Tom

Today I drove to Mt. Irenaeus for Mass.  It’s part of what I usually do nearly every Sunday. On the way I placed a call to my nephew Tom who’s a member of the U.S. Navy Ceremonial Guard in Anacostia, DC. Earlier this week my brother called to let me know that Tom would be marching on Pennsylvania Avenue on Tuesday accompanying our new President. I wanted to call Tom and let him know how proud I am of him and that he would be in my prayers and that I hoped he would be able to stay warm despite the bitter cold that grips the east coast of our nation.  I left my message on his voice mail and continued to drive to the Mountain.

My trip this morning was a bit more exciting than normal because the road to Mt. Irenaeus was not completely plowed and my little PT Cruiser couldn’t quite make the final hill on the first try. I decided to back down the hill and wait for my friend Duane Karl who has a four-wheel drive pickup. After backing down the hill and getting my car parked on Weatherby Road I looked up and my guardian angel arrived in the person of a snow plow and sander for the Town of Wirt. The plow cleared the road and the sand provided the necessary traction for me to make the grade. Once I arrived I made my way to the chapel and Mass.  After Mass I turned my phone on and discovered that I had a nice message from Tom. He told me that he had been practicing for the inauguration and that he’d be carrying the California flag at the Lincoln Memorial on Sunday afternoon.  My heart swelled with pride as I shared this news with the Friars and other guests.  I can’t think of Tom nor his part in the upcoming inauguration without becoming filled with pride and choked up a bit with emotion.

I did get home in time to see Tom on HBO. As with most of this historic event I watched it on my laptop computer.  I missed the first part of the show but saw the California flag at the end of the event and though I couldn’t see Tom I knew that he was up there. My daughter sat next to me and we both agreed that this was a special moment for us and especially for Tom.

Larry Lessig on Barack

I came across this very good video clip from Charlie Rose’s show. It’s an interview with Larry Lessig who himself is a really great thinker.  I like what he says about Barack Obama being neither left nor right. That’s what draws me too, because I don’t like being classified as left or right. Those titles are so limited.

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Amazing

This was truly one of the most amazing stories of recent memory. The pilot deserves a presidential medal. The passengers are unbelievably calm after such a traumatic event. This event will stand in the annals of aviation history as simply incredible. The people of New York City and particularly the operators of the tugs and ferrys that rescued everyone deserve the highest praise. New York City gets a lot of bad press at times but this week New York City and its residents can stand tall.  They are and were their brothers keepers.

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Watching the Obama Train

Lots of thoughts today. I got up this morning to bone chilling cold. Our home is warm, but it was -9 degrees fahrenheit outside. I thank God that we have heat and a well insulated home. Our daughter is home this weekend. She and I headed to the gym earlier for a good workout. I got in 40 minutes on the eliptical machine and Dara varied her workout among eliptical, weights and a stationary bicycle.

As we headed to the gym I let Dara know that 34 years ago I put on my dress blues and headed to work at the Naval Hospital in New London, Connecticut and reported to the officer of the day who signed my orders to leave. That was my last day of active duty. I was happy to be going home. Now, all this time later I’d like one more day with or at least a few hours with those men and women with whom I served. I’d like to say thank you again and catch up a bit. The perspective at 56 years of age is different than it was at 22.

I’ve been relaxing on the couch next to our pellet stove most of the rest of the day. I had some rice krispies with milk and honey which is my favorite breakfast.  I’ve been watching C-Span, CNN and MSNBC most of the day to see President-elect Obama, Vice-President-elect Joe Biden and their wives touch the lives of millions of Americans with their train ride from Philadelphia to Washington, DC.  There is quite a contrast from four and even eight years ago.  Obama isn’t God and he’s got his work cut out for him but people everywhere along that route and in much of our country and around the world are excited too. I’ve been thinking about my nephew Tom who is a sailor serving in the United States Navy Ceremonial Guard in DC. Tom’s going to be marching with our new president on Pennsylvania Avenue on Tuesday. I wish I could be there. I’m so proud of Tom and wish I could be there in person to see him. Many times today I’ve been moved to tears as I watched the President-elect’s train and listened to he and other speak along the way.

My brother Brian and his friend Lillian will be in Washington for the inaugural too.  Lillian stood on the mall with Dr. King in 1963 as a teenager. How special for her to return now to see a member of her race inaugurated. I’ve been thinking too of Dr. King himself and what he would have thought of all of this.  Today is a day that makes me proud to be an American. It’s one of those signature days.  I’m grateful to be an American and a veteran of the United States Navy. I salute my countrymen, our President and Vice-President Elect, their families and the millions of soldiers, sailors, marines and coast guardsman who serve us. God bless America and may America bless God again.

A new day

The  inauguration of Barack Obama is still a few days away, but I cannot hide my delight. I’ve been getting emails from Republicans or folks concerned about Obama.  President Obama is not super-human. He’s charismatic and intelligent. He’s engaging everyone even his adversaries. He’s not easily pinned down nor pigeon-holed.  He’s got a lot of work to do and the country hasn’t been in this much trouble in decades. We face a crisis much greater than anyone we’ve faced since World War II and if the United States of America is to survive we must pull together. That doesn’t mean we all have to agree, but it does mean we have agree not to be disagreeable. For too many decades now we’ve been alienating and marginalizing people. That’s got to stop.

The United States of America is a melting pot. We are “E Pluribus Unum.”

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Competitors Creed

I came across this quote in the exercise room where I’ve been working out on the elliptical machine lately. Running 5 miles has taken a toll on me and I’ve retired to the elliptical. Actually I think I’m getting a more strenuous workout on the elliptical machine. I’ve been going 4.2 or 4.3 miles in forty minutes on the machine. I love working out because I feel so good afterwards. It’s the runner’s high.

I like the quote because today was one of those days where I wasn’t winning and I felt a bit frustrated at days end. Now, however thanks to this quote and forty minutes of strenuous exercise I’m feeling a lot more peaceful. Life is really about trying and leaving it all out there. Roosevelt’s quote reminds me of a passage from the Book of Revelation 3:16.

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; because there is not effort without error and shortcomings; but who does actually strive to do the deed; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly. So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.”–Theodore Roosevelt

Many thoughts

I”ve been very busy in the last couple of weeks and haven’t really felt inspired to write here. I’m learning a lot more about Drupal, an open source content management system that I began using almost two years ago. The learning curve is fairly steep with Drupal, but now I’m beginning to get it as I’ve built a half dozen or so Drupal powered sites.  I’ve enjoyed this time of learning and I’m looking forward to a new business venture with my son. It was his idea and perhaps I’ll write more about it in the days and weeks to come.

A good friend died in the last week. He had been sick for a long time. Frank Geaben was one helluva man. He touched my life in so many ways and had keen insight that he often shared with me. It troubled me that I was not able to see Frank in his final days as he really didn’t want any visitors. I will never forget the impact he had on  my life.

I’m troubled too by the situation in Gaza. It’s yet one more example of the utter failure of the war on terror. War only begets war and whatever Israel hopes to gain by attacking Hamas in Gaza will result in no gain. More terrorists will be created. If only Israel would follow the wisdom of its great prophets, much of this could have been averted. Their zeal has blinded them to the truth.  My sister visited that area a couple of years ago with a group of American nuns. She returned with stories of how the Palestinians that she saw were treated like dogs.  My sister is not a politician nor an activist. She was with the nuns on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land.

I’m also happy that our children have been home for the holidays recently. It’s nice to hear their voices around the home. Tomorrow they’ll be heading for their respective homes and getting ready for the work week. Our daughter, Dara, will be off to student teaching and her last semester as an undergraduate at SUNY Fredonia. I’m very proud of her efforts. She finished last semester with a 4.0 GPA and completed 21 credit hours. She’ll graduate in May with a 3.97 GPA.  I told her I was going to paint that on the roof of our home.

Our son, Devin will be returning to the Rochester, New York area and his work. He’s survived in a very tough economic climate as a salesman for a radio station.  I’m praying that our business venture can help him this year.  Tomorrow will be bittersweet as we bid them goodbye. They’ve both grown to be fine young adults.

I hope to get to Mass at Mt. Irenaeus in the morning and then a trip to Abbey of the Genesee later. I’m running out of Monks Brownies. Thank God for the Friars and the Monks.

Where is your treasure?

This is a well written piece by an author whom I have come to appreciate. I’m increasingly concerned that we are watching the decline and fall of our country. For years I’ve listened to the corporate propagandists who fill our air waves with their talking points. They seem indifferent to the suffering of the masses. We’re told that public health care is no good and that the market is the best determinant of a fair price and yet all around us we’ve witnessed monopolies operating and only helping those already fat with food and cash.

Corporations have intruded into every facet of life. We eat corporate food. We buy corporate clothes. We drive corporate cars. We buy our vehicular fuel and our heating oil from corporations. We borrow from corporate banks. We invest our retirement savings with corporations. We are entertained, informed and branded by corporations. We work for corporations. The creation of a mercenary army, the privatization of public utilities and our disgusting for-profit health care system are all legacies of the corporate state. These corporations have no loyalty to America or the American worker. They are not tied to nation states. They are vampires.–Chris Hedges

Read more here.

Diane

This lovely picture of the lovely woman with whom I share this life is one of my keepsakes. I took it on Christmas morning in our home. Diane was looking up at our son Devin. The look in her eye and the smile on her face are very telling. I have no words that can adequately describe how much I love her. I hope you and your families have enjoyed the holidays.

Ah, you are beautiful, my beloved,
ah, you are beautiful; your eyes are doves!
Ah, you are beautiful, my lover-
yes, you are lovely.–Song of Songs, Chapter 1

Dad

Lately I’ve been thinking about my Dad. He’s been gone over thirty-five years now, but he’s still with me. Maybe it’s because tomorrow my sister will be 50. Maybe it’s because Dad’s birthday was in December. I don’t know. I do know that yesterday on my way to Mass at Mt. Irenaeus a Christmas song came on the radio and it reminded me so much of Dad that I began to weep. His presence was so strong and it made me wish that I had just one more day with him. One more day to tell him how much I loved him and one more day to share all that has happened in the last thirty-five years.

Our parents and ancestors never die. We carry them with us always and sometimes they are closer than at other times. Yesterday was one of those times.