The 30-Day Writing Challenge: Someone Who Fascinates Me and Why

We return today to my latest stab at the 30-Day Writing Challenge, taking on the topic of "Someone Who Fascinates Me, And Why."

Today is November 4th, and it's the birthday of one of my heroes: cowboy, actor, vaudeville performer, comedian, writer, and political commentator Will Rogers.

William Penn Adair Rogers was born into a Cherokee family in Oologah, Oklahoma*, in 1879. He worked as a cowboy, learning the roping skills that he would later turn into a successful stage act in vaudeville. He travelled around the world, working various jobs from Argentina to South Africa, ending up as a trick roper in "Texas Jack's Wild West Circus."

He was friendly, hard-working, and well-read, and he eventually moved from the circus to vaudeville and then to the movies, where his down-home, folksy demeanor and multiple skills eventually led to a radio program and a wildly popular syndicated newspaper column. He was a master of satirical commentary, with none of the bitter, ad-hominem attacks that are so common today. It was Will Rogers who first made such notable comments as, "I am not a member of an organized political party. I am a Democrat," and, "I don't make jokes. I just watch the government and report the facts."

His humorous, often earthy anecdotes and friendly style allowed him to poke fun at figures across the political spectrum, without personal spite or intentionally giving offense ... his tremendous popularity was a reflection of his easygoing, yet insightful personality.

Will Rogers didn't think much of what he viewed as untruthful and unseemly political campaigning. As a way of lampooning political campaigns, he ran a mock campaign for president in 1928 as the candidate of the "No-Bunk Party" against Republican Herbert Hoover and Democrat Al Smith ... on election day, he grandly declared victory and immediately resigned. When asked if there should be debates between the candidates, he replied, "Yes, joint debates — in any joint you name." He was asked what the nation's farmers needed, and answered, "A punch in the jaw if (they believe) that either of the parties cares a damn about (them) after the election." And when asked about the importance of a candidate's image, he snorted, "I hope there is some sane people who will appreciate dignity and not showmanship in their choice for the presidency**."

Will Rogers was killed in an airplane crash in 1935, along with his friend Wiley Post. His death, in my opinion, marked the end of an era in which good humor and gentle satire could be used to skewer the pompous and the useless. I've often wished I could have known Will Rogers, whose style and demeanor I've tried to emulate with much of what I've written. He would probably thought me to be a bit mean-spirited because of my Right- and Left-Cheek Ass Clown awards, but I'm pretty sure he'd have approved the selections ... and done a better job of satirizing the recipients than I.

Dear Readers, Will Rogers is the person who fascinates me, and he's assured of a seat at the table on my Last Supper List.

Have a good day. More thoughts tomorrow.

Bilbo

* It was called "Indian Territory" at the time.

** You'd think he foresaw the coming of Donald Trump.

How the Other Half Lives

The ongoing soap opera involving retired general David Petraeus, his cuckolded wife Holly, his paramour Paula Broadbent, a second general named John Allen, a Miami socialite named Jill Kelley, a shirtless FBI agent, and a cast of dozens of sorry supporting actors has caught the morbid attention of a nation seeking distraction from the state of the economy and the noisy fallout of the presidential election. And that attention has not been entirely positive.

This article by Rajiv Chandrasekaran and Greg Jaffe casts uncomfortable light on the lifestyles of senior military officers and - by extension - all those who occupy positions of great power and authority.  Take a minute to read it and then come back. I'll wait.

Here is a key excerpt from the article:

"... many of [the generals] work 18-hour days, six to seven days a week. They manage budgets that dwarf those of large multinational companies and are responsible for the lives of thousands of young men and women under their command."

That's a pretty significant responsibility.

Drawing on my experience of 23 years of military service and further 16 years as a contractor supporting military headquarters activities, I can tell you that the vast majority of senior officers, both men and women, are fine and decent persons who have earned their positions of authority and do not abuse them. This is not to say that they are all paragons of professional excellence worthy of emulation, just that most are good, honest, hardworking public servants who genuinely care about the nation they serve and the people they command.

This, of course, makes those who don't all the more reprehensible.

Another take on the issue comes from commentator Peggy Noonan, who recently wrote an interesting, but somewhat simplistic article titled, The I's Have It. In her view, as people - particularly generals - rise to the highest levels of authority and responsibility, they tend to become selfish egomaniacs more interested in the benefits and trappings of their position than in their responsibilities. She illustrates her point with this comparison photo of two of our most famous generals - David Petraeus and Dwight Eisenhower ...

Her point is that we have moved from a time when people were quietly satisfied with their accomplishments and less interested in self-aggrandizement to a time when some feel the need to aggressively advertise and capitalize on their success. Comparing Petraeus with the legendary Ike isn't fair to either man, but on a very basic level it does illustrate the difference between a confident and self-effacing leader and one concerned with managing his public image.

Most general officers I know live a life I would not want to live myself. While they enjoy relatively high pay and nice perks, they earn them with a crushing schedule and the knowledge that their every word and deed will be carefully studied by those beneath them* ... people whose lives may, in fact, rely on the decisions those generals make. I genuinely admire most of the colonels and generals with whom I have served over the years, but that doesn't mean they've all been first-class leaders. I can count on the fingers of one hand the number of senior officers I have known that I would freely follow into danger, secure in the knowledge that they had the combination of strategic thinking, tactical agility, moral and ethical leadership, and cold, ruthless determination that would be likely to prevail in conflict and bring me home safely. 

I don't object to the perks of our senior leaders. But I do object to the mindset that grows in a small number of those leaders - both military and civilian - that they are somehow entitled, and are not bound by the same rules that govern lesser mortals.

Pride in our accomplishments is a good thing. Hubris is not. Leadership at the highest levels isn't about the number of ribbons and medals and awards dangling from your dress uniform, but about the aura of confidence, competence, and sound judgment that inspires people to risk their lives at your command.

Not everyone can be a great general and leader, but I'm glad that there are some who can rise successfully to the call while retaining their essential humility. We need more of them in these troubled times.

Have a good day. More thoughts tomorrow.

Bilbo

* I have an old college friend from our ROTC days who ultimately became a four-star general. I once commented that it was interesting that he ended up a full general while I retired as a lieutenant colonel and was now a lowly contractor ... his reply was illuminating: "I may have four stars, but you've got a life."

Another Word for "Hero" *

The comic strip "Beetle Bailey" describes the misadventures of the titular Army private at a forlorn post called Camp Swampy. One of Beetle's friends is another private named Zero, who is not terribly bright, yet often insightful. In one of the episodes of the strip many years ago, Zero came upon Beetle watching a movie on television, and sat down to watch with him. After a few minutes he turned to Beetle and asked, "Who's that nasty guy in the ratty clothes, with the cigarette hanging out of his mouth?"

Beetle replied, "He's the hero."

Zero absorbed this and watched further, then asked, "Why is he driving his car down the sidewalk and shooting at people?"

Beetle explained, "That's the line of work he's in."

Zero turned back to the movie and before long turned back to Beetle to ask, "Why is he beating up that pretty girl and kicking her down the stairs?"

Beetle replied, "That's the way he finds things out."

Zero sat back and pondered all this, then turned back to Beetle and observed, "I think we need another word for "hero."

I thought about this scene yesterday when I read the sad news that Neil Armstrong, the American astronaut who was the first human being to set foot on the Moon, had passed away. In a time when we have too few true heroes, the loss of a man like Neil Armstrong is doubly unfortunate.

On July 20, 1969, Armstrong and fellow astronaut Buzz Aldrin landed on the surface of the Moon and spent about ten hours on the surface, collecting rocks and taking photographs before returning to the orbiting Apollo 11 spacecraft for the return to Earth and a hero's welcome. As it happened, I didn't know the landing had been successful until several days after the event ... I was hiking in the Sangre de Cristo mountains of southwestern Colorado with the Colorado Outward Bound School, and only got the news when we came out of the wilderness a few days later to resupply at a local campground.

The moon has looked a little different every night since.

After his historic flight, Neil Armstrong never returned to space. He managed research and technology programs for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) before resigning in 1971 to teach engineering at the University of Cincinnati.

He was an American hero of the old school: calm, quiet, and self-effacing. He never cashed in on his fame as so many others might have, choosing to live a quiet life out of the public eye. 

He was, and remains, a reminder of what can be great about America. And his passing reminds us that hapless Private Zero got his observation wrong: what we need isn't another word for "hero" ... what we need is more people like Neil Armstrong who can live up to the meaning and expectations of the perfectly good word we have.

Rest in peace, Neil. They aren't making them like you any more.

Have a good day. More thoughts tomorrow.

Bilbo

* This post is based on a speech I gave to the Arkla-Barkers Toastmasters Club at Barksdale AFB, Louisiana, in 1977.

Happy Birthday, Will Rogers!

Today we celebrate the birthday of one of my most revered heroes - cowboy, writer, actor, commentator, wit, and all-around nice guy Will Rogers.

William Penn Adair ("Will") Rogers was born on November 4, 1879 in the teeming megalopolis of Oologah, in what was then called "Indian Territory" - today, we call it Oklahoma. He was part Cherokee and got the nickname "the Cherokee Kid." He worked for a time as a roper in the circus, and moved on to vaudeville, where he was a big success. His original vaudeville act was based on rope tricks interspersed with jokes and commentary on the daily news. His act was so popular that he went on to write a daily newspaper column, "Will Rogers Says," which was read by about 40 million people a day. He acted in more than 70 movies, and died in a plane crash in Alaska in 1935, when he was 55 years old.

Will Rogers was noted for his topical political commentary and gentle jokes about all sorts of topics. Many of his best comments are as applicable today as they were in the 1930's, and he's still widely quoted by people on all sides of political arguments. He could have been talking about the election we just suffered through yesterday when he said ...

"Every guy just looks in his own pocket and then votes. And the funny part of it is that it's the last year of an administration that counts. [A president] can have three bad ones and then wind up with everybody having money in the fourth, and the incumbent will win so far he needn't even stay up to hear the returns. Conditions win elections, not speeches." (Boy, he called that one right!)

"Lord, the money we do spend on Government and it’s not one bit better than the government we got for one-third the money twenty years ago." (What more can I say?)

"Thanksgiving Day! In the days of our founders, they were willing to give thanks for mighty little, for mighty little was all they expected. … Those old boys in the Fall of the year, if they could gather a few pumpkins, potatoes and some corn for the Winter, they was in a thanking mood. But if we can't gather in a new car, a new radio, a new tuxedo and some Government relief, we feel like the world is agin' us." (Yep.)

"Everything is changing. People are taking the comedians seriously and the politicians as a joke." (What do you suppose Will would have made of last week's "Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear?")

"If stupidity got us in this mess, why can't it get us out?" (I have an idea that the Republicans are getting ready to find out. After all, it's a lot easier to shout slogans and make grand promises than it is to actually come up with rational policies of governance.)

"A senator got up today in Congress and called his fellow senators sons of wild jackasses. Now, if you think the senators were hot, imagine how the jackasses must feel." (Name-calling in politics actually isn't anything new, is it?)

One of Mr Rogers' most famous quotes is actually a bit of a misquote. He is often quoted as having said, "I never met a man I didn't like." But what he actually said was a little bit different...it was part of a longer comment, and it was about - of all people - Russian revolutionary Leon Trotsky. Here's the full quote in context:

"I bet you if I had met him (Trotsky) and had a chat with him, I would have found him a very interesting and human fellow, for I never yet met a man that I didn't like. When you meet people, no matter what opinion you might have formed about them beforehand, why, after you meet them and see their angle and their personality, why, you can see a lot of good in all of them."

How can you not admire a man like that ... and wish we had more like him today? Especially in Congress.

Join me in raising a glass to my hero Will Rogers - a genuine American. We need more like him.

Have a good day. More thoughts tomorrow.

Bilbo