Dr. Fred Chu

Dr. Fred Chu of Juneau, Alaska passed away this past Saturday at 8:15 PM. Due to illness it has been about 5 years since he practiced at the SEARHC clinic in Juneau. At the clinic he was well thought of and a favorite doctor of clients.

I didn't know Dr. Chu very well. My wife, Joni, who had worked at the clinic for a number of years only had good things to say about him. I first met Dr. Chu when he came into Joni's room at the Bartlett Hospital, which is just up the hill from SEARHC. This was on October 17, 2000. Joni was in labor with out first and only child. Dr Chu did some centering exercises with Joni. He stretched out her legs so the baby would have an easy path to follow. Then our regular Dr. Bob Urata came into the room. Bob and Fred joked about Fred stepping in on his patient. Dr. Urata was missing one of the World Series games to deliver our baby, but he was in a good mood.

In August of 2002, our little family moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota. We moved so our daughter could grow up in a larger Jewish Community the Juneau offered. In our hearts though Juneau would always be our home.

We were never completely comfortable in Minneapolis. Then in April, of 2005, Joni learned that Dr. Chu had stopped practicing due to something unknown and unrecognized that affected his brain. There was a dinner being held in honor of Dr. Chu. Joni flew back to Juneau for the dinner and to visit Dr. Chu along with some other friends.

In the Summer of 2005 we trickled up to Juneau for a long visit. We knew we probably wouldn't being going back to Minneapolis. The family settled back into our Juneau life. We found a small apartment, and soon cracks in our relationship began to appear. We separated in January of 2006. Joni began to care more and more for Fred. Then in November of 2006 Sasha and Joni moved in with Fred so Joni could devoted herself to his care.

What little I heard Dr. Chu's condition was not good. His time was getting short, but no one expected him to leave this past Saturday.

It almost surprises me the sadness I feel. Many times I am close to tears, and sometimes they flow. I'm concerned about my daughter and her mother. And I feel their pain. In someway it feels like I have lost a member of my extended family.

While Joni and I were still together she took me to see Dr. Chu. I have health issues of my own. He had me lie on his massage table and he rubbed my back. His examination complete, he suggested I talk to a tree and then come back. I knew what he meant. Go talk to a tree and get in touch with my inner self, and the world around me.

I never did go talk to a tree. When Sasha's grief begins to ebb, I will take her to talk to a tree. It will be our way of remembering Dr. Chu. I have the feeling that we will do a lot of tree talking. I am sorry that I didn't get to know Dr. Chu better. From everything I have heard and seen he was one of those people who have made the world a better place to live.

It’s that time of the year! We’re gonna play, “It is a wonderful life!!”

The game is is played just like happened to George Bailey of Bedford Falls. Only instead of what would be the world be like if you hadn’t been born, it is what would your life had been if you had made a different choice along your journey.

OK, I’ll go first. My life changed in the spring of ’65 when I wore sandals to high school. I was a junior at Las Lomas High School in Walnut Creek, California. Although Walnut Creek to Berkeley is now rated by Goggle as a mere 15 miles apart, at that time it was a million. Walnut Creek was still in the ’50.

From sandals my life quickly went down a path to hanging out in Berkeley, being kicked out of Las Lomas, and of course there were some sex, drugs and rock ‘n roll! Self-discipline left me. I used to think of being a writer or an attorney. And then I was working in a gas station.

It has been an adventure. Maybe I would not have been happy as an attorney. But then telling lawyer jokes for a living probably would have been a great compromise!

There are changes in our society given birth to in the ‘60’s. And then there is also the pain for families and individuals. There are those like myself, who were invincible, and if anything happened there was always penicillin, which could cure any and every thing. Still as the result of a little exploration ended up chronically ill.

Tough choice, and no angel along for the ride!

A season for all!

Lately when anyone says merry Christmas to me, I reply in a friendly way with a smile, what about Chanukah? Have gotten only smiles in return! Try it!

The meaning of Thanksgiving

The meaning of Thanksgiving for about the past 35 years is it is the holiday where heads, hippies etc., started to make peace with their parents and the family's traditions.

What’s more important, feeding children or enforcing petty rules?

Yes, I am still in Northern California, the East Bay to be more exact. My stay was extended soon after I arrived in early September from one month to the end of October. My mother is making good progress on her recovery from various and usual aliments for an 87 year old. I plan to be back in Juneau the first week of November.

The front page story on today’s SF Chronicle titled ‘S.F. schools’ lunch money cut off‘, just blew me away. You’re probably thinking oh, there must have been some rotten beef served, unsanitary conditions, or someone is putting money in their pocket. But those answers are wrong, wrong and wrong again. There are some petty violations of the program’s rules. Things like occasionally one of the children will take less then the required number of items. It is news to me that there is a way to get children to eat what they don’t want. It’s OK for them to throw the food away. And that way they will learn how to waste food. It gets even more ridiculous then that. Sometimes the trays are handed out fully loaded and the children don’t get to make a choice of what they are served! This helpful for the younger students, but it is just not part of the program! One school ran out of milk one day. This is a big no no. There no errors allowed in this game.

Meanwhile 57% of San Francisco public school students depend on the school lunch program. Thankfully, the city has advanced the funds to cover the costs. They will be reimbursed when the program meets all the picky little requirements. Wonder what the mayor Galloping Gavin is doing about this? If I were the mayor, I’d be on the phone in a flash. My first call would be to the President. Surely, he is more compassionate then this. Then there be a ring ding to Nancy, Diane and Barbara. Part of being a politician is pulling strings and getting things done one way or another. And this time it is even for a good cause!

Every so often in Alaska we get petty bureaucratic types in our government. And what do we do? Ignore them and hope they go back down south where they belong. We are companionate enough to not make them swim or walk.

It is time to wake up and help feed the children!

San Francisco, lunch program, funds, what is more important?

Soaking & Bloging

Today was a true Southeast Soaker! A hard heavy rain most of the day, but mercifully with only brief periods of wind. I had plenty of days like this under my umbrella at Mickey's Bagel Bistro. There I stood, seemly impervious to the weather, smiling at all who passed by like I was having the time of my life. My thoughts were this was good for business. Couldn't show that the rain and lack of business due to it were bothering me in anyway. Often wondered and still do if people thought I was some kind of simpleton. Back in those days when I demonstrated some of my wit and wisdom in letters to the editor, people would come up to and ask incredulously, 'Did you write that?' My thoughts were who do you think wrote it? But with all seriousness about me I'd reply that I had hired a ghost writer!

Can't believe how I have neglected this blog. Am going to have to save up my money to hire a good ghost! Am going south for the month of September and think I will have time for a daily entry. As money is tight these days, you will have to put up with my writings and thoughts, such as they are! Give it a try!

The Way It Was!

Went to the gold Medal Tournament tonight. No not to watch basket ball but to do a little marketing for my job. Anyone from SE Alaska knows that Gold Medal is a really big deal. One of the vendors, Walter H. Adams, Sr., was selling his book The Way it Was! I've know Walter for over 20 years, but did not know he had written a book. So I bought a copy and sneaked in reading a page or two. The book is about growing up in SE during the 40's and 50's. It is very good, interesting, well written and straight from his soul. The book is available at Hearthsidebooks.com. Did not find it on Amazon, but Hearthside will ship anywhere. Give it a read.