Nothing says Brooklyn more than Ebbets Field!

Posted by Jim on July 23, 2021

Maybe You Do ….Maybe you Don’t.

Lets take a little journey back to a place where our youth took place. For me it was Brooklyn a little town in New York where people of all ethnic backgrounds melted together and formed communities….well I will say Neighborhoods because that word means a helluva lot to me. Who knows how it began or for that matter when it began but I know it happens. What I speak of is a”” Neighborhood”. You may have a different opinion of mine and your experiences may have a different view as to your your own hometowns so I ask you to please appreciate my recollections of growing up in a “”Neighborhood” meant to me . Maybe you do …Maybe you don’t. . It seems to me that whatever your ethnicity is and where your ancestors were from for geographical reasons they seemed to all have their journeys to America begin in a New York port of entry. Ellis Island was the most prevalent. Brooklyn was most likely where it began America at its migration infancy was for all intents and purposes a haven for all who wished to work hard to build a new life for those who were willing to work hard and better their lives to fulfill a promise to all those were no longer welcome or were deemed as undesirable to their native lands . So it was their choice to brave a dangerous ocean crossing to find a home of freedom and sanctuary from the policies of nations not so willing to grant such promise. Now I know that in many regions of our country certain ethnic groups were drawn to each and built their own communities. It was a natural instinct to surround themselves with those to whom they shared common traditions and rituals be it religion or origins I know that there are certain cities and states that were more attractive to certain ethnicities In my beloved Brooklyn their was no choice as to whether or not you wished to stay amongst your own “kind” for lack of a better word because it was the ultimate melting pot of all countries and the immigrant families who were so proud to have called Brooklyn home were strangers in a strange land ….how frightened they must have been . .. Sure as they exited the boats at New York harbor they sought out and socialized amongst people whom they shared common bonds and ways of the old country’s backgrounds . Yes you were drawn to those who shared your language , struggles and religion. Indeed you found kinship to those who shared your ethic names. For instance if your name ended in a vowel you were pretty much Italian ..or if your name started with Mc you were Irish…if your name ended with a ski …you were Polish …if your name ended with stein ..you were Jewish …I think you get my point. I can only state this because I am older now and can look back and realize the differences…..yet they were more worried about just surviving and feeding their families . They were and are today the heros I look up to. They built a life and learned the ways of their new found home and began to love their new country that now called home. I think of just how scared they were ….Maybe you agree…..Maybe you dont.I know that as just a kid growing up in Brooklyn ,at that point in my life there were no differences . Sure Jewish kids sometimes wore Yarmulkes but that was a religious thing and to a kid it meant not alot. They played ball like all the rest of us even the Catholic kids who had to serve mass on Sunday mornings so we could not play our baseball or basketball games until after 12 O”Clock on Sundays at the park. However it was not unusual for us to gravitate to our”own kind “ because it is human nature to seek those with common ground and backgrounds . I believe that was nothing bad nor wrong about that…to me that is just human nature …Maybe you do ….Maybe you dont? Our time spent mingling amongst people of different cultures and ethnicities as kids was just easy because we were all just kids and saw no differences. That was our innocence of ignorant bliss ..and it was unknowingly wonderful and simple. Youth leads to adolescence and adolescence leads to adulthood . It was at this time differences of cultures were made more prevalent. Now here is where things got a little tricky in Brooklyn. Because of the numerous ethic backgrounds amongst us growing up and becoming teenagers and feeling that our minds were drawn to the opposite sex…. in my case girls!!! We were never thinking of the ethnic background of the kids were were growing up with we just thought they were pretty or handsome and we pursued our likes and crushes. So we dated with only that criteria and never gave it a second thought . Do you remember that …Maybe you do …Maybe you don’t So now you start dating and you must now meet the parents who in their minds would be so happy to have their sons or daughters dating a person of your own ethnicity because thats was the way it was in the old country from where they immigrated from and God bless them for it was what they were accustomed to . It was never about not accepting others … It was only about what they knew ….they knew Italians so they wanted their children to marry Italians …It was the Irish wanting their children to marry Irish …and so forth . I refuse to call that racism . It was hard on them…They wanted you to marry a nice Italian boy …or a beautiful Jewish girl or a religious Irish boy. Back in the old country that was certainly a pretty good option with great odds. However this was America where they came for a better life . That better life offered different choices for their children as far as marrying went. I will say for the most part the happiness of their children was in the end the most important thing . Then they became a part of a “Neighborhood” In Brooklyn it seemed to work out pretty well . Do you agree …Maybe You don’t. I am very proud to say that I was taught to make sauce from my girlfriends Italian Mother I am also very proud to say that my children know the meaning of Rosh Shoshanna. I am proud to say that my children can pronounce Kielbasa the correct way. I am also pissed off at them when they point out that I don’t pronounce Quesadilla correctly. It was most likely that my Father and Mother would have loved for me to have married a nice Irish Catholic girl . That didn’t happen I married a beautiful German girl….My sister married a handsome Italian man …..My brother married a wonderful Italian girl …my other brother married a nice Irish girl. You see Brooklyn afforded us the choice because it was that melting pot and I believe was the conjoining of cultures made my family a stronger unit. Now don’t you think for one moment that I cast aspersions on those who wished to keep marriage within their own, provided it was by love and not pressure . I applaud you …the very same way I applaud those whose families unions were guided by love and were diversified .. Do you agree …or maybe you do…. maybe you don’t This is what happened in my “Neighborhood” growing up. It was tough on our parents to have given us the opportunity to live where we were all free to make certain choices …. But please understand just how difficult it was to them to let us make those choices . Brooklyn has taught me that tolerance and understanding is not a gift…for it is something that you may only achieve if you are willing to listen ,learn and respect those who are differentI hope you find this to be a point of awareness …Maybe You do ….Maybe you dont ….Either way I think you are alright .any thoughts?””

Kevin Leddy
April 26 ·