Thoughts on Liberty and the Libertarian Ideal
A leading economist interviewed on the Freakonomics podcast was asked what he'd do if he was elected President. It was pretty amazing to hear what he would do.
He said he would eliminate the minimum wage, stop the war on drugs, kill the Board of Education, get rid of all tariffs and legalize prostitution.
So an economist says that the best things for the country are also the same things that Ron Paul and Libertarians have been saying for years as well. Now while it's possible this economist has Libertarian leanings, it's still interesting to hear that what will work out economically is also the same as what Libertarians believe.
So the old school religious right tries to save us from ourselves and the liberal left believes that government intervention is the answer. Libertarians and economists believe that unshackling us from excessive central government and allowing us to make our own decisions is the answer.
The Libertarian and economist ideals also mesh quite nicely with the precepts of Liberty laid out in the Constitution.
Note that we're only saying that we need to get rid of "excessive" federal government. Many people rip on Libertarians because they think no regulation and no armed forces is a bad thing.
We don't want no regulation - of course some is needed. You don't want to stifle capitalism and you don't want it to run rampant. However, I think we can agree that corporations are getting away with about whatever they want lately as it is.
Just look at the Wall Street bailouts, the golden parachutes for bank executives, the Madoff scandal, and of course oil companies doing almost anything they want. So perhaps we don't have the TYPE of regulation we need.
Rather than allowing them to lobby congress and get away with almost anything, perhaps we shouldn't allow any corporate money to go to congressmen, with stiff penalties to the congressmen - like expulsion.
As for the Libertarian ideal of non-intervention, we're not talking about a foreign policy where our armed forces just lay down their weapons. Nor are we talking about isolationism, where we don't get involved no matter what. No - instead how about we simply don't get involved in empire building.
Did you know that we have forces in over 150 countries around the world? We influence more nations that anyone on the planet. We install puppet dictators and pull them again if they get out of line. We give more money in both foreign aid and defense than any other country - and yet we're going broke.
Libertarians say, "scale it back". Bring them home but keep the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines well-funded and ready. Only send them out IF WE DECLARE WAR, not for police actions or fighting a verb like terrorism. This would allow us to spend more money on espionage and elite special forces units that would allow us to properly combat terrorism.
Ah but I digress, as Old Man Rantypants goes off on a thousand tangents. I don't mean to sound didactic, like "THIS IS WHAT WE SHOULD DO AND EVERYONE ELSE IS A DUMBASS", but I think I do see the big picture and want to share what I believe to be the truth.
What it really comes down to is voting ALL our elected officials out for a few cycles, and that would have them scared enough to do what we ask for finally. I also hope that more people wake up to the fact that our government was not meant to provide everything to everyone. It was meant to keep us free enough so we have the means to whatever we dream of. Liberty. It's in the root of the word Libertarian, and that's really all we want.
Why Rand Paul was Attacked by the Mainstream Media
I don't like to to get into politics too much. It's mostly bullshit as the left fights the right, and they're not fighting for We The People, but for more power and money for themselves.
Besides, if you get too overly concerned with what's going on, you can drive yourself crazy. Worry, fear and doubt can creep into your life as you realize where we're headed as a nation.
It's also foolish to "believe" in the Democrats or the Republicans. Some think the other side is so bad that if they win we're doomed. Republicans think that we'll nosedive into socialism or communism if the Democrats have their way. Democrats think that we'll be a fascist society if the Republicans win.
It's shortsighted to think either way. In reality, there's really not much difference between the goals of either main party. If you boil it down, it really amounts to one thing that they both want: bigger and more powerful central government.
This is exactly what we fought against England for, and exactly why the U.S. Constitution limits the powers of the Federal government. It actually says, "If it isn't listed in here, then the Federal government can't do it" (paraphrasing, of course).
So next we come to Libertarian principles and Rand Paul. Rand is very similar to his father, Ron Paul, and believes in a right to Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness for all humans. He was recently attacked on all fronts by the mainstream media for his statements on the 1960s civil rights movement and essentially painted a racist. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Let's look at the timing of the attacks. Rand Paul had only days earlier won the Kentucky Republican primary for Senate. Kentucky is a very Republican state and was now the odds-on favorite to become it's next Senator.
His Libertarian ideals, the same ones shared by the founding fathers of this great country, are a great threat to the entrenched establishment in the government, both the Dems and Repubs. If everyone realized that the Republicrats were robbing us blind - if everyone realized that the answer to our economic woes were to vote out nearly all of them - well they'd all be out of a job.
Therefore, they focused everything they had on making sure Rand Paul looks like a racist, an idiot, anti-American, anti-progress - you name it. In their eyes, it doesn't matter what people think of Rand so long as it's not the truth. Their goal is to muddy the water, stir things up, to confuse, to spread Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt (aka FUD).
You'll see them throw their substantial weight behind Kentucky's Democratic candidate, and there will be a media blitz for him the likes of which have never been seen before for a Kentucky Democrat.
But on the positive side, for us it doesn't really matter if Rand Paul wins. Just like it wasn't the goal of Ron Paul to win the presidency in '08, it's every bit as important for Rand Paul to just get the message out about Libertarian values and the importance of the Constitution - ESPECIALLY in this day and age.
Why Debt is a Cancer And How To Start Killing It
Debt is a cancer. It can drag you down into a pit of despair with no hope of ever seeing the light of day. But it doesn't have to be like that.
Two years ago I was easily $15,000 in debt. Credit cards, a car loan and my school loan had me living paycheck to paycheck without a thought that I could ever eliminate the debt.
Aside from a home mortgage, which I'm taking steps to refinance and pay off quicker, I have zero debt. Zero. $0. Nothing, zip, zilch nada, and let me tell you, it sure is nice.
You can breath easier, save money quicker, and do almost anything you want to do. Of course this is a lifestyle change and you have to want to change.
For many people, it'll take hitting rock bottom before waking up and striving for a better way of life. We've been taught that credit cards are a way of life, that you'll *always* have a car payment.
Complete B.S., of course, but if you've never been taught any different, how do you know? One good thing about the recent recession is that it's been a wake-up call, a clarion to many of us to kill off that debt and live within our means.
So how do you do this? How do you change your life to one of financial success?
Obviously, you've got to want it. Focus and hard work are required, but it's well worth it.
After all, the alternative is being in debt your entire life. What if you work your whole life and, upon reaching retirement age, find that your Social Security payment isn't enough to live on. By that time, the cost of living has gone up and inflation has skyrocketed - but the Social Security payments never went up with them.
Picture being 70 years old and having to keep working because you never had extra money to put away for retirement.
This is why debt is a cancer. It never allows you to live the life you want. It must be cut out and attacked like the cancer it is.
I'll focus more on how to do this in later articles, but for now wanted to focus on why debt is so bad ... as well as how great it is to be free of it.
To turn this around and leave you with some positives: 2010 has been my first debt-free year and I've already managed a great deal of savings. I still scrimp and save and rarely go to restaurants to accomplish this, but the point is that I have a savings fund, a paid-for car, a budget and a healthy outlook. I've been able to afford a few things I feel are essential, like a rifle for sick animals that come around our house fairly often (and for self-defense as well).
I have plans to hit a certain amount of savings by the end of 2010 and then will focus on some mutual funds and retirement accounts (a Roth IRA), perhaps even fund a Health Savings Account (HSA). (This is all the more funny because a year ago I couldn't have told you what an IRA or HSA was.)
I'm thinking about doing things I really want to, like maybe get a camper or vacation to see friends and family around the country. I can afford to do this now - without having to charge it to a credit card.
Not trying to brag here, just to make a point that you can have this if you decide to roll up your sleeves and get out of debt. Anything you want is before you if decide to work for it. And it's really not all that hard!
So, do you want it?
Five Small Steps Towards Financial Success
Submitted by jonahan on May 3, 2010 - 3:54pm.Tagged:
I've recently gotten out of debt (with the exception of the home mortgage) and have begun to build a bit of savings. I've learned a lot and changed my lifestyle pretty drastically and figured it was time to pay it forward a bit.
Basically, I followed the Dave Ramsey plan but sprinkled in my own tweaks that I picked up from many other sources and people. (Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University is a great place to start - Dave also has a nationally-syndicated AM Radio show along with a free podcast.)
Here are a few tips that will hopefully help you on the path to monetary freedom and success:
- (Very Important) Your first step towards wealth is to start a $1000 emergency fund. This should be cash or in very easily accessible account. The idea is that you will always have a safety net and will eliminate most of the worry and stress from your life. With this $1000, something that may have been a big event for you like an unexpected car repair or traffic ticket or something becomes a minor issue. You've heard of Murphy's Law, right? Anything that can go wrong will go wrong? Well, this rule is your Murphy-repellant.
- When buying anything other than food or essentials over $10, do not buy it today. Impulse buying is one of our greatest problems when it comes to blowing money. Give it a night, sleep on it, and if you decide you truly do need that item or service, then go ahead. Always ask yourself, "Do I NEED this?".
- Avoid restaurants like the plague. I don't think I need to explain this much as we all know how quickly money can go here. Do reward yourself from time-to-time with a dinner out, perhaps to celebrate milestones like paying off a credit card. (But please don't put the bill on a credit card!)
- On that note, DO NOT USE CREDIT CARDS! The idea that you'll pay it off soon enough is bogus. Too many times, something will come up, or you'll rationalize not paying the bill now. Pay with cash because you see and feel the money and it's harder to part with. With a credit card, it's easy to think money doesn't exist, it's all a virtual thing.
- Save your dollar bills. This one sounds weird but it worked for me. I heard a guy explain it to me this way: he and his wife wouldn't use dollar bills, because that was for all the little stuff you buy. A pop here, a candy bar or coffee there really adds up. So every time they went to buy something, they'd break a $5, $10 or $20. It hurts just a bit more to physically see your cash go, so they found themselves not usually wanting to buy those little things. They'd put the dollars back in a fund for something like a little weekend getaway. Alternately, I'd suggest putting dollars back for an extra auto or credit card payment.
That's it for now, I might do more on this if anyone has interest in it. If you want more now, check out Dave Ramsey's baby steps.
Buffalo Sabres Wrap Up The Season
Well put a fork in the Sabres: they're done. It was a pretty good year, though. A hundred points and a division championship was a pleasant surprise. A first-round exit was also a surprise.
You could say the Bruins were a bad matchup for the Sabres, but I think the Sabres wouldn't have had enough against most teams, even if healthy.
The positives from this is Miller can take us to a Stanley Cup if we can surround him with just a few more playoff standouts. A lot of young guns proved they can help us win in the playoffs, including Gerbe, Ennis, Kennedy, McCormick and Meyers.
The Sabres should be a great team next year, and hopefully for years to come. Complement the young core with a few free agents and they should be ready for a cup run next year. Sadly, the Sabres probably won't spend the required money on a great free agent, much less an above average one.
All told though, I'm still pretty happy Buffalo has a winning pro hockey team. After all it wasn't that long ago that they both sucked AND we were in danger of losing the team.
New Beginnings
I feel the urge to write a lot of the time, but no topic most of the time that happens. I'm going to try my best to force some writing, despite my mood, feelings, oddity of the topic or how crazy you think I am for writing what I do.
A lot of my thoughts are definitely not mainstream. Perhaps some might even consider my ideas insane! But so the hell what? Life is short and if someone can benefit from my little scrawlings on here, then cool.
Hence the new theme for the site. As in real life, sometimes cleaning and moving things around in your home or getting a change in scenery helps you get a different perspective. A sense of newness. That was required at jonahan.com, because it had the same theme for probably four years now!
So yeah, I'm going to write away: write fast or die, write like the wind, write now. After all, practice makes perfect and I know there's at least two people out there that enjoy reading what I put to digital paper.
That's it. Smoke 'em if you got 'em.
Words about stuff.
One of these days I'm gonna get my shit together.
I have a feeling I'll be saying that until the day I shuffle off this mortal coil. I realize that's a mixed metaphor, but that's how I role.
Life is weird, great, grand, tough, indifferent and stupid at different times. Sometimes all of those at once. The juxtaposition of smacking you with bad stuff counteracts the supreme bliss of the good stuff. It also keeps one humble.
It's all part of the game, I suppose, so I have no qualms in the end. Just saying stuff to say stuff.
So yeah, I'm nearing my 36th trip around the celestial yellow orb that nourishes us and I feel rather ambivalent about it. However, mundane things like PLAYOFF HOCKEY stir my blood and make me happy.
The Buffalo Sabres launch their campaign for their first Lord Stanley's cup on April 15th. This date coincides nicely with Tax Day, the anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic, Lincoln's death, Pol Pot's birthday and the Arirang Festival (of course, most of us know this as the festival held to celebrate Kim Il-sung's birthday).
Oh yeah, it's the day *I* was born too.
But the 15th of April isn't just a harbinger of bad things. It's also the birthdays of Leonardo DaVinci, porn actress Seka, 80's pop singer (er, one-hit wonder) Samantha Fox, Hermione Granger (er, Emma Watson), and NHLer Ilya Kovalchuck. Also on the plus side, it's Jackie Robinson Day.
So yeah, there we go, a blog entry about nothing, but hey - Seinfeld made an industry out of that!
Gotta Get Back to the Constitution
Yes, I'm a radical. You cannot categorize me as either left-wing or right-wing, conservative or liberal. I am not for the Democrats or the Republicans.
I believe in the United States of America and it's Constitution - which is the sole thing keeping us free. I believe that most of our elected representatives have taken to pissing on that document.
The Constitution limits the power of the Federal (i.e. central) government. It outlines what government can't do, what freedoms we the people have, and at the end of it, essentially says, "if it ain't in here, the government can't do it!"
Where am I going with this? I don't freaking know - but I had to grumble a bit. I see liberals fighting conservatives over some silly issues that don't matter and I get upset.
I see them wasting their time squabbling about these stupid issues and missing the fact that both of the major parties of our "Two-Party System" are robbing us blind and destroying our freedoms. (Don't even get me started on how the major two parties shut everything else out...)
On health care reform: yes, health care would be a nice thing to have, but where will that money come from? They don't tell us that it will be in the form of MORE TAXES. Besides, we're in debt over our heads and can't keep borrowing money from China forever. It's all going to come to a head at some point. So why focus on ... health care?
It's a false flag, people! Nothing about health care is going to change dramatically because, guess what ... they don't care! The people at the top do not care about us "little people". They just drum up a new issue every once in a while to keep us distracted and fighting each other over it, rather than have us focus on what's REALLY going on.
Is Obama truly that much different than Bush, other than in terms of how he presents himself? Look past the speeches, look at the policies. More troops in Afghanistan, more bailouts, bigger budgets, more taxes; our foreign policy remains one of intervention and empire building.
I know, Old Man Ranty McGee is going off again - but if I don't speak out about it, I may regret it. Hell, at least I'm doing *something*, which is more than most can say.
So in summation, The Constitution: learn it, live it, love it. And don't let anyone take it away from us.
George P. Kerns' Eulogy
Submitted by jonahan on January 29, 2010 - 3:41pm.This was written and read by my Uncle Chris and Aunt Carole during my Uncle George's funeral. I wanted to share it with those who couldn't make it. Thanks to Chris & Carole for writing and sharing, and George for everything.
______________________
George’s Eulogy
January 16, 2010
[Chris--]
George Patrick Kerns was born on March 12, 1954 as the sixth of eight children (the third of 5 sons) to our parents, Jack and Mary Ellen Kerns. He was named after “Uncle George Heiser” (who was not really our true uncle), but because Uncle George was elderly, none of our siblings could bring ourselves to call this little baby by an older man’s name. Our sister, Connie, remembered that Dad and Mom referred to every baby that was about to be born as a “Chip off the old block”, and this time the name stuck.
Growing up, the five of us boys shared a single large room with bunk beds in the farmhouse out on Rt. 29. Chip would always be up early, whistling, singing, and having fun. The rest of us would typically be grouchy, half awake and wondering how to put a lid on this overly cheerful guy. I started call him “Chipper”, and never stopped, cause he was in fact a “Chipper” kind of guy.
Chipper always focused on what he was doing, playing games, studying or having fun, and consequently would keep at it after others would stop. That, coupled with his gentle and unobtrusive nature, meant that he could be overlooked from time to time. On vacation, we were all back in the car and down the road before someone would say, “Where’s Chip?” Our family would also often go to Bettie’s Restaurant in Coldwater on Saturday nights for hamburgers, French fries, and sweet/sour salad with bacon dressing. I remember Dad counting up the hamburger orders, and saying “We’re one short - - where’s Chip?? When we drove back home, Chip was sitting on the steps, waiting for us. He said, “I knew you’d be back for me.”
Chipper grew up American Graffiti style, loving ’58 Chevy Impalas, and planned to head to California after graduation, with Pete Heirholtzer and Keith Ley. The three of them brought a used van from Dad - - it was orange, yellow and black, -- and they rigged it up to sleep and live in. A real hippie Van. This was in the days before GPS or Tom-Toms, so on their way to California -- they ended up in MAINE!! Then, like any logical teenager, they spent the winter in Maine.
Heading out on this great adventure, Pete told us of how “Chip” became “George”. He told Pete and Keith that he was now an adult; he didn’t want to be known by the nickname he was called as a boy; he wanted to be known as “George”. It was a little confusing, because some people thought we had yet another brother. However, he will always be “Chipper” to me, just because of his great attitude.
The following year, George/Chipper finally made it to California, where he stayed for about 3 years. Eventually Teressa, her sister, Gena, and our brother, Mike all followed him out there at different times.
[Carole --]
I’d like to tell you about a Beautiful Love Story. The story of George & Teressa.
George was walking down the hall of Celina High. Teressa was in her class looking out the door. Their eyes met – – AND SO IT BEGAN.
Teressa mentioned to her friend Sue how “adorable” she thought Chip was. Sue saw George by his locker – took Teressa by the hand and walked her over, “Chip this is Teressa”.
For their first date George picked Teressa up in a Kerns Chevy with a Kerns Chevy sign taped on the side and balloons hanging off the car which they drove as part of the Coldwater Parade. Already their life was a party!! They dated all that summer. They broke up in the fall. The REASON – George said they were getting too serious…
As you’ve heard, after High School George headed for Maine, then California. He came home for a family wedding – found out Teressa was living in Ft. Wayne and showed up at her door one night (Teressa was home and her current boyfriend was there). Teressa was instantly back in love with George. The boyfriend was history.
Back in Celina for the Christmas holiday, George asked Teressa out. On the way home he started singing the Beatles tune “I love you” (George always did like to sing). They got to Teressa’s house, sat on either end of the sofa and talked in front of the Christmas tree until dawn. Teressa visited George in California on her vacation.
Shortly after the visit, George wrote Teresa’s Mom and Dad and asked for her hand in marriage. He flew back to Celina, got Teressa and they drove back to California in his new, used Vega!! They were married in 1976, and have been married for 33 years this past September 11th.
Their love never stopped growing. Right before George became ill in October of 2006; Teressa lost the diamond out of her engagement ring. But life was so crazy then, she never thought about the ring. George wanted to replace the ring and so plotted with Gena, Teressa’s sister. Gena was driving George weekly to Ft. Wayne for his cyber knife radiation treatments over the winter of 2006. They would stop at various shops to find the perfect ring.
As an aside, every time George and Teressa would go to a wedding of a friend, George would always ask Teressa to marry him again. He and Teressa were to be best man and maid of honor in Gena and Phil’s wedding. George’s plan was to slip the ring into Teressa’s hand during the service. However, that April, George’s cancer was so serious that he was close to death. It appeared that he might not live until the wedding, so Gena brought George the ring, and with all the strength he could muster, he asked Teressa once again to be his wife, telling her that the 3 diamonds symbolized their Past, their Present & their Future.
But with George’s indomitable spirit, he rallied the very next morning to be Best Man at the wedding!!!
Many of you may have seen George around town driving his electric wheelchair. His first trip was to the florist to buy flowers for his Teressa.
The last few weeks of George’s life he did not open his eyes. Literally as he took his last breathe on Wednesday, George opened his eyes, looked right at Teressa and died – One last gift of his love to his ONE TRUE LOVE.
[Chris --]
After George & Teressa were married, they moved to Fort Wayne, Indiana, where George worked for North American Van Lines. George’s natural gift of endless patience and his wonderful talent for listening to others was pushed to the limits by a constant stream of irate customers.
Their 2 sons, Neil and Seth, were born in Ft Wayne. After a decade and a half in Ft. Wayne, they moved back to Celina, where George became THE Goodwill Ambassador for Kerns Automotive Group. George always made the effort, could always find the time to stop and spend time with all types of customers and business contacts.
The basement of George & Teressa’s house on Maple Street was the meeting place for a number of cousins: Neil, Seth, Scott, Michael, David, Tim, Angie, Julia and Mahala. They had a blast in that cave. The kids were there so much that other people in the family were concerned for the welfare of George & Teressa. One Saturday morning, our mother got up early, went to the bakery, got a big bag of donuts and left them on George & Teressa’s front door steps. Our sister, Jaclyn, also got up early, went to a different bakery, got an equally big bag of donuts and left them at the back door. George got up a little while later and went to the front door, found the bag of donuts, then went to the back door. When he found the 2nd bag, he said, “Is this a Great Country, or what?”
George’s love for his boys was, on the scale of 1 – 10 a 10 plus. Teressa remarked that time stood still when George listened to his sons play their instruments, the piano and guitar. You saw the pride in his face, not just about their music, but about everything they did. I would like to read two writings by Neil and Seth about their father: (Neil’s is recent; Seth’s writing was from High School)
From Neil:
Titled “George – Dad”
I have had many teachers in my life over only 29 years. Many were profound and eye-opening. But the Greatest Teacher and the one who stands out as a guide to really opening my eyes to the world is my Father. In memory I always think of the simple and deep way he regarded his surroundings. Particularly the way he taught me to love the Sea. When I was very young, he would carry me into the waves and we would look out into the deep water together. Then back into the sand and later the water again. I was never afraid with him. We were always looking in wonder.
From Seth:
Titled “Hero of Mine”
When smiles are exchanged between my father and me, his is always recognized by me as being sincere. His beautiful eyes are full of knowledge of just about everything and they also contain many memories of great things. He loves to learn new things and get to know people better. My Father loves me. He does not lie to me even if it's just to satisfy my curiosity. He does things for people that are far beyond the material obsessions of the world. My father whistles a lot. He is never sad or worried. He represents what I want to be and how I want to act. My father is a hero and he loves me.
Even the friends of Neil and Seth also felt this love and acceptance and that George and Teressa would never “Judge” them. Seth and Neil tell how their friends come to visit their parents even when Seth and Neil are not at home.
[Carole--]
The boys returned this love of their father’s by dramatically changing their lives when they learned of his cancer. Both moved back to Celina to be with their Dad and Mom. The tenderness, care and devotion shown by these 2 strong men are simply extraordinary.
Kristin, Seth’s wife, also played a very important role, as she voluntarily became George’s caregiver for 3 or 4 days a week. Kristen gave George not only comfort, but the wonderful gift of time with his 2 grandsons, Ian and Logan. Kristin brought her 2 boys along each day as she cared for George.
George had breakfast & lunch with Kristen and the grandsons, so he passed along his great love of eating. On a number of occasions, when George would take a piece of food from Ian’s plate, Ian would look up at him and say,” Paw-Paw, Mine!!
Let’s talk about the George we all Know.
First, the George who loves to EAT.
There is a sign in George and Teressa’s home that reads,
“Live, Love, Laugh.” George would add to that “Live, Love, Laugh and EAT”.
In the family, George was known as the garbage disposal. The whole family used to go for a few days in the summer to a farm in Bellfountain. Each morning we’d have pancakes. 25 of us. And all the pancakes that were left went straight to George’s plate. He would finish them all. And he loved PIES; his favorite-- Sugar Cream. Another of George’s favorite foods – donuts, especially Crispy Cream. He may have been the only person ever to have a photograph of a Krispy Creame outlet store. During his illness George gained a great deal of weight. And with his marvelous sense of humor, his comment to this weight gain – “I’m finally fat – isn’t that GREAT!”
[Chris --]
That leads to George’s great sense of Humor. Although George never liked his teeth, he still smiled all the time. George loved everything that was funny, including for example, Mel Brook’s “Young Frankenstein”, and the Muppets. One time he & Teressa were visiting Washington DC over Thanksgiving, and we found a puppet store that offered the whole range of Muppets. We bought a bunch of hand puppets, and I drove thru Georgetown in DC while George, Teressa and Carole crouched down on the floor of the car, holding six Muppets at all of the open windows. You can only imagine the looks of hundreds of pedestrians and drivers trying to figure out why and where I was taking a half dozen Muppets.
About a year or so ago, Chipper called me and left a voice mail message. My voicemail has a prerecorded message that starts with: “Chris Kerns is not available. . .” I played back Chipper’s message in which he said; “Well, George Kerns IS available; and if George Kerns and Chris Kerns were both available, then George Kerns & Chris Kerns could be talking right now.”
Around that time, our brother, Mike, got an electric wheelchair for George so that he could get around better. Well, this cart could be coaxed up to about 8 – 9 mph, so Chipper decided that he could take it all over town. He called it his Cadillac Convertible. Teressa had to attach one of those tall flags to keep track of him. He’s scoot thru the alleys so he wouldn’t be held up by curbs. I thought he needed a horn, so we bought him one that made 8 different horn noises, 12 animal sounds and had a loudspeaker. Chipper would drive it outside, get on the microphone and say, “Teressa, please report to the driveway!” We had to persuade him to wait until after 9 am before starting the rooster calls in the alleys. The animal sounds and the microphone did cause a small problem at the public library, so I won’t go into that.
George Kerns was one of the few people who ever had a Frisbee collection. He loved cattalillies, not because they were beautiful flowers, but because “cattalillies” was fun to say.
George loved anything that could make one laugh.
[Carole --]
The George we all know never knew a stranger.
He always acted as the host considering everyone else’s’ needs first. George’s great gift of listening with his whole being – heart and soul – made each individual feel so unique.
And he always took care of others. George’s brother, Ted, recalls George taking off work and going with him every day for a month to his drug treatment center. Gena recalls when she was starting a new job in California, George riding the bus with her, not just once, but 7 times so she wouldn’t be scared or get lost.
Then there are those Georgeisms – Phrases such as “YA, KNOW” and “Ooops --- Oh Well”. And of course the constant “Fine and Dandy” - sometimes shortened to “F & D” – but he was always “Fine and Dandy”.
It is so hard to loose one so special!!
But George has taught us so much:
How to LIVE, How to LOVE and How to LAUGH
He taught us how to LIVE by how he lived his life and his marvelous sense of humor, his optimistic attitude and his acceptance of difficulties. And even in dying George taught us how to live and love; his final act -– to donate his brain so others might one day be cured!
He taught us how to LOVE. For George LOVE was an Action Word. His devotion to his wife and sons, His love for his siblings, his in laws, his nieces, nephews and cousins, and his Love of and Respect for all he met. He taught us LOVE by Refraining from hate, from fear, from gossip and from judgment.
[Chris --]
He taught us how to LAUGH. He saw humor in everything and shared it with us all. Last summer, we were sitting out in the sunshine and George was in his wheelchair. (The cancer was causing him significant problems) I saw a rock with a face that was sitting on the deck; (it’s downstairs today if anyone wants to see it) its eyes are crossed and its tongue is sticking out, with a really funny face. And so I asked about it. “IT’S GOD”, said Chipper, “he has a great sense of humor.”
Just like every problem that George faced in his life, George handled his illness with courage and grace. He never once complained about pain and discomfort and the endless medical procedures. He was always saying “thank you” to others who helped. Even after his left side was paralyzed, after he was virtually blind, and he was in tremendous pain, he never once asked “Why Me?”
A few months ago, when he was still able to talk, George said: “I’m the luckiest man alive; I have a wonderful family and a wonderful wife whom I love with my heart and soul” When he was talking, he didn’t realize that Teressa was standing behind him, so she was able to hear the unvarnished love and truth.
[Carole --]
And this EXTRAORDINARY FAMILY. There are no words to describe the depth of Teressa’s Love and Devotion to George. During his long illness, Teressa’s tenderness, attention and constant devotion to George and to all the myriad of medical details was UNBELIEVABLE. I am in AWE of this Amazing Woman.
And Seth, Neil and Kristen. You epitomize Love in Action. No Father ever had 2 more wonderful sons and a fabulous daughter-in-law by his side.
And George’s siblings – Connie, Barb, Mike and Jacquie – especially Connie & Barbe -- who on a daily basis were there for their beloved brother. And the 2 Jims – always there. And Ted and Tim -- sending their love constantly from afar.
And Teressa’s sisters, Gena and Judy, and her sister in law Peg, always there to lend a hand, and an ear and a heart.
I am honored to be a part of this amazing family.
But It is Still So Hard.
I’d like to read a piece by an unknown author:
Dying is a gradual diminishing and final vanishing over the horizon of life. When we watch a sailboat leaving port and moving toward the horizon, it becomes smaller and smaller until we can no longer see it. But we must trust that someone is standing on a faraway shore seeing that same sailboat become larger and larger until it reaches its new harbor. Death is a painful loss. But when we think about the ONE standing at the other shore eagerly waiting to welcome our beloved into a new home, a smile can break through our tears.
We love you, George.
Pomp and Psychopomp
As usual, it's hard to get going on a Monday morning. Therefore I'll use the craft of writing as a way to get my brain in gear. The biggest thing with me lately has been been my Uncle Chip's (George P. Kerns's) passing, so that will be the blog topic du jour.
As an aside, every time I use du jour, I think of Dumb and Dumber: "What's the Soup Du Jour?" "It's the soup of the day." "Ooo that sounds good, I'll have that!".
But it's not really an aside, it's the perfect roll in to talking about George and his life. He always managed to work in a pun or laugh about something - a good sense of humor was highly respected by him.
As for his funeral, it was truly a celebration of him. He was a pastor at his church and by virtue of living in a small town and being customer service for the family auto dealer, he knew many, many people. This led to his funeral being the largest his church had ever had.
While it was sad at times, as George would have wanted it, there were many laughs. I can't say enough about the church's service: it was very informal, not the stand/kneel/sit/repeat after us of the Catholic style that I'm used to.
No, there was just talking about how he lived, some music performed by other pastors on guitar and a couple of prayers. I recall Chip (aka George) telling me several times about how laid back his church was, but I never took him up on going in to check it out. I sort of regret it now, but plan on at least going once to see a service.
I can't say enough about my Uncle Chris and Aunt Carol. Chris and Carol are this sort of super-duo that can do it all. For almost every family event they help organize things and usually write something up and read it aloud. And not some boring thing that everyone dreads, no they usually kill. This day was no different; they read a chronicling of Chip's life that was just amazing.
They touched on many different things, but by the end of I could tell that the mood in the place had changed. There were many laughs and, as they pointed out, Chip would have wanted it that way. I never knew this, but it was Chris who originally called George "Chip", or rather "Chipper", because that was his usual attitude.
They recounted how the family, when Chip was a kid, would forget about Chip because he was so quiet and happily playing by himself. One time, on a family vacation, they got several miles down the road before realizing they left him.
I'll have to get a copy of what they wrote and post it online - for those that may be interested and for friends and family that couldn't make it to the service.
Well I guess that's it. I don't have a good way to end this post, but thanks for obliging me by reading to the very end. I know it's very detailed family stuff but I'm not sure it's all that interesting for most people. But I guess that doesn't matter because this is a BLOG POST and it should really only matter to me, right? :-p
(Tip: Ending your blog post with a smiley is a pro move and should not be attempted at home without supervision.)
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