I think that someone has been trying to tell me something. I have seen tweets, Facebook posts, a Chinese fortune cookie, and even my horoscope recently said that to get somewhere, you have to start. (The horoscope part is funny since I seldom look at what my horoscope says.) Sources notwithstanding, like I said, I think someone is sending me a message.
In the year to come, I have quite a few personal challenges and goals in many areas of my life. For those of you that have read some of my older posts, you know that I don't do New Year's Resolutions but I do at certain points in the year review aspects of my life with the changing of the calendar year being a great time to make note of where I am, where I want to go, and how I am going to get there.
One problem that I have had for a long time is that sometimes I get so lost in the details of what I want and need to do, I forget to take the first step. I don't start. However, this time is going to be different. I have a list of goals. I have a list of needs. I have a list of challenges which need fast and urgent action to be taken. For some of the things that I have mentioned, I already have an action plan of things that I need to do. And I have begun some of those actions. However, there are others that are still waiting for me to start. And there are other plans that need to be made so I can start to move toward my goal. I have a lot going on with a big expectation for this year.
It is going to take some management and enthusiasm on my part. But most of all, they need me to start.
My challenge to you is this: I know that you have dreams and goals for the coming year. If you don't, you need to so some serious self-reflection. You don't need to be like me and have a large and challenging set of goals, it could be just one thing. (As long as when you reach that goal, you set a new one.) For those goals, whether you have them now or will have them shortly, you need to START to move to reaching that goal. One thing is certain about goals, you will not reach them if you don't start.
Smile!
©2014 Eddy Seegers
Monday, January 13, 2014
Thursday, September 12, 2013
Reflection on 9-11
“Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.” ― Søren Kierkegaard
There are three things I take time to reflect upon on September 11th every year.
The first is one of my nieces’ birthday. So much was going on around the time of her birth, so much has gone on in her life, and she has so much to look forward to in the future. I remember when I was that age, the huge anticipation I had for my 10th birthday. For her 10th birthday my niece had to endure the world changing because of what happened on that date in 2001.
Almost everybody takes the time to reflect on the terrorist attack on the World Trade Centers in New York City on September 11, 2001. I think that we need to take more time to reflect on the event of that day. More than just one day a year on the anniversary. We need to look at the pictures and spend time looking at the videos. We need to remember who committed those dastardly acts. We need to remember the feelings that we had on that most gut wrenching day for our country since Pearl Harbor.
Finally, today I reflect on the events in Benghazi, Libya one year ago, September 11, 2012. On that day our embassy and its people were attacked by an organized mob of Islamic terrorists. 4 men died that day including our Ambassador. Yet, to this day many people probably could not tell you what happened that day if asked. On top of that, our government has not shown much of an interest in getting to the bottom of what happened that day or bringing the perpetrators to justice.
A day of reflection. There are lots of things that we should reflect upon in life. On September 11 every year, I think the points of reflection are a little heavier. Well, except for my niece, which reminds me that life goes on. I love you kiddo.
Smile!
©2013 Eddy Seegers
There are three things I take time to reflect upon on September 11th every year.
The first is one of my nieces’ birthday. So much was going on around the time of her birth, so much has gone on in her life, and she has so much to look forward to in the future. I remember when I was that age, the huge anticipation I had for my 10th birthday. For her 10th birthday my niece had to endure the world changing because of what happened on that date in 2001.
Almost everybody takes the time to reflect on the terrorist attack on the World Trade Centers in New York City on September 11, 2001. I think that we need to take more time to reflect on the event of that day. More than just one day a year on the anniversary. We need to look at the pictures and spend time looking at the videos. We need to remember who committed those dastardly acts. We need to remember the feelings that we had on that most gut wrenching day for our country since Pearl Harbor.
Finally, today I reflect on the events in Benghazi, Libya one year ago, September 11, 2012. On that day our embassy and its people were attacked by an organized mob of Islamic terrorists. 4 men died that day including our Ambassador. Yet, to this day many people probably could not tell you what happened that day if asked. On top of that, our government has not shown much of an interest in getting to the bottom of what happened that day or bringing the perpetrators to justice.
A day of reflection. There are lots of things that we should reflect upon in life. On September 11 every year, I think the points of reflection are a little heavier. Well, except for my niece, which reminds me that life goes on. I love you kiddo.
Smile!
©2013 Eddy Seegers
Sunday, September 1, 2013
Random Things That Go Through My Mind
Today is the 1st of September. Labor Day Weekend 2013. To me, this weekend is the unofficial end to Summer. College and high school football has started. School has started back making commute traffic heavier. Baseball season is winding down. Pro football gets started next week. Even though we have 3 weeks until the official first day of Autumn and the weather will still be summer like for a while, in my mind fall begins this weekend.
While trying to think of a topic to post this past week, I ended up with a series of random thoughts which are indicative of all the things that run through my mind. Some are serious and some are not so much. Some seem less serious but do have a serious meaning underneath the surface. Anyway, here is a sample of some of the things that have gone through my mind this past week.
* There was a supposed "Strike" by fast food workers to have their pay raised to $15.00 an hour. Thought #1 on this subject: The understanding of simple economics by this group is non-existent. Thought #2: Many people making minimum wage are overpaid.
* The current President of the United States of America is clueless when it comes to foreign relations and international affairs.
* My day job gets in the way of my blogging. It gets in the way of a lot of other things also but I like to eat and have a roof over my head.
* Red hair seems to a new "In" fashion statement but there are some people who should stick with what Mother Nature gave 'em.
* The Prez is clueless on domestic affairs as well but a lapdog mainstream press, a power hungry Congress, and a blindly loyal following allow him to get away with his trashing of the Constitution.
* No full grown adult male should ever wear a baseball-style cap backwards. Unless he is trying to look stupid.
* The Prez is clueless on domestic affairs as well but a lapdog mainstream press, a power hungry Congress, and a blindly loyal following allow him to get away with his trashing of the Constitution.
* People who are in supervisory positions and are jerks towards their employees irritate me. It is totally unnecessary. (Note: None of my bosses are like this.)
* Being a homeowner has forced me to learn many handyman skills that I was never interested in learning, until I learned how much it cost to hire someone to do those jobs.
* I no longer use the term "common courtesy" because courtesy no longer seems to be common. If you doubt me, go to a grocery store on a busy day to people watch. Spend some time in both the parking lot and inside the store. the lack of courtesy and presence of outright rudeness is amazing. When an act of courtesy is the exception, there is something wrong.
* The invention of the DVR is one of the 2 greatest inventions for football fans. The other is the yellow first down line on television.
* Which is worse? A person who is not very bright but tries to act as if they are. Or, someone who is smart but like to point it out all of the time and acts better than everyone else.
* My cat likes to jump up onto my desk while I am working. It can make typing a challenge. My 2 points before this one had to be re-typed thanks to him.
* Finally, no matter how bad things are in my life, college football season makes things a little better. Even more so if Auburn and the University of Houston are doing well. (They both won their opening games.)
Smile.
©2013 Eddy Seegers
While trying to think of a topic to post this past week, I ended up with a series of random thoughts which are indicative of all the things that run through my mind. Some are serious and some are not so much. Some seem less serious but do have a serious meaning underneath the surface. Anyway, here is a sample of some of the things that have gone through my mind this past week.
* There was a supposed "Strike" by fast food workers to have their pay raised to $15.00 an hour. Thought #1 on this subject: The understanding of simple economics by this group is non-existent. Thought #2: Many people making minimum wage are overpaid.
* The current President of the United States of America is clueless when it comes to foreign relations and international affairs.
* My day job gets in the way of my blogging. It gets in the way of a lot of other things also but I like to eat and have a roof over my head.
* Red hair seems to a new "In" fashion statement but there are some people who should stick with what Mother Nature gave 'em.
* The Prez is clueless on domestic affairs as well but a lapdog mainstream press, a power hungry Congress, and a blindly loyal following allow him to get away with his trashing of the Constitution.
* No full grown adult male should ever wear a baseball-style cap backwards. Unless he is trying to look stupid.
* The Prez is clueless on domestic affairs as well but a lapdog mainstream press, a power hungry Congress, and a blindly loyal following allow him to get away with his trashing of the Constitution.
* People who are in supervisory positions and are jerks towards their employees irritate me. It is totally unnecessary. (Note: None of my bosses are like this.)
* Being a homeowner has forced me to learn many handyman skills that I was never interested in learning, until I learned how much it cost to hire someone to do those jobs.
* I no longer use the term "common courtesy" because courtesy no longer seems to be common. If you doubt me, go to a grocery store on a busy day to people watch. Spend some time in both the parking lot and inside the store. the lack of courtesy and presence of outright rudeness is amazing. When an act of courtesy is the exception, there is something wrong.
* The invention of the DVR is one of the 2 greatest inventions for football fans. The other is the yellow first down line on television.
* Which is worse? A person who is not very bright but tries to act as if they are. Or, someone who is smart but like to point it out all of the time and acts better than everyone else.
* My cat likes to jump up onto my desk while I am working. It can make typing a challenge. My 2 points before this one had to be re-typed thanks to him.
* Finally, no matter how bad things are in my life, college football season makes things a little better. Even more so if Auburn and the University of Houston are doing well. (They both won their opening games.)
Smile.
©2013 Eddy Seegers
Tuesday, July 16, 2013
Tribute to my Dad
There have been times in my life that I have felt sorry for my younger brother. Through the chance of birth order, I was the first born child to my mom and dad. If my memory serves me right, I was supposed to be given the name Charles Edward, after my maternal grandfather. When the time came for my mom to fill out the birth certificate she instead named me Edgar, after my dad. That is where I felt sorry for my brother in that I was the one lucky enough to have been given our father’s name. It is a story longer than I will tell here but I am actually the third in the line as my dad was named after his father, who died when Dad was still a young boy but my birth certificate says that I am a Junior.
Where to begin when I give honor to my dad? I guess the best place to begin is probably that he is one of the Few and the Proud. He was and is a Marine. Dad is not the most imposing figure physically, standing at 5 feet, 7 inches tall. Again, relying on the memory of a proud child, I believe in his Marine Corps days he was about 135 pounds. However, he had the heart of a fighter. The story I have always remembered and when I asked him about it recently, my memory did hold true. His unit was training with pugil sticks, the giant Q-Tip looking sticks that were used for training in close combat fighting using the bayonet and rifle butt. Dad was paired with the biggest guy in his platoon and ended up breaking the other guy’s hand. Apparently, this won his some points with his drill instructor which is always a good thing.
Dad wanted to fly, to become a Marine Pilot, but his eyesight did not allow it. He likely would have made the Marine Corps his career but an undetected birth defect in his spine was discovered and he had to take a medical discharge.
He then had a procedure known as a spinal fusion. It was a much more involved and dangerous operation in the early 60’s when his was done. They took part of his hip bone out and “fused” it into his spine to make it stronger. He wasn’t ever supposed to lift anything too heavy or put too much pressure on it. I remember a time when I was a teenager and we were building a wall in our yard using railroad cross-ties. I was wishing that he would have listened to the doctors, but I never saw him use the back for an excuse. (Although none of our family was very good at it, I think he even water skied a little when we had our boat.)
The thing I most fondly remember about Dad is how he supported my interest in sports. I joke around in my profile for this blog that while I did not come out of the womb with a baseball glove on my hand, my first words were probably “Play Ball!” I have vague memories of a time when I was extremely young and him showing me the proper way to hold and swing a bat.
Even more vividly though are the memories of when I was 8 years old and finally old enough to play Little League Baseball. Back in those days there wasn’t any t-ball or coaches pitch leagues. More importantly, you had to try out to make the team. I remember Dad going with me to the playground of James Bowie Elementary in Baytown, Texas and working with me so I would be ready for tryouts. I probably drove him nuts and while I am sure there must have been times when he said no, I don’t ever remember him denying me when I asked to play pitch or go practice. He would work with me on my throwing technique, give me grounders and fly balls to practice with, and then chase balls I hit during batting practice.
One of the most wonderful thoughts I have of both my Dad and Mom was how they supported my interest in playing sports. I don’t think there were too many games that they did not attend. They worked in concessions stands and joined booster clubs. And they were there to support me. There were times Dad took me to any baseball game that I wanted to go to. He took me to a Pony League game one time because I wanted to see the “older boys” play. I know it probably bored him to death but he was there with me.
To be honest, I wouldn’t have had it any other way. I always knew that I was deserving of any honors I was given. Don’t get me wrong, he and Mom were my biggest fans. A long story that I won’t fully share here (as this is already longer than my normal post) goes with my first football game of the senior year of high school. I was in the hospital until Wednesday the week of that first game and Dad helped me twist the words of the doctor to allow me to suit up and play. I didn’t start as our offensive right guard but got into the game late in the first quarter and only missed about 5 plays for the rest of the year. After I got in, I played the game of my life. I blocked against a guy that would end up getting a major college scholarship and totally shut him down after he tormented our team at the start.
Now let me explain, my high school was a little small suburban school in a suburb of Birmingham, Alabama. Right in the middle of the Bible Belt. And my Dad still could talk like marine when he wanted to although not usually in public. The story goes that Mom kept having to “shush” him as he cheered me on in a very colorful manner. I remember how Mom said she was so embarrassed when I made a play and Dad shouted for all to hear, “He knocked him on his A**!”
There are many more things I could share about my Dad. He became a Dallas Cowboys fan with me. The fond memories of watching Cowboys games on Sunday afternoons and Monday nights. In high school, Dad, my brother and me, would make treks from Birmingham to Dallas to see a game or two every year at Texas Stadium.
I could talk about how he has had more lives than a cat. 2 years ago, he developed sepsis. His whole body was one big infection. I remember walking into the Intensive Care unit seeing his blood pressure at 50/33 and a heart rate of around 175. I asked him how he was doing and he said that he had had better days. He ended up being in a coma for over 2 weeks. When he awoke, he had a breathing tube that he really did not like. The doctors told us they were going to have to build up his strength to allow the tube to come out. They told him what he needed to do to prove he could breathe on his own and about 3 hours later, the tube was out.
One final brag on Dad. He was always there for me with my love of sports. My younger brother though, was more into things like mechanics and loved fishing. Dad took the time to be there for Little Brother too. They would work on cars together and go on fishing trips (that I didn’t mind missing.) He was also there for my sisters’ dance recitals and all of our school plays. He worked school carnivals. He tolerated our friends.
To close, Dad is not perfect. He can be stubborn. (No comment Mom.) He has been having hearing issues for years but only recently has acknowledged it but is still not doing anything about it. There are times he seems like he is trying to win the “Crabby Guy Award”. But my Dad has given me a lifetime of memories. A lifetime of being there for me and setting an example. Oops, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention his love for the San Antonio Spurs. Even if it means sitting in a sweltering hot or freezing cold garage to watch them while he smokes his cigars.
Dad, Thanks for the memories. I don’t say it enough, I LOVE YOU!
Where to begin when I give honor to my dad? I guess the best place to begin is probably that he is one of the Few and the Proud. He was and is a Marine. Dad is not the most imposing figure physically, standing at 5 feet, 7 inches tall. Again, relying on the memory of a proud child, I believe in his Marine Corps days he was about 135 pounds. However, he had the heart of a fighter. The story I have always remembered and when I asked him about it recently, my memory did hold true. His unit was training with pugil sticks, the giant Q-Tip looking sticks that were used for training in close combat fighting using the bayonet and rifle butt. Dad was paired with the biggest guy in his platoon and ended up breaking the other guy’s hand. Apparently, this won his some points with his drill instructor which is always a good thing.
Dad wanted to fly, to become a Marine Pilot, but his eyesight did not allow it. He likely would have made the Marine Corps his career but an undetected birth defect in his spine was discovered and he had to take a medical discharge.
He then had a procedure known as a spinal fusion. It was a much more involved and dangerous operation in the early 60’s when his was done. They took part of his hip bone out and “fused” it into his spine to make it stronger. He wasn’t ever supposed to lift anything too heavy or put too much pressure on it. I remember a time when I was a teenager and we were building a wall in our yard using railroad cross-ties. I was wishing that he would have listened to the doctors, but I never saw him use the back for an excuse. (Although none of our family was very good at it, I think he even water skied a little when we had our boat.)
The thing I most fondly remember about Dad is how he supported my interest in sports. I joke around in my profile for this blog that while I did not come out of the womb with a baseball glove on my hand, my first words were probably “Play Ball!” I have vague memories of a time when I was extremely young and him showing me the proper way to hold and swing a bat.
Even more vividly though are the memories of when I was 8 years old and finally old enough to play Little League Baseball. Back in those days there wasn’t any t-ball or coaches pitch leagues. More importantly, you had to try out to make the team. I remember Dad going with me to the playground of James Bowie Elementary in Baytown, Texas and working with me so I would be ready for tryouts. I probably drove him nuts and while I am sure there must have been times when he said no, I don’t ever remember him denying me when I asked to play pitch or go practice. He would work with me on my throwing technique, give me grounders and fly balls to practice with, and then chase balls I hit during batting practice.
One of the most wonderful thoughts I have of both my Dad and Mom was how they supported my interest in playing sports. I don’t think there were too many games that they did not attend. They worked in concessions stands and joined booster clubs. And they were there to support me. There were times Dad took me to any baseball game that I wanted to go to. He took me to a Pony League game one time because I wanted to see the “older boys” play. I know it probably bored him to death but he was there with me.
There was a big sign above the concession stand at the Baytown East Little League field with the Parent's Creed. My parents lived by this creed when supporting me.
Another of the things that I think set Dad apart from other sports Dads was he didn’t sugar-coat things. If he thought I had a deficiency, he told me. He would let me know what he thought I needed to work on, and since I had maybe just above average skills and performed better through lots of practice and a whole lotta heart, he didn’t give me a break. I remember him calling me out on a third strike when he umpired a practice game that first year of baseball. On one of the few occasions that he coached me on the field, I had to earn every position and honor. Where in some leagues I played in, if your father was a coach, you were guaranteed getting on the all-star team, even if you were not one of the better players. Not me. I knew I had to be just that little better than the next guy. Shoot, there was one time I thought for sure he was campaigning against me during the all-star selection meeting.
To be honest, I wouldn’t have had it any other way. I always knew that I was deserving of any honors I was given. Don’t get me wrong, he and Mom were my biggest fans. A long story that I won’t fully share here (as this is already longer than my normal post) goes with my first football game of the senior year of high school. I was in the hospital until Wednesday the week of that first game and Dad helped me twist the words of the doctor to allow me to suit up and play. I didn’t start as our offensive right guard but got into the game late in the first quarter and only missed about 5 plays for the rest of the year. After I got in, I played the game of my life. I blocked against a guy that would end up getting a major college scholarship and totally shut him down after he tormented our team at the start.
Now let me explain, my high school was a little small suburban school in a suburb of Birmingham, Alabama. Right in the middle of the Bible Belt. And my Dad still could talk like marine when he wanted to although not usually in public. The story goes that Mom kept having to “shush” him as he cheered me on in a very colorful manner. I remember how Mom said she was so embarrassed when I made a play and Dad shouted for all to hear, “He knocked him on his A**!”
There are many more things I could share about my Dad. He became a Dallas Cowboys fan with me. The fond memories of watching Cowboys games on Sunday afternoons and Monday nights. In high school, Dad, my brother and me, would make treks from Birmingham to Dallas to see a game or two every year at Texas Stadium.
One final brag on Dad. He was always there for me with my love of sports. My younger brother though, was more into things like mechanics and loved fishing. Dad took the time to be there for Little Brother too. They would work on cars together and go on fishing trips (that I didn’t mind missing.) He was also there for my sisters’ dance recitals and all of our school plays. He worked school carnivals. He tolerated our friends.
To close, Dad is not perfect. He can be stubborn. (No comment Mom.) He has been having hearing issues for years but only recently has acknowledged it but is still not doing anything about it. There are times he seems like he is trying to win the “Crabby Guy Award”. But my Dad has given me a lifetime of memories. A lifetime of being there for me and setting an example. Oops, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention his love for the San Antonio Spurs. Even if it means sitting in a sweltering hot or freezing cold garage to watch them while he smokes his cigars.
Dad, Thanks for the memories. I don’t say it enough, I LOVE YOU!
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Character versus Characters
Yesterday, a great lady, wonderful thinker, and powerful politician passed away. Former British Prime Minister, Baroness Margaret Thatcher passed away from a stroke at the age of 87. She had been in poor health for the past few years but it was still sad to hear of her passing.
In response to a post on Facebook, I made the comment that we all need to have her strength of conviction and character. My comment started me thinking about this great lady and her political life.
Baroness Thatcher, through time, circumstances, and beliefs will forever be associated with President Ronald Reagan. Both are often referred to as polarizing figures. In other words, most people either loved them or hated them. There are likely very few people that have casual feelings forward either one of them.
Maggie is credited with saving Great Britain’s economy. It had become reliant on strongly socialized economic policies and dominated by labor unions, which by their very nature are socialistic organizations. As Prime Minister, Baroness Thatcher promoted and pushed for open markets and capitalistic policies. These polices turned the economy around and saved the British Empire from falling from the edge of economic collapse into total disaster. In doing so, she upset many. Those living on the government dole, those supported by the taxes of others, and those that thought, by action if not actual by intention, that government could lift up the poor by punishing the rich. Many people hated her in spite of the economic prosperity that followed her policies.
I heard the audio clip several times yesterday where she was confronted by a member of Parliament at a time near the end of her service as Prime Minister. He was condemning her because the gap between the wealthy and the poor had widened during her leadership. Showing her character, and her skills as a politician and debater, the Prime Minister responded, “The gentleman would rather the poor be poorer provided that the rich were less rich.” She then went on to note that all economic levels had risen during her time and all were much better off than when she first took office. He is like many politicians who are more concerned about the equality of outcomes as opposed to the equality of opportunity. However, Mrs. Thatcher had the character and convictions to see the benefit that had been seen by all.
Ronald Reagan faced many of the same types of critics here in the United States. Ronnie became President our country at a time it was suffering from the Carter malaise. Our nation was dealing with high unemployment, high interest rates, and a general feeling that the United States had seen the best of its days in the rear view mirror. This man and political twin spirit of Margaret Thatcher began by speaking about the greatness of the United States. He then used his strength of character to begin pushing changes to promote capitalistic policies. He pushed for lower taxes. He pushed for free market policies. He stood for strong conservative values.
And in the process, he made many enemies. He was hated. I was astonished when he passed away to listen to a press that had reviled him suddenly start speaking of him in revered tones. He stood up to the air traffic controllers union that went on an illegal strike and drew the ire of all labor unions. Part of the reason the press disliked him so much was that he had the ability to connect with the common citizen. The press seemed to lose much of their influence during his time in office. He also pointed out the silliness of liberal politicians. I mentioned a favorite quote of Mrs. Thatcher earlier, so here is one of my favorites from the Gipper. “It is not that our liberal friends are ignorant, it’s just that they know so much that isn’t so.” I quote that often and it always irritates liberals beyond control.
Yes, both Prime Minister Thatcher and President Reagan made great strides to save the economies of their respective nations and as a consequence, the economies of the rest of the world, even the ones not as free as ours. But I think the strong show of character by both of them was standing up to the Soviet Union during the Cold War and basically winning the Cold War through that strength.
I could continue with examples but I think that I have set a basis of the strength of character of these two great leaders.
The purpose of this post however, in addition to honoring Margaret Thatcher, is to point out that lack of character that we have in today’s politician. Instead we have politicians who are simply characters.
Our current crop of politicians, from both sides of the so-called aisle, show a definite deficiency when it comes to character. But, many of them are characters. They are playing roles. We have a President that stutters and stammers when he is speaking extemporaneously but is praised for his speaking abilities because he is a master of reading a speech off of a teleprompter. We have a Vice President who is almost considered a cartoon character. He quite literally goes day after day making ridiculously inane and stupid remarks. To quote many others, he is a walking “gaffe machine”. On the Republican side we have so-called national leaders who campaign on principles of solid conservatism but when the time comes to stand up for those principles, they cave in and actually vote against the very principles they were elected to defend.
It is with a heavy heart that I remember and honor the life that was Margaret Thatcher. I feel strongly that with her passing, a breed of person and leader has passed from our world and our lives. Where will the next leaders with character, not who are characters, come from?
Rest in Peace Iron Lady.
Eddy
©2013 Eddy Seegers
In response to a post on Facebook, I made the comment that we all need to have her strength of conviction and character. My comment started me thinking about this great lady and her political life.
Baroness Thatcher, through time, circumstances, and beliefs will forever be associated with President Ronald Reagan. Both are often referred to as polarizing figures. In other words, most people either loved them or hated them. There are likely very few people that have casual feelings forward either one of them.
Maggie is credited with saving Great Britain’s economy. It had become reliant on strongly socialized economic policies and dominated by labor unions, which by their very nature are socialistic organizations. As Prime Minister, Baroness Thatcher promoted and pushed for open markets and capitalistic policies. These polices turned the economy around and saved the British Empire from falling from the edge of economic collapse into total disaster. In doing so, she upset many. Those living on the government dole, those supported by the taxes of others, and those that thought, by action if not actual by intention, that government could lift up the poor by punishing the rich. Many people hated her in spite of the economic prosperity that followed her policies.
I heard the audio clip several times yesterday where she was confronted by a member of Parliament at a time near the end of her service as Prime Minister. He was condemning her because the gap between the wealthy and the poor had widened during her leadership. Showing her character, and her skills as a politician and debater, the Prime Minister responded, “The gentleman would rather the poor be poorer provided that the rich were less rich.” She then went on to note that all economic levels had risen during her time and all were much better off than when she first took office. He is like many politicians who are more concerned about the equality of outcomes as opposed to the equality of opportunity. However, Mrs. Thatcher had the character and convictions to see the benefit that had been seen by all.
Ronald Reagan faced many of the same types of critics here in the United States. Ronnie became President our country at a time it was suffering from the Carter malaise. Our nation was dealing with high unemployment, high interest rates, and a general feeling that the United States had seen the best of its days in the rear view mirror. This man and political twin spirit of Margaret Thatcher began by speaking about the greatness of the United States. He then used his strength of character to begin pushing changes to promote capitalistic policies. He pushed for lower taxes. He pushed for free market policies. He stood for strong conservative values.
And in the process, he made many enemies. He was hated. I was astonished when he passed away to listen to a press that had reviled him suddenly start speaking of him in revered tones. He stood up to the air traffic controllers union that went on an illegal strike and drew the ire of all labor unions. Part of the reason the press disliked him so much was that he had the ability to connect with the common citizen. The press seemed to lose much of their influence during his time in office. He also pointed out the silliness of liberal politicians. I mentioned a favorite quote of Mrs. Thatcher earlier, so here is one of my favorites from the Gipper. “It is not that our liberal friends are ignorant, it’s just that they know so much that isn’t so.” I quote that often and it always irritates liberals beyond control.
Yes, both Prime Minister Thatcher and President Reagan made great strides to save the economies of their respective nations and as a consequence, the economies of the rest of the world, even the ones not as free as ours. But I think the strong show of character by both of them was standing up to the Soviet Union during the Cold War and basically winning the Cold War through that strength.
I could continue with examples but I think that I have set a basis of the strength of character of these two great leaders.
The purpose of this post however, in addition to honoring Margaret Thatcher, is to point out that lack of character that we have in today’s politician. Instead we have politicians who are simply characters.
Our current crop of politicians, from both sides of the so-called aisle, show a definite deficiency when it comes to character. But, many of them are characters. They are playing roles. We have a President that stutters and stammers when he is speaking extemporaneously but is praised for his speaking abilities because he is a master of reading a speech off of a teleprompter. We have a Vice President who is almost considered a cartoon character. He quite literally goes day after day making ridiculously inane and stupid remarks. To quote many others, he is a walking “gaffe machine”. On the Republican side we have so-called national leaders who campaign on principles of solid conservatism but when the time comes to stand up for those principles, they cave in and actually vote against the very principles they were elected to defend.
It is with a heavy heart that I remember and honor the life that was Margaret Thatcher. I feel strongly that with her passing, a breed of person and leader has passed from our world and our lives. Where will the next leaders with character, not who are characters, come from?
Rest in Peace Iron Lady.
Eddy
©2013 Eddy Seegers
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
The Argument Before SCOTUS
I have been debating whether to post my opinion on Facebook regarding "same sex marriage". I decided my post would be too long for that venue so I am posting here instead. I am still treading lightly not for the sake of not offending someone, I have no problem doing that. I am doing so because if I am not careful this post would be about the size of "War and Peace". I am additionally taking my Christian beliefs out of the discussion, again not not because I am concerned about offending but to take a lightening rod item out of the argument and to keep the post shorter.
First, is the semantics of the discussion. In my first sentence I put "same sex marriage" in quotes because on the most basic level that is what the argument is about, changing the definition of marriage.
The plain, simple and to the point definition of marriage is the union between a man and a woman. It is NOT the union between two people. It is NOT the union between a man and a man. It is NOT the union between a woman and a woman. It IS the union between a man and a woman.
One of the two arguments before the Supreme Court is over California's Proposition 8. The arguments of the opponents of Prop 8, supporters of "gay marriage", include that by not allowing homosexuals to marry they are being denied rights that are conferred to married straight couples. The only problem with this argument is that this is a 40 year old argument that is almost a totally moot point in this day and time, even more so in California. The rights of any couple in a relationship are protected. No longer are there limits in the areas where at one time a married couple had one set of rules and a homosexual couple had another set. Even when there are differences they can be overcome with legal documents; for example, hospital directives.
No, a union between a couple of the same sex, by definition is not marriage.
My second point is about the use of the term "civil rights". In other words, that "gay marriage" is a civil right. Many of the Hollywood types are saying that "gay marriage" is on the same level as the black civil rights movement of the 1950's and 1960's. I even heard it compared to the women's suffrage movement. There is one huge problem with this comparison. People that are black have no choice about whether or not they are black. Women have no choice as to whether they are a woman. They have civil rights simply because they are humans on this planet and they have basic civil rights that cannot be infringed upon simply because of their skin color or sex. Gay people have a choice as to whether or not they get involved in a committed relationship of whatever degree. I am not afforded anymore rights as a straight man over whether I can be involved in a relationship than a gay man. While going back to my first point, by definition, my relationship can develop into a marriage, a gay man (or woman) can enter into a committed relationship with all of the same benefits except the title of marriage. It is NOT a civil right.
For my third and final point for this discussion, I have to admit that Rush Limbaugh stole some of my thunder by discussing it on his show today. If we go about changing the definition of marriage, where do we stop. One of the arguments by supporters of "gay marriage" is that we should not stop a committed and loving couple from getting married. But why stop stop there and who says it will stop there. Where is the line? What happens if one of the members of the couple is a minor? Why should we stop a committed and loving couple from being together so the argument goes. What about polygamy? What if 3 people love each other and what to get "married"? Why should we stop them? After all, it is their "civil right"? What if a whole group of people want to live in a loving and committed relationship, something similar to the hippie communes of the 60's. Who are we to stop them from getting married as a group?
I could go on and be even more graphic and deviant but I think you get the idea.
I am confused by the liberal mind. They don't want straight couples to get married. They encourage the spurning of the formality of marriage between a man and a woman but they demand that a man and a man or a woman and a woman be allowed to join together in marriage. They glorify single parenthood but talk about how great it is for children to be adopted by a gay couple.
As I said, there is so much more that I could go on when speaking on this topic. I tried to keep this simple and I may even come off as simplistic. If so, oh well. If I offended you, good. You probably needed to be offended. You may disagree. I have no problem with that. You have the right to your opinion and I have the right to mine.
As always, I encourage comments. As a reminder since this is such a sensitive topic, I ask that you remain respectful. I reserve the right to review all and delete any I feel are inappropriate. Profanity will not be tolerated. If you do not like those rules, deal with it or start your own blog where you make the rules.
As always, SMILE.
Eddy
First, is the semantics of the discussion. In my first sentence I put "same sex marriage" in quotes because on the most basic level that is what the argument is about, changing the definition of marriage.
The plain, simple and to the point definition of marriage is the union between a man and a woman. It is NOT the union between two people. It is NOT the union between a man and a man. It is NOT the union between a woman and a woman. It IS the union between a man and a woman.
One of the two arguments before the Supreme Court is over California's Proposition 8. The arguments of the opponents of Prop 8, supporters of "gay marriage", include that by not allowing homosexuals to marry they are being denied rights that are conferred to married straight couples. The only problem with this argument is that this is a 40 year old argument that is almost a totally moot point in this day and time, even more so in California. The rights of any couple in a relationship are protected. No longer are there limits in the areas where at one time a married couple had one set of rules and a homosexual couple had another set. Even when there are differences they can be overcome with legal documents; for example, hospital directives.
No, a union between a couple of the same sex, by definition is not marriage.
My second point is about the use of the term "civil rights". In other words, that "gay marriage" is a civil right. Many of the Hollywood types are saying that "gay marriage" is on the same level as the black civil rights movement of the 1950's and 1960's. I even heard it compared to the women's suffrage movement. There is one huge problem with this comparison. People that are black have no choice about whether or not they are black. Women have no choice as to whether they are a woman. They have civil rights simply because they are humans on this planet and they have basic civil rights that cannot be infringed upon simply because of their skin color or sex. Gay people have a choice as to whether or not they get involved in a committed relationship of whatever degree. I am not afforded anymore rights as a straight man over whether I can be involved in a relationship than a gay man. While going back to my first point, by definition, my relationship can develop into a marriage, a gay man (or woman) can enter into a committed relationship with all of the same benefits except the title of marriage. It is NOT a civil right.
For my third and final point for this discussion, I have to admit that Rush Limbaugh stole some of my thunder by discussing it on his show today. If we go about changing the definition of marriage, where do we stop. One of the arguments by supporters of "gay marriage" is that we should not stop a committed and loving couple from getting married. But why stop stop there and who says it will stop there. Where is the line? What happens if one of the members of the couple is a minor? Why should we stop a committed and loving couple from being together so the argument goes. What about polygamy? What if 3 people love each other and what to get "married"? Why should we stop them? After all, it is their "civil right"? What if a whole group of people want to live in a loving and committed relationship, something similar to the hippie communes of the 60's. Who are we to stop them from getting married as a group?
I could go on and be even more graphic and deviant but I think you get the idea.
I am confused by the liberal mind. They don't want straight couples to get married. They encourage the spurning of the formality of marriage between a man and a woman but they demand that a man and a man or a woman and a woman be allowed to join together in marriage. They glorify single parenthood but talk about how great it is for children to be adopted by a gay couple.
As I said, there is so much more that I could go on when speaking on this topic. I tried to keep this simple and I may even come off as simplistic. If so, oh well. If I offended you, good. You probably needed to be offended. You may disagree. I have no problem with that. You have the right to your opinion and I have the right to mine.
As always, I encourage comments. As a reminder since this is such a sensitive topic, I ask that you remain respectful. I reserve the right to review all and delete any I feel are inappropriate. Profanity will not be tolerated. If you do not like those rules, deal with it or start your own blog where you make the rules.
As always, SMILE.
Eddy
©2013 Eddy Seegers
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
Aware in 2013
"What you do today can change all your tomorrows."- Zig Ziglar
I just finished a quick paragraph on Facebook to go with a re-posting of the above quote. My statement on every one's favorite social networking sight dealt more with politics but it also works with life in general and I guess it can probably pass as the closest thing to what would be called a New Year's Resolution. (I re-examine my goals and objectives, make adjustments in my plans, and review what I have done and learned in the past but I do that at various times throughout the year and not just at the rolling over of the calender.)
It is a time that people become more aware. We need to be more aware of what we do, our world that we live in, what we think, and how we interact with others. We need to be more aware of our relationships, our thoughts and emotions, and our personal behavior.
My statement said that most people either do not understand, do not care, or do not think they can do anything about circumstances.
I think since this is a more general discussion than my other post, awareness can be substituted for understanding. I encourage you to do an experiment. Go to the mall or the grocery store and just watch people. I would say to also try it when driving but unless you are already good at being aware of your surroundings, save those observations until you are more in tune with the world around you. But back to the experiment.
Walk around.
People watch.
Watch how people move, act, and react. You will notice that people do not realize where they are walking, the space they are occupying, or others around them. Much of the behavior can be considered to be rude but the people will have no clue.
Now some people may not care if they are being rude. They may not care they are not aware. In my humble opinion, way too many people just do not care. They are happy to just go through the motions of life and unless life hits them between the eyes with a 2x4, they just don't care about things outside of a very limited circle of interest.
Then there are finally those people that don't think they can affect any changes, even within themselves. You can hear these people usually before you notice them otherwise. They are the ones that are always complaining, usually with something along the line of "Someone should do something..." These are the people that are always waiting for someone else to take action or someone else to take the lead even though they would not likely follow along anyway. One of the great Life Lessons that I have learned, if you want "someone" to do something, become that someone.
My conclusion to my Facebook statement was this, "I do understand, I do care, and I know that I can do something about it." I continue to try to be aware of of my life, my world, and the world around me. I do care. I care deeply. I care deeply about many things. And finally, I do think that I can do something about it. I have been blessed with a good mind, a strong work ethic, and a strong desire to make things better.
It is my challenge to all that read this to become more aware. Try my experiment to see how aware people seem to be. Gain understanding. Learn to care. Know that you CAN make a difference so you CAN do something. So get out and do it.
Eddy
©2013 Eddy Seegers
I just finished a quick paragraph on Facebook to go with a re-posting of the above quote. My statement on every one's favorite social networking sight dealt more with politics but it also works with life in general and I guess it can probably pass as the closest thing to what would be called a New Year's Resolution. (I re-examine my goals and objectives, make adjustments in my plans, and review what I have done and learned in the past but I do that at various times throughout the year and not just at the rolling over of the calender.)
It is a time that people become more aware. We need to be more aware of what we do, our world that we live in, what we think, and how we interact with others. We need to be more aware of our relationships, our thoughts and emotions, and our personal behavior.
My statement said that most people either do not understand, do not care, or do not think they can do anything about circumstances.
I think since this is a more general discussion than my other post, awareness can be substituted for understanding. I encourage you to do an experiment. Go to the mall or the grocery store and just watch people. I would say to also try it when driving but unless you are already good at being aware of your surroundings, save those observations until you are more in tune with the world around you. But back to the experiment.
Walk around.
People watch.
Watch how people move, act, and react. You will notice that people do not realize where they are walking, the space they are occupying, or others around them. Much of the behavior can be considered to be rude but the people will have no clue.
Now some people may not care if they are being rude. They may not care they are not aware. In my humble opinion, way too many people just do not care. They are happy to just go through the motions of life and unless life hits them between the eyes with a 2x4, they just don't care about things outside of a very limited circle of interest.
Then there are finally those people that don't think they can affect any changes, even within themselves. You can hear these people usually before you notice them otherwise. They are the ones that are always complaining, usually with something along the line of "Someone should do something..." These are the people that are always waiting for someone else to take action or someone else to take the lead even though they would not likely follow along anyway. One of the great Life Lessons that I have learned, if you want "someone" to do something, become that someone.
My conclusion to my Facebook statement was this, "I do understand, I do care, and I know that I can do something about it." I continue to try to be aware of of my life, my world, and the world around me. I do care. I care deeply. I care deeply about many things. And finally, I do think that I can do something about it. I have been blessed with a good mind, a strong work ethic, and a strong desire to make things better.
It is my challenge to all that read this to become more aware. Try my experiment to see how aware people seem to be. Gain understanding. Learn to care. Know that you CAN make a difference so you CAN do something. So get out and do it.
Eddy
©2013 Eddy Seegers
Monday, December 31, 2012
Good Bye 2012
I could do a summary of the past year, but I won't.
I could talk about my resolutions for 2013, but I won't.
I will take the occassion of the New Year to be a moment of Thanksgiving. I am thankful that, while I still have my health issues and I have been "under the weather" for most of December, I am healthy and my doctors were excited with the improvement in my overall health.
I am thankful for my family. While we have our disagreements and there have been some strained relationships, the overall relationships in our family have been good and are improving.
I am thankful that I have a job. We are at a point where the percentage of adults working full-time in our nation is at an all-time low, I continue to have a fairly stable job.
I am thankful that God has blessed me with a good mind and my parents instilled a strong work ethic. I feel these 2 things are part of the reason for the previous paragraph. I also feel that these 2 things are going to help me in new ventures and adventures I have planned for the coming year.
Finally, and most importantly, I am thankful that God sent his only Son to die on a cross for my sins. I am thankful that I made Jesus Christ my Lord and Saviour years ago. I am not perfect. I have my flaws. But thankfully my sins have been forgiven. Thank you Lord for your blessings.
Eddy
© Eddy Seegers 2012
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
One Degree, One Voice
November 6, 2012
As a closet science geek, there are many things in many areas of study that fascinate me. Astronomy is one. I am amazed when I look at the stars. I think about how far away they are. The size and scope of the known universe. The size and scope of the unknown universe. Aerodynamics and the ability of man-made flight. Supersonic jets to small personal planes, it all amazes me.
Thermodynamics is also something that holds my attention and fascination. Think about it for a moment.
You have a pot of water that is 211 degrees. You have a pot of hot water. A very hot pot of water but still just a pot of hot water. However, if you add one simple degree, the entire state of the water changes from liquid to a gas as the water boils.
One single, solitary degree. One degree is the difference between hot water and boiling water. In the big scheme of things, one degree is not much. When you are talking about boiling water, 1 degree is 0.47% of the 212 degrees that it takes to boil water. But without any single one of those 212, you just have hot water.
There is an election going on today. There are 2 very different opinions on what the direction of our country should be. I have a very strong personal opinion on that direction. I have many friends and acquaintances who disagree with me and think the other direction should be the one that we follow as a nation.
No matter the direction, there are those that will feel like they do not have a voice in our government. At times, I have felt that frustration. No longer. Politically, I am very conservative. I believe in the power of the individual. The Constitution is a document from THE PEOPLE, limiting the scope and reach of the federal government. I believe in free market capitalism. I especially believe in American Exceptionalism. This is the greatest country, with the greatest form of government (no not a democracy but a democratic representative republic), and the greatest economic system that allows even those on the bottom of the socio-economic ladder to get to the top. As Winston Churchill once said about capitalism, it is absolutely the worst system except for all of the others.
If the election goes in a way that I see as a big mistake, Barry Soetoro, uh Barack Obama gets re-elected, I will be out-front, outspoken, and very active in advocating conservatism in the face of the opposition. If my candidate, Mitt Romney, wins, I will also be out there, out-front, and outspoken, promoting that the concepts of conservatism are followed. I am a conservative and feel that sometimes the Republicans get lazy and follow the path of least resistance. ( I have much more that I will share about this in the future.)
Martin Luther was a Catholic priest who posted his 95 Theses and created the beginnings of the Protestant movement that changed organized religion. He was one voice who spoke against the establishment. His life was threatened. He was kicked out of the Catholic church. He faced many hardships because of his beliefs yet he continued on.
I am making a commitment to become a voice. Am I comparing myself with Martin Luther? In no way, shape, or form. He was a great man and a great thinker. I can only hope to have a few people hear my voice and take action.
However, I am looking at myself like one of those 212 degrees needed to make water boil. I am one voice. I am encouraging others to share their voice. Speak up. Question decisions. Know what you believe and advocate for it. One thing that I am going to not worry about is offending people. The way I look at it is if they get offended, they needed to be offended. I know what I believe. My convictions are strong. I am praying that my voice will be become as strong as those conviction.
Keep an eye out. In the very near future, I will be starting a new blog that will be dedicated solely to my political views. I pray that I will be blunt, to the point, direct, and provocative. I will likely create a new Facebook page to promote my political views and the blog.
Finally, I want to make you think. And most importantly, I want you to join me as single degrees, single voices, so that together we can boil over and bring about a return to true American values and greatness.
I am going to watch election returns now. Good night and God Bless. And God Bless America.
Eddy
© Eddy Seegers 2012
As a closet science geek, there are many things in many areas of study that fascinate me. Astronomy is one. I am amazed when I look at the stars. I think about how far away they are. The size and scope of the known universe. The size and scope of the unknown universe. Aerodynamics and the ability of man-made flight. Supersonic jets to small personal planes, it all amazes me.
Thermodynamics is also something that holds my attention and fascination. Think about it for a moment.
You have a pot of water that is 211 degrees. You have a pot of hot water. A very hot pot of water but still just a pot of hot water. However, if you add one simple degree, the entire state of the water changes from liquid to a gas as the water boils.
One single, solitary degree. One degree is the difference between hot water and boiling water. In the big scheme of things, one degree is not much. When you are talking about boiling water, 1 degree is 0.47% of the 212 degrees that it takes to boil water. But without any single one of those 212, you just have hot water.
There is an election going on today. There are 2 very different opinions on what the direction of our country should be. I have a very strong personal opinion on that direction. I have many friends and acquaintances who disagree with me and think the other direction should be the one that we follow as a nation.
No matter the direction, there are those that will feel like they do not have a voice in our government. At times, I have felt that frustration. No longer. Politically, I am very conservative. I believe in the power of the individual. The Constitution is a document from THE PEOPLE, limiting the scope and reach of the federal government. I believe in free market capitalism. I especially believe in American Exceptionalism. This is the greatest country, with the greatest form of government (no not a democracy but a democratic representative republic), and the greatest economic system that allows even those on the bottom of the socio-economic ladder to get to the top. As Winston Churchill once said about capitalism, it is absolutely the worst system except for all of the others.
If the election goes in a way that I see as a big mistake, Barry Soetoro, uh Barack Obama gets re-elected, I will be out-front, outspoken, and very active in advocating conservatism in the face of the opposition. If my candidate, Mitt Romney, wins, I will also be out there, out-front, and outspoken, promoting that the concepts of conservatism are followed. I am a conservative and feel that sometimes the Republicans get lazy and follow the path of least resistance. ( I have much more that I will share about this in the future.)
Martin Luther was a Catholic priest who posted his 95 Theses and created the beginnings of the Protestant movement that changed organized religion. He was one voice who spoke against the establishment. His life was threatened. He was kicked out of the Catholic church. He faced many hardships because of his beliefs yet he continued on.
I am making a commitment to become a voice. Am I comparing myself with Martin Luther? In no way, shape, or form. He was a great man and a great thinker. I can only hope to have a few people hear my voice and take action.
However, I am looking at myself like one of those 212 degrees needed to make water boil. I am one voice. I am encouraging others to share their voice. Speak up. Question decisions. Know what you believe and advocate for it. One thing that I am going to not worry about is offending people. The way I look at it is if they get offended, they needed to be offended. I know what I believe. My convictions are strong. I am praying that my voice will be become as strong as those conviction.
Keep an eye out. In the very near future, I will be starting a new blog that will be dedicated solely to my political views. I pray that I will be blunt, to the point, direct, and provocative. I will likely create a new Facebook page to promote my political views and the blog.
Finally, I want to make you think. And most importantly, I want you to join me as single degrees, single voices, so that together we can boil over and bring about a return to true American values and greatness.
I am going to watch election returns now. Good night and God Bless. And God Bless America.
Eddy
© Eddy Seegers 2012
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Like Everyone Else, My 9/11 Remembrances
I ask your indulgence as I, like so many others, share my remembrances of that day 10 years ago, September 11, 2001.
I lived in Antioch, California. My house was at the top of a hill that provided some interesting views depending on where you looked. I will talk more about that later.
I woke up that morning at 5:30 (Pacific Time) as was my habit. It was my niece’s 10th birthday and I remember thinking that I needed to call her during the day. I was excited to get going and get to work. I was an inside sales rep and September had started as a great sales month. We received a bonus for making our sales goal and an extra bonus for going over our bonus by a certain percentage. The first 10 days had been very productive and I was already close to make my first goal. So yes, I was excited about getting to work that Tuesday morning.
As was my habit, I went down to my kitchen to make breakfast. That day is so imprinted on my brain that I even remember the details of my breakfast. I usually have eggs in some form and that morning I was sautéing spinach and mushrooms to go with the eggs. I flipped on the television like I still do every morning. I put on the local Fox affiliate and I immediately saw the pictures of the first hit on the World Trade Center Tower. It was a minute or two after 6:00 local time.
I went back to the stove which gave me a direct view of the television. The eggs were in the pan and I was stirring my eggs, spinach, and mushrooms . Just as I looked up, Flight 175 hit the second tower. I will never forget the feeling in the pit of my stomach while realizing what had just happened.
I ate my breakfast, transfixed to the news. Normally, I would have channel surfed to all of the news networks and anywhere else to see if any of them had different information. That morning, however, I never touched the remote.
I ate my breakfast almost without thought. Watching nervously and anxiously. The world was changing in front of our eyes. Then came the first unconfirmed reports about a plane hitting the Pentagon and about another crashing in Pennsylvania. All planes were being grounded. I remember thinking, “how is this going to get worse?”
While watching the news, the normal time for me to leave for work passed. My start time at work passed. Finally, I decided I needed to head to work. I know it would not be a normal day but thought I should go in. As I was gathering my things together, the first tower collapse occurred. My question on how it could get worse had just been answered. Listening on the radio as I traveled to work, I heard of the second tower’s collapse. My mom called me to ask if I had heard of the second tower. She then brought it to my attention of the likely sacrifice of the firemen and police that likely died by going into the towers.
*************************************************************
The news continued to come in throughout the day. News with which is so familiar to all of us. The citizen heroes of Flight 93. The heroes at the Pentagon. The NYFD, NYPD, and the Port Authority police.
The 19 hijackers. (On a personal note, I hope the souls of those bastards suffer personally at the hands of satan in hell and that each day is worse than the day before.)
My niece’s 10th birthday party was cancelled. I remember she told her mom that she didn’t know how she was supposed to feel. She had turned 10 but this terrible tragedy happened on that same day.
At work, I never even made my goal that month. People stopped buying. Eventually, I lost my job. I was laid off because sales slowed so much. The economy took a turn for the worse for a while.
************************************************************
But the most indelible image I have from September 11, 2001 was from that evening, after the sun had gone down. At the beginning of this article, I mentioned the interesting views that were available from where my house was located. While taking my dogs for their evening walk, looking to the south from my street, I used to watch the inbound planes for the San Francisco airport. I could tell when San Francisco had heavier fog as I could watch the lights of the planes come in high and then do a big wide spiral and they got in line and circled before landing. They would do a big spiral. I learned how to tell what level meant that any particular plane was next to land.
There was also a moderately active commuter airport relatively close to my house. On clear nights, there was usually several small planes flying overhead both inbound and outbound. We also had an occasional flight heading to Oakland airport that would pass through my community’s airspace. There always were lights from planes somewhere in the sky.
On the night of September 11, however, all flights had been grounded. When I went outside that evening, there were no planes in the air. No small aircraft with their light buzzing as they passed over. No flights heading to Oakland coming in on their final approach. And there were no flights circling for SFO. The sky was still and quiet. Most businesses had closed and people were staying home with their families.
It seemed as if the world was on pause. Maybe it was. Our country and the world has changed significantly in the last 10 years. As we continue to live our lives, I think we all should take moments in time to reflect on that day. I know it is a cliché but we should never forget. We should never forget the images, the pain, the sacrifice, and the way we felt that day and the days immediately following. We need to remember that there is evil in the world. I also believe that if we remember the past proof of that evil, the less likely we are to have it demonstrated to us anew.
And when we reflect, we need to move forward with resolve and determination. In the words of one of the heroes from Flight 93, Todd Beamer, “Let’s Roll!”
©2011, Eddy Seegers
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Reaching the Summit
The struggles of the climb is forgotten in the exhilaration of reaching the summit.
~(This is one version of many quotes of a similar nature.)
This story goes back many years to my days of playing high school football. I played on the varsity team for 3 years. Not saying much since we didn't have a junior varsity team. During my three years we won a grand total of 1, 2, and, then the triumphant senior year, 4 games during my career.
My sophomore year, I was a small player on a small team. I didn't get on the field very much that year. Early on, we played a team that wasn't really a rival but we did play them year after year. Their nickname was the Wildcats.
We played them my sophomore year at their stadium which was right next to their school. In fact, our "dressing room" was a class room. When we left the building to go to the field, we were behind the bleachers filled with their fans. Those fans would turn around and and chant, "Cat food, cat, food!" as we made our way to the field. It was made even louder as the chants would echo off the building.
What started as a close game, became a rout by the time it ended, with my school taking one of the worse defeats in its history. After the game, their coach came over to our coach and apologized by saying, "Sorry, I didn't mean to run up the score." It was a little bit of a hollow apology, however, as even when the runts like me got to play against their first team late in the game.
Fast forward to my junior year. The week before we played this team again, our team was playing a game that we should have won. Yes, we only won 2 games that year but there was one week we played a team that we should have beat. Not only did we lose, we played terribly. I don't think I ever saw our coaches as angry as they were at halftime and when the game was over. At the end of the night, our head coach finished his comments with two promises, in preparation for the game against the team that embarassed us so much the year prior, we were going to work harder than we had ever worked. And then he guaranteed that we would win.
What followed was the toughest, most physical week of my limited athletic career. We practiced the following morning, one of only 2 Saturday practices of my varsity career. We had full blown, hard hitting, full contact practices everyday the following week, including the day before the game. I remember being banged up, worn out, and beaten down. Daily, I questioned my commitment to playing football.
Did I want to play this bad that I put myself through this?
I went through classes during the day dreading the upcoming practice. I went from drill to drill, dreading what was coming next. My teammates seemed to share my desire to stay out of the direction of the coaches attention.
Finally, the game night arrived. As hard as the week of practice had been, the game was just as tough. Our opponents were strong, fast, and fired up thinking they had an easy target for another victory. The game was hard-hitting, back and forth, and very low scoring.
With time running out, the other time had the ball. They were driving for what would be the clinching score. At worst, it seemed, they could have run out the clock to assure their victory and our defeat. With around a minute left in the game, one of their players broke through the line and it looked like he was going to run the ball in for the clinching touchdown.
Over 30 years later, after watching sports of all manner at all levels, I am still amazed at what happened next.
One of our players appearred out of what seemed like nowhere and just took the ball away from their player. He proceeded to run 90 yards for a touchdown. We won. We won by 1 point.
It is here that my Life Lesson really begins. At that moment, and for that matter, for the rest of the weekend I don't think there was a player on our team that felt any of the bumps and bruises. Though we gave everything we had on that field, we had energy to burn. I don't think there was a player that did not appreciate the coaches for how they had driven us the week before and prepared us for the game.
The point is this, once we won the game, we did not remember all of the pain that we went through, we just felt the exhilaration of the victory.
We face many difficult times throughout our lives. There are times when we have mountains to climb that seem insurmountable. There are times where we are pushed to our limit and we question our intentions and desires. There are times where we are tempted to simply give up and make the hardhip and difficulties end.
However, if we stick with it, if we maintain our focus and commitment, if we keep at it, when we come out on the otherside we will discover the joy of victory, or completion, or satisfaction. And more than likely, we will minimize the struggles we faced to get there.
In my last post, I mentioned that my mom is facing a battle with breast cancer. She has already to begun to have to deal with some of the side effects of her treatment. She was told that one medication would make her feel like "every bone in her body was breaking." While it was not quite that bad, it did hit her pretty hard. She has had days where she was barely able to get out of bed and spent most of the day dozing on the couch. She has started to lose her hair. These and other side effects are just some of the battle that she faces.
In the case of my mom, cancer picked the wrong opponent. My mom is a fighter and she is going to beat the Big C. She has good days and some not so good days but I know that Mom is going to be victorious in this battle. And when she does, she will revel in the joy of a healthy life and the struggles will be but a distant memory.
Keep Smilin'!!
© 2009 Eddy Seegers, All Rights Reserved
~(This is one version of many quotes of a similar nature.)
This story goes back many years to my days of playing high school football. I played on the varsity team for 3 years. Not saying much since we didn't have a junior varsity team. During my three years we won a grand total of 1, 2, and, then the triumphant senior year, 4 games during my career.
My sophomore year, I was a small player on a small team. I didn't get on the field very much that year. Early on, we played a team that wasn't really a rival but we did play them year after year. Their nickname was the Wildcats.
We played them my sophomore year at their stadium which was right next to their school. In fact, our "dressing room" was a class room. When we left the building to go to the field, we were behind the bleachers filled with their fans. Those fans would turn around and and chant, "Cat food, cat, food!" as we made our way to the field. It was made even louder as the chants would echo off the building.
What started as a close game, became a rout by the time it ended, with my school taking one of the worse defeats in its history. After the game, their coach came over to our coach and apologized by saying, "Sorry, I didn't mean to run up the score." It was a little bit of a hollow apology, however, as even when the runts like me got to play against their first team late in the game.
Fast forward to my junior year. The week before we played this team again, our team was playing a game that we should have won. Yes, we only won 2 games that year but there was one week we played a team that we should have beat. Not only did we lose, we played terribly. I don't think I ever saw our coaches as angry as they were at halftime and when the game was over. At the end of the night, our head coach finished his comments with two promises, in preparation for the game against the team that embarassed us so much the year prior, we were going to work harder than we had ever worked. And then he guaranteed that we would win.
What followed was the toughest, most physical week of my limited athletic career. We practiced the following morning, one of only 2 Saturday practices of my varsity career. We had full blown, hard hitting, full contact practices everyday the following week, including the day before the game. I remember being banged up, worn out, and beaten down. Daily, I questioned my commitment to playing football.
Did I want to play this bad that I put myself through this?
I went through classes during the day dreading the upcoming practice. I went from drill to drill, dreading what was coming next. My teammates seemed to share my desire to stay out of the direction of the coaches attention.
Finally, the game night arrived. As hard as the week of practice had been, the game was just as tough. Our opponents were strong, fast, and fired up thinking they had an easy target for another victory. The game was hard-hitting, back and forth, and very low scoring.
With time running out, the other time had the ball. They were driving for what would be the clinching score. At worst, it seemed, they could have run out the clock to assure their victory and our defeat. With around a minute left in the game, one of their players broke through the line and it looked like he was going to run the ball in for the clinching touchdown.
Over 30 years later, after watching sports of all manner at all levels, I am still amazed at what happened next.
One of our players appearred out of what seemed like nowhere and just took the ball away from their player. He proceeded to run 90 yards for a touchdown. We won. We won by 1 point.
It is here that my Life Lesson really begins. At that moment, and for that matter, for the rest of the weekend I don't think there was a player on our team that felt any of the bumps and bruises. Though we gave everything we had on that field, we had energy to burn. I don't think there was a player that did not appreciate the coaches for how they had driven us the week before and prepared us for the game.
The point is this, once we won the game, we did not remember all of the pain that we went through, we just felt the exhilaration of the victory.
We face many difficult times throughout our lives. There are times when we have mountains to climb that seem insurmountable. There are times where we are pushed to our limit and we question our intentions and desires. There are times where we are tempted to simply give up and make the hardhip and difficulties end.
However, if we stick with it, if we maintain our focus and commitment, if we keep at it, when we come out on the otherside we will discover the joy of victory, or completion, or satisfaction. And more than likely, we will minimize the struggles we faced to get there.
In my last post, I mentioned that my mom is facing a battle with breast cancer. She has already to begun to have to deal with some of the side effects of her treatment. She was told that one medication would make her feel like "every bone in her body was breaking." While it was not quite that bad, it did hit her pretty hard. She has had days where she was barely able to get out of bed and spent most of the day dozing on the couch. She has started to lose her hair. These and other side effects are just some of the battle that she faces.
In the case of my mom, cancer picked the wrong opponent. My mom is a fighter and she is going to beat the Big C. She has good days and some not so good days but I know that Mom is going to be victorious in this battle. And when she does, she will revel in the joy of a healthy life and the struggles will be but a distant memory.
Keep Smilin'!!
© 2009 Eddy Seegers, All Rights Reserved
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Giving Thanks
There is a plethora of things going on in my world. For some of them, I can't talk about in this venue. For others, I don't want to talk about in this venue. Suffice it to say that there are many things grabbing at my attention from different directions.
So, as I was trying to think of what to write as a Thanksgiving message, many of the things listed below just popped into my mind. I was originally thinking of focusing on one topic but I thought, why not share more. Some serious. Some very personal. And some just fun things, like being able to use the word "plethora" in the first sentence of this post.
I hope you enjoy reading this, but if you don't, that is okay. I enjoyed thinking about it and writing it.
1. I am thankful for a loving God who saw fit to give me life. I haven't been perfect but I pray that in total, my life glorifies Him and his son, Jesus Christ.
2. I am thankful for my parents and my family. I love them all very much. Again, as with my life, we are not perfect but that usually keeps things interesting.
3. I am thankful for my friends and co-workers. I guess the best way to describe these people is eclectic. Definitely a wide variety of characters and personalities.
4. I am thankful to live in my country, the United States of America, the greatest nation on the face of the earth. So many things that I probably could have done an individual post just for this. One thing that I wanted to mention as a thought on the current economic condition, this is STILL the land of OPPORTUNITY.
5. This kinda goes with #4. I am thankful for our country's military, especially the United States Marine Corps. When allowed to be, these men and women are most powerful fighting force ever wear a uniform in service of their country.
6. And this one kinda goes with #5. I am thankful for the veterans who served so well in times past. These men and women fought evil as today's military continues the tradition.
7. I am thankful for football. Thanksgiving football with my favorite team, the Dallas Cowboys. They are having a tough year this year but I have stuck with them in the past and will continue to stick with them through thick and thin. And Auburn Tigers football. If you haven't experienced Auburn and Alabama football and their rivalry game, the Iron Bowl, you truly haven't experienced the most intense rivalry in sports. WAR EAGLE! Finally, my Houston Cougars. It is a slow journey but we will be great again.
8. I am thankful for whoever invented cranberry sauce. I love this stuff. Way too much sugar for my system but I will have some one day a year. (And some more now that so many places are creating their own variations and giving out samples. If I am offered a taste, I am not going to say no.)
9. I am thankful for my mom's turkey stuffing. I call it "Yankee White Bread Stuffing", especially to my southern friends who swear by cornbread stuffing. Mom's stuffing is simple but oh, so good!
10. I am thankful for the internet where I have a chance to share the things I am thankful for.
11. Finally, I am thankful for the chance to be thankful.
Have a Happy Thanksgiving all! Be safe. And remember...
Keep Smilin'!!
Eddy
© Eddy Seegers 2010, All Rights Reserved
So, as I was trying to think of what to write as a Thanksgiving message, many of the things listed below just popped into my mind. I was originally thinking of focusing on one topic but I thought, why not share more. Some serious. Some very personal. And some just fun things, like being able to use the word "plethora" in the first sentence of this post.
I hope you enjoy reading this, but if you don't, that is okay. I enjoyed thinking about it and writing it.
1. I am thankful for a loving God who saw fit to give me life. I haven't been perfect but I pray that in total, my life glorifies Him and his son, Jesus Christ.
2. I am thankful for my parents and my family. I love them all very much. Again, as with my life, we are not perfect but that usually keeps things interesting.
3. I am thankful for my friends and co-workers. I guess the best way to describe these people is eclectic. Definitely a wide variety of characters and personalities.
4. I am thankful to live in my country, the United States of America, the greatest nation on the face of the earth. So many things that I probably could have done an individual post just for this. One thing that I wanted to mention as a thought on the current economic condition, this is STILL the land of OPPORTUNITY.
5. This kinda goes with #4. I am thankful for our country's military, especially the United States Marine Corps. When allowed to be, these men and women are most powerful fighting force ever wear a uniform in service of their country.
6. And this one kinda goes with #5. I am thankful for the veterans who served so well in times past. These men and women fought evil as today's military continues the tradition.
7. I am thankful for football. Thanksgiving football with my favorite team, the Dallas Cowboys. They are having a tough year this year but I have stuck with them in the past and will continue to stick with them through thick and thin. And Auburn Tigers football. If you haven't experienced Auburn and Alabama football and their rivalry game, the Iron Bowl, you truly haven't experienced the most intense rivalry in sports. WAR EAGLE! Finally, my Houston Cougars. It is a slow journey but we will be great again.
8. I am thankful for whoever invented cranberry sauce. I love this stuff. Way too much sugar for my system but I will have some one day a year. (And some more now that so many places are creating their own variations and giving out samples. If I am offered a taste, I am not going to say no.)
9. I am thankful for my mom's turkey stuffing. I call it "Yankee White Bread Stuffing", especially to my southern friends who swear by cornbread stuffing. Mom's stuffing is simple but oh, so good!
10. I am thankful for the internet where I have a chance to share the things I am thankful for.
11. Finally, I am thankful for the chance to be thankful.
Have a Happy Thanksgiving all! Be safe. And remember...
Keep Smilin'!!
Eddy
© Eddy Seegers 2010, All Rights Reserved
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Not so Common Courtesy
A recent topic among some friends on Facebook was common courtesy. Unfortunately, the general consensus was that courtesy is no longer common.
Now I have discussed courtesy before so I will not rehash the topic in detail and with examples of discourteous behavior.
This Thursday is Thanksgiving. The holiday season is upon us. Our country is still in an economic downturn. People are under a bunch of pressure.
2 Christmas seasons ago, when things had first taken the big turn for the worse, I noticed that people were much nicer that season. I think that people had that "we are all in this together" attitude and everyone seemed so much nicer and more courteous than is normally found when out and about at Christmastime. I heard less grumbling in the checkout line. I saw less parking lot road rage over parking spots. Fewer people were blocking a parking isle just waiting for a spot to open. People were just nicer based on my observations. The way people should be all year but especially at Christmastime.
Last year, however, it seemed like people had returned to their Scrooge-like ways. The grumbling returned. I saw acts of rudeness almost everytime I stepped into a store. Store clerks were treated poorly but I saw many of them returning the favor. I even witnessed a pleasant looking lady in the 10 items or less checkout line telling her kids that it did not matter that their cart was overflowing, the clerk wouldn't say anything to them and she didn't feel like waiting in one of the other lines. It didn't matter to her that there were about 6 people in line behind her, each with less than 10 items.
In my humble opinion, I think the stress and strain started to get to the population in general last year.
So my first wish of this Holiday Season is this, the return in thought and action of common courtesy. Nothing spectacular. No need to go out of ones way. Just be nice and courteous to others. Show respect. If you don't need to use the handicapped parking don't. Most of us could use the extra exercise anyway. Be aware of others. Have kind words for fellow shoppers and especially store employees where you are shopping. Say thank you, please, and excuse me. It is not that hard. I was taught these things at a very young age and I am sure most of you were also. We have just forgotten our manners.
Try smiling. That is one of my eternal wishes is for people to smile more. Everyone looks better when they smile so lets beautify our nation and the planet by smiling more.
And once again, please be courteous and have a wonderful time of Thanksgiving.
Keep Smilin'!,
Eddy
© Eddy Seegers 2010, All Rights Reserved
Now I have discussed courtesy before so I will not rehash the topic in detail and with examples of discourteous behavior.
This Thursday is Thanksgiving. The holiday season is upon us. Our country is still in an economic downturn. People are under a bunch of pressure.
2 Christmas seasons ago, when things had first taken the big turn for the worse, I noticed that people were much nicer that season. I think that people had that "we are all in this together" attitude and everyone seemed so much nicer and more courteous than is normally found when out and about at Christmastime. I heard less grumbling in the checkout line. I saw less parking lot road rage over parking spots. Fewer people were blocking a parking isle just waiting for a spot to open. People were just nicer based on my observations. The way people should be all year but especially at Christmastime.
Last year, however, it seemed like people had returned to their Scrooge-like ways. The grumbling returned. I saw acts of rudeness almost everytime I stepped into a store. Store clerks were treated poorly but I saw many of them returning the favor. I even witnessed a pleasant looking lady in the 10 items or less checkout line telling her kids that it did not matter that their cart was overflowing, the clerk wouldn't say anything to them and she didn't feel like waiting in one of the other lines. It didn't matter to her that there were about 6 people in line behind her, each with less than 10 items.
In my humble opinion, I think the stress and strain started to get to the population in general last year.
So my first wish of this Holiday Season is this, the return in thought and action of common courtesy. Nothing spectacular. No need to go out of ones way. Just be nice and courteous to others. Show respect. If you don't need to use the handicapped parking don't. Most of us could use the extra exercise anyway. Be aware of others. Have kind words for fellow shoppers and especially store employees where you are shopping. Say thank you, please, and excuse me. It is not that hard. I was taught these things at a very young age and I am sure most of you were also. We have just forgotten our manners.
Try smiling. That is one of my eternal wishes is for people to smile more. Everyone looks better when they smile so lets beautify our nation and the planet by smiling more.
And once again, please be courteous and have a wonderful time of Thanksgiving.
Keep Smilin'!,
Eddy
© Eddy Seegers 2010, All Rights Reserved
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Dining with Greatness
We can't all be heroes because somebody has to sit on the curb and clap as they go by. ~Will Rogers
Last Saturday, May 22nd to be exact, I had the pleasure of dining with greatness. The Americian Legion Walton F. Hoffmann Memorial Post 179 in New Braunfels, Texas had a celebration dinner to redicate their refurbished building and a belated American Legion birthday observance. I have mentioned before that my parents were both in the Marines and both are active with the Post. My mom is the First Vice Commander. Although I am not able to be active, as I live about 160 miles away, I am a proud member of the Sons of the American Legion Squadron.
Before the dinner I was introduced to many of the members and guests that were in attendance. Simply stated, I am in awe of the people that were in attendance. First and foremost, I am proud of my parents. My dad wanted to make a career of the military. I am not sure what my mom's long term plans were but the Marine Corps gave Mom the opportunity to get away from a very bad home situation. Fate kind of had different plans for both of them but to this day, I have people say that it answers a lot of questions about me when they discover that my parents were Marines.
Also in attendance that afternoon and evening were a Pearl Harbor survivor, a woman who fought with the French underground against the Nazis, a World War I veteran's widow, numerous WWII veterans, as well as veterans who served in Korean, Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, and times in between. There was even a retired 2-star general.
Those who know me personally know that I am not usually one that is quiet in social settings. However, when I get around these people I keep my mouth shut as much as possible and simply listen to these American heroes. These are people who were willing to put their lives on the line in the defense of this country and freedom around the world.
Today is Memorial Day, a day we, as a nation, pay tribute to the sacrifice of the those who lost their life in the service of our country. On a personal note, I have a great-uncle that was lost in North Africa. It is my understanding that they found his plane but nothing has ever been found of him.
This weekend I watched shows about WWII and the sacrifice made by so many from Pearl Harbor, to North Africa, to the Philipines, to the beaches of Normandy, to the many tiny islands in the south Pacific, to Fortress Europe, and beyond. There were brief reports about those that served during the extreme conditions of Korean conflict. Scenes from the Vietnam Memorial always bring a lump to my throat, especially when I realize how our military was handcuffed fighting a politically-incorrect war. 58,000 names are on that Memorial Wall. 58,000 who sacrificed all in a war that the United States was not allowed to win. I remember when the 1,000th casualty in Iraq was announced. This past week, the 1,000th life lost in Afghanistan occurred. A young man from right here in Texas.
Everyone of these souls, plus ones from other conflicts throughout the history of this nation, was lost in the name of freedom and liberty. Everyone of these souls had a mother and father, many had brothers and sisters, and they all had so many people that loved them.
Today, to these precious souls and their memories, I say, "Thank You!"
Back to those wonderful people at the American Legion dinner. There were many WWII veterans there. Many walked with canes and even those that didn't, moved a little slow. Several years ago, I heard that there are only 10% of those that served in WWII were still alive. I am sure that percentage gets smaller every day.
Time marches on. Those that served in Korea and Vietnam are getting older. I want to take this Memorial Day to also Honor those who served and are still with us. To those who have served, those who have committed a portion of their life to defending freedom, and to those who are currently serving our country, many in harm's way, with tears in my eyes as I type, "Thank You!" As I sit on the curb, clapping as you pass by, "Thank You and God Bless and Keep You."
© Eddy Seegers 2010, All Rights Reserved
Last Saturday, May 22nd to be exact, I had the pleasure of dining with greatness. The Americian Legion Walton F. Hoffmann Memorial Post 179 in New Braunfels, Texas had a celebration dinner to redicate their refurbished building and a belated American Legion birthday observance. I have mentioned before that my parents were both in the Marines and both are active with the Post. My mom is the First Vice Commander. Although I am not able to be active, as I live about 160 miles away, I am a proud member of the Sons of the American Legion Squadron.
Before the dinner I was introduced to many of the members and guests that were in attendance. Simply stated, I am in awe of the people that were in attendance. First and foremost, I am proud of my parents. My dad wanted to make a career of the military. I am not sure what my mom's long term plans were but the Marine Corps gave Mom the opportunity to get away from a very bad home situation. Fate kind of had different plans for both of them but to this day, I have people say that it answers a lot of questions about me when they discover that my parents were Marines.
Also in attendance that afternoon and evening were a Pearl Harbor survivor, a woman who fought with the French underground against the Nazis, a World War I veteran's widow, numerous WWII veterans, as well as veterans who served in Korean, Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, and times in between. There was even a retired 2-star general.
Those who know me personally know that I am not usually one that is quiet in social settings. However, when I get around these people I keep my mouth shut as much as possible and simply listen to these American heroes. These are people who were willing to put their lives on the line in the defense of this country and freedom around the world.
Today is Memorial Day, a day we, as a nation, pay tribute to the sacrifice of the those who lost their life in the service of our country. On a personal note, I have a great-uncle that was lost in North Africa. It is my understanding that they found his plane but nothing has ever been found of him.
This weekend I watched shows about WWII and the sacrifice made by so many from Pearl Harbor, to North Africa, to the Philipines, to the beaches of Normandy, to the many tiny islands in the south Pacific, to Fortress Europe, and beyond. There were brief reports about those that served during the extreme conditions of Korean conflict. Scenes from the Vietnam Memorial always bring a lump to my throat, especially when I realize how our military was handcuffed fighting a politically-incorrect war. 58,000 names are on that Memorial Wall. 58,000 who sacrificed all in a war that the United States was not allowed to win. I remember when the 1,000th casualty in Iraq was announced. This past week, the 1,000th life lost in Afghanistan occurred. A young man from right here in Texas.
Everyone of these souls, plus ones from other conflicts throughout the history of this nation, was lost in the name of freedom and liberty. Everyone of these souls had a mother and father, many had brothers and sisters, and they all had so many people that loved them.
Today, to these precious souls and their memories, I say, "Thank You!"
Back to those wonderful people at the American Legion dinner. There were many WWII veterans there. Many walked with canes and even those that didn't, moved a little slow. Several years ago, I heard that there are only 10% of those that served in WWII were still alive. I am sure that percentage gets smaller every day.
Time marches on. Those that served in Korea and Vietnam are getting older. I want to take this Memorial Day to also Honor those who served and are still with us. To those who have served, those who have committed a portion of their life to defending freedom, and to those who are currently serving our country, many in harm's way, with tears in my eyes as I type, "Thank You!" As I sit on the curb, clapping as you pass by, "Thank You and God Bless and Keep You."
© Eddy Seegers 2010, All Rights Reserved
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Coming soon
I wrote blog for Father's Day and it seems to have disappeared. I am re-writing and will re-post as soon as possible.
Eddy
Eddy
Thursday, June 4, 2009
No Excuses
I was going through some of my notebooks looking for ideas and thoughts, when I came across this personal mission statement. It was dated November 28, 1997. I know that I was going through some personal and profession trials at that time. To be honest, it was a very challenging time in my life.
I don’t remember writing this but I do remember the time. I know that I was in a very poor frame of mind, feeling sorry for myself. I also remember coming out of my funk soon after this time as Christmas was pretty good, so I have to think this was part of me turning my mental state in the right direction.
It is titled, “NO EXCUSES”.
I will make no excuses. I understand that no matter what I do in life, there will be times of failure. I will look at these times as learning experiences and as opportunities to grow. I will use these failures to reflect on my dreams, goals, and paths I am taking.
I will not make lack of money an excuse because I know that others have succeeded even though they started with far less.
I will not let a lack of time be an excuse because I know that each day has 24 hours in it for everybody and we all find the time to do the things that we truly want to do.
I will not let my health be an excuse as I know there are others who have succeeded that are sicker than I will ever be, have conditions far worse than me, or are handicapped beyond my comprehension. If they can do it, so can I.
I will not use personal obligations or roadblocks as an excuse. I realize that there those whose outside commitments or problems have been a hindrance to their success but they have succeeded anyway. If these people can overcome their challenges, I can overcome anything that I have to face.
I will not allow the phrase, “I don’t know how” to be an excuse. If I don’t know how to do something, I will find a way to learn. I know that there are people who are poor students or have a less than average intelligence who have succeeded. I am a good student, and I know that if my success depends on obtaining an education in a particular area, I can and will obtain it.
I will not make excuses. Excuses are for losers and I am a winner. I know that there are successful people who are dumber, worse looking, worse dressed, come from far more unfortunate circumstances, even smell worse, and who had much taller mountains to climb than I will likely ever have to face. However, they succeeded and SO WILL I!
Not bad if I may be less than humble. I wrote this over 10 years ago and even though I forgot it existed, I have generally followed the principals. While I still have my ups and downs, who doesn’t, I simply don’t let them get me down. At least not for long. Funny thing too, when I don’t look for excuses, I find myself moving forward faster and with more purpose. I don’t get bogged down.
Yes, I had forgotten that I wrote this but, no more. I am going to re-type it, put it in a pretty picture frame, and hang it over my desk.
Let me encourage you to eliminate excuses from your life. Look at troubles, roadblocks, difficulties, setbacks, etc., for what they are, learning and growing opportunities.
Keep Smilin’!!
© Eddy Seegers 2009, All Rights Reserved
Do you have a social club, business group, or organization that needs a speaker for a meeting, program or event? I can use one of my existing programs, such as "The Monkey Trap" or "Life Lessons Learned Playing Little League", tailored to your specific group or I can create a unique program based on your needs and wants. The programs include some humor, some serious reflection, and hopefully, plenty of information and inspiration for all who attend. To contact me for more information click_here.
I don’t remember writing this but I do remember the time. I know that I was in a very poor frame of mind, feeling sorry for myself. I also remember coming out of my funk soon after this time as Christmas was pretty good, so I have to think this was part of me turning my mental state in the right direction.
It is titled, “NO EXCUSES”.
I will make no excuses. I understand that no matter what I do in life, there will be times of failure. I will look at these times as learning experiences and as opportunities to grow. I will use these failures to reflect on my dreams, goals, and paths I am taking.
I will not make lack of money an excuse because I know that others have succeeded even though they started with far less.
I will not let a lack of time be an excuse because I know that each day has 24 hours in it for everybody and we all find the time to do the things that we truly want to do.
I will not let my health be an excuse as I know there are others who have succeeded that are sicker than I will ever be, have conditions far worse than me, or are handicapped beyond my comprehension. If they can do it, so can I.
I will not use personal obligations or roadblocks as an excuse. I realize that there those whose outside commitments or problems have been a hindrance to their success but they have succeeded anyway. If these people can overcome their challenges, I can overcome anything that I have to face.
I will not allow the phrase, “I don’t know how” to be an excuse. If I don’t know how to do something, I will find a way to learn. I know that there are people who are poor students or have a less than average intelligence who have succeeded. I am a good student, and I know that if my success depends on obtaining an education in a particular area, I can and will obtain it.
I will not make excuses. Excuses are for losers and I am a winner. I know that there are successful people who are dumber, worse looking, worse dressed, come from far more unfortunate circumstances, even smell worse, and who had much taller mountains to climb than I will likely ever have to face. However, they succeeded and SO WILL I!
Not bad if I may be less than humble. I wrote this over 10 years ago and even though I forgot it existed, I have generally followed the principals. While I still have my ups and downs, who doesn’t, I simply don’t let them get me down. At least not for long. Funny thing too, when I don’t look for excuses, I find myself moving forward faster and with more purpose. I don’t get bogged down.
Yes, I had forgotten that I wrote this but, no more. I am going to re-type it, put it in a pretty picture frame, and hang it over my desk.
Let me encourage you to eliminate excuses from your life. Look at troubles, roadblocks, difficulties, setbacks, etc., for what they are, learning and growing opportunities.
Keep Smilin’!!
© Eddy Seegers 2009, All Rights Reserved
Do you have a social club, business group, or organization that needs a speaker for a meeting, program or event? I can use one of my existing programs, such as "The Monkey Trap" or "Life Lessons Learned Playing Little League", tailored to your specific group or I can create a unique program based on your needs and wants. The programs include some humor, some serious reflection, and hopefully, plenty of information and inspiration for all who attend. To contact me for more information click_here.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
More on Reaching the Summit
Most people never run far enough on their first wind to find out they've got a second.
~ William James
After I wrote my last post, I was thinking about all the things I wanted to say but kept out so I didn’t write a tome longer than War and Peace. Then it hit me between the eyes a short time later.
One of my great personal struggles is with my weight. I need to lose weight both for my general health and because the additional weight aggravates other health conditions. So for the umpteenth time, I have restarted an exercise program, and shortly after I published Reaching the Summit I was working on an elliptical machine. It was kicking my butt!
I told myself when I started the workout that I was going to go 32 minutes. At the 14 minute mark, my body was screaming “UNCLE!” Every fiber of my being was saying to just quit. I had worked out every weekday for the previous 2 weeks, helping to convince my mind that was telling me it would be okay to call it day even before I reached the half way mark.
Now I would like to tell you that I used my finely tuned positive mental attitude to redirect my thinking and that I pushed right through to make the most out of my workout. Unfortunately, it wasn’t that glorious on my part.
Initially, I was thinking that I needed to at least make it to the halfway mark of my original goal. When I reached the midpoint, I was still in a portion of the programmed work out that had me in the middle of a harder portion of the program. When the programming reached a point that eased slightly, I decided to finish the easier portion as a cool down.
It was at this point that I remembered the quote by William James at the beginning of this article. I had seen it earlier in the day. It has a great message about pushing through difficult times to reach our goals. I also thought about “reaching the summit”.
I knew that I needed to push to reach my summit. I needed to run far enough to get past my first wind to get my second wind.
When I finished my workout, I felt great. I no longer thought about the pain and struggle I had gone through in the middle of the workout. I pushed through my first wind and did find a second wind at the end. If I had not had time constraints, I would have likely lengthened my exercise time.
Imagine that, I went from wanting to quit to wanting to do more than expected.
Today’s Life Lesson is directly from the elliptical machine. There are many times and many opportunities, both big and grand and smaller and less glorious. My workout was not a major life event but if I had quit early, it likely would have made it easier to quit come future workouts. If I had quit, I might have found it easier to quit when trying to reach the summit in other areas of my life. Maybe I don’t push through some of my daily challenges because I would have taught myself that it is okay to give in when things get a little difficult or don’t go the way I want them to go.
Look in your daily life, where are your little summits that you have to face and conquer every day. Look for the bigger summits. Don’t let the obstacles totally shut you down. Find a way over the obstacle. Find a way under it. Find a way to go around an obstacle. Or even find a way through the obstacle. When things get tough, continue to push through until you get to your second wind. Do these things and it will make reaching your summit easier. Reach your summit and I would be willing to bet the journey didn’t seem as bad as it did when you were at the halfway point.
Keep Smilin’!!
Remember, comments are appreciated. Even brutally honest ones. Just keep it clean and civilized.
© 2009 Eddy Seegers, All Rights Reserved
Would you like a speaker at your business, professional, or civic organization meeting? Do you need a seminar or a program speaker? I have programs for most situations or I can tailor a presentation specifically for your group. Email me now for more information. Click_here!!
~ William James
After I wrote my last post, I was thinking about all the things I wanted to say but kept out so I didn’t write a tome longer than War and Peace. Then it hit me between the eyes a short time later.
One of my great personal struggles is with my weight. I need to lose weight both for my general health and because the additional weight aggravates other health conditions. So for the umpteenth time, I have restarted an exercise program, and shortly after I published Reaching the Summit I was working on an elliptical machine. It was kicking my butt!
I told myself when I started the workout that I was going to go 32 minutes. At the 14 minute mark, my body was screaming “UNCLE!” Every fiber of my being was saying to just quit. I had worked out every weekday for the previous 2 weeks, helping to convince my mind that was telling me it would be okay to call it day even before I reached the half way mark.
Now I would like to tell you that I used my finely tuned positive mental attitude to redirect my thinking and that I pushed right through to make the most out of my workout. Unfortunately, it wasn’t that glorious on my part.
Initially, I was thinking that I needed to at least make it to the halfway mark of my original goal. When I reached the midpoint, I was still in a portion of the programmed work out that had me in the middle of a harder portion of the program. When the programming reached a point that eased slightly, I decided to finish the easier portion as a cool down.
It was at this point that I remembered the quote by William James at the beginning of this article. I had seen it earlier in the day. It has a great message about pushing through difficult times to reach our goals. I also thought about “reaching the summit”.
I knew that I needed to push to reach my summit. I needed to run far enough to get past my first wind to get my second wind.
When I finished my workout, I felt great. I no longer thought about the pain and struggle I had gone through in the middle of the workout. I pushed through my first wind and did find a second wind at the end. If I had not had time constraints, I would have likely lengthened my exercise time.
Imagine that, I went from wanting to quit to wanting to do more than expected.
Today’s Life Lesson is directly from the elliptical machine. There are many times and many opportunities, both big and grand and smaller and less glorious. My workout was not a major life event but if I had quit early, it likely would have made it easier to quit come future workouts. If I had quit, I might have found it easier to quit when trying to reach the summit in other areas of my life. Maybe I don’t push through some of my daily challenges because I would have taught myself that it is okay to give in when things get a little difficult or don’t go the way I want them to go.
Look in your daily life, where are your little summits that you have to face and conquer every day. Look for the bigger summits. Don’t let the obstacles totally shut you down. Find a way over the obstacle. Find a way under it. Find a way to go around an obstacle. Or even find a way through the obstacle. When things get tough, continue to push through until you get to your second wind. Do these things and it will make reaching your summit easier. Reach your summit and I would be willing to bet the journey didn’t seem as bad as it did when you were at the halfway point.
Keep Smilin’!!
Remember, comments are appreciated. Even brutally honest ones. Just keep it clean and civilized.
© 2009 Eddy Seegers, All Rights Reserved
Would you like a speaker at your business, professional, or civic organization meeting? Do you need a seminar or a program speaker? I have programs for most situations or I can tailor a presentation specifically for your group. Email me now for more information. Click_here!!
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Reaching the Summit
The struggles of the climb is forgotten in the exhilaration of reaching the summit.
~(This is one version of many quotes of a similar nature.)
This story goes back many years to my days of playing high school football. I played on the varsity team for 3 years. Not saying much since we didn't have a junior varsity team. During my three years we won a grand total of 1, 2, and, then the triumphant senior year, 4 games during my career.
My sophomore year, I was a small player on a small team. I didn't get on the field very much that year. Early on, we played a team that wasn't really a rival but we did play them year after year. Their nickname was the Wildcats.
We played them my sophomore year at their stadium which was right next to their school. In fact, our "dressing room" was a class room. When we left the building to go to the field, we were behind the bleachers filled with their fans. Those fans would turn around and chant, "Cat food, cat, food!" as we made our way to the field. It was made even louder as the chants would echo off the building.
What started as a close game, became a rout by the time it ended, with my school taking one of the worse defeats in its history. After the game, their coach came over to our coach and apologized by saying, "Sorry, I didn't mean to run up the score." It was a little bit of a hollow apology, however, as even when the runts like me got to play against their first team late in the game.
Fast forward to my junior year. The week before we played this team again, our team was playing a game that we should have won. Yes, we only won 2 games that year but there was one week we played a team that we should have beat. Not only did we lose, we played terribly. I don't think I ever saw our coaches as angry as they were at halftime and when the game was over. At the end of the night, our head coach finished his comments with two promises. In preparation for the game against the team that embarrassed us so much the year prior, we were going to work harder than we had ever worked. And then he guaranteed that we would win.
What followed was the toughest, most physical week of my limited athletic career. We practiced the following morning, one of only 2 Saturday practices of my varsity career. We had full blown, hard hitting, full contact practices everyday the following week, including the day before the game. I remember being banged up, worn out, and beaten down. Daily, I questioned my commitment to playing football.
Did I want to play this bad that I put myself through this?
I went through classes during the day dreading the upcoming practice. I went from drill to drill, dreading what was coming next. My teammates seemed to share my desire to stay out of the direction of the coaches’ attention.
Finally, the game night arrived. As hard as the week of practice had been, the game was just as tough. Our opponents were strong, fast, and fired up thinking they had an easy target for another victory. The game was hard-hitting, back and forth, and very low scoring.
With time running out, the other time had the ball. They were driving for what would be the clinching score. At worst, it seemed, they could have run out the clock to assure their victory and our defeat. With around a minute left in the game, one of their players broke through the line and it looked like he was going to run the ball in for the clinching touchdown.
Over 30 years later, after watching sports of all manner at all levels, I am still amazed at what happened next.
One of our players appeared out of what seemed like nowhere and just took the ball away from their player. He proceeded to run 90 yards for a touchdown. We won. We won by 1 point.
It is here that my Life Lesson really begins. At that moment, and for that matter, for the rest of the weekend I don't think there was a player on our team that felt any of the bumps and bruises. Though we gave everything we had on that field, we had energy to burn. I don't think there was a player that did not appreciate the coaches for how they had driven us the week before and prepared us for the game.
The point is this, once we won the game, we did not remember all of the pain that we went through, we just felt the exhilaration of the victory.
We face many difficult times throughout our lives. There are times when we have mountains to climb that seem insurmountable. There are times where we are pushed to our limit and we question our intentions and desires. There are times where we are tempted to simply give up and make the hardship and difficulties end.
However, if we stick with it, if we maintain our focus and commitment, if we keep at it, when we come out on the other side we will discover the joy of victory, or completion, or satisfaction. And more than likely, we will minimize the struggles we faced to get there.
In my last post, I mentioned that my mom is facing a battle with breast cancer. She has already to begun to have to deal with some of the side effects of her treatment. She was told that one medication would make her feel like "every bone in her body was breaking." While it was not quite that bad, it did hit her pretty hard. She has had days where she was barely able to get out of bed and spent most of the day dozing on the couch. She has started to lose her hair. These and other side effects are just some of the battle that she faces.
In the case of my mom, cancer picked the wrong opponent. My mom is a fighter and she is going to beat the Big C. She has good days and some not so good days but I know that Mom is going to be victorious in this battle. And when she does, she will revel in the joy of a healthy life and the struggles will be but a distant memory.
Keep Smilin'!!
© 2009 Eddy Seegers, All Rights Reserved
If you need a motivational/education speaker for a program, seminar, or group gathering, email me for more information. Click_here to contact me.
~(This is one version of many quotes of a similar nature.)
This story goes back many years to my days of playing high school football. I played on the varsity team for 3 years. Not saying much since we didn't have a junior varsity team. During my three years we won a grand total of 1, 2, and, then the triumphant senior year, 4 games during my career.
My sophomore year, I was a small player on a small team. I didn't get on the field very much that year. Early on, we played a team that wasn't really a rival but we did play them year after year. Their nickname was the Wildcats.
We played them my sophomore year at their stadium which was right next to their school. In fact, our "dressing room" was a class room. When we left the building to go to the field, we were behind the bleachers filled with their fans. Those fans would turn around and chant, "Cat food, cat, food!" as we made our way to the field. It was made even louder as the chants would echo off the building.
What started as a close game, became a rout by the time it ended, with my school taking one of the worse defeats in its history. After the game, their coach came over to our coach and apologized by saying, "Sorry, I didn't mean to run up the score." It was a little bit of a hollow apology, however, as even when the runts like me got to play against their first team late in the game.
Fast forward to my junior year. The week before we played this team again, our team was playing a game that we should have won. Yes, we only won 2 games that year but there was one week we played a team that we should have beat. Not only did we lose, we played terribly. I don't think I ever saw our coaches as angry as they were at halftime and when the game was over. At the end of the night, our head coach finished his comments with two promises. In preparation for the game against the team that embarrassed us so much the year prior, we were going to work harder than we had ever worked. And then he guaranteed that we would win.
What followed was the toughest, most physical week of my limited athletic career. We practiced the following morning, one of only 2 Saturday practices of my varsity career. We had full blown, hard hitting, full contact practices everyday the following week, including the day before the game. I remember being banged up, worn out, and beaten down. Daily, I questioned my commitment to playing football.
Did I want to play this bad that I put myself through this?
I went through classes during the day dreading the upcoming practice. I went from drill to drill, dreading what was coming next. My teammates seemed to share my desire to stay out of the direction of the coaches’ attention.
Finally, the game night arrived. As hard as the week of practice had been, the game was just as tough. Our opponents were strong, fast, and fired up thinking they had an easy target for another victory. The game was hard-hitting, back and forth, and very low scoring.
With time running out, the other time had the ball. They were driving for what would be the clinching score. At worst, it seemed, they could have run out the clock to assure their victory and our defeat. With around a minute left in the game, one of their players broke through the line and it looked like he was going to run the ball in for the clinching touchdown.
Over 30 years later, after watching sports of all manner at all levels, I am still amazed at what happened next.
One of our players appeared out of what seemed like nowhere and just took the ball away from their player. He proceeded to run 90 yards for a touchdown. We won. We won by 1 point.
It is here that my Life Lesson really begins. At that moment, and for that matter, for the rest of the weekend I don't think there was a player on our team that felt any of the bumps and bruises. Though we gave everything we had on that field, we had energy to burn. I don't think there was a player that did not appreciate the coaches for how they had driven us the week before and prepared us for the game.
The point is this, once we won the game, we did not remember all of the pain that we went through, we just felt the exhilaration of the victory.
We face many difficult times throughout our lives. There are times when we have mountains to climb that seem insurmountable. There are times where we are pushed to our limit and we question our intentions and desires. There are times where we are tempted to simply give up and make the hardship and difficulties end.
However, if we stick with it, if we maintain our focus and commitment, if we keep at it, when we come out on the other side we will discover the joy of victory, or completion, or satisfaction. And more than likely, we will minimize the struggles we faced to get there.
In my last post, I mentioned that my mom is facing a battle with breast cancer. She has already to begun to have to deal with some of the side effects of her treatment. She was told that one medication would make her feel like "every bone in her body was breaking." While it was not quite that bad, it did hit her pretty hard. She has had days where she was barely able to get out of bed and spent most of the day dozing on the couch. She has started to lose her hair. These and other side effects are just some of the battle that she faces.
In the case of my mom, cancer picked the wrong opponent. My mom is a fighter and she is going to beat the Big C. She has good days and some not so good days but I know that Mom is going to be victorious in this battle. And when she does, she will revel in the joy of a healthy life and the struggles will be but a distant memory.
Keep Smilin'!!
© 2009 Eddy Seegers, All Rights Reserved
If you need a motivational/education speaker for a program, seminar, or group gathering, email me for more information. Click_here to contact me.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Tribute to Mom
All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother. ~Abraham Lincoln
My mom was never a big fan of Mother’s Day. She would say that she would rather be appreciated year ‘round and not just on one special day. I know that much of this was due to the way her mother, my grandmother, behaved in regards to the day. This is part of the reason I am not concerned about my tribute to my mom a few days after Mother’s Day.
This is a tribute to my mom. I will briefly mention some of the things that go back to my youth but I will focus on what she is doing today.
I was a little older before I realized how much money we did NOT have when I was younger. I was thinking back on some of the meals we had that were actually making due with what was available. I remember how I thought a dinner of gravy bread was such a treat when bread and flour was available and inexpensive. Mom had the same winter coat for years and years as well as the same eyeglasses. However, we as kids were never in need.
Mom taking care of us was important but it was also important to my brothers and sisters also. There are some things that are a little more unique and personal to me. The first that comes to my mind is dealing with all of my injuries and ailments. I know that there were health issues when I was younger but the first I can recall was when I broke my thumb on the monkey bars at school in kindergarten. The joke in our family as we moved around was that the first thing Mom and Dad did when we got to our new home was find where the closest emergency room was located. There were broken bones, sprains, stitches, and many various bumps and bruises. Mom was there for shots I hated, casts being put on, crutches being given out, and on, and on, and on.
And through it all she kept a sense of humor and did not become over-protective. There are coaches and school administrators who must have thought she was so uncaring. When I took the hockey stick to the nose, she arrived to pick me up to take me to the doctor laughing, saying I had really “done it big time now.” When the coach was calling to tell her about my broken arm, after hearing who was on the phone, her response was, “What did he break this time?” Through it all, I knew nobody loved me more than my mom.
The other personal touch of love from my mom is part of what led to many of my injuries. As my blog profile states, I am a big sports fan, both playing and watching. Mom, for the most part, did not really care one way or anther about sports. Yet, she was there for every Little League baseball game, every football game, and until I got to Jr. High, I don’t think she missed a sporting event that I was involved with and then it was only because she had 4 kids and couldn’t be everywhere at once. But she worked in the concession stands, joined booster clubs, and she and Dad were the ideal sports parents in that they were totally supportive but not overbearing in the least.
And as for watching sports, I know there were many times she probably would have rather watched something besides football, baseball, basketball or whatever, but she allowed me to watch.
This brings me to my current admiration I have for my Mom. Her and Dad “retired” to a small community in Texas about 3 ½ years ago. I put that in quotes because Mom is busier than ever. Her schedule is enough to wear out a healthy 25 year old.
Due to health issues, Mom started taking a water aerobics class several years ago. Soon after moving to Texas she discovered a Senior Center with a swimming pool. Before you could say, “Surf’s up!” Mom was teaching her own water aerobics class. These aren’t your nursing home, stand in one place and wave your arms classes, her classes are work outs. That was how her instructor led the program so that is how she teaches it.
As Dad began retirement, through his church, he started delivering Meals-on-Wheels on Fridays. He soon discovered that he didn’t do well with retirement so he took a part time job that has moved into more of a full time position. So Mom took over his Meals route. Gradually, she began to fill in on other days when they needed a replacement driver. She was soon doing routes 3 to 4 days a week.
By the way, have I mentioned that before I was born, my mom was a Marine? Yes, she served in the United States Marine Corps. She went through boot camp and beyond. (Dad also served as a Marine.) Mom and Dad joined the local American Legion Post. Of course, my mom jumped in full force and is now the First Vice Commander of the Post, responsible for membership. This is the ideal job for her. I have often said that if Mom was ever in a competition that required a talent, she would blow away her competition by her ability to work a room. No one is a stranger and she will soon find out if they qualify to be a Legion member. If she finds out you qualify, you might as well save time and sign up.
Somewhere along the way, Mom also became involved with the local veteran’s council. It is a non-profit group that focuses on providing free van rides for veterans for doctors and hospital visits. She handles finding and scheduling drivers as needed by the veterans. It can be quite a juggling act but she gets it done.
I am not sure of the name of the organization but Mom is also involved with a program distributing refurbished computers to veterans. This is for any veteran, simply based on need. There are currently a large number of computers and monitors sitting on the floor of her garage.
This lady who gave birth to me is fussy about the work that is done in each of the projects with which she is involved. The work has to be done in a detailed, correct, and timely manner.
As I said earlier, Mom has had a schedule that would a tire a healthy 25 year old.
I have mentioned the term “healthy” a couple of times now. I use that term because Mom was recently diagnosed with breast cancer.
The good news is that her prognosis is very good. She is currently going through a very strong chemo program, facing surgery and then radiation treatment. These means while her prognosis is good, she has a tough fight facing her. Typical of Mom, she plans to slow down, JUST A LITTLE.
Because she is not sure of how she is going to feel on a day-to-day basis, she has temporarily given up on delivering Meals-on-Wheels.
She has also had to temporarily suspend her water aerobics classes. Even if she has the energy, she is not able to get into the water due to her chemo requiring a Port-A-Cath. She has a scar and until it totally heals, the Health Department won’t let her in the water.
She is currently suffering from some exhaustion so it is good that she has slowed, "a little". Mom is still scheduling veterans and drivers, is trying to get computers out to vets, and is working on the yearbook for the American Legion Post.
My Mom, the Energizer Bunny personified.
I am paraphrasing a sign I have seen in offices and construction sites for years but it fits Mom.
Mom has done so much, for so long, with so little, she can now do anything with nothing.
I love my mom. I admire my mom. She is my biggest fan and biggest supporter. She faces a battle but this lady is a fighter. I have no doubt that she is going to come through this process with flying colors and return to a full busy and, for her, fulfilling schedule. To this I say, “GO MOM! I LOVE YOU!” I hope you realize I feel this way everyday.
Keep Smilin!!
© 2009 Eddy Seegers, All Rights Reserved
My mom was never a big fan of Mother’s Day. She would say that she would rather be appreciated year ‘round and not just on one special day. I know that much of this was due to the way her mother, my grandmother, behaved in regards to the day. This is part of the reason I am not concerned about my tribute to my mom a few days after Mother’s Day.
This is a tribute to my mom. I will briefly mention some of the things that go back to my youth but I will focus on what she is doing today.
I was a little older before I realized how much money we did NOT have when I was younger. I was thinking back on some of the meals we had that were actually making due with what was available. I remember how I thought a dinner of gravy bread was such a treat when bread and flour was available and inexpensive. Mom had the same winter coat for years and years as well as the same eyeglasses. However, we as kids were never in need.
Mom taking care of us was important but it was also important to my brothers and sisters also. There are some things that are a little more unique and personal to me. The first that comes to my mind is dealing with all of my injuries and ailments. I know that there were health issues when I was younger but the first I can recall was when I broke my thumb on the monkey bars at school in kindergarten. The joke in our family as we moved around was that the first thing Mom and Dad did when we got to our new home was find where the closest emergency room was located. There were broken bones, sprains, stitches, and many various bumps and bruises. Mom was there for shots I hated, casts being put on, crutches being given out, and on, and on, and on.
And through it all she kept a sense of humor and did not become over-protective. There are coaches and school administrators who must have thought she was so uncaring. When I took the hockey stick to the nose, she arrived to pick me up to take me to the doctor laughing, saying I had really “done it big time now.” When the coach was calling to tell her about my broken arm, after hearing who was on the phone, her response was, “What did he break this time?” Through it all, I knew nobody loved me more than my mom.
The other personal touch of love from my mom is part of what led to many of my injuries. As my blog profile states, I am a big sports fan, both playing and watching. Mom, for the most part, did not really care one way or anther about sports. Yet, she was there for every Little League baseball game, every football game, and until I got to Jr. High, I don’t think she missed a sporting event that I was involved with and then it was only because she had 4 kids and couldn’t be everywhere at once. But she worked in the concession stands, joined booster clubs, and she and Dad were the ideal sports parents in that they were totally supportive but not overbearing in the least.
And as for watching sports, I know there were many times she probably would have rather watched something besides football, baseball, basketball or whatever, but she allowed me to watch.
This brings me to my current admiration I have for my Mom. Her and Dad “retired” to a small community in Texas about 3 ½ years ago. I put that in quotes because Mom is busier than ever. Her schedule is enough to wear out a healthy 25 year old.
Due to health issues, Mom started taking a water aerobics class several years ago. Soon after moving to Texas she discovered a Senior Center with a swimming pool. Before you could say, “Surf’s up!” Mom was teaching her own water aerobics class. These aren’t your nursing home, stand in one place and wave your arms classes, her classes are work outs. That was how her instructor led the program so that is how she teaches it.
As Dad began retirement, through his church, he started delivering Meals-on-Wheels on Fridays. He soon discovered that he didn’t do well with retirement so he took a part time job that has moved into more of a full time position. So Mom took over his Meals route. Gradually, she began to fill in on other days when they needed a replacement driver. She was soon doing routes 3 to 4 days a week.
By the way, have I mentioned that before I was born, my mom was a Marine? Yes, she served in the United States Marine Corps. She went through boot camp and beyond. (Dad also served as a Marine.) Mom and Dad joined the local American Legion Post. Of course, my mom jumped in full force and is now the First Vice Commander of the Post, responsible for membership. This is the ideal job for her. I have often said that if Mom was ever in a competition that required a talent, she would blow away her competition by her ability to work a room. No one is a stranger and she will soon find out if they qualify to be a Legion member. If she finds out you qualify, you might as well save time and sign up.
Somewhere along the way, Mom also became involved with the local veteran’s council. It is a non-profit group that focuses on providing free van rides for veterans for doctors and hospital visits. She handles finding and scheduling drivers as needed by the veterans. It can be quite a juggling act but she gets it done.
I am not sure of the name of the organization but Mom is also involved with a program distributing refurbished computers to veterans. This is for any veteran, simply based on need. There are currently a large number of computers and monitors sitting on the floor of her garage.
This lady who gave birth to me is fussy about the work that is done in each of the projects with which she is involved. The work has to be done in a detailed, correct, and timely manner.
As I said earlier, Mom has had a schedule that would a tire a healthy 25 year old.
I have mentioned the term “healthy” a couple of times now. I use that term because Mom was recently diagnosed with breast cancer.
The good news is that her prognosis is very good. She is currently going through a very strong chemo program, facing surgery and then radiation treatment. These means while her prognosis is good, she has a tough fight facing her. Typical of Mom, she plans to slow down, JUST A LITTLE.
Because she is not sure of how she is going to feel on a day-to-day basis, she has temporarily given up on delivering Meals-on-Wheels.
She has also had to temporarily suspend her water aerobics classes. Even if she has the energy, she is not able to get into the water due to her chemo requiring a Port-A-Cath. She has a scar and until it totally heals, the Health Department won’t let her in the water.
She is currently suffering from some exhaustion so it is good that she has slowed, "a little". Mom is still scheduling veterans and drivers, is trying to get computers out to vets, and is working on the yearbook for the American Legion Post.
My Mom, the Energizer Bunny personified.
I am paraphrasing a sign I have seen in offices and construction sites for years but it fits Mom.
Mom has done so much, for so long, with so little, she can now do anything with nothing.
I love my mom. I admire my mom. She is my biggest fan and biggest supporter. She faces a battle but this lady is a fighter. I have no doubt that she is going to come through this process with flying colors and return to a full busy and, for her, fulfilling schedule. To this I say, “GO MOM! I LOVE YOU!” I hope you realize I feel this way everyday.
Keep Smilin!!
© 2009 Eddy Seegers, All Rights Reserved
Monday, April 20, 2009
Take a Moment
The time to relax is when you don't have time for it. ~Sidney J. Harris
(Taken from worldofquotes.com with much appreciation for providing a resource for my relaxation.)
If ever there was a time when I don't have time to relax, it has been my last few weeks. I realized this when I felt like going to sleep at night was costing me valuable time that I could be using more productively. Never mind that plenty of sleep is a necessary and vital part of a healthy, fun, and fit life, as well as making us (me) more productive.
It is time for me to take some of my own advice and find time to relax. Never mind that I realized last Sunday that it has been weeks since I have sat on the couch in my den.
Starting yesterday, I am taking brief mental vacations during the day everyday. I will take 5 to 10 minutes every morning just after I wake and the same amount of time just before I go to bed to spend in special meditation and prayer.
In the mornings, I am going to focus on the coming day. I am going to consciously set my mind that I am going to be in a good mood and I will have an upbeat attitude no matter what comes my way. I will offer thanks that I am allowed to have another day to live, love, and grow. I am going to ask God to give me the chance to positively affect the lives of those I meet each day.
At night, my focus is going to be on the day that is ending. I am going to release the stresses, pressures, and issues that have tried to get in the way of my happiness. I will go to God with a thankful heart for the opportunities He has given me and a repentant heart asking forgiveness for all the times I have fallen short during the day.
During the day, and this is the part I have not been doing lately, I am going to take brief 2, 3, 4, 0r 5 minute breaks. Do some deep breathing exercises. Do some muscle relaxation exercises. Use some mind clearing techniques to just empty all the junk that fills up inside during the course of the day.
(Taken from worldofquotes.com with much appreciation for providing a resource for my relaxation.)
If ever there was a time when I don't have time to relax, it has been my last few weeks. I realized this when I felt like going to sleep at night was costing me valuable time that I could be using more productively. Never mind that plenty of sleep is a necessary and vital part of a healthy, fun, and fit life, as well as making us (me) more productive.
It is time for me to take some of my own advice and find time to relax. Never mind that I realized last Sunday that it has been weeks since I have sat on the couch in my den.
Starting yesterday, I am taking brief mental vacations during the day everyday. I will take 5 to 10 minutes every morning just after I wake and the same amount of time just before I go to bed to spend in special meditation and prayer.
In the mornings, I am going to focus on the coming day. I am going to consciously set my mind that I am going to be in a good mood and I will have an upbeat attitude no matter what comes my way. I will offer thanks that I am allowed to have another day to live, love, and grow. I am going to ask God to give me the chance to positively affect the lives of those I meet each day.
At night, my focus is going to be on the day that is ending. I am going to release the stresses, pressures, and issues that have tried to get in the way of my happiness. I will go to God with a thankful heart for the opportunities He has given me and a repentant heart asking forgiveness for all the times I have fallen short during the day.
During the day, and this is the part I have not been doing lately, I am going to take brief 2, 3, 4, 0r 5 minute breaks. Do some deep breathing exercises. Do some muscle relaxation exercises. Use some mind clearing techniques to just empty all the junk that fills up inside during the course of the day.
I am going to take a few moments everyday to let my mind wander, give it a chance to get away from all the clutter that is part of my daily life.
There are many serious things happening in my life right now. There are issues in the world that are not to be taken lightly. but at the same time, life is meant to be enjoyed, even savored. We should have a Zest for life. (See my post "Zest" from April 4th.) We all need to take a moment, let our minds take a vacation, if only for a few precious moments so we don't allow the things of day-to-day living to bring us down.
Smile!!
© 2009 Eddy Seegers
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