Poems and Thoughts    by Frank Maurer

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The Rearranged Tearoom. As a child, my father frustratingly delayed buying a TV. I had to go to Woody Kaplin's house to watch Howdy Doody! It didn't occur to me at such a young age, How 'organizing' TV was, once in one's life. This became absolutely clear when I started working in Turkiye. I often, after teaching, would frequent a tearoom to socialize. There was no TV in Turkiye when I taught there in 1969. All the tables and chairs were arranged randomly, as one would expect. Actually, I never really even contemplated such arrangements. I completed my teaching job there and moved on. Many years later, about 2000, my old boss and his wife Invited me and Nora, my wife, for a Turkish reunion. We arrived and thoroughly enjoyed visiting old friends and haunts. One mid-day we went to see a then quiet, old, familiar tearoom. When I entered, I felt immediately something was strange--even wrong. All the chairs around the tables were facing one way! My gaze went in the direction of the chairs and one wall. What was there, but a television set, sitting quietly on a shelf. This was new for me in this country and a bit of a shock. I could feel the loss of visitation, conversation, and gaming, Feeling the starkness and dominance of this machine. Coming from 'another world', I could understand, But was saddened by what I knew was a loss of innocence. All these devices are taking over the time and minds Of both our children and adults. Frank Maurer 29 December 2025 1800 Hours.