Bobert said, "I think John was talking about a consciousness that we each hopefully TRY to find, where spirituality surpasses religion, where loving relationships are of greater importance than sexual ones, where information comes from sources other than the "media" and where we just say no to those who tell us "there's room at the top... if you can smile when you kill"."

My own father was a 'working stiff' as it were...an educator, a principal in a small town for 24 years, surviving all those who said he was 'too old fashioned', recognizing the importance of the head secretary and the head custodian ("I can deal with teachers when they're absent, but when my secretary or my custodian are absent, nothing works right")

He was unassuming; he did the job he needed to do; put in countless extra hours at board of ed meetings and writing grants for educational ventures. He finally got some recognition for his work - the whole school put on a skit - "A Day in the life of Mr. Koch", complete with teachers calling in sick... He was spiritual well beyond his sense of religion; he loved his family and was faithful to it; and he spent his working life in the service of the education of our community's youngsters.

He told me once, "I knew it was time to retire when I was registering the GRANDchildren of students I had taught."

He was a fine man. A working stiff. And I miss him.

Yours, Lynn