An Ounce - For Your Consideration

A man was lost in the desert. He’s was dying for lack of water. His brain was cooking inside his skull. The wind felt like a standing in front of a dozen hair dryers blasting away on their highest setting. 

HE needed water – soon.

He looked around him a there was nothing but dirt, sage, and cactus.

In the distance, he saw the shimmering of what appeared to be water – lots of it – but he knew better. It’s just a cruel trick of the sunlight and the heat.

He stumbled on.

He found a note at a deserted shack. It began:
Dear Friend,

Don’t know how the ‘heck’ you ended out up out here in the middle of nowhere. But, if you are reading this note you should consider yourself ‘Dang’ lucky. 

First, because you're still alive. 

Second, because I kin' help you … and anyone who comes after you ….  if you will carefully follow the instructions in this note. ...

Today's episode is on a subject that might be of some value as we look around at what is happening in our world today. 

Everything seems to be so loud, conflicting messages blasting at a fevered pitch - demanding attention, our obedience, and our agreement. 

Disease, Riots, political upheaval, natural disasters, and pundits who are trying to convince us that life as we know it is over unless we see things their way.

Lions; and Tigers; and Bears -- oh My!

In our lives, we will all face times when we are overwhelmed. When the world becomes so chaotic and loud, so hard to understand, that we need to just step back and let the dust settle. Pickup what is left, and move on. 

You may remember John Paul Jones, the American Revolutionary War hero, and his famous words, "I Have Not Yet Begun to Fight"!

Well, did you know he also lead the invasion of Britain in 1778?

This is a great story about a badly bumbled raid on Whitehaven in the UK, and how failure became a success in the end.

Our world is filled with things, gadgets, and ideas that are ingenious. Ingenious in the seemingly miraculous things they can do, in their complexity, or sometimes in their simplicity.

Have you ever pondered, “what is the best invention ever?”

Or seen some new gadget and thought, “That’s brilliant, I should have thought of that!”

I have…

SO, in this episode, I contacted friends and family and asked them, “What the best invention ever”? 

You'll enjoy their answers!

Seems everyone has heard of Rosa Parks, and rightly so, a young lady of color who refused to give up her seat and move to the back of the bus in Montgomery Alabama. IN the 1950s Her actions helped inspire real changes to the segregation laws that existed in the United States.

BUT, there is another…..

About a century earlier…..

The year was 1854, the American Civil war was still 7 years away. And, though Slavery had been abolished a quarter of a century earlier in New York, society was still heavily segregated.

Her name was Elizabeth Jennings. A plucky young school teacher in New Your City.

The Hindenburg disaster is one of the most well-known events of the early 20th century. Many have seen the old newsreels and the radio broadcast recorded as the Hindenburg burst into flames as it was attempting to land in New Jersey. We’ll explore that event and another event that happened previously. 

The beginnings of the age of the airships had great promise. But it was all new. Nobody really knew what to expect. There will always be failures and accidents that hadn’t been planned for. That is the nature of being a pioneer and experimenting, of doing things nobody else has 

He was that rare mix of tough and smart. He knew how to work hard, was occasionally restless, and one of those people who learned fast. 

He was born the son of a ‘gas driller’ and grew up turning wrenches. He was a very competent mechanic at a very young age. 

A few months after graduating from high school he enlisted in the Army Air Corps.

Learn what you might not have known about this legend and how he won a free Steak Dinner.

Every child probably has a favorite toy. For each child, this may be different based on their circumstances and the culture they live in.

What’s your favorite toy?

When I was young, one of my favorites was Billy Blast-off.

Billy Blast-off was an amazing toy set. The central piece was Billy. He stood about 4 inches tall, had arms that articulated at the shoulder and legs that articulated at the hips. 

Billy wore a spacesuit with 2 big blue air tanks on his back, which in reality contained 2 small batteries and a small electric motor.

Billy could be placed in a sitting position on 2 or 3 different vehicles. And, with his power button switched on he would lightly bounce across the floor on a moonwalker, lift and stack blocks with a small crane, or speed quickly across a smooth floor in a six-wheeled lunar racer.

I had hours of fun playing with Billy. But, As I grew, I forgot about him. And moved on to other distractions.

There was once a solitary man who purchased a farm. It was many years ago, and his new land was remote – far away from everyone. But he was happy with this. He had a good mule, a wagon, a rifle, and enough simple hardware and supplies until the seeds he planted were ready for harvest. 

The solitary man was very capable. He knew how to plant and tend crops. He knew how to hunt for game. He looked forward to building his life.

Seemingly insurmountable challenges came. He gathered himself set forward on a plan to abandon his land, his crops, his shack, and his good mule. And, with great effort, he would try to start over. But, life had something to teach the solitary man.

Jim and his twin brother Charlie were born on May 28th, 1888, in what is now Oklahoma. Just like everyone else his life was touched by joys, successes, defeats, and disappointments. 

But, this young boy grew to greatness. 

Jim spent much of his youth hunting and fishing with his dad and brother. He lived outdoors, observing, and learning to appreciate nature. He worked hard with his father, Hiram, who was a horse breeder and trainer – and bootlegger. It was said that by the time he was 6 years old he could shoot, ride, and trap. 

Jim set an example of being true to himself. He was who he was. A Native American who blessed with physical genius, a love of sports, the outdoors, and horses. 

He engaged in doing the things he loved in spite of the critics and haters and became an Olympic champion.

To those who were threatened by him, who disagreed with him, he was gracious. He allowed them to be who they were, and to think what they chose to. 

He understood that the faults you point out in others, and the arguments and conflicts you chose to have, expose not so much the faults you think you see, but instead, they lay bare your character.