What Would Jimmy Do?

Some people believe they are on this Earth because they lost a bet with God. Some believe they are here as a messenger for God. And some don’t have any idea why they’re here. 

If David Randal falls into any of these categories it’s probably the latter, but in the process of trying to figure out why, he’s collected an abundant supply of observations about life. Luckily, he’s chosen to share those observations through his first novel. 

Reading his book, Kelsey’s Crossing, you’ll not only witness his ability to make the plain elegant, you’ll possibly be inspired to sharpen your own view — maybe even change the way you view life.
I found his writing style engaging and the book to be a well-crafted novel. I was impressed at how the plot unfolded and the characters seemed real — I felt like I knew them personally and got attached to them very quickly. His descriptions were vivid and added to the story without slowing it down. 

I won’t spoil the plot for you, but it addresses on-going problems that we face in the US. I think the book should be required reading for our current leaders in Washington.
Reading the book was like being taken on a journey. It was a compelling story — well paced and satisfying. I read the book in 3 sittings.
— 30 —

To the love of my life on our anniversary — not just my wife, but also my best friend. On this special day, I’m reminded of the love we had and the incredible journey we shared. I never thought that I’d celebrate an anniversary and you wouldn’t be with me.

I’m pretty sure you’re spreading your charm up there like you did here on earth, but I’m sadly missing you like crazy. The best times of my life I’ve spent with you. Now it seems like my life has turned into just a long waiting period before we’re finally together again.

I thought about how much I love you today, but that’s nothing new. I thought about you yesterday, and the day before, and every day. I think of you all the time and I often say your name.
God may have you in Heaven, but I have you in my heart….
Happy Anniversary.
— 30 —

The area we live in is rich with history. I’m constantly learning about historical events and activities that happened in and around Shepherdstown that I didn’t know. A local paper recently ran an article about an event that originated in Shepherdstown that I found interesting.

Back in June of 1775, it was pretty certain that the country was headed toward war – a revolutionary war. It was then that the Continental Congress took a couple of steps to prepare for the battles to come. It put out a call for 10 companies of riflemen from around the colonies and it appointed a 43 year-old Virginian — young, but experienced — to head this new “American Army.” The Virginia Colony was asked to supply two of these companies. In Mecklenburg (the original name for Shepherdstown,) Hugh Stephenson stepped up and had 98 men equipped and trained by mid-July. 

The men assembled just outside of town at Morgan’s Spring on July 17, 1775. Twenty five days later, after a 600 mile march, the men arrived in Cambridge (Massachusetts) and presented themselves to General Washington. Because of the speed at which they traveled, their march was immediately dubbed the “Bee Line March,” and that nickname stuck through the years

The company that made the Bee Line March is of particular significance for three reasons: it was among the first of the ten companies to reach Washington’s encampment, it is probably the best documented of any of the ten companies because of a detailed diary that was kept by one of its members, and the starting place of its march to Cambridge is likely the only starting place of any of the ten companies that can be identified reliably today. 

So with the 250th anniversary of the Beeline March to Boston coming up, seems like a good time to celebrate….
— 30 —

I’m really getting sick of the news. Every day it’s the same story over and over. The president/government is — or isn’t — going to do something. One day, it’s tariffs, the next it’s funding, or firings, or whatever. I think I include myself in a good portion of the population that has lost trust in our “leaders.”

I’ve always believed that trust is an important asset for a leader to have. Of course that’s a problem if you’re a huge, unscrupulous weasel bent of abusing your position of power for personal gain. But if you’re a leader that fits that description, there’s a tool for you — it’s called “lying.”

Depending on your position of leadership, dealing with employees, or the public, they have few retaliatory options. And if lying doesn’t work and you lose their trust, you can always use fear and intimidation to get the same results.

Ok — I don’t feel any better, but at least I got that off my chest…..
— 30 —

A member of the Senate was interviewed the other day on the news and was talking about President Trump. He indicated that he was such a great president because of his management skills… he was of the opinion that he was a great manager. 

I guess I never really thought of him a great manager — actually I never thought about him as even a good manager. I’m not one to criticize, but it seems to me that more times than not, when he’s referring to someone who works for him, he refers to them as dolts, or maybe something even worse. That really doesn’t seem like a good idea to me. I personally think a manager should be more diplomatic.

I’m pretty sure the President doesn’t need, or certainly won’t take, my advice but instead of using a term like dolt, I think I’d use something like resources — or maybe team member or associate.
But of course, maybe I’m just out of date and that’s the new management style.
— 30 —

Sorry — This was what I was going to write about yesterday, but my self pity got in the way. But anyhow, here it is even if it’s a day late. Hope you enjoyed Dingus Day

Dingus Day (called Dingus Day, Easter Monday, Wet Monday, or Smigus Dyngus) is a Polish holiday that originated around A.D. 966, when Poland’s Prince Mieszko I accepted Christianity and was baptized with his entire court. Since then, the celebration has evolved from an annual mock-baptism to a sort of courting ritual, during which a young man douses his dream girl in the hope that she’ll be flattered.

That seems like a strange tradition, but it’s one that’s still practiced today, especially in the communities of Buffalo, New York, and South Bend, Indiana. In those cities, everyone is packing at least a water pistol on Dingus Day, and some more enterprising soakers make use of garden, or even fire hoses. 

But Traditionally Dyngus Day has meant more than just a water fight. In addition to the wet wake-up call, boys would fashion small whips of pussy willow or birch branches and use them to strike their lovers on the shins. In Poland, where matchmaking is a big deal, a young girl who didn’t receive these attentions was considered hopeless — romantically speaking.

Mercifully, the shin-swatting tradition has largely fallen by the wayside, and participants in Dingus Day now focus almost exclusively on the irreverent fun that goes along with a citywide water war. Visitors to Poland, Buffalo, or South Bend on the day after Easter are advised to bring a few changes of clothes — and perhaps a bandolier of water balloons. 

Maybe an old Polish proverb says it best …. On Dingus Day, laughter and water flow freely, washing away winter’s chill and welcoming spring’s renewal.
— 30 —

Easter should be a happy time — In the past it usually has been for me. But the last couple have been a little sad. Last year, Easter was on March 31. This year, it was on April 20 — a particularly bad day for me because it was the first anniversary of Claire’s funeral. Easter Sunday won’t fall on April 20 again until 2087 — that’s 62 years from now.

I think maybe that’s fortunate…. April 20th has seen its share of unhappy, or dark events over the years. 
On April 20, 1914 the Colorado National Guard and Colorado Fuel & Iron Company guards attacked a tent colony of 1,200 striking coal miners and their families in Ludlow, Colorado. The conflict killed 25 people, including women and children.
On April 20, 1972, a malfunction delayed the lunar landing of the Apollo 16 mission.
One of the deadliest school shootings in U.S. history occurred on April 20, 1999. Eric harris and Dylan Klebold killed 13 people and injured over 20 others before taking their own lives at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado.
The explosion on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico resulted in the deaths of 11 workers and the largest oil spill in history — on April 20, 2010.
And if that’s not enough, Alolf Hitler was born on April 20, 1889. The leader of Nazi Germany was responsible for World War II and the Holocaust.

All this makes April 20 a day fraught with tragedy…. I wonder how many more will occur in the next 62 years before Easter is again on the twentieth day of April?
— 30 —

Today completes my year of “awful firsts.” I got through the first birthday without Claire, the first Thanksgiving, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Valentine’s Day, wedding anniversary and lots of days that were special and unique for both of us. Today completes that first year — her funeral. Getting through the first year was hard — each one of these special days were even harder than the “regular” days and brought up the sadness of living without her. 

I’d like to think that after this first year, the worst is behind me, but I know that’s not the case. It’s infuriating to not know what this grief journey has in store for me. Unfortunately, grieving doesn’t “turn off” after one year. These special days are going to come around every year and I know they’re going to be painful…. but, maybe they’ll be an opportunity to revisit the happy memories we made together and maybe even create some memorial traditions….

Grief is probably the most terrible thing I’ve ever experienced — it’s mean, unforgiving, unpredictable, and it’s patient.
Sometimes it waits — it waits until you think you’re “over it” or moved on and seem to be doing better. And then it will say, “Remember me?” And it’s back.
Death changes everything — so far, for me, time has changed nothing….
— 30 —

I went to lunch with friends yesterday and as is almost always the case, I didn’t finish my meal. Restaurant portions are almost always more than I can eat, so I usually take what I don’t eat home so I can eat it later — or — as is often the case, throw it out in a few days.

But anyhow, yesterday I asked for a doggie bag — usually I just ask for a box. I don’t know why I said “doggie bag” yesterday, but for some reason I did. The waiter looked at me like I was speaking Greek or some other foreign language. I said to just bring me a box.

When I was growing up and you went to a restaurant, and wanted to take the food you hadn’t eaten with you, you asked for a doggie bag. That seems to have been an American thing. From what I can gather, the phrase was used to mask the social awkwardness of taking leftover food home from a restaurant. The idea was that you could request a bag “for the dog” — even if you didn’t have a dog or you fully intended to eat the leftovers yourself.

I remember my parents were big on not wasting food — probably because of a lot of World War II and post-war food conservation efforts. If I remember correctly, some restaurants even had bags that said things like ”For Fido” or “For Your Pet” to normalize taking leftovers home. All this probably led to the term “doggie bag.”

Today, younger people, like our waiter yesterday, don’t know what you’re talking about if you ask for a doggie bag. Why? Today it’s no longer seen as embarrassing or unusual to ask to take leftovers home. Now people usually just say, “can I get a box?” or “can I take this to go?”

I did some checking, and in the 1940s and 50s some restaurants had specially designed packaging for taking home leftovers.
Hotels in Seattle provided diners with wax paper bags labeled “Bones for Bowser.” reinforcing the notion that leftovers were intended for dogs, even if the diners planned to consume them later themselves.
Many restaurants began offering “Doggie Paks” to patrons allowing them to discretely take home uneaten portions.
Some restaurants even had doggie bags printed with whimsical poems or messages, adding a touch of charm and further normalizing the practice of taking leftovers home.

So “doggie bag” hasn’t totally vanished, but it’s become a bit dated or quaint — kind of like saying “icebox” instead of “refrigerator.”  You’ll probably hear it sometimes, especially from older people like me, but it’s no longer the go-to phrase.
— 30 —

A couple of weeks ago my niece and nephew (Mike and Sue) visited and they gave me a bottle of wine. I like wine — and I like wine bottle labels. The following words were on the label of the bottle they gave me…..
“At the end of the journey, we remember only one battle: the one we fought against ourselves, the one that defines us.”
That’s a pretty powerful statement and it’s particularly meaningful to me at this point in my life.
I’ve always thought wine was good for you — maybe it’s also good for the soul….
— 30 —