Graduation Truisms

In this season of new beginnings, it is commonplace to gift graduates with wisdom, with the goal of easing some of life's challenges, helping them to not repeat the mistakes of others, along with the teaching that their upcoming challenges are not unique to mankind. Did you know that there have been more books written about how to achieve success than any other non-fiction category? Now anyone who is more than a casual reader of this blog will have already ascertained that I hold to the beliefs that the greatest source of wisdom is from God. I believe that He wrote the only book that can teach us how to live a life pleasing to the only person who matters, God.

But that doesn't mean that we humans lack the ability to encourage, equip and grow each other through our own life experiences and one such collection of that hard-earned wisdom is one of my favorite books, "The Best of Success". Recognize the temporal perspectives of all who are quoted but learning from their mistakes and resolutions can be a help as you navigate the life you are about to begin. So here, in honor of the Class of 2019 graduates, are some of my favorite quotes from that book.

The Komkom Vase

In AD 812, skilled craftsman delivered their masterpiece to the King. The vase, which was about nine inches tall with 202 hieroglyphic blocks, was painstakingly created for the most powerful man in Mayan culture. This vase would become the King's drinking vessel of choice, with no other human allowed to ever use it other than the King.

In April, 2019, 82 fragments of the Komkom Vase, named after the royal owner, were recently discovered in Belize. What was interesting (but sadly not a surprise) were the inscriptions on the vase. There was no mention of the economy, the weather, or anything about the common people the King ruled. For this King, like most people who weld great power, had no use for the mundane concerns of life.

The Problem of Fear

When I was young I loved to write stories. Stories about detectives solving crimes, race car drivers, baseball players struggling to reach the majors and much more. But the one theme I kept returning to over and over was fear. Looking back now the fingerprints of my unresolved fears were all over my life.

I really don't remember confronting my fears, at least not in childhood or in my teens. And though I've experienced my share of pain and loss throughout my life, I don't remember being consumed by fear and dread. Until a fateful night when I was in my early twenties, while hiking alone in Moab, Utah. There was no external catalyst to provoke a feeling of fear but I was suddenly overcome nonetheless. I remember wildly looking around, even stumbling to the point of falling the in cold red dirt, but I couldn't locate the cause of my intense fear. This consuming feeling stayed with me for a few days and then left as suddenly as it had arrived. I couldn't explain it to my friends and there was no reason I could ever give for this experience. To this day I still can't recall any particular trigger for that unusual outburst but I can still vividly remember the emotion that racked my body, mind and soul for what seemed like days. All-consuming fear.

The Power of Duke

The year is 1980. Walking to my car with my friend Steve after working a long shift. I remember it was raining, a steady downfall.  Steve had been talking all day about this new album from his favorite band and I finally agreed to listen to just one song before I headed home.

Now my '74 Nova may have not been a lot to look at from the outside but the inside contained a state-of-the-art Pioneer sound system. The glow from the blue lights of the sound system lit up the interior as Steve handed me the cassette. I pressed the rewind button to play the first song. The whirring finally ended. I pressed play . . .