Astronomy

As far back as I can remember, my dad would take my brothers and me out at night to look at the stars.  He taught us the constellations and explained the heavens as no teacher ever could. 

One Christmas we got a nice little reflector telescope and then we learned about galaxies and nebulae, and searched the moon's craters.  Comets became the perfect excuse for family trips to dark hilltops or open pastures.  Pinhole viewing devices were a favorite family craft when a solar eclipse was anywhere in the area.  Dad and I even drove to Florida for better viewing of one eclipse.

Haley's Comet came through when Jonathon was a little tyke and I held him up to the eyepiece hoping he'd be able to recognize what I was showing him.  "It looks like a cotton ball Daddy."  That's exactly what it looked like.

I haven't done this much since the wind destroyed my telescope a couple of years ago, but Jake is almost old enough to be interested, so one Christmas I'll have to get him a nice little scope of his own.  This time, I'm going to spend some serious money.

Bible Study

My biblical studies are for me and they are where I get the norms and standards by which I try to live.  I study it, decide if I believe it, and then attempt to put what I've learned into application in my life.  It's a simple process designed for a simple guy.  Sometimes I'm successful, sometimes I'm not.  I call that "Wrestling with the gods."

For me the Bible is instructional.  It is not history, though there is a lot of really good history in it.  It is not science, though it deals with scientific thought from the formation of the universe to Unification Theory.  It is a pattern on how you should live YOUR Life.  There are places where it should be taken literally, and others where we're supposed to see the symbolism.

I don't argue about my beliefs.  I once did and I found the dogmatic attitude pretty exclusive.  That's not what it is all about.  Bible Study is "Listening" and if I listen closely enough, I find I really have nothing to say.

My Computer

Here is where all the magic happens.

Back in 1996 I could hardly turn on a computer, much less do anything with it.  I would write out my papers in the Academy, in long-hand, and Kim would type them into our little Mac.  This, I thought, was the way it should be-Sergeants Major didn't need computers.

When I got to VMI I quickly learned that we did everything on computers. Thanks to a couple of smart young officers, I learned to check my e-mail, prepare my lessons, and make a few simple spreadsheets.  I went to school, taking classes and reading a lot of "for Dummies" books.

Now I do everything on my computer.  I've given away my darkroom equipment and use Photoshop.  Outlook keeps me organized and on time.  I make spreadsheets for everything. If you've ever seen VMI, you know how much easier communication is with e-mail, rather than running the Stoops.

It still amazes me that The SGM is considered the computer "expert" in the Commandant's office.

Music

I don't play music, wish I did, but I listen to almost everything.  When I was a kid I tried the clarinet and the piano, but I never stuck with it.  I sang in the church choir and in the glee club at school.  I play a little guitar but I'm not very good.  My little brother Don was the real musician in the family; the boy could play anything. 

My tastes lean heavily toward Country Rock or Southern Rock, but on a given day my i-Pod will play just about everything but Rap and Hip Hop; not a big fan.  I have a young wife and two kids who keep me abreast of what's new.  They can usually tell if I will like something and give me a heads up.  Even their friends point me in the direction of good tunes.  I think they all must be afraid that I'll stay stuck in the 1970s otherwise.

My Favorites?  Fogelberg and the Boss, and they always will be.