The Roma People

    Have you ever said you were gypped? Do you know the origin of that word? I just learned the answer to that question and also that they suffered genocide with the Jews in the Holocaust. The following article on the gypsies (now called Roma) says it better than I could, so read and learn with me.

By Cameron Hewitt and Honza Vihan

Europe is home to a largely overlooked population of 12 million people who share a language and a culture quite distinct from the European norm. While spread out across the continent, the biggest populations live in Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, and Slovakia. Together, the Roma people constitute a bigger European nation than the Czechs, Hungarians, or the Dutch — and yet have little political voice or cultural presence in the wider society.

The once-common term "Gypsy" (derived from "Egypt," from where they were thought to have originated) is now considered not just inaccurate but derogatory. The Roma are now thought to be descended from several low north-Indian castes. (The language still spoken by about two-thirds of today's European Roma — called "Romany" or "Romani" — is related to contemporary Indian languages.)

A thousand years ago, the Roma began to migrate through Persia and Armenia into the Ottoman Empire, which later stretched across much of southeastern Europe. Known for their itinerant lifestyle, expertise in horse trading, skilled artisanship, and flexibility regarding private property, the Roma were both sought out and suspected in medieval Europe. Similarly, the gadjos (non-Roma) and their customs came to be distrusted by the Roma.

The Industrial Revolution threatened the Roma's traditional livelihoods, making their wandering lifestyle difficult to sustain. Many Roma became entertainers (fortune telling, music and dancing, horse shows, dancing bears), outlaws, and metalworkers. Roma were initially not allowed to enter Austrian territory, but as the Habsburgs recaptured lands once controlled by the Ottomans (including Slovakia and Hungary), they permitted the Roma already living there to stay. In the 18th and 19th centuries, as "Gypsy music" funneled into the theaters of Vienna and Budapest, a romantic stereotype emerged of the Roma as people living an idyllic, nomadic lifestyle, with dancers swirling nightly around their campfires to intoxicating music — and all while weilding mystical powers over white Europeans. This notion still persists in many corners of Europe today.

But white Europe's image of the Roma also had a sinister side. Even today, people might warn their children, "If you don't behave, I'll sell you to the Gypsies!" And when someone is cheated, many English speakers say they've been "gypped" — an ethnic slur so deeply ingrained most don't realize its origin. The widespread bigotry had long been encoded in many legal restrictions that kept the Roma from enjoying full citizenship.

In the 1930s, Nazi Germany stripped the Roma of all citizenship, and in the 1940s, Hitler addressed the so-called "Gypsy question" (how to deal with the Roma population) with full-on genocide, sending hundreds of thousands of Roma to the gas chambers on the basis of ethnicity.

After the war, communist governments in central and eastern Europe implemented a policy of forced assimilation: Roma were required to speak the country's predominant language, settle in towns, and work in new industrial jobs. Rather than producing well-adjusted citizens, the policy eroded time-honored Roma values and shattered the cohesiveness of their traditional communities. It left the new Roma generation prone to sexual, alcohol, and drug abuse, and filled state-run orphanages with deprived Roma toddlers.

When the obligation and right to work disappeared with the communist regimes in 1989, rampant unemployment and dependence on welfare joined the list of Roma afflictions. As people all over formerly communist Europe found it difficult to adjust to the new economic realities, they again turned on the Roma as scapegoats, and state-sanctioned persecution continued in many areas.

Today, many Roma live in segregated ghettos. Most children start attending school, but a high percentage drop out, and many have children of their own at a very young age. Those who make it against the odds and succeed in mainstream society typically do so by turning their backs on their Roma heritage.

Many countries have no viable, organized movement for Roma rights, leaving many Roma stranded on the fringes of mainstream society. However, Europe-wide organizations (including the European Union and NGOs such as the European Roma Rights Centre) are working to seek justice for the Roma people.

Some areas have seen success stories: In the Czech town of Český Krumlov, for instance, the large Roma community of 1,000 people — about 5 percent of the town's population — are well-integrated in the life of the town while remaining proud of their cultural identity. Across Europe, many are hopeful that with the EU's increased focus on cooperation and human rights, the Roma will find a place in contemporary European society.

https://classroom.ricksteves.com/videos/romania-s-roma-or-gypsy-population

Christmas 2024 Recap

    This was the year to have our family on Christmas Day. We always have it in our basement but this year was different. Not knowing how my hip replacement surgery the end of November and recovery would go, we reserved a school for our dinner. There would be no steps there and a lot more room. As it turned out, everything went smoothly and I was able to go up and down steps but we used the school anyway.

   We went at 9 a.m. to set up for lunch at 11:30. Gene and Amy were in charge this year. She set up a lovely charcuterie board for the appetizer.

   We enjoyed a delicious meal of roast beef, sweet potatoes, green beans, cranberry salad, and tossed salad. There were pies, cookies, raspberry cheesecake, and other goodies for dessert. I was told I do not need to make anything but I did cheat and baked a cherry pie. I paid for the beef, but Velma roasted it using her own seasoning mix. It was soft and delicious!

  There were 35 people at the table for lunch and six more came later in the day. Two grandsons, their wives, and six great-grandchildren were missing.

     After lunch we formed a circle to sing Christmas carols.

  Then came the time the children were waiting for---the gifts! This was Samuel's first Christmas.

He is our newest grandchild, born January 30, 2024. He likes anything with wheels.

 

I enjoyed teaching Emma how to do the latch hook we gave her. She caught on quickly and later went back and did it alone.

   Abi and Samuel  did a test ride in the wagon the family gave us. It replaces the 50+ year old red wagon I use to haul the wash basket back and forth to the wash line. It is made of poly and will hold up setting out in the weather.

Our children and their spouses took time out to go visit Grandma in the Richland Christian Home. She is 101 and this was likely her last Christmas on earth. 

   Some things were different this year, but we still made memories to keep. The people, not the place, is what makes Christmas a special time.

What's Inside Counts

   When you have been married 57 years, love has grown to the point that the mushy romantic stuff isn't important anymore. Love is expressed in little ways every day. It's in things like taking out the garbage without being asked and doing dishes or gardening together. Since my hip surgery love is shown in helping me get around, fetching things, and many other little ways. We find ourselves thinking more alike. Leroy will say something that is just what I was thinking about. It has been years since we had a serious disagreement. 

   When we were dating I anticipated the birthday and Christmas gifts I would receive, wondering what he might bring. Since our birthdays are both in the week before Christmas, we long ago reduced the gifts to one thing which serves for both birthday and Christmas.  And now we go out to eat (often on a gift certificate) and celebrate both our birthdays together. We still give each other something but getting a wrapped gift isn't necessary. This year we really hit the bottom of the romantic part of gift giving.

    When Leroy asked what I want I told him I wanted a book on church history that was published this year. We stopped at the bookstore yesterday and I went in with him to show him the book. Then I gave him some money and said, "I'm going out to the car so I can't see what you are getting." Sure enough! He came out with the exact book I wanted and handed it to me. No wrapping needed. I ordered his gift online and managed to whisk it away when it came. He will get it on his birthday next week, in the box it was in when it was shipped. It's what's inside that counts.

   

Price of Procrastination

    Our holidays are different this year. After years of suffering with an aching leg, I finally broke down and admitted I need a hip replacement. It could have been done in October but there were some things on the calendar I wanted to do in November. So I pushed the surgery off until November 21.

   The day came and I went into the OR at 7:30 in the morning. The next thing I knew it was 8:30 and I was in the recovery room. Everything went well and about 1 p.m. I was out of bed walking down the hall. The next day I was discharged and went home.

   Our daughter, Cheryl, came from Ohio to stay for a week and be my caregiver. Thanksgiving came during that week. Cheryl brought a smoked turkey with her and invited all of her brothers who had no other plans to come for dinner. As far as anyone knows, she has not been here for Thanksgiving since she was married more than thirty years ago. We set the table with my china dishes to add to the special occasion. There was eleven of us at the table.

       The aching pain in my leg that had plagued me for so long was gone but there was a different sort of pain from surgery. One surprising benefit was how much straighter I am able to stand since I have a solid post in that leg. I thought my scoliosis was getting worse but the reason I was bent over so far was from a crumbled framework. 

    I am going for therapy three times per week and my mobility is slowly increasing, but building up the strength in that weak leg will take time. Our children took charge of Christmas and said I am excused from cooking this year. We are also having it in a school where there are no stairs instead of our basement. I hope to be back to normal in January.

    My grandma needed a knee replacement. She would say, "If I could only get a new knee," but that was just wishful thinking in her lifetime. I am thankful replacements are possible today and wish I had not procrastinated so many years. A longer recovery is the price I must pay for procrastination.

Quick Trip

    We haven't traveled far since we went on a bus trip to Nova Scotia in 2019. The furthest we have been from home since then was to visit our daughter five hours west of us. And even then, our children did the driving. 

   When we got an invitation to a grandson's wedding in Boston, I really wanted to go. Our children worked out a plan to see we got there and it fit the bill. One son and his wife took us up to the hotel our daughter booked. She and her husband took care of us for two days and then another son and his wife brought us home. That way we got to spend time with each of them individually and each couple had some time to see the things that interested them. Our daughter and I had the same interests, so that was a winner.

    We never got into Boston proper but were in sections of the outskirts. Our hotel was in Burlington. We arrived Friday evening shortly after our daughter and her husband flew in to Boston. We shared a two-bed, two-bath, and kitchen suite that fit our needs nicely.  

   The wedding was at 3 in the afternoon, so we had time to squeeze in a little sightseeing on Saturday morning. Our first stop was the Alcott home where Louisa May Alcott wrote Little Women and other books. Louisa's father was a philosopher and educator. The building in the background was his school. Unfortunately, we were not allowed to take photos inside the house. The highlight, for me, was seeing the desk where Louisa wrote her books. The majority of the furnishings are things that belonged to the Alcott family. On the walls are many original art works done by the youngest daughter, "Amy." I learned a lot about the real lives of this family. One of those things is that's Louisa's middle name is actually her mother's maiden name of May. Amy's real name was May and her sister "Meg" was really Anna.

After we finished the tour we went to the cemetery nearby and found "Author's Ridge" where the Alcott family is buried near other famous authors.

  A few steps from the Alcott family lies the family of Henry David Thoreau. 

     A short distance in the opposite direction lies the family of Ralph Waldo Emerson. Both of these writers were good friends of the Alcott family.

   A mile or two from the cemetery is Waldon's Pond.  This is were Thoreau meditated and wrote about nature.

   Thoreau's cabin sets on the hill above the lake.

   Although I do not agree with Thoreau's transcendentalist ideas, it was nice to add a photo of his desk to my collection of famous author's desks.

   Then it was time to get ready for the wedding in a church in Andover.

   Dylan Martin and Claudia Heidrich were married in a beautifully simple wedding with the ceremony conducted by his father. 

   The reception followed in "The Vault" in Lawrence. It appeared to have once been a bank or something of that nature now repurposed as a venue for parties.

  The newlyweds left in a shower of confetti for their honeymoon in Ireland. May their years together be many and blessed.

   On Sunday morning we watched the live stream of Sunday school where another of our sons was teaching the lesson. Then we called in to listen to our church service at home. We ate the lunch I had taken along. 

   At 4 in the afternoon we drove about twenty minutes to Waltham to visit a friend of mine. She buys every book I write. I knew it would make her day if we stopped in. She insisted on feeding us and we obliged. Her daughter was there to help her and she also invited her brother and his wife. We had a nice two-hour visit. Then it was time to go back to the hotel and pack up to leave in the morning.

   Our son appeared before 7 and loaded our things while we finished eating breakfast. And then we made a bee-line south toward home. When we got to Morristown, NJ, we took a short loop off the Interstate to see the hospital where Leroy served two years of alternate service during the Vietnam War.

The hospital has grown significantly in the last 50+ years. This is the old wing that was there in the sixties. The house across the street where he lived is gone.

  We got home about 1 p.m. and began the process of unpacking and getting back to normal.  We are grateful to our offspring for making it possible for us to go to this wedding. I don't know if we will ever be able to take another trip like this. And if we never do, I'm happy at home. It's still the best place in the world. 

Morning After

    After four years of political turmoil and wrangling, yesterday's 2024 election is over and the results were announced this morning. I am exceedingly sick of the noise and hope we can regain some peace and quiet now. 

   While my own beliefs are conservative, I am neither a Republican or Democrat. I am not joining some of my friends in saying "Thank you Jesus" that Donald Trump was elected to another term in the White House. I don't understand how a person who has been convicted of breaking the laws of the land qualifies for or can be trusted to steer the nation on a straight course. But I do know that God can use even the basest of men to fulfill His purposes.

   No human leader in the world has all the answers to the world's problems or the power to fix them. They are all under the authority of God and accountable to Him. While I am a citizen of the United States by birth, my primary allegiance is to the Kingdom of God of which I am a citizen by virtue of the New Birth. For this reason, my vote was cast  on my knees, not in the polling place, for God's will to be done. 

   Our vision is too narrow to see the bigger picture of what God is doing in the world. God said in Proverbs 8, "By Me kings reign." Daniel 2:21 says God sets up and removes kings. Only He knows why this election turned out the way it did. We can only wait and see what the next four years will bring. Whatever happens, I know God is faithful and we can trust Him to see us through.

   Regardless of which political party is dominant, these facts remain

1. God is still on the Throne

2. Jesus is King of kings and Lord of lords.

3. The Bible has the answer to every problem.

4. Jesus is the only way to heaven.

5. God answers prayer.

6. Anyone who believes in Jesus and puts their trust in Him can be saved.

7. God will never leave or forsake us.

 

   Beware! Trusting the world's political leaders instead of trusting God is breaking the first commandment. 

All Good Gifts

   Last night a brilliant sunset painted the sky over the bare harvested fields. Although there have been dry spells this year, the fields still yielded good crops for the farmer who tills this land behind our house. It seems only weeks ago these fields were planted with corn and soybeans, but the cycle is completed and harvest is finished. 

    I was reminded of the hymn by Matthias Claudius, "We Plow the Fields."

We plow the fields and scatter the good seed on the land,

But it is fed and watered by God's almighty hand.

God sends the snow in winter, the warmth to swell the grain,

The breezes, and the sunshine, and soft refreshing rain.

Refrain

All good gifts around us are sent from heav'n above,

We thank you, God, we thank you, God, for all your love.

You only are the Maker of all things near and far.

You paint the wayside flower, you light the evening star.

The winds and waves obey you, by you the birds are fed;

Much more to us, your children, you give our daily bread.

We thank you then, Creator, for all things bright and good,

The seed-time and the harvest, our life, our health, our food.

Accept the gifts we offer for all your love imparts, 

And what you most would welcome, our humble, thankful hearts.