Ivan Szendro: Today’s Legends

ON THE LEGEND OF YOU FACEBOOK PAGE
TODAY’s LEGEND, BRUCE

My Dear Lifeguard, Bruce! My Legendary Hero of Today! … and a hero for many others at the Diplomat Health & Swimming Club in Piermont. You started your Legend as a young lifeguard, as a dream in your youth, which gave you a clear answer as to what would be the Bliss of Your Life. It was living at poolside! “But after that?,” someone would ask you again!…and your answer was and still is: Just living at poolside. The dream at that time gave you a clear command: So, get a pool, man! and live by it! And so it happened!

You live by the pool, and it lives for you. It became for you the pool of love, friendship, family, Your Legend.

But, as you say: the hero of Your Legend is not you, but your members. We, whose companionship, respect and love are your final reward. And when some of us say goodbye, like Martha or Barbara did, we all know that it’s just periodic loss, not forever. We stay with you, and you with us, just like after you had that devastating fire in 1993. We all come back to you, and you always are here for us.

“Just living at poolside.” Bruce Woolley with one of the member, Ivan Szendro

ON THE LEGEND OF YOU FACEBOOK PAGE
TODAY’s LEGEND, AL

When a little store in a small town like Piermont just keeps attracting you, you want to peep into the window, and beyond, to see what is behind the curtain of this old-fashioned jewelry store, AB Artisans. You want to see the owner, the Wizard at work; intently hunched over his workbench.

His name is Al and everybody knows him, likes him. But I wonder who knows his Legend, as I know? The young graduate, in Boston, who followed his first call, anthropology, fell in love – not into gold and diamond, but in their real meaning; the award, which we, people give to others with pieces of diamond and gold. Just tell him what is in your mind, he “fills in the missing, what is behind the words.”

He reads the unwritten riddles of gifts and givers.

He became the anthropologist of our time; the reader, the communicator, the healer of the uppermost realm of our unconscious today. Al says “In this big stew of many fantastic people, New York, they are guiding my hands, and help me create as good as possible.”

“…they are guiding my hands.” Al Ginsberg, the artisan of Piermont, and Ivan Szendro, the legend teller.

ON THE LEGEND OF YOU FACEBOOK PAGE
TODAY’s LEGEND, MARIA

Do you think that your life is hard? Read about hers and think twice. * I knew! I knew, Maria, that I found a treasure when I met you. You were bringing out from the Washtub Laundry (303) my package of beautifully cleaned and folded socks, towels and underwear. And I said something like: “Thank you Maria, you know, you make people’s lives happier?” You said:”?” And I: “With what you do for us.” Now you kapish-ed, surprisingly circled a magic ring in the air and said: “Karma!” Indeed!!! And now you continue, you talk about yourself. Tell your Legend, Maria! “I was abused by my family between 7 and 12. My mother blamed it on me, my father didn’t talked with me for years.

My Nona died from cancer in the same room where I slept with her at 12. At 15 I got pregnant; my parents and beau wanted an abortion, I didn’t. At 16 I gave birth to my daughter. We really grew up with together, we are best friends, she turns 30 tomorrow. I had breast cancer, but recovered. On August 5th I’m getting my new breast, I am so happy. I had an auto accident, I went through 22 surgery to put me back together. My ambition? To be happy. As long as I am happy I don’t need much more.” My Nona always said. “When you get through something, it’s you who make it OK.” The struggle made me better, they make me who I am.” – WHAT WOULD WE DO WITHOUT YOU, MARIA !

“All cleansed by Maria, in the Washtub at the 303.” Maria DeLuisa and Ivan Szendro