I'm Blind

First sign:  "I'm Blind"

vs.

Second sign:  "It's a beautiful day, but I can't see it."

Superficially, with the first sign, the man received a few donations.  With the second sign, he received a lot.  People were more touched by the second sign.  From a marketing perspective, the massage matters: words mean stuff.

But, in my life, I too am blind.  What am I missing?  What can't I see.  What message am I broadcasting?  Can I change the message and get different (better) results?  The message matters.

How do I broadcast?  What is my message?

Attitude certainly matters.  I'm not looking for sympathy or a hand out per se, but I am looking for support.  From Rosabeth Moss Kanter's book, Confidence, I read, "They rise to the occasion when leaders help them gain the confidence to do it."  "It" being whatever you're trying to accomplish.

The man above is trying to make enough money to survive.  I don't have that problem.  At this point, I have enough money to survive and will have until I die.  What is "It" for me?  What am I trying to accomplish? Ahhh, that's the question.

Navajo Code Talkers

Trail Dust: Recognition came slowly to Navajo Code Talkers

By Marc Simmons | For The New Mexican

8/24/2012

Photo by: Courtesy National Archives

Not longer ago, I heard a radio announcement that another of the now-famous Navajo Code Talkers of World War II had died. Flags were being lowered to half-mast throughout the Navajo Nation.
So secret was the existence and mission of the Code Talkers, that 24 years passed after the war’s end before the history of this elite Marine Corps unit was declassified and made known to the public.
Since then, a half-dozen or more books on the subject have been published and a major motion picture, Windtalkers, was released in 2002.
After America was thrown into a major Pacific conflict with the bombing of Pearl Harbor in late 1941, the Marines recruited 29 young Navajos off the reservation who spoke both English and their native language.
The aim was to train them as communication specialists who could send and receive messages in Navajo that baffled the Japanese.
Some skeptics in the military, however, believed that the enemy had the capacity, once it identified the language used, to find translators and see the system compromised.
This is where “the code” entered the picture. Navajo is an extremely complex language, spoken almost exclusively by Navajos. But it contains no equivalents for modern military terms.
Therefore, the small “First 29 Class,” as it came to be called, helped devise eventually a vocabulary of 450 common Navajo words that took the place of nouns and verbs in English.
For instance, if the Code Talkers needed to refer to a mine sweeper, they used the Navajo word for beaver, cha. Or for the month of January, yas-nil-tes, meaning crusted snow, was pressed into service.
All the words, with new meanings, of course, had to be faithfully drilled into the heads of the Navajo enlistees, who turned out to be quick and eager learners.
The newly developed code with the Navajo language at its base defied attempts by Japanese linguists to break it. In addition, with the Navajo Code Talkers at either end of radio transmissions able to instantly translate messages into English, vital commands could be issued in the heat of battle without delay.
Martin Link, a Gallup resident and former director of the Navajo Tribal Museum, has said that the idea of using Indians and their languages for military communication actually dates back to World War I.
Members of Oklahoma tribes, mainly Comanches, but also some Kiowas, Pawnees and Choctaws, exchanged intelligence reports in the European theater that the Germans never managed to decipher. Link suggests that they may have failed to achieve the attention later granted to the Navajos because the Comanches and others were not organized into a special unit. Rather, they were scattered as riflemen or artillery gunners, and only incidentally relayed messages in their language.
As battles raged from island to island eastward across the Pacific, the Navajo Code Talkers were usually in the thick of the fighting, some paying the supreme price. No one doubts today that the unusual service they rendered saved hundreds, perhaps thousands of American lives.
With the war over, Navajo soldiers were off-loaded from ships on the West Coast and discharged. But those who were Code Talkers were sworn to secrecy concerning their activities. Even their families could not be told what they had accomplished.
The explanation given was that war with the Soviet Union loomed down the road and the Code Talkers’ services might be needed once more.
So, one and all, they went home, partook of a traditional healing ceremony and picked up the splintered pieces of their lives.
Not until 1969 did the government lift the secrecy requirement. In that year, 16 Code Talkers were flown to Chicago to receive medals and participate in a parade honoring them.
Two years later, the Navajo Code Talkers Association was organized with its own logo and flag to be displayed in Veterans Day parades.
Then in 1982, President Reagan proclaimed Aug. 14 as National Navajo Code Talkers Day. Taking not of that, a Tokyo newspaper ran a story on the Code Talkers with the headline: “Japanese Military Forces Defeated by Indians.” Now that’s recognition!

Tay

Some people know what they want to do in life - mission with passion vs. job.  Some people know it early.  Some people's mission with passion and job come together.  Tay is such a (lucky) person.

He's a herpetologist.  He got a boost and encouragement from the Rio Grande Zoo when he was a youngster.


Taylor received the 10th Jarchow Conservation Award in Tucson and we were able to attend. 

The Board of Directors of the Tucson Herpetological Society (THS) established the Jarchow Conservation Award (JCA) in July 1992 to honor individuals or organizations for their service to the conservation of the amphibians and reptiles of the deserts of North America.

The award is named for James L. Jarchow, D.V.M, of Tucson because of his dedication contributions to the conservation of amphibians and reptiles for more than 20 years, the first Jarchow Conservation Award (JCA) was given to Dr. Jarchow on 15 September 1992.

The celebration was at the El Parador (which was a hoot). Here are a few notes:

• Working in a laboratory is all about not knowing what you're doing.  Try - Fail - Learn; Try again.  There's no shame in not knowing.  Humor helps.

• Patience.

• Fierce/passionate.
• Follow childhood dream.
• Enthusiastic.
• Spirit.

• Fierce loyalty.

• Independent learner/thinker.

• Dedicated.
• Inspiring.
• Interesting.

• Make the complex obtainable.
• Explain things in an understandable, fun way.

 Tay did work with the desert tortoise at 29 Palms, which is where Lee is stationed.

Glimpse

Glimpse

 

My feet.

My car.

Southwest Airlines.

Seattle Airport shuttle with a Russian driver.

MS Oosterdam.

Juneau rental van.

A glimpse through the spruce.

My feet, and then:

big, white, and blue.

A blue like no other.

Mendenhall.

Renamed in honor of the Geodetic Survey bureaucrat.

Muir originally named it “Auke” after the Tlingit Indian clan.

Glacier doesn’t know its name.

It has no need for a name.

Glacier is bigger than that.

It just is.

Big.

Its desire beyond beautiful.

Powerful.

A weapon of mass destruction for which there are no treaties.

I come and go and take away digits and a feeling of respect and appreciation.

It remains.

One.

Big, powerful.

Forever moving.

Mendenhall Glacier.

 

 

Juneau, Alaska

July 2008

 

 

Don't Regret Regret

Don’t Regret Regret (TED Talk)

 Kathryn Schultz

Happier if I had done something differently. IMAGINE what could have been. Think different decision would have led to a better outcome.

Things that we regret:

·       Education - 32

·       Career - 22

·       Romance - 15

·       Parenting – 10

·       Self – 5.5

·       Leisure – 2.5

·       == Not that important ==

o   Finance – 2.5

o   Family – 2.25

o   Health – 1.47

o   Friends – 1.44

o   Spirituality – 1.33

o   Community – 1

Components of Regret

·       Denial – make it go away

·       Bewilderment – how could I have done this?  What was I thinking?

·       Punish ourselves

·       Perseveration – keep focusing on the exact same thing (1..3 repeat)

·       Existential wakeup call – acting out of idiocy – face the reality – there is no Ctrl-Z in real life.

Reply All

·       Pain

·       Irrevocable consequences

How to make peace with bad decision:

1.     We’re all in this together

2.     Laugh/humor

3.     Time – time heals all wounds

4.     It’s not as ugly as you think

If we have goals and dreams and want to do our best: don’t hurt others.  We should feel pain when things go wrong.  The point is to not have regrets; the point is:

Don’t hate yourself for feeling regret.  Regrets remind us that we could have done better.

Remorse

I'm glad I finally found a word that expresses what I've been feeling: Remorse


Remorse is an emotional expression of personal regret felt by a person after he or she has committed an act which they deem to be shameful, hurtful, or violent. Remorse is closely allied to guilt and self-directed resentment.  Remorse captures feelings of guilt, regret, and sorrow.  For genuine self-forgiveness, one must first accept responsibility for their offenses and not rush to rid themselves of guilty feelings.

Remorse is the keen pain or anguish resulting from a sense of guilt; painful memory of wrongdoing. In terms of Christian faith, condemnation and remorse often result from not accepting or believing that we have been forgiven for mistakes and sins, even though confessed.

Three related emotions:

1. resentment is directed towards higher-status individuals,
2. anger is directed towards equal-status individuals,  and
3. contempt is directed towards lower-status individuals.

When the person feeling resentment is directing the emotion at themself it appears as remorse.

Conndemnation And Remorse
^{Definitions: Condemnation is a pronouncement of guilt; a strong expression of disapproval; doom. Remorse is the keen pain or anguish resulting from a sense of guilt; painful memory of wrongdoing. In terms of Christian faith, condemnation and remorse often result from not accepting or believing that we have been forgiven for mistakes and sins, even though confessed.}

^{The difference between conviction and condemnation: the Lord convicts us that we might repent, change and go on for Him; the Devil tries to make us feel condemned so that we will become discouraged and give up.}

• ^{Genesis 4:6,7 [In the story of Cain and Abel, Cain became extremely angry with envy, but the Lord cautioned him, yet encouraged him that if he'd repent, God would accept him, but that sin was trying to rule over him:] And the Lord said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? And why is thy countenance fallen? 7 If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? And if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him. [Sin desires to overcome you, but you can overcome it.]}
• ^{Psalm 37:32,33 The wicked watcheth the righteous, and seeketh to slay him. 33 The Lord will not leave him in his hand, nor condemn him when he is judged.}
• ^{Psalm 109:31 For [God] shall stand at the right hand of the poor, to save him from those that condemn his soul.}
• ^{Psalm 130:3,4 If Thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? 4 But there is forgiveness with Thee, that Thou mayest be feared.}
• ^{Ezekiel 18:21-23 But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all My statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die. 22 All his transgressions that he hath committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him: in his righteousness that he hath done he shall live. 23 Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? Saith the Lord God: and not that he should return from his ways, and live? [See also Ezekiel 33:10,11.]}
• ^{1 Corinthians 11:31,32 For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. 32 But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.}
• ^{2 Corinthians 7:10 [Being convicted of sin leads to repentance. But self-pity, remorse, and wounded pride discourage and weaken you:] godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of [regretted]: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.}
• ^{Revelation 12:10 And I heard a loud voice saying in Heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the Kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ: for the accuser of our brethren [the Devil] is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.}

^{To overcome condemnation and remorse, first begin with a clear conscience by confessing your sins.}

• ^{2 Samuel 24:10 And David's heart smote him after that he had numbered the people [which God had told him not to do]. And David said unto the Lord, I have sinned greatly in that I have done: and now, I beseech Thee, O Lord, take away the iniquity of Thy servant; for I have done very foolishly.}
• ^{Job 34:31,32 Surely it is meet to be said unto God, I have borne chastisement, I will not offend any more: 32 That which I see not teach Thou me: if I have done iniquity, I will do no more.}
• ^{Psalm 32:3-5 When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long. 4 For day and night Thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture is turned into the drought of summer. Selah. 5 I acknowledged my sin unto Thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord; and Thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah.}
• ^{Psalm 34:18 The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite [humbly sorry, penitent] spirit. [See also Pslam 51:17.]}
• ^{Psalm 38:4,6,9,18 For mine iniquities are gone over mine head: as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me. 6 I am troubled; I am bowed down greatly; I go mourning all the day long. 9 Lord, all my desire is before Thee; and my groaning is not hid from Thee. 18 For I will declare mine iniquity; I will be sorry for my sin.}
• ^{Psalm 51:3,10 For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. 10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.}
• ^{Psalm 73:21-23 Thus my heart was grieved, and I was pricked in my reins [conscience stricken]. 22 So foolish was I, and ignorant: I was as a beast before Thee. 23 Nevertheless I am continually with Thee: Thou hast holden me by my right hand.}
• ^{Proverbs 28:13 He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.}
• ^{Isaiah 55:6,7 Seek ye the Lord while He may be found, call ye upon Him while He is near: 7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and He will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.}
• ^{Jeremiah 3:12b,13a I am merciful, saith the Lord, and I will not keep anger for ever. 13 Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the Lord thy God.}
• ^{Jeremiah 4:14 O Jerusalem, wash thine heart from wickedness, that thou mayest be saved. How long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee? [See also Jeremiah 18:8.]}
• ^{2 Corinthians 7:11 For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter. [See verses 8-11; 2 Chronicles 7:14.]}

^{Believe and accept that the blood of Jesus cleanses us from every sin, by faith.}

• ^{John 3:17,18a For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved. 18a He that believeth on Him is not condemned.}
• ^{John 5:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth My Word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.}
• ^{1 John 1:7b,9 The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.}

^{Once we've confessed and repented, God doesn't remember our sins; neither should we!}

• ^{Psalm 103:9-13 He will not always chide: neither will He keep His anger for ever. 10 He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. 11 For as the Heaven is high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward them that fear Him. 12 As far as the east is from the west, so far hath He removed our transgressions from us. 13 Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear Him.}
• ^{Isaiah 44:22 I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto Me; for I have redeemed thee.}
• ^{Jeremiah 31:34 I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more. [See also Hebrews 8:12; 10:17.]}
• ^{Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. [See also Romans 5:1.]}
• ^{1 John 3:19-21 And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him. 20 For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. 21 Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God.}

^{We must not continue to condemn ourselves, even if we feel that others may have not yet "forgiven and forgotten."}

• ^{Isaiah 50:9a Behold, the Lord God will help me; who is he that shall condemn me?}
• ^{Romans 8:33,34 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. 34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.}
• ^{Romans 14:4 Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? To his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand.}

^{Remorse and condemnation bear no good fruit! We should acknowledge our sin, accept God's forgiveness, and get on with living for His honour and glory.}

• ^{Psalm 51:12,13 Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation; and uphold me with Thy free spirit. 13 Then will I teach transgressors Thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto Thee.}
• ^{John 8:11b [Jesus said to the adulteress:] Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.}
• ^{2 Corinthians 2:7b,8 [We should likewise forgive others, so that they don't fall into condemnation and remorse.] Ye ought rather to forgive him, and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow. Wherefore I beseech you that ye would confirm your love toward him.}
• ^{Philippians 3:13b,14 Forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, 14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.}
• ^{Hebrews 12:11-13 Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous; nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby. 12 Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; 13 And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.}

My Formula:
1. Make amends with the injured person.
2. Confession.  (I don't think confession alone will get it; direct amends are required.) And then, it's done.  It's turned over to God and that's it.  Remorse after this point would mean I don't have faith in God's forgiveness.  So, remorse at this point doesn't make sense.  BUT, #1 must happen for #2 to be effective.

You Can Count on Me

I'm not sure how this movie ended up on our NetFlix list.  The movie is based on unconditional love.  Brother (Terry [Mark Rufflao]) and Sister (Sammy [Laura Linney])

grew up without their parents, who were killed in an automobile accident.  We see them later, in their 30's. Although both are flawed and do things things that hurt, their love overcomes their bad behaviors.  There are lots of AA/AlAnon themes (unspoken) in the movie:

• Live and let live,
• Easy does it,
• Let go and let God,
• Just for today,
• Fake it till you make it, and
• Just accept, don't expect.

The over-arching theme is the unconditional love between a brother and sister who lost their parents and deal with that pain together growing up.

La Virgen Maria 2007

This roadside memorial to the Virgen is North of the Echo Amphitheater.  (Echo amphitheater is a natural amphitheatre located in Rio Arriba County, in northern New Mexico in the southwestern United States, about 17 miles West of Abiquiú and about 4 miles up the road from Ghost Ranch.)

 



We stopped by here on our way back from skiing in Chama.

Dust Bowl

Last Friday night (11/2/12) I got to see a preview of the upcoming Ken Burns "Dust Bowl" film.  Quite an experience.  The preview was very moving...it's hard to believe what those folks went through.  They survived on almost nothing.  No bath.  Everything covered with dirt and worst of all, the dust pnuemonia.


Co-producer Julie Dunfrey introduced the series and afterwards signed the


book.  She's a very nice lady and had a quiet confidence and humility.  This film will probably be the last work with actual survivors of the dust bowl.

Two dust bowl survivors, Sam Arguello (Clayton, NM) and Boots McCoy (Texas County, OK), were present and told some of their stories.  Black Sunday, when the sun disappeared, was especially vivid.  Boots' sister developed dust pnuemonia afterwards and died.  He never forgave God for taking, "Little Sister".  Sam's family had a 40 acres farm North of Clayton.  After the event, we hung around and talked with the survivors.  Sam's family (son and granddaughter) were with him and I thanked them for coming all the way to Albuquerque for the event.  Sam's son knew Philmont and I enjoyed talking to him about that part of NM.  Boots could have tlked all night, and I wish we could have stayed and listened to him. 

It's interesting.  Most of the audience were older: 50+ for sure, and probably 60+.  I don't think younger folks know about the dustbowl.  We can tolerate alot...the dustbowl proves it.  We just don't act that way.

Ron McKuen

I saw Rod McKuen  in Houston in 1967 or 1968.  I was very impressed.  I liked his poetry, especially since it was writtten by someone so cool.  I haven't thought about it in decades, but yesterday I found his book, in someone's shadow, in Dixon, NM, at the St. Anthony thrift shop ($0.50).  I read the Prolog, Another Beginning, at the Sugar Nymphs Bistro in Penasco, NM, (East of Dixon),  after the Dixon Art Studio Tour.


The Prolog story is dedicated to Jerry Kramer
 (1958-1968 Green Bay Packers, Farewell to Football.  He was a lineman coached by Vince Lombardi . 

As with a lot (i.e., most) poetry, I'm not sure I understand it, but there are a few phrases that I like, and will continue to think about.

"To see a new door open I'd go almost anywhere.  Even backwards, if I thought I had the time"

If "new door" means opportunity...
and
"Even backward" means doing something that I thought about earlier in my life, but skipped...
then:

This poem could be prophetic. 
I'm going to think about it.

Cape May, NJ

Cape May, NJ
We went to Cape May in the "off season" after attending a conference in Longwood Gardens (March 2012).  It was cold and windy...but still beautiful.

The structure in the background is a "Fire Control Tower" (as in, "Ready, Aim, Fire!", not a USFS lookout tower), from WWII.

USMC Poster

I agree with most of what's on this poster, but not all.

1.  Kill people for a living.  Correct.  Marines have one primary purpose, to win battles for the United States, and that entails locating, closing with, and killing the enemies of the United States.

2.  Marines are not politically correct.  Correct.  Marines are extreme.

3.  Being a Marine in not like being in a TV commercial.  Correct.  Analogies do not work for describing what it means to be a Marine.  If you're a Marine, you know.  If not, you  don’t.

4.  Humor gets us through.  Correct.  FYIYCTAJ.

5.  Marines are hardened.  Correct, BUT "No better friend, no worse enemy" is also true.

6.  Blood-thirsty.  No.  This is not correct.  Marines do not take pleasure in killing.  We are not murderous.  We put a lot of thought and training into the killing of the enemies of the United States.  To be a true warrior, one must respect the enemy.  The enemy you are facing in AFG especially deserves respect.  Your job is to accomplish you mission and protect your team.  Killing the Taliban is part of the job, but it's important to do so in the right way.  It does matter.  You have a Higher Power who you must answer to when the killing is over.  It matters how you do it and your attitude.  Respect is key.

7.  SOB. Yes, without question.

8.  Disregard for public opinion.  Absolutely; leave that to the Generals.

9.  S/F/F.  Absolutely; it's what holds together.

Texas Black Bean Incident

Fredrick Remington captured this event in his painting, "The Drawing of the Black Bean".  I'd forgotten about this episode (I didn't get to take Texas history since we lived in Oklahoma during the Junior High years [NOT called "Middle School" in those days {and I prefer Junior High --- goes with Junior Varsity, which we don't have any more either}].)  I was reminded of the story while reading the Bigfoot Wallace chapter in J. Frank Dobie's book, Tales of Old Time Texas.  

• 

I'd forgotten that after the Battle of San Jacinto and the Treaties of Velasco in 1836, Santa Anna and the Mexican Army did not stop invading Texas.  The Black Bean Incident followed from the Texans response to the Mexican invasions of Texas.  In 1842, Alexander Somervell, a customs officer from Matagorda Island, attacked the Mexican Army, recaptured Laredo, and took Guerrero, Mexico.  Afterwards, five Texas captains and their men refused to return to Texas and continued the attack at Cuidad Meir.  Outnumbered, the Texans were defeated and marched towards Mexico City via Matamoros and Monterrey (for punishment).  

In February, 1843, the Texans escaped, but 176 were recaptured and sent to Saltillo, Coahuila, Mexico, where Santa Anna ordered their execution.  The governor refused and the prisoners were moved to Rancho Salado.  Through diplomatic efforts, Santa Anna agreed to compromise: only one in ten would die (i.e., those who drew a black bean).