Like My Book, this Site is Offered to Help Readers & Their Organizations Thrive with Healthy Leadership Practices & to Transcend Bullying & Abuse
Bridge
Get link
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
Email
Other Apps
Left to right, my paternal grandfather, great aunt, great grandfather, a Lithuanian immigrant, and great uncle admiring George Washington Bridge construction, circa 1928. My grandfather was 15.
Author's Note: Joe Paterno was fired as Penn State's football coach on Wednesday November 9, 2011. Joe Paterno died Sunday January 22, 2012. He was eighty five years old and lived, for most of his life, like a king. My mother received her early death sentence, melanoma in her lymph system, when she was 35. She died when she was 44. I was seventeen. Since then, I've respected the dead and their families, and focus on their contributions and accomplishments when they pass. Thus, I off lined this blog when I learned Joe Paterno died. It's critical of him and his avoidance response when knowing his former prized assistant, Jerry Sandusky, was seen sodomizing a young boy in the Penn State Football Complex showers. I worked with Joe Paterno and Jerry Sandusky as a graduate assistant football coach. I am also a survivor of early childhood assault outside of my home. Multitudes of great football players like Franco Harris, Lydell Mitchell, Jack Ham, Curt Wa
"The Character is Higher than the Intellect." - Vince Lombardi The Vince Lombardi Trophy will be awarded to tomorrow's Superbowl victor. He is the sport's greatest coach. In his early life, he contemplated being a priest and then an attorney. His football writings, actions, and talks are sprinkled with indirect references to Christianity as when he tells his team they "will pursue, with every ounce of effort in their bodies, pure perfection, knowing full well perfection is not achievable in this life, but in the afterlife. But, we will pursued it with dogged determination." Players responded to his goodness. On the field he was beyond driven, but did nothing out of malice or deceit. His passion was to improve his players, and to build or expose their character. They trusted him and responded. Fourteen Green Bay players he inherited from his predecessor became either All Pro or Hall of Fame caliber. The year before Vince arrived, the Packers recorded
20 years ago this week Linda and I were married. A dubious omen followed. I lost my wedding ring on our honeymoon. We walked to a secluded beach, spread our blanket, and enjoyed each others' company. It was sunny and hot. The ocean was crystal clear, cool, and inviting. The ring fit loose on my finger. I was afraid it might slip off during a swim. It went into my shorts' pocket. It was wrapped and placed safely on the blanket. Not accustomed to wearing my wedding ring, I forgot about it until we reached the parking lot, about a half mile from where we spent these relaxing few hours. We walked back along the low tide line. Soon after, the ocean covered our trail. My heart dropped. My fingers felt no ring in my pocket. My hands rifled through my other pockets. Nothing. Linda looked at me with concern. I was flustered and irate with myself. She was an angel, and is still. She said: "Don't worry, our jeweler can make a duplicate". I was depleted, but a voice
Comments