How Will You Be
Remembered?
Last week, I
had the opportunity to hear Vice President Joe Biden speak. He was here in
Savannah at the Port in connection with the deepening of the harbor and
expansion of the infrastructure.
His speech
was rousing and insightful and I marveled at his ability to connect the work of
people in Savannah to its importance for the world.
After his
speech, he stepped down into the invitation only crowd to take pictures and say
hello.
I decided to
let him know that Delaware was there.
He turned towards
me and I thanked him and told him I was from Delaware and he asked where. I
told him Wilmington, and again he wanted to know where. I choked a bit and got
up the nerve to tell him that I was from Gordon Street.
Gordon
Street was more of an alley than a street. It had two houses, rows of lime
green storage garages and a notorious motorcycle gang.
When I said
Gordon Street, Vice President Biden blinked and squinted his eyes as if trying
to remember something. I figured that he was not familiar with the street and
so I explained that it was between 22nd and 23rd streets
just off of Market.
He smiled
and said, “I know exactly where that is, I was a life guard at Prices’ Run pool
and I was the only white kid there.” I laughed and told him that we thought of
him as the marshmallow in the chocolate.”
I knew that
he had no way of knowing that I learned to swim at that pool when I was thrown in the
deep end, but I wondered if he knew that Prices’ run pool was named by the
community that lived there.
We all grew up hearing stories that the park was
the place where a man named Mr. Price had run from a lynching mob. The area of
the pool was where Mr. Price had been killed.
I didn’t say
any of this to the Vice President. Instead, I told him about another old person
who was gone but not forgotten.
I told the Vice President of the United States
of America that my mother was looking out for him from heaven. He asked me her
name and I smiled and said Beatrice Berry.
His face actually lit up as he proclaimed “Ms.
B, I know her. She was an amazing woman.”
People in
the crowd were transfixed as he recalled my mother. They wanted to know me,
because of who she was.
My mom
worked hard every day. She never made much money. She raised 7 children on her
own, volunteered to help other seniors and did her best to make a difference.
When she
died, she left no money or property, but the mention of her name made the Vice
President of The United States smile brightly.
How will you be remembered?
Tomorrow and
the rest of this week, I will share with you the legacy of dear friends and
loved ones who have left a legacy.
Mom, take care of
Fritzi.
Bertice Berry, PhD.
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