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My nephew sent me an email that contained the quotes that are included later in this post. After reading the quotes, I got to thinking, and that usually causes me to reflect on our nation, its people, and its history. In a day and age where people feel that the world, the government, or somebody else “owes them something”, in a dark time in our nation’s history where so many are questioning our involvement in Iraq, these quotes are very relevant and timely.

We, as a people, seem to have thrown away our values, our heritage, and the remembrance of what it took to form this very young nation. Our founding fathers didn’t simply send a friendly letter to the King of England stating that we didn’t want to be their pawns anymore. Our forefathers had the grit to draw a line in the sand and defend it with all of their might. I fear that if our current population had been around in 1776, we would still be under British control. Other than the courageous men and women of our military who put their very lives on the line each day to defend our borders, I fear that we would be hard-pressed to muster enough “Average Joe Citizens” that are likewise willing to take up the flag and carry it into battle. Having served in the U.S. Navy for six years myself, I consider myself very privileged to be able to stand alongside side those who so selflessly serve today.

Well, enough of my ramblings. Here are the quotes.

“We sleep safe in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would do us harm.”
- George Orwell

“Do not fear the enemy, for your enemy can only take your life. It is far better that you fear the media for they will steal your honor.”
- Bobby McBride, Crew Chief, 128th Assault Helicopter Company, RVN 1969-1970

“For those that have fought for it, freedom has a taste that the protected will never know”
- General George Patton

“Do What You Can, With What You Have, Where You Are”
- Teddy Roosevelt

And I would like to add one of my own favorites. It’s from the movie “A Few Good Men”. It’s the lecture that Jack Nickolson gave in the final courtroom scene.

“Son, we live in a world that has walls, and those walls have to be guarded by men with guns. Who’s gonna do it? You? You, Lieutenant Weinberg? I have a greater responsibility than you can possibly fathom. You weep for Santiago and you curse the marines. You have that luxury. You have the luxury of not knowing what I know: that Santiago’s death, while tragic, probably saved lives. And my existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, saves lives. You don’t want the truth because, deep down in places you don’t talk about at parties, you want me on that wall, you need me on that wall. We use words like honor, code, loyalty. We use these words as the backbone of a life spent defending something. You use them as a punchline. I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very freedom that I provide and then questions the manner in which I provide it. I would rather you just said “thank you” and went on your way. Otherwise I suggest you pick up a weapon and stand at post. Either way, I don’t give a damn what you think you are entitled to.”

I called in sick today.  I had a serious case of the East Tennessee Tristy Flu, also known as Dragon Fever.  In other words, I was having withdrawals from the Tail of the Dragon.  It has been over a year since I last tamed my favorite stretch of highway.  At least once a year, I make a trip to east Tennessee to ride the famous “318 curves in 11 miles”, the Tail of the Dragon.

Our son, Chris, has recently moved to Maryville, TN, which is located only 20 miles from the north end of the Dragon.  I called him last night and asked if he’d like to meet me for a “big boy play day” on the twisties.  Chris has a supercharged Chevy Cobalt and I have a Honda Gold Wing.  Both of these vehicles are made for the curves and switchbacks of the Dragon.

I left Murfreesboro for the 2 1/2 hour ride to Maryville at 6:30 in the morning on the freshly polished Wing, aka “Wind Dancer”.  I hooked up with Chris about half way between Maryville and the Dragon.  After a brief rest, and some catching up, we headed south on US 129 towards curve nirvana.  Just before heading out, I mentioned Chris that “the mom” made me promise that I would be good today. We both smiled at each other because there are some things that he and I get into that are better just kept between him and me. We both had already figured that today would probably entail a few things of which he and I agree that mom would be better off just not knowing about. It’s what he and I jokingly refer to as one of those “don’t tell mom” things.

The road to the Dragon is a joy in and of itself. You encounter lots of quick rises that are followed by sharp right or left hand turns. After a few miles, the road eases up a bit as it runs beside Tellico Lake. This gives you a chance for one last bit of calm and tranquility, and an opportunity to gather your thoughts for what your are about to experience. The main indicator that you have arrived at the Dragon is where the road takes an abrupt left and leaves the lake’s coastline.  Here at Tabcat Creek Bridge, you put your game face on, for the Dragon awaits his duel with you.

Map of the Dragon

For the next 12 miles, Chris and I fought the Dragon for all this treachurous old beast threw at us.  I scraped my footpegs more times that I could count as I pushed Wind Dancer through the 318 curves.  We made three passes through the Dragon.  Traffic was light, which made it just that much more fun.  As we completed our third pass and headed south past Fugitive Dam, I couldn’t help but notice that I as soaking wet with sweat and that my heartrate was up quite a bit.  The Dragon has that effect on me everytime I challenge him.  This road is not for beginners, and it is not forgiving.

Wind Dancer and Me on the Dragon

Chris on the Dragon

We continued down US 129 towards Robbinsville, NC on our way across the Cherohala Skyway (also known as The Mile-High Legend) towards Tellico Plains, TN.  But, just before we reached Robbinsville, we made the obligatory stop at Wheeler’s to pick up a new t-shirt.  From Wheeler’s, we made our way to Robbinsville, and across the 45 miles of the Cherohala.  The Cherohala is a wonderful highway.  The road consists of an endless supply of wide open sweepers, spectacular views, and elevation changes that range from 900 feet to over 5,390 feet above sea level.  The temperature was around 90 degrees at the lower elevations, but down to 65 degrees at the top.  We stopped for a while at the top to take in the cool temperature and a view that will humble even the most arrogant of beings.

Near the end of the Cherohala, just before arriving at Tellico Plains, we stopped for a late lunch at a nice deli. On the back of the deli is a wooden deck that overlooks a beautiful stream.  Here, we ate, enjoyed the view, and reflected on the fun that we had just experienced.  After lunch, Chris and I said our goodbyes, as he headed back to Maryville and I turned Wind Dancer west towards The ‘Boro.

This was a wonderful day, for it was a day that I got to visit my favorite roads in east Tennessee and a day to share some very special moments with my son.

Be on fire.
Be unstoppable.
Be a force of nature.
Be better than everybody else at what you do.

I shall take this opportunity to borrow from the bible and shout “Tetelestai!”

This past week, we paid off the mortgage on our home. My wife and I seem to be among the fortunate few that are actually able to live in a home for nearly 20 years and pay for it - completely. In a time when the mortgage industry is in shambles, this does indeed seem rare that a mortgage gets satisfied. Couples seem to get lured into the new “creative financing” arrangements available and find themselves in ballooning debt with no hope of financial survival other than to default on a loan and surrender their American Dream.

I find this situation tragic. I blame the mortgage industry for coming up with financial arrangements that allow people to purchase a home without the real financial ability of making the payments once those mortgages begin to balloon. I also blame the people that are being suckered into these arrangements. Why would anyone in their right mind take on a $1,000 monthly payment, knowing that in five years that their payments will balloon to over $1,700? I hear over and over of people having purchased a home that they could barely afford with the $1,000 monthly payment, much less the expected increase to $1,700. Have people become so financially ignorant that they can’t do the simple arithmetic and realize that they are destined for financial failure?

My wife and I have been fortunate in our 33+ years together that we have never accumulated debt that we could not handle. If we didn’t have the money to buy something (except for the house and automobiles), we simply did without that particular item. This is not to say that we did not purchase “nice things” along the way, but we were always careful to never over-extend our budget unecessarily.

Call us “Old School” if you must, but at the end of each day, we hold each other’s hands and gaze into each other’s eyes as we sit quietly in OUR house.

This past Friday night, I watched ABC’s 20/20 special on Randy Pausch and his battle with Pancreatic Cancer. While watching the show, I could not help but be moved by Randy’s seemingly positive attitude during his darkest hour. Following the program, I downloaded and watched his now world famous “Last Lecture”, which he presented at Carnegie Mellon University in Sept. 2007.

While watching the lecture, I couldn’t help but be amazed at how much Dr. Pausch has accomplished during his “short” (47 year) time on this earth. Dr. Pausch has touched (translated positively impacted) literally thousands of lives. He is a brilliant Computer Scientist, a motivator, a mobilizer, and a positive role model of such magnitude that it actually makes me ashamed of how little I have done in my 51 years of life.

As I reflected on my accomplishments, other than my immediate family, I can’t name anyone that I know for certain that I have affected or inspired. This embarrasses me greatly. But, more worse than not having any professional achievements to note is that fact that I fear that my life, my actions, and my attitude have not spoken loudly regarding my relationship with God Almighty.

Have I wasted my entire life? Has it all been for naught? When I stand before Holy God, will He be ashamed of me because of my complacency towards the lost, my laziness towards helping feed the hungry, or my coldness towards those in need? I can’t honestly name one person that perhaps is better off for having known me. This very thought shatters my heart.

So, what now? How do I reverse 51 years of non-service? How do I right this embarrassing wrong? The obvious answer is, “One day at a time.” Each day of my life should be spent in humble worship to God, in respecting those around me, in looking for ways to encourage those that are carrying heavy burdens, in lending a help hand to those that need one, in taking an extra minute to listen more carefully to what those around me are really saying, and in looking for ways to make the most of every precious moment that I am blessed to have.

Today truly is the first day of the rest of my life.