Words of friendship from the 1964 Class Council

April 5, 2020

Classmates::

We’re into our second month of social distancing, so I thought it would be a good time to reach out to classmates. Members of your Class Council shared some brief messages that I hope you will enjoy. It’s a good time for all of us to rekindle old friendships.

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Tony Lavely: “My social media feeds really lit up in early March. Most days, Wanda and I have been walking miles on the Atlanta Beltline. We’re staying in touch with family and friends with video connections like FaceTime, Google Hangouts, and Zoom. Anyone want to have a classmate “Happy Hour” on Zoom?

Joe Wishcamper: Carol and I are fortunate to live on 50 acres on the coast of Maine, so by staying home we are well isolated from all but deer and turkeys. I work incessantly, in an effort to mitigate impacts of the Event on my affordable housing properties. Zoom and Teams provide my connection to people in my life. I am staying fit through fiendish workouts on my Peloton and am getting outside for short intervals several times a day. Lots of time to read and reflect as well. I exchange frequent emails with quite a few classmates. Would love to hear from any of you.

Ted Jones: Thanks be that we have FaceTime, Zoom, and the Internet to maintain at least some semblance of normal human contact, both personally and for business.

Terry Holcombe: We are here in rural New Hampshire where even under normal circumstances social distancing is measured by the mile or so to the neighboring house. The good news is that there are only 50 residents in the State; bad news is that we have .0001 beds per capita. For the foreseeable future we have mothballed our apartment in New Haven. The interesting thing is that as a rather small farming community we have a tradition of community support. Plenty of everything and no apparent hoarding. People drive and shop for each other; even Ken Burns our neighbor does his share personally. One very positive result is that this will totally change health care (telemedicine, etc.), which will be important the world over. My major concern is that the financial system may well collapse. We have borrowed over $1 million per capita … how many of us are worth that … and how many of our grandchildren will be able to pay it back? States and cities were already deep under water before all of this, and we have yet to hear more Democrat initiatives to cure the virus, like funding for arts centers, Planned Parenthood, etc., as well as support for what could be a massive influx of immigrants.

Chris Getman: I hope that all of us are happily secluded in a nice place. I’m working out of my office in Rhode Island where we’ve been for pushing three weeks. So far so good, although the market is very challenging. We heard from one set of friends who said that things were fine, but they’re glad there isn’t a gun in the house. I’m no good at Zoom and think that trying to host a Zoom meeting would be cacophonous, but I think that the collective group of us would love to hear what everyone else is up to. Hope we’re back in action in May, even if it means going to the Lawn Club.

Waldo Johnston: This may not be what you had in mind as it is hardly consoling. But I think we need to end the utterly destructive blame games in a time we need to rally as a united nation. "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone." John 8:7

Edward Massey: We had instituted something like this among our roommates with a weekly report from one to the rest (alphabetically). The thought is to break the isolation. My report is due tomorrow, and I am trying to find a way to marry my normal commitment to optimism with my profound sense that the dark side has overtaken our response to this threat. I have not written anything about it yet, so I won’t dwell on it more than to say I vacillate between optimism and gloom. Opportunities like this tend to provide support for the optimism side.

Chip Brennan: My faith in mankind’s ingenuity comforts me that my children and grandchildren will be okay. Let’s hope that our last decade or so isn’t too dramatically altered.

Paul Ruden: From my 50th floor apartment, New York City appears to be a dead place: very few cars, fewer pedestrians on 9th Avenue, West 58th, Columbus Circle, Central Park where normally there would be throngs. Now, silence. The death toll continues to rise despite this. I don’t understand it. Then I see a few pairs, walking close side-by-side. I see photos of mobs at the pier for the arrival of the hospital ship Comfort. Maybe that is the explanation. I don’t know. It is so sad and was so avoidable.

Don Edwards: I’m telling our younger friends that social distancing is like retirement on steroids. We know how to do this! I think we need a Governor to run for President.

John Evans: We have all learned about the magic of compound interest, but living with the frightening exponential curve of a pandemic is still difficult to comprehend. It is hard to avoid going out into the world, at least occasionally, and that is increasingly scary. At least Dottie has finally gotten me to wash my hands for twenty seconds, and we wipe down everything. Phone calls and emails and Zoom help us stay in contact with our family, but we do miss seeing the grandchildren regularly.

Peter Bradford: We shelter in a house that my parents built as a second home on a Vermont hillside in 1947. In the 1960s more than a few classmates sat or slept in the room where I type now. The house has embraced five generations of Bradfords. None can visit now. In this house’s first few years, polio seemed scarier than COVID-19 does now. Flare-ups in 1949 and 1952 (when our population was about half of today’s) each killed a few thousand Americans and paralyzed tens of thousands more, mostly children. Even in “normal” years, ten to twenty thousand suffered paralysis. My father’s favorite brother died. So did a second-grade classmate. Now polio is a distant memory in the U.S. and in most of the world.

Robert Whitby: Kathleen and I have been bunkered down since mid-February quite comfortably at our home in Greenwich. (Certainly, more comfortable than fifth floor, Lawrence Hall freshman year at Yale). We are well stocked with food and medical supplies and have an adequate supply of ammo. I live on FaceTime calls with family and friends, and. I Zoom at least one board meeting, consulting project, or committee meeting every day. I play Frisbee every day with my dog, Bogart, to get us both some outside exercise. Stay home, stay well, stay in touch.

Sam Francis: This too shall pass. In the meantime, keep calm and carry on, and above all stay home as if your life depended on it, as it may well (spoken as an EMT). Believe the science, not the happy talk or the double-talk. Tune out the noise. Facts matter. I'll see you on the other side.

Paul Balser: Nice idea, thanks. My family and I are well and isolating in Millbrook, NY. Kids and grand-kids ok too. Best to all.

Sam Callaway: Watching our political leadership founder and constantly change course has not been reassuring and threatens to imperil the health of many more Americans than was necessary. I am encouraged, however, by how seriously people up here in the hills of Northwest Connecticut are taking the advice of the medical professionals, and that gives me great hope. Good luck to you all and stay healthy.

Len Baker: Sheltering in place at home in Palo Alto, spending most of the day on Zoom meetings and missing grandkids.

Bob Buchanan: A great idea for human interaction. Trying to endure this forced isolation really emphasizes those human needs we take for granted, but it does provide real time to think. Besides contemplating how things might change in social and professional behavior, other thoughts bear more discussion: (1) The need to fix our health care system; (2) The need to develop a more diverse supply chain; (3) The need for more leadership across the board. One wish that I hope will prevail after all this is a determination that our country must be more united. Hopefully we will come together more between now and November.

Steve Norman: Jackie and I feel fortunate to shelter in place in FL but look forward to driving North to ME in May. In our retirement years we can cope more easily with the current stay-at-home orders. More worrisome are the challenges being endured by the children and grandchildren of our classmates One of our sons and his wife are confined to their NYC apartment for these several weeks with three small children clamoring for attention as both parents are tied to their computer screens in day-long contact with their jobs. Another son and his wife await the birth of a child this week with a one-night-only hospital stay for the mother. Many of our classmates' children face similar disruptions, and I am sure that few if any are complaining. All in all, we consider ourselves hugely lucky and advantaged. Best wishes for good health to all.

Jon McBride: I found this video particularly poignant and moving as we all seek a place that's "safe."

Steve Hoffman: I am not too concerned about lack of personal protective equipment for our quarantined selves, but I am anxious about running out of hand lotion for my dishpan hands from my jobs in the kitchen and the constant refrain of “Wash, wash and then wash again!” I hope all of you are staying out of harm’s way. My NYC daughter, her husband, and two kids under 4 either have tested positive or are assumed to have mild to moderate cases. They are cooped up inside their apartment. My wife and I feel helpless in not being able to pitch in, but we have been Zoom babysitting every so often.

Howard Gillette: Having been confined almost entirely to home a year ago while being treated for lymphoma, I came to appreciate hearing from friends checking in on me by email. Consider contacting someone you care about but have not been in touch with for a while and make sure they are doing well.

Tony Lee: Margie and I are trying to turn this bitter lemon into lemonade. We are hiking in new local uncrowded parks, and we are actively engaged with Elders Climate Action creating a three-session online-by-Zoom curriculum on climate change. We’re looking for volunteers for the pilot session starting in a few weeks. Let me know if you’re interested.

Ward Wickwire: So far, we are in relatively good shape here in Maine. Still, we are supposed to remain housebound until the end of April. While we always encourage visitors to our great state, I’m told that any out of state visitor from a “hotspot” must self-quarantine for two weeks. This is less expensive than building a wall around the state but is somewhat limiting. I always try to look for the positives in any situation. So far, I’ve come up with two: (1) Social Closeness. Much is said about the need for social distancing. This is a physical constraint. We have found a great opportunity to stay close to our family via Zoom. Our extended family (Massachusetts, Australia, Florida, Colorado) has been in better contact with the quarantine in effect via Zoom than before the quarantine. We typically have a Zoom session on Friday evenings, and they are great. (2) Webinars. I sense that there are more interesting webinars available free now than before. One of particular interest is a series run by the Jackson Institute at Yale (now becoming a full graduate school of foreign affairs). The series is entitled “COVID-19 and Global Affairs.” See the first session here. Being quarantined is a great opportunity to stay up to date through this kind of media. Stay Safe.

Bruce Driver: The bad and the good of social distancing. Impossible to hug and touch people, except my wife. But in this difficult time, I guess that's life. The challenges that healthcare workers face are awful and sad. No two ways about it, this is bad. On the other hand, I have more time to read and write political reports, a way of overcoming news from the White House that, in my view, tends to distort. Plus, I have had the time to learn Zoom and use it, Certainly, seeing friends on my computer screen, if not touching them, makes me feel a whole lot more fit. Best to everyone.

Dan Pollack: We wish all classmates good health and to be safe. Nancy and I found this information helpful. When we go shopping or out of the house, we wear latex gloves and masks (which may become mandated). We practice social distancing and have eaten more fast food and take-out than we ever thought possible. We wash all containers and produce purchased. Most important, we try to keep our sense of humor. We watch the value of our investments decline daily with the hope that we live long enough to see them recover. I purchased a spinning bike, and we walk and still do water aerobics. Nancy is taking yoga via Zoom. I'm making model planes and sending them to my grandkids. We need to remember that we all are remarkably adaptable people. These times remind us not to take anything for granted. To be thankful for family and FaceTime, and that staying in touch with family and friends is very important.

Mike Mazer: My family, stretched from Boston to San Francisco, is doing well. We continue to practice our versions of "social distancing" and while regretting the need, understand that the part we play, certainly modest when compared to the healthcare community's, is nevertheless an important component in the initial phase of the crisis.

Mac Deford: Left Key Biscayne last Sunday, high 70s, sunny. And the beach closed. When the same cop caught me swimming three days in a row, he threatened to arrest me. Back in Maine, it’s high 30s, rainy — even some snow a few days ago. Glad I’m here.

Pete Putzel: Anne and I are hunkered down in our house in the woods of northwest Connecticut. As many know, during normal times we spend about half of each week here, but as COVID-19 loomed more and more ominously in Brooklyn, we relocated full time in early March and have been here ever since. Weather permitting, we try to get in an hour’s walk every day. We’re slowly going through Netflix offerings and are constantly looking for good movie and book suggestions. We’re healthy so far. We count our blessings and grieve for the many people less fortunate than we are. It seems to me that the single way we can respond positively to this crisis is to support the organizations that serve the most vulnerable people in our community. Here’s a single bright ray of sunshine around that black covidcloud. The Connecticut Golf Association has promulgated a set of mandatory rules for courses in Connecticut: no carts, twosomes only (no foursomes), flagstick remains in the hole at all times. Sanitize your club handles. No rakes in sand traps, etc. But the rule modification that I love provides that a ball is deemed holed if it simply touches the hole or flagstick. No need to sink the putt during these otherwise querulous times! My enormous handicap dropped by a couple of strokes even when I just read that new rule. When the weather warms just a bit, I’ll be looking for significant golf therapy. As we physically isolate ourselves, I find myself increasingly needing to touch base with family and old friends, certainly including classmates, and I am grateful for their multiple emails. We send love and best wishes to everyone. Stay healthy and safe.

Mike Price: In times like this, when we are penned up day after day, it’s good to reach out. I’ve been a little limited as 10 days ago I had a heart attack and now have 3 stents in 3 arteries, no explanation from the Docs but, since I’m not going out anyway, things are OK. I hope we all survive this – it’s a frightening thing – new for everybody, and I worry about social unrest as time goes by and more people are without jobs.

Bill Morse: What to do at a time like this? We’re all in it together. We’ll come out of it, together. I turn to music, to sharing it, to family and friends, to connecting, and to counting our blessings. I think of our freshman hockey 9-3 win over Princeton, in Baker Rink, where I first learned to play the game, And I think of Yale’s thrilling double overtime, 50-43 comeback win over Harvard this fall. We can do it! Stay positive, safe and secure. 

Jay Huffard: We’re in Delray Dunes Golf & Country Club in Boynton Beach. This is a golf community around a Pete Dye course with about 300 single-family homes. A nice place to practice social distancing. I again missed the Yale ‘64 Class Council meeting as that is the time that our three families come visit (not all at once!). The final visit concluded just before stay orders and travel restrictions were ordered. COVID-19 is just ramping up in South Florida. So far, pretty good. Hope all of you are well.

Bill Galvin: Ellen and I are using the COVID-19 lockdown to transform our fitness regimen. Unlike Joe Wishcamper’s investment in a Peleton, we are instead repeatedly climbing the stairs in hour home, like mountain climbers. Essentially, we are hunkered down with Marigold and Jezebel (two Goldens) who provide the daily requirement for long walks along deserted streets in Greenwich where we monitor the number of restaurants trying to stay alive with take-out business. Both of us have become reasonably adept at initiating and participating in Zoom calls with friends and family. A recent new experience was a Hangout call with multiple children and grandchildren. We’re also spending considerable time speculating about the inevitable long-term changes that COVID-19 will have on our family, the economy, and the America we knew only a month ago. The metaphor likening the impact of the virus to that of a global war may prove not to be an exaggeration. We’ll see.

Al Rossiter: I have found a couple of ways to help me get through this plague First, I am trying hard not to overdose on the news. I get four or five articles daily about "things I should know about COVID-19” — and then I can check my cell phone every hour to see if there is more news, and then I can read the papers and the magazines. I know it's bad, that it will get worse, that we need more ventilators, that Fauci is wise and Trump is not. But I can get all this in one nightly newscast. Hourly doses of news do not help. Second, I am working hard to have a rhythm for each day as well as something I can look forward to, especially my glass of wine at 5:00, but not before. Take it one day at a time. Zoom is a poor substitute for human contact, but it's what we’ve got, so I am trying make peace with it. 

Neil Hoffmann: Like all of you, I suspect, I am struggling with the world being turned upside down, nothing normal and nothing comfortable. No Masters Golf Tournament. I try to focus on the positive and, hard as it is, stay away from the hyped up scary politicized news. Patience and love for friends and family. Optimism for the outcome. Sorrow for the victims. Sharing strategies for staying safe. A brighter day by the middle of May. Speaking of strategies, I'm going with the recommendations of this ICU Doctor from Weiss Cornell in NY. A hero in the trenches.

Will Elting: I’m hunkered down in my country place, Washington-on-the-Brazos, one of the first Anglo settlements in Texas. I became optimistic when I read this article in the Houston Chronicle about promising blood transfusion therapy.

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Remember, you can always find news and notes on our Class website, and the Class Directory has classmate email addresses. I’m sure glad that our 55th reunion was last year and not this year (all reunions have been canceled). Let me know how you’re doing; send me an email for the next issue of Class Notes (online in early May and in YAM in July).

Best wishes,