Ron Penczak

My late wife, Rosalie believed in reincarnation. On several occasions we discussed events that happened to her during her past lives. One was in Cairo,Egypt, another in Venice, Italy and the one that stuck in my mind was the story about her past life in Ireland. In retrospect, that’s what piqued my interest in wanting to visit Ireland.

Rosalie mentioned that one of our neighbors, when we lived on Royal Circle, was her brother during this past life when they lived in Ireland during the 15th Century. His name is Richie B and he and Rosalie had discussions about this. Before I left for Ireland I asked him if he remembered where in Ireland that they lived. He remembered the discussions but not the location.

While in Ireland I believed if I was in the area where she lived during the 15th century it would all come back to me. It didn’t.

When we visited the Cliffs of Moher I asked, “Rosalie is this the place?” Nothing. The Cliffs are an impressive wall of rock that rises 700 feet about the Atlantic Ocean. I thought for sure, this must be the place.

Based on what I knew of her story I figured the next most logical place would be The Giant’s Causeway. The huge hexagonal basalt columns that were formed over 60 million years ago. It is ranked alongside Mt. Everest and the Giant Redwoods of California for its importance to humankind. It is the result of an ancient volcanic eruption and there are a number of myths about it. It borders the ocean and is surrounded by steep cliffs. Like the Cliffs of Moher, the Giant’s Causeway is on the ocean and surrounded by steep cliffs just as Rosalie described. Between its environment and the numerous myths regarding its history I knew this had to be the place. No such luck, Rosalie would not confirm this. My mind was blank, no encouragement, nada. Maybe I was trying to hard and asking for too much. Who knows?

Then, have you ever experienced that period of time when you wake up, decide it is too early to get up and roll over? Well, this morning I did just that. It was a Sunday, and I had no place to be, so I rolled over and . . . well, I don’t know if I was dreaming or I had a vision but regardless I got my answer.

From what I remember of Rosalie’s tale was that her and Richie were together, trying to escape from their enemies and they were driven and chased into the ocean. They were holding hands as they were stabbed and forced under the water and drowned.

I suspect this is one of the reasons Rosalie was afraid of water. She never liked to be on a boat or a ship and she never learned how to swim.

Anyway, I digress. During my dream, my vision, whatever it was, Rosalie came to me. She said, “Don’t your remember what I told you about me and Richie?”

“Yes, I remember the story but not the location.” In reality, I figured I would hear this tale many more times and eventually it would be embedded in my mind. Who knew that wouldn’t happen.

Her response, “Honey, I described the cliffs, the high cliffs and the roiling ocean with its high, pounding waves. This all happened just below the Cliffs of Moher.”

I recollect when Christopher and I were walking along the Cliffs of Moher, I thought, this is what Rosalie described but it just didn’t sink in. I wanted confirmation at that point in time. Don’t know what I expected, but I didn’t get it.

What weaves through my mind right now is, was it a dream or was it a vision? I know I have the answer to my question but. . . dream or vision. You tell me.

Wow! Now I feel like a published writer. I received my first royalty check today. I’m anxious for the printed version of my novel, “OF MIXED BLOOD”  to come out. It scheduled to be released mid-summer. To me, that means July, maybe August and hopefully June. Need to be patient and wait and see.

In my previous blog I described one of the happiest days of my life – my wedding day. This blog is going to be all about another happy day in my life – the birth of my son, Christopher.

Christopher was born on Thursday May 10, 1973 at 10:06 AM, weighing in at five pounds and thirteen ounces.

As usual, nothing the Penczak family does is easy. It all began early in the morning of May 10th, at approximately one-thirty. I felt Rosalie shaking me, and saying, “Ron, wake up – Ron wake up.”

I answered, ” What, what’s wrong.”

“I think the baby is coming.”

I responded matter-of-factly, like an expert,  that I wasn’t, “Honey your not due in two weeks. It’s false labor pains.” As I rolled over on my side, I continued, “Go back to sleep.”

Rosalie, being much wiser than this baby expert called her OB specialist,  Dr. Mallon.  After a short discussion, he said, “Put your husband on the phone.”

“Yes doctor, right away doctor.” He gave me a simple direct order, “Get Rosalie to the hospital right now.”

I have no recollection of us even getting the car. All I know I was driving hell bent to the hospital and  traveling faster than I should have been. Yep, you guessed it, I had flashing blue lights behind me and the wail of a siren. I pulled over.

“Where are you going in such a rush at this time of the morning?”

I pointed to Rosalie’s belly and excitedly said, “My wife is having a baby. We’re going to Lawrence General Hospital.”

“Are you sure your not going to see the airplane crash?”

“What airplane crash?”

“Okay, take off.” he said. “Just slow down.”

Little did we know that a corporate jet had crashed on its approach to Lawrence Airport killing, I believe,  four corporate executives and the pilot and co-pilot just hours before.

Upon our arrival at the hospital I retrieved a wheel chair from the lobby, helped Rosalie into it and pushed her towards the maternity section. Rosalie and I had attended the Expectant Parents Program at the hospital in March, but everything I learned left my mind. l just wanted to get Rosalie into the maternity section where she would get the care she needed. At the desk I excitedly told the nurses there that my wife was having a baby and . . . wait a minute, they weren’t interested in me, they were talking about the plane crash and the charred bodies that were brought to the hospital. Needless to say, I did get their attention and they got her into a room and started to prepare her for delivery of Christopher.

At the beginning I was allowed to wait with her. One of the nurses said she heard two heartbeats. We looked at each other with obvious panic. We weren’t  confidant that we could care for one infant, how were we going to handle twins? A second more experienced nurse came in to double-check. With a sigh, she said, “The second heartbeat was Rosalie’s. There is only one baby, not two.” Whew. It was about that time when she asked me to leave the room. In those days, the husband wasn’t allowed in the delivery room. I was ushered out, into the fathers waiting room.

I was the typical first time Dad, pacing the floor.  A short, thin Japanese lady came in to clean the room. She must have sensed my nervousness and she started a conversation. After she learned that I had spent time in the Far East to include Japan we had more to talk about. She went somewhere and came back with a cup of coffee.  After she left I went back to pacing the floor.

Time was dragging. I was getting nervous. Was something wrong?  What’s going on? I checked with a nurse and she said things are going just fine, Rosalie was in labor.  After ten am,  a nurse came in to late me know that we had a beautiful boy. Wow! How happy was I? I was deliriously happy.  I called Rosalie’s mother.  It seemed like her and her sister were at the hospital by the time I hung up the phone.

We went in to see Rosalie and the baby. I was shocked. Christopher was so pink it reminded me of a chicken who had it feathers scalded off. Everyone assured me that all was well and he was a healthy baby boy.

When it came time for us to take Christopher home we were both nervous. We were going to be responsible for this infant boy without any nurses to watch us and to correct us. Neither of us wanted to dress him. We were afraid we would break an arm or a leg or something worse. One of the nurses came in and encouraged us, saying, “Babies are tougher than you think. You won’t break anything dressing him.” I’m sure Rosalie took over and dressed him and off we went. During the first few months Rosalie’s mother and aunt were a big help to her.

All in all, I think Rosalie did a pretty masterful job of raising Christopher. You all know what a great young man he turned out to be.

It’s ironic that I chose this birthday of Christopher to write this blog. It just happens to be Mothers Day as well. I’m sure Rosalie is still around and guiding him. I’m so fortunate to have Christopher in the moment right now, and in having had Rosalie for forty-two years. I have been and I still am truly blessed.

My publisher suggested I register my novel, “Of Mixed Blood” with the United States Copyright Office. I submitted the paperwork in March of 2014. I received the Certificate of Registration in June of 2014.

How ironic is it, that months after registration, I have received emails from several publishing companies expressing an interest in wanting to read my novel  to determine if they would want to publish it.

Where were they when I was seeking agents and/or publishing firms to express an interest in my novel?

Those that expressed an interest were both what I would call legitimate publishing firms and the less reputable vanity publishing companies.

I don’t have any idea as to why a novel registered with the copyright office would make them more interested in my novel as opposed to me submitting queries to numerous agents and publishing houses.

And, I did submit a query to one of those firms and they never responded. Why, what changed to have them show an interest in my novel now?

I found this strange but interesting.

On this date, forty-six years ago Rosalie and I exchanged wedding vows. You just know this had to be the one of the happiest days of my life.  The day Christopher was born was a pretty happy day as well. The wedding was pretty much of a blur to me but here are a few of the things that stood out.

Those of you who have seen Rosalie’s wedding photos know she was a beautiful bride and could’ve modeled her gown in Bridal Magazine. I can still visualize her walking down the aisle of St. Francis church in Lawrence, MA. Even with the thin veil covering her face, her smile shone through the veil and her eyes sparkled. She seemed to take forever to reach me at the altar.

I do remember her trying to hold back a chuckle during the Mass as we got up  and down from the kneeling position. You see, my knees cracked each and every time and the sound, in my mind, was more like a firecracker going off. Needless to say, when she chuckled, I did as well.

Since a friend was shooting a Super 8 MM film of the wedding, the priest thought he was a movie star and all of his moves and motions were more emphatic than they would’ve been during a mass without any filming. Rosalie and I had a few laughs over Father Al. As an altar boy, I served many a mass with him and he never put on a show like he did for our wedding. (How many of you even know about Super 8 MM home movies?)

The wedding meal was typical Italian with Wedding Soup, salad, pasta and a main course, including side dishes, plus dessert. I don’t remember if the meal was chicken or roast beef. Your right, I was so happy at us finally being married that I don’t remember the meal except it had several courses. I do remember we couldn’t enjoy our meal because every couple of minutes people were clinking on their glasses to have us kiss.

I do remember the dance when they had Rosalie and I step out to dance and then the remainder of the wedding party joined us. I know we stayed on the dance flower for many more dances. On a sad note my best man and my ushers have passed.

I do remember Rosalie and I watching the old film that I had transferred to tape and us commenting on how few of those who attended our wedding are still with us.

We went to Rosalie’s family home to change clothes to head out for our honeymoon. What moved me the most was, as we were leaving and saying good-bye to everyone, Rosalie’s mother shocked me. Ma slapped Rosalie on her beautiful rear, a playful slap, and said to her, “Rosalie you can come visit here anytime you want, but remember, your life is with him, meaning me. I can honestly say I had the best mother-in-law in the world. She provided the guidance to Rosalie on spoiling me.

My best man drove us to the Hilton Hotel at Logan Airport to begin our honey-moon. The following day we headed to San Francisco for a week, Tokyo for a week and then to her new home in Seoul, Korea. That was the start of a wonderful marriage and relationship that lasted fort-two years, actually one day shy of forty-two years.

Thinking back to the wedding film Rosalie and I watched every once in awhile, and thinking about all those who attended the wedding and have passed, makes me wonder if they are celebrating or reliving it where they are in eternity.  I hope so and I wish that they are having as great a time right now as they did at our wedding.

“Easy reading is damn hard writing.”  He hit the nail on the head with this statement.

On March 30th I was interviewed on the Lawrence Community Access Television station regarding my novel, “Of Mixed Blood.” The woman who interviewed me, Terri Kelly, was a grammar school classmate of mine, grades 1 through 6. Small world, isn’t it?

Terri, Ginny Alexander, the Executive Director of the station, and all of the staff and crew made me feel really comfortable.

They did release the interview on YouTube as well as televising it on Lawrence, Andover and North Andover cable TV.

If you want to view the show, here is the link:

My novel, “Of Mixed Blood” was based on events that happened during the ’60’s. During that time frame, children of mixed blood were abandoned by nearly everyone. Mothers were ostracized and suffered social stigma.

Mixed blood children are treated as pariahs, shunned, ridiculed and locked out of jobs and schools. Mixed blood children had a high drop out rate in schools.

Blood is the determinant in defining Koreans. They consider themselves  a nation of pure blood. However, times do change and even they are becoming more multicultural these days. The Korean government has opened up several multicultural family support centers to offer help on education and vocational training.

It is noted that the terminology such as pure blood and mixed blood used in Korea by the government is widespread and may reinforce the concept of racial superiority. Yet, there are Korean criminal law provisions that may be used to punish those that practice racial discrimination but has never been used.

Hines Ward, former NFL player is of mixed blood. In 2006 he donated one million dollars to help more children of mixed blood.

There have been improvements since the ’70’s when mixed blood children were spat upon, beaten up and couldn’t go to school. Improvements are still needed.

I just received the email below from a woman in my Tai Chi group. As a profession she has been an educator until her retirement. She did post a review on amazon.com as well. It makes one feel so gratified to receive such a nice message. It makes me proud that I wrote a novel, got it published and have received several nice reviews. I’m anxious for the printed version to come out mid-summer.

This provides me with the incentive to get going on my next book. I’m about 30 pages into it. It is slow going because of the required research.  Yes, writing is hard work.

Hi Ron,
Just finished reading your book. I have a heightened awareness about the discriminating life issues that bi-racial people face especially in Korea. It is amazing how cultures clash in such a heartless way. You brought out the complexities that families deal with as they face the challenge of past relationships…what they knew and did not know about it. People are people…with human needs that are met one way or another. This story demonstrates that indeed love triumphs.
When people read this book, it will promote an understanding, compassion and an openness to diversity which will help to make this world more peaceful, inclusive, less biased and unjust, and eliminate hate…very powerful! Congrats on writing your first book.
With much respect, Jan
PS I liked Maryanne’s last name!