Magyar News, 1990. november-1991. augusztus (1. évfolyam, 1-10. szám)
1990-11-01 / 1. szám
Magyar News Monthly Publication in Cooperation of the local Hungarian Churches & Organization__________________ Rev. Dr. Alexander Havadtoy “THINK YOUR WAY TO A SOBER ESTIMATE” I draw your attention to these words. They mean that you should be finding your way to a balanced judgment about yourself. The gifts that we possess differ as they are allotted to us by God’s grace, but you should exercise them accordingly as a human being. Have you done it well or haven’t you? What price can you put on a human being? How can you make a true evaluation of anything so excitingly complex as a person? You may have had the privilege of hearing a concert where a world famous artist was playing the cello. You can conceivably set a value on the cello from which the cellist brought forth the marvelous depth of music. But how do you place a value on the man? During the upcoming Thanksgiving season place the importance of the value on yourself and see how much it matters the way you use your life. Nowadays you come across so many people who have lost the sense of their own worth and value, or believe me, some never really had it. Let us talk about our older people who live in a world so different to the one they once knew. Things they have accepted then are questioned now, or doubted and contemptuously discarded. Some older people are like displaced persons in a foreign land traveling life’s last long mile. Some are frightened and bewildered. A lifetime of experience gathered doesn’t seem to have much value any more. Not that they aren’t trying to put it to good use. They are volunteering at church organizations and other places hoping that some of their warehouse of knowledge will be appreciated. They are trying to save their cherished traditions, the heritage that they were trusted with. They have respect towards their ancestors. There is a general atmosphere of our modern society that is making lives so hopelessly impersonal. We have yielded to the pressures, and to some extent we are disillusioned even about ourselves. I suggest you begin taking stock of your assets. I don’t mean your balance in the bank. I don’t mean looking up what your savings are. I don’t mean the market value of your stocks and bonds. I don’t mean anything like that at all. I mean the subtler assets, all the things in life that make you what you are. Start with the members of your family. Then go on to count the number of people who believe in you, and who have put something of themselves into you. Values that are based on love and human understanding, family traditions, your heritage and the history of your ancestors. These are the true factors. You can’t claim being an Indian, or a descendent of early settlers. You, or your parents, maybe grandparents were immigrant Hungarians who came to these United States with hope and dreams. You should be proud of your Hungarian background because the Hungarian people were generous with their contribution to the world. You should think of your larger family, the Hungarian community of our area. Think of the vast number of our patriots whose company and friendship we cherish so deeply. Think of our beautiful churches, common services, the social gatherings, the fabulous picnics and other get-togethers. Think of the community workers and leaders who bring color and spice into your life. The purpose of this paper, the Magyar News, is to serve this Hungarian community by filling the gap that the Hungarian radio program left behind when it was cancelled in an insensitive way. Think about these as you are getting ready for Thanksgiving. Robert Louis Stevenson wrote about a cobbler who said the same prayer every morning: “Lord, help me to hold a high opinon of myself.” If you count your blessings, you will hold a very high one, and your cup will run over with thankfulness. Rozsika’s farewell This letter was published in the Bridgeport Post after WDJZ’snew owners cancelled all ethnic programs. I am used to rapid changes in the world, but when it hits home, it is a surprising and, in my case, painful experience. The change I refer to has affected our community, its moral standards and those who put effort, care and a positive attitude into bettering the lives of others. I had an ethnic, Hungarian radio program in this area for over 35 years, “Rozsika and László.” For the past 10 years, this program was on WDJZ every Sunday. The program was designed to help those who have a problem adjusting to a new life in the United States, to generate interest in people’s heritage and to help them blend into the American way of life and become better citizens. This radio program, like many other ethnic programs, fulfilled a service to the public. On June 15, two days before my show was to be broadcast, I received a notice that the program was taken off the air and that what was prepared for Sunday should be canceled. Not only was this short notice, but I had no opportunity to say good-bye to my faithful audience of many years. I understand that people buy and sell their things. But there is a line to be drawn. The fact that the station was sold doesn’t give the new owners the right to disregard the traditions of the community and slap the face of an entire ethnic group. I would like to let my audience know that the Hungrian program is off the air. I would also like to thank them for listening for so many years. And I would like to thank all our advertisers and supporters, who made the program possible by paying the station for every minute of our broadcasting Rozsika Deutsch
