Tuesday, December 2, 2014
The Purple Backpack
(Below is an email that I sent to FWCD parents on Wednesday, May 28, 2014 at 6:53 pm from the little village of Romerillos, Ecuador. I was part of a construction team - 12 students and three teachers -building a day care center for approximately 100 families south of Quito in the Andean highlands. We worked at about 12,00 feet.)
Friends:
We completed the second floor today!
Tough day. Lots of concrete. Lots of buckets of dirt and rock.
But all worth it.
I've attached a photograph of little Eduardo. Look at him closely. Look at his face and his new purple backpack. As part of a student's Eagle Scout project, we presented the children of Romerillos with backpacks filled with necessities.
Doesn't little Eduardo look proud? Happy. He has a new backpack.
This is why we are here!
Take care. We are fine and happy.
Regards,
Bill
***Please know that I will blog only sporadically until January. No weekly posts. I am pursuing some other interests right now and will begin regular, weekly posts on January 9, 2015.***
Friday, November 14, 2014
Coffee with Niles
I have long enjoyed the old sit-com Frasier.
My favorite episode is called "Coffee with Niles." Check it out it sometime on Netflix. I believe you will enjoy it for the comedic banter between these two brothers as well as the central question posed in the episode.
Frasier and Niles ask one another: Are you happy?
Are you happy?
Well, are you? Yes, you.
Over the past several years there has been considerable study of happiness. Harvard researchers even tracked graduates from the Classes of 1938-40 for 75 years. That study found that love is the key to a happy life; that regardless of how we begin life, we can all become happier; and, that challenges (and the perspective they give us) can make us happier.
No real surprise there.
I am also intrigued by evidence that suggests that once we acquire what we need we don't necessarily get happier through the acquisition of more of what we want, such as money or material possessions. Fascinating. I guess "keeping up with the Joneses" really is a drag.
For some reason this doesn't surprise me either.
Well, I guess I will choose to be happy today. I'm gonna try to linger a little longer on those little, positive moments. I'm gonna smile at ten people I don't know. And I'm gonna find a way to practice compassion before I turn out my office light later this evening.
Then, when I get home, I'm going to watch "Coffee with Niles" on Netflix.
I'm gonna do that because it makes me happy.
And 30 minutes of happiness should be recognized and celebrated.
Friday, November 7, 2014
When You Know, Go!
My friend Bobby has been a minister for over 50 years and he is a really good dispenser of advice. It seems like every time I see him he greets me with a smile and gives me a valuable nugget to consider. (I guess there's one thing old age provides that the young can't get with money or through books. Wisdom.)
Bobby has a really important guiding principle: "When you know, Go!"
To a funeral.
To see a sick friend.
When a friend just needs a friend.
To an important event with your child or spouse.
When you know someone is suffering.
Don't over-think it. Don't over-analyze. Don't fret over what to wear or what to bring. Don't worry about what to say. It really doesn't matter. What matters is that you are there.
"When you know, Go!"
Friday, October 31, 2014
The Human Spirit
Debby and I frequent the Trinity Trail near Oakmont Park. It is one of our sacred spaces. Good "together time" for us - and it's where we do some of our best talking. (I hope you have some "together time" with those you love. I think that's very important.)
A few weeks back we saw a young boy - maybe 5 years old - walking along the trail behind his mom and dad. He was exhausted. His eyes were full of tears. "Pick me up! I can't walk anymore," he wailed.
Then he saw the playground equipment about 100 yards ahead.
Guess what he did?
He ran! Ran! Ran fast!
(I am sure there are doctors reading this blog entry who can explain what happened to the young boy. How could he recover so much energy so quickly? There is certainly a scientific explanation for what I saw. Adrenaline? I don't know.)
I believe in the Human Spirit.
The Human Spirit is that "something special and mysterious" that enables us to do what we are convinced we can not do.
History provides us many examples of this. The English defeat the French at Agincourt. Apollo XIII returns safely back to Earth. Tiger Woods wins the 2008 US Open with a broken leg. Jennifer Pharr Davis conquers the Appalachian Trail. Isner and Mahut play an 11-hour match at Wimbledon. Benoit Lecomte swims across the Atlantic in 73 days. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain secures Little Round Top.
A little boy dashes toward the swing set.
I cannot explain it.
But I know it is real.
Dinner table conversation of the week:
Consider the ethics of writing a fictional anecdote on a college application.
Friday, October 24, 2014
Meeting of the Minds
I remember vividly - and with fondness - the old Steve Allen show Meeting of the Minds that aired on PBS from 1977-81. It was filmed in Hollywood and featured a round table discussion between some of the world's most notable historical characters.
Perhaps some of you remember it too.
For example, Allen might moderate a discussion that included William Shakespeare, Voltaire, Karl Marx, and Catherine the Great. Or, perhaps, a debate between Oliver Cromwell, Socrates, and Thomas Paine.
Have you ever thought about your "dream team" dinner party of historical characters?
I think if I could host my first dream team dinner party, I would include soldier Henry Knox, poet Phyllis Wheatley, writer Ernest Hemingway, and director John Ford.
Here's why...
Henry Knox (1750-1806) Knox is one of my heroes because he conducted one of the most daring and exciting missions of the American Revolutionary War. He was dispatched from Boston by George Washington on November 16, 1775 to conduct a forced march - through snow, ice, and mud - of over 300 miles to Fort Ticonderoga in order to seize mortars and cannons. (Those cannons were critical to the American cause and would stay in steady service for the remainder of the War.) That Knox did so is a miracle. As the noted historian David McCullough writes in his book 1776, "[Knox] had fulfilled all expectations, despite rough forest roads, freezing lakes, blizzards, thaws, mountain wilderness, and repeated mishaps that would have broken lesser spirits several times over. The story of the expedition would be told and retold for weeks within the army and for years to come" (McCullough, 82). Find time to read about Knox. He must have been an extraordinarily creative problem-solver. A real man of initiative.
http://www.gilderlehrman.org/history-by-era/war-for-independence/resources/dragging-cannon-from-fort-ticonderoga-boston-1775
Phyllis Wheatley (1753–1784) I've taught about - and admired - Wheatley for many years and her story appears in our history texts. She was a slave and one of the most celebrated poets of the colonial era. She was seized by slave traders in West Africa sometime around her eighth birthday and arrived in colonial Boston in 1761. She was a brilliant learner, a voracious reader, and must have had an incredibly fertile mind. She ultimately penned more than 140 poems. Her Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral was the first volume of poetry published by an African-American in modern times. In October 1775 she even sent a poem of adulation to George Washington, and his thank-you note (and desire to meet her) is thought to be his only correspondence with a slave. Carve out some quiet time in your busy day and read some of her poems. I think you will enjoy them. Wheatley must have been an incredibly intelligent and courageous woman.
http://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poet/phillis-wheatley
Ernest Hemingway (1899-1961) Hemingway is my favorite fiction writer. The Sun Also Rises. A Farewell to Arms. The short stories The Snows of Kilimanjaro and Old Man at the Bridge. And who can forget The Old Man and the Sea? I also really like his non-fiction work Death in the Afternoon because of his vivid descriptions of the great matador Joselito. (I know some think Hemingway vulgar and his sentences confusing. But I don't think so. I believe his short, clear, staccato sentences are honest.) Take a few days and reread a Hemingway novel. I guarantee you'll appreciate it more as an adult than you did as a teenager. Hemingway must have been a remarkably honest, insightful, and diligent writer.
http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/literature/laureates/1954/hemingway-bio.html
John Ford (1894-1973) I grew up on Ford films. The Searchers. She Wore a Yellow Ribbon. My favorite is probably Fort Apache because it was my introduction to John Wayne, Henry Fonda, Shirley Temple, and Ward Bond. (I believe Ward Bond to be perhaps one of the greatest 'unknown' actors.) I know these films are a bit dated and may not top the AFI 100, but I like them. I am an unrepentant fan of old Western films, and I think Ford had a great eye for talent as well as location. That so many of his films were shot in Monument Valley is not coincidence. Check out The Searchers. Wayne's complex character fascinates, confuses, and intrigues me and it's fun to see Natalie Wood in her first role. Ford must have been a visionary artist.
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000406/bio
My dream team - Creative. Bold. Intelligent. Courageous. Honest. Diligent. Insightful. Visionary.
Sound like a great party? It does to me.
Dinner table conversation of the week:
Who would you invite to your "dream team" dinner party?
Friday, October 17, 2014
The Book-Giver
I have a friend who is a really good book-giver.
I'll refer to him as the Book-Giver.
He is, as you might guess, a giver of books.
But he is not simply an average giver of books, he is a really good giver of books.
(By the way, I think gift-giving is an art. My mother is a superb gift giver because she always gives me exactly what I need. My Dad was also a fantastic gift giver because he always gave me what I wanted but didn't need. Different philosophies of giving. Both sound.)
If gift-giving is an art, then I think book-giving the highest form of art. Like the best symphonic music. Or the best sculpture. Mozart. Schubert. Bach. Britten. Michelangelo. Donatello. Rodin.
The Book-Giver is so special to me because his book-giving is unpredictable and his inscriptions meaningful. I think the surprise of receiving a thoughtfully-inscribed book makes all the difference. I enjoy reading (and thinking about) the inscriptions as much - or more - than reading the text.
That's because the inscription anchors the book in time and space.
Inscriptions add context. And emotion. And joy. And, sometimes, inscriptions resurrect the sorrowful memories of those we've lost.
(My friend Leonard Tremble gave me a book of quotations as high school graduation gift in 1986. Leonard died in 2004 and I miss him dearly. Leonard had a large and deep scar on the bridge of his nose caused by a German soldier who shot him as he rowed a small canvas boat across the Waal River attempting to capture the Nijmegen Bridge in September 1944. [You can read more about Leonard on p 463 of Cornelius Ryan's magnificent A Bridge Too Far.] You see? That's context. Context. That book ceased to be just an average book of quotations many years ago. Now it's about Leonard, his nose, the boat, the sniper, and the other exciting stories Leonard used to tell. The book is now more than a book.)
I suspect that the Book-Giver is reading this blog entry.
If you are, thanks. Thank you for instilling in me the love of a good book, a good inscription, and the ability to see how something as simple as a book is really much more. I guess it's true that you can never read the same book twice. We are ever changing.
I appreciate you, Book-Giver.
I suspect that many, many others do as well.
Dinner table question of the week:
You have witnessed a man rob a bank. But then, he did something completely unusual and unexpected with the money. He donated it to an orphanage that was poor, run-down and lacking in proper food, care, water and amenities. The sum of money would be a great benefit to the orphanage, and the children’s lives would turn from poor to prosperous.
Would you: A) Call the police and report the robber, even though they would likely take the money away from the orphanage, or B) Do nothing and leave the robber and the orphans alone?
Tuesday, October 14, 2014
Friday, October 10, 2014
Tell Thy Story Well
It was 1937. Dad was ten years old. Arkansans were suffering through the Great Depression. Food was in short supply. As were shotgun shells.
Dad took his gun from the peg above the door and fished one shell out of the box. Shotgun shells were cardboard in those days. Dad took only one shell that day for two reasons - he placed a premium on marksmanship but also couldn't afford to waste.
North-central Arkansas is hilly. The Ozarks are dark and rugged. Up he climbed, down he fell. Up. Down. Up. Down. Lots of sweat on his brow, even though it was mid-December. The shotgun got heavier with each step.
Dad finally reached the crest of a granite outcrop and peered over. In the adjacent field, only 40 yards away, he could see six turkeys sitting atop six cedar fence posts.
Six! All in a row!
Dad formulated a plan. He figured that if he swung the gun in a semi-circular motion while firing, the lead pellets would hit several of the turkeys. Maybe as many as four or five. Maybe all six. Food on the table. How proud Mom and Dad would be!
Dad cocked the gun. He clinched his teeth and swung from right to left as fast as he could and pulled the trigger. Bang!
He shot a hole in the seat of his pants.
Legend or myth?
Who knows. Who cares.
Dad died in 1996 but his stories live on.
He was a magical story-teller. I'm not sure which stories were true and which ones were made up. I really don't care. (Though I seriously doubt that he shot a hole in the seat of his pants.)
What I cherish most is the fact that he told them. He cared enough about my brother and me to talk with us about his childhood and his own unique experiences as a boy.
We learned about rural Arkansas. The Depression. Farming. White River floods. Cows. Deer antlers. Peaches. Chickens. Snakes. World War II. Poverty. Tuberculosis. Mountain medicine. Humor. Whittling. Music. Flying squirrels. Firearms. Tomahawks. Hiking. Jokes. Raccoons. Possums. Moonshine. Really odd people.
I believe in the power of family stories. Not only because they add color to own our lives, but because they teach our children that we are resilient people. RESILIENT PEOPLE. Families are resilient institutions worthy of celebration.
We all have holes in the seats of our pants.
That's because we are part legend, part myth.
The Ozarks
Thursday, October 9, 2014
Thomas Blythe Gentry
His name was Thomas Blythe Gentry, Class of 1944. He taught in the department of English at Virginia Military Institute for over fifty years and I adored him.
I adored him because he made Milton fun. (He once gifted me a book of Paradise Lost. I didn't appreciate it at the time. But now I do. I still have the book.)
I adored him because he cried when he read Shakespeare's sonnets aloud. (While other cadets snickered, I was jealous of his passion. I remember thinking: "I wish I was that passionate about anything...")
I adored him because he used to tell stories about listening to live radio broadcasts of the Metropolitan Opera on Saturday afternoons in the Barracks when he was a cadet. In those days the opera broadcasts were played over the loud speakers.
I adored him because he took our music society - the Timmins Music Society - to New York City every spring for a four-day weekend. The trip included an opera at the Met and a concert by the New York Philharmonic. He led these cultural experiences for over 40 years and this trip became one of the most formative experiences for VMI cadets.
I adored him because he wrote one of my recommendations to graduate school. Though I requested the letter many years after I left VMI, he remembered me. In fact, he remembered more about my cadetship than I did. The last time I spoke to him I could tell that he still cared about me.
Colonel Gentry, rest in peace.
You made a difference in my life.
Sorry I didn't tell you these things while you were alive.
Thursday, October 2, 2014
Hang Tough
He's one of my heroes.
Have you ever heard of Jordan Brown of Lebanon, Pennsylvania?
He's also one of my heroes.
Dick died in 2011 at the age of 92. He was featured prominently in the 2001 HBO miniseries Band of Brothers and in the book of the same name. (I am sure many of you have seen the series and probably enjoyed it as much as I did.) Dick is best known for leading an assault on a battery of German 105mm guns at Brecourt Manor. The destruction of those guns resulted in Dick receiving the Distinguished Service Cross.
Jordan is 14, the same age as our 9th graders. As far as I know he is alive and well. I first learned of him in a 2012 news story. At that time Jordan was trying to raise enough money to build a monument honoring Dick near the small French hamlet of Ste. Marie du Mont, just down the road from Utah Beach.
He simply thought Dick needed a statue.
Jordan estimated the cost of the statue at $400,000. So he set about selling rubber bracelets emblazoned with Dick's personal motto: Hang Tough.
Jordan sold lots of bracelets. Lots.
I've visited the monument near Brecourt. It is provided here for your viewing. If you ever get to Normandy, check it out. (I have also included a picture of Dick taken during World War II.)
Well done, Jordan, well done.
Dinner table question of the week:
Think of your own question...you can do it!
Dick Winters
Tuesday, September 30, 2014
A Dialogue Between the Head and Heart
This is the opening line from a letter written by Thomas Jefferson to Maria Cosway dated October 12, 1786. (Mrs. Cosway, a famous Italian-English beauty and accomplished painter, captivated Jefferson during his stay in Paris.)
The letter is known as Jefferson's "Head and Heart Letter."
I find the letter fascinating. Beautifully written. Honest. I also believe it gives insight into Jefferson's playfulness and reveals part of his charm.
More importantly, however, the letter illuminates the tug-of-war that exists in all of us. Some of us are very emotional. Others more logical. Often I hear people say, "I'm a math/science person" or "I'm an art/English person." The reality is that we are both. That's because we are human beings.
What is best is not always what feels best. What feels best is not always what is best.
Child rearing. Teaching. Guiding. Coaching. Working. Playing. Eating. Drinking. Romance.
You name it, we are constantly battling with ourselves.
Who wins out? The head or the heart?
Sometimes the head. Sometimes the heart.
The battle rages on...
Retrato de Mrs. Cosway (by Richard Cosway)
Friday, September 26, 2014
The Kindness of Strangers
We drove from Fort Worth to Cape Cod.
By way of Jackson Hole, Wyoming. And Spearfish, South Dakota. And Des Moines, Iowa. And Chicago, Illinois. And Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. And Syracuse, New York. And South Hadley, Massachusetts.
Then we drove from Cape Cod back to Fort Worth.
By way of New York City. And Charleston, West Virginia. And Elizabethtown, Kentucky. And Paducah. And Fort Donelson. And Tupelo. And Vicksburg. And Nachez. And Shreveport.
Over 8000 miles.
Car time, big-time.
And one of the greatest experiences of my life.
Sure, I love to drive. I loved the conversations with Chris. I loved the fact that we tried to stay off the interstates and stick to state highways. I loved the way we refused to eat at fast-food joints. I loved the way we would walk into a restaurant and I'd order "the special" and Chris would order the waitress's "favorite," sight unseen. No menus for us. (We ate a $3.00 all-you can eat catfish buffet in Tennessee. $3.00. Think about that. You do get what you pay for.) I loved the fried egg reuben sandwich across the street from Lehigh University and the antelope cheeseburger outside Billings. I loved traveling along the Lewis and Clark Trail and I loved the width and swiftness of the Missouri River. It reminded me once again that you don't have to go to Paris to find natural beauty.
I didn't love seeing the poverty near the Pine Ridge Reservation or the dying trees outside Mount Rushmore or the graffiti on the covered bridges of Madison County, Iowa. But I guess you have to take the bad with the good.
What I loved most were the strangers we met along the way. Real people. People we sometimes call ordinary but who are actually extraordinary.
Ray was nice. (His dog, River, lived with him in a house boat on the Cumberland River.) Bob watched us from a camp chair and drank cheap beer while we changed a flat tire near McKenzie, Tennessee. A different Chris was the barber at the Wal Mart nearby. Tommy was our guide at the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument. Yet another Chris told me I wasn't allowed to pump my own gas on the NJ Turnpike. I thought that was odd, but he explained it to me in a really nice way.
The kindness of strangers.
Dinner table question of the week:
Someone left money sticking out of an ATM machine and there's nobody in sight. Nobody but Ben, that is. If he takes it, does that make him a thief? What should he do?
Friday, September 19, 2014
The Deets Epitaph
Gus McCrae: It says, "Josh Deets. Served with me 30 years. Fought In 21 engagements with the Comanche and the Kiowa. Cheerful in all weathers. Never shirked a task. Splendid behavior." That's what it says.
[This exchange takes place part way through Larry McMurtry's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel Lonesome Dove. I first read it in 1988 as a midshipman. I was aboard the USS Brooke (FFG-1) out of San Diego. I remember lounging in my bunk...captivated by the language and the vivid descriptions of the South Texas mesquite flats. I was hooked. I have read the book nine times since.]
When I was younger I often thought about what would be said of me at my own funeral. (I believe that people think about these things more than they admit.) I always wanted to be remembered the way Gus remembered Deets. Cheerful in all weathers. Never shirked a task. Splendid behavior.
But I won't be remembered that way. Lonesome Dove is fiction.
I am real.
And my epitaph is yet to be written.
Like me, your epitaph (and the epitaphs of your children) haven't been determined. We are still alive. We are still creating. We are still striving. We are still making mistakes. We are still inspiring others. We are still evolving, day in and day out.
We are all works in progress.
I won't be remembered like Josh Deets.
But I will be remembered as Bill Arnold.
Dinner table question of the week:
How do you want to be remembered?
Josh Deets (played by Danny Glover in the 1989 miniseries Lonesome Dove)
Friday, September 12, 2014
Eating the Elephant
One bite at a time.
My mother used to tell me this when I was a kid and felt overwhelmed. Homework trouble. Sports trouble. Girl trouble. Whenever I felt down in the dumps, she always made me feel better by saying these words. (She is a remarkably strong, resilient woman. She has endured a lot in her life. She's eaten a lot of elephants.)
Earlier this week a student sat down in my office and expressed her frustration about all she had to do. "I feel so stressed. Country Day asks too much of me."
I gave her a bottle of water and we talked.
"What - specifically - is bothering you?" I asked.
"Three things," she remarked. "First, one of my teachers posted the wrong page numbers on the homework portal. Second, I'm sick and tired of carrying around my heavy backpack. Third, I never have time to get homework done at school and I'm forced to stay up all night. I just don't get enough sleep."
"Wow," I said. "It must be really tough."
"Yea," she said.
During our visit I encouraged her to talk directly with her teacher about the portal error. (The teacher indeed had the wrong pages posted. The teacher apologized.) I then reminded her that there's plenty of time between classes to drop off her books - during announcements, at lunch, as well as an afternoon break. I then suggested that she find a quiet carrel in the Moncrief Library to study. (We can get a lot done in 75 minutes!) She listened, smiled, then said, "I'll give it a try. Thanks."
Yesterday afternoon I checked on her and asked how things were going.
"Great! I love this place." She beamed.
We all feel overwhelmed sometimes. The key is to identify the specific stressors, find someone who can help us formulate a strategy...then attack each one in succession. One bite at a time.
Once we organize our busy lives, we feel better. We see the world through clearer eyes, and it's a pretty great world.
There is only one way to eat an elephant.
One bite at a time.
Dinner table question of the week:
Your classmate asks to copy your homework because they did not finish theirs. You know they were at the hospital late into the night with a sick friend.
Is it ethical to let someone copy your homework, even if they have had difficult personal circumstances?
Thursday, September 11, 2014
September 11
Those of us who were at Country Day on September 11, 2011 remember the chaos, uncertainty, and sadness that affected us that day. The sky was, literally, falling. I remember Upper School Head John O'Reilly's remarks at our 9:45 am assembly. He said: "Don't lose faith! Remember that this morning 290 million Americans woke up and did the right thing. I ask you. Don't lose faith! This is not a perfect world, but this is a good world."
I have attached a Bulletin that was written by our Interim Headmaster Peter Briggs. I found it among my things a few weeks ago and wanted to share it with you. I believe Peter effectively captured the spirit of the day, inspired us to persevere, but also showed the resilient spirit of Country Day. The Bulletin was distributed to all US and MS students and placed in LS backpacks.
I believe there is value in simply being reminded that despite chaos, tragedy, and hardship, we have a resilient community.
Briggs Sept 11 Bulletin
Monday, September 8, 2014
GoodReads, Pt. 2
I am notorious for having two or three going on at any time. Right now I have three underway - and look forward to finishing them.
I'm currently reading Joseph Ellis's Revolutionary Summer: The Birth of American Independence, Jennifer Pharr Davis's Becoming Odyssa: Adventures on the Appalachian Trail, and Remaking College: Innovation and the Liberal Arts, edited by Rebecca Chopp, Susan Frost, and Daniel H. Weiss.
When I finish them I'll let you know what I think.
Right now I'm loving them...
Friday, September 5, 2014
The "What If" Game
As a college student at VMI, I used to play with my fellow history majors. What if Lincoln had worn a helmet to Ford's Theater on April 15, 1865? What if Stonewall Jackson had survived his wounds at Chancellorsville? What if the "Austrian corporal" had succumbed to his wounds during World War One? What if a stray bullet had struck George Washington during the French and Indian War? What if Rosa Parks had decided to walk instead of ride the bus? What if Mohammed Atta had been detained by security at the Portland International Jetport in Maine on September 11, 2001?
I encourage you to play a slightly different version of the "what if" game with your own children. I believe it is a very good way to prevent many problems before they arise. Of course, every family has their own unique set of challenges and some questions may not be appropriate for all ages.
Play the game as you see fit. But please play it.
Here are some ideas.
Start with the easy ones...What if you forget your English homework?...What if you get a traffic ticket and you're too emotional to drive safely?...What if you start to feel dizzy at field hockey practice?...What if your friends are throwing food in the Commons?...What if you find a stray animal that is injured?
Progress to the harder ones...What if you have a flat tire across town but your cell phone is not working?...What if you see your best friend cheat on a test?...What if you lose your computer and all your saved work?...What if you don't get a date for Homecoming?
Then deal with the really hard ones...What if your boyfriend (or girlfriend) says "I love you and think we should take it to the next level?"...What if your best friend has had too much to drink but insists on driving?...What if that same friend tells you they plan to run away from home?...What if someone you don't know hands you a drink at a party and encourages you to drink it?...What if you get a threatening text message?
Dinner table question of the week:
It's not a question but a challenge. Please play the "what if" game with someone you love. Sometimes simply thinking about these scenarios prevents problems. If nothing else, it will encourage great conversations...
Wednesday, September 3, 2014
GCM*****
George Catlett Marshall.
I am always surprised that more people don't know who he was. I believe him to be the greatest "George" since George Washington. I know that sounds odd. But I honestly believe it to be the case.
Marshall was born in Uniontown, Pennsylvania near the old National Road. His father taught him to hunt and fish and love history. (The best history teachers are like that - they love a good story.)
Marshall graduated from VMI in 1901 as First Captain of the Corps of Cadets. He was commissioned a second lieutenant in the infantry and spent the next forty-four years on active duty. Forty-four years. That's a lot of bad food, a lot of hardship, and a lot of nights away from home and loved ones.
But that's not why he is one of my heroes.
I admire him because while he was one of the greatest warriors of all time, he was also one of the greatest peacemakers of the 20th century. In fact, he is the only professional soldier to receive the Nobel Prize for Peace, which was bestowed on him in 1953. The prize was given to him for his leadership of the European Recovery Program, known as the Marshall Plan, which aimed at the economic recovery of Western Europe after World War II.
A few other notable facts:
He served as Chief of Staff of the United States Army from 1939-45. He was selected as Time Magazine "Man of the Year" twice - 1943 and 1947. He served as Secretary of State from 1947-49 and as Secretary of Defense in 1950-51. A full life, don't you think?
Marshall finally retired to his home, Dodona Manor, in beautiful Leesburg, Virginia. It was there he spent his final days with his beloved Kathryn. He died at Walter Reed Hospital in Washington, DC on October 16, 1959. His grave can be seen in Section 7 of Arlington National Cemetery. (I have visited it many times, most recently last May with the 10th graders.)
Harry Truman said, "In a war unparalleled in magnitude and horror, millions of Americans gave their country outstanding service; General of The Army George C. Marshall gave it victory."
A fitting tribute to a true American.
The greatest American since the Greatest American.
Friday, August 29, 2014
Oscar Mike
We are Oscar Mike in the Upper School right now.
We are moving out. We are not stationary. New schedule. New teachers. New students. New head. New this, new that. May be hectic, but at least we're moving. And we are moving forward.
Fort Worth Country Day is not afraid to self-evaluate. That makes me proud.
Here are some of the exciting things going on...
Career Conversation Series. The Career Conversation Series provides our kids the opportunity to learn about life after college through discussions with industry professionals. In an effort to tap into the vast professional knowledge of our parent and alumni community, we’ll be hosting monthly discussions about various careers. Each month’s program will have an industry focus (such as law, the arts, banking and finance, oil and gas exploration, etc.) and feature guests who will share their experiences and reflections on the field. The program is open to all Upper School students regardless of class and will meet during our announcement period. The first program is scheduled for September 3 and will address the field of law and feature Judge Melody Wilkinson and Mr. Mo Sheats.
Principal's Council. The purpose of this committee of ten students is to promote student-US Head communication and to facilitate action toward solving school challenges. I’ll pick the students this first year and we will meet monthly at my home on selected Sunday evenings. At our first meeting we will focus on “co-creation,” discuss collaboration techniques, and develop the meeting norms that will guide our discussions. The primary mechanism for our meetings will be the Harvard Protocol for Consultancy. Each meeting will focus on one challenge articulated by a Problem Statement. I believe our students have many great ideas and this is one venue for them to learn to creatively problem-solve. They'll also learn about me and what my job entails.
Engineering Design Class. Students in Jordan Hampton's engineering design class are discovering how modern engineers design and build new technologies using math and science. They are already beginning to understand the relevancy and application of mathematics, science, and technology to electrical, mechanical, environmental, and biomedical engineering. The US Commons, hallways, and Science Building are full of "engineering stuff" - duct tape, metal shards, Legos, skateboards, sails, weights, and I even saw a rubber mallet attached to fishing line. It looked like some kind of booby trap. It is wonderfully chaotic, but watch your step!
Faculty Working Groups. US Faculty Working groups are busy studying US-specific school problems and recommending solutions. Right now each group is looking into the challenges of our new block schedule and discovering ways to address them. The groups (which average five teachers) meet during common free periods and will make monthly reports to the Upper School faculty. We have an incredibly caring, resourceful, and imaginative faculty. I can't wait to see what they come up with.
Upper School Class Deans. Upper School class deans are responsible for class-wide programming, seeking out and supporting new programs for class-wide advancement, working with me on class-specific conduct issues, working with PFA representatives when necessary, coordinating advising activities with grade-level advisors, and providing professional feedback and counsel to me. Our deans are Molly Risewick-Zeno, Kendall Davis, Christy Alvear, and Maggie Philpot.
Debating Society. I believe that schools of our caliber – with our noble mission – need debating societies. Debate programs are fun, allow our students to build friendships while developing critical public speaking skills. Most students naturally avoid public speaking -- and debate provides a non-threatening environment to practice these skills so that down the road when they’re called on to speak in college or on the job, they will have the skills necessary to do it well. Debating also develops analytical skills - the ability to critically analyze a problem and propose workable solutions is invaluable. Debate also teaches students to become world-class researchers. (Ask any college student and they’ll tell you how valuable this is.)
We are Oscar Mike in the Upper School.
Dinner table question of the week:
If someone tells an offensive joke, is it my responsibility to speak up about it?
Friday, August 22, 2014
I am a Falcon
We were simply talking about life in general. We eventually got around to the topic of education and I explained how much I enjoyed being a teacher. He said, "Are you successful at it?" What a great question. I hadn't really thought about it in those terms. Success is pretty hard to define sometimes. It made me question how I defined success.
I want you to know how I answered his question. I answered it by telling a story.
Here goes.
Once upon a time a Country Day student was walking down a country road. After about ten minutes of walking the student was approached by a stranger who was heading the other direction. The stranger asked the student: "What did you learn at school?" The student responded in this way...
"I see education as an act of enchantment.
I understand that the cultivation of a healthy body and spirit is fundamental to a productive life.
I accept that progress requires action.
I possess the courage to ask questions and offer opinions even at the risk of being wrong.
I possess the capacity to forgive people's mistakes because I make plenty of them myself.
I am an engaging dinner companion.
I have a reasonable sense of my own capabilities because I have received regular, actionable feedback from adults who care about me. However, I understand that learning is a lifelong process and many of my strengths have yet to be cultivated."
"Wow!," the stranger said. "Who are you?"
"I am a Falcon," the student said.
(Can our students answer the stranger's question this way? Maybe not yet. But when they can, I'll know I'm a successful teacher.)
Dinner table question of the week:
How do you define success?
Wednesday, August 20, 2014
Mindless Fanaticism
I watch a lot of television news. Lately there has been a lot of coverage about the deteriorating situation in Iraq. This morning the story broke about the beheading of American journalist James Foley. I find the situation terribly depressing for many reasons. But, I get quite irritated when I hear someone on television refer to the IS fighters in Iraq as "mindless fanatics."
Yes, they operate under a very different set of rules. Clearly a different set of values. They don't seem to be adhering to tactics or techniques considered to be conventional or legal by any standard. I understand this. I would never defend what they do. I find their actions abhorrent and against my own personal ethics.
But they are not mindless fanatics.
I know this because I fought against men like them in al Anbar in 2004-05. I found the Sunni insurgents in Fallujah to be resilient, tough men. Their bravery was quite extraordinary at times. They were a shrewd adversary. They were - and are - very committed to their cause. They are not "devils with horns and a forked tail."
To call this "mindless fanaticism" is just lazy in my opinion. Those who use this term simply don't know any better or - probably the case - haven't taken the time or effort to learn about these people.
If an American soldier or Marine - armed only with a rifle, pistol, or grenade - rushed an enemy position without regard to his own life, we would give him a medal.
We wouldn't flippantly dismiss it as the act of a mindless fanatic.
Friday, August 15, 2014
Room With A View
Green athletic fields. An American flag in the distance. A memorial tree to a treasured alumnus. A pond with geese and ducks. Trees. Courts for play. Not a fire ant in sight, though I know they're out there. I don't like fire ants.
One of my favorite things to do is look out my window and see all the activity. Just yesterday I watched the cross country team's interval training, the quarterbacks working on the "three-step drop," and the field hockey girls practicing their shooting drills. The kids were sweaty, but they looked happy and resolute. The coaches were focused and organized. Trainer Ed taped an ankle.
Everything was exactly as as it should be.
Stop by sometime for a visit. You're always welcome in the Upper School. I'll give you a bottle of water or a cup of coffee. Then we can visit about your children, Country Day, or whatever you want. I'm really busy these days, but I try never to be too busy to get to know you. The better we know one another, the better we will understand one another. I suspect we have the same goal in mind - your children.
Then I'll show you the view from my window.
Dinner table question of the week:
Is it ever ethical to Wi-Fi piggyback? If so, under what conditions?
Tuesday, August 12, 2014
A Vital Link
Twenty-seven great kids and two positive, dedicated, and caring adult leaders. Lots of positive energy. I found the entire experience very invigorating. A fell asleep with a smile on my face.
Please take note of the the attached photo. You will notice a box of snacks and a water bottle. Beside them you see a binder marked "Lead by Example." Lead by Example. I really like that motto.
Energy food and a noble mission. Think on that for a moment. In a sense that's what we really need most. Sustenance and a raison d'etre.
Much has changed since you and I left high school. It is a different world in many ways. The traditional ways of providing guidance to children - while still very sound - need augmentation from time to time. We as parents need help sometimes. (I know I do.) One of the many ways FWCD helps families like ours negotiate the murky waters of parenthood is through our Link Crew program. We believe that peer guidance is very effective if done correctly. Our goal is to do it correctly.
Our Link Crew has a dual mission, both noble:
Develop and reinforce healthy habits in our 9th graders. We want to help our newest members strengthen communication with their peers, teachers, and families. We want to help them improve their ability to identify and solve problems. We hope that they will appreciate people who are different from them. And we want to increase their confidence in fulfilling their academic and social responsibilities at FWCD and beyond our gates.
Leadership development for our Link Crew leaders. I like to think of the Link Crew as a "leadership laboratory" for our LC members. They run the program with adult guidance and supervision, they learn to address and manage conflict, they explore cultural diversity issues, and they learn to serve as positive role models, mentors and facilitators.
Lead by Example. That's what they do. I like that.
Dinner table question of the week:
Have you ever heard of Aung San Suu Kyi? Google her. Extraordinary woman. Inspiring. Talk about her with your children. We all need heroes.
Aung San Suu Kyi
Thursday, August 7, 2014
The Academic Village
Ours starts today.
This blog entry begins what I hope will be a weekly correspondence. My intent is to create the ongoing conversations that I believe are vital to any learning community.
Sometimes these blog entries will be commentaries on books I have read or news events that affect us all. Sometimes they will be serious in nature. Other times they will be humorous. I just believe that it’s very important for you to know who I am and what I stand for. I hope that you will enjoy reading them and take advantage of the comment box if you wish.
Each Friday Musings will conclude with a Dinner table question of the week. This is a single question that I hope you will generate meaningful discussions within your own family.
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Those of you who know me well understand that I have long admired Thomas Jefferson. What has drawn me to him over the years is his active mind, breadth of interests, and spirit of optimism. His home, Monticello, nestled upon a mountaintop in Albemarle County, Virginia, is one of my favorite places to visit. It is beautiful, but what I like most is that it personifies the man and his many interests. As you walk thought the entry hall to the parlor, through the dining room and into the sitting room, you begin to get a sense of his passions. But it’s his book room, cabinet, bedchamber and greenhouse that really tell his story. (More on that later. Jefferson will be a frequent subject of my Friday Musings. I plan to devote an entry to each of these rooms and what they mean to me.)
It was in these rooms – Jefferson’s sanctum sanctorum – that he envisioned and planned the “academical village” that would become America’s first secular public college, the University of Virginia.
I am no Jefferson scholar, but I like to think he envisioned his academical village to be a safe, beautiful place, bustling with inquisitive students who accept the responsibilities of service within our democracy and the trials of academic rigor. These students are welcomed each morning by professional teachers, lifelong learners who embrace their role as mentors and scholars who welcome and encourage lively debate. Administrators accept their roles as problem-solvers and are devoted to freeing students and teachers from the unnecessary distractions that keep them from their teaching and learning tasks.
Jefferson’s village is progressive without deviating from established core values, and it is committed to the ideal that the moral and ethical development of young people is a fundamental responsibility.
Sound like a place you would want to go to school? Me too.
Can you envision this school in Fort Worth?
I can.
Let’s build it together. Starting today. Today.
Before we can do that, I want to explain what I believe are the three key components to the village.
1. Our Physical Space. It is safe and quiet. Conducive to reflection. Beautiful. Lots of trees. Its buildings are clean and comfortable. The environment matters. Learning spaces are well-equipped and pleasant. The fields and facilities are to be admired. It makes you want to think and create.
2. Our Students. They are selectively admitted. They take full advantage of what we offer. Need-based financial assistance is provided for deserving students. Honorable conduct, energy, and service required. They are committed to one another and their school. They see education as an exciting act of enchantment. They believe they are in it together and the effort is worth it.
3. Our Adults. We believe in the mission of the school and exhibit its core values. We are genuinely interested in our students’ well-being. We articulate and enforce clear expectations based on reasoned judgment. We are the village elders.
Over the course of the year I'll visit with you, your children, and the Upper School faculty about ways we can create our academic village at Fort Worth Country Day. This will be a theme this year. If we all understand and embrace the roles we play in our village, we can ensure that our school - the place where we spend so many of our waking hours - remains one of the finest independent schools in the United States.
Dinner table question of the week:
"Courage is rightly esteemed the first of human qualities...because it is the quality which guarantees all others." (Winston Churchill)
Do agree with this statement? Why or why not?
Tuesday, August 5, 2014
Sacred Spaces
A library. A car. A place of worship. A garden. A vacation spot. A cemetery. A baseball field. A recital hall. A golf course.
I find internal peace reading quietly in my office, walking alone in rural Normandy, touring the battlefields of southern Pennsylvania, camping in Big Bend, visiting with loved ones on Cape Cod, and backpacking the southern Appalachian Trail. These are places where I find refuge, where I do my best thinking, and where I feel safe.
Being there makes me a better person.
It seems these days that we have to work harder and harder to find time for our sacred spaces. We complain of being busier, about all the demands on our time, about being tied to our smartphones and about the stresses of the modern world. We worry about our weight, if we are wearing the latest fashions, and if we belong to the right club. We obsess about our cars and about where our kids will go to college.
But that's no excuse.
We need to reorient the way we think about our sacred spaces. They are as necessary as air, water, and food.
Time spent in our sacred spaces refreshes us. It is transformative. We will be better people - and more at peace with ourselves - if we can visit our sacred spaces. We will be kinder, more patient with others, more reflective, and more tolerant of one another's differences. That makes us better parents, spouses, and teachers.
Where are your sacred spaces?
Can you get there sometime soon?
I hope so.
Thursday, July 31, 2014
The Extended Hand
I hadn't until I came upon his statue this summer while jogging along the banks of the Mississippi River. What struck me was the simplistic beauty of the memorial and the resolute look on Tom's face.
In the early evening of May 8, 1925 Tom rowed his small skiff Zev into the muddy Mississippi to save 32 people from the sinking steamboat M.E. Norman. What was most remarkable is that Tom didn't know how to swim. And he didn't even know anyone on board the ship. He must have been scared. I would have been.
Looking at Tom's statue made me think how often I extend my hand to help others. Not enough. I plan to make this a goal this year.
If Tom Lee can extend his hand, can't we?
Sunday, April 6, 2014
Recipe for a Wonderful Evening
You take good friends...
Sameer and Claudia. Lise and Tom. Ana and Pete. Debby and Bill.
Add good food...
Tenderloin. Asparagus. Twice-baked potatoes. Milkshakes and cookies. Cabernet.
Sprinkle with thoughtful, reasoned discussion...
Russians in Crimea. International travel. Race relations in America today. Music. Children. The future of American education.
Voila!
Wednesday, March 19, 2014
The Beauty of Old E-Mails
However, sometimes I worry that digital communication may make my job much more difficult in the future because we all routinely delete our e-mail. Not like in the old days. In the old days we wrote letters. Then we saved them in a cedar chest. Then grandkids found them and had at least some sense of what life was like in the old days.
I recently found an e-mail, which, by the way, was printed. That's the point of this story. Like an old letter, it was printed, saved, then discovered today. I want to share it with you.
It is entitled "How I Fill My Days."
I sent it to Debby on January 2, 2005 at 6:59 AM.
Debby:
I love you! I hope you had a fun time in Ada - it has always been one of my favorite places. Lots of fun memories.
Described below is a "typical" day in an atypical place. Please know that no two days are alike. Also - please don't share this with anyone except (maybe) our immediate family.
When we are in the field we usually sound reveille at either 5:45 or 6:00am. I sleep on a regulation cot in a sleeping bag, usually with a t-shirt, skivvies, and socks, and a fleece watchcap if it is really cold. The sleeping bag has an outer gortex cover and a black winter-weight liner. I have a hammock pillow that I bought in June from Backwoods. It is a great pillow - small, rigid, though it is rather dirty right now. When I climb in the bag at night, I usually listen to my iPod until I fade off to sleep (which is rarely longer than a song or two).
When reveille sounds, my routine starts. I dress in the same order every morning. I wear wool socks, silk running shorts, under armor t-shirt, a polypropylene long john top, as well as my combat utility uniform. I have a dog tag laced into my left boot. In my left pant pocket I carry a pocketknife, my room key, a book of matches, and the keys to our platoon office. In my left outer cargo pocket I carry two maps, an extra pair of wool gloves, and the clear inserts to my ballistic sunglasses. In my left breast pocket I carry an ID card, a roster, and a ziplock baggie containing four pictures. (Debby, Taylor, Robert, and Allie, of course). On my dog tag chain hangs the "We Love You" medal and a "Hope" medal given to me by one of my students. I always wear my wedding ring and I wear my VMI ring when I'm on patrol. On my right hip I carry a 9mm pistol and an extra magazine containing fifteen rounds.
I then put on my flak jacket. On it hangs numerous things. I carry nine M16 magazines (each containing 28 rounds), a first aid kit, three 9mm magazines, three Sharpie pens for my map (red, black, and blue), two fragmentation grenades, two D-rings, a radio, and a compass/thermometer. I wear a kevlar helmet with night vision goggles attached, ballistic sunglasses, and a neck gaiter or scarf when it is cold. My gloves are cottton with leather palms and padded knuckles.
When it is time to leave, I climb on the truck the same way. I climb on the hood and step into the turret. (In addition to commanding the platoon, I am also the gunner in my truck - which means that I ride in the turret and shoot the .50 caliber machine gun). When I stand in the turret, I am exposed from the waist up. There are two turret shields. The one in back is 1/2 inch steel plate and the one in front is 3/4 inch steel. Resting on the turrret ring in front of me is a global positioning system (GPS), a map, goggles, a Sharpie pen, and a flashlight. The gun itself is directly to my front and has a box of 200 rounds of ammunition. My M16A4 rifle stays strapped to the turret or I carry it in my hands while we drive. It is much quicker to use the M16 sometimes than traverse the heavy machine gun.
When we depart on a mission, the Colonel simply calls me on the radio with a destination - it is up to me to determine the best (quickest? safest?) route and method of movement. I pick the route based on time available, enemy situation, route characteristics, weather, etc., and away we go. The Colonel is a brave man. During the battle he literally "rode to the sound of the guns." One day he wanted to watch an infantry company in the attack, and directed me to find a tall building (2-3 story) from which to watch the assault. We found one, cleared it, and I posted several Marines for security before I returned to my truck. A few moments later a Marine from an infantry platoon ran up to me frantically (there was much fighting going on around us) and asked if I could suppress a building with my machine guns while his Marines assaulted it with grenades. I agreed. I then took Sgt. Smith with me and we drove down an alley litttered with dead insurgent fighters. The target house was about 50 meters to my left-front. I gave a command over the radio, and we opened up. Simultaneously the insurgents in the target building fired. Several bullets pinged our truck and riddled a telephone pole in front of me. About that time my machine gun jammed. I grabbed my M16 and fired two magazines - 56 rounds - until I saw the Marines throw the grenades and enter the building. At that point I ceased fire and moved back down the alley. The report is that we killed five in the building, though it is hard to tell. Chaos. The whole thing lasted maybe 5 minutes. Funny how you don't get scared until afterward. My only concern was that my machine gun jammed.
After the firefight, the Colonel remounted the vehicles and we continued on...just a brief stop on our way around the battlefield.
When the day ends, we park the trucks, do maintenance, and clean the weapons and gear. We go by the old cavalry saying: "First the horse, then the saddle, then the soldier." Only after the gear is ready (never know when we could get called out) do we eat and sleep. And boy do we sleep.
Well, sweetie, you wanted to know what I've been doing. This is but one day of many. Like I have said before, the Scouts do a great job of holding it together in tough situations. So have I. The day I described was one of the more dangerous - don't think they are all like that. Many are mundane. Many are boring. But please know this - no matter what kind of day I have, my day begins and ends with the same image - your beautiful face.
I love and appreciate you more than you can ever know.
Bill
I guess the moral of this story is PRINT OUT THE REALLY IMPORTANT EMAILS. SOMEONE MIGHT BE REALLY EXCITED TO DISCOVER THEM SOME DAY.
Thursday, February 20, 2014
Courage, Pt. 1
Pictured below is an extraordinary 14 year-old girl and her reining horse, Wrench.
Reining is a western horse competition that poses a severe test to both horse and rider. It is, I believe, the most exciting western event. All the work is done at the lope or gallop. It involves circles, flying lead changes, backups, spins, and sliding stops.
All aboard a 1500 pound horse. Wrench is a great horse and his rider is a great girl.
This is one example of what courage looks like.
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
A Proud Day. For Us All.
Today is February 19. A proud day for us all.
On this day in 1945, at precisely 8:59 am (one minute ahead of schedule - gotta love the Marines), the first of over 30,000 Americans stormed ashore on the Japanese island of Iwo Jima. Many of those brave lads, men from the 3rd, 4th, and 5th Marine Divisions, never returned home. In fact, nearly 1/3 of all Marine deaths in World War II occurred on Iwo Jima.
The initial carrier raids against Iwo Jima began as early as June 1944. The island defenders were subjected to 3 days of naval bombardment. Then the assault began.
The 36-day battle resulted in more than 26,000 American casualties, including 6,800 dead. Of the 20,000 Japanese defenders, only 1,083 survived. Historians described the US Marines' attack as "throwing human flesh against reinforced concrete." In the end, Iwo Jima was won by the indominable spirit of the Corps.
Twenty-seven medals of honor were awarded to Marines and sailors, most posthumous. More than any other single operation of the war.
Of its efforts to take this vital island, the United States Marine Corps is justly proud.
Sunday, February 16, 2014
A Good Fire
I love a good fire.
Sure, you can cook on it and warm yourself by it, but the best thing about a good fire is that it generates conversation and introspection. It makes me feel good. Plus, I love the smoky smell of my clothes after sitting by a fire. It stays trapped in my clothes until they are washed.
Many of my best memories took place around a fire. I think of camping in the Big Bend with my children. I think of hunting trips with my brother. I think of young Marines huddled around a warming fire along the Columbia River, and those same Marines huddled together on the banks of the Canadian River north of Amarillo. Boy, those were some cold nights. Maybe the coldest of my life.
I love a good fire.
Thursday, February 13, 2014
Blemishes
If your hands are like mine, they are blemished.
My left hand has no hair on it. It was burned off on my latest camping trip to Oklahoma's Wichita Mountains.
My left hand has six scars. Two resulted from unsafe whittling. I got one in a pencil fight with a girl in third grade.
Two scars are particularly hard for me to look at because I was bitten by my favorite dog, Molly, the day that she died. Molly was a treasured companion who lived with us for fifteen years. The day she died she was very old, partially deaf, and mostly blind. She was asleep under my truck and I backed over her. That's right, I hit my own dog. When I heard her cry out, I jumped out of the truck and cradled her in my arms. In terrible pain, she bit me on the left hand. The veterinarian couldn't save her.
As I look at my left hand I don't see blemishes. I see life.
My blemishes make me think of great times exploring nature with my students, of my father teaching me how to shape a piece of wood, of childish flirting with a friend, and of my sweet companion Molly.
I don't have blemishes on my hand.
Routine Interrupted
These simple activities give us comfort. When asked about them, we often reply, "It's just what I do."
I have a very special routine each morning. I wake up at 4:30 am, dress, get a cup of coffee, then watch CNN. At precisely 5:10 am, I drive to meet my running companions, an extraordinary group of people we call The Running Club. Bob, Kathryn, John, Steve, Kendall, Alee, and Debby. More of a social club, really. We only have a few simple rules - we never run so fast that we can't visit (we stay at a 'conversational' pace), we always enjoy a cup of coffee afterward, and we never stretch. In the immortal words of Steve, "Dogs don't stretch."
Today, because of ankle pain, my routine was interrupted. (Perhaps because I didn't stretch.)
But that's okay. I got up, enjoyed a cup of coffee, visited with my dogs, and read the paper. Slowly. Read each page. That's something that I rarely do, because I seem to be in such a hurry. Today I slowed down and enjoyed a few simple things.
Even though my routine was interrupted, it was a good morning.
And it's going to be a good day.
Wednesday, February 12, 2014
Semper Fi, My Brother
One thing that the Marine Corps does very well is honor its heroes. I want to tell you about one such man.
His name is David R. "Chip" Herr.
Chip is the only graduate of my school, Fort Worth Country Day, to die in battle. He fell on February 3, 1991 in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Chip was known by his schoolmates as a "gentle giant." He was a smart, red-headed baseball and soccer player, loved by his teachers and classmates. After he graduated from FWCD in 1980, he attended Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia. When he graduated from W&L four years later, he was commissioned a second lieutenant, with orders to the Basic School in Quantico, Virginia. Upon graduation from the Basic School he was selected for flight school at Naval Air Station, Pensacola. He proudly received his gold Naval Aviator's wings on October 16, 1987 and was assigned as a UH-1 helicopter pilot with the III Marine Air Wing at Camp Pendleton, California. It was from Camp Pendleton that he deployed with his unit to Saudi Arabia after Saddam Hussein's invasion of Kuwait in 1990.
I remember where I was when I heard of his death. I was with my wife Debby at our apartment in Elizabethtown, Kentucky. I was myself a new lieutenant, struggling through tank school at Fort Knox. My mother called to share the tragic news. I cried for Chip. I cried for his parents, Connie and David. I cried because I was sad, and I cried because a fellow Marine had perished.
After I hung up the phone I walked to my bureau and stared at a wooden box that held my military insignia and decorations. The box had been a gift from the Herr family upon my commissioning and graduation from the Virginia Military Institute the previous May. When I called Connie to thank her for the gift, I remember how excited she was. She said that Chip had recommended that she get it for me and she knew I would love it. I treasure it to this day. It serves as a reminder of Chip and why he was so proud of his beloved Corps.
If Chip were with us today he would tell us all about the Corps.
He would tell us that he loved the Marine Corps because he got to serve with other Marines.
He would tell us that Marines place mission accomplishment above comfort, safety, or reward.
He would tell us that the Corps is a tough, regimented society of men and women consumed by a heroic mission. That mission is to win battles, and that it has done so for over 230 years.
Chip would tell us that Marines from Camp Pendleton have distinguished themselves in such faraway places as Guadalcanal, Tarawa, Okinawa, Peleliu, Khe Sahn, Kuwait City, and Fallujah.
He would tell you that if you weren't a Marine, you "just wouldn't understand."
He would love to tell us that the Marine Corps was founded on November 10, 1775 at Tun Tavern in Philadelphia. The Corps, or "Soldiers of the Sea," were a new branch created as shipboard security and boarding parties for US Navy vessels fighting the British during the Revolution. These were men recruited from the wharves - tough men - fearless men and their ferocity toward their adversaries soon established them as a force to be reckoned with.
Chip would tell us that over the centuries the Corps has constantly had to redefine its mission. From the Quasi War with France to the War of 1812, from the Civil War to World War I, the Marine Corps has had to work very hard to justify its existence. It has done so on the battlefield and it has done so with valor. Two instances come to mind: the Battle of Belleau Wood in 1918 (where the Marines earned the sobriquet Teufel Hunden, or Devil Dogs) and the Battle of Iwo Jima. You have all seen the famous photograph of the flag raising, but what you may not know is that there were more valorous combat awards handed out at Iwo Jima than in any other battle in American history.
Chip was proud of his service, and we will forever be proud of him.
As a Marine myself, I understand that the responsibilities I have to my fellow Marines don't end when they die. To the contrary, my responsibility is is to keep his memory alive, to honor the traditions and values that he held dear. It is my duty to never forget the patriotism, valor, and selflessness of he who fell in battle. It is my challenge to be worthy of his legacy. I believe that Chip's example is the standard by which we must measure our service to America.
I am proud of you, Chip. I am proud of who you were and what you meant to me. I never served under your command, but I know those who did loved you and respected you as much as we do. You are my brother.
Semper Fi, Chip. Semper Fi.
My Friend Mike
His name is Mike Smith. He is a happy, contented man. He resides with his remarkable wife Jill and their precious twins Connor and Kate. I am not sure if he knows this, but I treasure his friendship because of his kindness, his loyalty, and his deep commitment to his family, his university, and his country.
Mike also saved my life in Iraq. Twice.
Mike recently submitted a book manuscript for publication. It is titled RedCon-1, and I believe it to be a first rate effort.
Those who have experienced battle firsthand will immediately recognize Mike’s authenticity. I can report, and official records confirm, that he is a brave, committed, and resolute Marine noncommissioned officer. He is also a vicious fighter seemingly undeterred by fear or self-doubt. These are the qualities that make him the fine man he is, and these are also the qualities that enabled him to gain the trust and assurance of the men so ably described in this book.
Those who have studied battle will no doubt applaud Mike’s ability to describe Fallujah’s essential lessons. The Iraq War, particularly activities in the Anbar province, is quite confusing due to the complex religious, tribal, and commercial alliances that are found there. As Americans we like absolutes; we want to easily define good and evil, right and wrong, just and unjust. Unfortunately the Iraq War does not fit neatly into these categories. Human beings are simply not always ‘good’ or always ‘bad.’ We all have the capacity to be both, sometimes at the same time. If one takes the time to study the war – really study it – telling its story becomes very difficult. Yet Mike does so with aplomb.
RedCon-1 identifies many great themes that all Americans should consider fully. The book illuminates Marine Reservists in extreme circumstances and gives readers a better understanding of the citizen-soldiers who answered their nation’s call in 2004. Mike shows how they prepared for war, how they were employed, and, ultimately, how they executed the missions to which they were assigned. Americans need to know such things. Wars are costly in blood and treasure. We need to know that our forces are capable both of winning battles and building a lasting peace. Service members serving abroad represent those of us at home and carry the burden of representing the values upon which our nation was founded. This burden is what makes us unique in the world. No matter how ugly the enemy becomes, no matter the methods they employ, our forces are responsible for conducting missions consistent with the 1st Marine Division’s motto of “No Better Friend, No Worse Enemy.”
I once remarked to my wife that I wished I had a web camera on my truck in Fallujah so that Americans could see what Scout Platoon accomplished in Iraq. I am so proud of our efforts there. We fought hard and with honor.
No such video recording of Scout Platoon in Fallujah exists.
But now we have RedCon-1. Thank God we do.
Read the book when it comes out, hopefully this year. Consider it. Think on it deeply. It is an important piece of a gigantic, complex puzzle that is the Iraq War.
Tuesday, February 11, 2014
Philosophy. Of Education.
My vision parallels his. When I close my eyes and dream of Jefferson's village I see the ideal school. It is a safe place, bustling with inquisitive students who accept the responsibilities of service and the trials of academic rigor. These children are welcomed each morning by professional teachers, lifelong learners who embrace their roles as mentors and scholars who welcome lively debate. School leaders accept their roles as problem-solvers and are devoted to freeing students and teachers from the unnecessary distractions that keep them from their learning and teaching tasks.
The village is progressive without deviating from established core values, and its leaders believe that the moral and ethical development of young people is a fundamental responsibility.
Listed here is what I believe.
- I believe in the historical goals of liberal arts education. High school is a time of exploration and discovery. We must help our students build a solid foundation upon which they can specialize later in life - but not now. It is not our responsibility to provide what each child wants, but rather what we believe they will need for a life of progress and fulfillment. The twenty-first century promises turbulent change, and I believe the best way to prepare our students for an unpredictably complex future is to encourage well-roundedness. Independent school graduates continue to distinguish themselves later in life precisely because they are well rounded.
- I believe that academic pursuits must be of primary importance. Schools must cultivate intellectual freedom by encouraging inquiry, debate, and criticism. We must create an environment where students believe they can survive mistakes and are comforted by a spirit of intellectual optimism.
- I believe that faculty must be subject experts and serve as advisors who know their students, understand their needs, and effectively communicate and enforce high expectations.
- I believe that physical and emotional hardships must be addressed in a timely manner and nutrition and physical fitness given priority.
- I believe that schools should celebrate the successes of their past, honor their founders, and model the core values upon which they were established.
Monday, February 10, 2014
GoodReads, Pt. 1
Over the past few months I've read some great ones - Rick Atkinson's "The Guns at Last Light," Scott Anderson's "Lawrence in Arabia," Simon Winchester's "The Men Who United the States," and Rick Lynch's "Adapt or Die."
I've just started Bill Bryson's "One Summer: America, 1927" mainly because my father, Charles Arnold, was born on March 15, 1927 in Oil Trough, Arkansas.
Books have become an important part of my life, and I consistently look forward to that special part of my day when I can get back to reading.
Sunday, February 9, 2014
What do we really need?
That's right. We all need people to help us negotiate the complex and confusing world in which we live. When you think about it, really think deeply, isn't it true that most of what we've achieved has been due to the kindness of others?
Tim Donovan. John O'Reilly. Chris Harlow.
These men are very important to me.
- Tim Donovan always said "bloom where you grow."
- John O'Reilly told me repeatedly to "count to ten before making a decision…and count to one hundred if you're emotional."
- Chris Harlow (pictured below), my dearest travel companion, finishes every letter with "I love you."
These are three wise men. My mentors.