Confesions of an Old Geezer

While resting at a mall on what he calls "husband benches," Richard J. Schwartz Sr. came up with the idea of writing Confessions of an Old Geezer.Schwartz, 86, self-published the 236-page account of his life in November 2005 through AuthorHouse.
"I wrote it for my ego," he said with a chuckle.His wife of 64 years, Vivian, chimed in, "He's an old geezer now. Just teasing. He doesn't act his age."Schwartz, who worked for Eastman Kodak Co. in Rochester, N.Y., for 27 years, said there are some humorous anecdotes in the book, as the title may indicate.But more importantly, he said, within the 10 chapters are thought-provoking stories about the early 1920s, the Great Depression and his late teen years. There also are tales of his days in the military, his family and camping outings and remembrances of Faun Lake, where he and his wife lived in upstate New York.The couple bought a place in Tavares in 1980. They spent the winter months there and have lived there permanently for nearly three years.Schwartz said of the title, "I thought it would catch people's attention."The military years tell of the 39 months from December 1942 to March 1946 he spent in the Army. He went to officer's school and was stationed at MacDill Air Force Base for two years. He later got on a ship and sailed for 40 days to get to Okinawa."I was on a ship longer than my brother," Schwartz said. "He was in the Navy."While in Okinawa, Schwartz began writing a diary to give to his wife when he got home. The first date of entry is June 25, 1945, and the 51 pages were rewritten into the book. Toward the end of the diary it tells of coming home."Some of the men got off the ship and kissed the ground," he said. "We were happy to be back in the United States."After retiring from Eastman Kodak, he and his wife started an RV business in New York state. They operated the business for 22 years. Schwartz, who has three children, four grandchildren and four great-grandchildren, sold the business to his son Richard Schwartz Jr.All members of the family have a copy of the book.The younger Schwartz, who has since sold that business and moved to Oregon, said, "The book is a great account of my parents' life back then, and I learned a few things I didn't know before about my dad."It sounds like he's the kind of guy I would have liked to hang around with when I was younger -- he had a lot of fun."The final chapter of the book is called "Reflections," which includes "words of wisdom concerning what an old geezer has learned, or not learned, during his . . . years on Earth."And it's where the term "husband bench" was coined.He said the inspiration to write his memoirs came to him while sitting on a "husband bench" at a mall in Greece, N.Y., a suburb of Rochester: "Husband benches (my own terminology) are the park type benches placed in strategic locations in shopping malls, usually in the center court, or arcade areas," he writes."This is a gathering place, usually for men waiting for their wives to meet them following a shopping spree. . . . I happened to be alone that afternoon on the husband bench so I engaged in people watching. . . . One observation that came to mind was the lack of senior citizens in the octogenarian group such as myself. Then it dawned on me, there aren't too many of us left on the planet. . . . A few days later I fired-up my word processor and started to type."The elder Schwartz designed the cover of the book. He looked at it and said, "You know what is amazing? It's how much I can remember. You think of one thing and it reminds you of something else."After flipping through the pages, he said, "I enjoy reading my own book. I'm going to read it again."Schwartz started writing his second book, Calories are Crumbling, some time ago. His humorous outlook on dieting has about 3,000 words now."I haven't decided to finish it," he said. "I may someday."Confessions of an Old Geezer is $15 in paperback and $20 in hardcover, including shipping and handling. To purchase one, call Schwartz at 352-343-6150 or e-mail him at rch5070@localnet.com.