Going Home!
Written by Tony Mussari
Copyright 2011
Mussari-Loftus Associates, LTD
Photographs of flag presentation provided by John McAndrew

Memory is a way of holding onto the things you love, the things you are, the things you never want to lose. Kevin Arnold, The Wonder Years

Two weeks ago, Kitch and I made a sentimental journey to a place I called home for most of my life. In 1959, King’s College became part of my life, and my life has never been the same since my first day on what was then a very small and humble campus.

Less than ten years later, I was invited to return to King’s to fill in for a teacher who was on sabbatical. That one year position became a 37 year commitment to King’s College in a number of different capacities. My first assignment was in the History department. In 1983, I was asked to chair a Mass Communications department that was down on its luck, and the rest as they say is history.

On this day, Kitch and I put our worries about her battle with breast cancer in a box as a friend would say. We picked up the man who had the greatest impact on my life when I was a student at King’s and the person who gave me the teaching position in 1968, Dr. Richard Loomis, and we drove to King’s to present the National 9/11 Remembrance Flag to Fr. Thomas O’Hara.

In the parking lot, we had a brief reunion with another former teacher, and a member of King’s first class, Joe Balz.

Once inside the Sheehy-Farmer Campus Center, we were joined by a group of friends and supporters of our Face of America project. While we exchanged pleasantries, I could feel a swell of emotion building as memories of a lifetime in the classroom flashed through my mind.

At the appointed time, Fr. O’Hara arrived, and we made the flag presentation in the same room where Kitch and I said farewell to our last class. It was a bitter sweet moment. The words of Joni Mitchell’s Big Yellow Taxi apply. “Don’t it always seem to go
that you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone.”

After the presentation, we followed Fr. O’Hara to the conference room named in honor of his parents. Once there, we had coffee, dessert and an opportunity to express our gratitude for the help we received during our Face of America Journey.

Everything went smoothly until I was asked to speak.

Then it happened.

I stood up, looked into the faces of former students, colleagues, friends, Dr. Loomis and Kitch, and there was silence. 

I was so filled with emotion, I could not speak. It was an uncomfortable and a beautiful moment. Everything I felt about this place I called home for so many years rushed from my brain, but it was blocked by my heart. The sound of silence spoke louder than any words I could speak.

After what seemed like an eternity, the silence was broken with an expression of gratitude, a summary of the highlights of our Face of America project, mention of the 23 former students who helped us during our journey, an in-the-moment from the heart proposal and a conclusion about being home.

Fr. O’Hara spoke words of welcome and gratitude for the flag that will one day be permanently displayed on the campus.

Then it was over. The room emptied, and we said farewell to King’s in much the same way we did almost six years ago.

In the days that followed, Kitch and I received thoughtful, heartfelt and very generous notes from just about everyone who attended the event. They have been carefully placed in a special file.

Dr. Loomis captured the spirit of the event in a poem he wrote. It speaks to one of the fundamental characteristics of America on its best days and the America Dream.

Home Again
For Tony & Kitch

Does it matter that the Laurel Line
Runs no more with a merry rumble

Past the Administration Building
To the railroad heart of the city
And back again the other way to Scranton?
Who really cares that almost
None of those kids owned a car,
Or that they who were called men then
Are called kids today. Does it matter?

Yes it does. Give us those men,
Give us those veterans, give us
Those students broken to learning
By parents and nuns who knew
You break a boy like you break a horse,
So he’s good for something and knows
To get somewhere and be better off.

It matters that Father Kline
No longer kneels to beg the Holy Spirit
To plunge our brains into the Heart
Of His light and help us reckon
Rightly, Truly and count our blessings,
Beginning with parents and teachers
Who taught us good sense or else.

Old teachers still hang around, though,
Old students turned to adults are here
And walk these halls. And, yes,
That’s good, but where we are
In our youth? Where is that
Ignorance of ours that hungered
For learning? Ah, learning is here.

And we are the learning now.
We’ve seen much of life,
And more of human folly and greed
Than we ever wanted to see.
But there is innocence here still,

Boys become men, girls become women,
And we live together now, still learning.

We are home again where we started,
And bring the wealth of souls with us,
We tremble to be with our brothers and sisters,
And look forward to the family meal
That awaits us now that we are home again.

January 25, 2011
Richard Loomis, Ph.D.

Thank you, Dr. Richard Loomis, Pam Bird, Suzanne McCabe, Teresa Peck, John Augustine, Joe DeVizia, Sean McGrath, Fr. Tom O’Hara and Frank Oliver.

A special note of thanks to Elaine Zavada for making all the arrangements.

This is one day of our Face of America Journey that we will never forget.

George Parks: A Genuine Face of America
By Tony Mussari
Copyright, Mussari-Loftus Associates, LTD

Death is someone you see very clearly with eyes in the center of your heart. Thomas Merton

The news of the passing of Professor George N. Parks broke my heart and left me breathless.

It just couldn’t be true.

George Parks, the Director of the UMass Minuteman Marching Band, personified life. He had more energy than Vesuvius. He was a music man with a dream. He was a force in the lives of many and an inspiration to thousands of people whose lives were changed by his dedication, determination and charismatic leadership.

Over the years, George and I forged a friendship that was priceless. We lived in different states. We were committed to different artistic disciplines. Yet, in matters of the heart and soul we were brothers, fathers and teachers.

From the moment we met, I felt the powerful gravitational pull of his quest for excellence. I was touched by his determination to teach young people the quiet secrets of a happy life. Be on time. When you get there, do your very best. Never give in to the temptation to be just good enough. Always strive to be better. Always conduct yourself in a dignified and responsible way. Never forget to be there for someone in need, someone who is hurting, someone who is lost and forgotten.

Most people knew George Parks as the enthusiastic, energetic leader of the UMass Band. Indeed, that was his love, his passion and his reason for getting up in the morning. During his lifetime, he earned the respect and the accolades that measure success in a tangible way.

But beneath the exterior of this man in motion, there was a very big and very caring heart. George was a very reflective man who measured his success in other ways. As friends, husbands and parents, we shared some life experiences that formed the canvas of our friendship. In the quiet moments of his life, I got to know him in a very special way.

Yes, there were moments of high energy and pure joy like the time he brought the entire UMass band to the college where I taught for the premiere of his favorite documentary, Building Power and Class.

In typical George Parks fashion, when we were denied permission to march on the newly sodded football field, he took over the main street in the town for a performance that will never be replicated. That’s the George the public knew and loved. That was George the performer. That was George living what he taught his students, playing through the mistake.

The George I knew was a positive influence in my life. He was thoughtful, reliable and kind. He was there when I retired from teaching, when I was recovering from open heart surgery and when I began our Face of America Journey.

The George Parks I knew was a person who always had an encouraging word, a grateful word, an affirming word.

The George Parks I knew, I admired and I loved never forgot his friends.

The George Parks I knew was the man who called me every year from a special spot in Ohio where we shared a special memory. The George Parks I knew was the man who called on Father’s Day and talked for more than an hour about what fathers talk about when they are assessing the successes and failures of their lives.

The George Parks I knew reflected the spirit of America on its very best days. He made the most of his opportunities, he loved his family and he made his students an extension of his family. He gave much, demanded much and he was never too busy to repay a favor. No matter what the success or the failure of the moment was, George Parks never forgot his roots. He never took his eyes off the stars, and he tried to get a little bit better every day.

When I think about George Parks, the words Mr. Darling spoke to Michael in Peter Pan come to mind: There are many different kinds of bravery. There is the bravery of thinking of others before one’s self.

That’s the lesson George Parks taught by example in every note he played and in every class he taught.

As I say farewell to my friend George Parks two things are certain:

We will never see anyone quite like him again;

He will always live on in the hearts of those he touched with his words, his energy, his dedication to excellence and his marvelous music.

Those of us who loved him will always keep our heads up, our eyes straight, and our feet together as we make our way to the place were we will be together with him again.

For the moment, the words of Aeschylus apply:

In our sleep, pain that we cannot forget falls drop by drop upon the heart, and in our own despair, against our own will, comes wisdom by the grace of God.

Contact us at: faceofamericawps@gmail.com

Good News: Putting the Past behind Us
Written by Tony Mussari
Copyright 2011
Mussari-Loftus Associates, LTD

Trust no future, however pleasant! Let the dead past bury its dead! Act, in the living present! Heart within and God overhead. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Kitch loves this quote from Longfellow. She memorized it when she was a child.  To this day, she has the book of Longfellow’s poems her mother gave her.  

On this day of good news, Longfellow’s words are most appropriate. Let me explain.

One month ago, Kitch and I were presented with one of the biggest challenges of our life. The day before we left for our screening in North Plainfield, New Jersey, we heard three words that changed our life forever. Invasive Duct Carcinoma.

During our many conversations that followed, Kitch voiced two requests. She wanted to keep the details of her condition private until after the holiday, and preferable until after the operation. Equally important to her was a statement she made only once, but it was central to all of our discussions and everything she did. “I want to deal with this is a way that will enable me to be proud of myself.”

In my opinion, she has done that and more. She was in Longfellow’s words “a hero in the strife.”   I am not alone in this opinion. Recently, her surgeon told her she handled the situation better than most patients who found themselves in her situation.

How did she do this?  She remained positive. She did not dwell on the six-letter word.  She preoccupied herself with the good tidings and great joy of a very special Christmas. Our home was filled day after day with former students, family and friends, people who genuinely cared about us. We honored all of the invitations we received to have dinner or lunch with friends. We packaged special homemade Christmas gifts for people who helped us during our journey.

Our grandchildren filled our home with the beautiful noise of happiness and energy. We spent an afternoon with a former teacher who fifty years before showed a boy how to become a man. We helped a dear friend who is battling cancer with little acts of kindness and consideration. We continued working on our Face of America project, and we finished the ninth chapter of our book about America on its best days.

We did everything together, and I did everything I could to help Kitch in every way that I could.

Yes, there were many days of worry and many sleepless nights filled with anxiety. But throughout the darkness of the moment, we had hope. We were convinced that if we spent too much time worrying about endings, we would lose precious time for living.

We drew strength from the example and the words of Jack Rushton and Brooke Ellison.

It’s good to be alive. Jack Rushton

Do not let adversity define who you are. Brooke Ellison

Our surgeon, Dr. Dan Kopen, is a physician of great competence and compassion. He is the personification of everything Dr. Stephen Post teaches at the Stony Brook University Center for Medical Humanities, Compassionate Care and Bioethics. Dr. Kopen gave us confidence that everything would turn out well. That became our mantra. Today, we have evidence to prove that he was right.

The treatment we received from the nurses and technicians at the Surgical Center where Dr. Kopen does surgery was first class and from the heart. From the moment we met Nurse Diane Mucha, we felt very good about this place of healing.

Being reunited with a childhood friend, Jerry Flora, the nurse anesthetist for Kitch’s operation, lessened our fears.

The post-operation care Kitch received from the Erwine nurses who came to our home was about as good as it gets in the nursing profession. To be honest, we looked forward to their visits. They were polite, respectful, understanding and their attention to details like hand hygiene was impressive.  With every visit they brightened our spirits.

So here we are on the evening of our most important visit with Dr. Kopen. His words spoken with conviction and joy filled our hearts with a kind of gratitude that defies description

As we passed him in the hallway on our way to the examining room, he smiled. He raised his right hand, pointed his index finger and said, “I have good news.”

When he joined us in the room, he offered a detailed explanation of the lab report. Then he spoke three words that we will never forget.
“It’s all gone.”  

Kitch smiled and sighed, “What a relief.”

Then he explained the radiation treatment he is suggesting and several other nuances of treatment for breast cancer.

Just before we left, Dr. Kopen said something that speaks to the essence of the man. “The greatest reward for me is being able to share this news with you. You have nothing to lose any sleep over tonight.”

The treatment Kitch received from Dr. Kopen and the members of his team was simply wonderful.

At the end of the month, Kitch will begin a regime of radiation treatments five days a week for six weeks. We will do it together as we have done everything during our journey.  This is a battle we can win and we will win. This is a story that we never wanted to tell and an experience we never wanted to have.

Some would call it a burden, and there is truth in that. We look it as an opportunity to grow closer together, to help one another, and to become more appreciative of the things that matter most in life.

As for tomorrow, the words of Longfellow’s A Psalm of Life apply:

Tell me not, in mournful numbers,
Life is but an empty dream!
For the soul is dead that slumbers,
And things are not what they seem.

Life is real! Life is earnest!
And the grave is not its goal;
Dust thou art, to dust returnest,
Was not spoken of the soul.

Not enjoyment, and not sorrow,

Is our destined end or way;
But to act, that each to-morrow
Find us farther than to-day.

Art is long, and Time is fleeting,
And our hearts, though stout and brave,
Still, like muffled drums, are beating
Funeral marches to the grave.

In the world’s broad field of battle,
In the bivouac of Life,
Be not like dumb, driven cattle!
Be a hero in the strife!

Trust no Future, howe’er pleasant!

Let the dead Past bury its dead!
Act,–act in the living Present!
Heart within, and God o’erhead!

Lives of great men all remind us
We can make our lives sublime,
And, departing, leave behind us
Footprints on the sands of time;–

Footprints, that perhaps another,
Sailing o’er life’s solemn main,
A forlorn and shipwrecked brother,
Seeing, shall take heart again.

Let us, then, be up and doing,
With a heart for any fate;
Still achieving, still pursuing,
Learn to labor and to wait.

Until the next time, we hope that all of your stories have happy endings.

Tony & Kitch Mussari
Producers
The Face of America Project

Written by Tony Mussari
Photographs by Kitch Mussari
Copyright 2011, Mussari-Loftus Associates, LTD

Be at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man. Benjamin Franklin

Kitch and I would like to extend our best wishes to you for a New Year blessed with peace, joy and good health.

In an attempt to say thank you to the many people who helped us during our travels, we put together a slide show that summarizes some of the highlights of our Face of America Journey. It is very simple in design, and very selective in nature. It is the first in a series of video projects that will enable us to share our story with you.

The video contains images from 24 states and 50 cities. The pictures represent 276 of the more than 450 people we met during our travels.
You can see the slide show in the video section of our website:

http://faceofamericawps.com/video/memories-from-our-face-of-america-journey-3/

2010 is a year we will not soon forget.

It exceeded every expectation in terms of adventure, discovery, growth and an understanding of what is really important in life.

Our year began on the snow covered streets of Yarmouth, Maine. It ended quietly on an unseasonably warm day here at home. After a week of wonderful visits with former students, friends, Elena, Jeff and our grandchildren, the last day of the year was reserved for Kitch and me. That’s the way we have spent this special day for most of our married life. 

Like people all over the world, today we continue our journey. We look forward with hope to a future with many uncertainties and an equal number of opportunities. We take comfort in the words of Emerson:

Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could; some blunders and absurdities have crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; you shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.

Last evening, Kitch and I talked about some of the things we learned about our country and its people during our Face of America Journey.

1. In Maine, we learned to be grateful for gift of age. “You get old because you stop doing things,” Frank Knight told us. “You don’t stop doing things because you get old.” The former tree warden of Yarmouth knows what he is talking about. He is 102 years young.

2. In New Jersey, we learned to be grateful for what our friend, Richard Loomis called the genius of the young. It was Monica Ramirez, a senior at North Plainfield High School, who put everything into perspective with these words, “No matter what happens, somebody will be there to catch you.”

3. In Virginia, we learned to be grateful for the gift of grandchildren.  It was my granddaughter who taught me the importance of self-deprecating humor. “I like you Papa Tony. You make me laugh. You are funny.”  

4. In Kentucky, we developed a greater appreciation for the words of Thomas Merton, beautiful words like contemplation and silence. “In the silence of God, we taste the sweetness of our own souls, the peace of our own hearts.”

5. In Little Rock, Arkansas, we learned about the power of courage.  We were humbled by stories of the Little Rock Nine and their parents who stepped forward in 1957 to open the doors of Central High School to everyone. The words of Elizabeth Eckford apply.  “When you reach out to someone who is being harassed, it is powerful to them. You in effect, and I’m not exaggerating, you can help them live another day.”

6. On a cold night in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Dr. Robert Fugate showed us the incredible beauty of that part of space that lies beyond the earth and the moon. It was a stunning moment that we will never forget.

7. Crossing the desert in Arizona, we were enveloped in the vast expanse of open space. The mystery

8. In California, we experienced the healing power of hospitality. Former students and friends old and new welcomed us and made us feel at home. Jack Rushton shared words that to this day help us deal with the unexpected surprises life gives us. “You have to accept those things you will never be able to change.”

9. In Utah, our friend Paul Swenson opened a door to a magical afternoon with U.S. Olympians. It was an opportunity to experience excellence in ways we never dreamed possible. Lauren Cholewinski, one of the rising stars in the Olympic movement, shared words that everyone needs to hear:

“What’s impossible for one person could be just a challenge for another. You should take everything in stride as a challenge versus Oh, I can’t do this. Just look at it as I’m going to do this. I’m going to get there.”

10. In Minnesota, we learned to be grateful for the gift of life, the most precious gift of all. In the rush of morning traffic, we learned how quickly life can turn to death. We did not know it then, but we would learn this lesson again before the first phase of our project ended.

These are but a few of the lessons we learned during our journey. Each one speaks to America on its best day.  Each one is given life by the people we met.  They are a part of the mosaic of the Face of America on its best day. What we learned from them helps us to look forward with hope, optimism and a feeling of confidence in our country and its people.

Emerson’s words best describe what Kitch and I are feeling as we begin the New Year. “Write on your heart that every day is the best day of the year.”.

Christmas Thoughts from Windsor Park, Advice from Thomas Merton

Written by, Tony Mussari
Photographs by, Kitch Loftus Mussari
Copyright, 2010, Mussari-Loftus Associates, LTD

I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. Charles Dickens

As Kitch and I approach Christmas Day, memories of the people we met, the places we’ve visited, the things we learned and the responsibility we have to honor everyone who helped us find the Face of America on its best days preoccupy our thoughts.

During the past twelve months, we have learned invaluable lessons about all those things that make America “The land of the free and the home of the good.” as Dr. Stephen Post would say.  We have also learned many lessons about life, death and everything in between.

As we approach Christmas and the New Year, our hearts are filled with gratitude. Despite the obstacles and they were many, and all the other issues one faces during a project that literally crisscrossed our country ten times, we successfully completed the first phase of our search for the Face of America on its best days.
If you are reading this note, you can take satisfaction in the fact that you contributed to our success.  For that, we will always be grateful.  Because of your help, we are spending virtually every waking moment doing the work that will enable us to transition to Phase Two of our project.

As of today, we have submitted seven chapters of the book we are writing to a publisher who has volunteered to help us. We hope to have the book finished in February. Preliminary reaction from people who have read these chapters is very encouraging.

In December, the North Plainfield School District sponsored a screening of our documentary, Visiting Shanksville in the Rain. It was a wonderful evening of community and confraternity. It will serve as the prototype for similar events in other communities across the country.
Julie Marvel has invited us to return to St. Mary’s College in Moraga, California. We were honored to be asked, and we have accepted the invitation.

On Christmas Day, we will give thanks for many things, your friendship, our good fortune to have this opportunity and the gift of life. Some of the most lasting lessons we learned during our journey were about life and how fine the line is between life and death.

On the eve of the holiday that celebrates the birth of the Child of Light, I would like to share some of the most beautiful words I read this year.  They were written by one of my heroes, Thomas Merton. During the long days and nights of our journey, they gave me hope. They helped me to better understand things that, at the time, were incomprehensible. They presented images of a God who is loving, human, understanding, peaceful and joyful. They calm my fears.  They fill my heart with gratitude, and they give me perspective. I hope they will do the same for you.

Thoughts from Thomas Merton:

1. God loves you, is present in you, lives in you, dwells in you, calls you, saves you and offers you an understanding and light which are like nothing you ever found in books or heard in sermons.

2. God’s love is peace.  It is a peace that does not depend on houses, or jobs, or places, or times or external conditions. It is a peace that time and material created situations could never give.

3. What matters is to love… Love comes out of God and gathers us to God in order to pour itself back into God through all of us and bring us all back to Him on the tide of His own infinite Mercy.

4. It is only when we refuse His help, resist His will, that we have conflict, trouble, disorder, unhappiness, ruin.

5. When the spirit of God finds a soul in which He can work, He uses that soul for any number of purposes: opens out before its eyes a hundred new directions, multiplying its works and its opportunities for the apostolate almost beyond belief and certainly beyond the ordinary strength of a human being.

6. The logic of worldly success rests on a fallacy: the strange error that our perfection depends on the thoughts and opinions and applause of other men. A weird life it is, indeed, to be living always in somebody else’s imagination, as if that were the only place in which one could at last become real.

8. It was my defeat that was to be the occasion of my victory.

9. All men who live only according to their five senses, and seek nothing beyond gratification of their  natural appetites for pleasure and reputation and power cut themselves off from the charity which is the principle of all spiritual vitality and happiness because it alone saves us from the  barren wilderness of our own abominable selfishness.

10. Indeed, the truth that many people never understand, until it is too late, is that the more you try to avoid suffering, the more you suffer because smaller and more insignificant things begin to torture you in proportion to your fear of being hurt.

In a year of searching for the Face of America on its best days we encountered many bumps in the road.  Every time we encountered an obstacle someone would cross our path and give us encouragement and hope. Someone would give truth to the words of Thomas Merton. Someone would give us reason to keep moving forward.

Recently we finished writing chapter seven of the book about our journey. In this chapter, we introduce our readers to two of the most remarkable people we met during our travels, Jack Rushton and Brooke Ellison. It also details one of the most frightening experiences of our journey.  Without question these are two of the most beautiful people we met and two excellent examples of the Face of America on its best days.  They give truth to these thoughts:

It’s great to be aliveand don’t let adversity define you.

Christmas 2010 in our home will reflect these two comments.

They bring the spirit of Christmas to everything Kitch and I do. They pick us up when we are discouraged. They give us comfort when we are sad. They make us grateful for the opportunities we have. They help us to better appreciate what really is important in life. They cause us to give thanks for your kindness and your friendship.

Merry Christmas from Windsor Park, we hope that all of your stories have happy endings.
Tony & Kitch Mussari
Please provide feedback to: tmussari@gmail.com

North Plainfield, New Jersey: A Face of America Commentary
By Tony Mussari
Copyright 2010
Mussari-Loftus Associates, LTD

I saw the Face of America today. It belonged to a group people who came together for a special event in North Plainfield, New Jersey.

I saw the Face of America today on a brisk December evening. The atmosphere was damp, but there was nothing but warmth in the hearts of those assembled.

I saw the Face of America today. It was open, welcoming, caring, kind, and filled with anticipation.

This Face of America belonged to a school board president, Linda L. Bond-Nelson, and several members of her board of education. These are public officials who love their community and their schools.

It belonged to a Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Marilyn Birnbaum. She knows what leadership is all about.

It belonged to a high school principal, Jerard Stephenson. He knows how to make good things happen for his high school.

It belonged to a Supervisor of the Arts, Tom Mazur. His attention to detail is nothing short of amazing.


It belonged to two navy officers, MU2 Laura Carey and BM 2 Tamara Resilard. They represent their country and the U.S. Navy with dignity and class.

It belonged to a teacher and coach, Skip Pulcrano. He knows the value of service to others.

It belonged to Jessica Figueroa, a co-captain of the cheerleading squad. She knows the meaning of the word responsible. In four years of cheering, she never missed a practice, a game or an event.

It belonged to friends like Ann Marie and Frank Pizzani, their son, DJ, and Chivon and Adam MacMillan. They make life worth living.

It belonged to four members of the Rodriguez family who came to share hundreds of items from the largest private collection of 9/11 memorabilia in the State of New jersey.

This Face of America speaks to America on its best days. It is not rich. It is not famous, it is not powerful. It is reliable, inspirational, encouraging, and loyal. It speaks to America as a land of opportunity and a land of the good. It speaks to one of America’s greatest strengths, diversity.

On this evening in December, I saw the Face of America at the North Plainfield High School in New Jersey, a place of learning that is now a home for the National 9/11 Remembrance Flag.

Guedis Cardenas, president of the senior class, is right, "There are people in this world with a good heart, good will and very willing to help you." You will find them in North Plainfield, New Jersey, a place where one finds the Face of America’s tomorrow today.

The Gift of Speech: A Face of America Commentary

Written by Tony Mussari
Photographs by Kitch Loftus-Mussari
Copyright 2010
Mussari-Loftus Associates, LTD
The Face of America Project
faceofamericawps.com

I saw the Face of America today. It belonged to mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers, aunts, uncles and grandparents who came to an athletic field in our little corner of the world.

I saw the Face of America today on a beautiful autumn morning. The October sky was filled with clouds, but there was nothing but hope in the hearts of those assembled.

I saw the Face of America today. It was filled with confidence and brimming with the humble pride of accomplishment. No one knew that better than two high school students, Courtney Sult and Rebecca Farrell, who organized this day as a class project.

This Face of America was determined to find a cure for a little known, neurological disorder called Apraxia of Speech. It affects thousands of children in the United States who are unable to execute speech movements. It locks up their voices and limits their potential.

On this October morning, 100 people walked three miles to raise thousands of dollars for research, treatment and public awareness.

Nine-year-old, Sean Freiburger, inspired these walks. His mother, Susan, organized the first walk in Pittsburgh, PA, three years ago. She is the National Walk Chairperson for the Childhood Apraxia of Speech Association of North America (CASANA). Both were among the walkers. Today, there are more than 4,000 walkers around the nation. From a small voice, a big idea has grown.

Sean has had over 700 hours of speech therapy for his diagnosis of severe speech apraxia. Thanks to receiving appropriate intensive therapy, he found his voice and he is using it to help others find theirs.

As I watched Sean, his mother and the other walkers through the viewfinder of my camera, I marveled at their determination, their optimism, their sense of community and their willingness to do whatever is required to unlock the voices that are silent and create a bright future for children who suffer from Apraxia of Speech.
If ever there was a portrait of the face of America on its best days this is it, young and old, rich and poor walking together into the light of discovery. With helping hands and caring hearts they move forward committed to their cause.

I saw the face of America on a beautiful October morning, in a small, rural community. The sound of silence was in the air, but a glorious symphony of possibilities was playing in the hearts and souls of the Americans assembled here. They were focused. They were positive. They were making progress one step at a time. They were doing what Americans do best. They were helping others.

The words of Helen Keller apply: Alone we can do so little. Together we can do so much.

For more information contact: http://www.apraxia-kids.org/

Please provide feedback to: faceofamericawps@gmail.com

Thank You

American Music 1: A Face of America Commentary

Written by Tony Mussari
Photography by Kitch Loftus Mussari
Copyright 2010
Mussari-Loftus Associates, LTD
The Face of America Project
faceofamericawps.com

I heard the sound of America today. It was energetic, thoughtful and filled with messages of optimism and hope.

I heard the sound of America today. It spoke of freedom, dreams and service.

I heard the sound of America today in music that was filled with thoughtful insights into the character and virtues of America on its best days.

Although not designed to connect with listeners in this way, the upbeat melodies and cleverly written lyrics had that result.

These are the words and the values the music addressed.

Let the healing water flow.
Now I really know.
I’ve been living in the past.
And it’s time to let go.

On our best days America is about looking ahead.

I think I’ll find a way.
To hold on for one more day.

On our best days, America is about perseverance.

I’m taking the long way home tonight.
I’m driving until I see the light.

Hope is central to everything America is about on its best days.

I would do anything I can.
To make your dreams come true.

America is a land of dreams dreamed and dreams fulfilled.

Do what…Do what you gotta do now.

On its best days America solves problems.

I believe in you.
Show me what it’s like to find.
Tender mercies and love so kind.

On our best days America is about belief in ourselves and service to others.

I heard the sound of America on this fine day in words composed by singer songwriter Mike Lewis. Born in Ohio, raised in New York and Oklahoma, Mike is an American with a point of view and the ability to translate the blessings of liberty, freedom, responsibility, perseverance, and kindness into music that entertains, instructs, and lights the way to a brighter day.

Now that’s a beautiful though for every day.

For more information go to: www.mikelewismusic.com

Please provide feedback to: faceofamericawps@gmail.com

Thank You

On the Road Again: Our Face of America Journey Continues

By: Tony Mussari
Photographs By: Kitch Loftus-Mussari
Copyright: Mussari-Loftus Associates, LTD

The human spirit is not defined by the size of the act, but by the size of the heart.
Yakov Smirnoff

Greetings from Shanksville, PA, where our Face of America Journey continues.

For the past seven weeks, Kitch and I have been underground editing the documentary we screened in Shanksville during our annual visit to the final resting place of the heroes of Flight 93, and the place where, in our opinion, we saw first-hand what Yakov Smirnoff’s touching words described so perfectly shortly after September 11, 2001.

In this place of hope and heroes, you discover the pulse of America on its best days. It resides in the hearts of people like Janie Kiehl, Chuck and Jayne Wagner and Sue Strohm. These are people who gave of their time and their talent to tell the Shanksville story to everyone and anyone who visited the Peoples Memorial to the Heroes of Flight 93.

There were others like them… the people who conceptualized and built this unique memorial, and the original members of a group called Flight 93 Ambassadors.

Every year since the day the earth stood still for America, Kitch and I have returned to Shanksville with a group of people to visit the site, interact with the people, host a community dinner and screen an original documentary.

The title of this year’s story is Visiting Shanksville in the Rain. It features a group of Junior ROTC cadets from Sunbury, PA, and their teacher; a veteran and his wife from Dallas, PA; the creator of a Spirit of Kindness club in Lancaster, PA and eight cheerleaders from North Plainfield, New Jersey.

The documentary enables each visitor to speak with heartfelt words about how they were changed by their visit. In our opinion, the stories are powerful and poignant. The stories told by the North Plainfield cheerleaders were compelling and very personal. The documentary ends with a flag presentation by Joanne Galvin, the co-creator of the National 9/11 Remembrance Flag.

The unexpected death of our dear friend George Parks, the Director of the UMass Minuteman Band, one week before the screening motivated us to find a way to incorporate George’s life work into the activities of the visit and screening.

Wherever we went on September 25, 2010, George Parks went with us.

We also tried to incorporate some of the things we have learned from our journey across America during our search for the Face of America on its best days.

It was a tall order to be sure, and one that caused many moments of deep thought and quiet reflection prior to the screening.

In all of our 3:30 p.m. discussions during the editing and post-production phase of the project, we tried to develop a plan to accomplish these goals. It wasn’t easy. Then one afternoon, Kitch suggested that I do something that is second nature to me. “Pretend you are back in your senior seminar room. Make it a learning experience,” she said. Those nine words put everything in focus.

Our plan was set. We would make the visit and the screening an opportunity to teach again, and we would teach in the only way we know how, up front, personal and filled with starred thoughts as George Parks would call them and starred moments of role-playing capitalizing on events as they happened in an effort to inform, inspire and instruct anyone and everyone in our group who would take the time to listen and learn.

Did it work? That’s a fair question. Kitch and I have answers of our own, but we are going to resist the temptation to share them. Instead, we would like you to read a review of our documentary and our visit written by Guedis Cardenas, a 17-year-old senior at North Plainfield High School and member of the Cheerleading team. You will find the review in the Articles Section of our website at this address:

faceofamericawps.com/articles/

We think Guedis’s review will provide the information you will need to answer the question.

For the moment, I would like to share one of the comments Kitch and I received this morning from one of the North Plainfield cheerleaders who spent the day with us:

Hello Mr. Mussari,

I just wanted to thank you…

What you have done for our school and cheerleaders we will never forget. I hope you continue to talk to the youth and TEACH us all that you can!! You are to me an inspirational hero!! May God always bless and be with you!

Please tell your wonderful wife Mrs. Mussari that I also appreciate all that she has done, both of you will always have a place in my heart!

Love, your student and friend,

Qua-Tayah Robinson

To those who helped us make this year’s visit to Shanksville so special, we say thank you.

To those who helped us during the year to keep moving forward when things were difficult and the bumps on the road appeared to be everywhere, we say thank you.

To our friends who lifted our spirits again and again especially after the automobile accident and the computer nightmares we experienced in July and August, we say thank you.

To the administration, faculty, students, parents and staff at North Plainfield High School who took us in and gave us an opportunity teach again, we say thank you.

Yacov Smirnoff is right, “The human spirit is not defined by the size of the act, but by the size of the heart.”

In North Plainfield, New Jersey, and Shanksville, PA, we found hearts of gold that are as big and as beautiful as the country they call home. We found the spirit of America on its best days.

Until the next time, we hope that all of your stories have happy endings.

Please provide feedback to faceofamericawps@gmail.com

10 Things I Learned About Management at Its Best at Best Buy

Written by: Tony Mussari, Sr.
Photographs by: Kitch Loftus-Mussari
Copyright, Mussari Loftus Associates, LTD

Statistics suggest that when customers complain… managers ought to get excited about it. The complaining customer represents a huge opportunity for more business. Zig Ziglar

Eric McFarland is a young man with a sense of purpose and impressive management skills.  He manages the Best Buy store in Scranton, PA. He is reserved, thoughtful, diplomatic and courteous by nature.

On a beautiful August afternoon, my wife and I met Eric McFarland when we visited his store with two very big and very troubling problems.  Our three-week old Toshiba Satellite laptop had disabled two portable drives that contained all of the original materials from nine months of work on our Face of America Project.

We were returning the computer after spending hours removing all of the files from the C drive. We were tired, anxious and very fearful of what the future might bring. It was a customer’s nightmare and a store manager’s greatest fear.

On this day, the buck stopped with McFarland, and I watched him carefully as he went into overdrive to calm my fears, and give truth to the customer service culture that is at the heart of Best Buy’s success.

These are 10 things I experienced in the customer service classroom of Eric McFarland:

1. 1. He was welcoming and very courteous;
2. 2. He was considerate. He picked up on my apprehension and fear, and he did everything possible to lessen the stress;
3. 3. His tone of voice and his demeanor were soothing. He spoke softly and he always made eye contact with me.
4. 4. He listened to my story, and he listened to the recommendation of his Geek Squad employee;
5. 5. He never tried to transfer responsibility or blame for the problem to me.  He never argued. He took responsibility;
6. 6. He was focused on my problem and my needs.  He was not distracted by other matters;
7. 7. He was very patient and very flexible;
8. 8. He was proactive. He was interested in finding a solution that would make me happy and enable me to continue my work;
9. 9. He was professional. He looked like a manager, and he acted like a manager;
10. 10. He was respectful. He never made me or my wife feel uncomfortable in any way.

Eric McFarland is the kind of person who gives managers a good name. He gave me a feeling of confidence that something would be done to help me. I got the impression that he cared about me and my problem, because he saw the problem from my point of view.

Shari Ballard, Best Buy’s President, Americas-Enterprise EVP, believes that every Best Buy employee has an opportunity to help customers make technology what they want it to be. Ballard wants Best Buy to be a customer driven, talent powered company.

In my opinion, Eric McFarland lives up to that expectation. During the anxious moments of my visit to Best Buy, he did something that I will never forget. To rephrase the words of the creators of Portal, he found the hole in the sky though which things can fly, and that made all the difference.

When I think about my Face of America journey to Best Buy in Scranton, PA, and my experiences there, the words of Mary Kay Ash come to mind:

People are definitely a company’s greatest asset. It doesn’t make any difference whether the product is cars or cosmetics. A company is only as good as the people it keeps.

Thank you Best Buy for giving Eric McFarland management responsibilities.

Until the next time, we hope that all of your stories have happy endings.

To provide feedback, please contact us at: tmussari@gmail.com

10 Things I Learned About Problem Solving at Best Buy

Written by: Tony Mussari, Sr.
Photographs by: Kitch Loftus-Mussari
Copyright, Mussari-Loftus Associates, LTD 2010

Surround yourself only with people who are going to lift you higher. Anonymous

My wife and I entered the Best Buy store in Scranton, Pennsylvania, with a three-week old laptop computer that had us talking to ourselves and running around in circles. The USB ports on the computer were defective.  The computer fried two portable drives containing all of the original material from nine months of work on our Face of America project.

To be honest, the anxiety and the stress levels were off the chart. We were beside ourselves with worry.

In less than a week, we made three visits to Best Buy. During each visit, we learned some things about problem solving in times of crisis.

This is what we learned:

1. Don’t complain. Explain.  Lay out the problem in a clear, concise manner; 

2. Don’t judge. Join the team. Resist the temptation to blame anyone or anything.  Put the problem in context;

3. Don’t argue. Affirm. This will create a positive environment;

4. Don’t make threats.  Make promises that speak to positive activities;

5. Don’t think worst case scenarios. Think solutions;

6. Don’t express every emotion you are feeling. It creates negative energy. Be positive, and offer encouragement;

7. Remember the importance of body language. Avoid looks that kill. They accomplish nothing, and they create resentment;

8. Don’t be impatient.  Be understanding. Solutions to complicated problems take time and a good deal of experimentation;

9. Don’t yell or scream. Speak in a calm and civil tone of voice. Angry people can very easily become suspect;

10. Remember the seven most important words in the English language: What can I do to help you? They record what you need and want. They also speak to what the people helping you need and want from you.

When the transaction is finished, say thank you and mean it. Take the time to make a call or write a note of appreciation. Never underestimate the healing power of thoughtful words and kind deeds.

In a very real way, attitude is the mother of problem solving. The solution to everything in life begins with a positive attitude.

The words of Charles R. Swindoll apply:

We cannot change our past…we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it. And so it is with you…we are in charge of our attitudes.

In my opinion, Teddy Roosevelt wrote the book on problem solving when he asked and answered this question: Have you got a problem?  Do what you can where you are with what you’ve got.

I was lucky. I was at the Best Buy store in Scranton, and I had Eric McFarland and Mark White to help me with my problem.

Until the next time, we hope that all of your stories have happy endings.

To provide feedback, please contact us at: tmussari@gmail.com