Blog Archives - trish hermanson

My 96-Year-Old Aunt Just Turned 24

2/29/2020

My aunt Esther has lived ninety-six years, yet she just turned twenty-four.
     She’s a “leaper,” one of those folks born on February 29, so her birthdate appears on the calendar only every four years, which is a convenient way to slice her age by a quarter.
     And here’s the kicker: Esther wasn’t expected to live for a day when she was born a premie, weighing less than three pounds.    She’s overcome other challenges, too: growing up in the poverty of the Great Depression in rural Waco, Texas; entering business school in Dallas as a single woman when women in careers was rare; marrying a World War II veteran with PTSD; shouldering the sudden death of a daughter; and overseeing her husband’s weekly dialysis for eight years prior to his death.
     Yet when I asked her by phone about these challenges, she just laughed heartily from her home in Dallas. “Don’t worry about what’s coming next. You have to take one day at a time and one problem at a time,” she said.
     “My friends, my faith, and my prayers have gotten me through.” Her laugh rang out again. “Playing bridge four times a week helps, too.”
     Somewhere along the way, I think Esther heeded the advice of Frank Sinatra, her era’s crooner, and learned how to stay young at heart.
     I haven’t been tossed about by life’s tumultuous riptides as Esther has. Yet her hard-earned lessons urge me to ask, “How can I stay young at heart?”
     Maybe I need to take up bridge.
     ***
     Please share. Frank Sinatra’s croon-worthy song is here.

Help George - We're Desperate!

2/17/2020

Do you experience “outrage exhaustion” from politics these days? Sometimes I do. How different our bickering and backbiting are from George Washington’s approach. He was known to honor everyone, according to biographer Mason Locke Weems.
     How did the general and president develop such humility? Some trace it to his schooling as a teen when he hand copied 110 “Rules of Civility & Decent Behaviour.” These axioms, first developed by French Jesuits, are enjoying a surge of popularity today during our fractious times because we desperately need them.
     Some are outdated - “Spit not in the Fire, nor…Set your Feet upon the Fire especially if there be meat before it.” But most are applicable. Ponder these:
     “Be not apt to relate news if you know not the truth thereof.” What a great maxim when considering whether to share a Facebook or Twitter post.
     “Speak not injurious Words neither in Jest nor Earnest.” What a challenge to speak only words that build up and don’t tear down.
     “Always Submit your Judgment to others with Modesty.” Am I willing to express my convictions with humility during this election season?
     Here’s my favorite: “Labor to keep alive in your breast that little spark of celestial fire called conscience.”
     Imagine that this “celestial fire” burned within us again. By George, we’d be as civil as Washington.
     All 110 of Washington’s rules are here. and a song that helps me shut my mouth when I should is here.

The Dark Side of St. Valentine's Day

2/9/2020

Valentine’s Day is one of the saddest times of the year. Why? Because the day is often a reminder of loss - of what once was or what never has been. It’s a crushing day for those who have suffered a romantic relationship loss - and who hasn’t?
     So it’s refreshing to see folks broaden the celebration into Pal-entine’s Day, a time to honor close friends through notes, gifts, and gatherings. We know how much our soul mates have made our lives better. This is a time to let them know.
     Here's my favorite buddy song to sing along with as you think about those special people in your life.
***
Photo from “Guidepost” with text added.

What Would You Name the 7 Dwarfs Today?

2/6/2020

Walt Disney named his seven dwarfs after attitudes he observed around him. If he were naming dwarfs to reflect attitudes during this presidential election season, what might he choose?
     Here’s my list, and please notice I’m not pointing a finger at any particular candidate. Voices like these shout from all corners in our national conversation.
      * MESSIAH - “Trust me. I can fix anything.”
  * SENTIMENTALIZER - “Remember the good old days? You deserve better again.”
     * TRUTH TWISTER - “What I say is true. What others say is baloney.”
     * DEMONIZER - “That person is a (insert clever, disgusting nickname).”
     * FEAR-MONGER - “They aren’t like us. They threaten our way of life.”
     * PARTISAN - “Our party’s always right. No matter what it takes to reach our goals, it’s worth it.”
     * ISOLATIONIST - “Other countries matter only as they support our American agenda. Otherwise, don’t worry about their problems.”
     We used to call the use of these techniques propaganda. Now we’ve normalized it. But don’t be fooled. We pay a price for falling for such lines. We divide into “left wing” and "right wing,” forgetting that our American eagle is meant to be one bird, indivisible, not carved up like a turkey where nothing remains but the carcass.
     I want to resist believing and repeating these messages lest I become like one of the original dwarfs - DOPEY.
     ***    Artwork from Clipart Panda with text added.