Proud to be there

This past week was officer appreciation week.  The Montford prison does it up right:  they prepare a meal for the staff.  And there is a ceremony dedicated to the officers who lost their lives in the line of service for the past year.  There were none in Texas this year. That was good. The ceremony was, as always, impressive.  In addition to the riderless horse, a bagpiper and drummer played Amazing Grace.  A bagpipe always sends chills and brings tears.  The article gives a good, if incomplete, description of the ceremony and the symbols involved.  Everyone did a good job.  Honoring our staff gives me pause to think, and proud to be a part of this unit, even though I am not a correctional officer.

I included in the labels "celebration."  While this was a memorial and a ceremony, it was also a celebration of life and the good that correctional officers do.

http://lubbockonline.com/crime-and-courts/2011-05-06/officers-montford-prison-unit-honor-fallen-comrades-across-us

A Day Off

Today was Martin Luther King Day, and in Lubbock there were a number of activities over the weekend that commemorated the day.  Sadly, I chose not to participate, although, as I have the last several years, I watched some historical shows on television about Martin Luther King Jr and his life and works.

I did have some chores, activities and tasks to which I had planned to attend, and which I accomplished.  They were spread out throughout the day and into the evening.  But, that also afforded me some down time during the day.

Does England Have a Fourth of July

We have all heard the old joke "Does England have a Fourth of July/"  Well, of she does, and France, and Spain, and Italy.  They just do not celebrate Independence Day on the fourth of July.

Last night, as I was casting around looking for a television celebration (very late, after the really good one were done) I heard an announcer say she wants to call it Independence Day Celebration, not Fourth of July.  And, of course, she is right, that truly is what we are celebrating.

I did not do so good this year: many of the local activities were rained out, so I stayed home with a book, and did not think to look for any of the television celebrations.  I understand the Macy's display was excellent, and timed well to the music http://social.macys.com/fireworks/?cm_mmc=VanityUrl-_-fireworks-_-n-_-n .  There is also the Boston Pops Concert and Fireworks http://www.july4th.org/2010_Program/Event_Schedule/.  And, there were others.

This year, I did attend a Memorial Day Service and a DDay Celebration.  I do not think that makes up for not celebrating Independence Day.... Well, the weather is good right now, so the least I can do is fly  the flag!

But, I really do want to be more observant of my country.  I vote regularly.  I just need to celebrate more.!

Cemetery Rounds

Recently, a cousin and I had the opportunity to make the rounds of the cemeteries where so many of our loved ones are buried... We identified the grave sites, read the headstones or plaques, sometimes pulled weeds and grass and then, went on...

What is the point?  I think for everyone, the point is different.  For me, I say I am going to visit the person buried at the site.  Not to see the grave, but the person... I do not see ghosts, emanations or any such auras.  I just have a sense of going to visit the person interred...

For me, the point is to acknowledge the person.  Their life, their memory. 

It also gives me a sense of peace, of centeredness, and oneness with those who have come before, and hopefully, those who will come after....

Sports Halls of Fame

I recently have had the opportunity to visit the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum http://baseballhall.org/ at Cooperstown, NY. There was so much information that it was not possible to absorb it all at once. Wisely, the Hall of Fame allow for multi-day passes so fans can return and re-absorb the information presented.  I did the best I could to absorb the information presented in my afternoon tour.

It was a great experience. As a baseball fan, I am appreciative of the opportunity to see the history of baseball.  I am glad it included information about the Negro leagues, the integration of baseball, the women's league. 

I am so appreciative of the fact I had the opportunity to visit the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.

Flags

Saturday morning, a friend and I joined the Audubon birdwatching group at the City of Lubbock Cemetery http://cemetery.ci.lubbock.tx.us/ .  As we waited for the group, the cemetery manager joined us and apologized for the Confederate Flag that flew over the Civil War Monument.  He explained that there were Union soldiers mentioned on the monument, and there was a group that came out and put out Confederate flags on the graves of the Confederate Soldiers.

We reassured him that that was not an issue for us, and that we were bird watching.  My personal thoughts on this issue is that I have enough respect, that I can and will respect the fallen soldiers on both sides of that war.  Having visited Gettysburg http://www.nps.gov/gett/index.htm and Vicksburg http://www.nps.gov/vick/index.htm I will say that I can honor the fallen on both sides of the war, and I am scarred by the horrors of the history of war that I saw.  It makes me believe even more that war is not the answer, communication and cooperation is the answer.

The cemetery manager mentioned the Memorial Day ceremony and a friend and I both said that this year, we wanted to attend.  He commented that this ceremonyhad only occurred for the last 7 or 8 years. I try to keep in touch with what happens in the city, and he is right: except for a few private church ceremonies, the city of Lubbock did not have a ceremony for Memorial Day until the last few years. So sad.

Where I grew up, we had a parade, a gun shot salute, Taps, and flags at the cemetery.

The ceremony today included the information that the City of Lubbock had about 3000 veterans, including 3 Medal of Honor recipients... After the ceremony, the Girl and Boy Scout troops helped to put out flags. The Star Spangled Banner and God Bless America were sung. The Marine contingency did the gun salute, the County Sheriff's Department presented the colors (the flag.) We drove around the cemetery, while the scouts were putting out flags.

Tonight, I went back to the cemetery on my way to go kayaking in the same general area.  There were no flags to speak of in the cemetery... There were a  few that were obviously privately placed on tombstones, but beyond that, there were no American flags nor Confederate flags.

I am not sure what to think about that. 

I am interested in your comments.