Smart People

One thing, at least, I know is that there are a lot of smart people out there.  I learn from them every day.  It's not just their ideas, but that they make me think and rethink.  Sometimes, due to their forceful opinions, I change mine.  Sometimes not.  But I always respect well-thought opinions.

A few weeks back, I talked with the author of a book on the partisan divide in the US Congress.  He, as one might have guessed, is critical of our current Congress.  I fully understand that.  I left our conversation with two thoughts.  One, which drew a look of disapproval from him, was that "Maybe we deserve the rascals" we have sent to Congress.  Two, how difficult it is to form educated opinions when there are so many differing "facts" out there.  Who are folks like you and me to believe?  Can we trust the LameStream Media, from whatever side, to give us the straight talk?  Somehow I think not.

I really have a great deal of respect for my blind running buddy.  I'm not at all certain, were I blind, that I could get out there and run like he does--especially with a Bozo like me for a guide runner!  I admit that sometimes I don't pay attention and he trips, sometimes falling.  That's my job, to watch for potholes, uneven pavement, sticks/branches, etc.  And I forget......  This AM, he laughed, "Today you have this blind fool dragging you through six tough hill repeats."  Yes, I did and it reminded me of the respect I have for him.

Karen bought some item that had the label "Echo Valley."  It must be a brand name.  I was reminded, again, of my physics teacher at Amherst, Professor Romer.  He was outstanding, so much so that, in my US Government, AP I think, class back when I taught in the high school, I sometimes devoted a day a week to reviewing students' physics with them.  Yes, I taught physics!  That's how good Prof. Romer was, teaching this history major enough physics......  Prof. Turgeon, my French teacher, was so good, I also helped struggling students with French, even answering a few questions from one of the teachers several times.  But, back to "Echo Valley."  Prof. Romer lived on a street named "Echo Valley."  He was a runner and, to celebrate his 50th birthday (I think), he devised his own marathon, "The Echo Valley Marathon." It was run on Prof. Romer's street, a cul-de-sac of about a quarter mile.  That's about 104-105 laps of his street.  He did it, with the help of some neighbors.  He later said, "That was stupid."  Well, that's one word I'd never use in the same sentence with Prof. Romer's name, never.  I had many really outstanding teachers at Amherst and he was right up there with them.  And, the older I get, the better they become.  I am sorry I missed him at the recent reunion.  Maybe next year......

I know I've ranted about this before, but do people, namely my neighbors, really have to cut their grass with mowers whose engines sound like they belong on airplanes?  Most of them wear the ear muffs, that's how loud they are.  So, they must know how irksome the noise is.  At the least they could hand out ear muffs to neighbors.  And, it seems, they always pull out the airplanes, er, mowers at dinner time, when we are trying to eat on the deck, outside.

Charlie Sanders recently died.  The former Detroit Lion was All-Pro a number of years, about 9 or so.  One of my Amherst mates, Jean Fugett, played in the NFL with the Cowboys and Redskins,  He was in several Super Bowls, with winners' rings to prove it.  He was in the Pro Bowl several times, but in an e-mail to me admitted, "[Sanders] kept me from being All-Pro about four or five times."  I think the NFL players, at the time, voted him the best single player at his position.  That is, Sanders was better as a tight end than any running back or quarterback was at running back or quarterback, better than any linebacker was at linebacker, etc.  That's some compliment.  And, best of all, from all accounts, Sanders was every bit as good a person as he was a player.

In the same vein, NFL, Ken Stabler the former Raiders QB died.  I was very surprised to learn he is not in the NFL Hall of Fame.  He deserves to be, no doubt.  Hmmm......  I wonder why he isn't.  We are so quick to put others in various halls of fame, to label them "legends" or "icons."  Stabler actually did something!!!!!!