Tag: Son

Lt Gen’s Son Died Yesterday

 

Thank You 2nd Lt, How Do We Ever Repay You?
Thank You 2nd Lt, How Do We Ever Repay You?

Trusting you know Skip Gaskill by now. But not trusting you follow all the blog comments here, I’m reposting Skip’s comment from yesterday as today’s message:

“Jeff, believe it or not we prefer not to have to go to war.

Yesterday was the Marine Corps’ 235th birthday.  Jamie and I will attend the Commandant’s Birthday Ball in DC Saturday night.  This will be my 31st Ball.  This was also mine and Jamie’s first date in 1979.  Can you believe how fast it has gone?

This week Marines around the world (including the farthest reaches of Afghanistan) will share a birthday cake.  The oldest Marine present gets the first bite and then he passes it to the youngest Marine present.  This symbolizes passing on the knowledge and traditions of the Corps.  It is also a day where we reflect on and honor those who are no longer with us.

Yesterday a friend of mine (LtGen in the Corps) found out his son (2nd Lt) was killed in Afghanistan while leading his Marines against the Taliban.

Freedom isn’t Free”

Next Blog

What A Young Man Should Know

Lifelong Love of Learning
Lifelong Love of Learning

“What should a young male of 21 know, and what should he be able to do?

There are no conclusive answers to those questions, but they are certainly worth asking.

A young man should know how this country is run and how it got that way.

He should know the Federalist Papers and de Tocqueville, and he should know recent world history. If he does not know what has been tried in the past, he cannot very well avoid those pitfalls as they come up in the future.

A young man should be computer literate and, moreover, should know Hemingway from James Joyce. He should know how to drive a car well–such as is not covered in Driver’s Ed.

He should know how to fly a light airplane. He should know how to shoot well. He should know elementary geography, both worldwide and local. He should have a cursory knowledge of both zoology and botany. He should know the fundamentals of agriculture and corporate economy.

He should be well qualified in armed combat, boxing, wrestling and judo, or its equivalent.

He should know how to manage a motorcycle.

He should be comfortable in at least one foreign language, more if appropriate to his background. He should be familiar with remedial medicine.

These things should be accomplished before a son leaves his father’s household.”   — Col. Jeff Cooper

Eight Posts Yesterday

CAUTION!
CAUTION!

Blah, blah, blah, right?

The Internet’s only Five-a-Day Blogger”…..

It started as a 100-day challenge to become a better writer, after a Father told his young son, “If you want to be a better reader, you should read a lot.”

So what happens yesterday?  Not five daily blogs, but eight.

Recently, had a discussion and we talked about the future of books:

  • Books will be relics on display in Museums
  • eBooks will dominate
  • Kindle will destroy the publishing industry
  • The publishing industry will watch it happen
  • Librarians will lose their jobs
  • Unless they become Cybrarians
  • There were 177,000 books published last year
  • People think it’s hard to write a book
  • Authors think their book will sell many copies
  • Barnes & Noble will go out of business eventually
  • People get ready (Bob Marley reference)

“Books” will be written one day at a time. In public, for the public.

Books will be free.  Writers will be poor. And writers will come to realize that there are far too many choices.

A whole new paradigm is being created.

One page per day, almost like reality TV.  People will read blogs, and over time, they will have “read a book” and not even know it.

Eventually, this new paradigm will give way to the next.

First Match

Last weekend I began to teach our son:

  1. How to strike a match
  2. How to light a fire
  3. How to be respectful of fire
  4. Which side of the fire to approach

We have a campfire pit in our yard and this is the time of year for using it.  We burned enough yard and tree trimmings to make an excellent cooking fire.

He was hesitant to strike the match.  Perhaps even afraid. He’s nine.

As a Father, it seems intuitive to be the one to teach him certain things that will be taught by others, if I don’t beat them to it.

Striking a match is just the beginning.  Ya with me?

Crohn’s Disease and Children

Our nine-year old son first developed unusual symptoms just before he turned four.  Between his 4th and 5th birthday, he had:

Here’s an excerpt from an email I received yesterday as a member of CCFA, Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America:

Through the eyes of a 21-year-old Crohn’s Disease sufferer:

Have you ever felt my pain?

Have you ever felt this hurt?

Have you ever wiped away my tears?

Have you ever measured the pains worth?

Have you ever sat in front of your food and prayed for it not to hurt?

Have you looked past the pupils to the thoughts array?

Have you ever tasted the smell of your favorite foods, for it to be taken away?

Have you ever just wanted the pain to go away?

Have you ever wished you could go back, to when there was no pain?

Have you ever hated the comments some have made?

Have you ever been afraid to eat, and ask yourself why?

Have you ever heard the saying you’ll be just fine?

Have you ever had pain just to sneeze?

Have you ever met anyone with Crohn’s Disease?

From the creator of the event: By having events like this, we are trying to raise as much money as possible to help cure Crohn’s Disease & Ulcerative Colitis.

Thank you for reading this and following jeffnoel.com – Make it a great day.  Enjoy your health.