Lessons from a life

The top news headline today reads as some variant of this: Tim Russert dead at 58.

A few weeks ago, an obituary ran in a newspaper in IL. A long-time resident of that community had passed, after 100 years of life.

The first was a famous name of a television reporter who I occasionally watched on Sundays. The second is my father's godmother. It would seem comparing the testimonials of Russert's colleagues to the reflections of my own great-aunt would have nothing in common, and yet they remarkably do.

It appears Mr. Russert was a man of great faith who invested himself in people, regardless of their status. Listening to Bob Woodward and David Gregory said just as much, and personally I couldn't help but think he was a good guy after his insightful yet generous appearances on Jim Cramer's Mad Money. And reports have it that his family had just been in audience with Il Papa, which makes this Catholic smile.

My aunt lived her life without the public spotlight, but yet still gave herself in service to all. Her work as a trust officer secured a number of families with a stable financial foundation, many of whom returned her generosity upon their own deaths. She always enjoyed visitors to her house, and treasured that time with them. Her faith (also Catholic) was her foundation, the wellspring from which her generosity flowed.

I write this because as a society, we treat death almost exclusively as the sadness of losing something good and with the idea that the deceased has moved on to a better place. But to someone whose persona demands that things have a purpose, it seems that another question needs to be raised with equal reverence: What did he or she teach us? What good from his or her life should be incorporated into my life that hasn't been already? I'm not sure there's a universal answer to these questions, because these are the types of questions with answers that speak to a personal level.

For this purpose-obsessed mind, the lesson from both of these is clear: Too often do I associate purpose with tangible pursuits, rather than in developing relationships with people. Maybe it's that rugged individualism that is ingrained in American lore, but I find myself looking to help my pursuits almost as much as I should be trying to help others'. Yet my head knows that it is in genuinely helping others that we most help ourselves. As Jesus was quoted: "The first is this: 'Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is Lord alone! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these." (Mk 12: 29-31; author's emphasis)

That's how Tim Russert lived. That's how my great aunt lived. That how we all need to live.

Seamheads post

Today's post on Seamheads is an orientation to statistics. Yes, I use baseball examples, but the lessons within are something to understand across all numeric data that you're presented, like polls.

A new feature

Some smart person related to me by blood made the brilliant suggestion that I post links here to my work at Seamheads. Well, here's my post for this week.

If I remember, expect this every Wednesday. And I'll stop promising to be more regular with posts here when it's obvious that writing in this space is not a high priority.

Day by day with people

So, I finally am back again. I should use this space more often, and I plan to do so.

The following may or may not be a valid thought, but it goes through my mind often enough that it is worth musing about.

I often find myself caught in a pickle. On the one hand, there are all these societal norms that for one reason or another define what is acceptable and what isn't. On the other, there's the individual personality, which is a unique aspect of each human being. And if there is some line that is between them, I have the hardest time finding it.

Some days it seems as if I get looked at like a raving lunatic who has enough marbles not to be committed to an institution but still makes no sense with what comes out of my mouth or what I do. Maybe that's my personality that just says "To hell with what society says to do, I'm doing it my way." Maybe there's something I don't understand that people are too afraid to tell because someone is just supposed to "get it". Or maybe their personality just doesn't take well to mine. Whatever it is, it confounds my finite mind.

Of course, I'm guilty too. I'm an extrovert, and an introvert can be easily intimidated by what can be a domineering personality. But the only time some people communicate that is to another friend. Same with opinions about someone that may/may not be well founded. And to these I say this: If you don't have the cajones to say something to my face, then it probably is a thought that belongs in the garbage.

Now, I fully understand why many societal norms are in place, particularly ones that enforce (good) mores. And the ones I understand I follow. But why does it seem like you have to approach people in a certain manner? Or, maybe more to my point, why do some people just not seem to be able to accept people for what they are at the core? In my Catholic-raised mind, any other human is a creation in the likeness and image of God.

There's an old phrase "love the sinner, hate the sin" that I think works well here. We try to distance ourselves from those who don't conform to what we deem acceptable. And we rob ourselves of a chance to not only see the good in a person, but to maybe even affect their life in a positive manner.

Perhaps this doesn't make sense, perhaps it does. But it's almost 1 am, so the mind might be a little tired.

The transition

So yeah, I promised a nice update to the site and more frequent posts, and what do you get? NOTHING. Zilch. And a barren wasteland of posts for the last month, save for a little Easter rejoicing.

But while this transition failed (thus far), others have gone on. Winter has turned to spring back to winter back to spring here in high plains. Case and point was the last 4 days. Thursday: 5 inches of snow. Today: 70 degrees. Go figure. Friendly visitors from the homeland have come and gone. And the single guy in me is still struggling to give way to the married man I'm about to become. Guess that last one is OK for the moment (emphasis on it being for the moment). And I'm up and running with weekly posts at Seamheads.

Now, if only I could get some resolution on grad school.....

Happy Easter

He is risen! 'Nuff said.

When you know your government has it backwards

By now, you've read the headlines about this little deal that finished the stunning collapse of one of the most respected investment banks. And if I were you, I'd be sick to my stomach knowing that $236 million of my taxpayer dollars just helped keep the wealthy rich while companies like Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac languish to a point that threatens the average person. And my gut truly is feeling sick as I type because of this.

You can easily see those who had money invested with Bear Sterns and JP Morgan as the winners here, while the shareholders of BSC get the major shaft. Of course, whoever bought 55,000 put options at $30 is looking like a genius at this point, provided he isn't the next coming of Jeff Skilling. And yet the $2 per share price just seems like rich have gotten richer.

In this writer's opinion, this fiasco is another example of Bernanke's ineptitude as Fed Chairman, and the failed economic policies of the current White House administration. They somehow think that bailing out an investment bank is the solution when the power of the middle class is declining, the plummeting value of the dollar is pushing imported commodities higher, most notably crude oil, and people in this country keep thinking that to live beyond one's means is a human right rather than a stupid financial decision, everyone must own a home even if it is impractical for one's vocation/profession, and that the government will try to save the average American from debt by putting the country further into it. Have we no sense of logic anymore?

The premise of the "Dark Angel" television series was an EMP turning the US into a 3rd world country overnight (and to expose a young actress by the name of Jessica Alba). Perhaps it won't take such an action from science fiction, but is already occurring because of the hands of Ben, Hank, and George W.