Last night I was reading; trying to stay awake until midnight. I think I dosed. Suddenly, I was jolted by the sound of fireworks. In the Wisconsin of my youth fireworks were not a part of New Year’s Eve celebrations. Most Badgers remain indoors during winter. I had only witnessed an explosive New Year’s Eve once before relocating to Oregon. Oregon is a state that has a fascination with excessive foreworks. Only July 4th outdoes December 31st. Alert to the intrusion, I watched the sky burst with colors for ten or fifteen minutes. The noise forestalled further slumber. HAPPY NEW YEAR.

Gazing out my window brought to mind a second imprinted memory of Vietnam. December 31st was the date I was to board a “Freedom Bird” to come home. I can’t recall the exact details but the flight was scheduled for a late night take off. Naturally, I was counting the seconds until starting the journey home to my family. Then there was an announcement of a delay. Not a welcome development. However, concern over a substantial delay was soon alleviated. I saw flashes of explosives lighting up the sky surrounding the air base. The sounds of explosions clapped closeby/. The delay would be short; only long enough to insure it was safe to fly out in clean air space.

No, it was not an enemy attack. It was a celebration. Mostly flares I assume but there were some sounds suspiciously like small arms fire. Perhaps fueled by hope the celebration lasted longer then the short barrage by Oregonians last night. But, comforted with a firm “better safe than sorry” attitude, it was easy for me to wait for a 1972 takeoff. I believe it was close to 2 A.M. before we left Vietnam. All that mattered was that I was headed home amd happy for the new year. I brought along hope that blessings would be bestowed on my family.

When the eastern sky cleared last night, I smiled at the memories brought back to me from so many years ago. Hope for 2022 sounds good. You never know what the next year will bring. Although not needed I did receive a consolation prize in 1972. I was given an extra month of combat pay for the few hours of inconvienience. January 1972 was a full “in country” pay month for Papa because of a late take off.

“Warm up the car,” I said today. “It’s very cold outside.”

Was Papa exhibiting common sense? To others it might translate to Papa being overly cautious. Sometimes that is the way it is with the obvious. It was 31 degrees out. The newest grandchild is bundled in warm clothing. It is time to head home. A cute cap is perched on top of that near bald head. A blanket is available to tuck in and around a new fangled car seat. I didn’t help raise a dope. There’s no need to give advice to start the engine ahead of departure. The kid will survive. HOWEVER, the words make ME feel better. Thus, the phrase means more to me than to be considered a perceived throw away line like “safe travels”, “take care”, and “drive carefully.” Let others think what they want. I felt good. And, when the car heater was running for a few minutes I felt even better.

Why do I write this post? Because I believe it is important to know that there will come a time when an actual warning might be essential. Circumstances will arise which are not meant to be treated with throw away lines. Dangerous situations need to be met with seriousness. So, the first thing a wise grandchild does is request an example. (What’s Papa talking about now and how did he get on this tangent?)

31 degrees is cold but it is not cruel cold. You’ll learn that there are places in this country and around the world that can get very cold. Zero and well below. If you ever go on an Artic adventure you’ll undoubtedly be prepared. But, you do not need to be Nanook to one day find yourself in colder than expected situations. Therefor, be aware of and prepared for “Cruel Cold.”

In 20 degrees below zero, and a car breaks down at night, the meaning of cruel cold is driven home very quickly. Especially when said driver is ill prepared to trudge four miles in deep roadway snow. ( Stop! Stop! Before you think it; there was a time not that long ago when cell phones did not exist.) A coat and tie with a light top coat doesn’t help a lot but with gloves and galoshes they were a plus for survival. The coldest temperature I had previously experienced was the Packer/Ram game a week before the famous Ice Bowl. And, dressed like a Michelin Man I was prepared for that event. What I thought I was unprepared for was that a trusty car would break down. I needed more forethought than that at the time. Think ahead and be prepared for the unexpected. If the car breaks down or a runner unexpectedly falls off your dogsled, there’s a second concept to consider. Like warmer clothes, food, water and in today’s age a stupid, charged cell phone. Just in case. You get the point.

More about how cruel cold can be. Years later, at Christmas, preparations were needed when it got to be 30 below zero. We were visiting a cross town relative. I traveled fully prepared. During the celebration I also went out every 45 minutes to start the car to be sure it’d be able to get the family home safely. Go outside, place beer can on roof of car, get in, start the car, goose the engine and listen to a few Christmas Carols on the radio. A good plan. Executed by a person prepared for the unexpected.

Have you seen the problem? Yes, it was right in front of a person supposedly with common sense. During one outing Papa slammed the car door too hard. Beer can fell over. Contents slithered downward. Howver, the liquid never made it completely off the car. It froze! That is “CRUEL COLD.” **

**(Wind chills not factored in.)

Thanksgiving turkey, St. Nick’s, a festive tree with gifts beneath and a nearly opened Advent Calendar are all memories that brought me to each Christmas Eve of my youth. For a brief time that night there was a reflection on the substance of the Christmas spirit. Family, charity, hope, love and a calming it all down was sensed. It was a good feeling as was the determination to follow through with that spirit throughout the next year. It may not be conscious thereafter but it is good to have that purpose in the back of one’s mind as the hustle of life returns.

Christmas at its root is a Christian holiday. A Holy Day in most religions. It was not a bad way to be raised. Whether one belongs to an organized church or not, it is good to try to follow tenets set forth by various religions. Whether by church or philosophy or moral upbringing always strive to do good. How the spiritual side of your character develops will be your choice. Use your mind when you search for it.

When I was in grade school the boys in my class who could carry a tune (others could fake the same by mouthing the words) put on red and white cassocks, lit candles and walked into church singing “Silent Night”. Whenever I hear that song I am reminded of the letter “t”. Our nun was emphatic that we annunciate that letter on the words silent and night. Like many of my cohorts I was a bit over the top on those sounds.

It was certainly a ritual to sing like angels once a year but there was also a certain mystery to doing so at midnight. It did tend to emphasize the purpose of Christmas. Only candles lit the church. It was always fairly cold inside but nothing compared to the frosty night air outdoors. The street lights seemed to have a halo effect and I swear flurries were in the air every Christmas Eve. Snow crunched under foot. Staying up until the wee hours of the morning. Participating in a ceremony with adults. All in all it added some warmth and depth to one’s spirit. Merry Christmas!

Even Papa had a childhood. Despite that obvious fact, someone once expressed an inability to imagine me as a boy. The years have certainly wrecked havoc on my physical body but I still view my mind as quite uncomplicated. No longer naive; yet I’m a far distance from being jaded. Christmas still brings vivid memories to mind. And, one of the best was a program that ran on a radio station back home. It was on the air from Thanksgiving until Christmas. Billie The Brownie (Think Elf) and Santa had a brief broadcast slot just around supper time. That timing often was annoying. My family made it a point to eat together. ( A good thing.) However, it was impossible to enjoy crouching around the radio in the living room when seated behind the closed door of the kitchen.

I believe it was only a fifteen minute program so it was easy to miss an entire show. On the rare nights dad came home late from work or mom’s cooking needed more time I could listen to Billie The Brownie to my heart’s content. Billie offered an array of serious Christmas guidelines. Letters to Santa needed to be read. Other kids had their letters read aloud. (The Postal Service must have misdirected my more insightful correspondence.) A local store, the one with a giant toy department, sponsored the show. So much knowledge about the latest toys was there for the asking. Santa’s health report of the eight rain deer was always a top consideration. And, there was routing news that was dependent on breaking weather forecasts between us and the North Pole. Christmas was on its way. Billie often seemed on the verge of a breakdown due to a possible ruination of Christmas. However, the steady hand of Santa always prevailed.

The actual years in which children are enthralled by Christmas is quite short. But the memories of those years linger. Christmas memories pack quite a punch. You can’t go wrong by encouraging the dreams of youngsters as your own fantasies fade into reality. For your own children, when and if, remember to cherish the season. You may develop other customs but even those of less than a decade will come to be remembered as long term traditions. The entire season blossoms into an all encompassing spirit that does the heart good. There is always going to be radio or television or books or digital something that has its own Billie The Brownie to recall. Gosh, I miss his squeaky voice.

BE AWARE

Recent tornados caused enormous death and destruction in America’s midsection. The concentrated violence of this weather related event is sobering. Its haphazard formation and unpredictable path adds to the fear tornados can inspire. Approximately one thousand occur each year in the United States. It is probably a misnomer to describe a “small” or “mild” tornado. If its concentrated force hits just right, then serious destruction, injury or death can happen. Always take warnings and watches seriously.

In the 1950’s a huge storm crossed our lake in Northern Wisconsin. It caught my attention. We soon learned that the storm had spawned a tornado. I was surprised because I thought in terms of “Tornado Alley” where such storms were located in books and movies. It struck a wilderness area far north of OZ. We drove to see its path. A clear cut through the state forest was perhaps 100 feet wide and stretched as far as I could see. The trees were simply leveled and a few shards of stumps remained at the edges. Later, I overheard locals say it was a small tornado. Yet, I knew that if a cabin, automobile or person was near the path it would have been a bigger deal. So, there is also an element of luck with tornados.

Don’t take chances. I remember in the 1970’s and 1980’s that we sometimes took refuge in the basement when the weather service issued tornado warnings. Gather the family and kids who might be visiting and head to safety was the routine. There of course were those who pooed pooed the need because “it doesn’t look that bad.” I can attest that there is a definite “calm before the storm” aspect to an approaching tornado. At least there was on a specific spring day when the wind died down and an eerie feeling crept into my heart. So, we sought safety just before we lost a few windows to the tornado. A Kohl’s food store nearby lost some of its roof and a few houses west of us had damage. It appeared that the tornado skipped through town. Shelter is no guarantee of survival as was true for some in this month’s monster storms. But, a better safe than sorry prescription still makes the most sense.

Sense, especially common sense is what I urge for all things. This is very true when dealing with nature. It is strong, relentless and can be dangerous. However, don’t go through life in fear of what could happen. There is too much beauty and adventure to be enjoyed in nature. Just be aware of your surroundings; including approaching weather.

Perhaps this Supreme Court decision will soon be mentioned in a civics/social studies course. There are media reports that current cases with the Supremes may impact the 1973 case of Roe v. Wade. Hard to predict but the possibility raises both sides of the abortion issue to near fever pitch. Over the last 48 years I’ve wondered if both sides are happy that the issue continues to bubble and boil without finality because it generates intense fundraising support.

In my mind, prior to Roe, I connected abortion with teen pregnancy. Not an unnatural link because there was no reliable birth control during my teen years. (BTW: See book “What Made Me?” Solid info from a birth control/sexuality pioneer.) In the 1950’s/60’s I had a considerable aversion to becoming a teen daddy when mastering shaving and driving a car were my two best recent landmarks of life. Plus, in my town, a murder was committed by a teen to avoid the fear/shame of an unwanted pregnancy. Movies at the time such as Peyton Place and Love With Proper Stranger dealt with the subject of abortion. Sex and its potential consequences sold theater tickets and were on the minds of teens. I was still in a hand holding pattern when I took a date to the movie Summer Place. I hoped the show did not offend her but mostly the teen protagonists demonstrated how slow I was developing. As it turned out going slow is okay.

I remember reading the Roe decision when it came out. Unlike most issues of law, that decision did not seem solidly constructed on the usual legal building blocks. My older brother lawyer once told me to follow common sense when figuring out case law or statutes. (It’s all common sense he’d say; except for TAX LAW!) To me Roe read like a washing machine, all jumbled together. Then an abrupt declaratory statement of the law. A final and binding privacy right. Except, three distinct time periods were also addressed. So, the right that many legal scholars felt was created out of whole cloth wasn’t actually final. Needless to say the breakdown of the 39 weeks of a pregnancy is not medically the same today as in 1973. I believe I recently read in the news that a baby under one pound survived. Papa is no legal scholar but I’ve wondered where the issue of viability will lead.

So, abortion right up to the moment of birth vs none after conception are teed up as competing extremes. Many in 1973 felt it would have been best to resolve the issue politically at the state level rather than with a judicial decision. Roe did not seem to be a clear cut outcome to me. Not so easy to do with such knotty issues. It will be interesting to see how the Supreme Court handles this fiercely contested but evolving issue. I suspect the court will not go towards either extreme. A decision will probably come out next May/June near the end of this year’s term. That is often the case with major cases. Whatever the judgment, I predict that many on both sides will continue to be vocally unhappy with the decision. November 2021