tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-53776419586749009882024-02-08T08:59:37.496-06:00Thought Word: MusingsRandom Musings on life. For my daughters.Lukehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02481884859967101525noreply@blogger.comBlogger41125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5377641958674900988.post-85610001387610106592014-12-08T20:55:00.000-06:002014-12-08T20:56:25.375-06:00Rubicon
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: 26pt;">Rubicon</span></span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">By</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Luke
Saucier</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Copyright,
November, 2014</span></div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Chapter I</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">“Julius Magnus, please, a word,” Decius called loudly as
Caesar rounded the corner into view. Decius’ fellow liberators stiff with
terror, steeled themselves. The irony wasn’t lost on Caesar. All Rome knew him
a man of supreme confidence and above such base flattery. He needed no
superfluous title. The title “great” went to the grave with Pompey. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The moment didn’t feel right. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">“It is a matter of necessity. Your life is in danger.
Please, in here.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Caesar knew. But the necessity of history urged him forward.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Calpurnia’s pleading this morning. The rumors and
predictions. Today’s date. He knew. And yet he followed into the portico.
Caesar refused to admit fear even at this, his final moment. The first blade
barely missed his neck. Caesar dodged and grabbed Cimber’s arm. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">“Brothers, help me,” Cimber cried. The second blade struck a
rib. The liberators moved in. His purple toga was ripped. There was confusion.
And fear. And blood. It flowed and made the polished marble floor slippery.
Senators slashed and stabbed all while trying to maintain footing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were screams and savage grunts. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The great man fell.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">As Julius Caesar died, the glorious Roman Republic died with
him.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The birth of Rome was not announced by crashing cymbals and
lightning strikes. No gods or goddesses as Livy and Plutarch would have us
believe. It was a humble wattle and daub village of hardy Latin pig farmers on
the side of the Palatine. The rival Sabine tribe of salt traders lived on the
next hill over, the Capitoline. Somewhere around 750 B.C. the Latins of the
Palatine and the Sabines of the Capitoline hills merged and became one. In this
first combination can be seen the model by which Rome prospered and grew
throughout the rest of its history. Many parties brought different strengths
and the whole became greater than the sum of its parts.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">By the end of the Bronze age, lower Italy was a tapestry of
various peoples roughly comprised of Etruscans lying to the center and west,
north of the Roman hills, Sabines north east and Latins to the south with a few
Greek colonies on the southern coast and in Sicily. The Etruscan confederacy of
small city-states was the most advanced culture in the region. The rustic Latin
pig farmer viewed the city dwellers with suspicion. The Etruscans began an
aggressive expansion to the south. The Latin villages south of the Roman hills
formed their Latin League in response to Etruscan encroachment. The small
outposts of Latins and Sabines were trapped between. They merged themselves
under one king to defend the villages of the Roman hills.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Etruscan tide rolled south over the Palatine. They
introduced formal dress, magisterial symbols, ceremony and ceremonial
trappings, engineering and architecture skills and religious ritual. All things
that would later project Rome’s majesty to the world. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Finally, the Etruscans seized Rome and a
series of harsh Etruscan kings ruled.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Utilizing their engineering skills, the Etruscans drained the unused
low-lying marshland between the Palatine and Capitoline hills and created a
market for trading cattle and sheep, the Forum Boarium. Also, a central market
and meeting place, the Forum Romanum. In later years the Forum became the
center of the world; the spot to which every far-flung Roman road eventually
led, and history’s most famous meeting spot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But it was a power from the east who was to become Rome’s big brother/mentor.
Greece furnished qualities of the mind and heart that Rome valued most of all:
literacy, drama, philosophy, mythology and religion. Above all things, the
ancient Roman treasured education and religion. During this era Rome evolved
from a wattle and daub Palatine village to a more complex city-state with stone
architecture, fortifications and roads. A temple dedicated to Jupiter Optimus
Maximus (borrowed from the Greek Zeus) was built on the Capitoline and this
served as the center for Roman religion for the next thousand years until it was
replaced by a new religion. The College of Vestal Virgins was inaugurated.
Vesta was the goddess of the hearth. These unadulterated women were symbolic of
the cloistered mother tending the home fires. The Virgins tended the sacred
flame of Rome which was never allowed to extinguish. The </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collegium_(ancient_Rome)" title="Collegium (ancient Rome)"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">College</span></span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> of the Vestals and its well-being
was regarded as fundamental to the well being and security of </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Rome" title="Ancient Rome"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Rome</span></span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">
and no expense was spared by Rome and its citizens to see to their comfort.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Though the kings were harsh, wealth grew and became
concentrated in a handful of clans supported by the king’s patronage. These
Roman citizens became the father “Patrician” leaders of Rome. The Senate was
created to advise the king, and senators were appointed from the wealthy clans
by the king. Those who were not Patricians were called plebs, and were called
upon by the kings, along with slaves, to build roads, bridges, sewer systems,
defensive fortifications and other grueling municipal work. It was crushing
labor and it was said of Rome that it was built upon the back of slaves. It was
in this that time seeds were laid for civil discord between the classes.
Because there was no written law, the wealthy Patricians enslaved the poor in
debt and manipulated the courts in their favor.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">By 509 BC, chaffing under Etruscan rule, Rome was prime for
revolution.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The rape of noblewoman
Lucretia, at the hands of Sextus, son of King </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucius_Tarquinius_Superbus" title="Lucius Tarquinius Superbus"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Lucius Tarquinius Superbus</span></span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">, and her
subsequent suicide, provided the trigger. The Romans had had enough. The
monarchy was overthrown and the Etruscans driven out. The Romans first
considered Greek democracy as the model their new government, but decided,
instead, upon a republic with three branches of government. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">In 509 BC the Roman Republic was born. At this time the key
Roman character trait of Virtue emerged. The Romans called it “Virtus.” It
manifested as manliness, courage, temperance and ethical behavior among Roman
men, and chastity and circumspection among Rome’s women. The family unit formed
the cornerstone of Roman society. Virtue and the confidence and resolve that
flowed from it guided the trajectory of this great city state for centuries.
Whether in battle or construction of a gravity defying aqueduct, there was no
such thing as defeat, and the concept of failure was alien. There were only
temporary setbacks. On the field of Mars the Roman fighting man was the most
brave and disciplined warrior the world had ever seen. If he lost his battle
today, he went home, tended his wounds and was back the next season. Roman
resolve wore down all enemies. The Romans believed the gods had pre ordained
Rome’s greatness. The Republic built roads which projected Roman soldiers,
architecture, management skills, organization and power outward. Her presence
brought resistance. The Gauls, Carthage and Macedonia to name just a few
challenged Rome and all fell. The victories weren’t easy, and there were
moments all seemed lost. Slowly, under the iron of Roman will and sword, one by
one, Rome subdued first the Italian peninsula then Asia Minor and north Africa.
Romans were energetic and innovative. It co-opted ideas, means and modes of
conquered peoples and improved them. Rome had an endless capacity for adapting
to circumstances, learning from enemies, absorbing, welcoming and even offering
prized Roman citizenship to conquered peoples as long as they abided by Roman
law and spoke its language. This constant influx kept Rome fresh and viable, while
more rigid and homogeneous contemporary cultures like the Etruscans and Greeks
remained static and eventually withered. On the home front the sanctity of the
Roman matron and daughter was above reproach. The Pater was absolute law (Pater
Familias) within his home including the power over life itself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Clear ideas of right and wrong; good and evil
pervaded the Roman collective consciousness and guided Rome’s behavior at home
and abroad. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mos Maiorum, loosely
translated as “the mores of the elders” was the principle to which all Romans
adhered. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Nonetheless, there was trouble. Of all the threats Rome
faced during its Republic, it was internal discord which threatened to pull
Rome apart. An economic downturn in the 5<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> century BC had a
magnified impact upon the plebians because of Patrician abuses. The plebs
threatened to secede. Among the plebs were craftsmen, soldiers, farmers and
artisans many of whom had accumulated considerable wealth. These were the
people who made Rome work. In response the magisterial office of tribune of the
plebs was created. The tribunes represented the common man. They were not
subject to the Senate and had the power to veto on the people’s behalf. Their
persons were sacrosanct and no hand could be laid upon them. The flame of populism
had been lit and would only grow stronger in time as Rome struggled with the
question of what to do with its poor.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Also at this time Roman law was codified and promulgated on
twelve stone tablets. The laws were written in simple language and posted for
all to see. The laws made it harder for the Patrician to manipulate the courts
and thereby ended the war between the classes. But populism lived on. Some
legitimately fought to better the plight of the poor. Others saw the power of
blackmail in the form of manipulation of the mob for favorable legislation. The
wealthy Patricians feared the mob and sought to placate them. At the suggestion
of the populist tribune Gaius Gracchus, Rome built great granaries and subsidized
wheat distributions to all Romans. Land reforms unpopular with the wealthy were
promoted. This was a zero sum game. Subsidized land grants to the poor came as
an expense to the rich. The Gracchi brothers paid with their lives. The great
warrior, consul and uncle to Julius Caesar, Gaius Marius was also a populist
who had some success with land reforms for the poor. But, by far, Rome’s
greatest populist of all was Julius Caesar. Arguably ancient history’s greatest
leader, Julius was wildly beloved by the poor including many who had served with
him during his brilliant campaigns, and for his successful legislation awarding
massive land grants to Roman soldiers. A man of immense intellect and energy by
March 15, 44 BC Caesar had a vision for a new Rome with greater freedoms for
all and power divested away from Rome back to local municipalities creating
instead a universal Rome with Roman citizenship for all deemed worthy. He had
seized the reins and combined in himself the powers of both the tribune and the
consul to effect these changes for Rome.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Those dreams and Rome’s most famous citizen, lay in a heap
on the senate floor and died that day. Caesar was killed by elements of his own
government to whom he was a threat. The world, even today, might look very
different if he had been successful. The Roman Republic faded away and was
replaced by the Roman Empire ruled by a series of emperors, some good, some
benign and some destructive. The momentum and energy generated during the Republic
lifted Rome further. The Roman empire grew to encompass every corner of the
known world at that time from the furthest reaches of Britannia across Europe down
through the Balkans, Asia Minor, Egypt and back across North Africa. The Roman
empire became the world’s lone super power; a scattered population of roughly
90 million ruled by a governing body no bigger than the administration of a
city such as Dallas or Houston. Whereas, during the Republic, the Roman
military fought mostly defensive wars, during the empire, the Roman war machine
engaged in endless conquests for the resources, food and manpower to operate
the empire. This brought many more Egyptians, Greeks, Syrians and others from across
the empire to Rome in search of opportunity. At the same time a hollowing and
cravenness stole from within. Human nature has always and will always remain
the same, but the baser impulses of human nature had been kept in check during
the centuries of the Republic. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The murder of Julius Caesar was the pivotal point for Rome. In
the shadow of Caesar’s murder and the century that followed, we see the
precipitous death of virtue, the birth of cynicism and rise of amorality; </span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="1-2"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">an increase in the material wealth and comfort for a small percentage,
the disappearance of the middle class and crushing poverty for most. Decay in
the reliance on the Roman gods and religion left Rome decadent and morally
bankrupt. </span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The once proud Roman man allowed himself to be bought by his
daily ration of government subsidized grain. The Roman woman gained new
freedoms as social morays (mores) changed. Tens of thousands of Roman women
became prostitutes to support themselves as the empire advanced. Afflicted by
rampant inflation caused by intentional currency debasement, Rome grew ever
poorer. As a means of diversion from the troubles, Roman leaders provided ever
more garish and gory entertainments in gladiatorial games and staged naval
battles as its welfare state grew. Crime rose dramatically as wave after wave
of unwanted barbarians mostly Nordic and Germanic peoples, many displaced by invading
Huns, descended upon Rome. Many didn’t bother to speak the language and were a
drain on an already fragile system. Crushing taxes, an abusive government and
hordes of strange foreigners left Romans bewildered, frightened and confused. Toward
the end of Rome’s multicultural experiment, one would have been hard pressed to
find a real, Latin Roman. As a new religion challenged the faith of Romans, the
college of Vestal Virgins was shuttered and its eternal flame which had burned
almost a thousand years was extinguished in 394 AD. Rome descended to urban
squalor. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Historians point to many reasons for the collapse of the
empire. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In 1780, in his monumental work,
“The Rise and Fall of The Roman Empire,” Edward Gibbons listed five marks of
the dying Roman culture:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br />
1. Concern with displaying affluence instead of building wealth.<br />
2. Obsession with sex and perversions of sex.<br />
3. Art became freakish and sensationalistic instead of creative and original.<br />
4. Widening disparity between very rich and very poor.<br />
5. Increased demand to live off the state.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">In the end the thing that had been Rome’s greatest strength
early on, became its undoing. Immigrants overwhelmed the system. August 24, 410
the Visigoths lead by Alaric walked in and sacked Rome. There wasn’t even a
fight. In the aftermath of Rome’s collapse, travel became too dangerous. Trade across
Europe ground to a halt and literacy disappeared among the people of Europe as
the continent descended into a thousand year period of darkness, poverty,
disease and despair. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Julius Caesar’s murder was both the end of the beginning and
the beginning of the end for Rome. It was the pivotal moment of change.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Chapter II</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The motorcade made a hard left off Houston Street on to Elm
Street. The Dallas Book Depository loomed overhead on the right. U.N.
Ambassador </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adlai_Stevenson_II" title="Adlai Stevenson II"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Adlai Stevenson</span></span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> had visited Dallas one month
earlier and was jeered, jostled, hit by a sign, and spat upon.<u><sup><span style="color: blue; font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></sup></u><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was turmoil in Dallas. Kennedy had big
plans in the works. Executive order 11110, signed June 4<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup>, 1963
laid the groundwork to abolish the Federal Reserve. Many, including Jackie,
said America’s pullout from Viet Nam would have come in his next term. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Kennedy believed the CIA had become too
powerful, and formed a “shadow government within the government,” which he believed
threatened America. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He planned a major
reorganization of the CIA, but he had to get reelected to see the processes
through. Kennedy and Johnson had barely won Texas, and had lost Dallas. Kennedy
wanted to start his ’64 campaign in Dallas, Texas. Stevenson and others warned
him not to go, but Kennedy refused. The tide of history moved him forward. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As his sleek black Cadillac limousine slid
into Dealy Plaza our handsome president and his beautiful wife smiled and waved
to adoring worshipers. Shots rang out and the president’s head erupted in a
profusion of blood and brains. Nothing could be done to save him. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">As John F. Kennedy died, the great American republic died
with him.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The birth of the American Republic was not announced by a
blue angels flyover with a huge fireworks display and the singing of our
national anthem. America had a humble start with small European outposts on the
eastern seaboard, in Florida, and in the southwest. Like Rome, America overthrew
its oppressive monarchy and formed the American Republic with three branches of
government. We codified our laws in our constitution. Also, like Rome, virtue,
religion, education and family values were the core beliefs which made America
strong. One room schools and one room churches built the greatest society since
ancient Rome. Like Rome, America embraced its legal immigrants who brought new
ideas, creativity, added to the ingenuity pool of America and constantly
refreshed and revitalized this country. From its inception as a Republic,
America has been the most dynamic, energetic and innovative country the world
had seen since ancient Rome. America believed its destiny was manifest and
blessed by God. We, too fielded the bravest soldiers the world had ever seen. Like
Rome, America dealt with class strife and fought a civil war, ostensibly to
repair wrongs to a class of citizens. We, too, have always had a strong strain
of populism. And like Rome, many of our populists, Abraham Lincoln, RFK, Martin
Luther King, Jr. and others paid the ultimate price. Also like Rome, America
grew into a welfare state.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">John F. Kennedy’s murder was our pivotal moment.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">After the assassination of John F Kennedy, widespread
disillusionment precipitated the rapid decline of public Virtue, religious
adherence, education and the destruction of the nuclear family along with a
commensurate rise in moral ambiguity and malaise. Women enjoy greater freedoms,
yet endure greater hardships often as the single parent. These impulses may
well have been present before his murder, but they were held in check during
the Republic. The lapse in civic virtue had its corollary in political virtue.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Soon after Kennedy’s murder America decoupled the dollar
from gold, and simultaneously linked it to oil. Now instead of a gold backed
the dollar, America had an oil backed dollar; All energy transfers, no matter
who the parties, must be conducted in American dollars. This fact combined with
the dollar’s reserve currency status, conferred upon America global financial
hegemony, and thus, the American empire was born.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After the fall of the Soviet Union, the
American empire became the world’s lone super power. Today America’s reach extends
to every point on the globe and impacts every living person. The American
empire has engaged in endless war for resources and to protect its petrol
dollar. Any world leader, Hussein and Gaddafi, for example, who threatens the
petrol dollar, does so at mortal peril. America engages in predatory currency
manipulations to bring enemies to heel.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">While wealth and material comfort has increased for a tiny
minority, it has steadily declined for the majority in the middle and lower classes
with the expansion of the empire. The value of our currency has declined by
nearly 100% over the past century. This empire, like the Roman is today
inundated by uninvited immigrants who overwhelm the system. Americans are
bewildered and confused by an oppressive government who intrudes upon, taxes
and regulates them into oblivion while offering little or no protections. The
American empire government of today bears no resemblance to that of Truman or
Eisenhower of the old American republic. Today those guide posts Gibbons provided
for the decline and fall of Rome seem written for American culture, and there
can be no doubt a similar fate lies ahead for America.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Conclusion</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Virtue is the strength of nations. Family, morals, ethics,
circumspection, a free and fair legal system and some form of religion, whether
it be Jupiter Optimus Maximus or Jesus Christ is necessary for a strong and
healthy civilization with a positive trajectory. When these are compromised, a
nation becomes unmoored and loses its way. Upon Caesar and Kennedy was placed
the collective hope of their people. Their untimely murder destroyed that hope
and produced profound disillusionment which poisoned the well of virtue. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">When Virtue is lost, a nation has crossed the Rubicon.</span></div>
Lukehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02481884859967101525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5377641958674900988.post-33381379795173604342013-12-10T10:41:00.003-06:002013-12-10T10:41:46.772-06:00A Christmas GiftStark trees turned white shoulders to a stiff westerly which had piled snow on the west side of the house almost to the eaves. Christmas was upon us. All the cars had disappeared beneath beautiful white blanket laid down over night. On this cold, overcast morning we played through streets and yards. I had thrown ten thousand snow balls, and dodged twice as many, when all of a sudden, in a fierce shoot out, Robby’s snowball caught me dead in the eye. It hurt so bad I cried. They laughed at me and I was mortified. I blindly gave chase and they fled through the drifts, leaping and laughing. I turned and went into the house peeling off layers while Mom poured hot chocolate. “What’s wrong?” She saw my tears and gathered me into her protective arms. I explained and she inspected the eye.<br />
<br />
“Can you see okay?”<br />
<br />
“Yes.”<br />
<br />
“It’s going to bruise, but you’ll be okay.”<br />
<br />
There was a knock at the door. “We’re sorry,” I heard them say. “Is Var okay.”<br />
<br />
“I think so.” Mom led Robby and Owen into the kitchen and poured for them.<br />
<br />
“Mom, I saw the mailman,” I said as a whiff of steam rose from my cup. A week earlier I had written my letter to Santa with my Christmas list that would make me happy. It was a short list, because I knew Santa had many other children to care for, and Mom and Dad told me not to be greedy. A Buffalo Bill Cody Cap Gun set with a real leather holster. Buffalo Bill had recently become my hero. I’d read all about him in our school history book and checked out books from the school library. He had been a Calvary scout for the United States Army and later a Wild West entertainer beloved by all. I wanted to be just like him. Tough and popular. Also, I explained to Santa that I thought Dad was going to replace my blue handled Cub Scout knife which I had lost in the field down the street. Though Dad had said it was my responsibility, I knew in my heart he would help me. So, if Santa would be so kind, a Bowie knife like the one I had seen at Sears & Roebuck. And with a sheath. I had to have the sheath so I could wear it on my belt for adventures. I knew the knife was dangerous. I promised to be very careful with it and explained that I was a big boy now. I also took pains to let Santa know I was not greedy, but that I did want him to know that I wanted the Schwinn Stingray bicycle in green with the sissy bar, but next year would be okay for that. The bike I had was okay.<br />
<br />
I was specific and asked Santa to reply. Mom explained he was very busy this time of year and might not be able, but I explained to Mom that Billy had gotten a reply. So if Santa could reply to Billy, he could reply to me, too. She reminded me of all the millions of children to whom he had to reply. I didn’t listen. Mom patiently helped me write it, and when we finished, she sealed, stamped it said she would mail it for me.<br />
<br />
“Did I get my letter?”<br />
<br />
She leaned over and whispered in my ear, “yes, but I’ll give it to you later.” Then patted my head.<br />
<br />
“I want it now!” I demanded at no less than 100 decibels. If Santa had responded to me, I should not be kept from that letter. No way, no how. This was too important! Even if she was my Mom.<br />
<br />
“The sun has come out. Why don’t you all go back out and play? Momma has to cook.”<br />
<br />
“No, I want it now.” I could be determined. Even then.<br />
<br />
“Okay, honey.” Strange, it didn’t come from the envelopes on the table, but rather she withdrew it from her apron. She handed it over. I tore into it like a wild animal. It was brief. I was shocked.<br />
<br />
“Stupid Santa!” I screamed. Those insidious words on the paper etched themselves into my heart. How could he? “Is this it?” I was so mad I almost cried again. “That’s no gift.” I leapt up and threw the letter.<br />
<br />
To my great surprise my mother laughed.<br />
<br />
“It’s not funny,” I screamed again.<br />
<br />
“What did it say?”<br />
<br />
“Read it yourself.”<br />
<br />
She picked up the letter and read it. “I think those are fine words Santa wrote,” she said, not the least upset for me. My Christmas was ruined.<br />
<br />
“I hate Santa.”<br />
<br />
“But why?” She asked.<br />
<br />
“That’s no gift! I want my gun. That’s just stupid words.”<br />
<br />
“Var, I didn’t see anywhere there that he wasn’t giving you your gun.”<br />
<br />
I though for a moment. She was right. As always, she made me feel better.<br />
<br />
“Go outside and play,” she said. “It’s too pretty to be trapped inside.”<br />
<br />
I asked for a carrot to decorate the snowman we were going to build. There were no carrots so Mom gave me a ruby red radish for my snowman’s nose. Everyone thought that was so funny. The grownups all called him Whiskey. Whiskey stayed up for weeks and was the talk of our block.<br />
<br />
That was fifty years ago.<br />
<br />
A million battles, jobs, self recriminations, bottles of scotch, mortgages, unfulfilled dreams, diapers, divorces, tuitions and sleepless nights ago. I am not sure who I dreamt I would become, but I am not he.<br />
<br />
I have been selfish and a failure.<br />
<br />
Outside a cold December rain falls. It is Christmas again and now I hold my mother, my real life Santa, in my arms. I realize, a little late, how much she means to me and how greatly I will miss her. “Merry Christmas,” she says quietly. She hands me an ancient, yellowed scrap of paper. “I love you, son.” What's this? My old letter from Santa Claus. She’d kept the thing all these decades. I have never forgotten, nor heeded its words. With trembling hand I read,<br />
<br />
Var, Things won't make you happy, but, if you are happy, you will enjoy your things. Love yourself as I love you. From this flow the cardinal virtues of Character, Compassion and Forgiveness. From these comes your happiness. When you are happy, you love yourself.<br />
<br />
This is my gift to you.<br />
<br />
And you are my gift to the world.<br />
<br />
Merry Christmas,<br />
<br />
Santa Claus.<br />
<br />
<br />
Copyright, 2013 <br />
Luke SaucierLukehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02481884859967101525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5377641958674900988.post-73724687266105951452013-01-14T22:55:00.000-06:002013-01-15T08:37:17.592-06:00Life's Battles<div class="text_exposed_root text_exposed" id="id_50f565b78e1854795494804">
<span class="userContent">My childhood slumped, lifeless, onto the battlefield of my parents' dysfunction many years before manhood came to me. The war had ended, but my battles had just begun. I questioned God. I cursed and lamented this premature death, and the battles that followed until age and wisdom gave me insight.<br /><br />Through my battle with anger I learned that anger undermines life and this life is far too short. Ang<span class="text_exposed_show">er makes the bouquet of the heart wither. A withered heart invites disease. It is better to love and forgive. Even those who have wronged you... Especially those who have wronged you. For we don't know God's plan for them. This battle taught me to never show anger toward my children.<br /><br />My battle with insecurity drove me to achieve; to create; to draw; to write. To create art with pencils, and paint and with words which may touch or lift or move or transform others. And to hopefully share these talents with my children.<br /><br />My dreadful fight with the fear of abandonment compelled me to be at each of my daughter's bedside each night, without fail. To hold each tenderly and let her know that she is loved completely and unconditionaly. That someone would always be there for her.<br /><br />My mother and father had difficult roles to play in life's drama. Where ever they are, I thank them.<br /><br />And so you see, we don't understand God's plans for us. It took me years to see his presence in my life. In his wisdom, he moves us where we need to be. We are each players upon his stage. <br /><br />Accept your life and take from it its lessons. <br /><br />For they are God's lessons.</span></span></div>
<br />Lukehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02481884859967101525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5377641958674900988.post-13165811369059511022012-11-28T16:06:00.001-06:002012-11-28T16:06:36.291-06:00Abel and CainWithout contrasts the mountain, nor the newborn can be seen. All life and art is the dynamic interplay of light and dark. <br />
<br />
Deep inside the heart of Abel passes a little of the <em>feeling</em> of Cain, likewise within the mind of Cain flashes a brief <em>thought</em> like that of Abel.<br />
<br />
It is the Yin and Yang of all things.Lukehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02481884859967101525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5377641958674900988.post-27284896653141157542012-11-24T14:03:00.000-06:002012-11-30T14:19:33.757-06:00The ProphetProphet, <br />
<br />
when you said "Oh, Child of Israel, you've lost your way,"<br />
I mocked you. "I am a child of America!"<br />
The rags you wear proved <em>you</em> hadn't found much.<br />
<br />
And when you said "you've allowed <br />
relativism to replace reverence,"<br />
I sneered loudly,<br />
and called <em>you</em> irreverent.<br />
<br />
When you said, "time and again<br />
you mend the symptom, but the body grows ever sicker,<br />
I laughed at you, "my body is fine!"<br />
I shouted.<br />
<br />
And when you said "you've taken Creator<br />
from the head of your table, and replaced Him with man,"<br />
I scorned you, openly.<br />
"God has no place at the public table!"<br />
I yelled back at you, you old fool.<br />
<br />
When you said "while you lay intoxicated at the games,<br />
your freedom will surely be forfeit,<br />
and you will strangle by your own laws."<br />
I knew you were mad,<br />
<br />
for, surely, <em>this</em> would go on forever.<br />
<br />
You said "there is a better way,"<br />
but I didn't listen<br />
and don't remember what you taught.<br />
<br />
Then one day the sun peeked through the clouds<br />
and I saw things in a different light.<br />
<br />
Now ill omens abound,<br />
and my mind is uneasy.<br />
Calamity builds just beyond the western horizon <br />
like a lethal winter blizzard.<br />
I can sense it.<br />
<br />
And I can't find you.<br />
<br />
Oh, Prophet where have you gone?<br />
<br />
For I <em>have</em> lost my way.<br />
<br />
Copyright Luke Saucier, 2012Lukehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02481884859967101525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5377641958674900988.post-27532994632492298532012-07-15T16:09:00.003-05:002012-08-15T13:44:42.603-05:00Musing on Letters<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Daughter,” I queried as we walked along the shore, “what’s the greatest power known to us?”</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">“Knowledge,” she answered.</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">“Good answer. Writers of the Old Testament would agree with you. What else?”</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">“Money.” </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">“Another great answer. Can you think of anything else?”</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">“Love.”</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">“I am proud of you for such thoughtful answers to this important question,” I said as we walked on.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">“What do you say it is, father?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">“I think it is ‘Story.’ The Story of Christ has led to countless acts of goodness and mercy, but also mischief and murder. That Story has touched billions, and has changed the course of history. The Story Thomas Paine wrote combined with the a handful of words in which Thomas Jefferson <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Declared</i> sparked the separation of child from parent and the birth of the greatest experiment in human history. The Story Charles Darwin told forever changed the way in which man looks at himself. Standing in the yawning breach, with only 271 words, Abraham Lincoln's Story stitched together the wound between the old country, and its new successor. In 1917 Vladimir Lenin became both a part of the story and the storyteller. The tide he unleashed killed tens of millions. Then there was story the French sold at that fateful treaty in Versailles, 1919 which begat the story Hitler sold his people which ended or changed forever the lives of hundreds of millions. Each of these Stories had tectonic ramifications in the history of man."</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">She pondered.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">"So, you see, I think the greatest power in the life of man, daughter, lies in your command over letters; in your ability to craft a narrative; to tell a ‘Story.'"</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Storyteller holds in her hands the keys to the gates of both Heaven and Hell.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">That is awesome power.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The wise Storyteller uses those keys judiciously.</span></div>
Lukehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02481884859967101525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5377641958674900988.post-67902773328268547412012-07-10T08:25:00.002-05:002012-07-10T08:37:55.023-05:00Musing on Pursuit of TruthEagles don't soar in flocks. Their hunt is solitary. So it is with us. While in the nest we are surrounded by family and friends, but when the mind takes flight; when we seek, we fly alone.Lukehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02481884859967101525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5377641958674900988.post-57892284159623961202012-07-10T08:21:00.002-05:002012-07-10T08:39:06.301-05:00Musing on Normal"Normal" is a dreary, one-size-fits-all uniform for the dull of mind. It's an ill fit for the thoughtful woman. Aspire to be independent and unique.Lukehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02481884859967101525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5377641958674900988.post-23487261789689921072012-07-08T13:46:00.000-05:002012-07-11T08:12:53.417-05:00Musing on the Writer's Palette<div class="statusUnit">
<div class="tlTxFe">
I lift my quill to write. The ink wells spread before me are labelled: <br />
<br /></div>
<div class="tlTxFe">
</div>
<div class="tlTxFe">
PAIN. EXPERIENCE. FATHER. COMMON SENSE. INNOCENCE. IMAGINATION. MORTALITY. LOVE. FANCY. DEATH. BETRAYAL. TIME. MOTHER. CHILDHOOD. <br />
<br /></div>
<div class="tlTxFe">
</div>
<div class="tlTxFe">
From this palette come the myriad colors in the tapestry of life.</div>
</div>Lukehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02481884859967101525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5377641958674900988.post-20675869836567047272012-07-05T21:00:00.004-05:002012-08-20T20:21:47.562-05:00The ExceptionDaughter, <br />
<br />
While they load your bags into the stainless steel belly of your 767, I had a few thoughts I wanted to share with you. <b></b><br />
<br />
Until today you’ve lived on the Island of Home. It is a sanctuary of boring sameness for children. Many can’t wait to flee that island, only to spend the rest of their lives looking back at it. Beyond the shore of this island lies the Sea of Change. <br />
<br />
When your plane lifts off, you will cross that sea, bound for the land all must eventually inhabit: the land of Adulthood. In adulthood, Experience is the currency of the realm. Often experience is got by making a mistake. Experience is the internal voice that keeps you from making similar mistakes again. Experience is the parent of discretion and discrimination. Your life will always be filled with choices. Chose well. Experience comes at the expense of childhood innocence; as the one is gained, the other is lost with one exception. <br />
<br />
They are loading the last bags into your plane. Just a few more things I’d like to say: <br />
<br />
Kindness is good policy. It is usually returned. The opposite holds true as well. <br />
<br />
Understand and be patient with the foibles of others. The time will come when you will need a little understanding. <br />
<br />
Hold reasonable expectations of others, but high expectations of yourself. <br />
<br />
Adversity is part of life. Embrace it. That will take away its power to scare you. Resist it, and it will wear you down. When possible harness the energy of adversity. Like a strong northerly it can take your craft far. <br />
<br />
The powerful often show magnanimity. That is easy when you have all the cards. Not so simple when you are vulnerable, but do it anyway. Grace is humanity’s most beautiful adornment. <br />
<br />
Health, character and education are the only real wealth we actually possess. Everything else is on loan. <br />
<br />
Never sing your own praises. Others will do that plenty for you, but don’t believe them. Stay grounded. <br />
<br />
Friendship in adulthood is rare, but it does happen. Remember, to have a friend, you must be a friend.<br />
<br />
Marriage is a decision. Staying married is a decision. It takes work, it takes two and it won’t always be easy, but if you’ve found the right mate, it will rarely be difficult. There will be worries and stress. Your children will be your greatest joy. <br />
<br />
Parenting—call me. Not enough paper here. <br />
<br />
Give. Don’t lend; especially money. It entangles you in a web of resentment and pain. Often the debt cannot be repaid and then you lose a friend. Give happily and freely. The universe has a way of balancing all things and you may retain a friend. <br />
<br />
Similarly, you cannot always repay kindnesses shown to you by others. You must pass them along.<br />
<br />
Forget talk of the end of the world. This world ends eventually for every man. <br />
<br />
It breaks my heart, but they’ve closed the door. The plane’s loaded. Boarding will start soon. There is just one more thing. <br />
<br />
Some adults become jaded and cynical. For them life has lost its flavor. That is because they no longer possess Wonder. <br />
<br />
Wonder at the setting sun and violet star scattered heavens hung with golden moon. Wonder at the migratory geese flying purposefully overhead and the dew-kissed clover. Wonder at the shooting star and at the babbling mountain brook. Wonder at thoughts of the unknown universe, and Wonder at the tenuous proposition of life itself. <br />
<br />
Wonder is the last vestige of childhood innocence left to the adult. It is the Exception gifted to humans by the Almighty to keep alive the magic of childhood. Lose Wonder and life no longer holds beauty. <br />
<br />
We are stardust infused with eternal life. Right now our bodies are composed of atoms born at the dawn of time. Those atoms have comprised countless nebulae, stars and planets before they came to reside in us. And those atoms remember. We are a part of eternity. We are within the universe and the universe is within us. It is a closed system neither gaining, nor losing energy. The life-energy within us which animates all living things never dies. Ashes go to ashes, but life returns to life. Yield gracefully and give fear of hereafter no purchase within your heart.<br />
<br />
Spend as much time in nature as you can. For it is our cathedral.<br />
<br />
Now, you must go. My heart is filled with happiness for your going, but my eyes fill with tears at your leaving. Go now. <br />
<br />
I love you.<br />
<br />
<b>Copyright, 2012 Luke Saucier</b>Lukehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02481884859967101525noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5377641958674900988.post-36483415514946591362012-06-06T18:22:00.001-05:002012-06-06T18:26:19.529-05:00Musing on True NorthYou are the captain of your ship. If facts and truth be your North Star, you will always stay on course.Lukehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02481884859967101525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5377641958674900988.post-74072751179422976542012-06-06T09:55:00.001-05:002012-06-06T10:10:13.991-05:00A Musing on FortuneFortune is the shore where waves of preparation meet the sands of opportunity. The wise woman gets her feet wet there.Lukehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02481884859967101525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5377641958674900988.post-11892633709254935082012-04-24T22:00:00.000-05:002012-05-23T10:34:00.096-05:00King MidasI will be terse<br />
Empty thy pocket<br />
Turn out thy purse.<br />
<br />
There’s another even greater than you,<br />
Three handed Chronos <br />
Who divides two by two by two.<br />
<br />
He loans you life for but a day<br />
and you see only gold<br />
While second by second his debt you repay.<br />Lukehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02481884859967101525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5377641958674900988.post-20919713137125744272012-03-26T16:47:00.011-05:002012-08-18T18:21:59.404-05:00Musing on My Little BoatFor my Little Boats, Adelaide and Gabrielle<br />
<br />
On a warm summer day I will launch you, my Little Boat. I thought long and consulted the Great Boat Maker for guidance before I built you. Horrible storms I had seen at sea convinced me of the need to build you correctly. Your keel was laid with utmost attention to detail, for it is your foundation. When strong winds batter you, and they will, your solid keel will keep you on course. <br />
<br />
Only the strongest timbers could make your hull. Good wood expands and contracts with weather conditions and endures well. The character of a good hull promotes buoyancy and will keep you well above water. I molded every plank into shape with my hands, hand-fastened every joint and glued every seam. Your integrity is watertight. <br />
<br />
The seasoned spruce I chose for your mast is well known for its strength and flexibility. It will hold the sheet firmly in place, yet yield when conditions warrant as you cut across the open sea. <br />
<br />
The genius lies in your sails. Only the best canvas would I choose for your sails. I cut and stitched your sails myself paying particular attention with every stitch that the knot was secure. Again, so there would be no fraying when winter winds blow. I embedded pretty pictures on them which will keep you always moving forward in a positive way. It is your sails working in conjunction with your keel, hull and mast which determine how far you will travel. You are sturdy and sea worthy, shiny and beautiful, Little Boat, and I love you. May fair wind fill your sails and golden horizons lie ahead for you. <br />
<br />
One day you will build and launch a little boat of your own. Then you will know my joy.<br />
<br />
It is with gladness in my heart, but sadness in my eye that I release you to ocean, wind and sun.<br />
<br />
Copyright 2012, Luke SaucierLukehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02481884859967101525noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5377641958674900988.post-74190983793319871832012-03-16T16:16:00.009-05:002012-05-15T14:25:25.949-05:00Musing on MiddlelandAs first rays purpled the eastern horizon, the good ship Lollipop sailed forth. Sweet harbor lay dark and quiet, but became noisy with the coming dawn. We cut silently out into early morning sea and daylight. <br />
<br />
Toward noon the wind picked up, and so did the sea. Afternoon provided turns aplenty. I took dangerous plunges and unnecessary risks. I drove her hard and fast. She served me better than I knew; better than I deserved. We travelled far. I never fully appreciated her green timbers while aboard and she had just become seaworthy when, late afternoon, during one of the frequent storms near Middleland, I hugged too close in and the cross-current of Middleland dashed us upon its shoals. <br />
<br />
Looking back it's all clear, now, mistakes made while still in her thrall, but, in my heat, I was blind. Lollipop lies behind me now, broken on the shore of Middleland. No turning back, so I‘ve deconstructed her and carry pieces to burn to warm me and show the way. Her light reveals obstacles along the path. I forge on as blue yields to indigo. Forward. Always moving forward. <br />
<br />
Old Bald Mountain with its stinging wind lies ahead to the west and beyond is the setting sun toward which we all must travel.<br />
<br />
Copyright, Luke Saucier, 2012Lukehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02481884859967101525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5377641958674900988.post-4293281838556867272012-03-10T19:40:00.003-06:002012-08-18T18:23:06.772-05:00Musing at The Shore of TimeI stood upon the shore of time. Moments washed over my feet. In my preoccupation with matters at hand, I didn't notice the rising tide. I was, too soon, swept away.Lukehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02481884859967101525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5377641958674900988.post-44912775849322201382012-02-21T23:08:00.001-06:002012-04-22T21:33:44.018-05:00Atlas Unbound--A Paean to the Common ManPoor Atlas bound in chain, <br />
Against dark rock<br />
Night and day you strain<br />
Whitewashed hearth soaked with blood<br />
of your body, torn, <br />
to serve greedy master <br />
to whom you are sworn.<br />
Atlas, great Atlas<br />
Like the lamb you are shorn.<br />
Tear off that chain, cast down the clay<br />
No more tomorrows forlorn,<br />
not another day.<br />
Mend your body; its strength to regain<br />
Until you become<br />
Atlas unbound once againLukehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02481884859967101525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5377641958674900988.post-62978431284830094822012-02-13T20:04:00.010-06:002012-11-08T00:40:58.499-06:00Musing at SunsetThe night paints the palisades over my shoulder in sunset blue as she and I sit bundled on purple evening sand. Gulls caw overhead. Playfull laughter carried upon the salty Pacific breeze from the shore tickles our ears. Silhouetted children frolic at water’s edge as golden orb slips into shimmering horizon exploding sky from burnt orange to spangled violet as darkness gathers. <br />
<br />
Ineffable, <br />
the moment. <br />
The beauty.<br />
<br />
Another day finished. Once again Lady Noche has seduced her lover, Sol, and drawn the curtain tight 'round the world.Lukehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02481884859967101525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5377641958674900988.post-2724348906607248372012-01-21T13:11:00.001-06:002012-01-21T13:12:54.161-06:00On Scene WritingIn the order of things, as you write, you will approach a scene. You peek around the corner at it. All your characters are there, milling around; waiting. You know them. They are, after all, yours. You know roughly what happens in the scene, BUT, there are ALWAYS surprises as a scene unfolds. Your characters always do the unexpected. That's what keeps writing fun and readers interested.Lukehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02481884859967101525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5377641958674900988.post-32180376397013592192012-01-11T14:34:00.002-06:002012-01-11T14:36:47.460-06:00Garden of ForgivenessMy friend John is a proud man. Built his electrical contracting business from the ground up, He’s a good husband and father. John has reason to be proud. He worked hard for his success, but he assumes others think likewise. John is steadfast and constant as the Northern Star, but he is also inflexible and intolerant of change. When others change, John sees this as being untrue to self, and sometimes, a betrayal of him. Through conversation I discovered John sees his inflexibility as part of his strength in spite of some estranged relationships. After all, it is closely related to the determination that built his success.<br />
<br />
My friend Mary teaches 6th grade here in town. 6th graders are a tricky bunch, but Mary does well with them. Not perfect, but better than average. She is night and day different from John. She is forgiving and tolerant. Mary has tried to be sterner in her life, but it’s not in her. As her students change, she changes with them. She is endlessly patient. In spite of her professional successes, Mary views her inability to be stricter as a flaw in her character. She told me she used to pray for a “sterner spine.”<br />
<br />
Both John and Mary are wrong.<br />
<br />
It is not a flaw to allow those close to you to make mistakes, to change and grow. Inflexibility is the flaw. In most cases tolerance and forgiveness nourish the vine of affection. Inflexibility kills it. Life is so much more pleasant, and relations so much richer when we exist in the Garden of Forgiveness.Lukehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02481884859967101525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5377641958674900988.post-1494358933488385742012-01-03T15:55:00.003-06:002012-03-23T22:56:19.243-05:00Lamb or GoatSome days you're the lamb, some days you're the goat. Either way you end up sacrificed on the altar of eventuality. Enjoy your pasture while you still have it. Jump a fence once in a while. Live.Lukehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02481884859967101525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5377641958674900988.post-4468243200832534542012-01-02T13:00:00.005-06:002012-03-16T18:17:40.070-05:00Musing at the Tide PoolThere were a thousand footprints in the sands<br />
of the tide pool<br />
from my many trips to it,<br />
but a moment ago.<br />
Now the tide’s turned, and the beach has been washed smooth<br />
Ready for new, other prints.<br />
I hear echoes of a boy's laughter<br />
From long ago.<br />
The lonesome gull caws in the blue overhead<br />
Sun’s setting.<br />
Time to head home.Lukehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02481884859967101525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5377641958674900988.post-84020247234612475362012-01-02T08:47:00.002-06:002012-01-02T08:47:57.390-06:00Two WordsIt’s just two words. Two words that roll off the tongue with a pleasing balance of consonants and vowels. We uttered them with the greatest of ease and the sincerest of intention once upon a time. A warm wish meant only to confer upon the hearer all the goodness and warmth of the season. That was before we allowed the ugly weed of politics and political correctness to invade the garden of our lives and words. Today this malady has choked off the flowers, and has perverted light into darkness. Now, as I order my coffee and sit in the coffee shop this winter season, I observe friends, looking carefully over their shoulders before they furtively speak the words. Others utter them in loud defiance demanding to be heard not just by the person to whom they speak, for they, too, are making their own political statement.<br />
<br />
I say these words now to you in their original form intending all the warmth of the hearth and brotherly love during this yuletide season.<br />
<br />
Merry Christmas!Lukehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02481884859967101525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5377641958674900988.post-57022980604042599632012-01-02T08:46:00.000-06:002012-01-02T08:46:09.440-06:00Cheat the ReaperAnother year I have eluded his icy grip and cheated the reaper; outrun the bill collector and taxman. But it wasn’t easy. In the book of my life, chapter 2011 will be titled Professor Mayhem. The professor’s class this past year was on the unpredictable and fragile nature of this life. He wasted no time opening the year with a stroke which killed a dear employee. Midyear a friend heart attacked out. Big health scare visited our house, but appears to have moved on, but then the child of another employee was shot. She lies paralyzed for the rest of her life. These are the big things. There were many, many smaller points made in the Professor’s class of 2011. The lessons of this year have marked me indelibly with a stamp that reads: “Fragile. Handle With Care.” Treasure what you have. However humble it may be. Love your family unconditionally. They are all you really have. They will insulate you when the cold wind of adversity howls. I am glad to bid Professor Mayhem adieu and put 2011 in the rearview mirror, and pray for smoother road ahead. I look forward to the New Year with renewed hope. Hope for my family and yours.<br />
<br />
May this be our best yet!<br />
<br />
Happy New YearLukehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02481884859967101525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5377641958674900988.post-62377559547465960892011-05-25T09:19:00.002-05:002011-05-25T09:19:19.118-05:00How to WriteHide the bomb from inquisitive views,<br />
And from that object, make their eyes part.<br />
Take care to lay out your length of fuse,<br />
From the finish to the start.<br />
Along the way seed in a few clues.<br />
To captivate the heart.<br />
Now strike, so the fuse to light,<br />
And this my friend,<br />
Is how to write.Lukehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02481884859967101525noreply@blogger.com0