Skip to main content

Paging Dr. Leo

One of my favorite authors is Dr. Leo Buscaglia. However, it wasn’t always that way. I remember when I was pre-teen, my mother watching The Phil Donahue. His guest was Dr. Leo Buscaglia, who taught a class on Love, a first of its kind, at USC. My mother had read many of his books and was an avid fan.  As I watched the show, I was puzzled by him. Here was this man talking passionately about how we all need to show we love each other, both strangers and family. He had walked through the streets of Chicago (where the Donahue show was filmed) wearing a button that said something to the effect “Hugs for free.”  I was positive he would be avoided like the plague in such a big city. To my surprise, he regaled how many people stopped him in the street to give him a hug. He couldn’t contain his joy, his arms flapping about, looking like he would burst through the TV screen. Frankly, I was embarrassed by him. I shook my head, dismissing him as a kooky guy.
                Years later, out of the blue, my mother sent me Dr Leo’s book Living, Loving and Learning. It sat on my shelf for a while--I was still questioning why she sent it to me in the first place. Everything was fine in my marriage and we were expecting a baby. One day, nothing was good on the TV. With a sigh, I picked up his book, which was collection of his lectures on his favorite subject, love.  As it turned out, much to my surprise, I actually enjoyed the book.  I found him to be funny, entertaining and wise. I literally could feel his love for life pouring through the pages.
 Why was it now I appreciated him, when before I didn’t want anything to do with him?
  As I ponder this, I have come to the conclusion it has to do with timing. When I first saw Dr. Leo on TV, I was at an awkward age where EVERYTHING embarrassed me.  Also, my mother was a fan of his, so that made him completely uncool.
One of the many things he taught me is as you share and give love, it grows and comes back to you.   After reading his book, I put his lesson to practice. No, I didn’t run around town wearing a “hugs for free” button! If I encountered someone at work whose dress I liked, I told her so. Spontaneously, I would grab my son and give him kisses on top of his head (which I must say I need to get on my tip toes to reach his head now!) By sharing joy, I would see their positive reactions and that would feed my soul again.   
I believe that’s the reason my mother sent it to me-- without it I would have missed many happy life experiences. Though Dr. Leo is no longer with us, his lessons live on. I like to think he’s found a place in Heaven with a large forest that is in perpetual autumn, surrounded by all the foliage he could ever want. What do I mean by that? I guess you’ll have to read one of his books to find out!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

What’s your top ten?

Lately, I have been watching many top ten lists on You Tube.  It started with viewing watchmojo.com  with my teenage son.  We shout out what we think should be number one best video game or worst villain. He has been inspired since then to create his own countdowns. I have also stumbled across Matthew Santoro’s channel  and his show has also been added as a favorite.   Back in my day, top 10 lists were relegated to the David Letterman Show .  Now, I can watch as many top 10 lists as I please.  Yea, technology!! Taking a queue from my son, below is my countdown to my top 10 reasons why I watch Top 10 Lists: 10. The facts are listed in short tidbits that you don’t feel overwhelmed and able to retain the information.   For instance, I learned that we share a considerable amount of our DNA with bananas. Therefore, I have concluded it’s not a big insult to call someone a “banana”.  9. Goodness knows I have turned on YouTube during ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Found: a change of perspective

There have been times I've been searching for a lost item—be it my car keys or my shoes—I can’t find it for the life of me. I tear the house apart, and doggedly quiz my family (Are you sure you didn't see them? Really, really?) After a fruitless search, I feel very frustrated, throw my hands up and quit looking. After a while, I retrace my steps--I do need to find these items, especially if I’m heading out the door! Inevitably, I find the item only when I search differently. For instance, when looking for my car keys, if I dug my hand through my purse, I now need to dump all of the contents out.  If I've been looking underneath the bed for my shoes from the left hand side, I switch to the right. It got me thinking how this new approach is relative to life experiences. Sometimes, we get so wrapped up in looking at a problem one way that with a fresh pair of eyes, it can be view as an opportunity. For example, a fender bender is a tragedy when it occurs. The look of the ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Goodbye tomatoes!

Grocery shopping is mundane and routine, wouldn't you agree? I find I roam through the aisles in the same route as I do each week. I walk by, barely acknowledging the other shoppers. Yet we are all in the same mission: methodically filling our carts and checking off our grocery lists, either manually or electronically. However, a few weeks ago, something different happened at the produce section.  There I was, surveying the bananas,trying to find a bunch that didn't have many bruises. Suddenly, a little four year old girl with brunette hair appeared by my side. Her eyes lit up as she scanned the bananas, humming a whimsical tune. Soon, she scampered off.  I turned around and saw her mother wasn't far from her. Mom was standing next the the tomato display. My eyes focused on the little girl, who was now babbling to the tomato stack. Then, her mother called her name, telling her it was time to go. With a tiny wave, she sang, "Goodbye tomatoes!" I smiled, tickled b...
Post a Comment
Read more