2016 Erie Canal Towpath Bicycle Ride

I had often dreamed of doing an extended bicycle ride.  As years passed I considered what it would be like to ride west to east across Kansas or Nebraska.  Why those two states?  Because they are mostly flat and with a predominately west wind, it would seem easier to make the ride.  The only problem with Kansas and Nebraska is that they are both quite hot in the summer.

When we moved to New York, my sights fell on the Erie Canal Towpath.

The original canal crossed New York from Albany on the Hudson River to Buffalo at Lake Erie.  It ran 363 miles.  Construction began in 1817 and has 36 locks.  It has an elevation differential of 565 feet.  Commerce before the canal was done primarily by pack animal. Creation of the canal reduced shipping charges by 95 cents on the dollar.  All work on the canal was human and animal powered.  The original canal was 40 feet wide and 4 feet deep.  Animals pulled a “slip scraper” to help move earth.  Surveyors and engineers had little or experience in civil engineering yet managed to be precise in their work.  Most of the laborers were from Scotland and Ireland.

This is me on the first day of the ride.  The picture was taken in Pittsford, New York, at about 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, September 7, 2016.  Please note the helmet.

I saw only two canal boats.  While there were other boats on the canal, this one was a tour boat.  These folks were friendly and waved and greeted me as they traveled down the canal.

My first real break on the first day was in Palmyra, New York.  This was close to the halfway point in the journey.  Susan met me here and treated me to lunch.  I was sweating already and the temperature was already in the 90s. Notice the book in front of me.  It is a map of the route.  It was accurate sometimes.  Two of the most important items I took on my ride was a GPS that had an odometer and a mileage chart that I created before the trip.  These two items helped me know where I was most of the time.  Villages along the path did not have welcome signs on the trail.  There was only one time when the book map was a total failure and that was because of a path closure and detour with no directions as to where to go.  I lost very valuable time because of that.  It cost me about eight miles that I had to make up the following day.

This was one of the many locks along the trail.  This particular lock had a dry dock.  The lock could be filled with water then drained completely dry thus allowing for painting and repairs.

As mentioned in the previous picture, this particular lock had a dry dock.  This particular boat was getting a fresh paint job while I was there.  Unfortunately I was downwind of the spray painting that was taking place.  I took a brief break anyway.

Andy and Bonnie Underwood and their dog met me at Port Byron and treated me to refreshments and company while I was stopped here.  Their visit was most welcome.

Since I was dedicating the ride to law enforcement it was only fitting that I get my picture taken with a law enforcement vehicle.  This particular one was driven by Deputy Westover.  He was at the park at Port Byron with a half dozen trustees from the jail who were doing cleanup work at the park.  Westover respectfully declined to be in the picture.

I specifically chose to ride 120 miles on this ride.  On average, 120 police officers die in the line of duty each year. This year's ride was for those who have already been killed in the line of duty and those that I am sure will be killed before the end of the year.  My only fear is that I didn't ride far enough.  My hope is that I rode too far.

There have been at least three generations of the Erie Canal from what I could tell.  Obviously, this one isn’t in use any more.  It serves as an example of how Mother Nature reclaims her land when it is abandoned.  It was not at all unusual to see sections of the canal that had fallen trees, weeds, cattails, and other water vegetation growing.  Surprisingly, there were very few ducks and geese along the canal.  However, I saw a blue heron and a bald eagle on the ride.

This is part of an old canal lock just west of Weedsport, New York.  There’s some pretty fancy artwork there.  There were some parts of the abandoned canal that were completely covered by vegetation and barely noticeable unless you happened to be paying attention.  This one just happened to be in a clearing alongside a highway.  There are old abandoned locks visible along the New York Thruway (I-90).  This one was on NY-5.

Mother Nature won here, except it is now part of a park in Jordan, New York.  It was right after I left this area that I was caught in a torrential downpour.  There was heavy rain for about 20 minutes.  The only shelter I could find was under an elm tree, which provided absolutely no shelter at all.  Everything was soaked, including a $300 camera that was in a waterproof bag that wasn’t so waterproof.  No.  The camera isn’t working.  To give you an idea as to how much of a storm it was, I had to stop three times to cross over trees that had come down on the towpath.

While I stopped for a break I noticed this flag in the distance.  It was a nice reminder of those who built this great nation and specifically of those Americans who labored on the canal.  I took this picture with the camera that was later ruined.  The flag was in Jordan and was several hundred yards away from me.

This is Nine Mile Aqueduct just a few miles from the west side of Syracuse.  This picture was taken on the second day of my ride and a couple of hours after the rain storm.  Notice the puddle on the trail on the left side of the picture of the aqueduct.

The trail consists primarily of paved sections, highway, and crushed limestone that is quite smooth in most places.  The only problems with the crushed limestone is that  when it is wet the bicycle tires pick up the pieces of limestone and coat your legs and bicycle.  It feels a bit like being stung by bees – mile after mile.  In some areas the limestone can be a couple of inches thick, which makes it a little difficult to traverse.  Think what it is like to walk barefoot on dry beach sand and you’ll understand what I’m talking about.

The ride was in early September. There were a few early signs of Fall; however, temperatures were in the 90s.

Half of the trail between Syracuse and Rome falls within the Erie Canal State Park.

This is one of the original bridges on the canal.  This part of the canal is no longer navigable, but the bridge is usable.  Notice how low the bridge is to the water.  Passengers on canal boats would have to leave the top deck in the open air and go below in order to go under these bridges.

During its peak year, there were 33,000 passages on the canal.  While several of the barges carried consumer goods, many also carried immigrants and vacationers.  Some canal boat captains provided entertainment on their boats (generally a band).  Sleeping accommodations were provided on the boats by hanging curtains down the middle of the inside of the boat and having women sleeping on one side of the curtain and men on the other side.  Beds folded out of the walls on the inside of the boat and cots were used in the middle of the floor.

The towpath is alongside the canal, which is on the left in this picture.  Here the towpath bridge and aqueduct cross over a small river that is on the right side of the picture.  There are several stream, creek, and river crossings on the canal, but many have been put out of service essentially draining the old canal.

There are occasional benches along the way.  There were about a half dozen parks or highway roadside parks along the path.  Much of the path along the canal is surrounded by trees, which is not the case on highway portions of the trail.  When there are covered picnic tables you tend to take advantage of them.  And when there is a shade tree over a picnic table, you take advantage of that also.

During the hay day of the canal, trees did not line its banks.  Remember that mules and horses had to tow the boats, so there could not be obstructions between the towpath and the boats on the canal.  Occasionally boats would meet each other while traveling in opposite directions.  A right of way pattern was established that allowed a team of mules or horses to cross on the lower and closer side of the canal while the other team crossed higher.

Dirt that had been in the path of the canal was dug up and thrown to the side to create the towpath.  There are portions of the canal where dirt was brought up from both sides of the towpath to create the towpath.  It is in these areas that the canal is actually higher than the surrounding earth.

My ride ended in Rome, New York at Fort Stanwix.  This is me about ten minutes after I arrived.  Though the trail crossed some fairly busy streets in Rome, most of the trail was on side streets with very little traffic.

Most of the people that I met on the trail were recreational day users out for their daily run or ride.  But, there were exceptions.  I met a couple on a tandem bicycle traveling from New Hampshire to Buffalo.  They were stopping along the way visiting the various museums along the way and staying in motels and bed and breakfasts.  I also met a man who was backpacking to Ohio.  “Handlebar” was a 70 year-old retired tech firm founder and wore a kilt.  In both cases we stopped and chatted with each other and exchanged trail information and used the chance to visit as an excuse to rest a bit.

The two pictures here are of me at the beginning of my ride and at the end of the ride.  You can see that I am no worse for wear.  Though I lost seven pounds over the three day ride I am certain that most of the weight loss was water.  That is in spite of the fact that I was constantly drinking water during the ride.

Would I do it again?  I suppose so.  In fact, I am hoping to do a 35 mile stretch later in October between Rome and Herkimer, New York.  I'm hoping I can talk a few friends into coming along with me.  Would I do the same stretch again?  Probably not except for the stretch between Syracuse and Rome.  Too much of the trail was on the highway between Lyons and Port Byron, New York.

Why I Cannot Support Donald Trump at Present

I previously wrote why I cannot vote for Hillary Clinton for President.  When I did so, I mentioned two key attributes that are important to me.  They are character and competence.  Those two attributes trump (please forgive the use of the word “trump” in this sentence) the next important motivation for voting for a candidate.  That motivation deals with alignment of a candidate’s platform with what I would like to see a president do while in office.

Let me begin with character.  I’ll end there, too.

When speaking of Hillary Clinton I described her demeanor behind the scenes and how different it is when she is in front of a camera or a crowd.  I do not have the benefit of first-hand, personal observation of Mr. Trump.  What I’ve seen on public display, however, provides me with enough information to draw some conclusions.

First of all, his public use of profanity is not even close to that of Clinton’s private language.  That does not excuse his language.  His public use of profanity tells me that he is insensitive to others.  It is not the kind of language I would expect from a national leader let alone someone who is going to be on the world stage and a leader of the free world.  While I want a president who is a straight shooter, I believe it is important that presidential language should reflect the values of the represented society.  Though it seems profanity is the norm these days, I don’t think our republic wants a president who depends upon shock value to get what s/he wants.  In fact, I think the leaders of most other countries will find it offensive.  Well, maybe the president of the Philippines might not find it offensive.

I believe he is a narcissistic personality.  While he says that he wants to make America great again, that is exactly the problem.  HE wants to make America great again.  Whether or not you believe that America is no longer great is not the issue (personally I believe we’ve lost our greatness but I don’t see anybody else stepping up to the plate).  It is all about him and what he will do as President.  Don’t get me wrong, every presidential candidate stumps on what he or she will do as President, but his campaign is too much about him.

His marital infidelity speaks volumes.  First there was the affair with Marla Maples while married to his first wife.  Then, to quote Mr. Trump in his book The Art of the Comeback: “If I told the real stories of my experiences with women, often seemingly very happily married and important women, this book would be a guaranteed best-seller” (http://www.nationalreview.com/ corner/430381/donald-trump-ben-sasse-twitter-question-marital-infidelity).

On the plus side, Trump appears to be very social and ambitious, attributes that should make for a good president.  He also appears to be purpose driven.  However, I believe he is a bit roguish – no, a lot roguish.  He downplays past mistakes with a shrug of the shoulders.  His past business dealings may have been completely legal, e.g., bankruptcy (at least four), but I wonder about his multiple use of bankruptcy laws.  Just because something is legal doesn’t make it right.  Perhaps a single bankruptcy can be excused, but multiple claims wave a red flag in the face of character in  my humble opinion.

Along with being roguish, I think he is a thrill-seeker.  There is nothing wrong with being a thrill-seeker.  There is social science research that points to this particular common attribute among police officers and criminals.  I note that one of those two groups keeps its thrill-seeking within the bounds of the law in the vast majority of occasions.  In Mr. Trump’s case, I believe his thrill-seeking is reckless and with little regard for the consequences to others.

One characteristic I would like to see in a President is the ability to make quick decisions based on available data.  His public behavior suggests to me that he really doesn’t think things through before he shoots off at the mouth.  He doesn’t seem too concerned about details.  As much as he doesn’t seem too concerned about details I question his concern for others.  I think this falls in line with his narcissistic personality.  As President he will be the boss and will give the orders, but good bosses listen to their subordinates and rely on their expertise.  I think that Trump is so self-centered that he will not take the advice of subordinates.  I see that as a major character flaw.

I have no problem with people who want to make their living in real estate; however, when that real estate involves casinos I have a problem.  Just because gambling seems to be America’s favorite pastime doesn’t mean that it is right to make money off the backs of others.  If you choose to gamble, that’s your business, but I’ve seen too many losers at the tables that translated into losers with the mortgage, bills, and feeding and clothing families.  And any addiction to gambling is too many addictions.  To build and front a casino where this happens is simply morally wrong in my humble opinion.  You are entitled to your own opinion on gambling.  If you have an opposing view on this issue you are welcome to share it on your own blog or Facebook timeline.

I find him to be duplicitous.  He appears to say what he wants to say at the time he says it in order to gain the favor of the people he is speaking to, which on its face appears to be contrary to what he has told others.  I use the word appears above with caution.  Not having seen his complete stance on issues I may not understand how things he has said in one setting dovetails with something different he has said elsewhere.

I want to add a favorable comment here about a couple of specific issues that I believe many people have wrong about Trump.  Contrary to popular opinion, I do not believe Trump to be racist.  I also believe that in his professional business dealings that he treats women as fairly as he does men.  I’m fairly certain that what he says about women does not accurately reflect his behavior in a business or professional setting.  If elected as President of the United States I fully expect him to have multiple women serving in cabinet and deputy cabinet level positions and that he will relate to them the way he will relate to men at those and lower levels of government.

The title of my remarks here is Why I Cannot Support Donald Trump at Present.  I want to emphasize the last two words in that title: at Present.  The jury is still out on Mr. Trump for me.  Right now I cannot support him simply based upon his character.  He’s loud and boisterous and very self-centered.  He appears to be erratic.  He shows little concern for others, but unlike his primary opponent, at least he is publicly showing it. 

At the risk of sounding like Donald Rumsfeld, there are things we know about both Trump and Clinton and we know that there are things that we don’t know about the two of them.  But with Clinton, we don’t know what we don’t know.  As Rumsfeld said, there are unknown unknowns.  I think his remarks about knowns and unknowns are referred to as the Johari Window or something like that.  I find that to be a dangerous political minefield.

The Forces of Change

In spite of not being the most social person in the world, I still enjoy watching people.  This week has been no exception.

As many of you know I’ve been getting up each morning long before the sun comes up and going for a bike ride.  I do at least 20 miles a day, five days a week.  Since I’ve been riding I have decided that I should do it with a goal in mind.  Recently I mentioned on Facebook that I was going to do a 50-mile bike ride.  Since then I’ve upped the mileage of that ride to 120 miles.  Now I am calling my morning bike rides training regimens.  I know that a 120-mile bike ride over a three day period may not seem like much for some folks, but it is a major goal for me and I am really looking forward to it.

I recently took the bike in to a bicycle shop to have it serviced.  The servicing didn’t turn out so good and I’ve taken it back to get it fixed.  That is an entirely different story and depending upon how it all pans out there may be another story to share about a major sporting goods chain.  Anyway, the bike is in the shop and will be for a few days, so instead of riding the bike at four-thirty in the morning Monday I got up and walked the same trail that I normally ride.

Since I was doing something out of my normal routine I decided to try a little social science experiment.  I had a pretty good idea where the experiment would go before I did it since I had previously experienced the results of what I was going to do Monday.  Let me explain what happened before my morning experiment.

Susan and I normally walk the rail trail together in the mornings.  We are generally on the trail around seven-thirty in the morning.  As can be expected we pretty much see the same people every morning and exchange greetings.  There are two brothers in particular that we have come to know.  We always say hello to each other and it is not at all unusual for us to stop and chat for a few minutes then continue on our way, generally in opposite directions.  One morning toward the end of my bike ride, which coincided with the beginning of the brothers’ walk, I greeted them as I rode past them.  They had absolutely no idea who I was.

That is what led up to my little social science experiment on Monday.  Keep in mind that my bike is in the shop and that I walked this morning instead of ride the bike (the bike that I can’t ride because the shop didn’t fix it right in the first place and now I’m without a bike at the height of my training regimen – end of rant).

I’m always wearing a helmet, knee-high shorts, a T-shirt, my glasses, and I ride with lights on my bike when I’m riding.  Remember that I’m riding long before the sun comes up.  As I walked this morning I wore blue jeans, a T-shirt, a baseball cap, and I carried a flashlight (which I didn’t use).  You may remember a few weeks ago that I did a Friday Friends essay on the people I meet and have come to know each morning as I ride.  This morning’s experiment involved them.  My prediction was that they would not recognize me as we passed.  Of course you knew that already.

As I neared the halfway point of my walk I first met Phil, the 80 year-old Marine.  As we passed he nodded and said hello and kept on walking.  I said, “Good morning, Phil.”  He immediately stopped and turned around and looked at me.  “Greg?” he asked.  “I didn’t recognize you.  You are always on your bike and I know when you are coming because of the light on your bike.  You hadn’t passed me yet and I thought maybe you weren’t coming today.”

As we talked I saw Olga running toward us.  She said hello to Phil and rather than stop and join the conversation like she normally would, she kept on running.  (I loved it!)  I said, “Good morning, Olga.”  Just like Phil, she stopped dead in her tracks and turned around and came back and said, “Is that you Greg?  Where’s your bike?  I didn’t realize that it was you.”

In their defense it was still dark when we passed each other, but there was enough ambient light that we all could make out each other’s faces.

As I walked out I met the older couple from Florida that I had mentioned in my Friday Friends comments.  It was about a quarter after six in the morning when we passed and though the sun was not up there was enough light that that they could see who I was.  We passed and I said hello to them and we each kept walking in opposite directions.  We had maybe 20 feet between us when I heard a voice say, “Hey, aren’t you the bike guy?”  I just had to smile.  We stopped and visited and I explained why I was walking instead of riding.

The same thing happened on Tuesday when I met Mary on the trail.  I wished her a good morning as we passed going in opposite directions.  She muttered something in response and kept walking.  That was totally unlike her.  By the time we met a second time on our return trips on the trail she had figured out who I was.

I previously mentioned that we seek for affiliation and pointed to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.  The need for affiliation, belonging, and friendship falls immediately above our safety, security, and social stability needs, which is above those basic human physiological needs.  In many respects, what I experienced these two days was evidence of that second tier of needs, that of safety and security.

I recall taking different types of personality inventories and being asked questions about how I related to change.  I never really liked that question because I’ve always heard that people do not like change and I rather like it.  I enjoy seeing new places and I have been somewhat of a change agent in my careers.  However, just like we come to know and accept certain rhythms in life, those rhythms become familiar to us.  When we break those rhythms, or when they become broken for us, then our environment becomes unfamiliar and unstable.  We don’t really know what to expect.  We may not feel in danger, but the need for knowing where we fit into our environment becomes obvious.  This need is as much about familiarity as it is the need for employment, good health, and property.

Consider the following examples.  When you have taken a class where there is no assigned seating, where do you sit on the second and subsequent class meetings?  When you go to church, do you migrate to the family pew?  When you return to an area where you have visited sometime in the past, do you look for familiar landmarks?  Do you sometimes marvel at how things have changed?  Are you satisfied with yourself that you are in the right area when you see a familiar sight?  How do you feel, what passes through your mind when somebody else is sitting in the family pew?  How do you react when you don’t find those familiar landmarks?  How are you in large airport terminals that you have never been to before?  What do you do when you go to a conference or convention in a distant city and there is nobody there that you know and then off in the distance you see a familiar face?

It isn’t so much change that we dislike as it is the lack of familiar surroundings and circumstances.  It is the unknown that brings us discomfort.  Just like our mental and emotional comfort zones we also have our temporal comfort zones as well.  Those temporal comfort zones, those familiar places and circumstances help us to feel safe and secure.  They provide the framework for social and emotional comfort. 

Return with me to my little experiment.  My friends who are accustomed to seeing me in the dark hours of the morning, riding a bicycle, and wearing a bicycle helmet, essentially avoided me until they recognized me.  They only recognized me once I had spoken to them.  Admittedly, my appearance had changed, which goes further to prove the point.  They were not familiar with the person whose appearance was altered.  (I really want to say something cute like they didn’t recognize me with my clothes off, but that doesn’t seem quite right.)  Once they recognized me they stopped and engaged in conversation with me.  I am familiar to them.  They were now comfortable in visiting with the person that they knew, not the stranger they had never seen before.

So, is it change that we are uncomfortable with or do we seek familiar anchors to help us feel safe in our environment?  Would you rather go alone to a foreign land that you have never been to before and where there are different customs and languages or would you rather go with your spouse or close friend who has also never been there?  Perhaps it’s the anchor of familiar surroundings and circumstances that we prefer as opposed to change that we avoid.  Perhaps more of us would willingly embrace change if there was the promise of familiarity attached to it.

Music

Music

Rick Daniel reminded me recently of the role that music plays in my life.  It seems like ever since high school music was never more than a foot-tap away.

I recall taking a music aptitude test in sixth or seventh grade.  “They” would play notes side by side and ask if the second note was higher or lower than the first note.  I didn’t have a clue what that meant.  Nonetheless, thanks to my good friends Richard Miller and Jerry Smith I found myself signed up for band.  The band director put us in a practice room and told us to come out and join the band when we felt we were ready.  That was pretty much the extent of my first and only music lesson on the cornet.  After a few weeks of practice we were feeling pretty sure of ourselves so we made the mistake of coming out of the practice room.  The first piece of music we attempted to play was the William Tell Overture.  I don’t recall if we finished before or after everyone else, but we headed back to the practice room.

Time passed and we eventually did make our way into the last seats of our respective sections.  Jerry played the tenor saxophone and Richard and I played cornets.  While Richard excelled I floundered.  I think that is why the band director switched me to French horn where I could focus on playing after-beats and not do anything else more complicated than that.  He also let me swing the baton around and conduct music once in a while.  I think both band directors we had in high school felt that they had to give me something that I could handle.

Rick Daniel, Jerry Smith, and Richard Miller and I formed a part of a Dixieland Band.  The other founding members were Mike Shaddy (clarinet), and Gary Bruce (baritone saxophone).  I understand that Mike has since passed away.  Rick played a wicked trombone.  Since there was nothing left to play I picked up some drumsticks and beat on an old drum (trap) set.  We called ourselves a couple of different names.  Because we all wore glasses except for Gary Bruce we first settled on The Four-eyed Five Plus Two.  Then Gary found a pair of cheap reading glasses or non-prescription glasses and wore them with the rest of us.  That’s when we called ourselves the Foresights.  I must admit that we were pretty good.  We played a few gigs that kept us feeling important and even got our picture in the local newspaper.  However, it was playing Dixieland music that got me to learn to love that style of music.  Al Hirt, Louis Satchmo  Armstrong, and Bent Fabric (yes, that’s what he called himself) became my musical heroes.  I remember feeling like I had died and gone to heaven when Richard and I met Louis Armstrong.  He had a gold mouthpiece for his trumpet and seriously calloused lips.

It wasn’t just Dixieland music that moved me.  Word got out at church that I could lead music and as a result I found myself frequently substituting for our church chorister.  Later in my adult life I was our congregation’s chorister and choir director.  The highlight of my church music career was to lead our congregation’s choir “at the Civic”.  (That would be our small community’s high school civic auditorium, but it was still “the Civic”.)  I am still called upon from time to time to fill in for a chorister.  While I enjoy swinging my arm around – directing music – I must admit that I find it embarrassing that I cannot sing and therefore find it very difficult to pick a starting note for singing when we lack a pianist or organist.

Rick reminded me of the music of the 60s and 70s.  Those were the days when you could understand the words to the popular music of the time.  Those were the days of the Beatles, Beach Boys, Dave Clark Five, The Kinks, The Byrds, Fleetwood Mac, Peter and Gordon, The Buckinghams, Gary Lewis and the Playboys, and the Detroit Sound (The Four Tops, Supremes, The Spinners, etc.). 

Speaking of the Detroit Sound, every music center had its own sound and you could tell if a song was recorded in Detroit or Memphis or Los Angeles or New York just by listening.  Then there was Phil Spector’s Wall of Sound.  I remember hearing that for the first time and thinking to myself that music had entered a whole new era.  Anyway, my friends and I could sing along with all of them, pretty much like kids can do today.  But, there was other music besides the rock ‘n roll.

There was this thing called folk music.  I’m not sure that it was so much folk music as it was ballads that were being played.  We’re talking about groups like the Kingston Trio, The New Christie Minstrels, Peter, Paul, and Mary.  We’re talking about Tom Dooley hanging his head down and Peter, Paul and Mary asking where all the flowers had gone.  Was it Puff the Magic Dragon that took the flowers?  I don’t think so.  Those were the days of the Hootenanny.  Those were the days when it was first acceptable to sit cross-legged on the grass and sway back and forth to the music and to sing along.  You see, there was this little war going on in Vietnam and there were a lot of protests against the war and much of the music of the time was anti-war music.  It was a perfect combination.  We were a bunch of idealistic and impressionable teenagers caught up in the music and lyrics of the day.  And yet, there we were – a bunch of young teenagers from middle class America in its heartland, one of the most conservative states in the Union at the time.

I’ve never strayed far from music.  I am not like some of my friends, like Clarice Snyder (aka Jane Engleman during those school days) who is over-the-top musically talented, but I do tap my toe when I hear a tune that I like or that brings back memories.  Sometimes I tap my toe when I’m the only one who can hear the music.  And I like just about all genre of music (opera excepted – well, light opera is acceptable). 

I was never really proficient at playing any musical instrument and I certainly have not done anything to improve that situation.  To my credit, I encourage my grandchildren to take an instrument in school and to stick with it.  All five of our children played in their high school band at least for a while.  And, I’ve been plucking on a guitar and ukulele, thanks to Roger Wickers from about 40 years ago and Holly Baxter most recently.  Roger, if you are reading this you will be pleased to learn that I have callouses on my fingertips.  I still am not any good on barre chords and I am beginning to learn how to get into an F-minor and B-flat.  Or is that a B7?  I don’t know, but I really like the sound it makes.  The rest of the B chords are beyond me. (Roger, FYI –  I’m trying to learn how to stretch my fingers apart.  It’s hard.)  Regardless, I’m getting to the point where I can play a handful of songs without looking at the fingers on my left hand.  Not bad for an old guy.  Susan mentioned a 12-string the other day.

Just to show you how warped I am and the influence music has had on my life let me share a simple example with you.  While teaching at the college every now and then a phrase would come out of my mouth that would be the same as a few words in a tune I heard years ago. With little or no notice to my students I would break out into song in class in spite of the fact that I cannot carry a tune in a…well, you know.  I loved the looks I got from befuddled students sitting in front of me, but what were they going to do?  They were a captive audience and had little recourse but to sit and take it.

We have Sirius XM Radio in one of our cars.  It is tuned in to 60s on 6.  I enjoy listening to Phlash Phelps and Cousin Bruce and Pat St. John.  (I can’t stand Peter Noone on the weekends.)  I enjoy traveling down the highway singing along with whoever is singing at the time.  When I’m in the pickup, which doesn’t have the XM radio, I have it tuned in to a 50s and 60s station.  Most of the time Susan is not with me in the pickup so it is not unusual for me to sing a touch louder.  The nice thing about it though is that when I pull up to a red light I see others either singing along to their radios or bobbing their heads in time with the music.  It’s nice to know that I’m not the only one who has a thing about music.

Where was I going with all this?  Oh, yeah, I remember now.  Music.  It has been a part, a big part of my life since my early teen years.  I cannot imagine life without music today.  It reflects so much of life, so much of the feelings and experiences at different times in life. 

Karen and Richard Carpenter sang a song that describes what I’m talking about.

When I was young I'd listen to the radio
Waitin' for my favorite songs
When they played I'd sing along, it made me smile

Those were such happy times and not so long ago
How I wondered where they'd gone
But they're back again just like a long lost friend
All the songs I loved so well

Lookin' back on how it was in years gone by
And the good times that I had
Makes today seem rather sad, so much has changed.

It was songs of love that I would sing to then
And I'd memorize each word
Those old melodies still sound so good to me
As they melt the years away

Every sha-la-la-la
Every wo-o-wo-o, still shines
Every shing-a-ling-a-ling, that they're startin' to sing's, so fine

When they get to the part
Where he's breakin' her heart
It can really make me cry, just like before
It's yesterday once more

Songwriters: JOHN BETTIS, RICHARD LYNN CARPENTER
© Universal Music Publishing Group

You see, there is music for every emotion, for every person, and for every event in life.  Whether it’s on the Eve of Destruction, or the Last Date, there’s a song for that.  If your sweetheart has Lost that Lovin’ Feeling or if you and your date fell asleep at the drive-in movie and you are in trouble deep, there is music go help you get through it.  Should it be the Little Old Lady from Pasadena or if you are Getting Around in your Little Deuce Coupe, you can rev up your engines to the beat of the west coast sound.  When you are trying to tell Michelle, Mary Lou, Peggy Sue, or Oh, Denise that you love her true, there are words and melodies to see you through.  When you experience those tender moments when you are in wonder of How Great God is (How Great Thou Art) or you want to send God’s blessings with a friend Till we Meet Again, someone felt inspired to put those feelings into words and music.  You can always Catch a Falling Star and Put it in your Pocket or Listen to the Rhythm of the Falling Rain to music.  If you are looking for an Octopus’s Garden or want to help Rocky Raccoon, you’ll find Lennon, McCartney, Harrison, and Starr (Starkey) to sing you through it.  If there is any doubt in your mind, I still Dig Rock ‘n Roll Music, but I still like Butterfly Kisses and I see Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain all the time.

Music still makes me want to say “What a Wonderful World”. 

Oh, yeah (or Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yea-a-a-a-a-h).

Why I Cannot Vote for Hillary Clinton for President

Not long ago a Facebook friend suggested that I explain why I would not vote for Hillary Clinton for President of the United States. I would like to take that challenge on now.

Before I begin I should explain the two-pronged test I use to determine who I rely upon to provide services to me.  Failure to meet either part of the test will disqualify a person, business, or candidate from consideration.  The two-pronged test is quite simple: Character and Competence.

A person who is competent but lacks character cannot be trusted to provide what is needed to deliver a required service. Though that person may do exceptional work, that person may deliver more than what you need, do shoddy work, or deliver a product or service that is sub-standard or pocket the reward.  This person cannot be trusted to give you an honest answer or honest work.

A person who can be trusted, who has good moral character may not necessarily be capable of delivering the needed service. However, this person will at least tell you if he or she can provide what is needed.

What I look for is a person who has good moral character (honest) AND who is capable. With that as a prelude, let me explain why I cannot support Hillary Clinton for President.

First of all, I dismiss much of the hyperbole we see floating around on social media and I find the reporting by the so-called network and cable "news" media inexcusable. The likes of CNN, FOX, ABC, MSNBC and so forth are no more interested in reporting facts than I am interested in attending a hula hoop exhibition. They merely take words and acts out of context and put their own spin on events and feed it to the public as fact.  Then there is the fringe element that puts forth various conspiracy theories, back their theories with faulty information and reasoning, and propose doomsday scenarios.  And now that we are in the post-convention phases of the campaigns with the candidates of the two major parties selected we will begin to see grainy, unflattering, and grotesque pictures of opposing candidates with even more non-contextual statements. It is only going to go downhill from here. Unfortunately, the print media is no better than the electronic media.  And, please don't get me started on celebrity endorsements.

However, there is an occasional silver lining to be found in the all-out mud fest. Every now and then honest journalism creeps through and the media let the candidates speak for themselves. I relish those opportunities. What I relish even more is firsthand information.

Before I can begin to evaluate proposed policy positions of the candidates I want to know if I can trust them. I apply the Martin Luther King "content of their character" litmus test to candidates. I am still working on Donald Trump, but I have already made up my mind on Clinton.

First, there is the Benghazi Event. Whether or not she stalled or stammered in addressing security concerns is not the issue.  Well, it is an issue as it deals with competence, but right now I am looking only at character. The issue with me is that she lied to the American public about what led up to the attack.

Secondly, there is the private email server. Whether or not she used a private email server or not is not the issue.  Well, again it is an issue as it deals with competence, but as I already said, right now I'm looking only at character. We all heard her testify before a Congressional committee that she did not send or receive email that was marked classified at the time. And whether or not a person in her position should recognize classified material even if it is not marked again is not the issue. (Well, it is as it goes to the competence test again, but I’m not going there right now.)  We all heard the FBI director say that documents marked as classified were found on her email server. The issue with me is that she lied to the American public.  We also heard her say that all her emails had been turned over for review. Now we recently learned that there have been another 13,000 - 15,000 discovered emails. She lied.

Third is her conduct behind closed doors. Let me preface this with a little background information.  In my law enforcement career I had the opportunity to be with several state and national political leaders. I've eaten meals with Congressman Manuel Lujan (R) and Senator Pete Domenici (R) (I always got personally signed Christmas cards from Pete). I knew Congressman/UN Ambassador Bill Richardson (D) before he was thrust onto the national and international stage.  I knew New Mexico Governor Bruce King (D), he knew me by name and he initiated personal correspondence to me.  I've walked and talked with foreign dignitaries and ambassadors.  (I also spent the better part of a day with President Bill Clinton, but that's another story.  Let’s just say that I washed my hands as quickly as I could after he left.)  Always, and I mean always what I saw in these politicians in private was the same demeanor, conduct, and language that I saw in public.

I am sorry to say that Hillary Clinton is a Jekyll and Hyde when it comes to her public persona and behind the scenes behavior. I have never seen such demeaning conduct toward aides as what she does to hers. I do not use the profanity by which she addresses her Secret Service detail. I have never seen a politician look down on others the way she looks down on others in private. I have known Secret Service agents assigned to work with her and they cannot wait to get away from her.  Her back room language is worse than that of a drunken sailor.  She is a coarse, profane, and abrasive prima donna.

And then there was the security assistance that my criminal justice students provided when she made a visit to our campus. It is traditional for a major politician to shake hands with the locals who provide service of one type or another during a visit. At the conclusion of her visit to our campus, the volunteers lined up ready to shake hands and exchange brief pleasantries. When she got to my students she looked down at their ID cards identifying them as Criminal Justice students, and said, "Humph. Criminal Justice students. I don't need you." She then walked past all my students and literally sneered at them.  Needless to say, I did not even get in line as I already knew where the meet and greet was going to go. I could not believe what I saw as students, once infatuated with her stood with their hands extended as she walked past them.  Do not ask me to tell you what she called them when my students were out of earshot.

Unlike many Americans I occasionally communicate with elected officials by mail. I have done so on a few occasions with then Senator Clinton. My brief requests for support of particular bills before the Senate were always rebuffed with multiple page responses telling me why my position was wrong. Obviously the responses were written by staffers and had been written well in advance of my letters. But summary dismissal of a constituent's position seemed so irresponsible.  Her responses were not even preceded with a “thank you for writing and sharing your view”.

So, there you have it. I applied the "content of character test" to Hillary Clinton and she failed. Even if her stated policies were perfect (if she had competence) for our nation I could not vote for her. I trust her as much as I trust a sunning rattlesnake.

I cannot in good conscience vote for Hillary Clinton.

(This does not mean that I will vote for Donald Trump.)

I Am Law Enforcement

Following the unprovoked assassinations of police officers recently, a friend asked me what police officers were thinking about these executions and to what they attributed these shootings.  Needless to say, a flood of emotions washed over me as I contemplated these questions.

The law enforcement community is a tight-knit family.  When a loss is experienced in a police department anywhere in the country, there is a ripple effect felt throughout the entire police community.  While the AP and UPI is quick at getting the information out, such losses are communicated almost immediately to police departments nationwide.  The communication system used to check the status of drivers, vehicle registrations, stolen property, and wanted persons is also available to police departments to spread the word concerning police shootings.

A police officer dies in the line of duty on an average of every 54 hours in the United States.  Many of these deaths are due to traffic accidents or other misfortunes.  (You can see a previous article I placed on my blog that outlines officer deaths by type of incident.)  But, when it comes to the execution of a police officer, it takes on a special kind of ugly.  Nothing unites the police community like the death of one of our own and nothing kindles more sorrow than an ambush assassination of a police officer.

Though I am no longer an active duty police officer, I am still a member of that community.  When one of my fellow officers dies in the line of duty I mourn with the rest of the police fraternity.  And though I am no longer an active duty police officer I maintain contact with officers who are currently employed in law enforcement.

To be perfectly candid, every police officer I know and most of those who are retired like me point a finger at the cultural climate that President Obama has created.  They see – we see – how quickly he condemns police for actions before they are even investigated and we see how slow he is to recognize the deaths of police.  Not only do we see how slowly he recognizes the death of police, but we also see how he politicizes those deaths to meet his own agenda.  His failure to bathe the White House in blue following the deaths of the Dallas officers yet turn on the Rainbow colors for the gay community and the French Red, White, and Blue following their terrorist attacks was a slap in the face.  We see the Comforter-in-Chief selectively comforting.  His appointment of two anti-police U. S. Attorneys General is further evidence of his disdain for police.

To be clear, there are indeed abuses by police and in some communities the appearance of these abuses toward minorities is pronounced.  This does not mean that all police are bad apples.  Most police officers are like me.  When one badge is tarnished, all our badges are tarnished.  But, that does not define who we are as a policing community.

So, how are police responding to the current climate?  Most police will continue to do their jobs regardless of what target is plastered on their backs.  Some police will slow their service down and even refuse to enter some neighborhoods.  I know current police officers who are now considering the minimum service amount for retirement.  They have had it.  They have had enough, not just because of the potential threat that is out there against them, but because of the political climate that has been allowed to fester and grow.  Many police are going to look the other way at minor offenses even though we know from experience that enforcement of minor violations is a key to preventing serious crime.  More police will carry off-duty weapons while actively concealing their identity as police officers.  Spouses and children of officers will hold their breath each time their police officer goes to work.  There will be arguments about whether or not the police office spouse should find other employment.  Officers are going to be a little more cautious and edgy at the same time.  Some will react too slowly and err on the side of caution while others will overreact and err on the side of personal safety.  Expect more police officers to shoot first and ask questions later and expect more police officers to wait too long and end up getting killed as a result.

Meanwhile, expect an exodus of well-trained, seasoned police officers from the job.  Others, both green and inexperienced or those, whose idea of policing is fed by television, movies, and video games, will fill those vacancies.  Is that what you really want?

So, you want to know what police officers were thinking about these executions and to what they attributed these shootings?  There you have it in a very oversimplified nutshell.

Be Someone

As I sat reading a series of articles in a magazine it occurred to me that I knew some of the people who were mentioned in those articles.  Other names I recognized simply because I knew of them and have known of them for many years.  It occurred to me that I’ve seen other names in books, magazines, and other media that I have recognized over the years.  So many of the people I either know or know of have contributed in some way to society in one way or another, either in a general way or to specific individuals.  Then of course there are the countless others who have contributed whose names I do not know – names of people that most of us will never know because their names do not appear in the headlines of the news.  They are not honored for their achievements in a public forum.  For that matter, many don’t even receive a thank you note for their contributions, yet their contributions are valuable and in some cases may even be life sustaining.
Some people thrive on attention.  They enjoy the limelight regardless of their contributions.  There are those who contribute so that they may be recognized while there are others who contribute in spite of the recognition.  Meanwhile, there are those who do not contribute.  They sit on the sidelines and watch as the world goes by.  Some don’t care.  Some say to themselves that they could have done the same thing that others had done.  Some don’t know.  Some don’t know how.  Some don’t want the recognition; they prefer to not draw attention to themselves so they shy away from doing something of value to others.

When I read those names in the magazine it occurred to me that everyone should be someone. 

I believe that being someone is different that being who you are or what you are.  Who you are is determined by reading a birth certificate.  It is also determined by realizing  your eternal lineage.  What  you are is determined by what you do.  We most frequently attach titles to names to identify what you are.  You are a dentist, doctor, lawyer, refuse collector, electrician, teacher, preacher, basketball coach, scout leader, lineman, engineer, botanist, actor, singer, comedian, nurse, CEO, custodian, sales person, flight attendant, soldier, marine, sailor, editor, writer, service technician, chemist, and on and on.  All those and many, many other titles determine what you are.  And, it is quite possible to have more than one title.  The engineer by day may be the scout master on Tuesday nights, an Army Reservist one weekend a month, and a baseball coach three evenings a week.  That same person may also be a mom or a dad 24/7.  (One could easily argue that the title of mom or dad might also spill over into the “who you are” column.

But, what does it mean to be someone?

I believe that is a valid question.  Of course I believe it is a valid question.  I just penned it!  But, what does it mean to be someone?  Just because you are an orthopedic surgeon it doesn’t mean that you are someone.  The paperboy could be someone while the surgeon is, well, is no one.  But, how can that be?

Easy.

To be someone requires you to make a difference.  It requires you to make a difference in somebody else’s life.  It does not require press coverage.  It does not merit recognition in the newspaper nor does it merit the awarding of a medal or a pin or a certificate a letter or even a thank you note.  It requires you to do something in your sphere of life, in your circle of influence.  It requires you to do the right things for the right reasons, certainly not because you want the recognition, though admittedly it is nice to get the pat on the back once in a while.  But even if the pat on the back does not arrive, it still requires doing the right thing for the right reason.  It requires giving your best.  In fact, it requires giving more than your best.  It does not necessarily require giving everything.  But it does require giving your best.  It requires recognizing that you are not the only one on the planet, that you share breathing space with others.  It also requires recognizing others for their part in this thing we call life, even if you do not get the recognition that you probably deserve.

What sorts of things am I talking about?  Let me share some examples.
Being someone requires you to take the time to stoop down to a child’s level once in a while to speak to that child, to give that child encouragement or to congratulate the child for doing a great job.  Being someone requires you to speak kindly to the cashier who is having a really rough day.  Being someone requires you to be “that guy” who waited patiently on the receptionist who had a difficult time getting a new printer to print out your receipt, all the while explaining that you understand the person’s plight because you’ve been there, too.  Being someone requires you to let the driver of the car on adjacent street or parking lot exit to pull out in front of you.  Being someone defers conversation to others who want to speak, though you really want to speak as well.  Being someone requires you to reserve judgment.  In essence, being someone requires kindness, benevolence, honesty, integrity, virtuous, and so forth.

Are these the only ways you can be someone?  Well, no, there are other ways of being someone if you really want to be that person.  You can be rude and intolerant.  You can always have a negative thought to share.  You can be the person who always has to be right.  You can be the person who must always have the final say or be the owner of the way things are done.  You can be the know-it-all.  The person who fits that description is someone as well.  I’m just not sure that most of us want to be that person, though I know people who enjoy (or at least seem to enjoy) being that someone.

But the point of this is that everybody needs to be someone.  There are too many people hiding in the woodwork.  There are too many people not taking a stand, either by word or deed.  Too few people speak out, and when that happens the loud mouths draw all the attention, which might just lead the rest of us down crooked paths.  Too few people stand up and step forward.  There are too many people pulling out their camera phones to record what is happening rather than stepping in to make things happen.  Too many people are acquiring celebrity status for recording an injustice instead of rectifying an injustice.  Too many people are satisfied with being that someone who virtually did nothing instead of the someone who took action.

It is time for people, for you, to step out of your safe little shell and be someone; not just any someone but to be the someone who makes a difference in the lives of others.

Be Someone!