Three day week end,...YEA, Memorial Day - Remember:

Remember all the men and women that gave thier lives in a lot of cases, for this country and YOU.
Remember all those who have gone before you, given up so much for you, and made it possible for you to even be here.
Remember that you have an obligation to everyone of them to make something of yourself, in some meaningful way, and to pass on to others as much as those before you.
Remember what the colors of the United States Flag mean, red for the blood we shed for freedom and equality, white for the hope for a better tomorrow for everyone, and blue for the resolve and strength to be true in every way to the goals and ideals of this country.

END of SOAP BOX!

Now for some fun,

One of the blogs I read regularly is called "Analyzing Jordan", and aside from her really powerful sense of independance and committment to things she has a really "soft side" and let's her feelings show from time to time, for that I thank her, it makes getting to know her so much easier, because real people are hard to find!
Anyhow I digress. Jordan did a five question challenge and I popped her an e-mail and said I'd try it, soooo she sent me five questions, and all I could say initially was "Gulp!", but after considerable reflection here we go: (p.s. If any of you want the challenge, different questions of course, but remember you have to answer them all , honestly, and in your blog then just e-mail me and I'll put five together for you. guinness@mchsi.com )

1. "If you could go back and re-do any one thing in your life, what would it be?"
BANG! Right between the eyes on the first question! Well after considerable wrestling with almost 63 years of "stuff" under the dam I guess I'd have to say it would have been to have completed College at the usual age, not twenty some odd years later than usual at 42 with a full blown family in place already. I missed out on my kids growing up because I was in school four nights a week, studying the other three and most of the weekend, and working a fulltime and a part time job, and otherwise deluding myself that it would allow me to make a better life for them.
Like Rocky said, "I cudda been a contender!" Fact really is most college educations at the usual age are totally wasted, BUT they do open doors other than blue collar labor, or white collar slavery, but alas, I'm me and at this point in my life I'm running 12 simoultaneous "businesses", directing 5 multi-million dollar law suites on behalf of my clients, still have my health and time for a pint of Guinness every day and time to be a friend,...a real friend. Would a 38 foot Sailboat, a summer place in the Rockies, a Ferrarri in the garage beside the Jaguar sedan for those days of "oh what the hell" be nice? Sure, but then me thinks I'd have to be "playing a role" instead of being just plain good ole me with a pint and shoulder for those who needed it and just want to talk.

2. What was the strangest thing that ever happened to you?
Hmmmmm! This one caused a lot of thought, like weeks worth, and even now I'm torn between three or four things, but I'll pick one,
I guess it was the first time I really ever acknowledged the presense of God in my life. Even now I remember it so vividly. I'm not a "holy roller" or a preachy kind of the severe "born again types", nor even a guy that spends a ton of time in church or for that matter praying. I'm sort of the reformed Catholic type. Sorry, getting away from topic :( But anyhow, when I was in the U.S.Navy back in the 60's, stationed on an Aircraft Carrier which was built in 1942 and survuved WWII, on an Admirals Staff I remember one evening I was up hanging around the Admirals Bridge. There were two bridges, one for the Captain of the Ship and a mirror image duplicate for the Admiral, they were one over the other with the Admirals being on a higher level. It really was more of a Gallery for the Admiral and the "brass" to hang out during the day and watch over the exercises and "ops" we ran, but they'd all bail out after six at night and then some of us, very few mind you, would just go hang out and watch the ocean. We were coming back across the North Atlantic Ocean in May, and trust me if you've seen the movie "The Perfect Storm" then that is absolutely positively exactly what the North Atlantic is like during the spring. Sitting on the Bridge watching the seven or eight story high bow of this bigger than a football field "airport" with almost 4,000 human beings on it plunge down into the ocean, seeing water come over the bow and the spray just slamming the windows of the Bridge which was at least nine stories high is a demonstration of true power! I got to thinking about the whole world 4/5's of it covered by water, the vulnerability of this behemoth ship just bobbing around like a cork, the beating of the hull with thousands, nay make that millions of gallons of sea water, the dark sky, the white caped waves towering above where I stood by twenty or thirty feet, the motion of the ship down into the trough, and back up the side. It must have been like being in a bucking bronco's head and watchiing the world go by at the rodae when the gate opened. But at a moment in that chaos, I just came to believe there is a God, and his power is omnipotent, but his passion and caring just keeps me in his hand and safe.

3. "You wrote a book about your life , what is the title?
No contest here, that's easy. It would be titled, "Learn, Love, Lead, ...and be humble!"
I don't see myself as deigned for the Mount Olympuses of business, careers, or being able to say "Google me, I'm out there." But to the contrary I see myself like a sponge, learning and trying every single thing on the Buffet of Life, I see myself being true and loving to a single woman, loving and being eternally proud and grateful for all the inner beauty of my (our) children. And in general being "All that you can be", as they used to say in the Army recruiting commercials for my community, my church and my friends. That means living my beliefs and leading by my example, and letting God figure out what I missed and letting me know. (If he wants too.)

4. "If you were told you had to leave the country in three days and never return, what would you do with that time?"
Wow, that's deep! I guess I'd be sure I had as many addresses and telephone numbers in my Blackberry as possible, spend some time in New York and San Francisco, and of course my native Boston. Catch a few Symphonies, eat like a pig at my ten most favorite restaurants, and be sure I had a really awesome souped up computer and lots of batteries,...then I'd probably spend some time figuring out where I'd like to go. In all probability it would boil down to three places, Ireland, England or Australia. Then I'd get a good nights rest before I went. I'm always up for an adventure and really hate to look back when there is so much of the world I've yet to see.

5. "If you could be a historical figure from American history...who would you choos, and why?"
Another killer question! Well I guess I would have liked to have been the noted Thomas Jefferson. The founders of this country were unbelievably awesome patriots, and in my humble opinion were so unselfish and forward thinking that what they wrote, and the framework of this nation has for survived for over 200 years. I think Jefferson in particular as the actual "wordsmith" of our Constitution and Declaration of Independance had the opportunity to think for everyone. Not just those in 1776, ar before, but for you, me and all of those to come after us. My only regret is that we have strayed from that type of selfless thinking and turned into a much more self centered, egotistical world where in actuality "It's all about ME!"
We are a great country, but are slowly being whittled down to just a "rich" country, not necessarily a caring, open, one. Sure the "Irish need not apply" signs were right alonside the "Colored need not apply" ones. But for all of that we are still growing and as long as we stay vigilant to the ideal that "everyone can be great, all they need is the ability to pursue life, liberty and freedom, free from oppression, free from threats, and open to the simple first line of the Declaration of Independance, that indeed, 'All men are created equal', we will prevail!"

Thanks Jordan, great thinking exercise, and a kick in the pants back what is important.

-30-