 50 years old. Not more than 14 years from burying my father I would witness his burial as well. Unfortunately, his death was described as an accidental poisoning. He was scheduled for hip replacement surgery and overdosed on his presurgical medication. What I’ve learned most recently is that we all have, live with someone, or know someone in our families who have a disease that we didn’t cause, we can’t control, and most definitely can’t cure. They may never admit they have a problem, and believe they are just enjoying life. Unfortunately, they may never admit it until it’s too late.

…However, There is a group of people dedicated to helping those family members who are living with someone who has an alcohol use disorder known as AUD. They are known as Al-Anon and they provide a support group of people experiencing relatives who have the disease, and refuse to admit it. At the same time, their continued abuse wreaks havoc in their households. They usually don’t admit that either. The stress that creates can be unbearable at times for those living with them.

… There is also another group for substance abuse/narcotics users. They are known as Nar-Anon. I highly recommend family members find these groups and utilize them if you are experiencing the problems caused by the abusers. You will no longer feel isolated and realize there are others who are experiencing the same unpredictability from loved ones these diseases impact. The camaraderie provides a support group for those experiencing the many issues substance abusers bring to their families. A very much needed and appreciated peace. My Life’s Journey Continues…. Ecclesiastes 4: 8-12

Proud of both the Men’s and Women’s USA Olympic Hockey team. This is both their third gold medal but this is the first time they both won gold medals in the same year 2026. USA! USA!! USA!!! GOLD

…The summer of 1976 was a great experience for me. I was able to reconnect with my family and friends. My younger brother even started working at the medical center as well and was working on obtaining a Surgical Technicians Certification from Mercy College while he worked as an orderly in the Emergency Room. We worked different shifts but I was told by his colleagues they enjoyed working with him. I would reconnect with him when I could and I did let him know I was proud of him getting into the Surgical Technician Program at Mercy College so fast. From what I heard, they only took those students with high aptitudes based on several different entrance exams and he obviously did well on them. My coworkers could not believe we were brothers. He was much taller, lean, blue eyes with blonde hair, and a personality to match his looks.

…The Nursing Supervisor of our ER, (a hardened Navy nurse) I believe was one of the positive influences in his life. Every time she saw me she made sure to tell me about him. I was even surprised to find out that by the end of the summer he had received his certification, and could begin working as a Surgical Technician in our Operating Rooms. I was even more astonished when he told me he was leaving the medical center and took a job with a leading manufacturer as a Modeler. I knew he had the skills to do just about anything he put his mind to, and I had a good feeling he was going to make a whole lot more money than what he was making at the medical center as a Surgical Technician. I was happy for him. I believe he had found his niche.

… He was really loved here in the short six months he worked at the Detroit Medical Center. I would be asked for updates on him almost daily. I had to let them know he was doing well and was even talking about getting married to his high school sweetheart. They were eventually married in 1977. After being married, he joined the Airforce and began raising his family in Yuba City, California. The years just seem to melt away looking back. They fold one into the other. But with all the celebrating and just having the time to see my family and friends the summer of 1976 meant a lot to me. It kept me grounded. I would be enrolling in my last two community college courses in the fall of 1976. After graduating with my Associates Degree in Liberal Arts, I would have to decide if the educational quest should continue, or did I need to choose another path. My Life’s Journey To Be Continued…………….

The Lenten Season has begun. After beginning to write in the middle of the Covid-19 crisis, December 2020, this was my 130th vignette. I am taking a much needed sabbatical. Thank you to my many readers for following along. May God bless all of you. Stay grounded in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

… For the first time in awhile I felt if I was moving in the right direction. I was surrounded by coworkers who were all doing the same thing. Everyone in this department was working on fulfilling degree requirements of some kind. We got to eat lunch together and it made for some lively conversations. In my current position I had to work 2 weekends in a row with one weekend off. I didn’t mind it because it left me with days off during the week which I used for school. I was also lucky as well because on weekends I could catch a mass at one of the many Catholic churches in our immediate vicinity. My work schedule was flexible enough for me to attend during my lunch hour. I made sure to make these services when I worked the weekends. I always felt welcomed there. I often saw other medical staff their as well.

…Some of those churches are still open today. I remember the feeling of walking into Sweetest Heart of Mary, or even St Anne, one of the oldest churches in Detroit, with their belles peeling to summon the congregation to the service. It was awesome. The organ music filling the church, and the churches themselves were so huge and beautiful inside. I felt minuscule. If it was the Christmas season the church’s would all be decorated appropriately for the season., and the same with Easter. Over the years, I had noticed that larger crowds always seem to come to those seasonal services. Saint Anne is now officially called: “Basilica of Sainte Anne de Detroit” , and my nephew was married in the Sweetest Heart of Mary Roman Catholic which I remember it being an incredible service.

…Those churches are still open today and just as beautiful. I am hoping my grandsons can experience them in their day as well. A living testament to the community that built them and continues to support them. I have only mentioned two here but I also got to experience several others, but their congregations were small when I attended, and they maybe struggling to stay open now. St. Josaphat, St. Hyacinth and St. Albertus. I had a chance to visit the services in these churches as well. The architecture is phenomenal. Inside the church, the artwork, the marble, and the craftmanship is an absolute wonder. Many of these churches can be searched and viewed on line. The Archdiocese of Detroit is in the middle of a church reorganization throughout the Archdiocese. I hope these churches can stay open or at least find another useful purpose.. …. My Life’s Journey To Be Continued…. PSALM 4

…It was festive in the summer of 1976 at the Detroit Medical Center where I had decided to delay my school studies, no classes this summer, I wanted to enjoy what time I could spend with friends and family. In addition to our nation celebrating the bicentennial, Detroit was celebrating 275 years of being a city, and many activities were being scheduled for the riverfront. Detroit was alive in the summer. I made sure to enjoy every bit of it. It wasn’t unusual for the medical students to spend time at Trappers Alley in Greek Town listening to what ever local band was playing, and enjoying the restaurants as well. The river front hosted ethnic festivals every weekend, and I made sure to attend the Polish and German festivals. The beer was unbelievable as was the food. The people were dancing, the music was festive, and people seemed very happy here.

….I loved the festivals because of the crowds and it wasn’t uncommon for some young woman to grab me and drag me to the dance floor wanting me to dance with her. I always gave the dance a chance but I wasn’t a “Polka King.” I did my best to keep up with my new partner but my heart just wasn’t in it. I think I provided them a good laugh, and they questioned my ethnicity. “How could I be Polish and not want to Polka?” I assured them I was 100% Polish American but my taste in music was a little less Polka. I also had to assure them I enjoyed dancing with them, and thanked them for asking. That usually got me assorted reactions. I don’t believe they thought I was sincere.

… I would usually reconnect with my friends where ever they were selling beer. They loved beer and it never seemed to affect them like it did me. I was ever so cautious about how much I consumed. The German beers were especially strong but my friends never seemed to have enough. The night festivals were a fantastic way to meet people and we had no problem with that. The bicentennial celebration coinciding with Detroit celebration made for a unique fireworks display put on by the J.L. Hudson Company. This year was the Detroit -Windsor Freedom Festival celebration sponsored by Canada (who celebrated Canada Day), the City of Detroit celebrating their 275 birthday, and our nations 200 year Bicentennial Once I found my friends, they looked as if they had been enjoying their beers and were quick to point out that my dancing needed much improvement. I could only laugh.

…We will be celebrating our nations semi-quincentennial, marking two and a half centuries (250 years). I believe as a nation with our current leadership, if we continue in our conservative stewardship through the 2026 elections we will begin to reap the benefits of policies enacted to enhance our economy. I have already experienced it at the gas pumps were the price per gallon of gasoline decreased to under $3.00 a gallon. With my supermarket discounts, it’s under $2.00 a gallon. The naysayers are just that, naysayers.

…I believe in a free market economy, with very little government regulation, however, there are those who believe the opposite. They are entitled to their views. That’s what makes America a great place to live. I only pray to my God, Jesus Christ, our discourse is civil, nonviolent, and of course, the conservatives gain more seats in both houses. That would definitely be prayers answered in 2026. In the meantime I will celebrate a little bit older, a little bit wiser, and muster the same amount of enthusiasm as I did in 1976 for our nations’ 250 semi-quincentennial fiesta. ….My Life’s Journey To Be Continued….. Ephesians 1:7

File this under, “The Return of the Barbary Pirates.”

… My new coworkers were glad to hear my story but still wondered why I chose to work here at the medical center. I had to explain what had happened in the factory and UPS. Also, how the chance encounter with a nursing student in the parking lot of a community college lead me here. When I mentioned her name they all smiled. She was well known at the medical center in a good way.

… She was known at the local high schools because she was a voice for the medical center’s Respiratory Therapy program where she would try to recruit students on career days to the medical center. She actually did that on her off days and the hospital administration held her in high regard because of it. My coworkers had heard she was now a Registered Nurse and told me I was lucky to run into her. I thought so too.

…Just as I was wrapping up the story, our supervisor appeared wanting two of us to make a run to the basement of the old civil war hospital, and bring up an old operating room table. Ernie was quick to volunteer himself and me. Our supervisor wanted it to be brought to the decontamination area where it would be cleaned. We would know it was the one he wanted because it had a green surgical sheet over it. Ernie looked really excited as our supervisor handed him the keys to the area. I couldn’t help noticing on a large ring of keys were Skelton keys. They looked very old. “Wait to you see this place,” my coworker grabbed a cart and we headed out.

…Ernie was really motivated as he pushed a cart through the Hospital Stores to a large double door to what looked to be the basement of the civil war hospital. This old hospital was connected to the Hudson Building. I would find out much later that all the buildings in the Detroit Medical Center were interconnected. I was amazed by the size of the doors and how he knew what key to use, and the ease he used them. He did this before I thought. When he swung the doors open I could not believe what I was looking at.

…This was a surgical amphitheater. I felt an eeriness but also an overwhelming sense of complete awe. Every isle was filled from the very top of this auditorium to the surgical theater floor with medical equipment. Ernie was completely ecstatic. He was quick to point out that his parents wanted him to go to Medical School but this to him is where the 21st century medicine will be headed. He’s going to study bio- engineering, and he wants to develop the technology that will advance the field of medicine significantly. He informed me that he had arranged all of this equipment with the oldest equipment being stored in the top isles of the auditorium and then digressing in age as you worked your way to the bottom.

…The operating room tables were stored on the floor of the surgical theater. The one our boss wanted, like he said, was covered in a green surgical sheet. Ernie smiled when he saw it. He informed me that this one is a museum piece. It was made by a company named Harvard and Ernie informed me it was manufactured in Ohio in the 1880’s. It was made of Iron, wood and leather. The craftsmanship was amazing. It had stainless steal gears, handles, and wheels, that could maneuver the table in any direction or angled degree. The leather padded cushions looked brand new. It looked like it had never been used.

… This was going to a museum in Ohio. It was in extremely good condition for its age. Ernie continued to inspect it, and while he did that I looked at all the equipment that was being stored here. It had to represent at least a century, but better yet, Ernie was the one who kept track of all it. He said once a year they would scrap some of it, and the good pieces would be held. I could understand his fascination. We loaded the table onto the cart heading back to where it would be decontaminated. >>>My Life’s Journey>>>TO BE CONTINUED>>>> Isaiah 7:14, Matthew 1:23

… It was an enjoyable whirlwind. That would best describe my last two years of high school. I asked my coworkers if I should continue with this story and they all shook their heads yes. I informed them that one of my friends was working at a Coney Island owned by the Keros family. They also ran the Coney Island on Lafyette Street in Detroit. He was able to get me a job there in the fall of my junior year, and I returned the favor when my Vocational Teacher in my senior year of high school enrolled me in a coop program working for the Strelinger Corporation after school. I put in a good word for him and they hired him. They started him working the sales desk. The jobs were only part-time but they paid way better then the Coney Island. It gave us money to fix our cars and drive them.

… I completed all my requirements to graduate in my junior year and could choose classes I was interested in my senior year. I chose two vocational classes and loved them both. The classes had all the newest technology and I learned quite a bit. The first class was Graphic Arts and it met for one hour and a half. We printed the school paper and all the emblems the school used at its many functions. I learned how to set up printing plates for the large Heidelberg press which then in turn would print the papers. I learned to silk screen and run the smaller presses as well. We used cameras to take pictures and burn the images onto plates used to print. It was a sophisticated process and our Instructor was awesome.

… The second class was an Industrial Metal Shop class and there I learned much about metallurgy. I was taught to weld which included: Arc Welding, Tig and Mig Welding, Gas Welding, and using Gas Iron Cutting Blow Torches. We also used the new metal lathes to make cutting tools for machining. I learned to read a micrometer and how it was to be applied for the correct thickness of cutting. The metal lathes were more like milling machines but much more sophisticated. I enjoyed this class immensely. It was all hands on. My Instructor was also my co-op Teacher and I would tell him how my work at Strelingers was going. I had to tell him that once the union people were gone for the day they would have me drive their brand new GM El-Camino to deliver parts to some rather large corporations. He smiled.

… I really enjoyed that but some of the companies I delivered to took a long time to get somebody to sign for the package I was delivering. They would want me to just drop it off but Strelingers was insistent that I not drop a package off without getting a signed receipt. I had to go toe to toe with a guy that looked like he was hopped up on drugs and booze and wanted me to just drop it off. I had informed him I couldn’t do that and he needed to sign for it. He told me to go to hell and I informed him that was no problem. I’ll just take the package back where it came from. He blew a gasket but by then a supervisor came over to me and signed for it. There were quite a few places like this I delivered to and I wondered how the work got done if the employees were stoned-high, usually alcohol, narcotics, or both.

..My Instructor told me to be careful and always ask for the supervisor. He would speak with the Strelingers Co-Op contact about me, and what I was experiencing. He informed me they really liked me and hoped I would stay with them after I graduated. Speaking of graduation: We became the first class of Sterling Heights High School to graduate in June of 1973. I couldn’t believe it went so fast, but I had plans to continue my education, and watched what my older brother had accomplished while I finished up in High School. He would be the beacon I would follow. I felt he always gave me great advice. He was completing his Associates Degree in Liberal Arts at Macomb Community College, while working, and was transferring to Oakland University to complete his Bachelor of Arts Degree. I thought that was awesome. My parents did too. …. My Life’s Journey To Be Continued…. …………………………..1 CORINITHIANS 12:12-20

…I got to pick my classes and I wanted to make sure that all the required classes I needed for graduation were taken in my junior year. The only class I couldn’t take was a Government Civics class which had to be taken in the senior year. I was pumped and looking forward to going to my new high school. I could have taken the school bus but I wanted to walk. It wasn’t that far from my house, maybe a mile or two. I remember the impression it gave me seeing it for the first time coming out of a field with the morning dew on my boots. It looked like a castle I thought sitting behind the Edison Power Line Towers. The Edison Corridor stretched for miles both north and south in front of it. The sun rising out of the east reflected off of the facade making it look like a metal and gold brick fortification. I was impressed.

… I would be the first graduating class from this new high school. Excited, I began walking faster as buses of students were unloading in the front entrance which was clearly marked in large white letters on Gold Brick , STERLING HEIGHTS HIGH SCHOOL. The WCS emblem in a blue circle was next to it.( Warren Consolidated Schools) I was walking towards the entrance when I saw a young man with long blond hair and a coffee can standing behind one of the buses. Students were running up to him and looked to be giving him money. He would pass them something out of the coffee can once they gave him their money. My first reaction was he’s dealing drugs and now I had to find out. I walked up to him and questioned what types of drugs was he selling? His answer, “red devils man, you ain’t a NARC(narcotic undercover police) are you?” I shook my head no but I told him I don’t have to be.

…I explained to him the minute those kids you sold the barbiturates to start passing out and throwing up, your name will be well known by the administration here, and it well could be the “Pusher Man.” He told me to go F myself. “We shall soon see,” I said with a smile. I wasn’t even in the door of the school and some young woman was throwing up while her friend held her hair. The buses pulled away and she was now pointing at the guy with the coffee can. He looked like a deer in the headlights of a car not hidden by the busses any longer. A teacher was in quick pursuit. I didn’t stick around for the excitement and made it quickly to my new Drafting Class. My classroom was brand new and it actually had large windows. It had that new car smell too! Our teacher said to sit where ever we wanted and I made sure to sit by one of the windows. Perfect for the natural light to illuminate my drafting table, and for me to see what was happening outside. I was liking this new school already.

… Ambulances started pulling into our driveway and I felt sorry for the kids who ingested the “Reds.” Not a good way to remember your first day of class in a brand new school. The police were at the school as well and I could only imagine what was happening to the “Pusher Man.” I ran into some of my friends between classes, and they asked me had I heard what had happened? It seemed they had kids passing out in their classes. I let them know I saw an idiot selling Red Devils, and tried to convince him it was a bad Idea but after he was assured I wasn’t a NARC he told me off. I watched one of the teachers run after him when someone pointed him out. I saw police cars pulling into the driveway from my classroom so I believe they must have him. My friends were amazed that I had windows in my classroom. Apparently, they didn’t have any in the classrooms on the second level. … My Life’s Journey To Be Continued….. Proverbs 3:1-12