More Defining Moments – Living in Panama

My father was stationed in Panama during my high school years. He was sent there during the time the Vietnam was escalating. US soldiers were sent to the military bases located in Panama for jungle training, and then many were shipped out to Vietnam. By this time my father was a celebrity in the military. He produced huge USO shows and other programs to help keep the soldiers moral high in this time of war. My brothers and I performed in the shows and at events in Panama City. 

This was an extraordinary experience, a very special time in my life; it was a plethora of paradoxes. Our base was 10 miles outside of Panama City, Panama. It sat right between the jungle and the beach. We were living in a magnificent paradise where exotic birds and animals were the norm, and the topography was breathtaking. The Panamanians were gracias, exciting and warm. 

Our home was always full of performers, practicing, laughing and celebrating. On top of all of this, I was in my teens and surrounded by hundreds of young, handsome soldiers. 

But there was the other side of heaven; many of the solders that became our friends were shipped to Vietnam and some were killed within weeks.  I was also ashamed of the behavior of many of my fellow Americans who treated the people of our host nation, as if they were possessions of Americans – to be used for their pleasure and entertainment. The uneven economies gave many Americans a false sense of superiority, and many abused that power. The tensions grew so intense, the Panama riots erupted; many Panamanians and US citizens were killed. My mother and I were downtown when the riots broke out. Fortunately a Panamanian family escorted us back to the Canal Zone, (the American side) just in the nick of time. Our family’s value of people and community extended to everyone and people could feel that love and respect. I believe living those values saved our lives that day. 

My father decided to retire from the military after 27 years, so Panama would be our last tour. My parents decided we would drive from Panama to Detroit, Michigan. We “kids” were 18, 19 and 20, so my parents knew things would soon change for our family; my brothers and I would soon go our own way. The trip was exciting, dangerous, fascinating and fun. The Pan-American Highway was not completed. It stopped twenty miles out side of Panama, so we found our way to the States by asking for directions; “Que van a los Estados Unidos” – “Which way to the United States”. It took us 14 days to arrive in Detroit.  We drove through Panama, Costa Rico, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, Belize and Mexico. We found ourselves in many situations that could have been perceived as dangerous however all we felt was love, excitement and fun. That energy must have been transmitted to everyone we met along the way, because everyone, in every country along the way, treated us like family. 

Returning to the states was a culture shock. It was like I had fallen down the rabbit hole; nothing was familiar, nothing was safe. Three weeks after arriving in Detroit, all hell broke out - the 1967 Detroit race riots erupted. We were caught in the middle of the violence and had to flee. I was so confused. I thought my country was focused on the war in Vietnam; to my surprise and dismay, there was another war within the US, and it was between it’s own citizens. 

My oldest brother was drafted two weeks after we got home and several months later he was sent to Vietnam.  I went away to college and entered a world that was teetering on the edge of a drastic transformation. The next two years were insane; Martin Luther King was assassinated; Bobby Kennedy was assassinated; the US National Guard killed students at Kent state, and the Vietnam War spun out of control. That was my introduction to social action and civic engagement. The students all over the nation pulled together in protest. There were some who turned to violence, but most chose love and peace. My vision and values lead me to the peaceful revolution. That era, that experience, taught me that people can ban together mobilized by love and peace and change the world. My generation demonstrated that even the young can be powerful when they embrace a powerful idea like peace. I think we have forgotten that lesson in recent year.

My bothers and I grew up and started our own lives but we carry with us my parent’s vision and values. Their view of life has deeply touched all of their children. My oldest brother Teddy contributed twenty-five years to directing a community college program for students with special needs. His choice of work did not surprise me. Growing up, Teddy was very popular because of his effervescent personality and remarkable sense of humor. He did not choose to hang out with the popular crowd; instead he always befriended and defended people that were excluded from the “in-crowd”. At parties he would dance with the girls the other guys ignored. He would come to the defense of boys who were small and frail. Teddy not only looked out for those who were excluded, he genuinely valued their friendship and they formed strong, authentic relationships. Teddy has the gift of being able to see the best in people, and a mission to create safe, fun spaces in which people can be themselves. Children, the best and toughest judge of people’s sincerity, love Teddy and his wife Janet. Although Teddy and Jan do not have “birth” children, they are godparents to eight children, two of which they raised.

Bruce, the middle child, early on developed a strong sense of independence based on what he believed was right and just. He relentlessly followed his heart and blazed his own path. Even as a young boy when his friends would encourage him to ” leave his sissy sister at home”, he never abandoned me. I hold a mental picture of Bruce taking my hand and kindly taking me along with him, despite the other boys’ taunting. Independent of public opinion he always charted his own path. Bruce could not work for any traditional organization – or for anyone, for that matter. This led him and his wife Debbie, to create the Detroit Windsor Dance Academy. Since 1984, over 10,000 young people have discovered dance and the beauty of the arts at their academy. These young people come from a range of socioeconomic backgrounds. They have gained self-esteem, self-discipline, and benefited from being a part of a caring, compassionate community.

Although each of us took different paths in life, who we are today and how we relate to others, come from the vision and values my parents gave us – the most beautiful gift parents can give their children. 

May all you beautiful hopes and dreams come true!

Michele

www.dreammakers.org