November 11, 2025 • 54 mins
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:02):
It's the Opperman Report, and now here is investigator.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
Okay, welcome to the Opperman Report. I am your host,
private investigator, Ed Opperman. You can find me on Opperman
Investigations and Digital Friends and Consulting if you reach out
to me through my email Opperman Investigations at gmail dot com.
I am so excited about today's guest. This is an
old and dear friend. Uh, sort of like a daughter.
(00:29):
I almost said, welcome to front page Fevers by the
way I would say to the Opera Report. We have
Arlene McCarthy. She is literally, I swear to god, she
is the nicest person I've ever met in my life,
the nicest person I've ever known. Uh. And I just
found out I fired it, so I had no idea.
She got sick of me and she left. But Arlene McCarthy,
(00:52):
she's in the New York City still as New York
City teachers, school teacher, passion work. You know, I love
you know what life? You know? Uh, the sacrifice. But
I also wrote a book called My Friend John. It's
a children's book and you can check her out at
Arlene McCarthy dot com. It's a R. L. E. E. N.
(01:16):
McCarthy is with two c's mcc a r T h
Y dot com and that's where you can get a
hold of his book here My Friend John, which is
a children's book like six to eight year olds. Yes,
Arlene McCarthy, tell the audience who is Arlene McCarthy.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
Well, first, thanks, thank you so much for having me.
This is an honor. So Arlene McCarthy. Arlene McCarthy is
a teacher, She is a wife, she is a daughter,
a sister, and a friend, and an advocate for special
(01:53):
needs children across the world.
Speaker 2 (01:57):
Now you were telling me that you're a New York
City school. He's your first grade, right, yes, first grade?
Oh my god, Now what I can only imagine? Now,
what is that like today? Teaching these little first graders
who grew up with cell phones and smartphones and iPhones
and all this stuff.
Speaker 1 (02:12):
Well, the first graders do not have cell phones yet.
And it's my favorite age ed. I've taught sixth grade,
fourth grade, third grade, second grade, and I've landed in
first and I will definitely stay in first grade for
a while, for forever until I leave teaching. It's just
(02:33):
the it's just the best grade. I mean, it's the
most important grade. In my opinion, because that's where you know,
children learn how to ultimately read and write and math.
They learn like the foundations for math. So it is
just a remarkable age. They're so sweet and cute and innocent,
(02:55):
and they're like blank canvases, and you can instill such
one wonderful qualities into them for them because you have
this power as a teacher at that age to really
make a difference.
Speaker 2 (03:12):
Well, they must fall in love with you right every time,
and you must fall in love with them too. I do.
Speaker 1 (03:17):
I love. It's funny. Every year I always say to
my family, I have the best class ever. But it's
really because it's a calling. I think. I think I
was definitely I know, I was definitely meant to be
a teacher. And I'm just really lucky because I have
had really wonderful classes with great parents. My school is
(03:40):
a great school because it's a great community. It's in
green Point, Brooklyn, and it's almost like a home away
from home. I mean, I started teaching there when I
was twenty three, so I've built so many relationships with
my colleagues and the parents and the students. And it's
funny now that I'm older, I've been teaching kids who
(04:05):
I've taught their parents, So it's bizarre.
Speaker 2 (04:10):
So you started at twenty three, and what are you
now twenty five?
Speaker 1 (04:16):
No, I'm fifty one.
Speaker 2 (04:17):
Oh my god, I will forever think of you as
a twenty year old kid, you know, I'll never love that.
Speaker 1 (04:25):
Thank you for that.
Speaker 2 (04:26):
I'll just and even my own daughter, I'll always think
of her like six or seven years old, and she'll
never grow up for me either, you know, yes, But
now what happens is doesn't it break your heart when
the kids leave the next year? I guess you see
them around the school, but it's not the same.
Speaker 1 (04:40):
Yes, yes, no, it actually is very hard. Transitions are
really hard for kids and teachers and parents. But luckily
I teach on a floor where so my students leave
first grade they go to second grade, and they pass
by every morning, and you should see every every morning,
(05:01):
like the kids that I had last year stop in
and say hi, Miss McCarthy, Hi, Miss McCarthy. So it's
like I get to see them. So it's not this
like complete you know, goodbye, you know, it's it's it lingers.
They stop in all the time, even if even the
fifth graders come by and say hi to me, the
ones that they do in fourth grade.
Speaker 2 (05:21):
Yeah. Now today, in twenty twenty five, are the kids
allowed to come up and hug the teacher.
Speaker 1 (05:27):
No, but they all hug me, And I'm like, the
I just I love them so much. So it's just, uh,
I just it's hard not to It's hard not to
accept the hug.
Speaker 2 (05:41):
Yeah. I remember when I was a kid and I
would see the other kids go and hug the teacher,
and I would say, what the hell you're hugging the
teacher for.
Speaker 1 (05:48):
Cares? You know?
Speaker 2 (05:51):
No, I know, but I grew up with some tough
nuns too. I went to Catholic school. We had these
tough nuns beating the crowd. Yeah, this is a war wars.
I don't going to school when I was a kid. Now,
you mentioned twenty one kids in a classroom. Now, how
do you manage all those kids?
Speaker 1 (06:08):
It's very hard. That's why I really believe in teacher
assistance power professionals. I believe that every class should have
two teachers in the room. And luckily this year, I
have an amazing power professional, so she is literally like
my partner. I really believe that it's very hard to
(06:29):
manage a class without having someone else in the room
the whole you know, the whole day. Like you just
you need help. You need to meet the needs of
different kids, and you need to bounce around and you
can't be with every kid obviously, so it's nice to
have someone there so you can divide and conquer.
Speaker 2 (06:49):
Yeah, because every year there has to be one or
two kids that just suck up all your attention. They
just need so much, right, how do you deal with that? Yes,
I think I was one of those kids. I think
I was a kid.
Speaker 1 (07:03):
You know, you have to really you know, it's true.
You have to have a lot of patience as a teacher.
You have to have a lot of compassion and empathy,
and you have to just do your best to meet
their needs. And it can be hard with other kids
in the room at times. Trust me, I'm not denying that.
But you just really need to do your best to maintain,
(07:27):
you know, being calm and actually enriching the kids that
can be independent with projects so that they're busy doing
something really fun and creative while I am working with
someone one on one. So you have you have to
really have a lot of material and organize yourself and
prepare so that these hiccups always happen. Like you really
(07:51):
do need to have uh, you know, tiers set up
like tier one, tier two, tier three, and have work
for each tier that me their needs. So when you're
enriching high level kids and then you're really scaffolding for
the kids that need it. So you can do it.
It's manageable. I've been doing it for years.
Speaker 2 (08:11):
So so long. Now it's second nature. But I'm sure
a lot of the teachers aren't doing this.
Speaker 1 (08:18):
It helps so ed. It's such an important job teaching,
and it's such an important it really is.
Speaker 2 (08:23):
Hey, what about have you ever been involved with the
speech and debate? My daughter was a huge nationwide champion
in speech and debate? Have you have you ever been
involved in that?
Speaker 1 (08:34):
No? But my school has this great debate team and
we had this great teacher. He has since left, but
we are definitely going to keep it up because we've
won awards. I mean, it's so important to teach students
how to have a conversation and how to debate, and
it's if you start early. It really is remarkable.
Speaker 2 (08:58):
That is so true. Yeah, And because they're so serious
and they get dressed up and they're so prepared. They
prepare their little speeches and stuff like that. Yes, I
really encourage any parent out there they get your kids
involved in speech and debate. Now before you you were
mentioning before the answer with the importance of children's literature.
Do the kids today do they read like like we
(09:21):
had to ready, I'm twenty years old at you, But.
Speaker 1 (09:23):
Yeah, yeah, I I say that because kids love. Kids
love to be read to, and even if they're not
reading yet, they love read alouds and they love, you know,
hearing a story, and they love learning something, and they
(09:45):
really do love illustrations and bright pictures, and they they
need to be lured to good books because otherwise, if
they do not find books that find interesting, they will
not want to read. And reading is the most important
(10:05):
thing in the world. So my idea is you have
to start reading books that are going to, you know,
grab their interests. They're going to have to be relatable
to children, and they're going to have to be kid
friendly in the sense that their eye they're beautiful, they're fun,
they're bright, and there needs to be like really great
(10:26):
messages so that we can convey these important ideas to kids,
so that they become really great citizens of the world.
So that's why I think it's so important to read
so many different types of genres to kids so that
they can see which one is for them. And then
(10:49):
also they can actually become really great, like I said,
school citizens, because if you're reading a story about you know, bullying,
you know, then kids are like, oh, I don't want
to be a bully, or you know, I want to
stand up to a bully. Or if you're reading a
story about someone who has a disability, and kids sort
of like say, wow, I understand that that must be hard.
(11:12):
You know. I want to make sure I'm always nice
to everyone with or without a disability. So I think
that children's literature is super important, especially in elementary school.
Speaker 2 (11:24):
And then like your kids today, First of all, how
how how long when did this school year start in September?
How long have you been with the new kids?
Speaker 1 (11:32):
Oh? My gosh, just like two weeks? Two weeks?
Speaker 2 (11:35):
Ok? And then and then what the kids this age?
What is their favorite book every year? But that they
pull them up with every when you're reading to them.
Speaker 1 (11:43):
Oh my god, there's so many, ed there's so many.
So I read really really powerful books like each kindness,
the other side of the fence, my brother Charlie, my book,
my friend John.
Speaker 2 (12:02):
Oh no, you're froze up. Oh you're back your froze
up there for a second. You're going to get into
the book, my friend John. And what inspired you to
write that book? I think I had one more question
for you about the kids. I don't think oh oh yeah,
I was going to ask you this. Now, the kids today,
though they are more empathetic with each other, they are
more they're not as much bullying and judgmental and teasing
(12:24):
other kids. Right, they're different now, they.
Speaker 1 (12:27):
Really are it. In fact, we've gone We've come so
far since. I mean, I was afraid in school sometimes,
you know, and that's not happening at all anymore. So
I kudos to the elementary ed, especially in New York City,
because we have really done a great job to squash
(12:48):
any ill behavior or we really do, you know, because
if there's a child that's not doing the right thing,
chances are something's happening at home that's really making him
or her, you know, not make good choices. So if
there is a child that's not doing the right thing,
(13:09):
we really do look into what's going on. Because sometimes
we realize, and you know now that a bully is
always sometimes being bullied somewhere else. So teachers today are
much more proficient, and I don't know, they just are.
(13:29):
Like when I was in school, I remember teachers would
sometimes almost be afraid of the bully, right, like they
wouldn't even like, you know, do anything if someone was
not making a good choice, whereas now I'm like, wait,
hold on, stop, let's not do that, you know.
Speaker 2 (13:48):
Yeah, and if there was bullying going on, the kids
would be afraid to go to the teacher because it
would just get worse. The kid would come after even more.
Speaker 1 (13:54):
Yes, especially in middle school, like middle school. I had
a really hard time in middle school.
Speaker 2 (13:59):
Yeah yourself, when you were teaching middle.
Speaker 1 (14:00):
School when I was in middle school.
Speaker 2 (14:03):
Really yes, yeah, I'll track him down now, I'll go.
Speaker 1 (14:09):
That's nice. No, I didn't really, yeah, I didn't really
like middle school. It's funny, it was. It was a
tough time for me.
Speaker 2 (14:14):
But well, you know, our mutual friend there, Christy and
her sisters, they seem to be bullied when they were
in middle school.
Speaker 1 (14:22):
I can't. I can't even imagine that. I can't.
Speaker 2 (14:25):
I heard some stories pass over that one. So now
the kids today, they're more understanding, they're more they're more empathy,
they're more less judgementtal But you still felt the need.
You were motivated to write this book, my friend John.
Tell what is the book my friend John about?
Speaker 1 (14:46):
My friend John is about a little boy with special
needs and his experience at a new school. So he
has Tourette syndrome, and Tourette syndrome is a nervous system
disorder involving repetitive movement and unwonted sounds, and he runs
into adversity and a little girl helps him.
Speaker 2 (15:10):
But now Tourettes it's pretty rare. I only ran in
my whole life. I ran it's maybe one two people
my whole life with tourettes. What inspired you to pick
Tourett's out of all the things?
Speaker 1 (15:19):
A great question. My brother has tourettes?
Speaker 2 (15:22):
Really?
Speaker 1 (15:23):
Yes?
Speaker 2 (15:23):
Did I ever meet your brother? I'm sure?
Speaker 1 (15:28):
Yeah, he definitely came to the mall the state. He
was one of the yes. And I have two older
brothers with special needs. They both have autism. But my
brother John also has turettes. And when he was younger,
at he would have such he would run into so
many problems, and he was he was getting picked on
(15:52):
constantly at school, and people, you know, didn't understand it.
And even my parents, you know, they were so new
to it that they sometimes thought he just was like
misbehaving and not really like they would say, stop stop
making that noise, stop moving around. We're eating dinner, don't
(16:13):
you know, don't blink, don't do that. And looking back
now could break your heart, like because we just didn't
know much about it, and and you know, so my
brother suffered. You know, sometimes my parents would, you know,
we would they were afraid to take him someplace because
they were afraid he would make noises, like so at
(16:37):
a wedding, at a church or some kind of event,
you know, he would say, I'm going to stay home
because he himself was afraid because you know, Tourette's is
triggered by stress anxiety. It's a social disorder. So he
would miss out on stuff and kids would make fun
(16:57):
of him, and it just really it really was upsetting
to see and witness. So that's why I wrote the
book Hold up for.
Speaker 2 (17:06):
A second there because the artwork and who did the.
Speaker 1 (17:08):
Artwork, Well, it's funny. My publishing company is Austin McCauley,
and they are a hybrid publishing company, so they work
with graphic designers within their company. And they and I
both collectively did it together.
Speaker 2 (17:25):
Ay Man, my friend John now your brother, since the
book is pretty much dedicated to him, he's inspired that
he's the inspiration for the book. How does he feel
about it?
Speaker 1 (17:34):
Oh, he loves it, and he loves it. He's so
proud of it. He lives in a an a home
for disabled, and he was like giving it out to everyone,
making me sign it and sharing it with all the
people that he lives with and the staff that works
at his home. And he's proud of it. And he
(17:57):
reads it at nights sometimes and he tells me. And
he and I had a conversation recently about it, and
he said, you know, he hopes that it helps children
who have this because he really he really suffered in school.
Speaker 2 (18:14):
Yeah. And for anybody to think to judge Orlean's parents,
I met both the parents. They both worn. Your mother
is again the probably the second est person I met.
And your tell you that was a New York City
copy it.
Speaker 1 (18:28):
Chol No, they were they yeah, they wasn't their fault.
They really didn't know ed you know, and they were
doing the best they could to understand it, and and
you know, it was just really hard my parents. You know,
they were so supportive, but yet they just were so
(18:49):
unsure of what was happening, and they just didn't understand it.
And you know, it was hard for them. I can
understand looking back. I had passion for them.
Speaker 2 (19:00):
The slightest little thing goes wrong with your kid, it's terrifying.
It's so draining, it's exhausting. You worry about every little thing.
And back then we just didn't know. We just didn't know.
Back in those days, especially on Staten.
Speaker 1 (19:12):
Island, you really didn't. And I remember my mom would
go to these parent teacher conferences and the teachers were like, oh,
he can't sit still, but you know, because he had,
you know, a problem, you know, he had HD and
he had all these issues. And my parents really, you know,
(19:33):
they really did their best understand it. And they did
actually make a very smart move early on. They moved
my brothers out of public school into a private school,
and that really made a world of difference for them
because they were then in a smaller class size. Eventually,
it must have been some type of ICT class where
(19:57):
there are two teachers in their room because they were
like he was in they were both in smaller class
sizes and they had two teachers in the room. It
was a Lutheran school, it was a private school, but
they they thrived there because they were getting the attention
that they needed. So they ultimately did a great thing
for my brothers by taking them out early on, like
(20:18):
first grade, they both first and second grade, they both left.
Speaker 2 (20:22):
Yeah, because your parents are only a little bit older
than me, but just about my age. When they grew up,
they were thinking was, well, my kid is that can't
function in the classroom, let me punish him, and then
he's going to learn when they disciplined this child, They're
going to learn through discipline. That's what we thought, man.
Speaker 1 (20:39):
You know, I know it's so true and it really Yeah,
and we lived it. We you know, we saw my
father was like, you know, stop, you know, and my
brother was like, you know, he couldn't stop. I could
cry thinking about it. Looking back, it was just a
very It was hard. It was very hard. So that's
why John was my true inspiration.
Speaker 2 (21:01):
Yeah. And so then you've written the book, my friend, John,
We've seen the cover there, what's in the book, what's
to describe what's going on?
Speaker 1 (21:08):
So he he goes to a new school and he
starts making you know, he has these ticks that come out,
and you know, the kids in the class make fun
of him. And he then stays home because he doesn't
want to go back, which is a really common ad.
(21:29):
And then this little girl that he be friends in
the very beginning of his you know, no her name
is Bella. She you know, she speaks to the teacher,
she finds out what's going on with John. The teacher
then tells her that he has this you know, Tourette syndrome,
(21:51):
this disorder, and then she asks if she can you know,
talk to the class. So she goes in the front
of the room and she tells the class all about
this condition that her new friend John has. So she
essentially essentially educates all these children and they all then
you know, you know, she asks them to open their
(22:14):
hearts and to have compassion and empathy. And he comes
back and everyone is really nice to him. So she
really changes, you know, his experience in the most positive way.
And we need that in life, ed right, We need
good friends to help us because sometimes life can be
so hard without a disability, right, And a friend can
(22:37):
really can really make a difference. A true friend can
really make a difference.
Speaker 2 (22:43):
That's beautiful, man. And what about like a school play?
Have you ever done this as a play for the kids?
Speaker 1 (22:49):
I have to tell you, I hope this book becomes
like a movie or a play. It would be great
because because you know, there are a billion books out
there at Oh my gosh, there are so many books.
God knows, there were so many bookooks, and it's hard
tried to get noticed as a new author. So I
feel like if it became a play or a movie,
it would get the attention that it really deserves.
Speaker 2 (23:12):
Yeah, how did you get because it is you know,
I get authors and publishers. They send me books all
day long. You know, how did you get to publish
this a children's book? Especially it's such a tough market.
Speaker 1 (23:23):
Oh my gosh. So I wrote this book in twenty
nineteen while I was home for a study sabbatical, and
I wrote it and I literally kept it in my
laptop for months, and then in the summer when my
father had passed. I don't know if I'm so sorry. Yeah,
so my father passed. So I was busy and morning,
(23:46):
and I just forgot about the book. And then once I,
you know, had some time again in the summer, I
revisited it and then I edited, and I knew I
had to do something with it. It was my father,
you know, chat only telling me do something with it.
So I sent it to various publishing companies, traditional publishing companies,
(24:07):
and I used that word traditional, and it didn't get
any attention. I just kept getting rejection rejection, and it's
very hard to get rejected and keep going. But I
kept going and I was then smarter. I did my
research and I knew that this book was really a social,
(24:27):
emotional learning book. So I started to research not traditional
publishing companies. I started to research hybrid, which is a
more of a publishing company where they help new authors
get their books out. So I found this wonderful company.
I sent my book to them and they accept it,
(24:50):
and it was like the one of the best moments
of my life because it really, even though you know,
it's so new and there's a million books out there,
if this book can make a difference in one child's life,
all that hard work, it's worth it.
Speaker 2 (25:07):
Yeah, And people can go for themselves to what do
you call the Amazon and look up my friend John,
it's five star reviews. It's not easy to get five
star reviews.
Speaker 1 (25:18):
Thanks.
Speaker 2 (25:18):
Yeah, no, it's the true. And it seems too that
you're getting a lot of support they're setting it's like
book fairs and book.
Speaker 1 (25:26):
Yes, I've been so lucky. I was asked to go
to the American Library Association's conference and exhibition in Philly
in June, and that was incredible. I felt like, I
don't know, I was just on cloud nine. It was
just so nice to have to be in a room
with other authors and people coming and all these librarians.
(25:50):
This is the best part. All these librarians came from
all over the world, and I was giving them my
book for free because I just wanted the book to
be in their library. And that's what made it so special,
because I know that somewhere in Pennsylvania and some school
(26:11):
this is there, and I really hope it makes a
difference wherever it went. So that was unbelievable. But then
you got to see how many books and authors are
out there. It was like this huge conference. But I
wasn't intimidated. I felt very I was very you know,
confident and happy and excited to be there. And then
(26:33):
I was asked to do to be a part of
the Brooklyn Book Festival this last weekend, and that was
also an honor, and I got to meet all these
wonderful parents and children, and it's just it's a it's
a great it's a great thing to be recognized for
your work, right, It's just a good feeling.
Speaker 2 (26:54):
So that is the truth. And you can go to
Arlen McCarthy dot com a R L E. E. And
McCarthy with two c's dot com and she's done a
couple of interviews. She has a couple of videos up there,
and you can see what a beautiful woman Macarthury Arlee
it is. And also like you can just see the
enthusiasm and the just what a nice person, a genuinely
(27:15):
nice person. And the audience knows me, I'm not the
nicest person of the world.
Speaker 1 (27:20):
Yes you are. Yes, you're very nice.
Speaker 2 (27:23):
I have known for having a little temper. I guess
you would say, Well, anyway, so you were saying who
inspired you? You want to in our pre interview, you
wanted to talk about who inspired you?
Speaker 1 (27:39):
My parents? Yeah, yes, in different ways. So my mom,
for being strong, and you know, she was very strong,
and she's just like just a trendsetter. And my dad
was just the most genuine, kindest person I've ever met
(27:59):
in my life thus far.
Speaker 2 (28:00):
So yeah, your mom was like a very significant executive
on Wall Street, right, Ah.
Speaker 1 (28:06):
She was a Wall Street trader ed back in the day. Yeah,
it was a real it was. It was very uncommon
to be a woman in that field. So she really
crushed it. And she's she's eighty three. Can you imagine?
Speaker 2 (28:22):
WHOA? I can't imagine. Well, you know, my dad is
ninety three, so you know, wow, Oh he's very healthy too. Yeah, wow,
it's great.
Speaker 1 (28:30):
Ninety three. I want to live until I'm like ninety seven.
I want to be I want to be really old
before I go.
Speaker 2 (28:38):
Well, that would be great. Like the audience knows, I
had a really bad help scare the past a few years.
Oh only yeah, only in it's like night and day. Man,
I was dying and I had an emergency heart had
emergency heart festique to remove fluid around my heart. But
I tell you, I feel great now. I'm back in
the gym, I'm working at it again. It's it's night
and day. I was it was a really bad shape
there for a while. I couldn't sleep at night, I
(28:59):
couldn't lie down and breathe. So now it's a whole
new world.
Speaker 1 (29:04):
Oh, thank good that goodness. Right.
Speaker 2 (29:06):
Yeah, now your dad passed away just recently.
Speaker 1 (29:09):
Twenty twenty.
Speaker 2 (29:11):
COVID wasn't Covid wasn't it was what a tough guy.
He was a tough.
Speaker 1 (29:17):
Guy, you know, I know, I know he was strong
as an ox.
Speaker 2 (29:22):
Yeah. Yeah, So now that this book here, my friend John,
has been so well received, what's the next one? You
have a plan for another book?
Speaker 1 (29:34):
Yeah? Well, I have so many plans and I have
like I'm one of those people that want to do
so many things in this lifetime, right, I want to
do everything. I want to try everything. I want to
do everything. You get one life at Arlie McCarthy, and
I want to do a lot. So over the last
summer I had so much time, so I did, you know,
start something. So we'll see. Now I'm back at work
(29:55):
and as you know, being a teacher is a full
time job. Yeah, so oh my energy really gets you know, uh,
you know, it's all towards teaching. So I have to
see where everything you know, how it unfolds in time.
Speaker 2 (30:14):
Well, what would the next book be? Would it be
another children's book like this, along the same lines of
you know, uh special needs.
Speaker 1 (30:23):
I don't know. I have like so many different ideas
and themes for kids, Like I would love to go
into a book about friendship, like a real like a
real true friendship with children because at this you know,
at this age that I teach a lot of children.
You know, they go off to recess or lunch and
they come back and they're like, she said, I'm not
(30:45):
her friend anymore. You know, she's not my friend anymore.
Blah blah blah, and and the whole my whole mantra
in life is friends really make you feel good. Friends
make you feel safe. And if someone is not making
you feel nice, ANSAs are they're not a good friend.
So I'm trying to help kids, you know, land in
(31:06):
this you know lane where they know that if a
friend is being nice to me, that's how a friend
should be. But if a friend is not being if
a friend is being unkind or teasing me or making
fun of me, well that's not really a good friend.
So I'm leaning into like a theme about friendship. Yeah,
So we'll see.
Speaker 2 (31:28):
Yeah. I remember my daughter, and I was so lucky
with my daughter too, because she always knew right from wrong,
and she always wanted to do the right thing, and
she was always very concerned about the other kids feelings
and stuff like that, the empathy and thing that. But
those little kids, man, with that little drama with their
little little girls.
Speaker 1 (31:46):
There's so much drama. I'm telling you, ed, there's so
much drama with little girls, not little boys. Little boys
are just you know, they're off, they're playing, they're having fun.
But little girls can be hard on each other. And
that's that's something that I want to explore a little bit.
So we'll see, we'll see how, We'll see what happens.
(32:08):
I'm always afraid to say something because what if it
doesn't happen. So I'm like, let's see what happens. Let's
see how. You know, how it all you know goes
in time.
Speaker 2 (32:20):
I remember when my daughter was little, she would go
to church and then she would get the church disc
of the message and wanted to play for our friends. Listen,
we should be nicer to the other kids.
Speaker 1 (32:31):
I love that. I love that. I love that. I
love that because kids need that. They need, but they're
so little they need to sort of understand like right
from wrong, and they're still learning. You know, they're still
very young, six years old, you know, so you have
to really you know, That's what I mean when I
say instill good values and talk about the importance of
(32:55):
making each other feel good and treating people the way
that you want to be treated and putting yourself in
someone's shoes. You know, I do that a lot sometimes
when someone is not really nice, I'll I'll instead of
getting upset or taking it personally, I'll think, wow, you know,
what's going on, like what is happening in their life
(33:15):
that's making them project that on me? And it really
does help, It really does help.
Speaker 2 (33:22):
Well, like I said, you know you and I'm serious
about this, you really are probably the nicest person I've
ever met. Then, but then what aren't you Do People
ever take advantage of that and are they mean?
Speaker 1 (33:34):
And I'm so glad you mentioned that that was mean.
Speaker 2 (33:36):
To you and we talked about that off the air.
I was very mean to you one time, and I
was still I was thinking about it all week, you know,
horrible about it. So thank you for forgiving me.
Speaker 1 (33:45):
Well, it's funny because I am really kind. I really
deride myself on being a very good person, but I'm
also really strong, like I'm very My husband thinks I'm
the toughest person in the world, Like he'll say to me,
oh my god, you are so strong. And I think
when what it comes down to is this, My dad
was the same way. I am so kind, I will
(34:07):
give you anything, but I'm also I'm not like like
like a doormat, like I'm very like I. I will
always stick up for myself. I will always stick up
for what's right. I will always defend a family member
or a friend. So it's funny people can be like
(34:30):
my brother would say, you can go like I am
so kind, but if someone does something that's not nice
to my family or my friends, I will be very strong.
So I do not get taken advantage of I think
I did when I was younger. I think when I
was a lot younger, I chose friends that weren't always
(34:53):
nice to me. And looking back now I see why
because I was very I was too nice. And now
I think as I get older, I'm just wiser that
there's that that's saying. You know, it's really true and
I'm a lot more careful with who I choose to
(35:15):
be around and who's in my life, so I ultimately
have only good people surrounding me all the time.
Speaker 2 (35:23):
And I guess you're figuring too, right. Yeah, I've always
been a very forgiving person too as well.
Speaker 1 (35:28):
I think, Yeah, I don't want to have any problems
with anyone, Like I just want to go through life
doing the right thing and being kind and being a
good example. And you know, I never want to have
like an enemy. I never want to be that. I
just want everyone to be, you know, friends, and there's
(35:49):
all there's no problems, and you know, I just want
you know, good good energy, good vibes all the time.
Speaker 2 (35:56):
Ed Now, And when you were working for me, you're
plan was to become a school teacher. Did I know that?
Speaker 1 (36:04):
Yes? I am sure, because I was going to graduate
school while I was working at front Page beepers and
I love that. And like I said earlier, it was
my It was one of my favorite jobs because I
was in college and it was in the Staten Island
mall and this kiosk. It was very cool and it
(36:26):
was like literally during the I mean the time where
everyone was just getting beepers and cell phones. So you
were so generous. You were giving us like this commission.
So I ended up, you know, being able to like
thrive in college because I had this money to go
out and buy things with. And then when I graduated,
I was still at front Page and was going to
(36:48):
graduate school to become a teacher. And yeah, so you
definitely knew that I was going to be a teacher
or wanted to at that time.
Speaker 2 (37:00):
Don't have a very good memory, but a lot of
the kids that worked for me, they were college kids,
and then they did put themselves through college. Christy put
herself through college, you know, and ate Le or that kid,
he put himself through college, and all these people put
themselves through college.
Speaker 1 (37:15):
From that, I remember, he was the best. Oh my gosh,
he was so nice. I loved him too. I loved it.
You made it really nice. And you would so generous.
You would buy us like dinners if we were there
like for a long day, you would. You were very kind.
Speaker 2 (37:31):
Okay, real quick, I got a story. I remember one
day Arlene started crying because she saw me buying a chicken.
She saw me buying chicken, and she says, oh, no.
Speaker 1 (37:44):
Ed, he's all alone.
Speaker 2 (37:45):
He's home, going home to buy chicken, old by himself.
He's gonna eat this chicken.
Speaker 1 (37:51):
That I know because we always thought like you were
this like older man, this very successful entrepreneur. You know,
we always wanted you to have like a girlfriend. We
were like, well, you know, he needs someone, he needs someone,
so like I have a lot of empathy for people,
So I was just wondering, like I wish she had
(38:11):
someone to share the chicken with. I really, did I
remember that?
Speaker 2 (38:16):
Or I do remember the Shacken situation?
Speaker 1 (38:19):
Yes?
Speaker 2 (38:20):
Yeah, Well then what about you remember the time you
got U mad about the two Teresa's because they were
out all might, no tell me you left the message
on one of the voicemails okay with the company answer
machine or stuff like that for Christy and you had
Christy Teresa, and Teresa was so disgusting they were out
(38:42):
all might.
Speaker 1 (38:43):
And all because they were like party. I guess you know,
I was very like you know, I was like we
were Christy too. We both were very We just were
we were very curious about our jobs, and we took
our job. And I'm the same way now, like I
(39:05):
am so like professional with my career and you know,
you know, we don't. My husband and I were old,
but we don't party, you know, So I guess we
were taken aback by their you know, partying, and we
were just surprised.
Speaker 2 (39:23):
Yeah, but here you two were. You were both still
young party and you should have been our partying, you
know what I mean. When I was your age, I
was our party. But I'd say, man, I had such
a great staff of a young college kids, men that
were just so serious. The best work is I've ever
had in my whole life. And I always said that
I wanted my daughter to grow up and be just
like Christy, you know, and then she really has. She's
(39:43):
the same kind of ambition.
Speaker 1 (39:45):
Yeah, that's great. I know. We were really we took
it really seriously, right, I mean we were. I remember
we were so proud of ourselves at the end of
the work day because we were selling cell phones like
it was like it was it was so easy. There
were nights where I would sell like ten cell phones
and it was just so fun. I guess you inspired
(40:08):
us because you you made us think like wow, like
here you were this younger to us, you were older
because we were so young, but you were this like nice,
you know older man who had you know, started this
business and you were so so creative and so smart.
It came at the best time and you were just
this you know, wonderful you know mentor, and we you
(40:32):
inspired us to be, you know, our best selves at
that job. And it really it really did help me
and Christy because we my parents paid for my college,
but I remember I needed that. I was I My
parents weren't giving me money for like going out and
buying clothes, and I was so into clothes. So it
was it was just so nice to have that opportunity
(40:54):
for a long time. I was working for you for
a while.
Speaker 2 (40:58):
All through college. I gave your kids so much responsibility.
Christy started in high school. Christy was in high school
when I met her, and she.
Speaker 1 (41:06):
Was looking for a long time.
Speaker 2 (41:08):
Oh yeah, a huge influence in my life. And I
gave these kids so much responsibility, man, really did.
Speaker 1 (41:16):
Yeah, yeah, I remember, I remember, I was like, but
it it gave us this leadership role that was an
education because we were I remember we would close it
up and we'd have to count the money and we
had to put it in a certain spot, and it
was just a very and it was a lot of
money because you were doing really well. People were buying
(41:36):
beepers and cell phones, like I said, left and right.
So it was it was it was a great job.
And I was telling my husband about it recently. I said,
you know, it was really a great, great, great job
for me because I learned even just to go up
to people. It was like a sales I was like
a salesperson, like hey, you know, what are you what
(41:58):
are you looking for? And it was just good experience
for a young college girl.
Speaker 2 (42:04):
So then what do you see today? Do you see
these kids today that that same age that they're up
for that kind of test, They're up for that kind
of responsibility. I don't even see it in adults.
Speaker 1 (42:14):
You know. You know, I think I think so I
I like this. I want to say yes. I'm gonna
be hopeful and say yes because I really do think that.
You know, kids, college kids need to be inspired by people.
You inspired us to work hard, do our best, you know,
be good salespeople, be honest, you know, be you know, professional,
(42:40):
And I think, you know, if people have good role models,
that's that's that's half the battle. Like you just need
to have like a boss that you really do respect,
and he's going to help you, because that's what I
think everyone needs at a young age. You do need,
you know. I was before I was working at front
Page Pepers, I was at a bagel store, which was great,
(43:02):
but it wasn't training me for you know, people skills
and leadership skills, and it was just you know, what
kind of big old do you want? You know, it
wasn't It wasn't. It wasn't a great education in that
it didn't teach me how to, you know, talk to
people and engage in conversation and lure people in and
(43:25):
and yeah, so you know, I'm a huge fan. I
was a huge fan, and you know.
Speaker 2 (43:31):
Yeah, I loved you guys. But I was just thinking.
I was just remembering now when you mentioned the bagel
store with the first day you came to apply for
the job, you already had the job. Christy said, the
job okay. Christy was like, you know the Irish mafia.
Speaker 1 (43:46):
You know, I know. Christy was the best. I know.
She was like, you have to work, you have to
work there. And it was great. It was a it
was a great I'm telling you. We had so and
we would have fun. We would laugh at we would left,
we would, we had We had a good It was
like a family.
Speaker 2 (44:04):
It really was. It really was. I can't thank you
guys enough. I really can't. And I'm just so I
hate to say proud, you know, because I'm like your dad,
but I'm just so proud of you guys, you know,
all of you.
Speaker 1 (44:15):
You know.
Speaker 2 (44:15):
Yeah, it's just you guys have impressed me so much, man,
with what you've gone and done. And I do give
myself credit for teaching these kids.
Speaker 1 (44:24):
You should, you should. That's good karma coming back to you,
because you really did instill good values. And you know,
like I said, leadership roles. You gave us a lot
of responsibility. It was. It was a great thing to
give to young kids because you taught us like listen,
this is serious. And I remember you were like, you're
going to lock this up and here and I was like, oh,
(44:45):
and but I did it.
Speaker 2 (44:48):
So and I would have these kids come across the
street to my house with like a bag full of
cash at the end of the night. You know, we
were crazy, man. We didn't know what we were doing.
We're just learning as we went along. And uh, what
what fun times, man, what great great times?
Speaker 1 (45:03):
Really, it really was, And now you're.
Speaker 2 (45:07):
A teacher, you're teaching first graders and you're talking about
retirement though, like, how how much more do you think
you'd be doing this?
Speaker 1 (45:14):
Oh gosh, I don't know. I it's funny. I've told people,
like five years ago, I'm retiring soon, because you always
think you're going to and then you end up. It's
a it's a great job, and I really do believe
it's a calling. I really do believe I'm I'm meant
to be here, even though some days it can be
really hard, you know, because it's it's a teaching is
(45:38):
no joke, it is one of It is the hardest
job I think in the world. I think it could
be right up there with a surgeon because it's it's
so important, and they're so much in a curriculum. Especially
in the due we pivot a lot, we change curriculums
and you have to learn a new curriculum and you
have to, you know, get really good at teaching that curriculums.
(46:00):
So it can be very heavy at times. But I
don't know, ed some something keeps bringing me back, like
something keeps keeping me there. So I'm just going with
going with my gut.
Speaker 2 (46:12):
Yeah. I think it's a labor of love. I think
that's the expression I was looking for.
Speaker 1 (46:16):
Mommy always say that labor of love. Yes, you have to.
Speaker 2 (46:20):
Oh yeah, that's a special calling to be to have
that kind of patience with kids and and all that
kind of stuff, by the way, which Christy did too.
She always had patients with a little younger brothers and
sisters and stuff like that.
Speaker 1 (46:34):
It is right, that's right.
Speaker 2 (46:36):
Now. What do you think of this situation now where
they're talking about dismantling the board of education? How will
that affect you personally as a teacher?
Speaker 1 (46:44):
Oh, my goodness, I have crazy, it's crazy. I don't
know ed. I think by the time that happens, I
because I can. I am as a teacher in my school.
You you get to leave at fifty five, right, you
can leave and then collect your pension and go off
your merry way and do whatever you want. So that's
(47:08):
a few years away from me, So I think I'll
be gone by then, and I don't know. I hope
for the best. I really have to just believe that
good things will happen and just stay positive.
Speaker 2 (47:23):
What would you do after you believe teaching like what
would you want to do?
Speaker 1 (47:27):
Oh, I have so many I have so many ideas.
I would I would, I have so many ideas. I
would write, I would read, I would travel, I would
enjoy my family more. My mom is eighty three, so
I want to spend more time with her. I would
(47:48):
I love, I love like I love the idea of
creating something like I would love to be an entrepreneur.
I have so many ideas ed, but you know you
need time to do it. And right now, like I said,
I'm so busy teaching that that's really taking up all
of my extra energy. So I, like I said, I
(48:10):
want to do so many things in this lifetime. I
feel like, you know, I could go on and on
on all the things that I have a bucket list
and all the things I want to do. You too,
are no, I feel like you feel the same. You
like to do different things too.
Speaker 2 (48:25):
I got so much going on. I'm always up to something, man, right,
I got a couple of projects right now. I'd love
to if I could have a staff right now like
I had with those kids back in those days, if
I had a Christie and Arlene, and even in.
Speaker 1 (48:38):
April, you have to come back to New York.
Speaker 2 (48:42):
But then again, I think that these kids today, I
don't think they have the same ambitious They don't want
to be inconvenience. These kids, man, it's so frustrating. No
I'm I'm becoming old and crotchety tell me I'm wrong.
Speaker 1 (48:56):
Well, you know, I will say that it is right,
like I have. I have been like people have told me, oh,
you know, I've asked this person to do this, and
they're like, well, you know, I'm not really feeling it today.
I'll get to it tomorrow. And I just know that
if my boss asked me to do something, I would
(49:17):
have done it yesterday, Like I just I would. I'm
just that worker. I'm that type of person. But I
don't know, what do you think it is? Like, what
do you think is like what happened?
Speaker 2 (49:29):
Because I think one thing is that the the workforce
is so that the employers are so desperate for employees
that the workforce can say, hey, you know, I'll just
go work at another place, you know, and there's all
of that.
Speaker 1 (49:43):
Yes, yeah, I agree. I feel like we just have to.
Speaker 2 (49:51):
Like when we were working together, we all had ambition,
we all had a good work ethic, we had ambition.
And it wasn't even like I was taking advantage you guys, Okay,
working or I'm going to fire you be on the street,
you be homeless, you be starving. You know. We had
incentives and we worked for incentives, you know, but we
took it serious, we did.
Speaker 1 (50:10):
And I think that. But I have to say, you know,
I have I have three step children. My husband has
three boys from a previous marriage, and his youngest works
at an ice cream store. And you know, he's so
dedicated to the ice cream store, Like it's it's so
(50:30):
sweet to see. So I think it has to come
from the parents too. I think we have to just
really as parents have to like instill these like work
ethic values in our kids that we can make them
be ultimately good workers down the road. Like if you
if you're going to stay, you're going to work, then
you have to work. You have to do your best.
(50:52):
You have to really, you know, get there on time
even earlier, you know, and and then stay until you
have to leave the close everything up and do a
great job. Because it's it's to me, it's like your character,
like you are who you are when no one is watching.
That's my I love that saying, you know, you have
to really be a good person and be a good
worker in life, because why wouldn't you be. You know,
(51:13):
it's it's your character, it's who you are, right. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (51:17):
A couple of times I reached out to Christy and
I said, listen, send me one of your kids up here,
down here to work for me. If you've got a
kid that's looking for work, set them done here or me.
Speaker 1 (51:27):
But I think if but I think New York, Yes, Manhattan.
I think Manhattan is it's like it's it's a great
place to find good workers. I mean, if if you
I make I can I can predict that if you
came to Manhattan and you know, you started something here,
you would be able to find good workers at I
(51:50):
I could, I promise you. Because I don't know. New
York is like the heart of the world. I feel
like you know the best doctors, the best you know,
the best lawyers, lawyers, teachers. I shouldn't say that because
the whole I just feel like New York is a
(52:11):
great place to seek good professionals.
Speaker 2 (52:15):
Yes, so do I and even DC too. My daughter
went to a college in Washington. The energy there that
there's just so much energy where you just don't see
it in so many different places in the country. We
have been talking to the nicest woman in the world,
the nicest woman I have ever met, which is an
absolute truth fact, Arlene McCarthy. You can find her at
(52:38):
Arlene McCarthy dot com. The book is called My Friend John, Arlen,
what would you like to leave us with? With that
beautiful smile of your as, what would you like to
leave us with?
Speaker 1 (52:49):
Let's just make the world a better place, one day
at a time, right treating people the way that we
want to be treated. That's my that's my last message.
And I want to thank you for you know, giving
me this opportunity to talk to you today. It's been
so nice. Ed really, it's been so nice.
Speaker 2 (53:10):
It's been way too long, and thank you for for
giving me. Okay, but if you hear Arlen McCarthy, do
you see a beautiful smiling you see your face, You'll
know you're gonna want to run out and buy this book,
My friend John. You can only imagine the love and
the passionate's in this book. Five star reviews. Every freaking review,
(53:31):
not one person says every review I ever seen, there's
always one guy has a complaint. Every book review I've
ever seen. This always that sometimes a guy will say, well,
the books, it's a great book, it's not long enough.
I wish it had you know, if I stopped reading,
it wasn't long. And I feel like the complaint is
there wasn't enough of the book. They wanted more book.
(53:52):
But everyone's got one complaint about these books, but not
not my friend John.
Speaker 1 (53:57):
It makes me feel so nice, ed, thank you, Thank.
Speaker 2 (53:59):
You feels good man feels good to write up a
good book and to get good reviews. Arlene McCarthy Arlene
McCarthy dot com. Arlene, thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (54:10):
Thank you, Ed, thank you,
It's the Opperman Report, and now here is investigator.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
Okay, welcome to the Opperman Report. I am your host,
private investigator, Ed Opperman. You can find me on Opperman
Investigations and Digital Friends and Consulting if you reach out
to me through my email Opperman Investigations at gmail dot com.
I am so excited about today's guest. This is an
old and dear friend. Uh, sort of like a daughter.
(00:29):
I almost said, welcome to front page Fevers by the
way I would say to the Opera Report. We have
Arlene McCarthy. She is literally, I swear to god, she
is the nicest person I've ever met in my life,
the nicest person I've ever known. Uh. And I just
found out I fired it, so I had no idea.
She got sick of me and she left. But Arlene McCarthy,
(00:52):
she's in the New York City still as New York
City teachers, school teacher, passion work. You know, I love
you know what life? You know? Uh, the sacrifice. But
I also wrote a book called My Friend John. It's
a children's book and you can check her out at
Arlene McCarthy dot com. It's a R. L. E. E. N.
(01:16):
McCarthy is with two c's mcc a r T h
Y dot com and that's where you can get a
hold of his book here My Friend John, which is
a children's book like six to eight year olds. Yes,
Arlene McCarthy, tell the audience who is Arlene McCarthy.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
Well, first, thanks, thank you so much for having me.
This is an honor. So Arlene McCarthy. Arlene McCarthy is
a teacher, She is a wife, she is a daughter,
a sister, and a friend, and an advocate for special
(01:53):
needs children across the world.
Speaker 2 (01:57):
Now you were telling me that you're a New York
City school. He's your first grade, right, yes, first grade?
Oh my god, Now what I can only imagine? Now,
what is that like today? Teaching these little first graders
who grew up with cell phones and smartphones and iPhones
and all this stuff.
Speaker 1 (02:12):
Well, the first graders do not have cell phones yet.
And it's my favorite age ed. I've taught sixth grade,
fourth grade, third grade, second grade, and I've landed in
first and I will definitely stay in first grade for
a while, for forever until I leave teaching. It's just
(02:33):
the it's just the best grade. I mean, it's the
most important grade. In my opinion, because that's where you know,
children learn how to ultimately read and write and math.
They learn like the foundations for math. So it is
just a remarkable age. They're so sweet and cute and innocent,
(02:55):
and they're like blank canvases, and you can instill such
one wonderful qualities into them for them because you have
this power as a teacher at that age to really
make a difference.
Speaker 2 (03:12):
Well, they must fall in love with you right every time,
and you must fall in love with them too. I do.
Speaker 1 (03:17):
I love. It's funny. Every year I always say to
my family, I have the best class ever. But it's
really because it's a calling. I think. I think I
was definitely I know, I was definitely meant to be
a teacher. And I'm just really lucky because I have
had really wonderful classes with great parents. My school is
(03:40):
a great school because it's a great community. It's in
green Point, Brooklyn, and it's almost like a home away
from home. I mean, I started teaching there when I
was twenty three, so I've built so many relationships with
my colleagues and the parents and the students. And it's
funny now that I'm older, I've been teaching kids who
(04:05):
I've taught their parents, So it's bizarre.
Speaker 2 (04:10):
So you started at twenty three, and what are you
now twenty five?
Speaker 1 (04:16):
No, I'm fifty one.
Speaker 2 (04:17):
Oh my god, I will forever think of you as
a twenty year old kid, you know, I'll never love that.
Speaker 1 (04:25):
Thank you for that.
Speaker 2 (04:26):
I'll just and even my own daughter, I'll always think
of her like six or seven years old, and she'll
never grow up for me either, you know, yes, But
now what happens is doesn't it break your heart when
the kids leave the next year? I guess you see
them around the school, but it's not the same.
Speaker 1 (04:40):
Yes, yes, no, it actually is very hard. Transitions are
really hard for kids and teachers and parents. But luckily
I teach on a floor where so my students leave
first grade they go to second grade, and they pass
by every morning, and you should see every every morning,
(05:01):
like the kids that I had last year stop in
and say hi, Miss McCarthy, Hi, Miss McCarthy. So it's
like I get to see them. So it's not this
like complete you know, goodbye, you know, it's it's it lingers.
They stop in all the time, even if even the
fifth graders come by and say hi to me, the
ones that they do in fourth grade.
Speaker 2 (05:21):
Yeah. Now today, in twenty twenty five, are the kids
allowed to come up and hug the teacher.
Speaker 1 (05:27):
No, but they all hug me, And I'm like, the
I just I love them so much. So it's just, uh,
I just it's hard not to It's hard not to
accept the hug.
Speaker 2 (05:41):
Yeah. I remember when I was a kid and I
would see the other kids go and hug the teacher,
and I would say, what the hell you're hugging the
teacher for.
Speaker 1 (05:48):
Cares? You know?
Speaker 2 (05:51):
No, I know, but I grew up with some tough
nuns too. I went to Catholic school. We had these
tough nuns beating the crowd. Yeah, this is a war wars.
I don't going to school when I was a kid. Now,
you mentioned twenty one kids in a classroom. Now, how
do you manage all those kids?
Speaker 1 (06:08):
It's very hard. That's why I really believe in teacher
assistance power professionals. I believe that every class should have
two teachers in the room. And luckily this year, I
have an amazing power professional, so she is literally like
my partner. I really believe that it's very hard to
(06:29):
manage a class without having someone else in the room
the whole you know, the whole day. Like you just
you need help. You need to meet the needs of
different kids, and you need to bounce around and you
can't be with every kid obviously, so it's nice to
have someone there so you can divide and conquer.
Speaker 2 (06:49):
Yeah, because every year there has to be one or
two kids that just suck up all your attention. They
just need so much, right, how do you deal with that? Yes,
I think I was one of those kids. I think
I was a kid.
Speaker 1 (07:03):
You know, you have to really you know, it's true.
You have to have a lot of patience as a teacher.
You have to have a lot of compassion and empathy,
and you have to just do your best to meet
their needs. And it can be hard with other kids
in the room at times. Trust me, I'm not denying that.
But you just really need to do your best to maintain,
(07:27):
you know, being calm and actually enriching the kids that
can be independent with projects so that they're busy doing
something really fun and creative while I am working with
someone one on one. So you have you have to
really have a lot of material and organize yourself and
prepare so that these hiccups always happen. Like you really
(07:51):
do need to have uh, you know, tiers set up
like tier one, tier two, tier three, and have work
for each tier that me their needs. So when you're
enriching high level kids and then you're really scaffolding for
the kids that need it. So you can do it.
It's manageable. I've been doing it for years.
Speaker 2 (08:11):
So so long. Now it's second nature. But I'm sure
a lot of the teachers aren't doing this.
Speaker 1 (08:18):
It helps so ed. It's such an important job teaching,
and it's such an important it really is.
Speaker 2 (08:23):
Hey, what about have you ever been involved with the
speech and debate? My daughter was a huge nationwide champion
in speech and debate? Have you have you ever been
involved in that?
Speaker 1 (08:34):
No? But my school has this great debate team and
we had this great teacher. He has since left, but
we are definitely going to keep it up because we've
won awards. I mean, it's so important to teach students
how to have a conversation and how to debate, and
it's if you start early. It really is remarkable.
Speaker 2 (08:58):
That is so true. Yeah, And because they're so serious
and they get dressed up and they're so prepared. They
prepare their little speeches and stuff like that. Yes, I
really encourage any parent out there they get your kids
involved in speech and debate. Now before you you were
mentioning before the answer with the importance of children's literature.
Do the kids today do they read like like we
(09:21):
had to ready, I'm twenty years old at you, But.
Speaker 1 (09:23):
Yeah, yeah, I I say that because kids love. Kids
love to be read to, and even if they're not
reading yet, they love read alouds and they love, you know,
hearing a story, and they love learning something, and they
(09:45):
really do love illustrations and bright pictures, and they they
need to be lured to good books because otherwise, if
they do not find books that find interesting, they will
not want to read. And reading is the most important
(10:05):
thing in the world. So my idea is you have
to start reading books that are going to, you know,
grab their interests. They're going to have to be relatable
to children, and they're going to have to be kid
friendly in the sense that their eye they're beautiful, they're fun,
they're bright, and there needs to be like really great
(10:26):
messages so that we can convey these important ideas to kids,
so that they become really great citizens of the world.
So that's why I think it's so important to read
so many different types of genres to kids so that
they can see which one is for them. And then
(10:49):
also they can actually become really great, like I said,
school citizens, because if you're reading a story about you know, bullying,
you know, then kids are like, oh, I don't want
to be a bully, or you know, I want to
stand up to a bully. Or if you're reading a
story about someone who has a disability, and kids sort
of like say, wow, I understand that that must be hard.
(11:12):
You know. I want to make sure I'm always nice
to everyone with or without a disability. So I think
that children's literature is super important, especially in elementary school.
Speaker 2 (11:24):
And then like your kids today, First of all, how
how how long when did this school year start in September?
How long have you been with the new kids?
Speaker 1 (11:32):
Oh? My gosh, just like two weeks? Two weeks?
Speaker 2 (11:35):
Ok? And then and then what the kids this age?
What is their favorite book every year? But that they
pull them up with every when you're reading to them.
Speaker 1 (11:43):
Oh my god, there's so many, ed there's so many.
So I read really really powerful books like each kindness,
the other side of the fence, my brother Charlie, my book,
my friend John.
Speaker 2 (12:02):
Oh no, you're froze up. Oh you're back your froze
up there for a second. You're going to get into
the book, my friend John. And what inspired you to
write that book? I think I had one more question
for you about the kids. I don't think oh oh yeah,
I was going to ask you this. Now, the kids today,
though they are more empathetic with each other, they are
more they're not as much bullying and judgmental and teasing
(12:24):
other kids. Right, they're different now, they.
Speaker 1 (12:27):
Really are it. In fact, we've gone We've come so
far since. I mean, I was afraid in school sometimes,
you know, and that's not happening at all anymore. So
I kudos to the elementary ed, especially in New York City,
because we have really done a great job to squash
(12:48):
any ill behavior or we really do, you know, because
if there's a child that's not doing the right thing,
chances are something's happening at home that's really making him
or her, you know, not make good choices. So if
there is a child that's not doing the right thing,
(13:09):
we really do look into what's going on. Because sometimes
we realize, and you know now that a bully is
always sometimes being bullied somewhere else. So teachers today are
much more proficient, and I don't know, they just are.
(13:29):
Like when I was in school, I remember teachers would
sometimes almost be afraid of the bully, right, like they
wouldn't even like, you know, do anything if someone was
not making a good choice, whereas now I'm like, wait,
hold on, stop, let's not do that, you know.
Speaker 2 (13:48):
Yeah, and if there was bullying going on, the kids
would be afraid to go to the teacher because it
would just get worse. The kid would come after even more.
Speaker 1 (13:54):
Yes, especially in middle school, like middle school. I had
a really hard time in middle school.
Speaker 2 (13:59):
Yeah yourself, when you were teaching middle.
Speaker 1 (14:00):
School when I was in middle school.
Speaker 2 (14:03):
Really yes, yeah, I'll track him down now, I'll go.
Speaker 1 (14:09):
That's nice. No, I didn't really, yeah, I didn't really
like middle school. It's funny, it was. It was a
tough time for me.
Speaker 2 (14:14):
But well, you know, our mutual friend there, Christy and
her sisters, they seem to be bullied when they were
in middle school.
Speaker 1 (14:22):
I can't. I can't even imagine that. I can't.
Speaker 2 (14:25):
I heard some stories pass over that one. So now
the kids today, they're more understanding, they're more they're more empathy,
they're more less judgementtal But you still felt the need.
You were motivated to write this book, my friend John.
Tell what is the book my friend John about?
Speaker 1 (14:46):
My friend John is about a little boy with special
needs and his experience at a new school. So he
has Tourette syndrome, and Tourette syndrome is a nervous system
disorder involving repetitive movement and unwonted sounds, and he runs
into adversity and a little girl helps him.
Speaker 2 (15:10):
But now Tourettes it's pretty rare. I only ran in
my whole life. I ran it's maybe one two people
my whole life with tourettes. What inspired you to pick
Tourett's out of all the things?
Speaker 1 (15:19):
A great question. My brother has tourettes?
Speaker 2 (15:22):
Really?
Speaker 1 (15:23):
Yes?
Speaker 2 (15:23):
Did I ever meet your brother? I'm sure?
Speaker 1 (15:28):
Yeah, he definitely came to the mall the state. He
was one of the yes. And I have two older
brothers with special needs. They both have autism. But my
brother John also has turettes. And when he was younger,
at he would have such he would run into so
many problems, and he was he was getting picked on
(15:52):
constantly at school, and people, you know, didn't understand it.
And even my parents, you know, they were so new
to it that they sometimes thought he just was like
misbehaving and not really like they would say, stop stop
making that noise, stop moving around. We're eating dinner, don't
(16:13):
you know, don't blink, don't do that. And looking back
now could break your heart, like because we just didn't
know much about it, and and you know, so my
brother suffered. You know, sometimes my parents would, you know,
we would they were afraid to take him someplace because
they were afraid he would make noises, like so at
(16:37):
a wedding, at a church or some kind of event,
you know, he would say, I'm going to stay home
because he himself was afraid because you know, Tourette's is
triggered by stress anxiety. It's a social disorder. So he
would miss out on stuff and kids would make fun
(16:57):
of him, and it just really it really was upsetting
to see and witness. So that's why I wrote the
book Hold up for.
Speaker 2 (17:06):
A second there because the artwork and who did the.
Speaker 1 (17:08):
Artwork, Well, it's funny. My publishing company is Austin McCauley,
and they are a hybrid publishing company, so they work
with graphic designers within their company. And they and I
both collectively did it together.
Speaker 2 (17:25):
Ay Man, my friend John now your brother, since the
book is pretty much dedicated to him, he's inspired that
he's the inspiration for the book. How does he feel
about it?
Speaker 1 (17:34):
Oh, he loves it, and he loves it. He's so
proud of it. He lives in a an a home
for disabled, and he was like giving it out to everyone,
making me sign it and sharing it with all the
people that he lives with and the staff that works
at his home. And he's proud of it. And he
(17:57):
reads it at nights sometimes and he tells me. And
he and I had a conversation recently about it, and
he said, you know, he hopes that it helps children
who have this because he really he really suffered in school.
Speaker 2 (18:14):
Yeah. And for anybody to think to judge Orlean's parents,
I met both the parents. They both worn. Your mother
is again the probably the second est person I met.
And your tell you that was a New York City
copy it.
Speaker 1 (18:28):
Chol No, they were they yeah, they wasn't their fault.
They really didn't know ed you know, and they were
doing the best they could to understand it, and and
you know, it was just really hard my parents. You know,
they were so supportive, but yet they just were so
(18:49):
unsure of what was happening, and they just didn't understand it.
And you know, it was hard for them. I can
understand looking back. I had passion for them.
Speaker 2 (19:00):
The slightest little thing goes wrong with your kid, it's terrifying.
It's so draining, it's exhausting. You worry about every little thing.
And back then we just didn't know. We just didn't know.
Back in those days, especially on Staten.
Speaker 1 (19:12):
Island, you really didn't. And I remember my mom would
go to these parent teacher conferences and the teachers were like, oh,
he can't sit still, but you know, because he had,
you know, a problem, you know, he had HD and
he had all these issues. And my parents really, you know,
(19:33):
they really did their best understand it. And they did
actually make a very smart move early on. They moved
my brothers out of public school into a private school,
and that really made a world of difference for them
because they were then in a smaller class size. Eventually,
it must have been some type of ICT class where
(19:57):
there are two teachers in their room because they were
like he was in they were both in smaller class
sizes and they had two teachers in the room. It
was a Lutheran school, it was a private school, but
they they thrived there because they were getting the attention
that they needed. So they ultimately did a great thing
for my brothers by taking them out early on, like
(20:18):
first grade, they both first and second grade, they both left.
Speaker 2 (20:22):
Yeah, because your parents are only a little bit older
than me, but just about my age. When they grew up,
they were thinking was, well, my kid is that can't
function in the classroom, let me punish him, and then
he's going to learn when they disciplined this child, They're
going to learn through discipline. That's what we thought, man.
Speaker 1 (20:39):
You know, I know it's so true and it really Yeah,
and we lived it. We you know, we saw my
father was like, you know, stop, you know, and my
brother was like, you know, he couldn't stop. I could
cry thinking about it. Looking back, it was just a
very It was hard. It was very hard. So that's
why John was my true inspiration.
Speaker 2 (21:01):
Yeah. And so then you've written the book, my friend, John,
We've seen the cover there, what's in the book, what's
to describe what's going on?
Speaker 1 (21:08):
So he he goes to a new school and he
starts making you know, he has these ticks that come out,
and you know, the kids in the class make fun
of him. And he then stays home because he doesn't
want to go back, which is a really common ad.
(21:29):
And then this little girl that he be friends in
the very beginning of his you know, no her name
is Bella. She you know, she speaks to the teacher,
she finds out what's going on with John. The teacher
then tells her that he has this you know, Tourette syndrome,
(21:51):
this disorder, and then she asks if she can you know,
talk to the class. So she goes in the front
of the room and she tells the class all about
this condition that her new friend John has. So she
essentially essentially educates all these children and they all then
you know, you know, she asks them to open their
(22:14):
hearts and to have compassion and empathy. And he comes
back and everyone is really nice to him. So she
really changes, you know, his experience in the most positive way.
And we need that in life, ed right, We need
good friends to help us because sometimes life can be
so hard without a disability, right, And a friend can
(22:37):
really can really make a difference. A true friend can
really make a difference.
Speaker 2 (22:43):
That's beautiful, man. And what about like a school play?
Have you ever done this as a play for the kids?
Speaker 1 (22:49):
I have to tell you, I hope this book becomes
like a movie or a play. It would be great
because because you know, there are a billion books out
there at Oh my gosh, there are so many books.
God knows, there were so many bookooks, and it's hard
tried to get noticed as a new author. So I
feel like if it became a play or a movie,
it would get the attention that it really deserves.
Speaker 2 (23:12):
Yeah, how did you get because it is you know,
I get authors and publishers. They send me books all
day long. You know, how did you get to publish
this a children's book? Especially it's such a tough market.
Speaker 1 (23:23):
Oh my gosh. So I wrote this book in twenty
nineteen while I was home for a study sabbatical, and
I wrote it and I literally kept it in my
laptop for months, and then in the summer when my
father had passed. I don't know if I'm so sorry. Yeah,
so my father passed. So I was busy and morning,
(23:46):
and I just forgot about the book. And then once I,
you know, had some time again in the summer, I
revisited it and then I edited, and I knew I
had to do something with it. It was my father,
you know, chat only telling me do something with it.
So I sent it to various publishing companies, traditional publishing companies,
(24:07):
and I used that word traditional, and it didn't get
any attention. I just kept getting rejection rejection, and it's
very hard to get rejected and keep going. But I
kept going and I was then smarter. I did my
research and I knew that this book was really a social,
(24:27):
emotional learning book. So I started to research not traditional
publishing companies. I started to research hybrid, which is a
more of a publishing company where they help new authors
get their books out. So I found this wonderful company.
I sent my book to them and they accept it,
(24:50):
and it was like the one of the best moments
of my life because it really, even though you know,
it's so new and there's a million books out there,
if this book can make a difference in one child's life,
all that hard work, it's worth it.
Speaker 2 (25:07):
Yeah, And people can go for themselves to what do
you call the Amazon and look up my friend John,
it's five star reviews. It's not easy to get five
star reviews.
Speaker 1 (25:18):
Thanks.
Speaker 2 (25:18):
Yeah, no, it's the true. And it seems too that
you're getting a lot of support they're setting it's like
book fairs and book.
Speaker 1 (25:26):
Yes, I've been so lucky. I was asked to go
to the American Library Association's conference and exhibition in Philly
in June, and that was incredible. I felt like, I
don't know, I was just on cloud nine. It was
just so nice to have to be in a room
with other authors and people coming and all these librarians.
(25:50):
This is the best part. All these librarians came from
all over the world, and I was giving them my
book for free because I just wanted the book to
be in their library. And that's what made it so special,
because I know that somewhere in Pennsylvania and some school
(26:11):
this is there, and I really hope it makes a
difference wherever it went. So that was unbelievable. But then
you got to see how many books and authors are
out there. It was like this huge conference. But I
wasn't intimidated. I felt very I was very you know,
confident and happy and excited to be there. And then
(26:33):
I was asked to do to be a part of
the Brooklyn Book Festival this last weekend, and that was
also an honor, and I got to meet all these
wonderful parents and children, and it's just it's a it's
a great it's a great thing to be recognized for
your work, right, It's just a good feeling.
Speaker 2 (26:54):
So that is the truth. And you can go to
Arlen McCarthy dot com a R L E. E. And
McCarthy with two c's dot com and she's done a
couple of interviews. She has a couple of videos up there,
and you can see what a beautiful woman Macarthury Arlee
it is. And also like you can just see the
enthusiasm and the just what a nice person, a genuinely
(27:15):
nice person. And the audience knows me, I'm not the
nicest person of the world.
Speaker 1 (27:20):
Yes you are. Yes, you're very nice.
Speaker 2 (27:23):
I have known for having a little temper. I guess
you would say, Well, anyway, so you were saying who
inspired you? You want to in our pre interview, you
wanted to talk about who inspired you?
Speaker 1 (27:39):
My parents? Yeah, yes, in different ways. So my mom,
for being strong, and you know, she was very strong,
and she's just like just a trendsetter. And my dad
was just the most genuine, kindest person I've ever met
(27:59):
in my life thus far.
Speaker 2 (28:00):
So yeah, your mom was like a very significant executive
on Wall Street, right, Ah.
Speaker 1 (28:06):
She was a Wall Street trader ed back in the day. Yeah,
it was a real it was. It was very uncommon
to be a woman in that field. So she really
crushed it. And she's she's eighty three. Can you imagine?
Speaker 2 (28:22):
WHOA? I can't imagine. Well, you know, my dad is
ninety three, so you know, wow, Oh he's very healthy too. Yeah, wow,
it's great.
Speaker 1 (28:30):
Ninety three. I want to live until I'm like ninety seven.
I want to be I want to be really old
before I go.
Speaker 2 (28:38):
Well, that would be great. Like the audience knows, I
had a really bad help scare the past a few years.
Oh only yeah, only in it's like night and day. Man,
I was dying and I had an emergency heart had
emergency heart festique to remove fluid around my heart. But
I tell you, I feel great now. I'm back in
the gym, I'm working at it again. It's it's night
and day. I was it was a really bad shape
there for a while. I couldn't sleep at night, I
(28:59):
couldn't lie down and breathe. So now it's a whole
new world.
Speaker 1 (29:04):
Oh, thank good that goodness. Right.
Speaker 2 (29:06):
Yeah, now your dad passed away just recently.
Speaker 1 (29:09):
Twenty twenty.
Speaker 2 (29:11):
COVID wasn't Covid wasn't it was what a tough guy.
He was a tough.
Speaker 1 (29:17):
Guy, you know, I know, I know he was strong
as an ox.
Speaker 2 (29:22):
Yeah. Yeah, So now that this book here, my friend John,
has been so well received, what's the next one? You
have a plan for another book?
Speaker 1 (29:34):
Yeah? Well, I have so many plans and I have
like I'm one of those people that want to do
so many things in this lifetime, right, I want to
do everything. I want to try everything. I want to
do everything. You get one life at Arlie McCarthy, and
I want to do a lot. So over the last
summer I had so much time, so I did, you know,
start something. So we'll see. Now I'm back at work
(29:55):
and as you know, being a teacher is a full
time job. Yeah, so oh my energy really gets you know, uh,
you know, it's all towards teaching. So I have to
see where everything you know, how it unfolds in time.
Speaker 2 (30:14):
Well, what would the next book be? Would it be
another children's book like this, along the same lines of
you know, uh special needs.
Speaker 1 (30:23):
I don't know. I have like so many different ideas
and themes for kids, Like I would love to go
into a book about friendship, like a real like a
real true friendship with children because at this you know,
at this age that I teach a lot of children.
You know, they go off to recess or lunch and
they come back and they're like, she said, I'm not
(30:45):
her friend anymore. You know, she's not my friend anymore.
Blah blah blah, and and the whole my whole mantra
in life is friends really make you feel good. Friends
make you feel safe. And if someone is not making
you feel nice, ANSAs are they're not a good friend.
So I'm trying to help kids, you know, land in
(31:06):
this you know lane where they know that if a
friend is being nice to me, that's how a friend
should be. But if a friend is not being if
a friend is being unkind or teasing me or making
fun of me, well that's not really a good friend.
So I'm leaning into like a theme about friendship. Yeah,
So we'll see.
Speaker 2 (31:28):
Yeah. I remember my daughter, and I was so lucky
with my daughter too, because she always knew right from wrong,
and she always wanted to do the right thing, and
she was always very concerned about the other kids feelings
and stuff like that, the empathy and thing that. But
those little kids, man, with that little drama with their
little little girls.
Speaker 1 (31:46):
There's so much drama. I'm telling you, ed, there's so
much drama with little girls, not little boys. Little boys
are just you know, they're off, they're playing, they're having fun.
But little girls can be hard on each other. And
that's that's something that I want to explore a little bit.
So we'll see, we'll see how, We'll see what happens.
(32:08):
I'm always afraid to say something because what if it
doesn't happen. So I'm like, let's see what happens. Let's
see how. You know, how it all you know goes
in time.
Speaker 2 (32:20):
I remember when my daughter was little, she would go
to church and then she would get the church disc
of the message and wanted to play for our friends. Listen,
we should be nicer to the other kids.
Speaker 1 (32:31):
I love that. I love that. I love that. I
love that because kids need that. They need, but they're
so little they need to sort of understand like right
from wrong, and they're still learning. You know, they're still
very young, six years old, you know, so you have
to really you know, That's what I mean when I
say instill good values and talk about the importance of
(32:55):
making each other feel good and treating people the way
that you want to be treated and putting yourself in
someone's shoes. You know, I do that a lot sometimes
when someone is not really nice, I'll I'll instead of
getting upset or taking it personally, I'll think, wow, you know,
what's going on, like what is happening in their life
(33:15):
that's making them project that on me? And it really
does help, It really does help.
Speaker 2 (33:22):
Well, like I said, you know you and I'm serious
about this, you really are probably the nicest person I've
ever met. Then, but then what aren't you Do People
ever take advantage of that and are they mean?
Speaker 1 (33:34):
And I'm so glad you mentioned that that was mean.
Speaker 2 (33:36):
To you and we talked about that off the air.
I was very mean to you one time, and I
was still I was thinking about it all week, you know,
horrible about it. So thank you for forgiving me.
Speaker 1 (33:45):
Well, it's funny because I am really kind. I really
deride myself on being a very good person, but I'm
also really strong, like I'm very My husband thinks I'm
the toughest person in the world, Like he'll say to me,
oh my god, you are so strong. And I think
when what it comes down to is this, My dad
was the same way. I am so kind, I will
(34:07):
give you anything, but I'm also I'm not like like
like a doormat, like I'm very like I. I will
always stick up for myself. I will always stick up
for what's right. I will always defend a family member
or a friend. So it's funny people can be like
(34:30):
my brother would say, you can go like I am
so kind, but if someone does something that's not nice
to my family or my friends, I will be very strong.
So I do not get taken advantage of I think
I did when I was younger. I think when I
was a lot younger, I chose friends that weren't always
(34:53):
nice to me. And looking back now I see why
because I was very I was too nice. And now
I think as I get older, I'm just wiser that
there's that that's saying. You know, it's really true and
I'm a lot more careful with who I choose to
(35:15):
be around and who's in my life, so I ultimately
have only good people surrounding me all the time.
Speaker 2 (35:23):
And I guess you're figuring too, right. Yeah, I've always
been a very forgiving person too as well.
Speaker 1 (35:28):
I think, Yeah, I don't want to have any problems
with anyone, Like I just want to go through life
doing the right thing and being kind and being a
good example. And you know, I never want to have
like an enemy. I never want to be that. I
just want everyone to be, you know, friends, and there's
(35:49):
all there's no problems, and you know, I just want
you know, good good energy, good vibes all the time.
Speaker 2 (35:56):
Ed Now, And when you were working for me, you're
plan was to become a school teacher. Did I know that?
Speaker 1 (36:04):
Yes? I am sure, because I was going to graduate
school while I was working at front Page beepers and
I love that. And like I said earlier, it was
my It was one of my favorite jobs because I
was in college and it was in the Staten Island
mall and this kiosk. It was very cool and it
(36:26):
was like literally during the I mean the time where
everyone was just getting beepers and cell phones. So you
were so generous. You were giving us like this commission.
So I ended up, you know, being able to like
thrive in college because I had this money to go
out and buy things with. And then when I graduated,
I was still at front Page and was going to
(36:48):
graduate school to become a teacher. And yeah, so you
definitely knew that I was going to be a teacher
or wanted to at that time.
Speaker 2 (37:00):
Don't have a very good memory, but a lot of
the kids that worked for me, they were college kids,
and then they did put themselves through college. Christy put
herself through college, you know, and ate Le or that kid,
he put himself through college, and all these people put
themselves through college.
Speaker 1 (37:15):
From that, I remember, he was the best. Oh my gosh,
he was so nice. I loved him too. I loved it.
You made it really nice. And you would so generous.
You would buy us like dinners if we were there
like for a long day, you would. You were very kind.
Speaker 2 (37:31):
Okay, real quick, I got a story. I remember one
day Arlene started crying because she saw me buying a chicken.
She saw me buying chicken, and she says, oh, no.
Speaker 1 (37:44):
Ed, he's all alone.
Speaker 2 (37:45):
He's home, going home to buy chicken, old by himself.
He's gonna eat this chicken.
Speaker 1 (37:51):
That I know because we always thought like you were
this like older man, this very successful entrepreneur. You know,
we always wanted you to have like a girlfriend. We
were like, well, you know, he needs someone, he needs someone,
so like I have a lot of empathy for people,
So I was just wondering, like I wish she had
(38:11):
someone to share the chicken with. I really, did I
remember that?
Speaker 2 (38:16):
Or I do remember the Shacken situation?
Speaker 1 (38:19):
Yes?
Speaker 2 (38:20):
Yeah, Well then what about you remember the time you
got U mad about the two Teresa's because they were
out all might, no tell me you left the message
on one of the voicemails okay with the company answer
machine or stuff like that for Christy and you had
Christy Teresa, and Teresa was so disgusting they were out
(38:42):
all might.
Speaker 1 (38:43):
And all because they were like party. I guess you know,
I was very like you know, I was like we
were Christy too. We both were very We just were
we were very curious about our jobs, and we took
our job. And I'm the same way now, like I
(39:05):
am so like professional with my career and you know,
you know, we don't. My husband and I were old,
but we don't party, you know, So I guess we
were taken aback by their you know, partying, and we
were just surprised.
Speaker 2 (39:23):
Yeah, but here you two were. You were both still
young party and you should have been our partying, you
know what I mean. When I was your age, I
was our party. But I'd say, man, I had such
a great staff of a young college kids, men that
were just so serious. The best work is I've ever
had in my whole life. And I always said that
I wanted my daughter to grow up and be just
like Christy, you know, and then she really has. She's
(39:43):
the same kind of ambition.
Speaker 1 (39:45):
Yeah, that's great. I know. We were really we took
it really seriously, right, I mean we were. I remember
we were so proud of ourselves at the end of
the work day because we were selling cell phones like
it was like it was it was so easy. There
were nights where I would sell like ten cell phones
and it was just so fun. I guess you inspired
(40:08):
us because you you made us think like wow, like
here you were this younger to us, you were older
because we were so young, but you were this like nice,
you know older man who had you know, started this
business and you were so so creative and so smart.
It came at the best time and you were just
this you know, wonderful you know mentor, and we you
(40:32):
inspired us to be, you know, our best selves at
that job. And it really it really did help me
and Christy because we my parents paid for my college,
but I remember I needed that. I was I My
parents weren't giving me money for like going out and
buying clothes, and I was so into clothes. So it
was it was just so nice to have that opportunity
(40:54):
for a long time. I was working for you for
a while.
Speaker 2 (40:58):
All through college. I gave your kids so much responsibility.
Christy started in high school. Christy was in high school
when I met her, and she.
Speaker 1 (41:06):
Was looking for a long time.
Speaker 2 (41:08):
Oh yeah, a huge influence in my life. And I
gave these kids so much responsibility, man, really did.
Speaker 1 (41:16):
Yeah, yeah, I remember, I remember, I was like, but
it it gave us this leadership role that was an
education because we were I remember we would close it
up and we'd have to count the money and we
had to put it in a certain spot, and it
was just a very and it was a lot of
money because you were doing really well. People were buying
(41:36):
beepers and cell phones, like I said, left and right.
So it was it was it was a great job.
And I was telling my husband about it recently. I said,
you know, it was really a great, great, great job
for me because I learned even just to go up
to people. It was like a sales I was like
a salesperson, like hey, you know, what are you what
(41:58):
are you looking for? And it was just good experience
for a young college girl.
Speaker 2 (42:04):
So then what do you see today? Do you see
these kids today that that same age that they're up
for that kind of test, They're up for that kind
of responsibility. I don't even see it in adults.
Speaker 1 (42:14):
You know. You know, I think I think so I
I like this. I want to say yes. I'm gonna
be hopeful and say yes because I really do think that.
You know, kids, college kids need to be inspired by people.
You inspired us to work hard, do our best, you know,
be good salespeople, be honest, you know, be you know, professional,
(42:40):
And I think, you know, if people have good role models,
that's that's that's half the battle. Like you just need
to have like a boss that you really do respect,
and he's going to help you, because that's what I
think everyone needs at a young age. You do need,
you know. I was before I was working at front
Page Pepers, I was at a bagel store, which was great,
(43:02):
but it wasn't training me for you know, people skills
and leadership skills, and it was just you know, what
kind of big old do you want? You know, it
wasn't It wasn't. It wasn't a great education in that
it didn't teach me how to, you know, talk to
people and engage in conversation and lure people in and
(43:25):
and yeah, so you know, I'm a huge fan. I
was a huge fan, and you know.
Speaker 2 (43:31):
Yeah, I loved you guys. But I was just thinking.
I was just remembering now when you mentioned the bagel
store with the first day you came to apply for
the job, you already had the job. Christy said, the
job okay. Christy was like, you know the Irish mafia.
Speaker 1 (43:46):
You know, I know. Christy was the best. I know.
She was like, you have to work, you have to
work there. And it was great. It was a it
was a great I'm telling you. We had so and
we would have fun. We would laugh at we would left,
we would, we had We had a good It was
like a family.
Speaker 2 (44:04):
It really was. It really was. I can't thank you
guys enough. I really can't. And I'm just so I
hate to say proud, you know, because I'm like your dad,
but I'm just so proud of you guys, you know,
all of you.
Speaker 1 (44:15):
You know.
Speaker 2 (44:15):
Yeah, it's just you guys have impressed me so much, man,
with what you've gone and done. And I do give
myself credit for teaching these kids.
Speaker 1 (44:24):
You should, you should. That's good karma coming back to you,
because you really did instill good values. And you know,
like I said, leadership roles. You gave us a lot
of responsibility. It was. It was a great thing to
give to young kids because you taught us like listen,
this is serious. And I remember you were like, you're
going to lock this up and here and I was like, oh,
(44:45):
and but I did it.
Speaker 2 (44:48):
So and I would have these kids come across the
street to my house with like a bag full of
cash at the end of the night. You know, we
were crazy, man. We didn't know what we were doing.
We're just learning as we went along. And uh, what
what fun times, man, what great great times?
Speaker 1 (45:03):
Really, it really was, And now you're.
Speaker 2 (45:07):
A teacher, you're teaching first graders and you're talking about
retirement though, like, how how much more do you think
you'd be doing this?
Speaker 1 (45:14):
Oh gosh, I don't know. I it's funny. I've told people,
like five years ago, I'm retiring soon, because you always
think you're going to and then you end up. It's
a it's a great job, and I really do believe
it's a calling. I really do believe I'm I'm meant
to be here, even though some days it can be
really hard, you know, because it's it's a teaching is
(45:38):
no joke, it is one of It is the hardest
job I think in the world. I think it could
be right up there with a surgeon because it's it's
so important, and they're so much in a curriculum. Especially
in the due we pivot a lot, we change curriculums
and you have to learn a new curriculum and you
have to, you know, get really good at teaching that curriculums.
(46:00):
So it can be very heavy at times. But I
don't know, ed some something keeps bringing me back, like
something keeps keeping me there. So I'm just going with
going with my gut.
Speaker 2 (46:12):
Yeah. I think it's a labor of love. I think
that's the expression I was looking for.
Speaker 1 (46:16):
Mommy always say that labor of love. Yes, you have to.
Speaker 2 (46:20):
Oh yeah, that's a special calling to be to have
that kind of patience with kids and and all that
kind of stuff, by the way, which Christy did too.
She always had patients with a little younger brothers and
sisters and stuff like that.
Speaker 1 (46:34):
It is right, that's right.
Speaker 2 (46:36):
Now. What do you think of this situation now where
they're talking about dismantling the board of education? How will
that affect you personally as a teacher?
Speaker 1 (46:44):
Oh, my goodness, I have crazy, it's crazy. I don't
know ed. I think by the time that happens, I
because I can. I am as a teacher in my school.
You you get to leave at fifty five, right, you
can leave and then collect your pension and go off
your merry way and do whatever you want. So that's
(47:08):
a few years away from me, So I think I'll
be gone by then, and I don't know. I hope
for the best. I really have to just believe that
good things will happen and just stay positive.
Speaker 2 (47:23):
What would you do after you believe teaching like what
would you want to do?
Speaker 1 (47:27):
Oh, I have so many I have so many ideas.
I would I would, I have so many ideas. I
would write, I would read, I would travel, I would
enjoy my family more. My mom is eighty three, so
I want to spend more time with her. I would
(47:48):
I love, I love like I love the idea of
creating something like I would love to be an entrepreneur.
I have so many ideas ed, but you know you
need time to do it. And right now, like I said,
I'm so busy teaching that that's really taking up all
of my extra energy. So I, like I said, I
(48:10):
want to do so many things in this lifetime. I
feel like, you know, I could go on and on
on all the things that I have a bucket list
and all the things I want to do. You too,
are no, I feel like you feel the same. You
like to do different things too.
Speaker 2 (48:25):
I got so much going on. I'm always up to something, man, right,
I got a couple of projects right now. I'd love
to if I could have a staff right now like
I had with those kids back in those days, if
I had a Christie and Arlene, and even in.
Speaker 1 (48:38):
April, you have to come back to New York.
Speaker 2 (48:42):
But then again, I think that these kids today, I
don't think they have the same ambitious They don't want
to be inconvenience. These kids, man, it's so frustrating. No
I'm I'm becoming old and crotchety tell me I'm wrong.
Speaker 1 (48:56):
Well, you know, I will say that it is right,
like I have. I have been like people have told me, oh,
you know, I've asked this person to do this, and
they're like, well, you know, I'm not really feeling it today.
I'll get to it tomorrow. And I just know that
if my boss asked me to do something, I would
(49:17):
have done it yesterday, Like I just I would. I'm
just that worker. I'm that type of person. But I
don't know, what do you think it is? Like, what
do you think is like what happened?
Speaker 2 (49:29):
Because I think one thing is that the the workforce
is so that the employers are so desperate for employees
that the workforce can say, hey, you know, I'll just
go work at another place, you know, and there's all
of that.
Speaker 1 (49:43):
Yes, yeah, I agree. I feel like we just have to.
Speaker 2 (49:51):
Like when we were working together, we all had ambition,
we all had a good work ethic, we had ambition.
And it wasn't even like I was taking advantage you guys, Okay,
working or I'm going to fire you be on the street,
you be homeless, you be starving. You know. We had
incentives and we worked for incentives, you know, but we
took it serious, we did.
Speaker 1 (50:10):
And I think that. But I have to say, you know,
I have I have three step children. My husband has
three boys from a previous marriage, and his youngest works
at an ice cream store. And you know, he's so
dedicated to the ice cream store, Like it's it's so
(50:30):
sweet to see. So I think it has to come
from the parents too. I think we have to just
really as parents have to like instill these like work
ethic values in our kids that we can make them
be ultimately good workers down the road. Like if you
if you're going to stay, you're going to work, then
you have to work. You have to do your best.
(50:52):
You have to really, you know, get there on time
even earlier, you know, and and then stay until you
have to leave the close everything up and do a
great job. Because it's it's to me, it's like your character,
like you are who you are when no one is watching.
That's my I love that saying, you know, you have
to really be a good person and be a good
worker in life, because why wouldn't you be. You know,
(51:13):
it's it's your character, it's who you are, right. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (51:17):
A couple of times I reached out to Christy and
I said, listen, send me one of your kids up here,
down here to work for me. If you've got a
kid that's looking for work, set them done here or me.
Speaker 1 (51:27):
But I think if but I think New York, Yes, Manhattan.
I think Manhattan is it's like it's it's a great
place to find good workers. I mean, if if you
I make I can I can predict that if you
came to Manhattan and you know, you started something here,
you would be able to find good workers at I
(51:50):
I could, I promise you. Because I don't know. New
York is like the heart of the world. I feel
like you know the best doctors, the best you know,
the best lawyers, lawyers, teachers. I shouldn't say that because
the whole I just feel like New York is a
(52:11):
great place to seek good professionals.
Speaker 2 (52:15):
Yes, so do I and even DC too. My daughter
went to a college in Washington. The energy there that
there's just so much energy where you just don't see
it in so many different places in the country. We
have been talking to the nicest woman in the world,
the nicest woman I have ever met, which is an
absolute truth fact, Arlene McCarthy. You can find her at
(52:38):
Arlene McCarthy dot com. The book is called My Friend John, Arlen,
what would you like to leave us with? With that
beautiful smile of your as, what would you like to
leave us with?
Speaker 1 (52:49):
Let's just make the world a better place, one day
at a time, right treating people the way that we
want to be treated. That's my that's my last message.
And I want to thank you for you know, giving
me this opportunity to talk to you today. It's been
so nice. Ed really, it's been so nice.
Speaker 2 (53:10):
It's been way too long, and thank you for for
giving me. Okay, but if you hear Arlen McCarthy, do
you see a beautiful smiling you see your face, You'll
know you're gonna want to run out and buy this book,
My friend John. You can only imagine the love and
the passionate's in this book. Five star reviews. Every freaking review,
(53:31):
not one person says every review I ever seen, there's
always one guy has a complaint. Every book review I've
ever seen. This always that sometimes a guy will say, well,
the books, it's a great book, it's not long enough.
I wish it had you know, if I stopped reading,
it wasn't long. And I feel like the complaint is
there wasn't enough of the book. They wanted more book.
(53:52):
But everyone's got one complaint about these books, but not
not my friend John.
Speaker 1 (53:57):
It makes me feel so nice, ed, thank you, Thank.
Speaker 2 (53:59):
You feels good man feels good to write up a
good book and to get good reviews. Arlene McCarthy Arlene
McCarthy dot com. Arlene, thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (54:10):
Thank you, Ed, thank you,
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