By now, most of you with better than average intelligence, have figured out da harv is a prominent guy; enjoys doing things because it makes him really feel good, often times traveling his road with an unbiased, unabashed, exhilaration for life caused by undeserved blessings, despite the kind words being sent to me. Without measurement, thank you!
If I were a king, or any counterpart of his kingdom, I’d find need to send fourth a proclamation attesting to the joys of sharing a kind word to all living creatures within my domain. The saintly Latins referred to it as an edictum.
In the military, we were often heard to say, “Now hear this proclamation: All of you within the sound of my voice, or within reach of a pen, are required to send out a kind word of encouragement to any of your choice. There is no measurement worthy of describing the effect of a kind word received.”
Two of the many things I got from my mother and father, not necessarily in the exact order of appearance: my mother would say, “Who the hell cares what they think! Say what’s on your mind as long as you’re telling the truth. If they can’t handle the truth, it’s too damn bad!”
My father, on the other hand, had a much different approach to life than my mom. “Be careful about what you say. Most people, by nature, are not good listeners. If you must talk, Harv, make sure you are telling the truth but be prepared—many people won’t be able to handle the truth, which explains why politicians are free to get away with the bullshit they so indiscriminately spread around!”
My father loved Theodore Roosevelt, our 26th president of the United States. “Walk softly, but carry a big stick”, was one of dad’s favorite quotes.
“You know Harv, the Teddy bear is named for him”. And then my dad, who never went past the fourth grade, recited just about everything President Roosevelt had accomplished during his days in office.
And speaking of parental gifts, the year was 1929… New York City had a population of approximately 6.5 million. On Black Monday, October 28, 1929, the Dow Jones Industrial Average declined nearly 13 percent. When we had the historic market crash, my dad was twenty-seven years of age and married with one child, my oldest sister—da harv was a mere four years away from joining them. My mom and dad were flat broke: no business, no job, no money, and a few days from moving in with one of the many aunts and uncles who all happened to be in the same boat, paddling upstream as fast as they could. Between the two sides, nine brothers and sisters on my dad’s and another eight on my mother’s, contributed to unemployment soaring to a nifty 25% by the time they first heard little da harv complain about not having his own room.
Bing Crosby asks the question: “Brother, Can You Spare A Dime?”
And like so many of us today, their lives were deeply influenced by an even wider variety of medical problems for them to deal with. All the many things we take for granted were nonexistent in the late 1920s, and well into the very late 1930s.
There was no such a thing as “the middle class”. An up-to-date list of what the Americans of that particular era didn’t have is absolutely overpowering!
Note: In the 20s and 30s, vaccines were almost all non-existent.
Childhood disease was commonplace.
Imagine, if you will, what families had to live with and face on a life-threatening, daily basis. And then, before these stalwart people could catch their collective breaths, along comes one of the most despicable incidents of a lifetime: World War II was upon them. Our American spirit had been awakened by a sneak punch! Nothing before, or since, has exceeded the determination shown by the same people of my parent’s generation, who were struggling through an epic depressive decline to the welfare of the United States of America.
In 1928, at St. Mary’s Hospital, London, Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin. This discovery led to the introduction of antibiotics that greatly reduced the number of deaths from infection. It wasn’t until the 1940s that the full roll-out of these wonder drugs managed to take hold, 12 years from the date of discovery. Today, it was announced the third pharmaceutical company has their Covid-19 vaccine ready to distribute, and it took nine months to develop.
Beyond Measurement
At a time like this
When one person offers a kind word
Carrying forth great strength
Lifting the most seemingly heavy burdens
Life has presented without cause
And of the good
A kind word generates
Through endearment
An endless enabler
Far beyond measurement
This resultant allowance
A lasting firmament
The best any man may offer
To any other man
This single word
Of kindness
Deliberately spoken
HK
