OBAMA WINS 4 MORE YEARS !

Looks like it will be 2016, (at best), before the Republicans get a chance to get ‘one of theirs’ back in office. That is…if they follow the advice of John Meacham in his recent Newsweek article.

In the article, Meacham suggests that Dick Cheney should run for president in 2012.

If this becomes true, my comment is…“Welcome back Mr. Obama.” (I believe the same can be said if the Republicans feel that Sarah Palin is their best candidate for 2012).

I am not a ‘tried and true’ Democrat, nor am I Republican. I’d consider myself one who votes for the person and their ideals, before I would vote for a particular party, just for the sake of voting for ‘a party’.

If the GOP believes these are the two best candidates to run in 2012, woe for the Republican party…and us.

In my opinion, (and I believe many others), Dick Cheney plays by only one set of rules…HIS! It is his type of ‘holier than thou’ attitude that had much of the world believing Americans were the ‘bullies’ of the neighborhood. As Barack Obama assumed office in January of this year, much of the world felt like, finally, Americans were taking the right approach to being ‘the good guys’ again. Now, 11 months later, I’m not sure they still feel that way, but they surely think more of Obama than the Bush/Cheney method of governing.

And Sarah Palin is, and will continue to be, her own worst enemy. If she’ll just keep talkin’, no one else needs to say anything. She’ll shoot her own foot. She does not need to be in Washington, D.C., (and I don’t believe she will be), except to promote her book.

I admit I am not impressed with all that President Obama has done, to this point, in office. I believe his credibility, and ours, has dropped now that the ‘honeymoon’ is over and there are real issues sitting in piles on his Oval Office desk.

Apparently the memoirs of Dick Cheney will come out in the spring of 2011, just prior to the caucuses and primaries. But Dick Cheney is not the answer. I know there are better Republicans out there. For that matter, there are better Democrats than Obama out there. But if the option comes down to Cheney, (or Palin), running against Obama, it’ll be a field day and another 4 years for Barack.

That’s not what the Republicans want…but that’s what they’ll get.


Dan

OFFICERS GUNNED DOWN

Today’s news tells of 4 police officers gunned down in Parkland, Washington.

Many of us likely know an officer...no not through breaking the law. Maybe there's one who lives in the neighborhood, or attends our church, or we've met through an aquaintance, or is a friend.

Cindy & I are in that category. For much of the last 25 years, Cindy has worked with Vicky. Cindy & Vicky are best friends. Vicky’s husband, Mike, is a police officer for our city, and has been for nearly 30 years.

Some officers joined the police force because their family members were officers before them. Some join because of the power the position gives them. Some may enjoy the notoriety. I'm guessing none of them join because of the money...because they aren't that well paid. Especially considering that they, at any time, on any day, could come across that ‘one bad guy’ who could mean the difference of them going home that day.

I believe most officers are there because they wish to uphold the law, and see that persons who obey the law, aren’t taken advantage of by those who don’t.

These 3 men and 1 woman officer, it appears, were gunned down in cold blood...ambushed. They had not arrived at a crime scene. There was no warning. They were enjoying a few minutes as comrades as they prepared to start their day, to provide safety and well being for the citizens of their city.

One would presume there are spouses and children at home, who just a few days ago celebrated a day of thanksgiving with their loved one...and now must prepare to say goodbye.

I would hope that this would never happen to the officer that lives down your street, or attends your church, or known through an aquaintance, or who is your friend.

A sad day in Parkland, Washington…and in our land.


Dan

YOU CAN KEEP THE DIME

The other day I heard the song, ‘Operator’, by Jim Croce and one of the lyrics jumped out at me and caused me to think. I wondered if today’s generation were to hear the lyrics, would they understand their meaning.

The song itself is about a guy calling the operator for help in finding a phone number. He tells her his story about a past love that had left him…for his best friend. After some time for healing had passed, he planned to call the two of them to say that he was doing fine…that he was over the hurt they had caused him…and things were okay between them.

The operator gives the guy the number he needs and he writes it down, but he asks her to repeat it because he can’t read what he wrote down…through his tears.

He realized, he wasn’t over her…nor the pain, and instead of making the call, he thanks the operator for being so kind, and tells her…‘you can keep the dime’.

For some reason, those words…‘you can keep the dime’…caught my attention. With the ever disappearing payphones and the increase in cell phones, I wondered if my kids had ever used a payphone and asked for operator assistance. Then I continued thinking that, by the time my grandchildren are a little older, there may not be such a thing as a pay phone, as we remember them.

Before the advent of cell phones, the next best thing to quick access to a phone while away from home was a payphone. If you were making a local call, you inserted a dime (I remember when it was a nickel) and dialed the number. If the person answered, you could talk to them just like you had called them from home.

If you needed to make a long distance call, you had to use the help of an operator. You would tell her the number you wanted her to call and she would tell you the cost of a 3-minute call to that number. After you inserted the proper amount of money, she would place the call for you.

As in the case of the caller from the song, if you didn’t know the number, you put in your dime, dialed ‘0’ and an operator came on the phone to help you. When she answered, your dime dropped back down into the change slot for you to put back in your pocket or for later use. After she found the number you requested, she’d tell you the cost for a 3-minute call and then place the call after your money was inserted.

The songwriters’ reference line in the song was that since ‘the operator’ had been so helpful and listened to his sad story, she could just keep the dime.

I have no idea how much a payphone call costs today…if you can find a payphone! (When was the last time YOU used one? Do you even know where the closest payphone is to your house?)

Operators and payphones. Another lost part of our younger years…


Dan

STUPID PARENTS

A recent report says a father locked his kids in the trunk of his car while he did some quick shopping.

In a separate story I saw on the TV news within the last week, an Indianapolis news station reported about a father who stopped his semi at a strip club and went inside. The problem was he left his child (supposedly asleep) in the vehicle while he went inside.

Reportedly, after being inside the establishiment for 45 minutes, he walked outside, apparently forgetting where he parked his truck. He called 911 to report someone had stolen his truck with his child inside it. The police arrived and found the truck...where he had left it, still with the keys in the ignition. Fortunately, and luckily, the child was in the back of the truck watching a movie.

The child’s mother picked up the child...the truck was towed away...the father was taken to jail.

Maybe he, and the other idiot, should stay there awhile.


Dan

THE FIRST THANKSGIVING

On September 6, 1620, 102 passengers, (The Pilgrims), left Plymouth, England on The Mayflower, with a destination of The New World. Although filled with uncertainty and peril, the New World offered civil and religious liberty. For over two months, the passengers braved the harsh elements of a vast storm-tossed sea.

Arriving in Massachusetts in late November, the Pilgrims sought a suitable landing place. On December 11, just before disembarking at Plymouth Rock, they signed the "Mayflower Compact" - America's first document of civil government.

After a prayer service, the Pilgrims began building hasty shelters. Unprepared for the starvation and sickness of a harsh New England winter, nearly half died before spring. Yet, persevering in prayer, and assisted by helpful Indians, they reaped a bountiful harvest the following summer.

In early autumn of 1621, the 53 surviving Pilgrims celebrated their successful harvest, (as was the English custom), and declared a three-day feast to thank God and to celebrate with their Indian friends. Indian chiefs Massassoit, Squanto and Samoset joined in the celebration with ninety of their men in the three-day event.

No further ships arrived in Plymouth until immediately after that "First Thanksgiving" when ‘The Fortune’ arrived in November of 1621.

But it’s not ‘that’ first Thanksgiving I’m speaking of.

Cindy’s dad, Moe, died in January of this year. When a family member is lost, each holiday seems to be thought of as ‘the first’ since their passing. The first birthday, the first Christmas, the first anniversary...

This will be ‘the first Thanksgiving’.

We will say a prayer, shed a tear, and then celebrate. Moe would not want us to be sad because of him. He’d say, “Pass the turkey and dressing and let’s eat.”

So let’s eat.

Happy Thanksgiving

Dan

STRESSFUL JOBS

I found an article listing 8 jobs that the author considered stressful. I don’t want to demean anyone’s job…all have some validity to someone...but a few other jobs come to mind that weren't listed.

WORKING SINGLE MOTHER
While at work, they worry about their child(ren)... they worry about the cost of daycare... they are exhausted at being a parent and bread winner. Some may even have to work multiple jobs just to make ends meet. Their thoughts range from...do they pay the bills or spend time with the kids. Worse yet, what bill do I pay, and which one do I not. You can't tell me they aren't stressed.

CONSTRUCTION
With the shape of our economy, we’re afraid to start new building for fear of losing our own job and not being able to complete it. Many electricians, ironworkers, framers, anyone with connections to the construction industry, have either lost their jobs or those jobs are few and far between. There is no less stress for them than any other.

THE REST OF US
For too many, we are out of a job or within a bad day of being out of one. There is stress of how to pay bills, will we lose our car, will we lose our house.

It is a stressful time for all of us. Whether we have a job...and especially if we don't.

I struggle to limit it to a few.

It’s all relative. When you are the one affected...it is a stressful time.


Dan

TUBS FULL OF HAPPINESS

My wife, Cindy, is a great interior decorator. We've talked about how, (after we win the lottery), she would like to open a shop where she can help people decorate their homes. She's never had any formal training to do it, she just seems to have an eye for what looks good. She's able to add some ribbon here, a few clumps of flowers there, twist some vines together, and voila! a beautiful wreath or flower group to place somewhere. She has good color coordination too, just sensing what goes together.

Well, it's Christmas time...and Cindy loves to decorate at Christmastime. I spent an hour yesterday getting into our storage area in the attic to get the tubs and tubs and tubs of Christmas stuff down and into the garage. She will spend much of this week emptying the tubs and finding their contents a place in our house. We'll likely have 3 Christmas trees of varying sizes and styles lit up and decorated. Santa nic-nacs will be everywhere. The mantle will be covered with greenery and 'Christmasy' stuff. The fireplace will be decorated. Pictures will be hung. Lights and candles will be aglow. It'll look good...and smell good.

She'll be exhausted. Her back will hurt. She'll move something from here to over there...and then back again. But it'll look great. And she'll be happy.

I LOVE Christmastime.


Dan

NEW TIRES

For a good year...maybe two...my old jeep has needed some new tires. I really didn’t want to part with the money (tightwad…as discussed before) and it's used basically as an ‘in town’ car. We take Cindy’s car on long trips so mine’s just for the short trips.

The rule of thumb I had always heard is that if you stick a penny into the tread groove on your tire and you can see the top of ‘Lincolns’ head, then there’s not enough tread on your tire. Nearly 2 years ago, I was seeing the top of Lincolns' head. I’m not saying they were bald, but much longer and they’d be down to the rims.

Well, this morning, Cindy was off to Vincennes to get her mom and bring her to our house for the holiday, and Mason had spent the night at a buddys’ house. I called a few places to get some estimates and decided to ‘just do it’.

After arriving at the store, we settled on the bottom price and I was told I should be ready to go in 45 minutes. I got my laptop out and began working on some stuff while I waited.

When I paid attention, I overheard several phone conversations between the ‘desk man’ and the callers on the phone. Most were simple calls but one was an in depth conversation, and the desk man laid it on thick. ‘The testing the tire went through…it’s flexibility…it’s response in severe weather…blah…blah…’ He gave it everything he could to make the deal. He surely gets a commission on each tire he sells because he knew his stuff…or at least tried to sound convincing enough that he did.

After about 45 minutes, I got up to see how things were going and saw my car still parked in the same spot I left it. When I asked how we were doing, of course I got the perfunctory, “you’re next.” One hour later, I drove off with my new tires.

In the end, I got a pretty good deal…I overheard more tire info than I cared to know…and my car should be much safer in getting us where we need to go...short distance or long distance.

Sometimes, tightwads have gotta part with some of their money to do the right thing.


Dan

WHERE WERE YOU WHEN...?

This Sunday is November 22. For many of the Baby Boomer Generation, it is a day that many of us can say, “do you remember where you were when you heard the news?”

For today’s generation, it is likely a similar scenario they will play out for much of their remaining years…except the date recalled will be September 11, 2001.

On November 22, 1963, then President John F. Kennedy was assassinated while in Dallas, Texas. He was a young president, much like the president in office today. He came into the office with a spunk and desire that the nation had not seen from their president in a long time…if ever. There was a great feeling across the nation that this ‘young man’ was going to lead the country into a new time.

History has since shown us, that he wasn’t that great of a president after all, and his failings and faults were many. But on November 22, 1963, he was killed in Dallas and the nation mourned at hearing of his death.

I was in the fourth grade at Franklin Elementary School in Vincennes on that day. Mrs. Pepmeier was my teacher. I recall a student knocking on the classroom door and bringing a message written on paper and handing it to Mrs. Pepmeier. I remember her uttering an “Oh!” as she read the note. She then laid her head in her arms on her desk and began to sob.

Minutes later, the principal came over the loudspeaker that each class had in their room. He said he had just received some sad news that the president had been assassinated. He asked that we remain quiet and pray for the president’s family and our nation during this sad time.

I don’t remember anything else at school that day, but I recall getting home and telling dad what I had heard at school. He seemed as if it was new news to him, like he hadn’t heard about the assassination yet. My guess now, is that he too had heard the news, (it had happened several hours before I got home), but he was allowing me the chance to tell him about it as if I was the first person to do so.

That is basically my recollection of that day. Not a whole lot, but a vivid memory that I likely won’t ever forget. As I said, the newer generations’ recall of the day the terrorists flew the planes into the twin towers of New York, will likely live within them as well.

It has been 46 years since the assassination of JFK and we still recall it. By the time the nation is remembering the 46th anniversary of 9/11, those of us who remember November 22, 1963 probably won’t be around. Unfortunately, there’ll likely be some other sad anniversary that will take its place.


Dan

HOSPITAL CHART COMMENTS

Actual Sentences Found In Patients' Hospital Charts

1. She has no rigors or shaking chills, but her husband states she was very hot in bed last night.
2. Patient has chest pain if she lies on her left side for over a year.
3. On the second day the knee was better, and on the third day it disappeared.
4. The patient is tearful and crying constantly. She also appears to be depressed.
5. The patient has been depressed since she began seeing me in 1993.
6. Discharge status: Alive but without my permission.
7. Healthy appearing decrepit 69 year old male, mentally alert but forgetful.
8. The patient refused autopsy.
9. The patient has no previous history of suicides.
10. Patient has left white blood cells at another hospital.
11. Patient's medical history has been remarkably insignificant with only 40 pound weight gain
in the past three days.
12. Patient had waffles for breakfast and anorexia for lunch.
13. Between you and me, we ought to be able to get this lady pregnant.
14. Since she can't get pregnant with her husband, I thought you might like to work her up.
15. She is numb from her toes down.
16. While in ER, she was examined, X-rated and sent home.
17. The skin was moist and dry.
18. Occasional, constant infrequent headaches.
19. Patient was alert and unresponsive.
20. Rectal examination revealed a normal size thyroid.
21. She stated that she had been constipated for most of her life, until she got a divorce.
22. I saw your patient today, who is still under our car for physical therapy.
23. Both breasts are equal and reactive to light and accommodation.
24. Examination of genitalia reveals that he is circus sized.
25. The lab test indicated abnormal lover function.
26. The patient was to have a bowel resection. However, he took a job as a stockbroker instead.
27. Skin: somewhat pale but present.
28. The pelvic exam will be done later on the floor.
29. Patient was seen in consultation by Dr. Blank, who felt we should sit on the abdomen and I agree.
30. Large brown stool ambulating in the hall.
31. Patient has two teenage children, but no other abnormalities.


Dan

SOMETIMES, THEY'RE JUST PLAIN STUPID

Yesterday a report was released that recommended that women without unusual cancer risks should not begin regular screening for breast cancer until age 50. Prior to this report, the consensus seemed to be age 40. The group behind the suggestion is the United States Preventive Services Task Force.

The task force also recommended that women aged 50 to 74 should have mammograms every two years rather than every year and, in perhaps the most surprising advisory, that doctors should stop advising women to regularly examine their own breasts.

The New York Times newspaper listed several comments from their readers in response to the report.

“Why all of a sudden this change?”

From one woman who agreed with the report: “I’ve been waiting for common sense regarding mammograms for years.”

Most, however, were like this one: “I already don’t trust these big groups who issue statements like this, but this really makes me question.”

“To tell women that self exams are not necessary, that is absurd. I think the FDA and insurance companies can be a bit like mafias, there are motives that we don’t see.”

“I cannot help but think that this decision has less to do with protecting a woman’s health and more to do with the financial advantages gained through less insurance coverage.”

“While I certainly understand the risks of over-treatment, I have gotten to know a shocking number of young women under 40 who have been diagnosed. Very often, there are no symptoms, other than those detectable through a mammogram or a sonogram. And very often, there is no genetic history of the disease.”

“Everything I’ve heard from the health advertisements to the medical professionals, says that even if you don’t have a family history of breast cancer, it doesn’t mean you won’t get it. This sends a real confusing message. Wow, they’re doing a complete 180.”


If we didn’t have enough mixed feelings going on with our health care today, this report seems to have many women’s heads spinning.

I have to believe there are untold numbers of women out there, of all ages, who have been diagnosed with breast cancer before they turned 50. Many of them would not be here today had it not been for that screening mammogram or self-examination they performed.

I truly hope that years from now, we don’t read about all the 50-year old women who waited to get their mammogram, (because that’s what they were told), to find out that a cancer has been found too late.

This group has some real explaining to do. Personally, I hope women don’t listen to their report, or their reasoning, and do what their better judgment tells them to do.

Our daughter Jaime, lost one of her school friends to breast cancer before she celebrated her 30th birthday. She left behind her 2-year old daughter. If it can happen to women in their 20’s…!

I just don’t get it. If anything, I question why the report didn’t suggest under 40 as the new standard. But what do I know? I’m just a guy who lost a mom and a sister to breast cancer. I don’t want to lose any more of my family or friends to this disease.


Dan

ZOE DOG

She’s a Golden Retriever, but she’s more red than gold. She’s always been a big girl, but in recent years has gotten a tad bigger. A short walk outside is enough for her and then it’s back inside to rest from all the exercise. The red face has turned more white than red as age has come. She likes to sleep a lot, finding places where she’s near the family…but out of the way. That way, she can still see, and hear, things going on, but still get her ‘cat naps’ as needed. Her vision is failing, she has several lipomas (fatty tumors) and she passes gas that’ll peel wall paper.

Zoe (pronounced ZO---E) Marie, is our lovable old Golden. Friday will be her 11th birthday. As with most families with pets that have been around many years, she isn’t our ‘dog’…she’s one of the family.

Zoe came along at a time when our black lab, (Layla), was in need of company…or so we reasoned. When we got Layla, our girls were 15, 11, and 8. Layla was good company for them as they were at ‘that age’ of teen or about to be teens. They wrestled with Layla, dressed her in people clothes, made her run, made her speak, made her shake hands, “now the other hand”, loved on her and grew up with her.

Six years later, as Layla began to slow down, a friend of Cindy’s asked if we would like to have a new puppy to keep Layla company.

NO!...was the answer.

But one night Tam brought 5 golden pups over to the house. They were little bundles of the softest fur I have ever felt on a dog. They romped with the girls and sniffed at Layla and ‘wanted’ her to play, but she really wasn’t interested. The girls fell in love with the one temporarily named ‘little Zoe', (named after her mother). Before you could say "what the heck are we doing?"…little Zoe lived at our house.

True to our schools’ colors, (Purdue’s black and gold), we now had a ‘black and gold’ living at the Clark house. Zoe was indeed good for Layla. Zoe put a little spark back in Layla’s spirit and Layla helped to run some of the ‘puppy’ out of Zoe and teach her how things ran in the Clark house.

Two ‘big’ dogs in the house was no easy task to put up with. Layla was probably 80 pounds while Zoe grew to a svelte 115. They took up their space and if they got to playing and running in the house…GET OUT OF THE WAY!!! And the yard bombs were everywhere! But we loved both of those big varmints. They were great for the girls…loving and loyal.

Layla has been gone for some years now, surviving to nearly her 10th birthday. She lays buried in a corner of our garden. We still mention her name many times when a thunderstorm passes by…Layla hated thunder storms.

Zoe became the queen of the house. When the grandbabies came along, she just accepted what they would do to her…wrestle, pull hair, ride her like a horse and play with her toys. She would never harm a hair on their head and became that loving, loyal dog to them, that Layla had been to their mothers.

One day, Zoe will rest in the other corner of the garden with Layla…and since she hates thunder storms too…we’ll think of her AND Layla when one passes by.

Cindy and I have gotten stronger as we have aged. There will be no more dogs after Zoe (we won’t let any friends drop by with puppies to show off.) We’ll hire a super vacuum company to come in and vacuum all the dog hair out of the house that’s accumulated in corners and places we can’t get to. And we’ll smile and probably shed a tear and remember our two special dogs.

But for now, we’ll still love around on and talk to our good buddy Zoe. We might even put a little icing on one of her dog bones for her special day. Zoe Marie…our big little Golden.


Dan

COLA WARS

The other day, while I was enjoying a Diet Coke, someone asked me, “How do you drink that stuff?” I thought to myself…do they mean Coke vs. Pepsi…Diet Coke vs. Coke...or pop in general? After clarification, I found out they were a Coke drinker and they couldn’t see how someone could drink ‘diet’.

In my younger years, my favorite was Pepsi. I could drink a Coke, but I could tell the difference. Years later, I switched to diet and Diet Coke was much better than Diet Pepsi in my opinion. When we go to a “Pepsi” product restaurant today, I’ll end up drinking tea.

But the guys question led me to a little investigation. I say little, because I do have a life (don’t I…?) and there is a ton of information out there on the internet. But here’s the basic info I gathered.

One thing I was interested in was the answer to the amount of sugar in Coke and Pepsi. I had heard ‘the legend’ that there is 10 teaspoons of sugar in Coke and Pepsi. The secret formula listing the exact ingredients in both Pepsi and Coke is closely guarded...like Colonel Sanders secret recipe for his fried chicken and McDonald’s formula for the ‘special sauce’ on a Big Mac…they are holding their cards close to their vest.

Most articles I found agreed that Pepsi is sweeter than Coke. Pepsi lists 41 grams of sugar while Coke has 39. I guess that little difference is just enough to give Pepsi that sweeter taste. Coke is also known to have more carbonation so it’s ‘fizzy’, another difference between the two. Neither product confesses to actually using sugar in their United States product, they both use high fructose corn syrup instead. But they still list 'sugar' as their ingredient.

According to one writer, 1 teaspoon of sugar is equal to 4.2 grams. So both products would equal nearly 10 teaspoons of sugar in a 12 ounce can. So ‘the legend’ is apparently true. But who drinks a 12 ounce can of pop these days? Many times, we stop to get the 32 ounce or even 42 ounce ‘bladder buster’. That 42 ouncer would equal almost ¾ cup of sugar. Get a second one and you’ll have consumed enough sugar to bake 4 dozen cookies!

The diet drinks both use aspartame (NutraSweet). I swear there is some difference between the two, but uncertain what that is and a listing isn’t there to help either.

One writer throws the guilt trip in the mix. If you’re drinking pop...you’re not drinking water...or milk...and you are not getting calcium...and your body isn’t getting the water it needs to flush its system and keep everything functioning well.

Let’s just say this. As with most things, moderation seems to be the key. A can of pop a day, regular or diet, isn’t going to kill us any more than a can of beer or a shot of whiskey. It’s when we overdo it that gets us in trouble.

So guy...leave me alone. Let me drink my Diet Coke. When you see me knock back a six-pack, then you can try to SAVE me.


Dan

GOSSIP

I read an article in the NY Times submitted by Shayla McKnight about gossip in the workplace. Ms. McKnight works for an online printing company based in Livingston, Montana.

When she had her job interview with the company two years ago, she was told about the company’s no-gossip policy. She was told, “There’s no back-stabbing here, and no office politics. Gossiping and talking behind someone’s back are not tolerated.”

After accepting the job and having worked there for two years, she says the policy makes a real difference in the work environment. She goes on to say there is a ‘greater sense of being part of a team here than in other jobs I've had'. If employees do violate the company policy, a manager speaks to them, and if they don’t stop, they’re let go. It has happened.


That isn’t a policy at my work and I’m guessing not at yours either. I’d have to admit, I’ve contributed more than I should have to the gossip grapevine, and I’ll guess you have too.

There’s something good about this policy. It's the right thing to do. Even if our companies don’t have the policy, it wouldn’t be a bad thing for us to on our own.

How about making your own gossip policy? Imagine the person were sitting in the room with you. What would you say about a person if they personally heard the words come out of your mouth? Would you say something differently, or perhaps even better, just not say anything at all? That might eliminate some of the spread of gossip.

I’ll work on it. Will you?


Dan

THAT'S A BUNCH OF SHIP

I remember when we watched the movie, Titanic, how huge it appeared, even on the movie screen. I imagine when seeing it in person it was unimaginably big.

The Titanic was built in Belfast. Built to be the largest, most luxurious ship ever, construction began on March 31, 1909 and was completed 2 years later.

The Titanic was over 882 feet long, 92 feet wide and 59 feet in height from the water line to the boat deck. There were 29 boilers fired by 159 coal burning furnaces that made a possible top speed of 26 mph.

The ship could carry a total of 3547 passengers and crew. Some of its amenities included an on-board swimming pool, gymnasium, squash court, Turkish bath, a café, two libraries, two barber shops, 3 electric elevators, and electric lights. First class passengers paid a one-way trans Atlantic passage of $4350 ($95,000 in today’s dollars).


In October of this year, a newly built cruise ship left Finland heading for Florida. It is the world’s largest cruise ship, called the Oasis of the Seas.

How big is it? It is 5 times larger than the Titanic.

Built for $1.5 billion, the 16-deck vessel can accommodate 6300 passengers and 2100 crew members.

The ship features neighborhoods, parks, squares, and one tropical area that includes palm trees.

The Oasis of the Seas will leave Florida on its first cruise on December 5.

I couldn't find how much it costs to get on it, but surely not $95,000.

Five times the size of the Titanic…that’s a bunch of ship!


Dan

TIME ZONE HELL

I often hear comments about our time zones in Indiana. Sometimes I’m even the one leading the conversation!

Part of our state is on Eastern Time, the remainder is on Central Time. For most of us, it’s just a way to drive us crazy.

Why can’t we draw the lines around the border of the state? The entire state is on either Eastern or Central. Logic, would suggest that we all be on Central Time. But who determines ‘logic’ around here anyway?

I guess it could be worse. We think we have problems in Indiana with 2 time zones? In Russia, they have 11 time zones! And like us Hoosiers, some of them are wondering 'why', while others are saying, “Please don’t change it!”

An Associated Press article states, President Dmitry Medvedev suggested Thursday that Russia reduce the number of time zones in the name of economic efficiency, which could have residents in the far eastern city of Vladivostok eating their breakfast at the same time their Chinese neighbors just a few miles away are slurping their noodles at lunch.

With one-ninth of the world's land mass, Russia stretches from Kaliningrad, which is next to Poland, more than 5,500 miles to the eastern tip of Chukotka, across the Bering Strait from Alaska. By contrast, it's nearly 2,700 miles across the four time zones of the 48 contiguous states in the U.S.

Thus, when the Kremlin’s bell tower on Red Square tolls 9 a.m. at the start of the business day in Moscow, it's already 6 p.m. in the farthest part of Russia's Far East. Russia's vastness is a source of national pride, but it also hinders economic development, Medvedev said. "The examples of other countries — the U.S., China — show that it is possible to cope with a smaller time difference," Medvedev said in his annual state-of-the-nation speech. "We need to examine the possibility of reducing the number of time zones."

Medvedev didn't say how extensive any cut would be, but it would likely mean shrinking to just four time zones: one each for Kaliningrad, Moscow, the Ural Mountains region and the vast reaches of Siberia and the Far East.

Cutting down to four zones would likely mean residents of the Pacific coast would see the sunset before 3 p.m. at this time of year.

I guess the old saying "you can’t please everyone"…applies…when you’re messing with our time.


Dan

SPACE...THE NEW FRONTIER

I read in the paper that Thomas J. O’Malley died last week at age 94. I could ask 1000 people who Thomas J. O’Malley was, and probably 999 of them wouldn’t know, maybe all 1000.

On the morning of February 20, 1962, Mr. O’Malley pressed the button that fired the Atlas booster rockets and sent John Glenn on his way to becoming the first American to orbit the Earth.

Tape recordings caught Mr. O’Malley’s words at that moment: “May the good Lord ride all the way.”

Memorabilia from the early days of the space age surrounded Mr. O’Malley at his home in Cocoa Beach, not far from the launching pads. Mounted on a piece of varnished wood was the black starter button from the 1962 Glenn flight.

At Cape Canaveral, a plaque bolted to the base of a streetlight on the road leading to Pad 14, the site of the Glenn launching, reads, “O’Malley’s Guiding Light.”

In the fall of 1962, I started 3rd grade. I somehow had coaxed someone into buying me a model spaceship and astronauts in their spacesuits. I took it to school one day, mainly to show off to my classmates, and my teacher Mrs. Snider set it on a table for display for a week.

Space travel was in its’ infancy. Children, and adults, were fascinated by the prospects of what might happen and what we might discover. Anytime there was another launch of a rocket carrying an astronaut, it had our attention over the radio or TV. It ‘was’ the news.

Today, few even pay attention to men and women in space. We’ve gotten bored with the thought of it and have found other things to keep our attention.

But in those early years of space flight, particularly to that 3rd grader, it was fascinating.


Dan

YUCK !

An article on MSN.com caught my eye and I thought I would share the highlights of the story. If we all weren’t being bombarded enough already with commercials and postings to wash our hands frequently…here’s some more. Not only should you wash your hands frequently, you may want to start carrying those disinfecting wipes with you too.

Germs that cause illness lurk in some out-of-the way spots, and bacteria and viruses can remain active on surfaces for days or even weeks, especially in wet areas. "Because of the natural moisture of our skin, we easily pick up these organisms, and we transfer them to our face," says Elizabeth Scott, co-director of Boston's Simmons College Center for Hygiene and Health in Home and Community. Good hygiene in the home is especially important for people with compromised immune systems.

REMOTE CONTROL
Your favorite gadget may bring you hundreds of channels — and even more germs.University of Virginia researchers found six out of 10 remote controls tested positive for rhinovirus. Traveler’s alert: Remotes in hotel rooms are rarely cleaned.

SALT & PEPPER SHAKERS
Other germ reservoirs in the kitchen include refrigerator and dishwasher handles.

PURSE
Your bag may carry a load of bacteria. Think about some of the contents…lipstick, pens, keys…things you touch frequently and then touch your face. Hang up your purse and keep it off the kitchen counter. Wipe the bag with a mild soap or disinfectant.

GROCERY CART
A recent University of Arizona study found that the handles of almost two-thirds of shopping carts were contaminated with E coli. Drool, saliva and mucus from children also collect there. The grocery cart "is one of the most surprising places [for germs] we’ve come across," says Chuck Gerba, a microbiologist who conducted the study. Swab the handle with a disinfectant wipe. Bag your fresh produce and keep it off the seat where diaper-bottomed children have been sitting.

DESK
Office desks contain hundreds of times more bacteria per square inch than office toilet seats. Researchers at the University of Arizona, Tucson, did a study that found desks are also habitats for viruses, the pesky bugs responsible for the flu and colds. "Desks in schools are much germier than office desks," microbiologist Gerba says. "Women's desks are germier than men's," he adds, because women tend keep a lot more food and cosmetics in and around their desks than men. Wipe them down with disinfectant wipes and wash hands frequently.

CELL PHONE
Your hands can be home to plenty of germs, and with regular cell use, the result can be a filthy phone. Cell phones also are stowed in nice, warm pockets, making a good breeding laboratory. Your phone can carry lots of bacteria, including staph, which can cause skin infections. The University of Arizona tested 25 cell phones and found staph growing on nearly half of them. "The flip phone is germiest because it keeps moisture in more," says Gerba. Use a disinfecting wipe regularly and think about where you lay your phone down. Wash your hands frequently. And be careful in borrowing someone else's cell.

CARPET
Besides tracking in dirt, the soles of shoes can bring indoors traces of coliform, which includes fecal bacteria. Carpets also harbor tons of bacteria, dust and pesticide residue. "It's a living world right under your feet," Gerba says. His University of Arizona study found more than 200,000 particles of bacteria in one square inch of carpet. Vacuum regularly with a strong vacuum cleaner. Even vacuum cleaners can have E. coli and salmonella growing inside them, Gerba says. Make sure you wash your hands after you handle a vacuum bag or receptacle, he adds. You may want to consider leaving your shoes at the door before entering the home.

As if we didn’t have enough things to make us neurotic…add these to your list. Don’t go overboard, but use some common sense. Some of the simplest things can keep us and our families healthy.


Dan

PARENTHOOD

One of my favorite movies is Parenthood. I think I enjoy it because it seems to portray a realistic look at the craziness that goes on in families. There are no ‘perfect’ families as some might try to promote. Everyone has problems and challenges they must get through. This movie makes me realize my life isn’t so different from others.

Made in the late 80s, the movie is about a dysfunctional family headed by Gil Buckman (played by Steve Martin). His own family consists of his ‘newly announced’ pregnant wife and their 3 children. Gil desires to be a good, active father, unlike his own father was. The seemingly abnormal actions of his 3 children, and the upcoming birth of a fourth makes Gil question his abilities as a father.

His siblings are no different. One sister is divorced, trying to raise a seemingly disturbed son and an intelligent daughter who is struggling through high school. Another sister wants more children while her husband feels that another child will take away from the devotion they need to give to their current child. Gil's youngest sibling is his brother (Larry) who has drifted through life trying to cash in on get-rich-quick schemes. Though he is the black sheep of the family, he is their father's favorite (mainly because he reminds him of himself at a younger age).

I particularly enjoy two scenes in the movie. In the first, Gil is telling his wife how he is frustrated with how his world, and thus hers, is falling apart…life is so ‘messy’ he says. Gil’s grandmother enters the picture having overheard the conversation. She says, “When I was 19, grandpa took me on a roller coaster. Up-down-up-down. Oh, what a ride. It was always interesting to me that a ride could make me frightened…so scared…so sick…so excited and so thrilled…altogether. Some didn’t like it. Some went on the merry-go-round. It just goes around. Nothing. I like the roller coaster. You get more out of it.” I like her comparison that the hecticness of life also makes life exciting and challenging. Who wants a boring life? It’s the challenges that make us stronger.

The second scene takes place as Gil is reluctantly leading team baseball practice for his son, Kevin. Gil’s dad (Frank) shows up and wants to speak to him. As they walk to the dugout to talk, Gil’s dad says, “I need your advice.” His father goes on to explain how Larry, Gil’s little brother, has financial troubles and Frank is wanting Gil’s advice on what he should do. When Gil asks why he’s asking for his advice, Frank says, “Because I know you think I was a shitty father.” Frank tells Gil of a painful memory still fresh in his mind. “I never should’ve had 4 (kids). When you were 2 years old, we thought you had polio. For a week we didn’t know. I hated you for that. I hated having to go through that caring…worrying…pain, it’s not for me. You know it’s not like that all ends when you’re 18 or 21 or 41 or 61. It never…ever ends. Like your aunt Edna’s ass! It goes on forever and it’s just as frightening! There is no endzone… you never cross the goal line and spike the ball and do your touchdown dance…never. I’m 64 and Larry’s 27…and he’s still my son. Like Kevin is your son. You don’t want them to get hurt."

As Frank walks away, seemingly answering his own questions that he’d come to get Gil’s advice for, Gil confesses, “hey who’s to say who’s a shitty father. My kids are a mess, my career’s in the shitter.” Frank walks back toward Gil and lovingly slaps him on the cheek and says, “You worry too much…you always did.”

The film ends on a sentimental note with a new generation of Buckman children being born to Gil and his 2 sisters and the personal growth of all the parents, including Frank, who is now raising the young boy left behind by Larry who left town on another search for a get-rich-quick scheme.

Life is good. It can sometimes seem too much, like riding that roller coaster, but we can adapt and make the best of our lives.

Everyone…let’s buckle in and go for a ride on that roller coaster.


Dan

BLESSED

Today I watched the movie Pelham 123. One of the main characters of the movie is played by John Travolta, a bad guy named Bernard Ryder. Ryder is angry with the system and plans revenge for his misfortunes. Even though the movie held my interest, when watching Travolta play his role, I couldn’t stop thinking about the pain he, and his family, suffered earlier this year with the sudden death of his son, Jett.

Recently, I performed a test on a patient that confirmed a tragic circumstance. Earlier in the morning, a teenage daughter had found her mother unresponsive. The test confirmed the suspicions of the doctor, that the mother wasn’t going home that night, or ever. In the short time of going to bed one night, and waking the next morning, this young daughter’s world had changed in ways she could never have imagined.

My family was blessed, this past weekend, to attend the wedding of a great niece. We enjoyed a large family gathering…my brother, sister, nieces, nephews and even their children, were in attendance. Many of these nieces and nephews and ‘greats’ are quite close to one another, in age as well as friendships.

Kelly, the bride, and Joni, my daughter, are only 1 month apart in age, and get along well, sharing many similarities. Daughter Julie and, great nephew, Kory share their age and experiences. Daughter, Jaime, and great nephew, Andrew, the same. My sons-in-law have developed good friendships with all of them as well.

They, and others in the family, shared time together at our family reunion this summer. That event this summer and again this weekend seemed to continue to ‘gel’ those friendships and relationships.

Not only do they, and other nieces, nephews and cousins, share many good similarities, some of them have shared tough issues as well…addictions, legal issues, job losses, relationship struggles.

For some of these younger members of our family, and for those of us parents, life hasn’t all been smooth sailing. We’ve shared smiles and tears…but we have gained strength from these challenges. We should consider ourselves lucky. Those children are still here with us. Things could be better…but they could be a lot worse.

We are very blessed.


Dan

THE COOKIE THIEF

We dropped my sister off at the airport today for her flight back to Atlanta. It reminded of a poem that I have enjoyed for a number of years. I don't know the auther. Hope it makes you smile.

Dan

A woman was waiting at an airport one night,
With several long hours before her flight.
She hunted for a book in the airport shop,
Bought a bag of cookies and found a place to drop.

She was engrossed in her book, but happened to see,
That the man beside her, as bold as could be,
Grabbed a cookie or two from the bag between
Which she tried to ignore to avoid a scene.

She read, munched cookies, and watched the clock,
As the gutsy “cookie thief” diminished her stock.
She was getting more irritated as the minutes ticked by,
Thinking, “If I wasn’t so nice, I’d blacken his eye!”

With each cookie she took, he took one too.
When only one was left, she wondered what he’d do.
With a smile on his face and a nervous laugh,
He took the last cookie and broke it in half.

He offered her half, as he ate the other.
She snatched it from him and thought, “Oh brother,
This guy has some nerve, and he’s also rude,
Why, he didn’t even show any gratitude!”

She had never known when she had been so galled,
And sighed with relief when her flight was called.
She gathered her belongings and headed for the gate,
Refusing to look back at the “thieving ingrate.”

She boarded the plane and sank in her seat,
Then sought her book, which was almost complete.
As she reached in her baggage, she gasped with surprise.
There was her bag of cookies in front of her eyes!

“If mine are here, “ she moaned with despair,
“Then the others were his and he tried to share!”
Too late to apologize, she realized with grief,
That she was the rude one, the ingrate, the thief!

GETTING TOGETHER...FOR HAPPY TIMES

Tomorrow morning my children and grandchildren will meet at our house. We'll then head to my hometown and be a part of a family gathering.

Too many times in the past, we have done this, to honor the passing of a family member. It's good to get together and see our family...but it's a sad reason for doing so.

Tomorrow, we make the trip to gather for a wedding. My great niece will be marrying tomorrow. (Great niece?...man that makes me sound old!)

My brother from San Francisco will be there...my sister from Atlanta will be there...my niece from Cincinatti will be there...and my family from Owensville...my roots...will be there.

We will gather to celebrate...to watch and be a part of the ceremony where Kelly...will marry Jeremy.

Our family met Jeremy at the family reunion this summer. He's a perfect fit for our family. He's got a good sense of humor...and a good sense of family.

I will enjoy the time with my wife... children... grandchildren... brother... sister... nieces... nephews. We will celebrate. We will dance. We will love. Life will be good.

We too often don't get a chance to enjoy life. Tomorrow we will enjoy it.


Dan

PROUD VETERAN

Cindy & I attended the Purdue basketball game Tuesday night and we were excited to see our Boilers. A special event happened before the start of the game that was very humbling to me.

As with all sporting events, the game started with the singing of the National Anthem. As I turned to my left to look at the flag, and listened to the playing and singing of the anthem, I noticed in the stands underneath the flag, an elderly man, singing proudly. As I watched him, it was obvious to me that he was of the age to be a veteran of WWII.

I smiled as I continued to watch him sing. He was proud…very proud. He stood upright and at attention as if he was saluting his commanding officer. He sang loudly and proudly, mouth wide open as he sang, as if everyone else stopped singing, the people on the other side of the arena would have been able to clearly hear him.

During the United States involvement in WWII, 16 million men and women served. Of those, nearly 300,000 died and almost 700,000 were wounded.

At the 2000 census, approximately 5.7 million veterans of WWII were still living. With a conservative estimate of 1000 of those veterans dying per day, some 3.6 million have died since that census. That would leave approximately 2 million veterans still alive today. Cindy’s dad, Moe, was one of those proud veterans, and he left us earlier this year.

Ironically as I write this, there is a PBS special showing a group of veterans that have taken a bus trip to the WWII monument in Washington, D.C. It is a very emotional journey for them as they go to pay respect to the men and women, their friends and their family members, who didn’t make it home, to whom the memorial is dedicated.

At every opportunity I get, I try to say a personal word of appreciation to our WWII veterans whom I meet. I hope that we are proud of the men and women who have served in that war, and all wars.

May the veteran that I saw proudly singing the National Anthem at the Purdue game, continue to sing loudly and proudly for a long time.

Dan

PROCRASTINATION

I was going to write a story about procrastination…but decided I’d wait and think about it some more.










Now I don’t care what anybody says…that’s funny!

Oh well, maybe not. Anyway, I am a self-confessed procrastinator. When something is presented to me, I want to step back from the situation and gather more information before proceeding.

Sometimes…that may take just a few minutes, and I don’t see anything wrong with that. Knee-jerk reactions will many times get people in trouble. Responding immediately doesn’t allow a person time to think things through…to evaluate if there are better choices…or to see if the problem doesn’t just fix itself…or change in a manner that another approach will be better than your original approach.

But I’ll agree, sometimes my procrastination goes a little too far. Cindy has mentioned for a year that she wants to paint the hallway to the bedrooms and then put up some new pictures with new lighting to highlight the new pictures.

Whoa there!…there’s some major plannin’ that has to take place here. What color paint do we get? Will the painting of the hall lead to painting needed in other rooms too? Do we have the pictures yet? Do we have the frames that the pictures will go in? Where do you want to hang these pictures? What type of lighting will we need to highlight them? Will we need to run new electric for the new lighting?

I get so busy planning that I don’t have time to ‘do’.

Now I know this would drive some of you lady readers crazy. Suddenly you don’t like Dan any more…"I never knew that about him!"..."He’d drive me nuts!!"

Welcome to Cindy’s World!!

I'm a pretty good guy…but I aint perfect. Well…let me think about that!


Dan

NAME SAKE ?

Tomorrow, Wednesday, November 4 will be my grandfather’s birthday. He would be 130 years old. George Washington Fravel was one of 11 children, but only 7 of them survived birth. Granddad was the oldest.

When granddad was 17, both of his parents died. Indications are they died from an influenza type illness that was going around in the late 1800s. At just 17, granddad took on the responsibility of caring for his 6 younger brothers and sisters and the farm that was now his…a large farm, (for that time period), that he would later lose in the Great Depression.

Granddad married my grandmother, Dora, at age 20. George and Dora had 4 children, the youngest of which was my mother.

When their youngest son, George ‘Melvin’ Fravel, died at age 21, less than one month after the birth of his own son, George and Dora helped to raise their grandson. From the descriptions I have heard, uncle Melvin likely died from a brain aneurysm. At that time (1933), it was likely not a well documented, nor easily diagnosed, health problem. My uncle likely died at home before they knew he needed, or got, any medical attention.

I believe it is from these two men in my mother’s life, that I got my name, George Daniel Clark. (See prior blog NAME CALLING).

Mom would have been 21 years old when her brother, Melvin, died. Being the baby of the family, my guess is that she was very close to Melvin. His death at such a young age had to leave a lasting mark on her.

My granddad died 3 years before I was born. When searching for names for her youngest baby, my guess is my mother came up with a tribute to two of the men she loved…thus…George Daniel Clark.

As I mentioned in that prior blog, I NEVER asked my mother the question of where my name came from, but I think I can safely say, it would be attributed to the scenario I describe.

In trying to gather a little information about my grandfather, I found some interesting facts. Granddad apparently loved butter when he was very young. So much so, it wasn’t uncommon for him to get a handful, fresh out of the butter churn, and eat it like a scoop of ice cream. After getting deathly ill on one occasion after doing this, he no longer cared for butter!

From lessons learned after suffering through the depression, granddad was frugal with his meals. When the children were home, he saw that they were well fed. But after they had grown and moved from home, he had grandma fix only one item for the meal. If taters sounded good for supper, you fixed lots of taters and that was the meal. If you wanted beans, you fixed beans and that was it. He felt that meat, potatoes and a vegetable for a meal was just wasteful.

I was also told that granddad didn’t see the value of curtains in the home. When grandma would close the curtains, grandpa would pull them back out of the way and say, “why would you cut a hole in the wall…then cover up the hole?”

…and Cindy thinks I’m a little quirky?

Happy Birthday granddad.


Your grandson, Dan

THROW AWAY SOCIETY

I like to consider myself a fiscally responsible person. My wife would, I believe, attest to that. The girls would more likely use a term like…tightwad.

When we moved to our current house 17+ years ago, it didn’t have cable TV. When the previous owners built the home some 30 years before, it was on the edge of town. I imagine cable didn’t come that far out of town yet, so they put up an antenna for TV reception. As the city limits grew south and cable became available, they apparently decided to just keep the antenna.

When we moved in, the girls were 14, 10 and 7. MTV was real popular at the time (maybe it still is) and it seemed the videos they were showing were just too suggestive for me. So as not to give my girls any more ideas than they were already getting, I decided to keep the antenna. We got all the network channels over the antenna, just not everything else.

Of course I had to hear about it for a lot of years. Even Cindy comments, still today, that we can’t watch our Boilers basketball teams’ road games because they are shown on the Big 10 Network, a channel that doesn’t come in over the antenna. So, as an alternative, I invite ourselves to friends, go to the sports bar, or just listen to it on the radio.

When we go to Cindy’s moms in Vincennes, if we watch TV, we seem to end up on the ‘HGTV’ channel. We get nothing else done because we watch episode after episode. I’m afraid if we had more channels at our house, I’d get less done than I already do because I’d be channel surfing all the time or flipping to HGTV and doing nothing else.

I tell you all of this as some background to my topic. As we all know, at the beginning of 2009, the TV stations converted from analog to digital signals. If you owned a newer TV, it was probably already ‘digital capable’ and ready to receive the new signal. Since I’m a tightwad…we have old TVs.

Even if you had an old TV, if you had cable or ‘dish’ TV, there was no concern because ‘they’ made your conversion between them and your house. Since we had neither, ‘we’ were one of those millions of homes that needed to buy a converter box.

So I did…and the big switch created no problems. We actually began receiving more channels than we did through the analog signals on the antenna.

Yesterday morning, we flipped on the TV and saw only static. I checked to make sure it was on the right channel…it was. I unplugged and plugged the converter box back in…still static. I turned the DVD player on and the TV worked. That meant it must be a converter box problem. It’s less than a year old…it’s bad already?

So…I went back to our bedroom and turned on our ‘other’ old TV. It worked. I unhooked the converter, took it into the living room, hooked it to the TV and lo and behold, everything worked. I took the ‘bad’ converter back to the bedroom and sure enough...static on the TV. Definitely, bad converter.

I looked closely at the bad converter. There was a plug, an antenna ‘in’ port and an antenna ‘out’ port…that was it. No dials, no buttons. Apparently it was built so that you hooked it up and it either worked…or it didn’t. Mine didn’t!

So, I headed to the store to tell them about the bad converter. The guys at the store were sympathetic. “That’s too bad…you might contact the manufacturer to see if you could send it in to them to fix it.” Of course, I’d have to pay to mail it to them…wait for them to repair it (if they could)…wait for them to mail it back, call me or mail me to say it can’t be fixed…or just buy a new converter.

I bought a new converter. The old one?...Threw it away!

Within the last 5 years, Cindy and I had the kitchen renovated with all new appliances. Earlier this year, our dishwasher began making noises and then just quit working. A repairman came to check it. Motor was no good. For just a little more than the cost of repairing the old motor, we could buy a new one…We bought a new one. The old one?...Threw it away.

When was the last time you saw a TV repairman? What do we do when our TVs go bad?...We buy a new one. It’s probably less expensive and more timely than fixing the old one. The old one?...Throw it away.

We are a ‘throw away’ society.

My concern? Some of ‘my’ parts are beginning to break down. I sure hope Cindy doesn’t get a new model…and throw me away!


Dan

RED DIRT ROAD

I enjoy music. I’m a big fan of groups like the Beatles, Cream, Rolling Stones, Doors, Eagles and even a few modern bands like Foo Fighters. Individual stars like Eric Clapton, John Mayer, David Gray and James Taylor also make my list. I’m not much of a country & western fan, but there are a few songs I’ve heard over the years that have caught my attention.

I think all of us enjoy music of some variety. Sometimes it’s the tune that is so catching. Many times, however, I think it’s the words of the song that catches us…as if they were written for us, or about us. Maybe those words bring back memories, sometimes sad, but hopefully happy memories.

One such song for me happens to be a country & western tune by Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn, called ‘Red Dirt Road’.

My early years of childhood were in a little farm community in southern Indiana…a town called Owensville. There is something comforting, even to this day, about that little town. When I lived there, our home was just 2 blocks from downtown. I say ‘downtown’ with a smile on my face. Downtown was basically one block, with the old library in the center, and businesses across the street to the north and east.

The library sat in the center of the block with the remainder of the grounds being trees, a small band shell, and a monument to the local men and women who have served in our wars. Across the street to the north was the old church I attended, General Baptist, a grocery store, the 'Star Echo' building where the local paper was made and distributed once a week, the hardware store where my dad worked for 25 years, and a filling station. Across the street to the east of the library was the corner drug store where I’d go to get a sack full of penny candy, the bank, the pool hall, the five and dime, two restaurants, the post office, and another grocery store, the Red & White.

That was downtown Owensville as I remember it in the early 1960s. A simple life. There was no movie theater, no mall, no big name stores, not even a stop light.

A few blocks down the street was the school which held all grades from kindergarten through high school…all in one building. The school, from where my parents, brothers, sisters, cousins, nieces and nephews graduated, and I attended for 3 years.

The school is now long gone…torn down and a grassy lot remains. It and the other little nearby town’s schools were consolidated to one large school many miles away. The old gymnasium has been converted into a community center and memorabilia hall for class photos, old sports trophies, letter jackets and sweaters from years past. Class reunions meet there each year, among other community activities.

Much of the downtown has gone the way of other cities’ downtowns. The hardware store closed long ago. The corner drug store is torn down. The grocery stores are gone, no longer able to compete with the bigger city stores and Walmart, 15 miles away. The pool hall is still there. A few other little shops have taken over a few of the places. One restaurant still remains, still serving great food.

Most importantly, the wonderful people and the spirit of the small town is still there.

While visiting earlier this summer, I ran into a familiar face at the restaurant...coach Kenny Sharp and his wife. He was a teacher and the ‘young’ coach of the basketball team and other school sports, when I was there nearly 50 years ago. He was a classmate of my sister Joan. He and his wife didn’t remember me by appearance…until I reminded them of who I was…Wayne & Martha’s boy, Joan’s little brother. Oh yes, now they remember…little Danny. Some years before, when I was in town for a funeral of a distant family member, several people approached me to say they remembered me as the little red-headed, freckle-faced boy, and how much they loved my dad and my sister Joan. My sister lived in Owensville until her death. My dad moved back to Owensville after I married and, too, lived there until his death. The simple life of Owensville, where you can still be remembered, even when you haven’t lived there for over 40 years.

Well, it’s that simple life that is the theme of Red Dirt Road. “I was raised off of rural route 3/Out where the blacktop ends/We’d walk to church on Sunday morning/Race barefoot back to Johnson’s fence.”

Part of the chorus says, “I learned the path to heaven is full of sinners and believers/Learned that happiness on earth aint just for high achievers/I’ve come to know there’s life at both ends of that red dirt road.”

Most of my family, including myself, have taken that small road out of Owensville to move away to other parts of the world. We’ve taken on a different lifestyle, have good jobs, earn a good living, live in nice homes, and enjoy the benefits of a bigger city. My niece and nephew, and their children, still live in Owensville, living a different lifestyle than ours…a seemingly simpler life, having good jobs and nice homes, and the benefits of a small town.

I love my niece and nephew. They are Joan’s children. They are as wonderful as my sister.

I think of them…and the rest of my family…when I hear Red Dirt Road. Those that left that small town, those that stayed there.

We’ve each found life…good lives…at both ends, of that Red Dirt Road.

Dan