10/31 /2020 

An electioneering process will be finished in a couple of days. The election, however, may not be over for a week or more. And if it’s close enough to fight about, may not be over for months. Good grief. There’s an old hymn that says “…and We’ll Understand it Better, By and By.” That’ll be something. Not sure I want to understand all this upheaval. But, if you believe you are in the hands of the Lord Jesus Christ, as I do, whatever and whenever will be just right, don’tcha think? Not a bad SIMH for a time such as this. Only found a couple of phrases in all the lyrics that need to be changed to be in line with Scripture. (You know: “if you change words in the songs to match Scripture, you might be a grace-believer?”)

Time changes again. Think about what I just wrote: time changes. Time does no such thing. It is not in our power to change time. The exact same thing occurs every day at the exacting time the evening and morning demand it to be. Just about 100 years ago, give or take a few give and take hours, mankind believed he could improve his advantage in a war with other mankind if he manipulated what time the dawn occurred. It’s been irritating about 50% of the people twice a year ever since! 

Starting into these last two months of the year, our 10th Blue Jug store will open (probably Dec.1) and at the moment, it looks like we won’t get another store open this year. Hard to believe, since several people have expressed the desire to do so and some have paid the initial company services fee. We hear about all this easy money with interests at an all time low, yet no one can get this money to start their business? Since I’m not in charge of authorizing anyone’s loans, I can’t really say how things should be different, but from this angle some of these things don’t add up. 

Ideally, no one should borrow money to open a business, but we live in an era wherein it is done quite often. The cost of repayment is simply factored into the prices charged and life goes on with debt and planned future debt just simply a part of business in general. I guess that’s ok. There are many times in the business world when financing (short or long-term) is essential, necessary for sustainability through a trying time or a compelling advancement in one’s field. I do believe in that use of credit. The balance of debt versus investments offers  another area of credit advantage. For instance, if you have fixed assets which are in a time controlled account while you need a similar amount of cash to be in hand, the penalty or loss of earnings by using the “real” money can easily be the reason to use loans to put the business of your choosing in place. That’s perfectly understandable. Hopefully, this good business sense is guiding people who pursue financing the entire cost. (Historically, I’m not a good example of that. I’m more the guy that is “if you want to know how NOT to do it, call me!”)

Jim Rohn, a favorite businessman and speaker of such things who was popular in the ‘80s and 90s+ till his death a few years back, used to say, “If you want to know what not to do, take a failure to lunch! If you want to know what to do, take a successful person to lunch! Either way, you pay for lunch!—you’re the one that wants the information!” You can still read and/or hear Jim’s wisdom along these lines. You know, someone who has access to all his copyrights is now keeping his business going. He’s worth listening to, although you can’t call him up and ask what he meant by any of it, know what I mean?

Really looking forward to 11/1/2020 bible classes. I’ll be in Alexandria, AL on this morning and I believe we’ll have a good class, maybe even some friends we haven’t seen for a while. Then, the afternoon (4pm—I don’t know if that’s “fast time” or “slow time” since I can’t see any difference) online class, hopefully with a better camera. They promised it would make me younger—not younger looking; younger! Oh, not? Ok, just kidding.) 

Last week in Texas at the bible class I taught, I spoke about how the Lord called us to some things we sometimes put on the back burner of our lives to our own loss. We are living in a forced seclusion atmosphere while the world around us is panicking over a non-pandemic pandemic. Maybe the tongue in cheek calling it a “plandemic” is more accurate, I don’t know. I do, however, know this: the Lord called us to fellowship. Fellowship is not seclusion, it is congregating. Oh, I know the clearest body of the Lord’s instruction for us today is in words-on-pages (Romans through Philemon), not denying that. But, Paul our Apostle continually wrote to groups of saints, only 3 of the smallest of treatises were written to individuals—and that for them to admonish groups of people. 

Not knowing what may happen next, I boldly write to you saying I have been in groups of people almost every Sunday and around people each day from the first warnings of it all till now without worrying over whether or not I was going to get ill or cause others to get ill. I do mask up sometimes so as not to be offensive or be forbidden to enter because of the zealousness of those in authority, but that’s not my point. Yes, I know I’m old and I might get the flu and die. There are lots of flu bugs around and have been every year since Tuck was a pup. Hasn’t happened yet and I thank God for the good health I have. If it does and I die I’ll become another statistic, I know. But, it shall not be a surprise to the Lord to whom I give an answer. And if I don’t get the flu and as I know, I will one day die of another attack on my body and give an answer to the same Lord. Praise His Holy name!

Thanks for reading, the Elder 

10/12/2020 & 10/27/2020

10/12-Returned home Sunday evening from a trip to Texas. As I entered the house, I heard the one sound no one ever wants to hear: the fizz sound of running water! Yep, there was a leak in the master bath, rising up from the water heater (in the cellar) and spewing hot water onto the floor and wall. When I went to the cellar to turn the water off, I could see the leak has dumped most of its water to the cellar floor and running into the sump pit. But the origin of the leak, I couldn’t see. This morning our real task is to find a plumber. (I’m writing this too early to call.) Found a plumber to come and examine it, and it wasn’t from the water heater: it was hot water from a busted connection inside the bathroom sink faucet. Not as bad as it could have been.

Back to the trip: it was a truly fun trip. Some of it didn’t go as planned, but even so, what we spent our time doing was most enjoyable. We were forced to miss going to the Baton Rouge Bible Believers Fellowship on Wednesday evening, because so many people were fleeing the impending hurricane du jour. So, we stayed North and spent the night in Marshall, TX. But first, we had a really great me in Shreveport, LA, at a fine restaurant named Gibbon’s, on 70th St.—terrific! 

Our two nights and most of 3 days with the family of my friend, Dr. Charles Warlick, was a great blessing. Through all the trials and heartaches, their love for the patron remains so very strong. The memorial time was a true celebration of his life and his affect on all of us. Many friends from the former grace church in New Braunfels came in respect and we had a joyous time together. Much of the rest of the visit was enjoying the surroundings of Wimberley, TX.

We took an extended route home and saw parts of Texas we had never seen before—not enlightening in any way, just interesting. We made it home at the time we desired and because of what we found there, just the right timing (see first paragraph.)

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10/27-On the 22nd, I flew to Texas for the marriage of my friends who live in Round Rock, TX, Mike and Charisa. What a beautiful wedding! I was privileged to do the ceremony; but as it is supposed to be, it was all about the groom winning his bride and she being the “star” of the day (moment.) Which she definitely was! The reception which followed was in the beautiful backyard of Mike’s parents and it was in full bloom: a landscape of exceptional floral and shrubbery beds!

My hosts for the trip, George and Jeri, were very generous with me, to the point of me actually getting to drive his luxury car for a couple of side trips, on Saturday being a drive to New Braunfels to meet with an old friend I’ve missed, as well as getting to look over the town’s changes and advancements in the last 7 years, going from about 50,000 to more than 80,000! Some amazing changes, yet a couple of areas look exactly the same (downtown & my old fave coffee shop!)

The Sunday morning bible class: Austin Bible Fellowship, suffered me to teach the class. I hope they enjoyed it at least half as much as I enjoyed being there. Old friends I don’t get to see very often, new friends I’m thrilled to get to meet and with whom I study God’s word! It was a very enheartening morning before flying back home. 

This was my first flying since the “plandemic” has hit America, so I was a little apprehensive going in. But, it was as simple as answering three questions and getting on in exactly the same way as before. Wondering now whether going to New York 8 days from now will be harder—maybe, maybe not. 

I’m sure you who read this will know that I could have written many more pages about these two trips, but much of it was private, much would read in a boring fashion, and much more would cause a sort of hopping around from thought to thought, so it’s for another time when I’m on some other subject.

Thanks for reading, the Elder

10/4/2020

Once in a while my mornings have more than one SIMH—like today. They might be related, but I don’t think they came to mind for the same reason (ah, well, that probably doesn’t matter.) “Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright”—Bob Dylan, then later by Waylon, Willie, Johnny—many others. Some classics you just can’t make go away. 

The second SIMH sounds like it would be a natural thought change from the first, but it wasn’t in my strange thought pattern: “Don’t Worry”—Marty Robbins. I thought the title included the words “..’bout me”,  but that was a 1938 blues/jazz song recorded by many artists. But, the one in my mind had more to do with the strange use of an electric base, and Marty Robbins voice. I enjoyed looking up and listening to these two songs—old memories you can enjoy, also. Perhaps.

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Wondering at this crazy year we’re living through—aka, 2020. Looking back to my expectations for the year (written about just a little at the end of last year and the start of this one), I was just a bit over-expectant comparatively. At this writing the “pandemic” China-virus overspreading has reached the POTUS & FLOTUS and a bunch of people around them. What do I expect now? I don’t even want to tell you what I expect. I’m just about as sick of this year as I can get. It is my nature to be optimistic, but the “princes of this world” are making it very hard to stay positive in any way except one: the ultimate end when Christ wins! I know that’s secure. It is getting through the time it takes to get there, know what I mean?

This week I worked a little with the newest Blue Jug owner for the Scottsboro store. His will be the 3rd Alabama Blue Jug, and I’ve picked up a couple of projects for more Alabama stores—I like that aspect of my week. There are so many towns in this state which are perfect applications of what Blue Jug stores bring forth: Water the way it’s meant to be and healthy snacks and health aids, etc. The Scottsboro store has a lot of space and will ultimately incorporate more than just our normal setup, no doubt. He’s exploring the possibility of getting a coffee shop in with him. That’s a good mix.

Last evening and this morning I have come into a couple more prospects, one in Prattville/Montgomery area and in another Oxford/Anniston—two prosperous areas of our state. I’m looking forward to being in touch with these folks in coming days. I’ve spent considerable time (in years past) in both these areas and always enjoyed the time spent there. (Some funny stories will be kept in my head till later about these many visits.) We’re back to being more positive we’ll help more people get into business again. The virus effect took a little toll and has had us wondering.

I enjoy reading or hearing the story of someone’s successful business or businesses. A couple of days ago, I was told about an idea a young lady had for a business she liked. It started as a copycat (that is, there are others like it in nearly every town), but she allowed her idea to flourish, to grow with what appeared in front of her. Four years later, she’s reached about half way to where she wants her business to be. Stymied at the moment because of some unusual high prices in building materials, it isn’t deterring her plan, just slowing it down. Oh, she could forge ahead, but she doesn’t think it’s right to build a debt as she builds a business. This makes me want to follow along, observing her continual growth. She doesn’t care how long it takes, just do what she has the money to do. In her business, I agree. I tend to believe she’ll fulfill her dreams.

Debt shouldn’t be thought of as wrong or bad, but it is a thing which must be built into one’s management formula. If the style and vision of the business makes demands which cause short-term indebtedness, that repayment must be built into the business in such a way that 1) it can be paid out of resources as they are now or if they take a 20% dip, and 2) can be paid off ahead of an established schedule by expected increase, and 3) by that increase, is paid off better than scheduled. Never leave debt unpaid, even if it takes years to make it right.

The young lady mentioned above seems to have these principles built in to her plan and she seems very much on top of her thoughts and intentions. I think it’ll be fun checking in from time to time to see how her plans unfold. 

Never has there been a land like America! Never. People come here from all over the world with ideas and make them happen. Or millions grow up here and see something that will improve their lives and do it! I once asked a lawyer I knew what I needed to start a certain thing: He said, “Hang your shingle out and get on with it!” I love that as an example of how simple it is here to do what we want to do. Oh, yes, depending on who or what is involved, there may be some irritating regulations, but most times they are “betterment” regulations and stop some later problem from occurring. In my example above, the young lady had a “temporary” item which is still operating (and still temporary), but acceptable because it is plain to see how it will lead to permanency. Her city’s authorities agree with her for it’s continuance. Opportunity is alive and well in just about every city in this country! Go get your dreams started. Go observe others. And if need be, go where you can do your thing! 

Thanks for reading, the Elder

9/29/2020

All day long in our Blue Jug Alkaline Water store, music plays in the background. Usually, it is a composite of songs strung together from an assortment of genre  from Blue Grass to light jazz. This morning the Song In My Head is one of those songs. It is a backwards attempt to get the Lord to do something, a favor  for the writer/singer: “Into My Arms, O Lord”—Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. Released in 1996/97 on an album. Didn’t get much play anywhere, but now I hear it pretty often. The writer claims to not believe in an “interventionist god.” I can’t say as I blame him, but he uses an ill conceived concept to culture a belief in receiving something from the Holy God, the Creator and Father of Our Lord Jesus Christ. So the song is non-Scriptural, even though sung as a prayer. The tune, however, is captivating.

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It’s been 11 days since I last wrote, but nothing more comes to mind than to continue one more blog-write along the lines of talking to the two young Hoosiers who came my way in 1960. Remember, I’m 78, they’re listening to me as if I’m their age, yet I’m trying to give them wisdom from 60 years hence! (I’m fully aware of the impossibility of this, yet I believe there’s value for younger people who might see and read this frivolity.)

I ask Stude and Hen if they knew what a computer was, they said yes, but didn’t know anything about it. I asked them if they knew how big one was. “Takes a big room,” they said. So, wanting to ease them toward the 21st Century, I said, “what if you could have a computer which would spit out anything and everything the world has to offer, and you could carry this around with you?” they laughed and laughed. So, I said, “In less than ten years, you’ll see a computer that will take up about one wall of a room; ten more years and it will take up a desk top. Add another 10 years and it will be half that size, and by 2000 you’ll have a desk top monitor like a small TV and the computer will be a small box on the floor. Ten years into the 21st Century and you can carry a fold up computer under your arm!”———no, I couldn’t say all that to them. How could I have told them all that? It was too preposterous to even dream of! Instead, I said, “Guys, I’m willing to predict the longer they make computers, the smaller they will get. And one day in yours and my lifetimes, we’ll be able to do all kinds of things with a computer without having to be taught very much at all. Won’t that be something?!”

“If you are right, how do you think that’s possibly anything we wanted to know about jobs, or living here in your town, or making any money?” they asked. “If it seems to you I might be right, you should prepare yourselves for that kind of a future. First, you do have to decide where to live, and I don’t think I can help you make that decision—go where you are comfortable living,” I said, continuing, “Indiana and Indianapolis is well positioned for future growth—didn’t you drive South on part of a futuristic highway called Interstate 65 and the KY/T?” they said sure, that’s how you now get South from Indiana. “Imagine that road taking you all over the USA and millions of people driving on it every day: that’s what’s coming!” Hmm, they mused, sounds scary. “Well,” I continued, “it will probably get thousands killed, but it will move millions.” Hen said, “I don’t like the sound of that.” “If you don’t like that, imagine the Bible prophecy of ‘wars and rumors of wars’ occurring and hundreds of thousands being killed by wars wh…” they interrupted, You think the A-bomb is gonna be dropped again? I continued, “no I think little never ending wars will pop up all over the world and somehow we will be drawn into all of them. Look, we fought for years in Korea and never won—came to a draw. You two ever heard of So. Vietnam? it’s already started there and nobody is paying any attention. Mr. Eisenhower warned us, already!”

They sat quietly for a few minutes so I did, too. When they spoke, Stude said, “I don’t want to be military or go to war.” “Me, neither,” said Hen. “Well, my friends, I would suggest you go home to Indy, get in touch with your High School counsellor and follow your older brothers to college. Find a profession to get in that will guard against being used by military. Perhaps follow the education route that takes you into the computer world,” I said. Then I said, “By the way, for peacefulness that will pass understanding, trust Christ as your Savior.” 

They looked at me and said, “Huh?” I said, “Look, do you know who the Lord Jesus Christ is?” “Yeah, we went to Sunday School. He went about doing good stuff a long time ago,” they said. “Well, there’s more to Him that just that: Christ died for your sins, was buried, and 3 days later God raised Him from the dead for the express purpose of justifying you before God the Father.” they thought for a while. Finally Stude said, “What we gotta do to get justified?” “Yeah,” Hen said, “there must be something to do to fix our sins.”…..”If you ‘fixed’ your sins today, how long you think it’d be till you committed another, or two or three…?”

They said, you make it sound hopeless. I said, “Good! that’s what I wanted to do! I’ve got really great news guys: you don’t have to DO a thing! Christ did it all! What God asked of you is this: Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ; believing He died for your sins, was buried, and God made Him to be SIN, so that by raising His Perfect Son from the dead, God could declare His own righteousness to belong to anyone anywhere who would trust the Son> So, Trust Christ as your Savior.”…..they thought some more. First one, then the other said, “I trust Him.

I shook hands with them, said take me home, my work is done. We drove to my house, I said, look me up in 2020 and tell me what I said wrong about all these things, OK? they smiled as they drove away saying, we will!

Thanks for reading, the Elder

9/18/2020

[ Attn: If you’re going to read this blog page, it will help you to read the previous page first. If you already have, read on…]

(The two young men and I began to move through town, supposedly for them to look it over while I talked—them seeing me as a peer, an 18 year old, but me knowing I am 78 years old trying not to seem crazy to these two products of 1950s Indianapolis.)

“Tell me, guys, do you read much?” Naw, says Stude, I don’t read much. But, Hen said he did. “What do you read,” I asked. Hen says he likes novels, but his Dad and brothers want him to read history. Stude snickered. “What’s funny, Stude,” I asked. He said history made him mad, said he didn’t believe it. Hm, while agreeing with him outright didn’t seem the thing to do, I sure could see his point. I wondered how he got that perspective at his young age. I took another side and began recalling some things I saw between the ages of 18 and 22.

Guys, I said, that man I just told you about, the psychologist who works for the state of Indiana, his system will really help eliminate some things so’s you can make less errors. (They both glared at me.) Oh, I know you don’t want errors, but errors in life are like habits—they can form and become such a big nuisance in your life and we are often late in noticing the problem. Then it costs us precious time to undo them. But, you can learn from others, like the good Dr., or you can learn by just blundering through in your own way. You’re still gonna blunder, just see if you can hold ‘em down to a few—specially the big ones.

People go along in everyday life feeling pretty good till some disaster occurs and it affects them in a way they didn’t expect. “What kind of disaster you mean?” they asked. [I was thinking of the Ice Capades explosion in Indianapolis,I think in 1963 — but, I couldn’t tell them that.] It might be that a whole lot of people get killed in a big accident or explosion or something. It’ll shock you, but, you know there’s a lot of people and maybe you won’t know anybody who dies so it won’t effect you. But, sometime, probably, one of those kinds of things will be close, make you have a sort of emotions you didn’t know was in you. Teach yourself how to minimize that, to keep it from bothering you so much you can’t get over it. I lost a brother that way. He died in a one car crash, devastated my family, when I was 15. It’s fresh in my memory still and it has an altering effect on your life when that sort of thing happens. Every now and then something brings him and the event to mind as if it just happened. Don’t let that shock you.              We were silent for a few moments.

Then I continued: That state psychologist asked me if it was true I liked meeting people. I told him yes I sure do, always have. He said the tests showed him that. Don’t ask me how, he never explained that. But, he told me it was probable that I could sell stuff. I asked him, just anything? He said no, I should stay away from “intangibles”—I must of had a dumb look on my face (since I had no idea what an intangible was) so he said, that’s like Insurance, or stocks & bonds-stuff you can’t see or pick up and handle it. Probably, you can sell anything you can touch, from cars to fence posts. I said what about real estate and he said with a smile, “Yes, I can see you out walking in farmland showing folks how to live in the country!” I believe he’s right about that, too. My point there, guys is this: neither of you had any trouble speaking right up to me when you arrived, perhaps you could be salesmen, what do you think if that? They just snickered.

Let me tell you some things I learned while I been selling stuff. First good impression I had about selling is this: people buy what they want. Whether it be good for them or bad for them, they buy what they want. I sold grilled peanut butter sandwiches back home in the drugstore. The owner hired me to work an hour before school and sometimes Saturday and Sundays. She served grilled cheese sandwiches, but not peanut butter. One Sunday I went to make one for a young lady and I couldn’t find any cheese. I said, “I can’t find any cheese, how about grilled peanut butter?” She said OK. I thought just a second and said it’ll be a dime more than grilled cheese. She grinned and said ok. She liked it, The next day I was in the store but not working when she came in and told my boss I had made her a grilled peanut butter sandwich and she was glad it was now on Ruth’s menu. I glanced at the boss, she glared at me. After the girl left the boss said, “Well?” I said there wasn’t any sliced cheese and I saw the peanut butter…I charged a dime more. She said, “You did?” I said, yes. She said, “That’s a good new item!” 

Another thing: if you want someone to like what you’re selling you have to watch their reaction to everything you do and say. They might turn up their nose at first, then turn that into smiles because of how you explain it or they see it from another angle or some other little thing that happens in the few minutes they allow you to speak with them. If you’re selling, you’re borrowing time from them. Treat their time like you were borrowing your Dad’s most precious tool or shotgun. Never waste what you just borrowed!

Now turn that toward your own time: never waste it! You know, guys, I think there must be 4 or 5 singers that sing songs about “Wastin’ time!” Uh, they said they never heard one yet. (There I go again, forgetting we’re talking in 1960.) I said, “Well, remember this: Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s use of your time!” They looked at one another, then me, and asked, “Did you just make that up?” I said no, a famous guy said it. Who? I forget. [Truth is it was Steve Jobs, I don’t think they would’ve known him.]

[More of this coming. Hope you can continue to read.]

Thanks for reading, the Elder

9/17/2020

Standing at my front door this morning, I began wondering what if I stepped through this door and was standing on the original stoop of this house in the year 1960, but I was standing there as the 78 year old Jerry Lockhart that you all know (and love, right?) What if that would occur? And what if, in just a few seconds I realized it. What if I knew I was 78, but I was standing on that stoop having just gotten married, about to become a father, about to start my second job, My conscious mind knew what year it was, but also knew I had grown old and now could realize how things had come about from 1960 to 2020. What would I do? If there was such an event could possibly take place, what would I do? Or, yet larger than that, what would I say? Just what knowledge would I want to impart? Then, what if, in this impossible scenario, I could step out to the street and talked to the two young men slowly driving by this almost new house on this almost new street—in 1960? Let’s see.

I step off the stoop and walk to the curb just about the time the two young men’s car gets there and they stop. The driver spoke, “Say, kid, could you tell us where we should go to learn about this town? We’re lookin’ for a place to start a new and hopefully a better life.” Oh, my. What am I gonna tell them? Shall I tell them my life’s story? Shall I tell them about this state, this town, these people? Or should I tell them of bigger places or smaller places they could go? Should I tell them to think big? Or tell them to go home and live where they grew up? Should I tell them to get into this industry or that industry because it’s really gonna get big and they can become rich? Or tell them how hard it’s all gonna be for them; how vicious the world around them is going to be? Maybe I’ll talk a little sense into these two! Let’s see.

“You’re talking to the guy who can fill you in,” I say, “but you’re not talking to just some kid, I’m a married man and I know a thing or two” They smiled, “sure, kid, we didn’t mean to insult ya.” I say, “how ‘bout we take a ride around town and talk awhile, ok?”  They say, “hop in.” And I get into the back seat of their car and we drive up the hill. The driver says his name is Stuben but everyone calls him “Stude.” cause he drives a Studebaker. The other, a little younger said his name was Henry, but everyone called him “Hen.” I laughed and it irritated them. I said, “so together you two are just a “stewed hen!” After a couple of seconds they laughed heartily at my joke. I breathed a sigh of relief. So tell us, they said, should we move here? I started with this.

From what I can see by your license plate you came here from Indianapolis, IN, didn’t you? The prefix number on the tag is 1, that would be Marion County. And, if I’m not mistaken, Henry, you have brothers who are pretty famous already; basketball players. Bailey played for Butler and Oscar played for the most famous High School basketball team in Indiana and now for those Bearcats at Cincinnati! How they doin’, Henry? Well, he said, we’re not like them and tired of living under their reputations and we want to be known for who we are. Oh, gotcha, I said, I understand, I do understand. Stude, did you play basketball? No, he said, I didn’t have enough talent to play. I just watched. Both agreed, they watched a lot of basketball. Me too, I said, I’ve watched for years and years and years! They said, “Huh?” (Remembering my 78 year old mind) I said, “Oh, I’m planning on it!” It is a great game, they agreed.

They liked the town, they wondered about whether they would get along with the people here, if there were any girls they’d be interested in or could they start a business here, or be thought of as outsiders or fit right in, do I think Studebaker needs a dealer here?—all that stuff. So I began to think what all I could tell them to sort of give them a head start. Keep them from falling into what I clearly understood would have been traps for them. I can be a big help here! … But wait, dummy! You know better than that. You know what they need most isn’t about the stuff, don’t be such an 18 year old loggerhead! Think like your 78 year old experienced loggerhead instead! (Loggerheads don’t favor good council.) “You know guys,” I said, “that’s not what you need to know. It just seems like you need to know all that. If you’ll listen, I’ll tell you what you really need to know.” So I began.

Find out about you. Who you are. Find out what you can do. You already know you’re not gonna be basketball stars, right. But, what are you gonna be? Teacher? Doctor? Mechanic? Carpenter? A factory worker? Want to mow lawns for a living? Will you become addicted to anything in a bad way, like drugs, alcohol, tobacco? Find all that out, now! They asked, “Okay, but how do we find out stuff?” If you’ll listen and not interrupt me, I can tell you. I can talk with you like I’ve already lived. It isn’t that I’m smarter than you, it’s that I can think like a 78 year old man, as though I’ve been there, done that. Failed at it. Won out over it. Wept and laughed over it. Celebrated and mourned over it. Let me tell you what you need to know. Who you need to know most. Who you need to fear the most. Will you listen??  “OK, talk away,” they said, “it’s your dime!” So I began again.

Right there in Indianapolis you can now go to a man who will give you a series of tests to measure some things out about you. You: the one you need to know the best. He will spend a big part of two days with you. The first day, he will administer tests, from memory to whether or not you can put round pegs into square holes, etc. From conversations to arithmetic; from recollection to eyesight—on and on the tests will go. then the second day, he’ll tell you what he found out about you. I did those tests and I believe he told me exactly right. Obviously, there is more to come on this little “fanciful thoughts” fable.

Thanks for reading, the Elder

[PS: Please, if you read this post, for sure read the next one , OK?]

9/11/2020

I was sitting in a coffee shop in New Braunfels, TX, when someone came in and said, “somebody just flew a plane into the World Trade Building in New York!” I looked at the group of mostly retired people who just shook their heads and began talking about how idiotic the world had gotten; then, did you hear if anyone was killed?, how big was the plane?, etc. I was about to leave anyway, so I headed home. My daughter was sitting in front of the TV watching the video of it and it was only then that I realized it was an airliner, a big plane, that hit it. I sat with her and then the second plane went into the second tower. It was a sickening feeling of disbelief that came over us both. Who could have done this? and like the old people in the coffee shop, How crazy has this world become?

For several days after the “9-11” event, there was almost a reverent awe in the obvious terror NYC and secondarily all our nation went through. The Washington, DC plane became the news; then the Pennsylvania heroics became known. Soon, and for weeks or months, the event, the politics, the response by our nation, and the sympathetic minds of most Americans were the only things to be universally spoken of in all forms of communications: one on one, phone conversations, small groups, prayer groups, even bible study groups, and church services. Most all emails had some reference to either the event or prayers and sympathies toward those affected. Stories of the heroisms, or the extra- or back-stories concerning many who had been killed in the line of duty and much more was dominating all other day affairs. Sports teams took mourning breaks from their schedules, society events were cancelled and large gatherings were shunned or cancelled for a while. We mourned, as a nation.

Then, resolve stepped in, “we will retaliate!” began to be cried. And so we did. We stepped into a multi-nation excursion to get the perpetrators. We probably got them, but it began right there in the rubble of aftermath where the two buildings had stood so tall and straight, and it carried on through a totally politicized “segue” that led our country into an almost two decade war. As we near the 20th anniversary (one year from today), it looks like we can see the end of those excursions and not have many thousands of our young people in harms way every day… It looks that way…I really hope all those who indulge the ripping apart the bodies of young men and women are done with it. This sort of military activity can be colored with many different palettes and brushes, but at its base it simply means the loss of young lives for the benefit of hardly anyone. Let’s see if we have found any authoritarians who, by recounting a little more than 100 years of “wars and rumors of wars,” make proper decisions to not repeat in this century what took up most all the last century.

Those in the world who are my age and a little older can remember the resolve after the second world war and wonder what went wrong with it. My first recollection of the events in the decade I was born (1940s) was how many people who were killed or injured in the war and how they were spoken of and then as a few years went by, how they were not spoken of anymore: the memories of the tragedies fades. How sad, yet very true. Early in life I heard the byline, “history repeats itself” and yes, even the horrible history repeats itself. By the time I started school we had already decided to enter into a war that could not be won, by a leadership team which had “won” in Europe and was sure they would “win” in Korea—for the good side!

We partially extricate ourselves from that one, and before another decade had started we inexplicably entered another—this one lasting way longer than even the “world war!” At about the end of the Vietnam war, my sons were in their teenage years. They were supposed to “register” in case there had to be a draft for another war. They didn’t and I could not have made them do it. What had I seen that would have made me support such a thing? Nothing. Did I wish for them a military career? No. I would not have opposed it, but I could not urge it or even suggest it. And I’m very glad they chose other paths. I don’t feel less patriotic because of that, I feel MORE patriotic. How can one believe it is a good thing to be in wars that are not won nor even finished? We still have a military presence in Korea, and we with tucked tail left Vietnam for the communist regime to rule over (that’s called losing a war), a result we should have seen coming before it ever escalated.

My hopes and dreams for my 6 grandchildren have as the only caveat: stay out of political dreams that lead to wars. You cannot win, even if your side wins. The best hope is not about this world. This world is not our home. Home is where your family and friends are. To be a part of this world carries with it an absence of the sense of the next world we enter. What happens when you die? Where goes the essence? That part of you which deep down you know exists inside of you, what happens next to it? Do you want to know? Consider the only textbook ever written which can possibly be the truth: the King James Bible. There isn’t an old-fashioned chapter or verse in it, and about 85-100 pages is actually written about your life—study Romans through Philemon for that: see what the Lord God of the Universe says to you there. Repeatedly, there is the offer of an understanding of “how” Jesus Christ has provided; a peace that can be yours and never go away, and a promise of an eternity in whatever the glory to follow is. Christ died for our sins, He was buried, and He was raised from the dead for the clear picture of what comes next and how that promise can include you. Trust Him today. That’s not religion, that’s anti most religions, even the ones who claim to name Him as their reason to exist. Don’t join a church; trust Christ. Don’t change your life and then expect God to receive you; trust Christ. His perfected love cuts out all fears, even if the world around you seems to be falling apart.

Thanks for reading, the Elder

9/10/2020 

Last night around 10pm, my daughter called me to tell me that our son who lives in Middletown, NY, had lost their home to a fire. In fact, the fire was just being extinguished at that time and my son and his wife had been taken to the hospital because of smoke inhalation. They’re fine, but it was a horrendous experience and, of course, is not yet over. Today, they are beginning the process of followup, the process of clean up, the process of evaluating loss, salvaging anything at all of their former home life, and then whatever is possible for the future. It will be a long process.

My son’s children, my grandchildren grew up in that house, it was their home for all their lives. Son and daughter-in-law lived there nearly 30 years. It is a great loss and devastation to their lives. The adjustment to whatever comes next is mind-boggling. Nothing about the next several weeks, months, will be easy. Most everything will be upsetting. We’re having a hard time not just crying for them and we knew it as visiting parents/grandparents just once most of those years. 

Today, on FB, my grandson posted one of his favorite pictures of the always inviting front door with a short dissertation I have copied for you:

A house is not a home. People are home.

That said, some houses are people. Living vibrantly in a special space transfers a kind of anima, and the space becomes itself. 

The Lockhart house on 16 Highland was a character in our lives, a catalyst and a comfort. It didn’t just shelter people; it met people. It was the kind of house you visit once as an 8-year-old and have dreams about for the rest of your life.

The loss. It’s unraveling in every direction. But in doing so, it is revealing the jaw-dropping scope of its influence.

Love you, house. Miss you, house.

Never forget you, house.

With the 19th anniversary of 9/11/2001 being so close, I feel compelled to tell you of one of our visits to this “house” my grandson just described. My wife and I wanted to understand the 9/11 devastation so we wanted to schedule a visit to NYC. And each year, on Christmas Eve, our son and daughter-in-law had an open house party with everyone they knew in Middletown as well as close friends around the country all invited to come whenever they wanted to, starting about 2-3pm and stay as long as they wanted to—usually 10 or 11pm before everyone was gone. This party has been the harbinger of the definition my grandson wrote in the paragraph above. We all saw this once a year. The four of my son’s family lived it 24/7/365.They loved the way they lived it. 

So the trip in the year 2001, we decided to make this a surprise visit. We first visited the site of the 9/11 disaster, then on Christmas Eve, we drove to their home for the party without them knowing we were anywhere near. When we walked up to the front door, we noticed how alive the inside of the house was—filled with people happy to be there!

In this case, we rang the doorbell and a young man about 12 or 13 answered the door. We had never seen him before, but he said, “Welcome, we’re glad to see you.” or something to that effect. When we stepped in, our daughter-in-law saw us from another room. She smiled, then turned and loudly spoke to our son saying, “that couple at the door needs to see you!” he answered back, “I’ve got my hands full at the moment!” she said, “They need you!” And here comes our son around the corner to the entry where we stood, He ran to us, hugged our necks and within moments many more people, some we knew, some we just saw for the first time, were also hugging us and telling us how glad they were that we made it! We sat and talked, ate, drank, talked some more, with people as they came and went for hours. That’s a home. A home full of people. These annual parties were just about always that way. 

It is heart-breaking to think that may never be the same again. But, as we know, the loss of one tradition allows us to look forward to the next great tradition to be built in our lives. My take away thought, though just a few hours after the tragic loss of the house which was a home, is this: My son, his wonderful wife and two wonderful grandchildren who are already in the process of building their own set of traditions—these shall all rise again because it wasn’t a 3 story old building, fashioned in victorian charm which made that house a home: it was the four of them. They loved, they shared, they cared. And they still do. We love them.

Thanks for reading, the Elder

Today is Labor Day, Sept.7th. What a glorious morning! About 58degrees cool when I sat down in a lawn chair and began to enjoy the day. Almost makes me wish I had written something more pleasant to read than the below. But alas! at least it is written and we don’t have to discuss it anymore! But I’m looking for some great things to happen in the next few weeks, aren’t you!

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1977-78

What began as an interesting diversion from my regular duties in the early Fall of 1977, wound up being a major portion of about 14-15 hour days for the next 7 months, or so. My boss running for Congress in the Illinois primary of March, 1978 began for me when he said, “We need to go to Washington, DC for a few days to acclimate ourselves for some things we’ll need to know.” Somehow the “we” in the instruction caused me to understand I was involved, but to what extent, I had no idea. Turned out that I was to be his Treasurer. Due to primary monies almost all coming from the candidate’s own pocket and I was running his businesses, it made sense.

Visiting the capital meant the first thing we did was to get the Federal Election Commission rules/regulations in hand. It was not hard to read: it was hard to understand. But, once the first forms were filled out, it was much clearer (reading the instructions was harder than doing the work.) Hmm, must have been written by a Prof. Irwin Corey, or a politician!

The rest of that trip was truly a great visit to our nation’s capital! Not only did we see some landmarks I had not seen but once or twice before, but we walked the halls of the Congressional office buildings meeting several elected officials. The one we wished to have unseated, the one my boss was running against, however was a different story. A 22 year Congressman had a prominent office as to location, but stepping into it showed us why nothing ever got done for our district. 

We had visited 2 or 3 other offices before we went to his and had seen well organized staffs working in conjunction with what the elected official had as an agenda to accomplish. Our congressman’s office was quite a different story. We opened the door to a reception room not much bigger than a tiny bedroom in a starter home. It had a counter that we walked up to and behind the counter sat a young woman (early 20s) with a baby playing on the floor. She was watching a soap opera on a portable tv which was perched on top of the counter—which she didn’t turn off or down while asking us if she could help us. We asked if the congressman was in. To which she replied, “No, he’s at home. He had a back flare up and he has to stay in traction for a few days.” We gave our apologies and left the office. Where was his staff, we wondered; where was his agenda taking him? 

After a few minutes, the boss remembered he needed to call his lawyer, back in Danville. He did, but the lawyer was not in the office so they set a time the lawyer could call him back. At noon, he got the call: his lawyer was back in Southern Illinois playing golf with our congressman! …We pulled his voting record. He had only been on the congressional floor for Roll Call twice the previous year.

Well, well. We had found an opening volley for our campaign agenda—get rid of a do-nothing Congressman! So all the way home we divised how to announce the candidacy and at that press conference, reveal the incumbent’s lack of a voting record, his inefficiency, and his office misleading actual voters from his district! We set the date and began to invite the press, TV stations, radio stations and our party’s dignitaries.

We used the “Rocky” theme for background music because it was an uphill battle ahead: relative unknown candidate against  22 year veteran. It was a good announcement, a good statement of facts and very positive about a win! But, it caused something we didn’t expect.

The incumbent announced the following Monday he would not be running for another term. Thud! He had been an opponent to set an agenda towards, but now he wasn’t going to be there! We had to re-think what to do! And we, the amateurs that we were, had no idea so many other members of OUR party wanted the seat! The big chickens! They wouldn’t come out and fight the old dude who was worthless, but they came out of the woodwork to run in the primary against us!

Before long, 4 more candidates for our party’s nomination appeared on the slate. And so it began, tough battle, tough Winter (worst on record), tough crowds who had no idea for whom to vote. It was 6 months till the primary election day. My part in this was minor, but constant and time consuming—soon all consuming.

I really don’t know how much to tell you about the next six months because it would bore you, I believe. Without detail I will say the biggest disappointment was the county chairpersons. Because there were several candidates, they gave us the “we can’t play favorites in the primary” business when we asked for any help, while giving all the helps they could to their personal favorites!

As time went on, the oddest of consorts and team work against another candidate would crop up, generally a surprise to us—on the one hand, no favorites: on the other, many strange alliances inside the party.

We spent a lot of money. By todays standards, not so much. But by our standards in 1977-78, a lot of money! On the night of the vast defeat, my boss’s wife was asked what she thought of the results. She replied, “I think I just got my husband back.” He was asked if he would run again and he laughed out loud for the first time in six months: “Not on your life!” he said. And that was that.

A few weeks later, I had a job offer to return to Alabama and I took it. Another strange chapter in our lives had just come to a close.

Thanks for reading, the Elder  

8/30/2020

It’s been just over 3 weeks since my last blog. Been busy, but that’s not much of an excuse. I’ve wanted to write several times, but have you ever noticed you want to do something; call, write, go, and the only time you really want to do it is in time being taken up by something else you need to or have to do? Ever notice? Is that poor time management? or is it an absence of concentration? or am I the only one who ever has this problem? Hmm, not worth pondering, is it?

We’ve had a couple of tremendous business months, both locally and in the development company. Record breaking sales in several stores which is not a surprise to us in a general sense, but flies in the face of an overall attitude we all see about our nation. Wait!….Don’t listen to politicians! Rather, talk to people about how everything is going in their lives. It’s important to note: politics is pundits and demagogues meddling with the people and production! And no matter what they try to tell you, they don’t know how things are, really are.

In 1979-80-81, inflation was at double digits, loan/mortgage interest was at double digits, and unemployment was at double digits. (Not the whole 3 years, but during that time.) See if you can find anyone who lived through that and ask if it was as bad as today. I lived through it, lost a business, had to then live with a debt that took years to clear, moved my family more than once, couldn’t find a job like I wanted, all those things you can imagine. But, we made it, we didn’t panic, we didn’t roam the streets or pick fights or get shot or thrown in jail. We just made it through it all. Hard times? I suppose. Crazy times? Looked that way some. Did it stay that way? No. Did the politicians cure it? No. How’d we get things back to normal? We just worked through it, did what we were supposed to do, loved one another and loved our lives —in Christ! With Christ! And as best we could figure out —for Christ! 

The Big 3 (bold letters above) are not even a factor today. In those years, I never would have thought we would be in the prosperous nation I see today. What has changed? Well, not people, we haven’t changed. there is the same percentage of sinners today as there has always been. Which means we all fail to live up to the righteous standard of the Lord God of the Universe!

So, what did change in these last 40 years? The prevailing interests of the people. For the better? Naw, just for the sake of change. People didn’t like inflation, bankers didn’t like outrageous interest, and the nature of man is to work, not stay idle. Does that sound overly simplistic to you? Well, it shouldn’t sound that way. You see, we are all natural man first and we want what natural man wants. And when we see a thing which fits our wants, we go after it. When mortgages were 14-15%, I was asked at a bible class if I thought the rate would ever lower again. My answer was treated without high regard, it was something like this: “who cares? America is so spoiled it will pay whatever the going price is to get what it wants—and that includes a house mortgage if they want to buy a house!”  And they did pay the high mortgages until market forces began to lower them. Once mortgage loans got more than 3% lower than the high, people began to re-finance their homes. Guess what, % was lower, but certain “points” were added upfront so that the balances were higher and the banking industry was once again the winner.

Reagan’s change in the governance brought inflation down over the next 3 years to a level that has proven very manageable (yesterday’s news indicated it will rise again soon, though.) Then, of course, unemployment went down to the 5-6% range which was also considered “manageable.” By the end of the 80s those 3 indexes were hardly ever mentioned, the banking industry had gone through yet another crisis (no more “savings and loan” institutions, a whole lot more nation wide banks), inflation numbers were seldom heard, and unemployment was about 5-7% which most people thought was normal. We elected a president who said, “Read my lips: no new taxes!” Then, of course, taxes rose.

From December, ’76 till May, ’78 we were back living in Danville, IL, the only job that came along was me going back to work for the same man I had previously worked for. By then, he had built an enclosed mall, some shopping centers in other cities, purchased some apartments, owned a video game room (remember those?), and a bakery. The carpet store had moved inside the mall and needed management. I was hired to do that, but soon after that I was managing all those businesses. He also owned a bank in a small town in Indiana. Holy Cow! he had been busy! We then built a small restaurant in the middle of the mall (in the mall corridor) and had a variety of specialty wieners brought in from the “wiener capital of the world”—Kenosha, WS! They were really special and the glorified hot dog stand did well.

Then, the boss announced he was going to run for Congress. Yes, he did. He was going to run for Congress. Guess who had to learn and be in charge of all the monies spent, report it to the Federal Election Commission, and go with him everywhere he went to get it off the ground? Me. (And I have to tell you, it was always interesting, mostly exciting, and truly was a mind-blowing experience!)

Our district in Southeastern Illinois had kept almost the same boundaries since the early 50s, as population centers had stayed the same. We had an old worn out “pol” who was serving his 11th term as our Representative. People around where we lived didn’t know him at all. Yet they were paying him to be their man! So, my candidate boss and I went to Washington, D.C. to pay him a visit. Not just him, we saw many Congressmen and some Senators, as well. How very interesting. I can’t wait to write more about this so today may begin a few days of short blogs about this and other experiences. Hope I don’t bore you.

Thanks for reading, the Elder.