I've been cleaning off my desk today. At the bottom of a stack of papers, was an article I saved from USA Today on February 26 entitled, "Teens losing touch with historical references."  The gist of it is, today's teenagers have lost touch with American History, and can't identify most major events or the impact on our life today. It boils down to the sad fact that History is not taught in most schools as a primary subject.

The article was accompanied by a quiz, Are you smarter than a 17-year-old?  Sadly, my kids failed it, too.

We take some pride in reconnecting our kids with historical facts through hands-on or living history events. We do a little traveling, taking in historical sites and learning a little about our past. I force them to watch historical movies and documentaries, at times.  Heck, we're even descendants of several noted patriots and a signer of the Declaration of Independence--facts they've been forced to learn.

Yet, we don't spend a lot of time of dates and events, really. Until I read this article I hadn't given much thought to the lack of History classes in school.  Perhaps I should have. We have a responsibility to make sure our children learn and understand both our Nation's history and their personal connection to it. 

Poet George Santayana said, "Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it." But, I think this quote from Kurt Vonnegut, "History is merely a list of surprises. It can only prepare us to be surprised yet again," perhaps puts this issue in the best context. 

Without those list of surprises, we'll have produced a generation of leaders who will continually be surprised as the world unfolds about them.

Do "we" want to be responsible for that?

While I was doing the previous post, I came upon a Po Bronson article in Time Magazine entitled, "Has being Married Gone Out of Style?" from October 2006. It seems that the Census Bureau has noted that homes headed by married couples now falls below 50%.

Given I'd just done a post over the weekend on the perspective of someone who had been married 50 years, I thought you might be interested in seeing this article.

On a recent solo trip home after dropping The Psychologist off at college, I had the opportunity to catch up on some Podcasts from This American Life. While most of the stories were interesting, the one that stuck out for me was author Richard Bausch reading "Letter to the Lady of the House," from The Selected Stories of Richard Bausch. All I can say is, what a great story.

Bausch narrates this fictional letter, written on the eve of a man's seventieth birthday to Marie, his wife of fifty years. He's finally reached a point in his life where he can get through the petty quarrels and tell her what's really on his mind. To share more here would take away from the richness of the essay and the depth that Bausch give to his reading. But, I was entranced as a I listened to the reading driving alone in the dark, with a light rain hitting the windshield and the steady beat of the wipes keeping pace with the story.  I hung on every word, waiting for closure and found it when he said that he would do it all again just for a chance for the kind of love he'd had. 

I found myself wondering if I would feel the same way the narrator does when I'm married fifty years.  I hope that I will.

At middle age, I think most men can't contemplate being married fifty years (especially if you've already been married more than twenty). Many, like me, have been married a while by the time the 40's hit and have had a number of ups and downs. Yet, I wonder if, after the kids are gone and the routines begin to change whether the love grows deeper, or whether now that we are free of most family distractions, we let down the walls of civility and give way to a comfort in life that allows us be more free with words and actions--however hurtful these may be to our spouses. 

Perhaps "Letter to the Lady of the House," should be required reading for all newlyweds. Maybe the divorce rate would drop. Maybe you could do your part by listening to the essay on This American Life's website. The audio of the February 15, 2008 episode for this essay starts at about 8:30 into the show.

Sorry for the lack of posts the last few weeks. It's been extraordinarily busy around our household.

The Psychologist was home for Spring Break celebrated it by having all four of her wisdom teeth out. Much homework that needed my assistance. A few sick people. A little butt-kicking was due for The Boy to keep him working on his Scouting merit badges (he's so close to his next rank). Plus several work related activities that stretched into the evening hours.

I'll try to pick up the pace again this week.

I was off work today. I get the banker's holidays, even though I'm not a banker. I like those few extra days a year.

I spent most of the day cleaning my den. The clutter was beginning to overwhelm me. Every so often that happens, and I need to get on top of it again. This has been my pattern my whole life, but I've decided to turn over a new leaf. I'll be working to deal with paper and mail as it comes into the house. I've reorganized a bit to be able to accommodate those changes. We'll see how that goes.

After several months, I was able to convince the Wife to go sofa shopping with me. She hates to spend money. Go figure. We've needed a new sofa for some time, but today the kids called and family a meeting (absent the Wife) and said, "Dad, we really need to get a new sofa." That tipped the scales.

We've struggled at times with money in the past 20+ years. Partly because of bad investments, partly because of failed businesses or a job lay-off, but mostly because I don't have an aversion to spending money. I'm not a spendthrift, but I don't mind spending money to get things we need. I sometimes will spend ahead of the earning curve, but it's never been major problem. I'm not, for example, spending thousands of dollars on electronic toys. Yet, I don't mind spending a hundred dollars now and then to take the family to dinner and a movie. That's being a family, and treating ourselves to a little "luxury", as families with five children are prone to call that kind of an evening.

The Wife comes from an extremely frugal family. Her parents are now and have always been very comfortable. They've invested well and have retired well. However, she's picked up some strange spending habits. For the longest time, she drove across town to save $.50 on a gallon of milk, until I pointed out that gas was $3.00 a gallon that that drive probably cost her money on a round-trip. She's so frugal that she really won't buy much of anything that's not on sale. That goes for groceries, too. I have to make a trip for groceries about once-a-month to stock up on basics that rarely go on sale.

In all our years of marriage, I've never been able to convince her that spending money's a good thing. We can afford to spend on the basics and a few extravagant things from time to time. Shopping for these things is such a chore for her because of reluctance to spend, so getting her out to go shopping is a major accomplishment. Making the decision purchase is agonizing, but once it's made, she generally fine with the decision. And life goes on.

Tonight mirrored past experiences. We did buy a couple of sofas. We spent a little more than what I had in mind, but we didn't break out budget. We ended up with a nice selection that will fit our home and family life. A good purchase, and I think she'll agree once the sofa's are here, and we've lived with them a few months.

Until then, she's going to grumble about the money spent. It's a small price to pay for a couple of much needed sofas.

I was really pleased to get the splints out my nose today. I had no idea those things were so big. They had to be 5-6" long, at least. All the way through my nasal cavity and into down into my sinuses a bit.

It wasn't terribly uncomfortable to have them removed. Just a snip of a couple of stitches. The more uncomfortable part was having the doctor clean out my nose. It's pretty gross to have someone picking your nose, even if they're using medical tools and a vacuum device.

Great report from the doctor, and no need for a follow up.

I'm still breathing well tonight, although a little stuffy on one side. We'll see if it really helps with the snoring. It has done wonders already for the breathing.

There is one down side, though. I'm smelling some things I hadn't smelled before (or at least in a very long time.)

Finally, I'm able to get some air going through my nose.

I know this is gross, but I'm able to blow my nose a little (it's fine, the doctor said I could). I guess the 4-times-daily irrigation of saline in the nose has paid off. The output is, well, gross. Yes, I looked.

I couldn't take the boredom any longer and started to do a little of my job from home today. Nothing major, just writing and planning--things that I have difficulty doing most days with regular interruptions. It's nice to actually make progress on those things.

I don't believe I could ever retire. I couldn't do the daytime TV thing. There's just so much Dr. Phil, and Law & Order re-runs a man can watch.

I remain a mouth breather. No improvements from yesterday. Napping frequently.

The nasal stuffiness persists. I'm now officially a mouth breather.

Breathing through the mouth makes it difficult to eat or talk and breathe at the same time. Otherwise, the recovery is going well.

I'm being "babied" a bit by the fam, but I'm rarely sick.

I missed church and a church meeting tonight. Couldn't breathe and talk, so no sense trying to participate.

Today's surgery was a success.

Went in at 7:15 AM for a 7:45 AM appointment. The volunteer at the station pulled out my paperwork and asked me to take a seat. At 8:00 AM I hadn't been called, and apparently, the older gentlemen lost track of what he was doing and refiled my paperwork. They rushed me through and I was in the prep area by 8:15.

The hospital failed to to their pre-op call so we spent a little time going over those necessary things. By 9:00 AM I was getting "something to make me drowsy" and the next thing I remember is the recovery room at 11:00 AM. The Wife said the Doctor said my septum was pretty well messed, but all is now corrected.

No major pain, just a little discomfort. I was breathing really well until about 3:00 this afternoon and the swelling seemed to kick in. On top of that I think I'm coming down with a cold or something. I'm pretty stuffy now, with what I would call sinus headaches. I don't feel the silicone splints at all.

Earlier today I responded to a couple of work emails. I probably should have read one a little more thoroughly. I ate some crow on that one, but fortunately I was able to blame the meds.