It’s lonely. By choice.
When I left Guthrie Center after my freshman year in high
school, and moved to Stuart in 1959, I now realize that I lost 4 things.
#1 was that even though I’d had polio, I might have made it
to the majors after years in the minors, as a coach. Instead, I made 3 outs in
10 games, pitched 2 no-hitters, qualified for Midwest 8-ball championships,
shot my age ambidestrously (using rules from 2 tournaments I played in),
invented a couple of sports and some forgettable games, etc. Sons were academic
all-sate.
#2 was we din’t go to UNI. I didn’t become a high school
history teacher. I found my love, Louse, 61 years married now, and I created
RACK ;EM! (Rosetto [effect] American History Community Health Membership [site].
Look up Rosetto Effect. They had no heart attack as long as they had community.
Community is what may be missing, as great technological advances come. Rosenstock:
‘Any new technology destroys old groups. The idea is that once a week someone
from the community tells how their specialy happened in 3 time periods. A—Alleged
crossing of Bering Land 10,000 years ago, until A. D. 1600. Thus tribes and
empires. B—America 1600-2000. C. Until a million settle on Mars—Musk has
incentives for that. Thus, students
learn past and future in their present. More—one student a week takes an event
1600-2000. Study the book too,one day summing up, etc. Equitable % to board,
employees, community members, students.
#3 is that I could have been a member of the establishment
in the Des Moines Register program. Instead I spent decades listening to
Rosenstock (www.erhfund.org) and his
Dartmouth courses, etc. (now free) and Dr. Jordan (now check Theopolis), andI
had time to write ‘The Next Thoudand Years A Prayer, 36 pages, 9 for the reader
to fill in. Chesterton: Anything worth doing is worth doing badly’. Well, I
also qualified for Jeopardy, led a 3rd party as state-wide
candidate, and helped found another3rd party (to no effect).
#4 is that I could have gone into business by taking shop instead
of Latin. But Latin did start me on the road to languages, and a philosophy
degree from Iowa, and from that to a Top Secret clearance as an Air Forde officer
(a bld one, though I made a great play in a midnight sun softball game). A
cousin on one side commanded a nuclear sub, and one on the other side was
President of the World Actuary Society (or something, he had to go to Scotland
to be invested).
Much more has happened, but now I get a couple of good,
actionable ideas a week, and I try to avoid stress, and I try to have informed
consent, so I won’t be crippled (though I threw 50# sacks until I was 770, or
blinded in one eiy (when he went to the laser, your central vision was gone). I’ve
also created Vitamin J for Joy, Personhood Day, Godparents for Eldsters, Twelve
Word Platform, etc.
At present I have 17+ projects. I’m just entering my prime.
