Page 553 - WhyAsInY

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quickly learned to use the intercom to announce, “Phone call for Dan on line two,” and the like, to make APBs announcing meals, and, more- over, to teach both Dan and Dave to imitate his technique to the extent that they could do so quite well, in Peter’s very official-sounding basso profundo.
Peter was a sketch to have around, a very entrepreneurial sketch. Wishing to be a radio announcer and, presumably, to enable himself to design yet another insignia (Peter has always liked uniforms, garb that identifies the owner’s school, team, or fire company, and, by the way, insignias), he somehow talked the Scarsdale High School administra- tion into purchasing audio equipment that he concluded would enable the school to own its own radio station (with guess who as lead announcer). That the equipment was stolen on what seemed like day two in no way diminishes his contribution. Along the same lines, wish- ing to be able more often to see his friend Mike Behar, who attended Mamaroneck, and, I think, to get out of more school than he was already steadfastly avoiding, he invented CO-ACT, an organization that per- mitted performers from both schools and, I believe, one other to produce plays in one another’s auditoriums. No surprise: this led to the design of yet another insignia (and probably some time off from school). His love for insignias and uniforms produced a significant precursor: hanging prominently in his room was the uniform of a firefighter, because Peter, who had already qualified as an EMT (which he put to good use work- ing with the Harrison volunteer ambulance), had joined and was active in the Scarsdale Volunteer Fire Department.
Peter also went through the normal teenage period of experimenta- tion and secrecy, and three exchanges with him stick with me—stick as models of how the supposedly enlightened father acts.
The first was easy. Peter, desiring to try a new and exciting activity, still thought that his father’s permission was needed for such things, and, when he prepared to ask the question, I’m sure that he expected my normal flood of questions and reasoning. He probably set aside fifteen minutes for the discussion, which he began by saying, “Dad, I think that I’d like to try skydiving.” I, Mr. Moot Court Champion, and well known
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