Things You May Not Know....
Original Post: Monday, March 22, 2010
D’r alt bull blaerrt faert bis in di ewichkeit.
The old bull bellows on forever.
(An old Pennsylvania Dutch Expression)
I was watching a reality show recently in which contestants “revealed” one thing that the public might not know about them. The answers ranged from the interesting to the inane (“I like to color with crayons,” is an example of the latter).
The answers, however, got me thinking: what are some of the things about me that few people know? I am on the verge of 70 years of age and I think it is a safe bet that I will not be around to tell stories to my great grandchildren about the good old days when I did this or I did that. Will my family and friends remember anything in particular about me, anything that made me unique?
It may be vain to think that anyone will care--each of us has enough to deal with in the jagged journey of our lives to have time to wonder what some septuagenarian did or didn’t do in his life, even if the bellowing fellow happens to be his ancestor.
But that is the point. As a amateur genealogist I have often wondered about the lives of my ancestors, especially the men named Flores from whom I descended, I knew a little about my father, less about my grandfather, almost nothing about my great grandfather, and just names and dates for the generations between them and our progenitor Johan Conrad Flores.
What motivated a man like Johan Conrad to leave the country of his birth in 1739 and make a dangerous journey across the sea? What kind of spirit carves a new life in a new land, clearing forests and fighting native tribes in the wilds of Penn’s Woods--a German-speaking Lutheran farmer and blacksmith in an English colony, founded by Quakers, for god’s sake!
I want to know and I’d like to believe that one (or more) of my descendants will want to know about me. In a sense I am like Conrad. I set sail, metaphorically speaking, from those same Penn’s Woods and made my way across the Atlantic to carve a new life on a tropical island, an English-speaking freethinker on a former Spanish colony, founded by Roman Catholics, for god’s sake.
This blog is about some of the things--from the interesting to the inane-- that you may know not know about me.
NOTE: These comments were made on my original Notes in November site. I moved them here and made minor edits.
ReplyDeleteVICTORR
I just want to know from where you get the inspiration, the energy and the "ganas" to write so many interesting things. On top of that, photography, a farmer, husband, grandfather and creating the entire edition of "Que Pasa". You are really my hero. Please write something to teach people like me, to do what you do.
Un abrazo,
Víctor
Tuesday, March 23, 2010 - 04:17 PM
RONALD
Victor, you are too kind! I remember when Ronald Jr. was a toddler. He would leap out of bed every morning with a smile and exclaim, "A new day! What are we going to do special today?" He is my hero and I try to emulate him. I wake up in the morning, glad to be alive, and wonder what I can do to make each day special. I think that everyone should try to get as much as possible out of every day. The rest is easy!
Saturday, April 3, 2010 - 03:05 PM
BTE
Hi Ronald,
I'm still trying to figure out how to sign up for your blog; that's how eledtronically gifted I am... .
As I read what you've written, I smile because it is so YOU. You are only the second renaissance man I've ever known (My husband being the first, of course.)
You can do everything... well, ok, not play baseball I guess, from what you've written. And the broken leg from bowling doesn't count... could have been the shoes, the gloss on the lane, lots of things not your fault. But look at what you can do... So many accomplishments... Let's not forget friend, among them.
Anybody who can bake his own bread, grow orchids, write a novel and put together a magazine (text and photos!) .. in addition to all those other things you do so well... is amazing!
Except... how come you don't have spell check on this comment space? I actually had to look up in Webster's the correct spelling of renaissance.
also - what's a url?
Monday, April 5, 2010 - 10:30 AM
ANONYMOUS
Hi Ron. You forgot to say that when you choose a person to be your friend, you make sure that you become that person's BEST FRIEND! You are unique!
Lizette
Monday, April 5, 2010 - 10:53 AM
RONALD III
No, im not sucking up, and especially not for my abuelo, but I am definately looking forward to reading about your younger years to now and you should know that I will make sure to tell MY kids and MY grandchildren about my grandfather and his intricate life-style..........well maybe "life-style" isn't the word