TMI Tuesday: Leaving Something Behind

Random photo found online of the old school method.

This past weekend with all the stories that we were told about my wife’s family it made me appreciate a couple of things. The first is that my wife and I have done a lot of research about our families and now know more than we ever did growing up. In fact, it is safe to say, that we have more information, stories, and documents now than at any other point in recent generations. Second, I am so glad that I have so much that I have written down about the lives of my family and my own life as well. All of this will be passed down and, hopefully, our son will carry that knowledge with him and pass it down as well.

While there have been time when I have fallen behind on this blog (like now), today marks the 1200^th consecutive daily post that I have written and posted. This is by far my longest writing project and, honestly, there is no end in sight at this point. There are certain to be slow times again in the future and periods when it is difficult to record my thoughts but they will get out and they will be recorded in these posts.

Life has changed drastically since I made the decision to blog again and while there have certainly been challenges along the way, life keeps getting better (and busier) with each passing post. Looking back there are a lot of things that I would probably change but, at the same time, there are many stories, essays, and rants that I am glad that I took the time to record. After all, those are the posts and opinions, when taken together, that will reveal who I am to my son.

However, there are definitely some things that I still have to work on as many of the things written have been rather pointed, some are poorly written, and others just don’t make any darn sense in one way or another. Of course, this is in addition to the fact that there is a slight (and sometimes not so slight) egocentricity that can be found in a few pieces here and there. Hey, I never said I was perfect and, to a certain extent, I am glad that these flaws are present in my writing.

In the end, this is who I am, what I do, and what I leave behind. Like it or not, take it or leave it, clichéd and creative. If this is the only thing that I am able to leave behind I am okay with that. And, just think, this is only the beginning.  

Kind Words

Given the subject on which I wrote this past week, there was a bit of irony that played out tonight as I skimmed through the news. It is especially curious since it was only a couple of weeks ago that I did sit down and write a letter in the hope to reconnect with someone who had been so kind to me in the past. It wasn’t until long after the sun had set and our son was asleep in his bed when I learned about the passing of Elie Wiesel. As I read through the remembrances streaming across my computer, I couldn’t help but think about the moment when I received a letter in the mail with his name in the upper left hand side of the envelope.

While we had never met in person, I did correspond with this wonderful man in the past and I had been fortunate to receive his blessing regarding the poems that I originally wrote about Janusz Korzcak. Words that, while brief, carried the weight of the world and of history. At the time I had doubts about whether my writing was honoring the memories of those lost. I have never been one to rely on the approval of others to write but this is a subject and a project that was a completely different scenario. With a few simple sentences, I had the confidence to continue which resulted in the collection that I published this year, What Was Not Said: Echoes From The Holocaust.

What speaks volumes of his legacy is that my interaction with this great man is not a unique experience. He gave more of his time, his energy, his life not just to ensuring the permanence of memory but to the lives of others in pursuit of knowledge and understanding. Dr. Wiesel supported many of us, from near and far, in more ways than most could ever dream. Some were personal interactions while others only got to know him through his words printed on the pages in one of his fifty seven books, countless essays and articles, and numerous interviews and speeches. I consider myself to be one of the lucky ones to have corresponded with this righteous man.

And when we look back on the life of this great man, there is much that we can learn from not just his words but his actions. While he lived through unimaginable horrors, he chose to live with hope and kindness. He pursued the perpetuation of memory and ensured that it served as a means for achieving peace. He was a beacon for the world shining light not just into the darkness of the past but casting a warm glow on the possibilities of the future. Sometimes he would do this on a grand stage in front of thousands or on television in front of millions but also in a classroom in from of a mere dozens or in a conversation, a letter, a phone call one on one. This is why, for many reasons, I now say I will never forget!

Transitioning To The New System

Now that things seemed to have settled down at least a little bit, I have been circling back to try and figure out the new website launched by Grand Lodge late last year. While there are many quirks to the old system it is something that I had gotten used to and knew exactly where to go if I needed anything. This new site is something completely different and I am finding that it is taking much longer than I anticipated to find the information and functions that I need. It isn’t that there is anything wrong with it, it is simply new and unfamiliar which takes time to figure out.

However, there are a few things that I have noticed that are both incredibly helpful and also lacking in comparison to the legacy system. While I enjoy having access to the names and lodges of brothers from across the commonwealth, I don’t need that information all of the time. In fact, 99% of the time I just want to see the members of my own lodge, read and respond to emails, and update and input records when needed. That is the bulk of the work that I do on the website and all of these other things just seem like unnecessary bells and whistles to me right now. Of course, that could change over time but that is what I am finding at the moment.

And this speaks to the larger issue at hand… simplicity. I make my living distilling and simplifying complicated concepts into easily digestible text and quotes… it is a necessity of the industry in which I work and partly why companies pay for my services. However, this should not be something that is needed when trying to update records and input data. There is an overly complicated nature to the new process that will undoubtedly keep some brothers from serving as Secretaries in the future… especially those brothers who may be a few years older than the rest.

But the main issue that I have had with the new system is that I didn’t start using it earlier. After all, this could all simply be a matter of unfamiliarity. Because I continued to use the legacy system for so long I am finding myself having to reenter the same information again into the new system… I could have avoided this extra work. Like many things in life, sometimes the biggest obstacle lies in the person sitting at the computer. This is something that we all learn in our lives and especially during our time in the fraternity. The biggest hurdle to get something done can sometimes be in the individual(s). In the end, in order to keep moving forward and moving this fraternity forward, we can’t be afraid to point the finger at ourselves. It really is that simple.

Year Two Comes To An End

It was a surprisingly quick meeting this week and before I knew it my second year had come to an end. We were able to complete all of the final items as well as welcome the new officers who will be filling the chairs in the coming year. It was a night of short speeches and streamlined processes but all were given both the time and attention that they required and the respect that each brother deserved. It was a great night that focused on the great work that has yet to be done, the accomplishments that we have achieved, and the distance that our lodge has come over the past several years. It was a night that primed us all for a great year to come.

While much of the time I was either fulfilling my duties sitting at the desk or presenting at the podium, there were also other moments during the night when I was able to witness the brotherhood and commitment that we all have to one another from what I consider to be the best seat in the lodge. As I was anticipating, I watched my fellow brothers take their oaths of office and commit themselves to their fraternal family. These were men that were here before I was raised as well as one that I have known since the first time he joined us for dinner.

Each time I kept thinking back to the moment I took my oath in front of my brothers and with my uncle also in attendance. I was proud then and I am proud now having been reelected twice. This is hugely important to me as I am constantly cognizant of the small role I have in the history of this lodge and the masonic legacy that I am continuing to build upon in my family and leaving for my son. I am only the most recent mason on both sides of my family and I am going to go everything to ensure that I leave it better than when I first was raised.

It may have been just another meeting for some but it was obviously much more to me than just a meeting… the same could be said for many of the monthly meetings. This lodge, this fraternity is part of who I am, part of my legacy, and part of my family history. Of course, this is all still the beginning of what I hope to be a long masonic career. I am still a few months short of my third masonic birthday and there are still a lot of things that I hope to accomplish in the years to come. However, right now I continue to proudly serve my brothers as Secretary and I will do my best to earn this honor each and every day that I continue to serve.

Has It Really Been That Long?

 

It is that time again. Today marks the 800^th post for the blog and I am a little dumbfounded as to how I have been able to keep the blog going for that long. This is especially true when you consider the fact that the average length of each entry has been about 500 words. That is a total of 400,000 words... and that is being pretty conservative with the estimate. Is there really that much that can be said?

While I continue to look for guest bloggers and other interesting items to include in the various posts, there haven’t been many contributions up to this point. That might be the hardest part of this whole thing. I would like some more interesting and different perspectives included in these pages. I am happy to continue sharing my thoughts on various subjects but there is only so much that I can say without becoming repetitive (this is already evident in a number of posts).

However, I continue to enjoy the process and the simple fact that I am able to record my daily life, discoveries, and events that are of particular interest to me. As I have said before, this is my way of leaving a legacy. It isn’t anything special but the words here on this blog give a much fuller picture of who I am rather than just a few documents. This is part of the reason why the more I look into the family history the more motivated I am to continue writing.

With that said, time has become more precious over the past year in particular and there are changes on the horizon that will definitely put additional strain on my schedule. These are all good things but they take time and energy. Don’t get me wrong, the blog will continue but, with these additional commitments, the long periods of silence may become more prevalent. Of course, this may be a moot point if some of you out there would like to contribute to the blog (hint, hint, nudge, nudge).

Right now it is just a matter of pushing through the slow days when writing seems more like a chore and taking advantage of the easy days when I can quickly write three or four posts. There are certainly a number of topics that I will continue to cover (i.e. genealogy, freemasonry, firearms, travel, parenthood, etc.) but I am looking for other subjects and also want to know what subject you want me to write more about. So what would you like to read? Also, I am well aware that this blog is by no means perfect. What would you change? Let me know your thoughts.

I end this post very simply. Thank you for your continued support and sharing with me your thoughts, stories, and opinions. It has been an interesting experience thus far.

Firearms Friday: Colt Bankruptcy

Anyone who has served in the military are familiar with Colt. Anyone who has some experience with firearms is probably familiar with Colt as well. Heck, if you ever watched a Western you probably recognize the name. Overall, it is safe to say that the Colt brand remains in the pantheon of firearms manufacturers. However, the question now is how long will the company hold that revered place in the industry?

The fact remains that of the countless veterans with whom I have spoken that remain involved in the firearms community the majority of them refuse to purchase a Colt for the simple fact that there are better firearms on the market (especially for the price). Heck I can even remember the issues I had with my service rifle on the range and thinking to myself at the time “how do they expect this to hold up in the field?” It has become pretty clear that while the name remains near the top of the echelon, the actual firearms that are being produced fall far short of that reputation.

While there is no hard evidence to back up this assertion, it seems as though this is a significant contributing factor to the ongoing financial struggles that Colt continues to face. With contracts being cut and a variety of other options in the civilian marketplace, Colt is finding it difficult to compete and remain financially solvent. The current bankruptcy mumblings have been part of the everyday operations of the company for the past decade and now might finally be the time when the hammer falls.

The poorly structured company has nearly exhausted their resources even going so far as mortgaging many of the patents that the company holds. When the reserves are depleted and the revenue streams begin to dwindle down to a trickle, it won’t be long before the company faces the inevitable. While I don’t want to see the company go under, at some point you have to come to the realization that maybe it is for the best. The products they are putting out into the marketplace are not Colt quality like production runs in the past. It might be time for them to step aside.

Given the power that the name and brand still holds in the mind of consumers, even a bankruptcy will not spell the end for Colt. It is almost guaranteed that the brand will meet the same fate at Springfield Armory and be reborn in a completely different company and corporate configuration. It may not be a bad way to go.

Head on over to The Firearms Blog for additional coverage on the Colt saga... 

Quality Time Away From The Lodge

Already working on his degrees!

It should be no surprise that I wasn’t at the lodge last night. Instead we were still in the maternity ward with our son maintaining the annoying face mask boundary. While in the past I may have been annoyed that I wasn’t there to support my brothers in their education, I was much happier supporting my wife and son as they both recovered. And while I may not have been able to spend time with my lodge brothers last night, I was able to introduce my brother to his new nephew which proved to be one of the highlights of the day.

As soon as my wife woke me up early Sunday morning I knew that my schedule (in addition to our lives) would be just a little different this week so it didn’t take long before a sent a mass text to some of the usual attendees letting them know of my joyous absence. I wrote the following and sent it to about a dozen members of the lodge: “Due to the arrival of my future mason, I will be unable to attend lodge this week. Feel free to call if you need me for anything.”

Since sending that message I have received a flood of support from my fellow brothers. It was one congratulatory text after another to the point that my phone seems to be getting a little tired of having to chime and vibrate so often. Family comes first is not just something that we say because it sounds good, every brother in the lodge lives by that simple saying and supports those masons who also embrace that way of thinking and living.

These immediate gestures are what I hope to share with my son when he comes of age. It is a bond, a fellowship, and a true brotherly love that cannot be matched in any other civilian organization. It is something that I hope to share with my son as he gets older and now is the time that I am building the groundwork so that he can join the fraternity with a long standing connection with the brotherhood. After all, the next generation is reliant on the current generation especially when it comes to continuing a family legacy.

I may not have much to offer my son at this point but I am going to work hard each and every day so that he will look at me the same way that I see my own father. He will know from where he comes (both my family tree as well as my wife’s) and he will be able to build upon what has been achieved before him in every generation. This includes my duty as a mason and instilling in him the faith, character, and virtues that we all hold as brothers of the craft.

Reflections On This Day

As has been obvious to anyone watching or reading the news, over the past year (especially during the last six month) there has been a tremendous amount of racial discourse. There have been many instances when the protests have been thoughtful and thought provoking while there have also been numerous occasions when the messages have been lost in the rage and rampage both physically and verbally. There have been calls for peace as well as race baiting accusations. Overall, the dichotomy has been tremendous especially considering that each has called on the memory of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to support their actions.

In the majority of these instances, the verdict was declared before a pursuit of justice could even begin. On more than one occasion, those who sought to tell the truth were threatened with their lives… some came forward but too many remained silent. It makes me wonder how those who seek to prevent justice view this holiday when we remember a man who spent his life and gave his life in the hope that justice, freedom, equality, and peace could be embraced by all regardless of race, religion, or nationality. As Coretta Scott King wrote in “The Meaning of The King Holiday”:

On this day we commemorate Dr. King’s great dream of a vibrant, multiracial nation united in justice, peace and reconciliation; a nation that has a place at the table for children of every race and room at the inn for every needy child. We are called on this holiday, not merely to honor, but to celebrate the values of equality, tolerance and interracial sister and brotherhood he so compellingly expressed in his great dream for America.

It is a day of interracial and intercultural cooperation and sharing. No other day of the year brings so many peoples from different cultural backgrounds together in such a vibrant spirit of brother and sisterhood. Whether you are African-American, Hispanic or Native American, whether you are Caucasian or Asian-American, you are part of the great dream Martin Luther King, Jr. had for America. This is not a black holiday; it is a peoples’ holiday. And it is the young people of all races and religions who hold the keys to the fulfillment of his dream.

We commemorate on this holiday the ecumenical leader and visionary who embraced the unity of all faiths in love and truth. And though we take patriotic pride that Dr. King was an American, on this holiday we must also commemorate the global leader who inspired nonviolent liberation movements around the world. Indeed, on this day, programs commemorating my husband’s birthday are being observed in more than 100 nations.

The King Holiday celebrates Dr. King’s global vision of the world house, a world whose people and nations had triumphed over poverty, racism, war and violence. The holiday celebrates his vision of ecumenical solidarity, his insistence that all faiths had something meaningful to contribute to building the beloved community.

The Holiday commemorates America’s pre-eminent advocate of nonviolence — the man who taught by his example that nonviolent action is the most powerful, revolutionary force for social change available to oppressed people in their struggles for liberation.

This holiday honors the courage of a man who endured harassment, threats and beatings, and even bombings. We commemorate the man who went to jail 29 times to achieve freedom for others, and who knew he would pay the ultimate price for his leadership, but kept on marching and protesting and organizing anyway.

Every King Holiday has been a national “teach-in” on the values of nonviolence, including unconditional love, tolerance, forgiveness and reconciliation, which are so desperately-needed to unify America. It is a day of intensive education and training in Martin’s philosophy and methods of nonviolent social change and conflict-reconciliation. The Holiday provides a unique opportunity to teach young people to fight evil, not people, to get in the habit of asking themselves, “what is the most loving way I can resolve this conflict?”

In Dr. King’s memory, I hope that we can all seek peace during this tumultuous time and seek truth and justice rather than assume guilt simply based on whether the person is black or white. To strive to accomplish any less in his memory would be to contradict all that he fought and died for. Remember, his dream was that ALL men are created equal!

I’m Not Dead Yet!

Earlier this week People Magazine posted a well written obituary of Kirk Douglas. It was the kind of tribute that you would expect to read when a Hollywood legend passes away. The only problem is that Kirk Douglas is still alive. I wonder if John Cleese had anything to do with the decision to declare someone dead before they stop breathing. Maybe Eric Idle?

While uncommon, unfortunately this is not the first time that such an error has been made especially in the celebrity sphere. While there was a concerted effort to curb such leaps made in the wake of the Reagan assassination attempt, in an era of the 24 hour news cycle and the ever presence of social media, these kinds of things will almost certainly become more common as time passes. This leaves us asking the question of who is going to be the next person to read about their own demise.

While disturbing in many regards, there can be some good to come from such an egregious error. Mark Twain is the most famous example of the good humor that can come about when one is forced to face their inevitable fate a little earlier than nature or reality has intended. Although, in this instance, no actual obituary was published word spread and Twain eventually found himself on the receiving end of his own departure. Specifically, he is quoted as saying, "The report of my death was an exaggeration."

On the other side of things, some are forced to come to terms with their legacy no matter how good or, as in the case of Alfred Nobel, bad. When it was thought that the inventor of dynamite had departed this world for the next, a French writer did not hold back in his obituary titled “Le marchand de la mort est mort” ("The merchant of death is dead") etching into the mind of the millionaire that he “became rich by finding ways to kill more people faster than ever before.”

It was this obituary that made Nobel reconsider his life and his legacy. It was because of the premature reporting that he took his considerable fortune and created the Nobel Prize. A bit of misinformation and the world was changed in an instant changing the historical perspective of what many considered a controversial person in his own time.

For now, despite recent rumors and false obituaries, Kirk Douglas, Macaulay Culkin, and numerous other public figure of varying stature as still alive. But, with the inevitable increase of such instances bound to take hold in social media, it makes you think about the changes that could possibly occur as a result of this increased penchant to find the breaking news before anyone else. The question for everyone is, what would your obituary say if you were thought to be dead?  

That Is The Way To Go!

Part of my duties as Secretary has been to relay the passing of Brothers and, most recently, the wives and widows of brothers. I have shared this aspect of the job with you previously. However, my sister posted something on her Facebook wall a few days ago that brought a little lightness to the subject. The levity comes in the form of the obituary of Walter George Bruhl Jr. Yes, an obituary but this one is a little bit different in that Walter, knowing the certainty of his eventual end, penned the reflection himself. Some of the highlights:

Walter George Bruhl Jr. of Newark and Dewey Beach is a dead person; he is no more; he is bereft of life; he is deceased; he has rung down the curtain and gone to join the choir invisible; he has expired and gone to meet his maker….

He was surrounded by his loving wife of 57 years, Helene Sellers Bruhl, who will now be able to purchase the mink coat which he had always refused her because he believed only minks should wear mink…

Walt was preceded in death by his tonsils and adenoids in 1935; a spinal disc in 1974; a large piece of his thyroid gland in 1988; and his prostate on March 27, 2000...

There will be no viewing since his wife refuses to honor his request to have him standing in the corner of the room with a glass of Jack Daniels in his hand so he would appear natural to visitors….

Cremation will take place at the family's convenience, and his ashes will be kept in an urn until they get tired of having it around. What's a Grecian Urn? Oh, about 200 drachmas a week…

While many have found humor and inspiration in the words, I find it entertaining because I can hear myself saying the same thing at the end. It is probably something that I could schedule to be posted on this blog if I knew the time were fast approaching. That would put an interesting twist. Maybe I could arrange a call them all and record something on my death bed. That would be a little messed up but damn would it be funny…

“Hi ____, just wanted to let you know that I’m dead. John Cleese will be by soon to pick me up so don’t worry about making arrangements. I will post additional details about my death later today on my blog. It will include all arrangements that have been made. Oh, and if I don’t respond to your comments right away it’s because I’m dead! Anyway, that’s about all for now. Maybe I’ll see you later. Bye.”

That would be the general message to friends and family. Of course, I would have to keep a few people off of that list because this would be the perfect time to record a message to call out dead from work. Hey, I don’t plan on retiring, so this one is a possibility. Then I could end the call by asking for bereavement time to mourn my own passing.

While none of us look forward to that day, it is the eventual sunset (actually it would be more of a night fall) that we know is on the other side of the horizon we just don’t know how far. It is going to happen so why not have a little fun on the way out. Of course, why not have a little fun every day and enjoy the humor that is all around us if you just pay attention. If anything, by his obituary going viral, that is the real legacy that Walter has left behind.

Let These Serve As Reminders

Even some unexpected moments can serve as perfect reminders of all that we have.

As we live our lives, go to work, spend time with family there are always reminders that pop every now and again that remind us to appreciate what we have and to remember all that we have done. The last couple of days have been accented by such reminders for me. It is both one of the privileges and trials of being involved in organizations that embrace such a wide variety of people of all ages and abilities.

The first email I received a couple of days ago was while I was working hard in Arizona completely immersed in the various meetings and classes I was attending. It was an email from the District Deputy Grand Master informing all the members of my lodge of the passing of one of our fellow brothers at an unexpectedly young age. I guess it hit pretty close to home as there is a lot more that I want to do in life and it is certainly going to take more than 15 or 20 years.

I don’t even know if all that I want to accomplish could even be accomplished in one lifetime but I at least want to give it a good shot and that is certainly not enough time to do so. It really is something that will make you think about things that you could have done differently, the time that you may have wasted, and the changes that you know you need to make but have been putting off for way too long. Essentially, why wait until the new year to make resolutions when, at this point, that means you would have let another two months simply pass you by.

Fortunately, the other note that I got was something completely different and, as a matter of fact, quite flattering. I keep this blog as a way of remembering and a means to allow anyone who wants to look into my life to do so at their leisure. I’m not the government and I am a pretty boring person so there is nothing really for me to hide. But every once in a while I will write something that has piqued some interest and that was the case today as one of my posts was reprinted in the Rotary District (7450) newsletter.

I had no idea that this was going to be done but I have also always had a standing policy that people are free to disseminate my writing so long as they give the proper credit and citation. That was the case this week and makes me think that maybe I am accomplishing some of the things that I want to do in life and maybe there is a chance that, when all is said and done, I will have made a positive impact.

Sometimes we get so caught up in going from one project or event to another and fail to see the overall arch of what is being done and the impact our actions have beyond our immediate reach. Sometimes we need these reminders, happy and sad alike, to allow us to step back and think about all that we have seen, said, and done in our lives. You may even be surprised by how far your voice carries.