Without Sorrow, Can There Be Joy?
Those who don’t know how to weep with their whole heart, don’t know how to laugh either.
— Golda Meir
Lee Marvin, Captain Kangaroo, and Mr.Rogers
Quite a few of us grew up with Captain Kangaroo and Mr. Rogers, as you or your children probably did. I knew nothing of their backgrounds, only that their shows were both entertaining, educational, and as kids, we looked forward to them with great anticipation.
Lee Marvin was a genuine hero. He won the Navy Cross at Iwo Jima. There is only one higher Naval award… the Medal Of Honor. And so, he was a guest on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson.
Johnny said, “Lee, I’ll bet a lot of people are unaware that you were a Marine in the initial landing at Iwo Jima… and that during the course of that action you earned the Navy Cross and were severely wounded.”
“Yeah, yeah… I got shot square in the [backside] and they gave me the Cross for securing a hot spot about halfway up Suribachi … bad thing about getting shot up on a mountain is guys gettin’ shot hauling you down. But Johnny, at Iwo I served under the bravest man I ever knew … We both got the Cross the same day, but what he did for his Cross made mine look cheap in comparison. The dumb [guy] actually stood up on Red beach and directed his troops to move forward and get the hell off the beach. That Sergeant and I have been lifelong friends…. Sergeant Keeshan was the bravest man I ever knew…. Bob Keeshan …You and the world know him as Captain Kangaroo.”
On another note, there was this wimpy little man (who passed away in 2003) on PBS, gentle and quiet. Mr. Rogers is another of those you would least suspect of being anything but what he now portrays to our youth. But Mr. Rogers was a U.S. Navy Seal, combat proven in Vietnam with over twenty-five confirmed kills to his name. He wore a long-sleeved sweater to cover the many tattoos on his forearm and biceps. A master in small arms and hand-to-hand combat, able to disarm or kill in a heartbeat. He hid that away and won our hearts with his quiet wit and charm. He was also an ordained Presbyterian minister.
America’s real heroes don’t flaunt what they did, they quietly go about their day to day lives, doing what they do best. They earned our respect and the freedoms that we all enjoy.
If you’re wondering why this is in Inspirations, think of how inspiring the example of these men is. All went through the horrors of war. All made mistakes in their lives. But all three proved that it is possible to overcome horror, trauma, and mistakes and to recreate a life that is honest, pure, and edifying. All proved that the human spirit can triumph over the greatest of obstacles to become a role model worthy of respect and emulation. And I cannot think of anything more inspiring than that.
What’s Love Got to Do With It?
Love is not blind — it sees more, not less. But because it sees more, it is willing to see less.
— Rabbi Julius Gordon
On Life’s Changes
How do you pick up the threads of an old life left behind? How do you go on, when in your heart you begin to understand that there is no going back? That there are some things that time cannot mend. Some hurts that go too deep … that have taken hold.
— spoken by Frodo Baggins in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Would Renee Zellweger Find You Attractive?
I like to have nice conversations with a man that teach me something, make me mad, make me curious. Then I find him attractive.
— Renee Zellweger in Cosmopolitan, as quoted in Reader’s Digest
On Taking Risks
Whatever you want to do, just do it. Don’t worry about making a fool of yourself. Making a fool of yourself is absolutely essential.
— Gloria Steinem
And Which One Are You?
There are two kinds of people: those who say to God, “Thy will be done,” and those to whom God says, “All right, then, have it your way.”
— C. S. Lewis
Are You Coming in With Skid Marks?
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safe in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out and loudly proclaiming, “Wow! What a ride!”
— Anonymous…this was posted in my local coffee shop
What a Woman Wants….
My wish is to ride the tempest, tame the waves, kill the sharks. I will not resign myself to the usual lot of women who bow their heads and become concubines.
— Thieu Thi Trinh
Why the 10 Commandments Had to Go
The Ten Commandments display was removed from the Alabama Supreme Court building. There was a good reason for the move. You can’t post Thou Shalt Not Steal, Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery, and Thou Shall Not Lie in a building full of lawyers and politicians without creating a hostile work environment.