Life Lived in Thirds

Last week my daughter Rachel visited my brother-in-law, John in Ocean City, NJ. John was having a family reunion for his 90th birthday. It got me to thinking about planning a similar party with my own family if I make it to 90. I also started thinking about how that goal would represent the final third of a person's life.

My friend Frank and I retired from IBM at the same time. We discussed what we would do with our remaining years. His wife, Lucy's dad had retired at 65 and lived to be 95. Those 30 years, as I saw it, would be equivalent to an additional lifetime. A person could go back to school, learn something completely different and start a whole new career. Along with that, there would be the potential for an even higher degree of success in a new profession. This thirty year portion, unlike the previous periods of life, would provide an even greater opportunity for success. This time you would be doing it as an accomplished adult. It could be the most productive third of a person's life.

I began to think about my life having been lived in thirds. The first third and the second third each contained enough significant events to have been entire lifetimes. It would probably seem the same for most of us. Let me explain.

From birth to age 30  - These are the years of youth and development. The years between birth and say, 13 or 14 were, for me, years of being almost "unconscious". I have very few memories of those years, but the following years through age 30, contained all of the activities of an entire lifetime. I went from being a  kid to an adult, finished my schooling and joined the service. I fought in a war (Korea). I married Sophia, attended night school, and helped raise our family. Our years were filled with happiness, challenges and some sadness, when we lost both of our Moms and Pops. All of that happened within the first 30 years of life - one third.



From age 30 to age 60 - The next thirty year portion, were years of work and finding a career direction. I continued my schooling and started developing the skills that I would use to earn a living. I was able to enjoy a very productive period as an IBM Senior Technical Educator. After retiring from IBM, my wife, Sophia and I started a consultant company. We enjoyed much travel and success with our little venture. Sophia passed away during this period at the early age of 58. I dissolved the company and retired again, ending another whole lifetime - the second third.

From age 60 to age 90 - I am now in the final third. I am amazed at the amount of time available in this third. I have done my best to stay productive and to remain a person of consequence. I furthered my education in grad school, learned new hobbies and engaged in many new activities. During this third of life, I've been able to enjoy watching my children as they work through their "middle third".

I still have a lengthy list of things that I didn't have time for in the second third of my life. There are the books that are still to be read, and those that I will write; there are new hobbies to learn, new people to meet, old songs and new songs to be sung and wonderful memories to be recalled.

Now, about that birthday celebration. Of course, I can't be sure that it will arrive, but just in case, I've decided to start a new hobby - making candles :-)

The Last Lecture

I'm reminded of a wonderful book, "The Last Lecture" written by Randy Pausch while he was dying. In his last lecture at Carnegie Mellon University in the

Fall of 2007, facing pancreatic cancer and the 

likelihood that he would only live a month or two, 

Randy summed up his life’s wisdom for his kids (then 

1,2, and 5). He also gave his lecture to several hundred in a CMU auditorium. That lecture has now been viewed on YouTube by millions of Americans. 

Thankfully, God has allowed me to reach a ripe old age and, at this point, I do not have the same challenge that Mr. Pausch had to face. What is similar, however, is that all of us have a limited amount of life left. Like Randy, I am also having to think if there is any wisdom or philosophy that I should share with my kids and friends. 

                                  

I don't think so. It has always been important to me that I share my thoughts with my kids, wife and friends, during my life as I lived it. So, it won't be necessary for me to write or to give a "Last Lecture". Over the years I have made most of my thoughts available in the classes I taught.

                           

After my retirement, I did have a desire to tell my kids the entire story of their mom and dad. I wanted them to know us when we were kids, how we grew up and how we met. I wanted them to know all of the joys and the sadness of being alive. I wrote the book "Inner Dialogue" for that purpose. Since I needed only three copies, I learned the art of bookbinding. I constructed the tools I needed, printed pages, sewed them and then bound them into books. 

 
 
 
 

 

The other books I've written have pretty well covered anything else that I think I'd want to leave behind for them and my friends. 

My book, "As a Man Thinketh" is filled with my thoughts and what I have observed about life and have come to believe. 

Another book, "I've Never Been Old Before" contains my thoughts about aging, losing a loved one and how I was able to rekindle an active life. 

I waited over fifty years to write my book about combat in the Korean War, "Recollections of a Boy Marine". In it, I was able to include my thoughts about patriotism and peace. 

Having spent many years teaching adult students, I've learned that there really is no need for me to have to give a "Last Lecture". And I believe that it isn't easy to affect another person with merely a lecture. No single lecture, speech or sermon can change human behavior. If a person is to change, it is always up to that individual to make any changes. Learning is a very personal thing, and should be left to a true professional - the learner himself.

At this age, sharing any wisdom that us old folks have accumulated is also not so easy. I often laugh about the fact that in growing older, we may have some wisdom to offer to others, but it really doesn't matter. Nobody listens anyway! ☺

 

Questions and Free Lunches

There are so many questions that I think about often. Like most of you, I've spent a great deal of time searching for the knowledge that would provide me with the answers to those questions. The years go by, I keep searching but, the questions remain and the answers continue to be elusive.

A quote from Will Durant captures my situation very well, "The most interesting thing in the world is another human being who wonders, suffers and raises the questions that have bothered him to the last day of his life, knowing he will never get the answers."

What questions am I talking about? The same questions that man has asked for centuries, mainly by Theologians, Philosophers and Metaphysicians. "Where did we come from?" - "Why are we here?" - "How did it all begin?" - "What was there before it began?"  I've always found it interesting that the questions have remained the same throughout my entire life. What's really troubling, is that the answers keep changing!

  

Scientists tell us that it all started with a bang. First there was a lot of nothing, then for some reason, it decided to explode. Not a little explosion, mind you, but one so big it made an entire universe that is still expanding. That's a lot for me to take on faith. Something out of nothing. A modern day "free lunch".

For those of us who believe it was all created by God, it also remains a matter of faith. Making everything out of nothing isn't a difficult task for God, though. Looking around, I see many miracles. Life itself, His most brilliant creation, is another example of "out of nothing". There is no "Big Bang" theory for how life began. Scientific lab experiments have yet to come close to creating this miracle. The questions remain, and the answers continue to differ. 

                             

I have more questions that I ponder. I see things that are so BIG that answering questions about them or trying to understand them, seems impossible. Looking up into the sky I see the light from distant stars and galaxies. Some of the objects out there are huge, but are so far away that they can't be seen at all. Just the ones we can see in our own solar system are immense. More than 1,000 earths can fit inside Jupiter. Our sun can hold 926 Jupiters. And, Antares, in another galaxy, can hold 572,000,000 of our suns! Now, that's big! I've got no answer for such enormity.

But, then there are also many questions about stuff that is really small. I've got some answers, but only a limited number. OK, I know that my computer is made up of tiny molecules. Each molecule is made up of even smaller things, the atoms. An atom is really small. In its center is the nucleus, smaller yet. It also has an outer band of even smaller things, electrons. Looking out from the nucleus, those electrons are 100,000 times the nucleus' size away from it - really far. Those electrons orbit around the nucleus in much the same way as the planets orbit the sun. Wait a minute - I have a question. Never mind, where were we?

What could be even smaller than the atom? With the invention of the cyclotron or "collider" things got smaller, much smaller. These devices spin particles round and round at incredibly high speeds. They then shoot them into the nucleus of an atom smashing it which releases several sub-atomic particles. A much tinier and mysterious world is opened up. These released new particles are very strange and follow different rules than do any other matter. It's a world that reveals surprising things and raises many more questions. Scientists describe what happens in the collider in terms that most of us would consider, mysticism. Scientists? Mystics?

   

In the world of sub-atomic physics (Quantum), the accepted rules about matter and energy are no longer valid. Can you imagine finding a sub-atomic particle that they describe as a ghost? Yes, it follows its own rules. It sometimes appears where there was nothing and disappears whenever it wants. Just when they find it in one location, it disappears and shows up elsewhere - or in several other places!

They have found other particles, too. The names they have given to some of these mysterious particles will give you a glimpse of this new world, "Charmed", "Up", "Down", "Strange", "Top", "Bottom". Scientists are at a loss to answer the questions they are now faced with.

They have found smaller and smaller particles that make up the nucleus of the atom. They have concluded that there had to be one more particle for them to find. It would be the key particle that is the "building" block for the creation of a nucleus, of an atom, of matter, of everything. It is the particle that would be required to start the whole process - making everything out of nothing, so to speak. They've named it the "God particle".

Never mind the answer - what was the question, again?

Vows, Oaths and other promises

Growing old provides many challenges to a person. If we are able to overcome them, there is much value to be gained. However, there is one challenge that seems to resist all of my efforts to handle. It's been going on for years now, and I still find it perplexing.

Sometimes I think that it is not worth my time to even think about it. Other times, I tell myself that it shouldn't matter to me because I won't have to face the problem in my lifetime. But, I still have a little starch in my collar, so I'm going to have my say.

America is in trouble. Our Republic, our flag, the Constitution and our very culture is disappearing. That can't be a good thing for us and certainly not for the future of our children and their children. 

My Mom used to teach me by using old, and very wise adages. One of those, I never quite understood. "Old men plant trees". I get it, now. I understand that I won't see the tree all grown up or the delicious fruit it will bear, but others will - so let me plant a "tree".

The country has so many things that have been messed up and that needs to be fixed. I won't spend time trying to address them all. The leaders of this country, however, will have to address them. I will talk only about the "keystone" that kept the "arch" that is America, so strong for over 245 years.It is the Pledge of Allegiance.

The keystone is a very important stone in the structure of an arch. If the keystone is removed, the arch and the entire structure it was supporting will collapse. In our structure that we know as America, our keystone has been lost. 

Every citizen, including the children, used to swear allegiance to the flag and to the country. It used to be commonplace. It is no longer, and it has been missing for generations now. That pledge, said daily, was a way of keeping America, and the flag, alive in the hearts of Americans. It was a reminder to every citizen of their promise of loyalty.  

Teachers used to teach the kids how to be good little Americans. The curriculum had always included lessons about our proud history and how to be a good citizen. Not anymore. This has been going on for over sixty years. There are now millions of people who have not been taught these important things. Many don't understand why they need to be respectful and loyal to their country and the flag. These people live in America but are not Americans in their hearts.

Being a citizen means that you are a member of a kind of club. Members are always asked to learn the club's history and its beliefs. All members make some kind of oath to serve the club faithfully. Keeping that promise, and being loyal to the club, is expected. In meetings, the club members will be asked to recite their oath regularly. This is what a brand new naturalized American citizen is asked to do. The test they take includes a promise to be loyal to this country and no other. People who are already citizens take no such test and we take no oath.

Similarly, if a person joins a church, the military, or the government, it is expected that there will be an oath taken. That person is asked to accept the rules, the history of the organization and the purpose behind their promise. This is the glue that binds the person to the group's identity, gives it purpose and the strength for the group to endure.

Let's look at a truly American "club", the Boy Scouts of America. The boys take an oath, learn the salute, the organization's purpose and it's history. Let's assume that they are then told that the oath they took and all they have been taught is now optional. It would no longer be necessary to for them to ever repeat their oath. They would not have to salute or mention the past and proud history of the Scouts. How long do you think that the BSA would endure?

The same thing would be true for any church that didn't ask its believers to show respect for the promise they have made and to be loyal to the church's beliefs. This would also be true for a large corporation or even a marriage. What if we had doctors, psychologists, judges and many other professionals who didn't have to take or to keep their oaths? How important would you say that their taking of an oath - is to you?

OK, what's the point? How do we go about putting the keystone back? The very first step in putting America back together again is to set that important stone back into place - the Pledge of Allegiance. As before, all Americans, would say the pledge in the schools and at all public events. It means reinstating the American Flag as the respected and honored symbol of this nation, complete with the etiquette for its proper display. It means that the National Anthem will be respected and honored, not as just another song, but one to be revered. It belongs in the hearts of all Americans.

Most of what has gone wrong with our country is that these very important elements have been removed or are now considered as optional. There is no place left where we educate to instill the loyalty that brings us together as patriotic citizens. 

Some problems are difficult - this one is not. All we have to do is to keep our oath and put the keystone back! It has kept our country so strong, removing it is dangerous. Just like the archway in a building's entrance, removing the keystone will cause the entire structure to collapse.      

                   
                       God bless America

Mostly Empty Space

I do a lot of thinking. I named my blog, "One Man's Thoughts". You'd think that after all of these years of thinking that I would have figured everything out. I'm afraid not. There are still so many things, about which, I just don't understand - and some that I can't figure out no matter how much I think about them. There are some thoughts that have me in a tizzy, because I know that I will never know. Let me share some of those with you.

One of the classes I taught to IBM engineers was General Systems Theory. The objective was to help those who might be stuck in only one way of thinking about things. Our discussions were about the way our Point-of-View affects our minds. I had a personal experience that was a perfect example of what I used to teach.

As a boy, like many of you, I used to love looking up at the clouds. You know the routine, I'd see the various shapes of things. Looking up to admire their beauty was always a joy. When I took my first commercial flight, it allowed me to take a completely new point of view. I gained many insights.

                                   Point of View
                       Flying above the billowy clouds,
                             I now look down to see;
                     Their lovely softness, as I float by,
                         And they gaze skyward to me.

So, I got to thinking about how I might look at some things in a different way, things I have always wondered about. My Physics professor, Dr. Rosengarten placed his hand on a lab table and asked me to tell him what it was. I answered, "A lab table, sir". No, no, no, Gene - it's mostly nothing! Excuse me? He reminded me of how much space there is between the molecules of the wood, between the atoms of the molecule and the enormous space between the electrons and the nucleus of each atom - so, there it is - mostly nothing. Huh? Now that's a very small world to look at - and it requires a different point of view.

Looking at the night skies, I had to take an opposite P-O-V. No small world out there - but, an immensely large universe. Lots of stars, planets, meteors, moons, asteroids, black holes, comets and galaxies and, oh-oh, mostly empty space. Hmmm.

I look at the distant Andromeda galaxy, somewhat similar in shape to our own Milky Way. The light that I'm seeing has taken over two million years to reach my eyes - what? Light travels at 186,000 miles per second - and it took two million years to get here? Wow! My P-O-V allows me to look up and see that galaxy, but how about this - If the light took that long to get here, I may be "seeing" a galaxy that may no longer be there - it could be gone. I'm seeing something that doesn't even exist. Hmmm. 

But, there is a whole lot of other stuff I can see, right?

                     That's our really big Sun. It keeps
                              little ol' Earth alive.

Further out - Where's Earth?

Further out - Where's the sun?

 

If I lived on Antares, my P-O-V might

just be - there's no such place as earth.

It's mostly empty space!

What's in a Name?

Today we regularly hear from individuals who are "offended" by one thing or another. That's weird enough, but for some reason, they choose not to grow up and get over it. In addition, they want the rest of us to change our language, our attitudes and our behavior. Fat chance! How difficult is it to change someone's behavior? Just ask any teacher, parent, minister or physical therapist - it ain't easy. Also, if it's going to happen at all, it will require some discomfort and/or pain. So, what's going on with this, "I'm offended" stuff?

We are deluged daily with new things to worry about. We have to watch what we eat, what we think and even the words we use. Social issues that had disappeared years ago are now at the forefront again. In South Philly, we called each other names and thought nothing of it. Nobody took it so personally and there was no offense taken. What's in a name? It would only have been a problem if the word was accompanied by an adjective and a threat - and it rarely was that way. We all got along just fine. Using words like that in the PC world of today might get you put in jail.

The problems are being caused by PC - the politically correct nonsense. Where did this PC stuff come from? Well, here's the bad news. It is an essential part of Marxism. It's the same Marxist song that they have been singing since WWI. Really - that long. They managed to get PC into a few countries over the years (China, Russia, Italy, Germany) with pretty bad results. Their methods on how to deconstruct, or as they would say, "fundamentally change", a capitalist society are clearly stated in the Communist Manifesto. Marx and Lenin actually used the phrase, "politically correct" on each other! That's where it came from. Up till now, the PC method hasn't worked too well, but it seems to have gained ground here in the good ol' USA.

The main goal of communism is the destruction and replacement of the capitalist economic model. That happens to be our system, and they are busy trying to bring it down using the same time-worn methods that they have always used. And, PC is one of them. Here's how it works for communists.

Marxist-Leninist principles don't mesh at all with the American system. They especially dislike our being "exceptional". They must first create a Godless state and atheism to begin their transformation of a nation. Recognize any of that? Using PC, they will pit groups against one another, those they call, the "classes". Being anti-conservative, they see advantages in class conflict.

In America, we were designed to be "classless", but we hear our leaders now referring to the "middle class" - a purely socialist label. With no God to influence American society, our God-given rights are put in jeopardy. Leaders then have the power to affect those rights. We've watched as our universities became populated with far-left (think Marxist) professors. They have had no problem creating a PC climate on the campuses, so a constant flow of conditioned students enters society every year.

 Pitting the people against each other, and the ensuing chaos is a useful environment for them. Have we not heard certain politicians say, "Never let a good crisis go to waste"? Marx would call that progress. We realize that we must now be careful not to offend any of the groups who have been categorized as victims. It is just not PC to do that! Those groups, Hispanics, blacks, homosexuals, feminists, global warming enthusiasts, et al, would be seen as capitalist slaves by Marx, and ironically, he would call them his "Useful Idiots".

Karl Marx actually defined the steps to be used to destroy a capitalist nation. If you consider what is happening in our country right now, those steps are recognizable. Have we not seen government efforts to take personal property away from citizens? That's a Marxist principle, while personal property rights remain an important part of America's foundation.

All of this sat very comfortably with the rebellious hippies of the 60's. They were happy when God and religion were diminished as a positive social standard. They were thrilled with the idea of not being judged by a moral society. They found it easy to take oaths that they had no intention of keeping. Marriage, families and patriotism suffered immediately. They particularly enjoyed rioting in the streets and using labels to devalue the moral people they disliked. Those rebels played a major role in the advance of Marx's PC agenda - He had always seen Western Culture as the enemy.

Here in the USA, the Communist Party couldn't win an election in the 30's and 40's, so they changed their name to the Progressive Party. In the 50's they were found to have infiltrated the media, Hollywood, the universities, the military and government itself. With that much attention, they decided to not call themselves Communist or Progressive anymore. They disappeared from the public scene. They went underground. They're still out there, all right, but where do you think they might be hiding? In all the same places, the media, Hollywood, the universities, the military and government itself. Oh yes, you'll find many of them in the unions and the Democrat Party, who now call themselves the Progressive Party again. Excuse me? They are calling themselves Progressive again?

But then, what's in a name?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Give Me Peace!

As I look at the world situation there are many reasons to be concerned. There are international incidents just waiting to happen, plus ongoing wars and those about to happen. We see threats by the leaders of China, Korea and Russia. Then there are the never-ending conflicts in the Middle-East. I see millions of people whose lives are being threatened daily by some adversary. And that includes us here in the USA. It's insanity to be at war with an enemy sworn to destroy us, and decide to merely tolerate the deaths and inconveniences. Here in America, we hear that it is because we are "war-weary". Well, tell that to soldiers in a foxhole under attack - again. Tell it to the policemen and firemen who must be really tired of risking their lives to save others. Tell that to the doctors who have become weary of seeing the pain and the blood. And try telling that to the Israeli people.

That brave nation has had over 65 years to become weary of war. Yes, they long for peace, but they can never achieve it with neighbors who don't even accept their existence. So, Israel will fight again - weary or not.

But, they know how to win a war. As awful as war is, it's the only way to restore the peace. (Give me peace, or I'll blow your head off!) They will do the only realistic thing - eliminate the enemy. In this case, it is the group of terrorists called, Hamas. I suspect that they will probably take back some of the Gaza strip to give themselves more of a buffer zone.

War is hell; war is painful; war is a conflict that has to be won, if it is ever to end - weary or not.

Playing the Ace

I was at the Publix market this morning to buy some lunch meat at the Deli counter. Mike, the older experienced worker was there, but he was training a young man, Bob, to use the slicing machine. When my turn came, it was Bob who waited on me. It wasn't easy for him to do the various steps involved with his new job. Take the order, ask how much, remember the amount, find the right meat, before slicing ask how thick, remember the response, slice the meat, weigh it, wrap it, place a price sticker on the package and give it to me. I got more than the half pound of Turkey Breast I ordered (there was a pound); the slices were much thicker than I wanted and the slices were wrapped in a weird twisted fashion. Let's face it - before we know how to do something well, we have to do it several times. And during those times, we make lots of mistakes, but, in the end, LOJ works (learning on the job).

A pilot friend told me that most of the time, his plane is being directed by a trainee in the control tower. There are always new people who are learning the ropes and need actual live experiences. Of course, there is an experienced worker who is supervising the trainee - most of the time. I really can relate to Bob and the Air Traffic Controller trainee. I'll bet you can too. It got me to thinking about when I was with IBM and had to learn something new.

I was in the Education Department and was responsible for Curriculum Development. A customer had requested their need for a course to be designed. I was given the project along with any assistance I might require. The State Tax Agency, needed to have their agents trained on how to do their audits in a computer environment.

OK, I knew about education and teaching, but what was an audit? Really, I had no idea. What did it mean that they wanted to do it in a computer environment? The only thing I knew to do was to create an acronym for the new course, "ACE" - Auditing in a Computer Environment. Now what do I do? I soon learned what an audit was. It was required by the customer that I submit to an audit of my taxes if I was going to work with them.

I needed a more experienced person to help me, so I asked two colleagues to work with me on the project. They lasted about ten minutes - just long enough for them to learn that they had to be audited to work on Gene's project. Bye, fellas.

So, I would have to do the whole thing myself. In effect, I was like Bob learning how to slice those lunch meats at Publix. First, I had to learn what it was these Tax Auditors did. I worked with them for about two weeks as they went about their business. Hmmm, I learned more than I wanted to know.

When I asked how they decided who would be audited, one agent answered. He said that he had a perfect method of finding money that could be recovered by the State. He would look around for any very attractive young girl who might be driving an expensive car. Was that his target? No! He said he would audit the returns of her doctor, her boss and her dentist. Are you kidding? No, he wasn't kidding me.

OK, I had to write the course alone, present it for approval, then sell it to the State Tax Agency, but it all worked out. I passed the audit of my tax return, we got the order and I taught the first classes. ACE was a big success and I was no longer a trainee. Was that a pound you ordered, sir?

It's All About Freedom

Yes, celebrating the "Fourth" is wonderful fun. What we are really celebrating is our independence from the rule of a king. In their wisdom, our founders gave us, and the world, a new "idea". It was that the people would rule themselves and that their rights come from God, not from kings, tyrants and dictators.

That idea was the first time it had ever been tried. There is no other nation who has done it. That is the real reason why we are called, "exceptional". That word is misunderstood, even by those who call themselves Constitutional scholars.

Thank God, that after 241 years, we still have a Republic. Although, in my opinion, our rights and freedoms are under attack. Our founders made sure that our rights could never be taken from us. They stated clearly in our Constitution that those rights come from God, not politicians. So, you'd think that all would be OK, right?

Not from my point of view. Our rights are being removed one little bit at a time. Remember when it was OK to have the kids play games at school? School curricula and grading methods have been changed and mandated. We are also being told what we can eat and what we can say. Political Correctness, a precept of Marxism, is effecting every aspect of our lives.

Just look at the nations in the world whose people want freedom and are having to shed their blood trying to get it. The sad thing is that they don't ever get it! Tyrants who are in power do not give up their power without a fight. We've seen that they will kill their own people to hold onto it. So, let's all remember that if we were ever to lose our freedom, that would happen to us. We would have to fight to be free all over again, as we did in the Revolutionary War.

So, while we watch the fireworks and the parades, let's remember why we are celebrating - it's about our freedom.