Living in an ethnic neighborhood as a first-generation son of immigrants defined the first part of my life – for good and ill. Spending my formative years in a blue-collar corner of a small city where families very similar to my own reared their children in much the same way as my parents did provided me with comfortable surroundings as I negotiated my way through childhood. I limited my experiences to my neighborhood: ethnic church and school, ethnic clubs, ethnic weddings and bazaars, ethnic conversations rife with pride, rich family histories, and more than a little racism.

The racism I heard was rarely of a vicious sort, more a way that people tried to make sense of their world. Though one can legitimately argue that all racism is vicious, perhaps not in the intention, but in the effects. To be fair, we had racist ideas about our own culture as we assumed only ethnic Ukrainians could dance the way we could – or so we thought. We and the other immigrant families who came before mine had built our own foreign enclave, and all was friendly and familiar. Well, maybe not all friendly, but you get the picture, I think.

Life on these streets exposed me to many wise and tough-as-nails characters. As colorful and gregarious as a Cossack warrior of old; as wise as Leo Tolstoy; as long-suffering and devout as Solzhenitsyn. As stern as Stalin. Brazen and outrageous. Academic and noble. This wide range of personalities taught me through example and advice and helped to shape the person I would become.

Ukrainians, Poles, Italians, Irish, Slovaks, and even a few Americans. The Americans were the ones whose families immigrated decades earlier, already having assimilated into American society. Indeed, the factory where my father worked – the “Rope Shop” – came to be known locally as the United Nations of Auburn, NY. That they moved the plant to the Philippines only helps to support that notion. I’m fortunate to have lived in Auburn as it is something of a microcosm of the world at large.

Another, perhaps most important influence on me during my formative years was my eldest brother, Yaroslav – for good or ill. Jerry, through his curiosity and ambitions cultivated my own. His promotion of all things creative inspired my own ambitions to the point of mimicry. I believe older siblings have more import and influence on those younger in the home than even parents have, and I thank Jerry forever for opening my own creative portals allowing me to explore such pathways for the rest of my life.

My slightly older middle brother was my foil. Charming where I was shy. Graceful where I was clumsy. Handsome where I was a lout with a big head. Neat and tidy where I was messy and disheveled. Successful and incredibly lucky where I was slothful and oblivious to those opportunities that came my way. Peter gave me another, more reachable, touchstone by which I could measure myself. He often led the way where I followed and I owe much to my fellow teacher, my brother.

And so, life provided me with a wealth of examples and opportunities. I learned not to judge people by their accents or level of education, but by their character and experience, and other, more subtle aspects. I learned that hard work improves the soul as much as it does one’s prospects. I learned the importance of being truthful, especially to oneself. I learned that contentment comes from having worthwhile goals and accomplishing what you set out to do. Contentment doesn’t come from idle entertainment, wasting time, or pretending something is true when it isn’t. I learned that relaxation, in whatever form we choose, is most thoroughly enjoyed after an achievement or a hard week’s work. I only wish I’d learned this sooner. 

Now I write this journal, a collection of essays for those who follow and may be interested in that curious fellow born in 1955 of immigrants who arrived with a little three-year old in 1949 looking for a better life. Who am I? I’ve been dishwasher and cook, student and yard worker, bartender and drinker. Victim and fighter. Factory worker and salesman many times over. Engineering technician. Speechwriter. Amateur actor. Teacher. Athletic coach. Educational consultant. Assistant principal. Curriculum supervisor. Songwriter and musician. And I hope a good son, brother, husband, father, and friend. More than anything else, I hope I’m an improvement over who I was yesterday because I believe that’s why we’re on earth.

To improve.