The World of Grandpa Don
A work in progress - complete but not finished |
What's New In the world of Grandpa Don On this page I have recorded what I found significant during the past week as well as my thoughts about those events and other reflections. I started doing this before the practice became popular on the internet This is my diary, written a little each day and published weekly. At times I may seem to pontificate on a subject that comes to mind during the week. I do not intend it as a demand or even a suggestion that everyone should think or act as I do. It is rather, intended to let you know what goes on in my mind ... how I am motivated to live as I do.
If The World of Grandpa Don
appeals to you, |
Week Ending Friday May 2, 2008 |
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Last week when I went to the cardiologist he suggested that I may want to see an endocrinologist for my diabetes. He was going to write a note to my GP to that effect and suggested that I talk to him about it. So, Friday when I saw my GP I told him what the cardiologist had said. I also told him that I knew that any good endocrinologist would tell me to loose 100 pounds and my troubles would be over. He smiled and said I was right. He then reviewed the blood tests, told me to loose some weight if I can (for the ompthteenth time) and said he would see me again in three months. It was 800 on Friday with thunderstorms. It was 400 on Saturday with high winds. It was spring in Chicago! The bed felt so good that after leaving Mikey out at 6 I returned to it 'till 9. Sinful! (But oh so good!) It is also called freedom and retirement. When I was working, even Saturdays didn't allow such self pampering because there were always things that needed to be done. Oh, I am so spoiled! I had already 'published' twenty pages of stories, poems and essays that my father wrote. Three essays will be added to the pages on this web site this week and they remind me of the pages that I have posted here under the umbrella Thoughts About ... " In an email to my younger brother I said, "Getting back to our father, ... and thought provoking, ... I think I inherit it from, or through him. It's in the genes. The short essays of his that I will put on the web site next are similar to some of the stuff I have already put on my "Thoughts" pages. I think we hide our thoughts too much. I have reached the age when I am able to say almost anything I want. People can label it either wisdom or the mind wanderings of an old coot". But I really believe that we don't "open up" enough. Our conversations with others are superficial ... especially men..We stick to the "safe" subjects. We can talk and even argue about sports because, let's face it, how important is that? (Unless you are actually playing.) But to talk about how we actually feel or what we believe is out of bounds. Well, in plain English ... That's bullshit! Until we start being honest with each other we will never discover what motivates the 'other guy'. The first addition this week to "My Father Wrote ..." is Something to Think About This essay on life required several readings on my part and at several levels in order to get it all together. It is not about epigrams although it tells us about them. St. Francis of Assisi gave us this same message when he told his followers, "Preach the Gospel at all times. If necessary, use words". But to do that we must internalize the Gospel, making it a habit so it becomes that with witch we are identified, ... our reputation. We are "selling" ourselves whenever we interact with others, letting them know what we think and believe as well as our capabilities. My father exhorts us to be truthful, particularly when using words. It has been said that the worst thing for a bad product is a good salesman. Dad says, don't sell what you can't provide. Good advice! Our second addition this week is What Do We Read? This was written in the days of the proliferation of the "Dime Novel" and some of that literature, if it could be called that, was pretty bad. My father, at the tender age of 21, thought that if you were going to read something to pass the time, it may as well be something worth while. If it was fiction, at least it could be well written, possibly with a moral message. However, he advises us to go beyond mere stories but to actually read to improve our minds and impart knowledge. I am pleased to find that he and I are in total agreement. My (adopted) mother impressed on me the value of reading. She read to me before I could do it myself and books were frequent gifts as I grew. I love to read and to read as my father would approve. We finish this week with "Keep Going". Persistence in the face of disappointment is the thought here. Did the fact that he was in the cavalry for three years and still a private have anything to do with these thoughts? But interestingly, he speaks of both material and spiritual advancement. Did my father have questions about his spirituality, as did I at that age, and was he a bit frustrated that the answers were not forthcoming, as was I? Did he intend this advice for some unknown other or was he addressing himself? Whatever his motivations to set these thought down on paper his advice is sound. Even the act of trying is an accomplishment. I call it living life to the fullest and living successfully. Doing so feeds on itself. I am reminded of the essay I wrote some years ago. It is called "You need not look. It will find you." .There is no doubt that my father and I thought alike. Next week we finish with a poem and an appendix consisting of descriptions of the 17th Cavalry and of Schofield Barracks both written by Marilyn Copeland. These two pages provide a bit of history and background as well as flavor for our fathers thoughts.
Saturday evening the Harry Potter series continued on TV with the Goblet of Fire and this time I looked for the lesson at the end. Sure enough, there it was with Professor Dumbledore telling Harry, "There are times in everyone's life that he must choose between what is right and what is easy". Indeed there are many of those times in all our lives. It was still cool Sunday but the wind had subsided to almost nill, and so it was tolerable. After 10:30 Mass, I had a light lunch and checked my email as well as catching up on my friend Bob's goings-on in his "Southern Command". ( Visit the Neighborhood at www.newlewis.net ) An email from Peggy Cecora was a happy one: Hi all again, I just wanted to let everyone know that your vote did count and Jack did indeed win the contest. You can see more of the story by going to www.wkyc.com and search for his stories by typing in his name Jack Berney. You can also go to the website of www.briggsdiamondsintherough.com that states he is the grand prize winner. Thanks to all of you for helping make his dream
come true. Great News! I add my thanks to all you who voted and to Bob L for including the request on his web site as well. WE DID IT! Well, at least we helped. My sister Marilyn emailed to say she forgot to mention that the photo of the soldiers she placed on the page with the poem "Questions? - Questions?" included our father! WOW!
The photo at the right is my HS graduation photo, an 18 year old, 145 lb, Don Plefka. Father and son moved in time to the same age and shown for comparison. Although the hair is parted on the opposite side, we could have had the same barber. My friend Bob opened the door last week when he brought up the subject of ... shhhhhh politics. Besides, the subject is all around us, bombarding us in the media and in a constant flood of emails .. most of that vicious trash motivated by the extreme views of fanatics. Bob's reference on the other hand was a mild parable, with which I can agree in principal. I have not spoken of politics, probably in fear of alienating anyone. But I have told you almost everything else about me and considering the fact that Anne and I didn't always agree on the subject ... and we survived ... I decided to come out of the closet, so to speak Again, I remind you that you don't need to agree with me. but this is some of what makes me tick. It is a page in itself so if you are interested, see Politics .
Having given much thought to it and revising my discourse on politics several times I have concluded that the reason that I have avoided the subject is that the views that are circulated the most are those of the political fanatics. They are picked up by many who are more moderate and because those extreme views go to prove their views they are circulated in emails, unfortunately sometimes without thought. It is well to consider the advice of Mr. Lemley (above) and check our yardstick occasionally. Do we really believe everything that a particular email implies? We should consider what my father said in Something to Think About in that we are identifying ourselves with a position on a subject, presenting that view as part of the package being offered as "Me". Monday evening I put the trash and recycle bins out at the curb. Sure enough, as my clock radio turned on, rousing me to consciousness, I heard the big truck outside. I am glad I don't have to get up as early as the WM guy. Which stirred a memory. Back when I was growing up in Chicago each house had a concrete bin next to their garage at the ally. You opened the metal lid at the top and dropped the day's garbage, usually in a paper bag, into the bin. The bag usually broke and wet messy garbage spilled into the inside of the bin. Once a week, the garbage men came. There was the driver and at least two men who either walked or stood on a small platform at each side at the rear of the truck. Sometimes a supervisor would ride shotgun. They opened a door on the ally side of the bottom of the concrete bin and the mess spilled into the ally whereupon they used big shovels to scoop up the mess and throw it into the truck. In the summer the smell was ugly and they never got it all into the truck. Homeowners would, on occasion, hose down the concrete bins, or have their kids do it. It was not a pleasant job. The alternative to the concrete bin was to have a couple 55 gallon steel drums which would often be overflowing and which the garbage men would need to lift and dump into the truck. Most of the garbage actually did get into the truck. My mother would wrap the messiest garbage in newspaper and tie it securely. She taught me to consider the person who would have to handle it next. Maybe that was the start of "Be more kind than you need to be". When Barbara came to clean I told her some news about a family matter (which I'll share with you later) and she tried to tell me about her daughter. What I got was something about a "big school", (maybe college),. "no clean" and "Computer". So, I assume that her daughter went to college and has a job in an office. There were many Polish words and a plethora of gestures including the typing on an imaginary keyboard but she was obviously very proud of her daughter. I am glad. I am not sure but I believe that her immediate family is in Chicago now. In a generation or two "they" will be "us". In the mean time my house is spotless.
Watch this space! Well, you don't need to sit there and stare at it but ... Delayed until next week (or later) I may have something really important to tell you. It will be really BIG!
Sorry, ... for now, it is a secrete and you will just have to wait ....
Speaking of waiting ... When there is plenty of time to do it, that's when you should do it! The application for the state licence sticker has been sitting there for at least six weeks. There have been many opportunities but it was too cold, or too wet, or snowing, or why do it on such a beautiful sunny day? So, two days before the expiration date at the end of the month, there I am standing in that long line. Oh well, it moved fast and they work very efficiently at the state facility in the village hall. It is purchased and on the car, set for another year. The other day I watched a History Chanel presentation describing the interurban rail lines that revolutionized transportation in the early part of the last century. I remember some of them, in particular the line that ran along Archer avenue, then followed Archer Road out to Joliet and then continued along Rout 6 serving the towns along the Illinois River. They were powered from an overhead electric wire, relatively fast, convenient and non-polluting. This type of rail line spread in all directions from the cities but have now disappeared almost completely. Only the South Shore line remains in the Chicago area to serve the communities in NW Indiana. But we got spoiled and elitist. Our "standard of living" went up and we now have an air conditioned car for each member of the family old enough to drive. We have the freedom to go where we want, when we want, in comfort and as a bonus we have our precious privacy. I must confess, I would not know how to pay my fare on a city bus ... even though as a "senior citizen" I can now ride free in the Chicago area. But, the streets and roads are choked with cars, For longer distance travel the air line system is a mess and we are over dependant on oil while we pollute the atmosphere. We need good dependable and affordable mass transportation for our cities. A huge government grant was recently announced to upgrade Chicago's system. That is a good start. We also need to build high speed intercity rail systems to reduce our reliance on cars and planes. This is long overdue. These should not be treated as competing systems, but complementary, giving the traveling public more and better options while relieving the congestion on all. . I had some time to read Wednesday. The more I read of Eckhart Tolle and "A New Earth" the more I like of it. "Whatever you fight, you strengthen. Whatever you resist, persists." I have been sawing the equivalent to that for years. When you attack someone or his ideals, he becomes defensive and counterattacks. Tolle caries it a step farther and applies it to ourselves, ... our habits and faults. Negativity never succeeds in the long run. That is one of the reasons I was attracted to the Order of St. Isidore of Seville with its motto, "Bono Vince Malum - Overcome Evil with Good". You see, when you attack, you threaten the ego which has at its core a strong need for self preservation. Reading further I found that I may have a problem. Hell ... I do have a problem! I am giving sway to my ego and displaying my power over you. How? With that "secret thing" above. I know something you don't know and that is a position of power. In my ego, I am exploiting it. That is what drives people who gossip and others to "leak information". It is the ego's need to feel superior. I know something that you don't know. Maybe I should reveal my secrete now. ... No, this is too much fun. In the case of the gossip, Tolle tells us there is, "an element of malicious criticism and judgment of others, and so it also strengthens the ego through the implied but imagined moral superiority that is there whenever you apply moral judgment to anyone." Could this be part of the unconscious motivation for people to forward those negative emails about the politicians they oppose? WOW, I love this guy Tolle! And ... my father was right when he told us to read things that are constructive. But wait ... am I reinforcing my ego when I read books that agree with my views? It sure makes me feel good to know that I agree with authors who are well received by others. Well, lets just call it building my self-esteem. It is a tough balancing act to juggle ego and self esteem. It is said that humility is the virtue that, when you discover you have it, you have lost it.
One bit of news is that Joe will be employed by the Windy City
Thunderbolts as a bullpen catcher (practice) for spring training and
remain on through the season in that capacity for the home games..
Although in the employ of a minor league professional team, he will not
be a player and his amateur standing is retained. Joe and Marc or going
to Kalamazoo this weekend where Marc will try out for the Kings of the
Frontier League. Good luck Marc.
Jack Woodards, husband of Judi Barilla, my niece, celebrated a birthday.
He and Judi are back in their home recently remodeled after the fire.
Congratulations Jack. I am reminded of the two business men who were
surprised to meet each other in Florida. It wasn't vacation time and Sam
asked," Bill, What are you doing here at this time of the year?" Bill
replied, "We had a fire and the building is being remodeled, ... what
about you?" Sam answered, "We had a flood and our business place is also
being remodeled." Bill asked, "How do you start a flood?"
Thursday morning upon returning home after I took Mikey to the groomer I
found Marc and Joe in the garage getting ready to bring the propane
grill out to the patio. The patio furniture was already in place and
washed down ready for the summer. The second padded chair, the one I
could not get at in the shed, was in the gazebo. They must have
arrived shortly after Mikey and I left the house. I then put Joe to work
clipping several roots from the trees which were emerging to the
surface of the lawn. The boys were about to leave when their mother
called to see if they had arrived. She forgot to call them at home to
remind them to come to my house. Oh ... mother of little faith! They
needed no reminder to take care of their grandpa.
Thanks guys.
After they left to go to root for the RMC girl's softball team playing
in Kankakee, I went to the basement and got the patio clock and the
"Plefka's Patio" plaque. A fresh battery was installed in the clock and
these two items took their place to make Spring official in the
World of Grandpa Don. With a fresh cup of coffee the gazebo was my
morning chapel ... delightful ... and glorious! Not quite as warm as I
would have liked but perfection is in the future.
The patio was celebrated on Thursday evning by grilling some beer brats.
A couple were consumed for dinner along with a microwave single serving
of baked beans with the rest saved for the future. One or two, garnished
with mustard will serve as a snack and the rest will be split
lengthwise, heated in the microwave and become a sandwich on rye bread.
It was a delightful day ... doesn't get much better than this!
We live in the present, we
dream of the future, My mind wanders to these
places at times and gets lost there. Maybe I should be more
interested in sports or politics or ... anything
... but I seem to have a curious mind. And maybe it is not that my
mind is occupied in deep curiosity but that my mind itself is
a curious (weird) thing. My lawn guys arrived this
morning and ignoring a light rain, cut, trimmed and cleaned up. It
is wonderful to have these services. Without them I would have had
to resort to condo living or such. Life is good as long as you don't
take it too seriously, getting all wrapped up in the things that are
not eternally important. Even in the wanderings of my mind I must
stop and remind myself that what I think may be verging on the truth
or may be way out in the dream world but it won't make any
difference as long as I live right and love a lot. |
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Grandpa Don Plefka |
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Anne
wanted everyone to be 'Nice'. This button was in one of her dresser drawers I cleaned out in August of 2004
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In the photo above, taken at Douglas, AZ in 1918, my father, Al
Copeland is at the far
left.
The detail at the left isolates this 18 year old soldier from the rest
of his buddies.
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