Happy Holydays

An interesting thought occurred while Wife and I were having a conversation about preparations for Advent and Christmas at her school. She made two comments about goings on and I questioned both of them. One being that at a parochial school she wasn’t certain all the teachers were practicing Christians, and the other that they didn’t seem to “get” Advent.

Ever the contrarian, while I agreed that the school should be called to task if all teachers weren’t nominally Christian; at the same time, I suggested she be more tolerant of different denominations approaching Christmas from different angles. Our understanding of Advent as preparation for the Incarnation and awaiting Christmas from a point of anticipation stems from our denominational tradition, and not all folks have the same “take” on the season. For some it’s more of an “it’s already here and will culminate on Dec 25th”, rather than just begin and last for an ensuing 12 days.

That took me to the thought that: “It would seem many evangelical &/or pentecostal denominations seek to focus only upon: ‘Jesus died to save me from my sins’; while I see the Christ’s crucifixion almost completely thru the lens of resurrection and God’s subsequent redemption of mankind.” Kind of like the difference between the “God’s ‘gonna get you for that” God of the Old Testament and my “There but for the Grace of God go I” God of the New.

Going one step further, while I hold a “sure and certain hope in the resurrection”, my wife is “confident” in her salvation. Same words – different perspective. But then wife says: “She’s not that Anglican; but I am.”

Y’all all prepare, each in your own manner, for our Lord’s coming. However, do make ready.

Unrelated Thoughts

Three unrelated thoughts; but…

1). Sat. am, I’m watching the Brady Bunch reruns on TV and the word “Squaw” is used by a character portraying an Indian Chief in the “naming” of Carol Brady and Alice. 2). A younger friend of mine recounts a few days ago on his Facebook page of seeing a person driving a car down the street wearing a football helmet (with facemask). 3). Monday of the past week I’m driving down a major street in town (2 lanes each way. Does that make it a four lane street?) and see a person, riding a bicycle in a traffic lane at a decent rate of speed, down hill, going in the opposite direction from me, sitting on the handlebars of the bike, facing and looking towards the direction from whence they had come. None of these are very funny, right?

Except, if I fill in some missing details on the second and third thoughts: such as the person driving the car was a woman and the person riding the bike was young, and male, then it becomes more humorous. For example, the young friend says he’s driving down the street and sees this woman (perhaps a blonde) driving a car while wearing a football helmet with facemask or… I see this Hispanic kid (or black kid, or kid wearing an Aggie shirt - that‘s Polak in Texan, BTW), riding a bicycle in traffic as described; then it begins to become funny. Because, I suppose, stereotypes are being reinforced.

Now, don’t get ahead of me yet, I’m taking a contrarian tack with this. Has political correctness become so overridingly important we are willing to give up all ability to laugh at the human condition, the absurdity of life?

Just recently I was admonished for joking in our EFM class about “women being associated with chaos even in Babylonian times“, by a guy, no less. My young friend was chastised on his page for lack of compassion and tolerance. I could be likewise, for telling of the kid riding the bike in an attempt to garner a Darwin Award. About a year ago or so I was upbraided by a cousin for using the word “squaw”. She said I didn’t know what it meant. I took the time to look up and it turns out that only since the 1970’s and with any significance since Native American activist Suzan Harjo appeared on Oprah in 1992 has the word engendered negative connotation. Up till then it only meant woman. I suppose since I don’t follow Oprah, I’m in the dark on these things.

So where does that leave us? Afraid to make any comment, even in good natured jest, for fear somewhere, someone might take exception? When we lose the ability to find humor in those things that are funny, lest someone be offended, we are at the mercy of the P.C. Police. Boys & girls, that’s not somewhere I care to be. After all, if God didn’t have a sense of humor why did he give us the Platypus?

Moving Pictures

As a youth, while I didn't go to "camp" like many other kids, I went to the family camp in Blanco, Texas. It wasn't a camp really, it was my cousins' country home (there were six kids total - 2 girls, 4 boys; two of the boys were slightly older than me and two were slightly younger.) So I spent a few weeks every summer with them, in the heart of the Texas Hill Country, about a mile out of town on one of the most beautiful pieces of property imaginable. In a much earlier post I speak of their family selling the property; to the daughter of Tom Benson, BTW, which will give you an idea of the beauty of the property. It had the headwaters of a spring fed creek on it which in turn fed into the Blanco River. Once at a family reunion my daughter and I walked down the road to the rear of the property and "spooked" three does that were bedded down thru the afternoon.

I could write an epistle about the all the times we had without getting into serious trouble. Though we did "prank around" quite a bit. We hunted, fished, swam and ran loose and free. We had a tractor to ride to town, a State Park where we trapped ground squirrels, a Bowling Alley where we bowled with the pins being set by hand, a Drug Store that had the best Cherry Limeades you ever tasted, a Red & White Store that handled everything from dry goods to meat and produce and a theatre - The Last Picture Show just like in the movie. Just like in the movie.

Larry McMurtry's film of the same name could have been set and shot in Blanco during the time I was there. It is absolutely that accurate with regard not only to place but person. I suppose I was in my late adolescence and early teens when I began spending significant time there and I can assure you it marked me for life. I can remember my peers of the time, still know their names (some are long dead) and see them in the characters in McMurtry's portrayal of small town Texas in the late 50's. It was a time of my "coming of age", for while American Graffiti is another of my coming of age flicks, I truly identify with The Last Picture Show. I suppose that I'm really of a different era and have never gotten past it.

Perhaps that's because that past was at least in part carefree and without responsibliity. But sadly, we become adults, taking on adult responsibilities and frequently become bogged down in the mundane details of living that responsible life.

Damn, I miss the old days.

People who read People

Was looking at an old People Magazine Special Edition called Gone Too Soon and it seemed to me that it embodied quite a bit of what is wrong with our present culture. It's premise was to identify 65 celebrities who died far too young. It listed various categories of personality: People's Covers from '74-07 (a 33 year period), Entertainers, Musicians and Athletes.

The names listed were:

John Lennon, John Belushi, Princess Grace, Jessica Savitch, Karen Carpenter, Rick Nelson, Christa McAuliffe, Andy Gibb, Rebecca Schaeffer,Ryan White, Gilda Radner, Jim Henson, River Phoenix, John Candy, Kurt Cobain, Elizabeth Glaser, Selena, Jerry Garcia, Margeaux Hemmingway, Jonbenet Ramsey, Gianni Versace, Princess Diana, John Denver, Phil Hartman, Dana Plato, JFK Jr., John Ritter, Christopher & Dana Reeve, Steve Irwin, Anna Nicole Smith, Freddie Prinze, Brad Davis, Jon-Erik Hexum, Brandon Lee, Heather O'Rourke, Michael O'Donoghue, Alexander Gudunov, Chris Farley, David Strickland, Charlotte Coleman, Josh Ryan Evans, Robert Pastorelli, Matthew McGrory, Chris Penn, Elvis, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Freddie Mercury, TUPAC Shakur, Biggie Smalls, Michael Hutchence, Paula Yates, Rob Pilatus, Wendy O. Williams, Aaliyah, Lisa Lopes, Luther Vandross, Sergi Grinkov, Payne Stewart, Dale Earnhardt, Adam Petty, Kenny Irwin, Cory Lidle & Keiko (the Orca from Free Willy).

Now I'm pretty sure there are people on this list that everyone who reads it will say were talented, enjoyable to listen to or to watch perform, admirable people who did die "before their time". I've long enjoyed the performances of several of them myself. But, that's NOT my point. It is, I suppose, rather: "What did they do for the greater good? How did they really make this a better world?" I was struck by the lack of names which could fit that category; names whose shortened lives could be considered as suitable to be admired or emulated. A few of the folks above are bolded, people I suppose do meet the requirements. I count by my very liberal interpretation of that definition 10 names; though truthfully, I'd rule out at least 4 of them.

Even at that, 10/65 is equal to a percentage of 15.384. When I went to school (before do-overs) failing was anything below 60%. Obviously I don't think People got it right. And since People is considered an icon of our society, I must believe society is failing in its message, likewise. From the past third of a Century, I could pull up a mile long list of folks that would better fit the definition of dying "too soon" but each can do that for themselves in their own retrospective.

It has long appeared to me that entertainment has become our new god and its stars our "lesser gods".

"May G_D have mercy on the soul of our present day society."

Covenants and contracts

Heard a sermon a while back about the 10 Commandments which went into the difference between a contract and a covenant. Some see differences in the structure, others don’t; I do.

And that got me thinking about the Bill of Rights of our Constitution and whether it’s a contract or a covenant between government and its citizens?

Because ----- Then
NOT
If ------------- Then

N'est-ce pas?

The Shamrock

My Granddaddy started in the hotel and restaurant supply business in Houston back in the early twenties. More than moderately successful, he partnered with a man by the name of Frank Henshaw, they later opened restaurant equipment and supply houses around the state of Texas, based out of Southern Hotel Supply Co. Granddaddy's line of work, successes, and his effusive personality gave he and Grandma membership into what was then Houston's "Cafe Society".

By 1949, when Glenn McCarthy's Shamrock Hotel had it's grand opening he had been gone from Houston for maybe a year and a half; but, he wasn't so removed that I assume him to still be part of the "crowd" that attended the Hotel's (in)famous Grand Opening. Long after he passed and going thru his "treasure box" I came across a napkin from the Shamrock. Wish I'd have asked him more questions about those times. I do know he and Grandmother also frequented the Balinese Room in Galveston run by the Maceo's back in the day.

What does all this mean? Number two of my favorite films is Giant. I suppose because of the connection with Grandma and Grandpa and their early years. I imagine they knew more than a few of the characters depicted in the movie. Family legend even says Grandma used to play bridge with the sister of Howard Hughes. When I watch the movie it seems to return them closer to me. Gone more than 35 years now, I still miss them.

The Alamo

For some odd reason or another I was thinking about “My Favorite Movies” and which ones were listed on my profile this morning. Made a minor change in that I added one film, and deleted one film and one book. I also re-ordered the listing of the movies.

Because, you see, I realized my favorite movies seem to sum up my being and my life’s experience. Call it a spiritual autobiography, if you will. So, for the next few postings I’ll offer a few thoughts about what each means to me and why they are listed. Might omit one or two as I don’t feel they are quite as in tune with my life as the others are; then I might not, deciding they fit in too. This is all in an effort to get back to posting, BTW.

Obviously The Alamo is first, the movie of my youth. John Wayne was and remains one of my heroes. His film The Alamo, speaks to everything I hold dear in life, particularly independence, self reliance, sacrifice, respect, duty, honor, courage… It was a very idealistic movie that made a tremendous impression on me when I was at an impressionable age. The fact that I’m from Texas and visited the Alamo many times might have something to do with it too. I was also brought up with the impression that those traits were admirable and they remain so today. Maybe too much so for my own good, for I’ve never been one to do anything half-way.