Tag: gratitude

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Grateful living

I got the following in the mail today from Brother David Steindl-Rast, OSB and it arrives at a time of transition for me. Summer is turning to autumn. My daughter has returned to college. I’ve returned from a journey that saw me in Illinois and then southern New York and New Jersey.   I visited places I hadn’t been to in over thirty-five years. I spent time with family that I see very sparingly.  I shared in great joy and release.

In thanksgiving for life, I pledge
to overcome the illusion of ENTITLEMENT
by reminding myself that everything is gift
and, thus, to live GRATEFULLY.
In thanksgiving for life, I pledge
to overcome my GREED,
that confuses wants with needs,
by trusting that enough for all our needs is given to us
and to share GENEROUSLY
what i so generously receive.

Life is truly a gift and yet I don’t see it that way often enough. Read more of Brother David’s work here.

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Pass in Review

Division 290 Ship 11 enters

Friday Morning at 0900 the Pass in Review ceremony at Great Lakes Recruit Training Command began and after the preliminary review of colors and a short film about life in Boot Camp we got our first look at the graduates. My nephew’s unit, Division 290 Ship 11 was the first to come marching into the drill hall. They looked great. A sharp unit with crisp military bearing. For my nephew, Tom, the journey began on June 18, 2008 when he arrived at Great Lakes Recruit Training Command. Friday morning, August 15, 2008 it culminated with his shipmates as they passed in review.

As we drove onto Recruit Training Command through the Illinois Street entrance our car was inspected by Navy Police and then after our IDs were checked we were directed to a parking area. Driving across the parking area I exclaimed to my brother that we were on the grinder, as we called it then, that I had graduated from in October 1972. Once we were parked, we walked with hundreds of other parents and families to the drill hall for this momentous occasion in the lives of these the U.S. Navy’s newest sailors.

Much has changed in the years since I had been there. Only one building looked the same, the rest had been replaced with new construction. It was great to be back. I know all the parents and friends were filled with anticipation and the drill hall where we were eventually seated was full of families anxious to be reunited with loved ones. As each division entered the public address announcer stated the unit and so when to door rose and the announcement, “Division 290 Ship 11” rang from the speakers my heart began to beat a bit faster. I couldn’t find my nephew from among the crowd of shipmates that surrounded him. My nephew, Dan who was seated next to me was the first to spot his brother. I trained my Kodak even more and tried to capture these moments for history. God smiled on my efforts and I managed to get dozens of great shots of these brave young men and women who have answered the call to serve their country.

In all 967 new sailors graduated that morning. Being in the presence of so many brave young men and women filled with reverent awe and gratitude. I felt a sense of hope for the future of our country that I haven’t felt in a long time.

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Pass in Review

Thursday of this week will see me traveling to Great Lakes, Illinois. I haven’t been there since February 8, 1973. My nephew is due to Pass in Review. He’s been at Great Lakes Recruit Training Center since late June. Tom signed up on a delayed enlistment plan in January. Since then a young man I hardly knew because we’re usually separated by hundreds of miles has constantly been in my thoughts and prayers. I called him the night before he left and talked briefly with him and let him know that I’d be praying for him. I’ve sent him 7 letters and a postcard since he’s been in Boot Camp. I know from being there that “mail call” can be a lonely time. I’ve done my best to lighten his load and encourage him along the path to his new career. Whether Tom stays in the Navy for four or thirty-four years one thing is for certain now, he’ll never be the same again. Boot camp is one of those rights of passage that young men and women go through that set them apart from their peers. It is designed to be that way. He has metamorphosed from a civilian with a distinct individuality into a member of a military unit where each person is part of a great whole.

This journey to Great Lakes is part of a larger journey which Tom’s enlistment has been for me. It’s been a journey into my own past and a better insight into my own experience of the United States Navy. Thirty-six years ago on the 13th of October 1972, I led the division onto the field carrying the American flag. I got the honor because I’m tall and I had a good military bearing. I get goose bumps just thinking about standing again at a place where my own Navy journey began. So much has changed in these past 36 years and yet so much remains the same. I’m as anxious as a nineteen year old once more except I know now how it turned out. I did well. I excelled and I hope the same for Tom and his shipmates. One thing is for certain as they pass in review there will be one old sailor with a lump in his throat, a tear in his eye and a chest filled with a healthy sense of pride for this new group of sailors about to become part of the greatest navy in the history of the world.

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Twenty-one years

Today is our daughter’s 21st birthday. Wow! Where did the last twenty-one years go? She came into our lives twenty-one years ago and at least in my case completely revised all of my assumptions about girls and women. She has gone from being cute to beautiful. She has her mother’s charm and beauty and my candor. She likes Marvin Gaye, the Temptations, Bob Dylan and the Beatles. She’s owns a VW Beetle now. Those are all things I did at one time or another. Just last week I told her the only thing left is to join the Navy. I don’t think she’lll be doing that anytime soon. She leaves our home again soon, this time for a year long student teaching assignment. She taught me and later her mother how to send text messages and now that’s one of the ways our family stays together.   My daughter has given me insights into the feminine mystique and in ways a father can understand. She’s been God’s gift to us and we are more than grateful. Happy Birthday! Happy Birthday to you!

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Thirty five years

Yesterday was the thirty-fifth anniversary of my father’s death. It’s a day that will always live in my memory. I was serving on active duty in the United States Navy and stationed at the Naval Air Station in Albany, GA. I was working the afternoon shift in the newborn nursery when I was summoned to the executive officer’s suite. He greeted me and told me that he was sorry to have to tell me that my Dad had passed away earlier that day. I cannot remember the XO’s name, but I will always remember his face and the look of genuine concern. Though I had only been stationed in Albany about four months at that point my shipmates took the best of care of me.

Bill Kirkland, one of the dental technicians magnanimously offered the use of his Datsun 240Z for me to make the trip home. I’ve often thought of what a special gesture that was. I’ve completely lost track of all my shipmates in the last thirty years, but I’d like to say thank you to Bill because his gesture stood out from the rest. I don’t even know if he’s still alive, but you really bumped me up that day with that offer.

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Feast of St. Bonaventure

This afternoon I had agreed to drive down to St. Bonaventure University and help a Franciscan friend with a computer I had donated to him. I had configured this Dell Inspiron equipped with Microsoft Windows Vista Home Basic with Star Office. Fr. Bob Struzynski, OFM is a very bright man and a wonderful person, but computers are a little scary for him. I had moved his files to this new machine about three months ago, but he continued to have problems editing his previous Microsoft Word files. It turned out that Microsoft Word Viewer which had come with the computer had been set as the default application for opening word processing documents. I had originally setup the computer to use Star Office Writer as the default. Somehow that changed. I was able to solve his problem rather quickly and to help him set up an Amazon Simple Storage account so that he could work both at the University and at his home at Mt. Irenaeus.

Working together we got the Amazon S3 account setup. I also downloaded and configured Jungledisk which is a great program. He needs a bit more training but this is a great way to work with the same group of files on two separate computers. Toward the end of our time together Fr. Bob mentioned that he had to leave soon for Mass. I asked where the Mass was and he said in the University Chapel. I had forgotten that today was the Feast of St. Bonaventure and since the University is celebrating its sesqui-centennial this is more special than other years.

After a short walk from University Ministries we arrived at the Chapel and it was nearly full of Franciscan friars, nuns, a lovely choir and some townspeople like me. Tears filled my eyes as I listened to the lovely bell choir that invited us at the beginning of the worship. Gratitude to both Fr. Bob and the Franciscan Friars filled my heart as I looked and listened. This was truly something I hadn’t dreamed of earlier in the day. The Mass was lovely but I really enjoyed the choir and musicians. Franciscans are joyful and this is just what I needed today.

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Memories

301 Hazeltine
Today while I was waiting for Diane to finish shopping I used my GPS and found what used to be the United States Naval Reserve Center at 301 Hazeltine Avenue in Jamestown, New York. It was here that I came in June of 1972 to inquire about service in the United States Navy. It was here that I enlisted on June 21, 1972 for six years in the United States Naval Reserve. Little did I know how much that decision would impact my life both in the short and long term.

I was anxious and uncertain about what the future held for me, but it was the calm assurance of Petty Officers’ Leonard Fuller and Dan Slocum who reassured me. I never met Mr. Fuller again. Like most of my naval friends and acquaintances he has vanished. I later ran into Dan Slocum when he served on the school board at Franklinville Central School. As I stood there today looking at the building and enjoying the lovely day I thought of how often in the past several years that I wished I had kept up with my shipmates. That was one of the mistakes I made, I lost contact. I look for them by name sometimes in Google searches, but find only the names of surgeons I worked with never the Corpsmen and other enlisted men and women with whom I served.  All lives have regrets and that is one of mine.

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Macker time


Today I spent part of the afternoon watching my son and several of his friends take part in the Gus Macker Three-on-Three basketball tournament in Jamestown, New York. I’ve been watching Devin play in Macker’s for a number of years. He’s competing in the Top Men’s Division which is the toughest division of the Macker. He is joined by three former Fredonia State College players who were once teammates for the Fredonia State Blue Devils. Devin’s team finished the day at 2 wins and 1 loss. They will be playing at eight o’clock tomorrow morning and so we’ll be on the road early to make the game. Jamestown is a little over 50 miles away.

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Twenty Five Days

Last week I had the privilege of attending an educational forum in our area. One of the presenters that I heard was the young lady who authors a blog called, Twenty-Five Days. I could not get over the heart and deep presence of the capacity for social justice in a person so young. I felt as though I was in the presence of an angel and it made me glad to be alive.

I hope you’ll take a moment to visit her blog and see what she is doing for others.  We need hope these days and this young lady is a beacon of that virtue.

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On the road again…

We spent the night in Breezewood, PA. after driving from Franklinville, NY enroute to Williamsburg, VA. We’re celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary this weekend.  Twenty-five years and two children and the passage from a thirty year old to a fifty-five year old has occurred in what seems like half the time. Last night when we stopped for dinner I took advantage of my senior status and got a nice meal at a reduced rate.

Good news yesterday as our daughter, Dara got a 4.0 at Fredonia State College for the spring semester of 2008. We’re very proud of her. She’s on track for summa cum laude next spring.  We recalled our trip twenty-five years ago in my 1980 Chevy pickup with “just married” taped and tied to the tailgate. We had no idea of the rich journey we were undertaking. We had no idea of the children who have blessed our marriage nor the many lovely memories. Back then I was working as a custodian and Diane was a third grade teacher.  We used to bring Diane’s Commodore 64 home and hook it up to the TV. Diane and others encouraged me to return to college and in 1987 and 1988 I received my A.S. and B.S. from Regents College and I was on track to a career change.

Twenty-five years later we make the same journey with much different surroundings. Laptop and digital camera in hand. Cell phones at the ready. Text messaging our children and keeping in touch with our parents as we make our way to Colonial Williamsburg, a place of special memories.  God has blessed us. This is our second or third vacation without the children and its somewhat lonely, but still we are connected in an increasingly connected world.