Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Once out of the warm and loving embrace of my Uncle Sam – three years to be precise, and four days -1 enrolled at East Carolina College (That’s right. It was not designated a university at the time.)

That day was coming, though, probably much to the dismay of the “Chapel Hill” folks. Me, I think Carolina is a great institution of higher learning, as are so many with which we are blessed here in the Old North State.

This week’s “Write Again” is not about just that, however. It’s sort of tangentially about a man who was one of my teachers at ECC, and who became my friend.

When I tell you his name very few if any readers will recognize him: Ralph Steele. He walked to a different drum beat, to employ that old but apt cliche.

We seemed to hit it off, to establish a sympatico, so to speak. In retrospect it was not built upon shared similar political or religious perspectives. It was more than that, better than that need some seem to have as relates to requiring only like-minded friends and acquaintances.

This piece also references another special person: Jon Meacham. One who says he is neither Democrat or Republican. He is America’s quintessential observer-historian, and how instructive it would be if more, many more folks read and listened to him. His “The Soul of America” tells us how our country “works”.

Now, you may wonder, friends, just where I am going with today’s peripatetic journalistic endeavor. Truth to tell, I’m not really sure myself. Were I being paid to write a column, especially this one, I think a refund from me would be appropriate. Know what I mean?

So. Let’s see what’s next. How about a modicum of moralizing. As in, at the very least we can strive to be ethical souls. You know, do the right thing.

As clouded as our judgment, perspective, opinion may be, based upon political predilections, don’t you think most of us deep down know what the “right thing” is? Don’t we?

Ralph Steele often said, “It’s all about where we place our values”, or words to that effect.

Our values. Wealth, fame, happiness, love, family, health, respect for others, knowledge; perhaps there are other values you might add.

Is there a “takeaway” from all of this? It would be my hope, but who am I to pontificate? Who indeed.

Now for the best part of today’s ramblings: I’m ending it here.

May the rest of your weekend, and many days to follow, be good ones

 

May it be so. NOTE – In last week’s column, Tip O’Neill’s pronunciation of Jimmy Carter’s name should have read “Cahter” not “Canter.”