I'm suffering from a bit of cabin fever. The snow and frigid temperatures here in Kenmore and the greater Seattle area have basically put a halt to normal life. I've had too much time to think about all the chaos and grim news out there. I'm going a little bonkers and my wife is about ready to strangle me. Well, things turned around yesterday morning in an interesting way. I read two obituaries of two icons of American culture, and listened to a radio program that re-calibrated my thinking. I'd like to share some thoughts (and the quote of the week) with you:
W. MARK FELT - aka DEEP THROAT
W. Mark Felt who died this week at the age of 95 may be one of the most influential figures of modern American history. His role as the anonymous informant to the Washington Post reporters, John Woodward and Carl Bernstein, led to the eventual disgrace and resignation of President Richard Nixon. This is heady stuff to me. I was in junior high school when the Watergate scandal occurred and, in many ways, it shaped my perspective of power and government. It's amazing that he remained anonymous for almost 30 years after his involvement.......................But then I read about the passing of yet another icon from my generation:
MAJEL BARRETT aka NURSE CHRISTINE CHAPEL in Star Trek
Majel Barret died this week at the age of 76. She was a constant fixture in the original Star Trek series (the best of all the series!) and appeared in many of the subsequent Star Trek spin offs. It's amazing how influential this science fiction program has been over the years. I was saddened to hear of Majel's passing and this made me reflect on growing up during the 1960's and how the world has changed.
Then, I listened to a powerful interview this morning which, you guessed it, provides the quote of the week:
WILLIARD WIRTZ - Former Secretary of Labor under Lindon Johnson & JFK
Willard Wirtz is 96 years old and was a very important person, yet, I'm sure very few of you know who he is. Here's a snippet from Wikipedia:
William Willard Wirtz (born March 14, 1912) is a former U.S. administrator, cabinet officer, attorney, and law professor. He served as the Secretary of Labor between 1962 and 1969 under the administrations of Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson.
Recently, Mr. Wirtz wrote a short memoir entitled "In the Rearview Mirror," which is a reflection of his career in government and life with his wife of 66 years, Jane. Yesterday, on NPR's program, Saturday Morning Edition, Mr. Wirtz was materfully interviewed by Scott Simon. During the course of the interview Scott asked him an obvious question from whence our quote of the day comes:
Scott Simon: "Mr. Wirtz, what's it like to be 96?
Mr. Wirtz: "I don't recommend it. Jane died six years ago. That takes the fun out of it."
Talk about a powerfully honest answer! He goes on to describe how his friends have all died off, he can't walk anymore and he isn't quite as sharp as he used to be. It was sobering to listen to him. You see, our culture has a tendency to measure our lives by how long we live. We have this idea that there is something magical about living forever. I have included the whole interview (only 6 minutes) below. I highly recommend you listen to it.
This interview really made me think hard about the way the world works. Mr. Wirtz points out that Life will eventually take away everything it gives us. It's a simple fact of Life. From a larger perspective, as a nation, we are living at a time when some of our most cherished beliefs and possessions are being taken from us. The world has changed and we must make choices. The important thing is how we respond to this challenge individually and as a people. I sincerely hope you have the opportunity to fill your life with powerful experiences and deep love. Rock on!
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