2017 Fall October 13 Friday

2017 Fall October 13 Friday

70 degrees this morning.  No walk.

Much warmer this morning, which is nice!  

Noticed a quote this morning “Always Remember the Future Comes One Day at a Time” Attributed to Dean Acheson, actually his full hame was Dean Gooderham Acheson.

This brings up two thoughts, on the quote and on Dean Acheson himself.  

I looked up the quote to be sure I quoted him right (and also spelled his name correctly). 

The quote, in various forms, is so true that some form of it is attributed to a lot of people, but it is also one of the main quotes from Dean Acheson.  

I think it is a good reminder again of the importance of living in the present, so to speak. Anytime I say “living in the present” I feel I need to quality it with saying I don’t mean going out and doing crazy things or whatever.  

Perhaps, exactly opposite I mean “experience” life, and fully experience it, not dread the negative aspects even.  I think rather than avoiding the routine of daily life, I feel it is best to fully experience it and appreciate the value of the routine of life.  

Of course I also like to experience the extraordinary aspects of life as they occur also.

Back to Dean Acheson, for some reason I remember him from when I was a child, he sticks out as one of the major names I remember, probably even more than Truman, for which he served as Secretary of State.  

I was surprised he served under Truman, I thought it was much later, I was very young at that time and doubt that I actually remember his name from observing him during his time of service.  

I don’t recall having a positive or negative memory of him, just remember that he was a major factor in life as far as the impact of remembering his name.  

I was so young a the time he was Secretary of State, I may be remember the people who criticized him more than the person himself!  One of his biographies note that he is “the most vilified Secretary of State in history”!  

Looking at Google, he also was a major author and actually wrote a number of influential books.  

It is strange how our memories work and certain things and people stick out.  My daughter and brothers and sisters all have memories  of events and people that amaze me for the variety and what we remember.   And what we forget.

Of course, I also remember an election when I was very young and the statement that if one of them won (I don’t recall who) we would be at war.  I envisioned it as a war between Republicans and Democrats literally and remember wondering what color uniforms each would wear and had visions of battles in the front of my house.  The strange memories we have!  

Read about another biography of U.S. Grant.  He is almost as fascinating a figure as Lincoln.  I have listened to/read several biographies by him (and his autobiography) and will need to listen to the new one.  

Of course, the reason I became fascinated by Grant was my fascination with Lincoln.  

That’s it for now, Friday, October 13, 2017.