Notes to Grandchildren – August 8, 2023 (Great Grandfather’s Wallet)

Dear Grandchildren,

Great Grandfather had a humongous wallet that he always carried in his left hip pocket.

I never knew why it was so large when he was alive.

Great Grandfather believed in cash; he never had a credit or debit card.

Great Grandfather accumulated many business cards and kept them in his wallet.

Great Grandfather carried photographs of his grandchildren.

Great Grandfather hid at least $200 of emergency cash in the folds and hidden compartments in his billfold.

The most amazing thing discovered in Great Grandfather’s wallet were newspaper clippings on those few occasions when my name appeared in The Courier. He rarely praised. However, perhaps, he had some pride in his son’s accomplishments. I wish he would have said something at the time. I always felt that I never met his expectations.

Perhaps I did.

Love,

Grandfather

Notes to Grandchildren – August 7, 2023 (Path of the Panther)

Dear Grandchildren,

I watched Path of the Panther (2022) on Disney+.

It’s worth your time.

Path of the Panther takes a serious look at the world of the Florida panther. Population growth, urban sprawl, and ecological concerns puts the existence of the Florida panther in jeopardy. The Florida panther is the last big cat in the eastern United States.

One speculator paid $20,000 per acre for land in the Florida panther’s territory. When asked how this speculator hoped to recover the cost, he replied not through agriculture but through the number of houses that can be built on that land.

The Path of the Panther reinforces the need for homo sapiens to become better stewards of this planet.

Love,

Grandfather

Notes to Grandchildren – August 6, 2023 (My Daily Struggle)

Dear Grandchildren,

Everyday I hear my parents’ voices:

• You can’t do that.
• That’s wrong.
• What will people think?
• Be afraid.
• Don’t
• If you ice skate, you’ll fall and crack your head on the ice.
• If you ride a motorcycle, you’ll be killed in a crash.

Everyday I attempt to rewrite the script. It’s my daily struggle.

It has become easier with the help of my Stoic friends. A clear line of demarcation exists what’s within my control — my thoughts, my actions, and my perceptions — and everything else that lies beyond my control. I choose to focus on what’s within my control and shut out my parents’ voices.

My life has gotten better since Stoicism has been discovered.

Love,

Grandfather

Notes to Grandchildren – August 5, 2023 (Photographs)

Dear Grandchildren,

Keep an inventory of the photos you take.

Yes, we know this is Skye. You just took this photo. But will that be evident 20, 30, 50, 70, 100 years from now?

I scanning boxes of photographs that I inherited. I have nearly three hundred unknowns.

I sense that there is a story to be told.

But it escapes me.

These have become just faces starring at me.

I’d like to put a name with the image.

I can’t help but wonder what I’m missing.

Love,

Grandfather

Notes to Grandchildren – August 4, 2023 (My Naivete)

Dear Grandchildren,

In my naivete, I believed that politicians always put the country and the people above his/her/they/them/their/it personal aspirations. It has taken a long time for that belief to die. That’s the reason why I’m so cynical whenever government — local, state, or national — action is even suggested.

The politicians’ mantra is what is best for my party followed closely by what is best for me. The country and the people must take care of themselves.

Any politician who exercises reasoned choice faces censure. Just ask

• Liz Chaney
• Justin Jones
• Justin Pearson
• Gloria Johnson

It ought not be that way!

Are our politicians fiddling while the country burns like Emperor Nero did in 64 C.E. when Rome burned?

Love,

Grandfather

Notes to Grandchildren – August 3, 2023 (Character)

Dear Grandchildren,

I write often about following your values and adhering to the cardinal virtues — wisdom, courage, moderation, and justice — and demonstrating that you are following your values and the cardinal virtues through your actions, your character.

Joan Didion in Slouching Towards Bethleham (1968) wrote

Character — the willingness to accept responsibility for one’s own life — is the source from which self-respect springs.

Want to respect yourself?

Want to have fewer problems?

Want to be more contented?

Want to have fewer regrets?

Put your values into action.

Demonstrate the cardinal virtues.

Proclaim your identity through your actions.

Love,

Grandfather

Notes to Grandchildren – August 2, 2023 (Mark F. Deerwester)

Dear Grandchildren,

Mark F. Deerwester is my cousin.

He was a musician first and foremost.

I remember him playing “Christ is King” on the piano at the Deweyville Church of God.

Mark sang “True Love” in the first play I recall attending. I think it was the Senior Class play at McComb High School.

Mark attended Bowling Green State University and majored in music. He joined a fraternity — Phi Kappa Psi. He always wore a white shirt and tie to class with white canvas shoes. It always seemed incongruous to me.

Mark kept a crossword puzzle book close by. He always seemed to be stretching his mind with word problems. Not a bad idea.

Love,

Grandfather

Notes to Grandchildren – August 1, 2023 (Education for Women)

Dear Grandchildren,

Do you remember when we were in the schoolhouse at Connor Prairie? The teacher asked about the Founding Father who supported or encouraged education for women.

I answered, “Benjamin Franklin.”

The teacher responded that the correct answer was Thomas Jefferson, who had been influenced while ambassador to France.

Well … in 1733, Benjamin Franklin furnished an educated man in South Carolina a printing press and letters for which Franklin was to received one-third of the profits and would pay one-third of the expenses. The man in South Carolina was ignorant in matters of accounting. He provided no reconciliation. He rarely sent Franklin any money. He didn’t send any information about the state of the partnership. When the man died, his widow took over. The widow sent a clear statement of past transactions, continued to provide accurate and detailed accounts, and managed the business so successfully that Franklin’s interest was purchased. The widow established her son as a printer.

In his Autobiography, Franklin recommended that women be taught accounting as a practical skill for them to have.

So … I wasn’t completely in error.

Love,

Grandfather

Notes to Grandchildren – July 31, 2023 (The 12-Hour Walk)

Dear Grandchildren,

I’m reading

I was attracted to this book by Mr. O’Brady’s injury. While on a year-long backpacking trip, he suffered a devastating burn injury and was told he might never walk normally. Believing that he can, he overcame the injury and became a mountaineer and and professional endurance athlete.

However, Mr. O’Brady has lost me. I know his book encourages the 12-hour walk to focus on the task at hand avoid distractions … to get out minds in the game … to find the time through prioritizing our goals. But his point gets lost in his explanations of his accomplishments like the Explorer’s Grand Slam (North Pole, South Pole, Everest, Aconcaqua, Denali, Kilimanjaro, Elbrus, Vinson, and Puncak Jaya or Kosciusko), the solo crossing of Antarctica, and rowing across the Drake Passage from South America to Antarctica.

Mr. O’Brady’s premise is outstanding — set your goals and begin working towards them and don’t allow the naysayers to encourage your to quit.

Develop the attitude that you can. See a math problem, solve it. See a challenge, overcome it. Have a dream, convert it into reality.

Believing is the most important step.

Love,

Grandfather

Notes to Grandchildren – July 29, 2023 (Clouds)

Dear Grandchildren,

I was studying clouds today. I just watched them. I recognized a variety of shapes. I allowed my imagination to roam free. Try it some time.

I always thought that clouds didn’t weigh anything. Alexa tells me I’m wrong. Alexa speaks of clouds weighing over 2,000 pounds. Is that even possible?

What do you think?

Love,

Grandfather

P.S. I wish Jessica VanMeter was still doing to weather on Channel 24. I’d send an inquiry. She would know.