William Penn Life, 2013 (48. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)

2013-01-01 / 1. szám

Tibor's Take with Tibor Check, Jr.

Resolutions

IN THE STILL and silent halls of the law library,

I often allow myself a few minutes to let my mind wander from the dry work that occupies much of my day. My thoughts do not wander far, as above my head, memorialized for all time in large bronze tablets, are passages from the great laws of history. Sumerian cuneiform preserves the Code of Hammurabi. Ancient Greek brings forth the Laws of Solon. Regal Latin performs its intricate grammatical dance to form the Twelve Tables of Roman Law. The foreign and long-forgotten language of the Iroquois ushers their laws into the 21st Century. Then, finally, familiar English reminds us of the power of the law with Plessy v. Ferguson and its more enlightened cousin, Brown v. Board of Education. It is no surprise my thoughts are unable to do more than contemplate the great deeds of great people. Entranced and intoxicated by the sheer weight of history, my thoughts wonder instead of wander. Then, some interruption returns me to the bare reality of studying for commercial law.

Yet, what does any of this have to do with Tibor's Take? I suspect that I am at that point in my life when a young man decides what he will do with his future. At times, I have a solid, unflinching vision of my destiny; at other times, like now, I can barely do anything besides wax poetic about what may be. A good place to start, I suppose, would be with a list of things to be accomplished in the coming year. Acknowledging that this year may very well determine if my destiny will be shared with the destiny of the American-Hungarian community, I offer you a list of what I resolve to do with Tibor's Take during the coming year and some topics I wish to explore in this space.

6. Hungarian-Americans in the 21st Century: What are the long-term plans of the Hungarian-American Coalition?

7. The crown jewel of Hungarian gathering places: The 75th anniversary of the Hungarian Cultural Garden of Cleveland, Ohio.

8. You can always go home again: Finding and reaching out to my Hungarian family.

9. Hungarian sweet tooth: Farkas Bakery and its role in the wider Hungarian community.

10. The Hungarian Cultural Museum of Cleveland, Ohio: How history and culture are maintained inside Cleveland's Galleria.

11. Your Hungarian neighborhood is alive and well on the Internet.

1. Bring a new perspective to Tibor's Take.

2. Highlight the past with the musical memory of the Kara-Nemeth orchestra.

3. Make sacrifice mean something: Give young people something to fight for, and they will.

4. Wear your heart on your sleeve, Part 1: Determining what drives the brains behind Magyar Marketing.

5. Wear your heart on your sleeve, Part 2: exploring new possibilities with New York Pince.

In this coming year, I want to take a completely new outlook on my ethnic existence. I want to focus on what is right with our community instead of what is wrong. I am tired of buying into the false mythology of decline, decay and death that has possessed some individuals and organizations like a specter from the crypt of forgotten history. I want to show everyone—especially the youngest among us—that you can have your cake and eat it too; that Hungarian culture can be enjoyed and celebrated without losing or sacrificing any vital parts of your person.

6 0 January 2013 0 William Penn Life