Tuesday, October 25, 2011

'BLESS THEIR HEARTS' --Oklahoma Secret Revealed

Out here on the Prairie you can say anything you want about someone IF you preface the ugly remark with "Bless their heart....."


Examples: "Bless her heart, she has jealous eyes: One eye keeps watching the other eye!"


"Bless his heart, he married her not for love, but for her money. He sure would love to get her daddy's money!"


"Bless their hearts, those kids are so dumb they think  Men in Black was a documentary!"


You have the general idea. Try it. It works every time!

Thursday, October 20, 2011

"Farther Along"---Great Hymn of the Faith

I recently told a close friend that turning 70 was a very revealing time for me. I described the event as like climbing a mountain and stopping to take a glance toward the valley below. My life was pictured in the valley and I was struck by how remarkably short it was. In addition, I saw that I was not nearly as important as I thought I was. (Please Note: All of us are important to other people and God Almighty who thought we were important enough to send His Son Jesus to die for us!) 


While I no longer struggle with Passion, I still struggle with Pride. Turning 70, let a whole lot of hot air out of my Pride ballon! Each of us face innumerable trials and temptations and some day we will know all about it.


The wonderful, always appropriate, gospel hymn by W. B. Stevens says so very well what I am attempting to say:


                            FARTHER ALONG





  1. Tempted and tried, we’re oft made to wonder
    Why it should be thus all the day long;
    While there are others living about us,
    Never molested, though in the wrong.
    • Refrain:
      Farther along we’ll know more about it,
      Farther along we’ll understand why;
      Cheer up, my brother, live in the sunshine,
      We’ll understand it all by and by.
  2. Sometimes I wonder why I must suffer,
    Go in the rain, the cold, and the snow,
    When there are many living in comfort,
    Giving no heed to all I can do.
  3. Tempted and tried, how often we question
    Why we must suffer year after year,
    Being accused by those of our loved ones,
    E’en though we’ve walked in God’s holy fear.
  4. Often when death has taken our loved ones,
    Leaving our home so lone and so drear,
    Then do we wonder why others prosper,
    Living so wicked year after year.
  5. “Faithful till death,” saith our loving Master;
    Short is our time to labor and wait;
    Then will our toiling seem to be nothing,
    When we shall pass the heavenly gate.
  6. Soon we will see our dear, loving Savior,
    Hear the last trumpet sound through the sky;
    Then we will meet those gone on before us,
    Then we shall know and understand why.
MAY GOD BLESS YOU & MAY GOD BLESS AMERICA

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

R-E-S-P-E-C-T: The Class of 1959

Today, I reached the biblical three score and ten birthday. This Blog and this birthday have created  a greater appreciation for classmates who helped shape and mold my early life


Admittedly, I am an unrepentant sentimentalist. My shortcomings notwithstanding, I have sought to find a single word to describe our class. "Friendly", "Funny", or "Zany", and others, did not make the final cut. The word I selected is RESPECT.   (The late Rodney Dangerfield---a really funny guy---- never got any respect!)


We had respect for each other in spite of differences in income, athletic ability, academic achievement, and many other differences.

Respect is like humility----you don't have to tell people you have it.


Today, gang members kill each other if they even suspect you don't have respect for them. The Class of 1959 had many imperfections but lack of respect was not one of them.

Thursday, October 13, 2011

"Teenage Life in the 1950's" *



THIS ARTICLE BY ERIKA COX IS PROVIDED FOR ALL BLOG READERS. IT IS A GOOD SUMMARY STATEMENT
                          

Teenage Life in the 1950’s   
by Erika Cox
The word Teenager was created in the 1950’s
 due to the tremendous population of those in this age category and because teenagers started gaining more independence and freedoms. Teenagers were able to buy more things like food, clothes and music because of an increase in spending money.

Teenagers were also becoming more independent in the type of music they preferred to listen to, no more listening to what their parents liked, teens flocked to the new music of the decade, which was rock and roll.
Growing up as
 a teenager prior to World War II, teenagers were expected to take life seriously. Males were expected to join the military or go out and get a job in order to help bring in money for their family or to take care of their future family.

Females were taught how to take care of the household and prepare themselves to be a dutiful wife and take care of children. Marriage and preparing for a family, more than education or a career, was seen as a definite in the lives of teenagers. Also, teens had very little economic freedom, independence, and input into decision making prior to WWII.

However, in the 1950’s, expectations changed for the teenager. The economy started booming and families experienced a great deal of economic power, freedom and independence, including teenagers.

New medians were created like television and AM radio that attracted teenagers. Also they were able to attend high school dances, create clothing trends, dance fads, and hairstyles to name a few.

Things were starting to change. In the 1950’s, teenagers where more inclined and encouraged to attend college, find a skill, and seek a successful career. Their parents had more than likely gone through the depression and a number of wars, and now wanted something more for their children. 
This resulted
 in teenagers receiving spending money and having more time to socialize with other teenagers. Of course, this newly found independence would often result in conflict between the parents and the child.

The media played on these emotions and often portrayed teenagers as juvenile delinquents. Peers easily influence teenagers, often at that stage in life what peers think and do becomes more important than what parents think and say.

Perhaps, some would say looking at society in general that the first indication or act of teenage rebellion began in the 1950’s.

Before the 1950’s, teenagers listened to the music of their parents, but when rock and roll came on the scene teens swarmed to it. Even though teens were able to purchase rock and roll records because they were receiving extra spending money, their parents were opposed to rock and roll music, they despised it, and thought of it as corrupting their children.

This sometimes caused friction, it seemed as if teenagers were becoming more rebellious, defensive, and at times, disrespectful, and that listening to rock and roll was the root cause of all this rebellion.

However, this belief was often exaggerated because parents didn’t understand the newfound independence and freedom that they never experienced. Yet, rock and roll was something new and parents thought it was shocking and terrible. They felt if their children were listening to this dreadful music that the end must be right around the corner.

Although, this wasn’t the case in every household it was in a large number of them. Because parents had never experienced this they thought their children were doomed never realizing it was just a phase and it would be over with once the teen reached adulthood.

Later on this clash became known as the generation gap. Nevertheless, with the help of adults, radio, rock shows, concerts, and TV shows like American Bandstand opened doors for teens in the 1950’s to experience things teenagers of the past never experienced. Despite all of the uproar, teenagers in the 1950’s played a huge part in the rise of rock and roll music. 

* (From Rewind The Fifties Web Site)

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

"They Can't Take That Away From Me"

I love Ginger Rogers and Fred Astair movies! Probably have seen all of them. The plots in their movies were predictable--Boy finds girl--Boy loses girl---Boy finds girl. The plots never mattered. It was the singing and dancing that captivates me. What talent. It shall never pass this way again. 


The song referenced in the title of this Post came from one of their many movies. The best and most romantic version, very sensual in the best of tastes, can be found at the following You Tube site. 


                http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_OCayMN9JA&feature=related


This, in my view, is one of the great moments in the careers of two gifted and talented performers. I tried to get a grandson to take tap dancing, but he selected football---well, this is Oklahoma.


This song was sung by the aspiring broadway high school girl in the wonderful "Mr. Holland's Opus."  Fred's version is still the best.


I'm a sucker for most musicals. The song writing is unparalleled. Throw in the choreography and you have me hooked. 


Personal confession time: I was so impressed with Meredith Wilson's "Music Man" I saw it two nights in a row in the same  theater  ---with different dates!

Caught In The Middle

During our senior year at an evening school function, a female classmate, who I had the most incredible feelings for, came to me and said an underclassman female, "Wants to be with you!" 


What was I to do? Say "No" and try to express my affection for the messenger or should I go talk to the underclassman who sought my company.   


I was then, and remained convinced now, the messenger was not attempting to derail my feelings for her and send me to an alternate girl. Rather, she was simply conveying a message from a girl who sought a go between.


Sometimes things happen that do not permit a time out to reason out a response. Out of courtesy to the messenger, I went and talked to the underclassman. We had a few dates, even a couple after I went to Purdue, but we decided to go our separate ways.


Some readers of this Post will question the truthfulness of this account. Some will say, "Who cares?" I am within days of my 70th birthday and realize the chilly waters of Jordan are closer now than ever before. As a result, I simply want to give an account of events that remain part of my shrinking data base. I have no ax to grind. Just to report how I remember those wonderful days of passage to adulthood. Readers may question the content, but not my motivation. It is real.

Friday, October 7, 2011

THANK YOUR BRAVE BODY GUARDS OF THE LAW---TODAY !

This past week has been a very difficult time for me and the citizens of Pottawatomie County. We lost two Deputies in a crash that involved their patrol car and an 18-Wheeler that was making a U-Turn on a narrow Oklahoma rural highway. Oklahoma in general, and rural Oklahoma in particular, has a special gift of sharing the hurt and helping those who have experienced great loss. 

I performed the service for Deputy Michael Roberts on Tuesday. He and his family are very, very special people. Pastors do not have lots of close friends---yes, we do have lots of brothers and sisters in Christ---but we have very few close friends. The Roberts family are my friends.

I dedicate this Post to the memory of a very special close friend: Deputy Sheriff Michael Roberts.

What follows is a letter to the editor of the local newspaper. He has informed me it will appear soon:



Letter to the Shawnee-News Star Editor:



“Getting the Bad Guys off the street” and enforcing the law is the sworn mission of law enforcement officials at all levels of government. Many times we forget that these brave body guards of the law have families. We often forget the daily dangers they face in an ever violent world. And we are seldom given a public glimpse into the extraordinary bond that exists among and between these under- paid and under-appreciated dedicated protectors of society.


As the editor of this newspaper has so correctly and compassionately observed, we lost two very special deputies of the Potawatomie County Sheriff last week: Mike Roberts and Tim Lowry. Only those close to families of these two men know the depth of the grief and anguish they are experiencing. Through their tears, the new widows and their families were able to say with great love and understanding: “They died doing the very thing they were called and volunteered to do.” 


The hundreds of law enforcement officials from our state and nation who came to the services bear silent testament to the strong bonds all lawmen have for one another. It is special and unique. The unseen attention to detailed planning reflected the concern for showing the families their loss was shared. Both funeral services had the dignity, honor, and respect due their fallen comrades. 
   

The public outpouring of sympathy and support to the grieving families has been, and must continue, with the genuine concern that only the citizens of the great state of Oklahoma can give.  Grief is not an event; it is a long, difficult process.


Citizens of Potawatomie County can be justly proud of Deputies Roberts and Lowry. They also can be very proud of Sheriff Booth and his staff for their professional and personal concern for the widows and families of Mike and Tim.



Glenn C. Peck     

Pastor, St. Louis Baptist Church

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

STEVE JOBS 1955-2011--An Incredible Life

Steve Jobs of Apple Computers, in my view,has changed the cultural, business, political, entertainment, communications, educational and environmental world more than any other person born in our lifetime.


Consider this: During our lifetime we have seen the space age and computer revolution. Many made this happen, but Steve Jobs was the catalyst, at least in the computer world. iPods, iMacs, iPhones, and iPads came from his creative mind and business ability.


Computer Geeks contend Bill Gates of Microsoft stole the Graphics User Interface from Jobs and used it to create the Windows operating system. Maybe he did and maybe he didn't; nonetheless, Steve Jobs will be remembered in history long after Bill Gates becomes a technological footnote.


Interesting Fact: My wife bought me a TI handheld calculator in 1966 that could only add, subtract, multiply, and divide---it cost $65. The iPhone has more computing power than the early American astronauts had on the Mercury and Gemini spacecraft!!!!


Steve Jobs, R.I.P. and thanks!!!!!!!

Saturday, October 1, 2011

ZIT and ZAT

OK, THIS MIGHT NOT BE ACCEPTABLE TO ALL BLOG READERS. FORGIVENESS IS SOUGHT IN ADVANCE.


Before physics class started, an upperclassman showed off an obviously infected pimple square in the middle of his forehead. A member of our class, not me, asked if he might pop it. The proud owner said OK.


Using the "AMA Approved" two thumb finger nail method, the zit was soon to be history. Several boys gathered to watch the operation. With the force of a 10 megaton bomb the contents of the zit exploded and shot toward the opener at the speed of light. Fortunately, the opener wore glasses and the contents merely splattered on the lens. We all had a big laugh and class started soon thereafter.


Boys in high school had several unscientific, and vulgar, reasons we had acne in the first place!!!!!!