Tag:father | The Fireside Post father | The Fireside Post
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All Posts Tagged With: "father"

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Almost a Certainty

William Merritt Scotton, Sr. and Genevieve (Clark) Scotton, were married Wednesday, August 24, 1938 in St. Joseph, MO. She was a few months from 18 years and he was a couple of months into 21 years. They met by chance because he and Dorothy Castile were cousins and Genevieve and Dorothy were best friends. Merritt […]

23Jan2018 | | 1 comment | Continued
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A 1964 Christmas Story

It was 1964. Life hadn’t been great. This particular year had been mostly a nightmare. My Mother and Stepfather had separated. Finances were next to non-existent. Me being able to attend school became a burden for my Mother. At only fifteen, I was resigned to possibly, never finishing high school. I was the oldest of, […]

12Dec2016 | | 1 comment | Continued
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When My Mind is Racing

Most of the folks who read my posts recognize my natural inclination toward self-righteous sarcasm.  I know that sarcasm is toxic – Mr. Clark (the Editor) tells me almost every day.  Sarcasm does serve to drive home a point.  But there is a cost to being the negative reflection of the world around us.  And […]

24Mar2014 | | 2 comments | Continued
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Bryan – 37

As it turns out, we spelled Bryan’s name correctly.   The majority of Brians in the world use an ‘i’ – some use a capital ‘I.’  We used a ‘y’ and it has come to symbolize the namesake. When Bryan was young, like three years old, I taught him some silly youth songs.  He sang with […]

21Jun2011 | | 2 comments | Continued
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Sins of Our Father – and Other Life Prejudices

At some point in each or our lives we have to ask ourselves – who am I?  Social order forces the question.  We cannot live a complete life without someone challenging at least one of our belief systems – and often our entire concept of proper culture.  Prejudices must be examined and rethought – for […]

22May2010 | | Comments Off on Sins of Our Father – and Other Life Prejudices | Continued
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Polite Manners With Name Prefixes

How do you address others?  How are we supposed to address others?  The internet serves to mix cultures and polite manners.  My internet friend in San Francisco calls me Mr. Tone.  I call her Ann – thinking by so doing I would subtly give her permission to call me Ohg.  She figured me out and […]

12Jun2009 | | 1 comment | Continued
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Americans want a Revolution – 2008

We are ready.  We are ready for change.  We are ready for a Revolution. The American people have already demonstrated a powerful desire for revolution.  Witness the Party Primaries of 2007 and 2008.  Democrats have registered to vote in historic numbers.  Barack Obama – a relative unknown – won because he represented the best chance […]

4Oct2008 | | 7 comments | Continued
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Coming to yourself – escaping parental domination

We commented in an earlier post that ‘original sin’ equates with escaping the dysfunction of your family of origin. That includes escaping the domination of parents. Parent are powerful – the most powerful two people a child will ever experience.  That is the fundamental triangle of life, Father, Mother, Child.  The lens through which we […]

29Sep2008 | | Comments Off on Coming to yourself – escaping parental domination | Continued
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Jesus, Lindsay Lohan, and Family

Son, When did Christianity go crazy? History suggests it was about twenty minutes after Jesus returned to heaven. The flirtation with sanity continues, but a reluctant populace defies the message. Reluctant in many ways. “I’ll give you my problems Jesus, but first we have to properly prepare them. Problems are things we have to work […]

19Feb2008 | | Comments Off on Jesus, Lindsay Lohan, and Family | Continued
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Responding to Christians

Son, Lay off the Betty Bowers web site – your judgment is beginning to drift. Just kidding. I am extremely pleased with you. I am pleased with your ability with the written word and with your willingness to tackle tough issues. I fear that your interpretation of my post was based more on how you […]

27Sep2007 | | Comments Off on Responding to Christians | Continued
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Art of Congress – Negotiating

Son, If I negotiated with a car dealer like the U.S. Congress negotiates within their chambers I would still be driving a 1992 Chevy Pickup. One-upping the next guy is more important than moving forward. This is not liberal or conservative – this is fear of being labeled as ‘not being faithful to their base‘ […]

20Sep2007 | | Comments Off on Art of Congress – Negotiating | Continued
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Proud to be an American!

Son, I wear my patriotism with pride. I am embarrassed by the representation of our American Republic by our current Presidential Administration. The current flavor of our Government is not what the Founding Fathers had in mind. The Second Amendment is not more important than the First Amendment, or the Fourth or the Fifth – […]

18Sep2007 | | Comments Off on Proud to be an American! | Continued
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Founding Fathers – Liberals all!

Son, I am fascinated by your ideology. You have achieved my dream for you – a dream that you would grow to be an independent thinker – a dream that you would base your thoughts on basic, solid, values. Your values are solid – belief in the basic goodness of humanity, belief in progress (let’s […]

18Sep2007 | | Comments Off on Founding Fathers – Liberals all! | Continued
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Babies Vs. Politicians: Who is Smarter?

Son, A national magazine recently had an article titled ‘Babies Vs. Chimps.” It felt like I was reading an article on ‘Babies Vs. American Politicians.” The study examined theories of general-intelligence versus cultural-intelligence. The different study groups “performed about equally well on ‘physical learning’ – locating hidden objects…understanding concepts of more and less, using a […]

17Sep2007 | | Comments Off on Babies Vs. Politicians: Who is Smarter? | Continued
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Angry Grandfathers Do Not Pray!

Son, I’m with you.  A continued, recurring illness in your little four year old girl is terribly frustrating.  One of my favorite optimistic sayings is, “We should be grateful that we live in an era of modern medicine.”   But what do we do when the health care system comes up short? I don’t have […]

16Sep2007 | | Comments Off on Angry Grandfathers Do Not Pray! | Continued
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Praying for Help

Dad, It is Sunday morning and your granddaughter has a fever again. She finished her antibiotics two days a go, and this is becoming a frustratingly familiar story.  People have been suggesting alternative medicines, our neighbor is a chiropractor, my mother-in-law is concerned about all of the antibiotics that my daughter is taking. At first, […]

16Sep2007 | | 1 comment | Continued
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Let Us Have Peace, Shall We?

Dad, Our ship’s boatswain used to tell us, “look for problems, you’ll find them. Look for solutions, you’ll not find problems.” I think this can be applied to our current political climate. I don’t like the administration, but I don’t want to hear about it anymore. I want us all to get to work on […]

13Sep2007 | | Comments Off on Let Us Have Peace, Shall We? | Continued
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Denial – Outdated Mythology

Son, There is a huge mistake by Addiction Treatment Professionals, law enforcement, and the courts in addressing the problem of alcohol and drug addiction. The dominant philosophy the past thirty years has been that the central problem is one of denial. That is to say, the belief that alcoholics and addicts have abnormally robust denial […]

12Sep2007 | | Comments Off on Denial – Outdated Mythology | Continued
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A letter from Barack Obama…

Dad, I just got this letter from the Obama campaign. I want to share it because it represents why I will vote for him. I believe him. Bryan. ______ Dear Bryan, Six years ago, on a bright and beautiful Tuesday morning, a new kind of enemy came to America’s shores. We will never forget the […]

11Sep2007 | | 2 comments | Continued
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Addictions – Losing Control

Son, Dante wrote The Inferno. I am not sure about this – anyone can correct me if they wish, but I think Dante described the greatest sin as giving up control of your life to something external – gluttony, sloth, envy, greed, power, or addiction. The punishment for violating the greatest sin was total loss […]

11Sep2007 | | Comments Off on Addictions – Losing Control | Continued
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Same turkey, different flavors

Son, As you are well aware, I like to bake a turkey. Not so much the turkey – but the turkey dinner experience. When I bake a whole turkey I like to prepare my favorite oyster dressing ( my own recipe.) While the turkey cooks I like to make my own bread (I have developed […]

11Sep2007 | | Comments Off on Same turkey, different flavors | Continued
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responsible turkeys?

Dad, I am baking a turkey for dinner. Its a lot of work. Do you think that. accounting for the amount of work and the weight of the bones and stuff, that it is a better deal to buy a turkey at a dollar a pound than to buy, say, boneless skinless meats that are […]

11Sep2007 | | Comments Off on responsible turkeys? | Continued
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Mistakes in parenting

Son, I feel a little embarrassed about giving advice on parenting. Your mother and I were talking last week and we both felt that our children turned out pretty well – in spite of us. I talk today about acting out of love – but that was not really my style. I was a parent […]

11Sep2007 | | 1 comment | Continued
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Protecting children from themselves.

Son, Parenting is difficult. Your sister was in the Rainbow Honors Program in elementary school. When she was preparing for middle school she told me that she no longer wanted to be in the honors program. I asked, “Why not.” “Well”, she said in her 12 year old wisdom, “I don’t have enough time to […]

11Sep2007 | | Comments Off on Protecting children from themselves. | Continued
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My daughter doesn’t want to go to school…

Dad, My daughter didn’t want to go to school today. She was screaming for me when I left. I was crushed, but I know that she enjoys school. She is discovering that this thing is for good, i think, and she wants to came home and hang out with her brother and I. It is […]

11Sep2007 | | 3 comments | Continued
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George W. Bush Presidential Library

Son, People can be funny, creative, facetious and sarcastic. Our local newspaper has a column called “It’s your call.” They allow people to call in and leave comments. There is little editing and the column gets heavy criticism from local officials. Today there is a clever comment: How about putting the George Bush Presidential Library […]

11Sep2007 | | Comments Off on George W. Bush Presidential Library | Continued
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the politics of the modern crusades…

Dad I am a Democrat today because I cannot subscribe to the politics of the modern crusades. I have, in the past, been afraid to state a political position or defend a political candidate. I have also been reluctant to attack a public figure for fear that I might find in my heart that I […]

11Sep2007 | | 2 comments | Continued
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Pit Bulls and Republicans

Son, The attack dogs are breeding. The muffling process of the Primaries disguises the Machiavellian mentality of self proclaimed leaders. Only restricted by fear that they might harm their pack, the Republicans are frustrated. They are off stride. The Democrats are well ahead in the money game. An unpopular President George Bush holds the leash […]

11Sep2007 | | Comments Off on Pit Bulls and Republicans | Continued
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a virtual fireside chat…

the fireside chat -episode 001 Dad, Hey, it’s our first podcast! I think the reference to the original fireside chats of FDR is apropriate, since the radio was his tool to create a sense of closeness with his audience. It worked, and it seems we have come in a virtual full circle. From writing to […]

11Sep2007 | | Comments Off on a virtual fireside chat… | Continued
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My Opinion on Convictions

Son, I admire your determination. Opinions are the fodder of intellect, just academic talk until applied. Conviction is the result of integrating opinion with life experience. Our life experience will test our opinions – if we come out the other side with the same opinion then we call it conviction. We know many things – […]

10Sep2007 | | Comments Off on My Opinion on Convictions | Continued
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Bush says ‘Never!’ how smart is that

Son, I know a lot of people my age who, over time, have violated their own principles. They said “NEVER!” They were wrong. They were wrong to say never and they were wrong to violate their own principles. “Never” is a word that denies our own humanness. George double-u Bush is one of those folks […]

10Sep2007 | | 2 comments | Continued
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Voting for Republicans…

Son, I voted for one Republican for President – and he quit. I have never voted for another. I was conflicted in 1980. I did not like the choices. I voted for the independent John Anderson. I have difficulty imagining the circumstances that would convince me to vote for any Republican for any national office. […]

10Sep2007 | | 2 comments | Continued
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Ike Skelton asks one question…

Son, Ike Skelton states he will ask but one question, calling himself a country lawyer and qualifying that the leadership of Iraq appear “to be sitting on their thumbs…” So, “Mr. Ambassador, why should we expect the next six months to be any different?” Ambassador Crocker, “These are extremely complex endeavors…it is going to be […]

10Sep2007 | | Comments Off on Ike Skelton asks one question… | Continued
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Ambassador Crocker Continues…

Son, Ambassador Crocker says, “Iraqis are struggling to come to terms with a society that does not punish…I believe that Iraq’s leaders have the will to face the challenges before them…they approach the task with a deep sense of patriotism…The commitment of Iraq’s leaders to work on these issues is encouraging…Iraqi Provincial gains have been […]

10Sep2007 | | Comments Off on Ambassador Crocker Continues… | Continued
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Ambassador Ryan Crocker, on ‘the surge’

Son, United States Ambassador to Iraq, Ryan Crocker, is giving testimony to the Congress. He just said, “Iraq continues to be a traumatized society.” Well, I guess he might be right. Dad

10Sep2007 | | Comments Off on Ambassador Ryan Crocker, on ‘the surge’ | Continued
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Patreus is calling for a drawdown of troops

Son, General Patreus has just called for a ‘drawdown’ in U.S. Troops in Iraq. He is trying to explain what he means – I am getting confused with all of the details. That is the problem. This is a complicated issue with huge consequences…. Now Patreus is reiterating the dire consequences of a rapid retreat…. […]

10Sep2007 | | Comments Off on Patreus is calling for a drawdown of troops | Continued
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Listening to General Patreus

Son, I am listening to General Patreus right now. The hearing opened with partisan statements by two Democrats and two Republicans. I wish those folks would just keep their faces shut so we can hear what the man has to say. They already threw several protesters out of the hearing – the partisan showmanship should […]

10Sep2007 | | 2 comments | Continued
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The question – What did I learn from my Dad

Son, In an earlier post I recounted an experience with my father. I was robbed, he reacted with anger and violence. I asked in the post, “What did I learn?” The post was titled “1963 – parenting in a tough world.” It is only with forty-five years of processing that I can answer the question. […]

9Sep2007 | | Comments Off on The question – What did I learn from my Dad | Continued
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Enabling Our Children to Fail

Son, Please forgive me. You mentioned in an earlier post that you “…occasionally found myself in trouble.” I share in the fault. I will give you the notion that you were an adolescent, seeking independence and control of your own life. I will give you that adolescents make some bad choices. But I have to […]

9Sep2007 | | Comments Off on Enabling Our Children to Fail | Continued
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Parenting, mythology and reality

Son, The Navy finished a job that I was unable to accomplish. You transitioned from an adolescent into a young man. Joseph Campbell might say this was a normal process. The mythology of parenting over the recorded history of man suggests, according to Campbell, that the mother and father each have roles, but the village […]

9Sep2007 | | Comments Off on Parenting, mythology and reality | Continued
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Getting Tools From My Dad

Dad, Thanks for all of your encouragement. You probably remember when I was in the Navy and I occasionally found myself in trouble. You probably remember because it lasted for a couple of years. When I decided to turn over a new leaf, it was hard because not everyone was convinced that I was different […]

8Sep2007 | | Comments Off on Getting Tools From My Dad | Continued
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1963 – Parenting in a tough world

Son, I was out collecting money from my paper route patrons. It was the week after John F. Kennedy had been assassinated. I was walking in the 1800 block of Felix Street when three older boys approached me; they were about 19 – I was 13. They told me to give them my money. I […]

8Sep2007 | | Comments Off on 1963 – Parenting in a tough world | Continued
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Finding Acceptance – The Beginnings of Discrimination

Son, Four year old children see the world as we do – but they do not have the same life experience. She goes to school and feels the nuances of acceptance and rejection. We are inherently social creatures and have a need for acceptance in a group. This need fits the category of survival instincts. […]

8Sep2007 | | Comments Off on Finding Acceptance – The Beginnings of Discrimination | Continued
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The pain of cultural frontiers

Son, You are exploring cultural frontiers. You have left the safe harbor of familiarity to seek new ideas about living. Like Lewis and Clark, you find fear and uncertainty. I admire your courage. What is courage, Son? When people act on their convictions, even knowing that there will be pain associated with their behavior, we […]

7Sep2007 | | 2 comments | Continued
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Fundamentalism: The Right To Be Wrong

Dad, I suppose that you are right, that mine is a family that would only be described as “non-traditional” by Focus on the Family. I don’t pretend to believe that they have a solid grasp on the traditions of family systems. I think that the danger of allowing the fundamentalist to paint the larger American […]

6Sep2007 | | Comments Off on Fundamentalism: The Right To Be Wrong | Continued
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Non-traditional families – what is that?

Son, You note that yours is a ‘non-traditional’ family. I don’t quite get it. There is a loving, married, mother and father, a daughter and a son, all living under one roof. You and your spouse worry about the health, safety, and future of your family. The description of your family describes the traditional family […]

6Sep2007 | | Comments Off on Non-traditional families – what is that? | Continued
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On being a Democrat

Son, You happen to live in a state that has a presidential primary. Thus there is a practical need to declare a party affiliation. I like your choice for the Democratic candidate – but like many others I have reservations. Like most others, I want the corruption of a very good government system to end. […]

6Sep2007 | | Comments Off on On being a Democrat | Continued
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So, I’m a Democrat…

Dad, I am becoming keenly aware that there are really three people that are involved in this blog. Me, you, and the reader. Unlike traditional letters, this form of communication is expressly public, and we embrace that difference so that others may benefit from the conversation that takes place here. I have changed the look, […]

5Sep2007 | | Comments Off on So, I’m a Democrat… | Continued
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A product of…well, you…

Dad, I have too many irons in the fire, so to speak. I like my life that way. I start projects often, and I am learning how to chip away at them until they start to take shape. I have three blogs, a podcast, two children with whom I am the primary care provider, six […]

4Sep2007 | | Comments Off on A product of…well, you… | Continued
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Have I overwhelmed my Son?

Son, As you know, I am an animated and verbose person.  Those traits have served me and hindered me.  I have used my personality to convey meaning, to articulate finer points, to debate, and to WIN.   I fear that I have also used my wordiness to overwhelm, as a defense mechanism to keep others at […]

4Sep2007 | | Comments Off on Have I overwhelmed my Son? | Continued