Category: ENCOURAGEMENT (Page 2 of 2)

Oh, to be young again. This is a familiar lament of old folks. The bromide implies that if we knew then what we know now, the years of our youth would have soared. As if, with experience and accumulated wisdom, all the bumps in the road of the teen years could be paved smooth. Papa has accumulated a measure of experience and perhaps a bit of wisdom. However, it would be a foolish dream to think I’d be equipped to tackle the approaching years of your lives. A certain level of rigidety has set in alongside experience and whatever wisdom might exist for me. I am talking about an intangible beyond obvious arthritic stiffness. ( I am certainly slow physically. ) Other facaulties seem in decent shape. However, I believe what would hold me back is a missing fluidity of spirit. There is a reason your current adolescence is known as the wonder years. An intangible inner force from my teen years only remains in memory form.

From my perspective, resilience was a necessary companion for me to traverse those long ago years. To be young again and make good choices, avoid mistakes, have an understanding of the human condition and plot a sensible life course sounds quite reasonable; to an old man. Missing for me would be an inner innocence that opens one’s mind, soul and emotions to the freshness of new experiences while searching for a personal version of wisdom. Of course, you should try to make good choices and decisions. Yet, hold loose reins on the effervescent buoyancy of internal youth. Don’t fret over ups and downs. Life is very fast in the teen years. You’ll find more sunshine than clouds.

In the 1950’s and 60’s every day seemed to bring new experiences for me. I hope you have a similar chance. Contrasted with the age of the internet, it may seem that Papa grew up in a confined life style. The world outside my family consisted of limited radio/television, newspapers, interacting with classmates, teachers, coaches as well as known adult relatives/neighbors. Yet, such simple encounters had the capacity to knock the socks off Papa. I could feel the world expanding deep inside my core. All good in retrospect. I saw a few red flags when growing up. (If to date, I have?) For example, it was Jimmy S. who beckoned to smoke cigarettes in the alley. Or, Jimmy K. who believed glass windows were invented to make use of an abundance of rocks. Develop a radar for knuckleheads and go in opposite directions fom them.

You will have the same capacity inside you during your years of growth. I wish it could be as simple for you as it was for me. At the time I felt I was getting enough bumps on the ride. However, The your being inudated from disparate sources that are beyond my imagination scares me. You can sit home on a device and be flooded with hundreds of opinions/photos/advice/craziness/lures/ and dangerous material that never entered my neighborhood. Where will you start in sorting through the clutter? That’s a task worth undertakeing because you sure as dickens don’t want to miss out on experiencing youth’s wonderment that can spring from within you. Don’t get confused. Get to the sorting process. Find your trusted sources to clear out the chaff. It’s hard to lean on or trust a digital entity as a friend. Folks to trust are still out there. They remain close to home, family and school. (Avoid the Jimmys of the current world.) Avoiding confusion from digital saturation is my hope for you. I want you to enjoy every moment of your wonder years. I am confident thatyou’ll succeed because you are resilent in your own right.

In a prior post I lamented the difficulty in ascertaining facts from today’s news media. The internet has contributed additional sources of information than existed in the past. The task of sorting through fact and exaggeration is very difficult. Most people now go to “platforms” for news. It looks to Papa like the platforms are more steering conduits than actual news sources. But, that alone is not new. Getting facts from the news was ever easy. The term “Yellow Journalisn” was coined because the conflict between sensationalism and fact was a long standing hallmark of American journalism. It wasn’t new but in the late 1800’s competition for readers became so intense that two newpaper icons (Pulitzer and Hearst) are often credited with contributing to the Spanish American War. “Remember The Maine!” As a side note, view the iconic movie “Citizen Kane.” (Sorry, black and white film.)

I also mentioned detecting bias in news reporting during my younger years. In retrospect it seems a bit quaint that for a time at least most of the media seemed engaged in attempts of a more gentle manner in swaying public opinion one way or the other. I found it understandable and acceptable that varying opinions existed and could be debated in open forums. It was subtle but there were identifiable political leanings in various news publications.

An interesting movie prompted me to join FACEBOOK to see what it was all about. (I still do not get its draw but the film “The Social Network” was quite good.) However, in regard to news, if one relies heavily on platforms for news consumption, one also surrenders “choice.” A variety of headlines and subjects are offered when opening the news section of a platform but no matter how it is viewed it amounts to steering the reader. If it is used as a screening device and the reader does independent research on topics in an indepth fashion in followup that is another matter. But, otherwise, a consumer is a sitting duck.

“Yellow Journalism” of course also pushed and pulled readers in various directions. Pulitzer might have emphasised a viewpoint while Hearst poo-pooed it, but there was a choice of one newspaper over the other. Subscribers were certainly free to ignore one for the other. The same is essentially true today except that if “social platforms” are used exclusively to access news, it is not simply the consumer who might favor one viewpoint over another. The platform itself can block. As an exmple, whereas the NY Times dampened a story’s truth while its rival the NY Post credited facts about the President’s son’s laptop before the 2020 election, readers could digest and accept or reject the respective views. However, social platforms added a destructive layer to the disemination of news when it censured/blocked one version to all its users. That action reached far more consumers than the number of subscribers to both New York newspapers. It certainly looked like more than steering or bias when a black out of a newspaper happens. Beware in your consumption of news. Use common snse and keep digging for facts and truth. It is good for the soul.

Athletic skills can be of great concern when young. Am I big enough? Strong enough? Fast enough? Elusive enough? Tall enough? “I wish my body was different so I can be the best.” Think of any and all physical attributes and the reality is no one will score 100% on each element. Assuming no one from the family turns out to be an Adonis, there is still a natural curiosity of where do I fit? We all want to be good. To be competitive. To be the best. Wrong goals?

I suggest a worthy goal is to be the best one can be within the parameters of mind and body. Maximize your ability by hard work. Develop hand eye coordination, exercise wisely and study sport specific strategies. If you can lift 20 pounds try to lift 21 tomorrow. Same for running for speed or distance. Don’t be afraid to push it. It’s best not to leave regrets of less than a full effort on a practice field/pool/court/course. Maximize your physical ability by learning the tactics of a sport. Play with anticipation. (Where is the ball, puck or opponent going to be in the next five seconds? Get there first.)

Always have fun in sports. Be a good teammate. Encourage other kids. Don’t overly gloat about an individual success. On the other hand, inner pride in yourself is good for the soul and your confidnce. Parents and grandparents can do the public reveling. Actions speak louder than bragging. And, remember it is a game. It is not unusual to have dreams of perhaps playing for a school team or even in college. A few kids have even bigger dreams. Dreams get into something beyond physical ability or sports skills or tactics. It also requires motivation to go above and beyound. For example: shooting baskets in basketball helps but there could be another kid shooting 100 shots a day…or another with 500. That drive to excel is internal and means a person is driving themselves. (Just beware of the difference between pushed vs. pulling one’s self forward.)

As is the case with school, always do your best. Many sports/physical activities can be enjoyed for a lifetime. If you want to try out for organized sports and make a team fine. Go for it! It’s up to you. Tonight I was watching a Big Ten basketball tournament game. A tall, muscular young man was warming up by dribbling right, left, around his body anmd between his legs. The sight brought a humorous comment to mind that my brother made to me. Sixty-five years ago he felt bad about not making the school basketball team. It took him years before it dawned on him that the other kids had been dribbling with both hands. He still believes that not alternating between the right and left hands did him in. Perhaps. But, not making a team was not the end of the world. It was still fun.

Papa has tried to advise you to have less anxiety around the whole COVID epedemic. I may as well take a crack at thermonuclear war. Don’t allow old Putin’s recent rants scare your too much. Peace through strength still makes sense. Threats by bullies mostly work if menaces are elevated to the level of the “what ifs.” It’s one thing to avoid the right hand punch of Ronnie Borski in the 5th grade when he is after your lunch money. But, it is disasterous if nations make decisions from weakness. Circling around the current Ukraine invasion by Russia are comments that the US and its allies best be very careful not to poke the aggressor or he might just blow up the world. Really?

After the atom bomb was developed, the fear that it might be used between the Soviets and the USA dominated life in the 1950’s. In a prior post I referenced the duck and cover drills at school. The Cuban missle crisis was probably the height of atomic anxiety. (Again, see the two movies on the subject. Post of 2/24/2022) But, for a little perspective; the US and Russians have been at each others throats since World War Two. Since the early 1950’s both nations had the abiity to blow up the world. At least that was the fear. Mutual Assured Destruction was believed to stave off an end of the world disaster.

MAD however, did not prevent conflict. The Soviets were pretty much always trying to expand. The US was usually trying to block. Unlike Japan and Germany who wanted to expand for space/resources the communists wanted to spread the revolution’s power. (Extra resources gladly accepted.) Once Eastern Europe was run by Russian stooges, the conflicts extended out to the Korean War; Cuba; Tawain Straits; Angola; lots of South America, Mozambique; Congo; Vietnam; and Afghanistan. Throw in the Berlin crisis; the U-2 incident (not a band): and intrigues in the Middle East, there have been plenty of opportunities to lob atom bombs. All of the years have seen the constant push and pull between the good of freedom and the evil of dictators. (Yes, not 100% good all the time but always closer to the positive side of the ledger then the cretins.)

During all of the tensions between the US and its allies vs. Russia/China/N. Korea the possibility of a nuclear war/accident has been present. Papa doesn’t see much difference between the past and the horrors of Ukraine today. Putin’s evil is easier to showcase in the digital era. Communists/Dictators have always been brutal and merciless. All of this doesn’t mean we should fly off the handle and press the issue by getting directly involved against Russia. But, it also doesn’t mean we need to quake in our boots so much that we can’t respond to aggression. Both parties have been in proxy wars for years. The Russian invasion clearly violates international law. Its violence has no justification. It is morally wrong. We have more right to help Ukraine than Russia has to demolish it.

Some will still ask, “What if he wants to blow up the world?” If that was his intent he would have pushed the button two weeks ago. Ditto if he’s been crazy. Bad results if the world blows up but Papa fails to see the point of the reaction/position of the US or its allies being controlled by fear of the bully. This is a time for leadership. Currently it is still to be determined if level headed decsions based on international law, moral obligations, and self-interests of democracy will prevail. It is in our interest to get China to step forard and help put an end to the slaughter. There is not enough teflon to cover their comradeship. From my vantage point I saw too much weakness BEFORE the invasion. But, recently I’m sensing some flicker of hope mostly emanating from Europe. That makes some sense; they are closer to the danger and have a few more nimble learders. Now that I’ve had my say, it’s probable that none of my current “of age” grandkids even watch enough news to build up any anxiety.

SPEEDSKATING FOLLOWUP

Chalk up a gold medal to an inline skater turned speed skater on ice. A young woman from Florida! (Erin Jackson) Cold Wisconsin winters required to become fast ice skaters fade away like old soldiers. But, there is a better part of her story. One of teamwork. She still needed to go to Papa’s hometown to qualify for the Olympics. The trials are often held at the Pettit Center oval for the US team. However, the races can be all or nothing at times. Qualifying can come down to a matter of split seconds/a slip etc.

Though favored to win, she encountered the dreaded slip and finished out of the running for a coveted spot on the team. Her specialty is the 500 meter. Another team member who qualified in the 1000 and 1500 meter, also made the team in the 500. (Brittany Bowe) However, she demonstrated being a good sport by giving up her 500 meter slot on the team to her friend and teammate. Erin was considered in the better position to gain a medal. Which is exactly what happened. GOLD!

Papa now has extra incentive to cheer for Ms. Bowe in her 1000 and 1500 races at the Olympics. A heartwarming story that is polar opposite to much of the current day’s news items.

If Papa can figure out how to operate the mechanics of this blog; today is the day. I’ve gathered old e-mails and posts but do not know if they are active or inactive at this point. Work in progress. I will really put my index finger to use today and repeatedly hit the launch button.

Today is a memorable day. It is the birthdate of Papa’s dad. Missed as always. A good day to start.

Today is also a sad day in my memory. I was in college when our US President, John F. Kennedy was murdered in Dallas Texas. (1963) I was a young fan to be sure. I remember the Wisconsin primary of 1960; the debate and the election. When that awful Friday arrived all humor died that day. Chums at school never ceased joking and kidding. We were seldom serious or so it seemed. When Mike came downstairs at our fraternity house and said the radio reported the President was shot the look on his face instantly stabbed at my heart.

I remember wandering towards Bascom Hill around 1 P/.M. and it was as if every building along the way opened its doors to allow grief stricken kids an escape. Tears flowed freely. There was no place to go. Classes were cancelled. Hours later I took a Badger Bus home. I believe the Badger/Minny game was not played the next day. The Packers however, did play. The 49ers were in town. First, we actually witnessed Lee Harvey Oswald shot. Live TV. A horrible week. I’ve often wondered whether the 60’s would have gone so far afield if JFK had lived.

So, finger willing I will use today to start my blog that I hope is positive.

For My Grandchildren And All Other Interested Grandchildren

I hope to share random thoughts intended to amuse and enlighten. Most importantly, I want to encourage you to do your own searches for fun, joy and clarity in this wonderful world. It’s going to be a great life for you.

First, right from the get go, actually well before any giddy up, Nana and I waited and waited, desperately wanting to see who’d pop up to claim the titles of grandchildren. You have been very much loved. Each and every one of you. Holding you for the first time was a thrill. No, Papa did not drop you. One thing is crystal clear to a grandfather: handle with care. It is akin to carrying a precious piece of porcelain. Although you have become or will become too heavy to carry, you remain priceless.

Please do not expect a flow of wisdom from a great sage. I will simply be writing my musings. You have a brain. Use it in pursuit of common sense. It is a worthy quest. Be aware that the least common thing is common sense. When you have the chance, read the plaque affixed to Bascom Hall at the University of Wisconsin that encourages “sifting and winnowing” in search of truth. I’ve always received inspiration remembering that inscription. Your life will be enriched if you perceive, analyze and come to independent conclusions. You will discover no shortages of opinions and judgments others quickly draw from reputed facts and fictions. Be on guard. Many voices can sound quite persuasive though they are heavily dependent on magical thinking or the product of outright deceit. It is up to you to sort out fact from fiction. Strive to make critical thinking an essential part of you.

Remember that the old adage of “taking things with a grain of salt” remains valid. That may be mostly true of strangers but occasionally should be practiced with everyone; including me.

It is quite common to hear that the current generation is going to hell in a handbasket. Don’t fret. It is not the first time this particular opinion has been expressed. Sometimes it is shouted with such vehemence that many lose all hope. Never lose hope. I have hope in the future because I have hope in you.