Good morning, Tom:

When I enlisted in Lyndon B. Johnson's war on poverty, I had no idea what a profound change it would make in my life. Just like the war in Vietnam, it was a war that could not be won. It did however have positive results. Programs like the Spanish Speaking Information Center were able to give hope to people without hope. It also gave people like me new goals and aspirations. Or in my case a renewed hope and higher goals.

An idea had been implanted in my subconscious mind by my third grade teacher, Mrs. Grayson: The idea that I could be anything I wanted to be.

You asked earlier how or why Noe Galvan and I were able to escape out of P.I. and be successful. Well, this teacher was the first piece of the puzzle which I am. She said these words to me and in difficult times. My subconscious mind brings it forth. The Words were these. "Jose you are a very smart kid and you can be anything you want to."

Every child needs this type of encouragement. The brain of a child is like a blank computer. It absorbs everything, it is only later that we develop a reject button. or filter. We only accept that which we desire to accept and reject the rest as garbage.

Mrs. Grayson saw in me something that I rediscovered during the turmoil of the Chicano Movement. I had a hunger for knowledge and the capacity to satisfy that hunger. The only thing I needed was an opportunity. That opportunity came from a very unlikely source, The General Motors apprenticeship program.

By 1970, I had completed the apprenticeship program and because of it I had also acquired an associates degree in Electrical Technology. By using my GM educational benefits and the G.I. bill, I was able to attend the University of Michigan. Much to my dismay, the technical credits would not transfer to the U of M ,and I lost 30 credit hours, which I made up very quickly by taking 6 classes by exam, thus earning 18 credit hours without attending class.

The impetus for pursuing a law degree came from my involvement in the community. Ben, Joe B. and I were meeting with the community center's attorney, Michael Pelavin and after the meeting, he asked me to stay for a few minutes. I had no idea why he wanted me to stay, but I did anyway. As soon as the others were gone, he inquired as to my aspirations. I told him that I was up for a management position at GM and that I would continue my studies at the U of M towards a degree in electrical engineering. He then told me that I would be much more valuable to the Hispanic community as an attorney and that I should pursue that venue. My reply to him was that I could not afford it. He then made me a very generous offer. He offered to pay for it. Although I did not take him up on it, it did give me the incentive to change my course and pursue my real dreams. This was my first encounter with a person of the Jewish faith, but it would not be my last.

Thank you Lord for providing me with Michael. You always know what we need and when we need it.

Invigorated by my trip to Spain and with a whole new perspective brought about by the Chicano movement, I plunged into my studies with new vigor. I resigned from my job as a supervisor at GM and went back to my tools as an electrician. This gave me more freedom to pursue my studies. I also resigned from the board of directors of the Center.

Shortly before graduation, I applied to take the LSAT and had my test results sent to four colleges. I was thinking big, I picked Harvard, Notre Dame, Michigan and George Washingto University. All prestigious law
schools worthy of my presence. I never lacked self confidence, just the means to accomplish my goals. Now I had the means and the clear view of where I was headed.

I was accepted at three of the four, George Washington for some reason wasn't interested. Harvard called after I had already made a committment to Michigan and I declined. Being accepted was the easy part at least that was my thinking. I found out later, that it was the hardest part. I served on the admissions committee my second year and discovered that 90% of the applicants were rejected. The year I applied, there were 7,000 applications and less than 700 applicants were sent letters of acceptance. , Then only 350 students were actually admitted.

Tom, I have to stop here. I'll be gone for a few days.

Love,

Jose Cruz

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2. Law School

On a beautiful fall day in the year of our Lord 1975, I entered the hallowed halls of the University of Michigan Law School. Life from that day forward would never be the same. As far as I was concerned, I had arrived. I was far behind my classmates in some ways. They had resources I couldn't match and because of wealth and privelege, did not have to work and study at the same time. I did not have that luxury. I continued to work at GM at least until the third or fourth week into the semester and returned to work during the summer. In other ways I was far ahead. I had world experience, maturity and my own hard earned money. I owned my home and was on my third new vehicle, a 1976 buick lesabre. In other words, I was already a success - especially when you consider that when I arrived in Michigan ten years earlier, I had no home, a used car on which I owed, and less than $50.00 in my pocket.

The only prior experience I could compare U of M law school with, was boot camp. Wheras boot camp was a physical struggle, this was both physical and mental. law school is not for the weak of mind. It is pure darwinism; only the strong survive. From the first day of orientation, you get the mindset that is Michigan. Students come from diverse backgrounds and the one thing they have in common is their competitiveness. During this particular period, many young adults such as myself were changing careers. We had a large number of students with advanced degrees, co-mingled with the upper crust of the undergraduate body. No intellectual wimps here. How did I compare? I was no intellectual giant, but I held my own.

At orientation, the dean of students addressed the incoming body of students. I will never forget his first remarks: "You are here because you are the best of the best." None of us needed to hear that, because we knew that was the case. It was like preaching to the choir. He also prepared us for the worst and this was where reality sank in. The Michigan law school, at least durng this period of time, graded on a curve. under this method of grading, twenty (20) per cent of the class would not survive the first year. This held true for our class. A few of our classmates actually committed suicide, a fact that is well guarded by many law shools. Drugs and alcohol were rampant and many of the students simply dropped out or had their brains fried with drugs. For me this was not an option. During my 3 years I sipped a few beers, but I knew my limits, I had been down that road before and I was not about to travel that way again. There would be plenty of time for that after law school. For now, I had a goal to reach and failure was not an option.

I thank God for the people that prepared me for this ordeal. Had it not been for the education and encouragment I received from my teachers in Port Isabel and the challenges presented by my class mates I would never had been here in the first place, much less compete at this level. At the risk of leaving some one out I need to mention a few. First and foremost, my third grade teacher, Mrs. Grayson, who planted the first seed. Then to the others who watered it, Mrs. Marlin, Mr. Longoria, Mr. McClellan, Mr. and Mrs. Vela, who not only taught me, but also fed me when I was hungry. To the greatest of them all, the teacher we all hated, but loved afterwards, Mrs. Cail, without whom I could not construct a sentence, much less diagram it. I hope she approves from her viewpoint in heaven. And to E.W. Cateora, who made sure I had clothing, food and shelter and whatever else I needed to go to school in the first place. To all of those who contributed to who and what I am today, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Love in His Holy Name,

Jose cruz
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Dear Jose,

A while back you wote, "I'm getting a lot of encouragement from your comments and also from others. Thursday, before I left for a bit of R&R over the weekend, my friend Jerry Jones dropped into my office for a cup of java. Jerry is a published author and dear friend. I shared with him what I was going and he also said to publish it, not for the financial gain, but for the encouragement it will offer to other Hispanics."

True. One never does worthwhile things just for the money. As Bill B. pointed out to me once, Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone on the way to helping the deaf.

Also, your installment of today is especially heartening for teachers. Yes, we do remember those who teach not only the material, but us students as well. Thanks for bringing to mind Mr. Vela, whose introductory lecture in geometry I remember well. He made clear that the three-dimensional chalk marks on the board were only indicative of the abstact entities Point and Line, ditto the blackboard itself illustrative only of the conceptual Plane. In my experience of public education this was the first indication school had anything to offer worth taking note of. When I talked to him after class, Mr. Vela recommended Plato's Meno. After I read that, he said, "Yes, Plato's very convincing the first time you read him," which intrigued me even further. At age sixteen I was hungry for mental meat and potatoes, and, as in your case, Mr. Vela fed me.

Keep writing, Jose. And to all you Coffee Mates out there, any pieces on teachers who made a difference in your life would be most welcome. The PTA sponsors Teacher Appreciation Week in May.

http://pta.org

Tom.
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3. Life After Law School

On the 13th day of May, 1978 I received my Juris Doctor degree from the University of Michigan Law school. Former President Gerald Ford was our commencement speaker. For the occasion I had flown in my parents from Brownsville. I was probably the only student that paid for his parents to come to the ceremony. We held a small reception in my home for all my friends from work and the community center. Also in attendance was my stockbroker and dear friend Bob. Bob was an executive with Merrill Lynch and had managed my finances for the last 10 years. Thanks to him I was able to afford the life I was leading. Not that I was rich, but I did not have to eat pork and beans for three years as I had promised myself I would do in order to complete my studies.

It was at the reception that Bob brought up the idea of joining Merrill Lynch. I didn't think much of it at the time, because I wanted to see what GM would do, now that I had my law degree. I also had worked the last two years as a law clerk with a local law firm and a permanent job was offered if I wanted to stay. An offer which I later accepted when GM would not even give me an interview for a legal position. I was hurt by their decision, but I didn't sulk over it. I did however get even - One of the first lawsuits I filed was against GM and I made them pay for this oversight. I said goodbye to GM and my co-workers and began my legal career. A career that was not without controversy. Several of my cases were high publicity cases not by choice but by chance. More on this later.

The law firm I had joined when I left GM turned out to be my first mistake, and after 3 months of working there, I called my friend Bob and asked if the Merrill Lynch option was still available. Without hesitation he answered in the affirmative. Two days later on the lst of March, I was on the way to the big Apple, New York City. The Merrill Lynch training was the icing on the cake. It was like getting an MBA in finance. Merrill as insiders called it, was the premier firm on wall street and they took care of their employees. Nothing but the best for us. The best restaurants and travel at company expense.

Three months in New York spoiled me forever. I had an apartment across from Madison Square Garden and this was during the NIT tournament. Every night my roomate and I went to a different restaurant for dinner. We had a daily allowance of $40.00 and we skipped breakfast and lunch to afford the better restaurants for dinner. Weekends we played tourists and visited the Statute of Liberty, Rockefeller Center, and other famous New York Landmarks. One of my former U of M friends from Medical School was doing his internship at Sinai Hospital and lived on Long Island. He came to my apartment and I spent the weekend with him and his family. Nothing tastes better than seafood freshly unloaded and cooked right at the docks. Fresh clams and New England lobster served New England style with potatoes and steamed vegtables, a bottle of wine and french bread, this poor boy from P.I. was in Heaven. I hated to leave and return to Michigan for my assignment.

to be continued...... Love is in the air,

4. A New Beginning

They say that everyone has that one special person waiting for him or her and when you find that person never let go. My boys ask me if they will ever find that person and I say to them, you will, and when you do you'll know it immediately. It's a feeling that's hard describe, but I'll try anyway. Others have compared it to becoming like jelly. Your knees are weak and you are afraid to open your eyes for fear that it is a dream and he or she will disappear. It's like flu symptoms - Cold sweaty palms, rapid heart beat, stomach butterflies.

God knew that I was at a crossroad when He brought this woman into my life. Women were not strange to me, I had known many up to this time, but none like this one. She was the whole package or as the Mexican's say, the whole enchilada. Not only was she beautiful, but she had brains to boot. She was a student at the University of Michigan campus. Her name was even pretty, Rita, and it rhymed with Zurita, so I guess it was meant to be. Most men would have been intimidated by her looks alone. She was a Marilyn Monroe look-alike but much taller. When she came into a room, even married men stopped what they were doing and gave her a second look.

I remember the time we were in Atlantic City and as we came off the elevator a middle aged man with his wife next to him, almost fell down the stairs as he was looking backwards. His wife gave him a poke in the ribs when he recovered himself. Even years later, she can stop traffic when she walks on the sidewalk. How did I deserve such a woman, God only knows.

I met Rita while teaching a class at the community college. She was a business ad major and the class was on Business financing. The minute she walked into the room I was hooked. Unfortunately I had to wait until the end of the course to approach her in an amorous manner. Colleges frown on that type of thing and I was not going to violate their rules. It began kind of innocently, I asked her to have a cup of coffee in the cafeteria and to my surprise she said yes. She later told me that she didn't drink coffee.

We realized from the beginning that we had a lot in common. We both liked country music and dancing to it. And we shared the same political beliefs. She was involved with the Young Republicans club and I was Vice chairman of the Hispanic Republicans of Michigan. To this date, nothing has changed. We are still actively involved in the Republican Party and we love to attend Country music concerts and go dancing when we have an opportunity.

Before we parted from our coffee date I asked her for her phone number and permission to call her. Without hesitation she gave me her phone and for two days I didn't call her. Not that I didn't want to but I was scared that she would say no and I would not see her again. To my surprise and delight, when I called her on Tuesday she agreed to go out for dinner and dancing. I was as nervous as a sixteen year old on his first date. Her mom, a beautiful woman in her own right invited me into her home and I waited while Rita got dressed. When she came out of her bedroom wearing a beautiful blue long flowing dress my heart started pounding.

I took her to the best restaurant in town, the Beech Tree, which was my regular hangout since I started working for the law firm. The Beech tree was noted for it's French cuisine and live jazz music. It was the place where lawyers and stockbrokers took clients for lunch or dinner. Not the kind of place she was accustomed to. She confided in me during our coffee chat that it was one of the places she had always wanted to go to and her boyfriends would not or could not take her. During our courtship we had many dinners at the Beech Tree and other establishments in Michigan and Canada.

Well, I have to go now.

Con todo Carino,

Jose
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5. From Girlfriend to Wife

As Rita an I were dancing, she told me that she was rusty. I said, "don't worry about it, I'll take you down to the gas station and get you a lube job." She later told me that this remark helped her to relax and enjoy the evening. She knew I had a sense of humor and everything would be o.k. And it has been for the last twenty four years.

Two years almost to the date we met, we were married in the First Presbyterian Church of Flint, Michigan. It was a beautiful ceremony in the Scottish tradition. We even had a piper in kilts at the wedding and reception. He played amazing grace on the bagpipes and there wasn't a dry eye in the church. The pastor looked down on us and asked if we were o.k. And with tears in our eyes we said, "yes we are". The moment I said Yes, I do to Rita can only be topped by the moment I said yes to Jesus. Both events were turning points in my life.

I know now why Rita came into my life. Before I met her, I had been running away from the Lord. She was the Lord's instrument in bringing me to Him. She started in a very subtle way, not in character for her, because she can be very blunt when she has to.

It was about 6 weeks into our relationship that she brought up the idea of attending church. She at the time was a member of the Lutheran Church and attended regularly with her mother Irene. Everytime she brought up the idea of attending church, I changed the subject. One day I surprised her by accepting her invitation. Even then I was merely a spectator rather than a participant. The best part of going to church with her on Sunday was going to her house for dinner and watching a football game on TV. Her mother in the German tradition handed down by her family made the best roast beef with potatoes and carrots on the side. She also made sure that there was beer in the house, even though she did not drink nor approve of it. I loved my mother in law and I became like a son to her. I will always be grateful for what she did for me and for bringing Rita into the world.

Rita's patience paid off and by the time we were married I was getting into the Word. Although, it would be years later before I made a personal committment to follow Jesus. I wish now I had done it sooner and saved myself a lot of pain and mental anguish.

Love in His Name,

Jose Cruz
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6. Love & Marriage

Rita and I had come in our motor home that we parked overnight in the country club parking lot, and when I told her about the offer, she had no doubt in her mind about whether I should accept or not. On Monday, I called Steve and told him to start the process, and within 2 weeks, I had my private office in city hall.

Bye for now,

Tu amigo,

Jose cruz