From the East Wing with The Important People, Friends of Mine, Bozo, Ray Rainer and Dr. Gill

Greeting to all and welcome new friends to the East Wing

By the time we talk again Thanksgiving will have come and gone. So it’s with that thought in mind that I invite one and all to join my family and me for our FREE THANKSGIVING DAY DINNER AT GRAND CENTRAL STATION in Beautiful Downtown North Judson. The dinner will be served starting at 12 Noon – 4:00 PM. Hope I to see ya there.

Last week’s email brought, from New Hampshire, two suggestions, one was I visit New Hampshire, which I would like to someday do, and the second suggestion was that I write about any important people I have met in my life. Now that just sounded like a swell idea, so I decided right then and there to do so.

When it was time to talk from the East Wing, I sat at the computer waiting for all the things I was going to say about these important people I’d had the pleasure of meeting. Nothing came to mind, no names, no faces, no words. I waited for the words to just flood over fingers to keyboard. Nothing came to fingers, the keyboard was blank, and so was the brain. Why couldn’t I say nice things about the important people I’d met? It took some time to figure it out, but I finally did.

I couldn’t say anything about the important people I’d met ‘cause I’ve never met an unimportant person. Every person I’ve had the pleasure of meeting is important to me. If ya come across my path in this life, then you’re important to me. Now there is good important and not so good important, there may even be a couple bad important, from time to time, but important none the less.

Maybe not everybody looks at life that way. BobbyRay does, and if ya don’t, maybe ya should try it, ya may like it. The same thing holds for ordinary people. There’s no such thing as an ordinary person. There are no two of us the same, and as such, we are each special. No ordinary people here. Whatever our roles in life, we are the masses, but not ordinary people by a long shot. We may not stand out in the crowd, yet we are forever special on an individual basis. We don’t stand out in the crowd because we are the crowd, and crowds can’t stand out even if they wanted to, and we don’t want to.

We do have persons in our society who we the people allow to hold positions of authority, rule making and enforcement of such rules. These are not important people, rather those filling jobs at the pleasure of we the people, the crowd.

One of the problems of public service for the people who we allow to fill the jobs, is the self importance which many of these people attach to themselves. We didn’t make ‘um important, they tried to make themselves important. They are not any more important than you or I. It seems a quirk of human nature that given a little bit of authority, then self importance creeps into just about everything these people do.

You’ve seen that side of public service as well as I have. Had a County Commissioner right here in Starke County Indiana one time tell me “less than 10% of the people in Starke Country know what’s good for this country”. I asked how he got so smart, ‘cause we went to high school together, and back then he was dumb as a post. The statement was made early in an election year. He lost the election, dumb post. I knew he would lose, ‘cause he was to self important to win.

Self importance, is shows, it grows, it glows, it sparkles in the sunshine, it smells, it does not serve we the people well. When we get too tired of self important public officials, we replace the person and hope the cycle doesn’t start over. Most of the time it does.

Those of us who can control this monster, self importance, do rise above the crowd. Sadly to say such individuals are rare amongst us. Self importance seems to forever flourish here in Starke County Indiana. We somehow seem to always have more than our fair share of those type public servants here in Starke County. Maybe we’ll publish a top 10 list some day. Since most of the elected office holders in Starke County are democrats, I’m sure Sophia The Republican Cat will be more than willing to assist with that project when it’s time. Everybody knows that water and oil don’t mix, as don’t self importance and public service. Now self importance and dumb public servants do mix, often.

From time to time we see where bad things come to those who have bathed themselves in self importance, who put themselves above we the people. The professional athlete who fought the dogs, sent to prison to have time to reflect on how important he really is to our society. A congressman from Illinois, considered at one time to be one of the three or four most influential men in this nation, sent to prison, where he could ponder on his importance, stealing postage stamps from his congressional office, another dumb post. A President resigned. A President impeached.

The Office of President of the United States is truly important, the person holding such office is truly transient. When such self importance reaches the President of the United States it’s actually sad. Self importance haunts every level of public service, few public servants escape its clutches. Some are destined to live out their lives in disgrace as a result.

With that being said, it is no wonder when I write about the important people I’ve met in my life, it’s easy. It’s my family and it’s you. I’ve yet to meet any one more important than you, you read my stories. You visit the East Wing, You know the 2girldogs, 2cats, and 1wife. We visit. We talk. We keep each other company. We share hopes and dreams. We get along, we just get along. In life, it don’t get more important than that. I’m glad I think you’re the most important people I have ever met.

Now I can write all day about people I’ve met and admire. Admiration and importance are not one and the same. Ya can admire things such as social skills, communication ability, and overall charm when dealing with people either one on one or a group. Some people just have a God given ability to deal with others better than some. Admiration is different from putting importance on the individual for possessing such skills.

Those I admire include a fellow I met who knew Bozo The Clown, this same fellow knew Ray Rainer. Now just stop and think about knowing someone who knew both Bozo and Ray Rainer. WOW ! As proof of knowing both Bozo and Ray Rainer, this guy carries a picture of him and them. He worked for many years at the Brookfield Zoo in Chicago. He was the guy who brought the animals to the TV Shows. I admire that guy. Ya gotta admire anybody who carries a picture of Bozo The Clown in his shirt pocket.

I admire a 10 year old who has a better command of the language than some people I know. He demonstrates logical thought processes at a higher level than many adults. I also enjoy playing with this kid. He and I are buds, we have Godzilla Collections. While playing air hockey with him for the first time, after he scored the first four points he said “Mr. Howard either I am extraordinary good at something I’ve never done before or you’re trying to let me win. I just don’t believe I’m this good at air hockey the first time I’m playing”. I won 21 – 4, I admire this 10 year old.

I admire a collage professor from many years ago, Hiram Gill, PhD. Dr Gill taught me many things of life while he taught me organic chemistry. Dr Gill was a friend of mine. The first day in Dr. Gill’s chemistry class he asked a show of hands those who had taken high school chemistry. In a class of 120 I was one of about 25 who raised their hand. Dr. Gill asked those who raised their hand to stand up. Now I’m thinking this is kinda cool, he’s gona say something nice about us having had high school chemistry and all. Well Dr. Gill says “ I want all those seated to look at this group real close, as they will be the ones giving me problems this semester”. On that remark I sat down, whereupon Dr. Gill said “Mr. Howard could you please stand up again, I don’t think everyone is done looking at you yet”

Dr Gill informed the class on day one that no person would get an “A” in his class due to the fact that no one is perfect. The last perfect man on this earth was crucified. I studied more for Dr. Gill’s class than any other. I wanted to prove the old man wrong. He gave a test every day. I never missed a single question on every test he gave, including the final. When the grades were posted, I received an “A-” on my final paper he wrote “Mr. Howard, you came close” At the time I wanted to chock him, I was so mad! It was some time later in life that I started to realize just how important Dr. Gill had been to my overall education. Dr Gill shaped in part much of the way I look at life to this very day.

Spent a summer session with a guest professor, Peter Drucker, at The Ohio State University back in the 70’s. A fun summer session, maybe the best of them all. Peter Drucker was a friend of mine. He was a pioneer in the field of management. He developed a managerial theory that is to this day taught as the best management style around. He said such things as “Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things.”

I spent many long summer evenings learning in his company while discussing anything and everything. We, Peter Drucker and I, sat on a Holiday Inn outdoor patio overlooking the Ohio State Foot Ball Stadium and drank beer and talked about management stuff for a whole summer session. It was the best of times.

I admired Peter Drucker. He died in 2005. He was a friend of mine. Peter Drucker had the ability to take a complex issue and state it in minimum words which everybody could understand. He once said “Upward progression within the corporate workplace is much the same as a monkey climbing a tree. The higher he goes, the more his ass shows”, Peter Drucker.

You may have heard of Peter Drucker, one of the many, many books he has written is called “The Peter Principle” it talks about rising to a level of non productive state in the work force. It’s a fact that can be demonstrated in every work force.

The 1wife had a birthday today. The family went out to dinner, Kelsey’s Stake House in Valparaiso IN. Not all my family, some too far away, but they were there in spirit, we missed ‘em. Important people, my family.

The beautiful Sunday Weather of this day has turned into an equally beautiful cool evening, as the nighttime comes early this time of the year. Setting warm with my back to the fireplace, looking at the yard light to the south, wondering when will I see the first snowflakes between me and the light. The time is short, it’s known only to the one that moves the wind, the leader of the band. The snow will come, I just don’t know when.

As always, your company has been a pleasure here in the East Wing this Sunday, one month short of winter, we’re glad you came. As the 2girldogs go to sleep early, the Republican Cat curls up in front of the fireplace, as I enjoy the sound of silence in the nighttime, while looking forward to seeing you at Grand Central Station on Thanksgiving Day at high noon.

Stay safe in Baghdad, South Iraq and Afghanistan.

From the East Wing with The Important People, Friends of Mine, Bozo, Ray Rainer and Dr. Gill
I wish you well,
BobbyRay