Here are a few of my favorite “recent” photos that I’ve captured on my walks:
Profiles in courage: Fr. Ben Morin, S.J. (Lieutenant U.S. Army)
It’s late December 1941–the first fortnight of the U.S.’s involvement in the Second World War. You’re a 21-year old tank platoon commander. Just four weeks earlier, you and your men arrived in the Philippines. When you arrived, complacency ruled. American military members concerned themselves more with nightlife and parties than fighting the Japanese. Now a short month later, you’re at war. The Japanese have landed and are bearing down on your position as American and Filipino forces withdraw all around. Your whole tank company unit is running out of fuel. Someone needs to stop–or at least slow down–the advancing Japanese to facilitate the withdrawal. Your commanding officer informs higher echelon commanders that his company will pool its remaining fuel and that you will be taking your platoon of five tanks into the Japanese force’s teeth to buy the main body more time. Such was the position Ben Morin of Maywood, Illinois found himself in on December 22, 1941. A child of the Great Depression, Morin enlisted in the Army as a high school senior in 1938. By late ’41, he had been selected as an officer and given command his platoon. On December 22 of that year, Morin’s tank platoon…Continue reading Profiles in courage: Fr. Ben Morin, S.J. (Lieutenant U.S. Army)
Here we go…!
Well, there it is: my wife is just over 13 weeks pregnant. I’ve been wanting to shout it out to everyone I see all day, everyday! “Pregnant,” I want to shout. “With a baby!” “I’m going to be a dad!” “I’m going to be a dad!” It’s hard to express the happiness this news brings to one’s life. It’s a blessing from God. We received this great news less than a month after our wedding. Already looking back on it I am so glad we were open to pregnancy right away. I wouldn’t have it any other way. The perfect time for this baby isn’t next year. The perfect time for this baby isn’t when we are “set” in our career or “secure” money-wise. No. The perfect time for this baby is now. It’s amazing how this news puts life into perspective. Priorities formerly in flux have settled down and are now set in stone. This is our family This is us versus the world. I cannot wait to meet this baby. I cannot wait to see it grow up. My little brother had a good story: for years, he told us, he’s seen friends and acquaintances announce that they would be uncles or aunts…Continue reading Here we go…!
Walking outside in the winter: a recipe for a healthier you?
I love walking. Because I “retired” from running in 2012 I had to find a replacement. I tried walking and loved it. As Forrest Gump might say: from then on . . . I. was. walking. The mental and physical benefits I get from walking are second only to my weightlifting and require way less energy. My left knee and lower back don’t allow me to run for distance any longer. After I got out of the Marine Corps, the negatives outweighed the positives for running. It wasn’t worth it. And I hated it by the time I was done in the Marines. But I still need some sort of cardiovascular workout for heart health and weight control. So for a couple years I’ve walked. I try to make at least ten miles per week. Extrapolated over a whole year, that’d be over 500 miles. But I never walked in the winter. Once the weather dropped below freezing, I focused on weightlifting and saved walking for summer and—primarily—Minnesota’s best season; fall. This year, my life changed a lot. I gained not only a wife but also a husky. And huskies need exercise. So I committed to continuing my…Continue reading Walking outside in the winter: a recipe for a healthier you?
2017 reading list
With no further delay, here’s my 2017 reading list. Fiction and biographies dominate the list this year. At my job, I read a lot of dense legal materials, and reading is an escape for me. So lately, I’ve really liked to focus on stories. Biographies are the more “acceptable” forms of storytelling (some people think that reading fiction is a waste), but sometimes biographies are more dramatic and spellbinding than fiction. After all, truth is stranger than fiction. Note this list is in order of how much I enjoyed them. Individual experiences may vary: Independent People–Haldor Laxness (a classic for my all-time great list; simply stunning although a bit slow on the uptake) Clouds of Glory–Michael Korda (in a year where Americans tore down, defaced, and desecrated statues of Confederates all across the nation, this book solidified Robert E. Lee in my mind as, however flawed, one of the finest men out nation has ever produced) Gates of Fire–Steven Pressfield (a classic story of the Spartan 300 as told to Xerxes; a must-read for lower level leaders in the trenches with their subordinates) Napoleon: A Life–Andrew Roberts (a wonderful, informing read–highly recommended for the Napoleonic newbie) The Martian–Andy Weir (a good…Continue reading 2017 reading list
“Each bag had a tag”
After my morning walk with the dog, which the cold and wind had made quite a slog, I saw eight bags under the tree in my yard, through my mind’s morning fog. Each bag had a tag, what a sight I shan’t brag, but overnight, it appeared, Santa’d visited this stag. I looked at one tag ‘fore I tore in to the bag. What I saw would have stunned all my relation. I looked at my dog and exclaimed, “tarnation!” You see, each bag had a tag, and they said “For donation.” “Boy, to get through this, I’ll need a libation.” I ran to the house just as fast as a mare, rifled through my drawers and wanted to swear. “Where are all my old clothes?” I thought with despair. Then it dawned on me as my drink I did pour; I’d seen a man with bags the night before. Not Santa, but like him this man was portly I’d tried so hard to act covertly. I cursed myself and then I swore, “The man with the bags was me,” I said curtly. . . . Each bag had a tag, and they said “For donation.” These gifts will help…Continue reading “Each bag had a tag”
2015/16 (partial) reading list
I plan to put out my 2017 reading list soon, so I figured I should have the last one done. In the future, I hope to offer a short review of each book, but back in 2015/16 I did not plan to do that. Also, I did not keep really good records back then. Anyways, here’s the (partial) list: Flashboys–Michael Lewis A Man in Full–Tom Wolfe Dune–Frank Herbert American Caesar–William Manchester Goodbye Darkness–William Manchester The Stand–Stephen King Conversations with Major Dick Winters–Cole Kingseed Meditations–Marcus Aurelias The Revenant–Michael Punke Bonhoeffer–Eric Metaxas Blood Meridian–Cormack McCarthy Best book of the bunch? Bonhoeffer
War Lesson #1: Vanity
Something about veterans that bothers me is how widely and freely some share their war stories. A funny story here and there is fine. A story about someone else’s heroism is great. But all too often the stories smack of vanity and end with some self-aggrandizing point. I have also been guilty of this myself. After my first deployment, I moved from a rifle platoon to weapons company. When I arrived, I shared stories of my platoon’s firefights and other action too freely with the officers in my new company. Another officer in my new company—we’ll call him Michael—did not. After about a week, I noticed that he was taking the high road, and literally walked away from me and the others sharing stories. At one point, one of Michael’s other lieutenant buddies started making fun of me behind my back. But Michael steadfastly refused to participate in the storytelling and, to my knowledge, did not engage in the backstabbing. After hearing that another officer was talking poorly behind my back, I tried to table my anger and instead listened to the criticism. While I think the other lieutenant misunderstood me and had his own anger issues, I recognized some…Continue reading War Lesson #1: Vanity
Hiatus
I’ve been away for a while. During that time, I finalized my wedding plans, got married, went on a honeymoon, moved my wife into my house, and helped my wife start a new job. It’s time to get going again.