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

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

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

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

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

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

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