Drift Away

I have a keyboard gathering dust despite my perfectly functioning two hands. I am ashamed. [Via Attuworld]

True Love: 84- and 87-Year-Old Lesbians Marry

Here is an article about a happy, monogamous, lesbian couple who have been together for 55 years. That's right, 55 frickin' years! Why--that's longer than John McCain's been in the planet, which is a really long time.

And this couple, now age 84 and 87, are going to be legally wed today.

Conservatives are crying and ringing their hands (and filing petitions with the supreme court) over the legal same-sex marriages in California, but Lyon and Martin are living proof that the whiners' arguments are as empty as their minds are closed. Here is a couple who've been dedicated to each other and active in the community. They've owned and maintained a home together. And long after so many heterosexual couples are on their second or third marriages, Lyon and Martin are still together.

It makes me very happy on this, the occasion of my own 24th wedding anniversary to my wife, to welcome Lyon and Martin and other same-sex couples to legal, equal-under-the-law, marriage. Congratulations and best of luck for the future!

One Voice Can Change the World

Call it rhetoric, spin, marketing, or propaganda. Call it whatever you wish. I call this inspirational.

This is what sports is supposed to be about

I know this sort of act seems small. In a world full of pampered prima donnas, who cares what happens in a Division II softball programs in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference?

If you have a couple minutes, you'll find the story of Sara Tucholsky, Mallory Holtman, and a rare act of sportsmanship (or is it sportspersonship?) terrificly inspirational. I won't give away the ending, but it demonstrates an amazing demonstration of grace and selflessness that is too rare in sports these days. [Via Fazed]

Mercy in WWII

I read this wonderful account of mercy shown in the midst of war on Snopes.com and had to share it with you. An email is circulating with a story about a German pilot who refused to shoot down a badly damaged B-17, saving the lives of the men on board. The email is embellished but doesn't need to be--the true story is quite remarkable.

In December 1943, the Ye Olde Pub — a B-17 commanded by 21-year-old Lt. Charles L. "Charlie" Brown — took heavy damage while on a mission to bomb a factory in Bremen, Germany. While attempting to head back to England with a crippled plane and an injured crew, Lt. Brown encountered a German who, rather than shooting down the B-17, instead saluted its crew and disappeared.

For years, Brown wondered about this pilot who had shown such mercy. He wrote letters of inquiry to German military sources, with little success. Finally, a notice in a newsletter for former Luftwaffe pilots elicited a response from Franz Stigler, a German fighter ace credited with destroying more than two dozen Allied planes. He, it turned out, was the angel of mercy in the skies over Germany on that fateful day just before Christmas 1943.

When asked why he chose not to shoot down the defenseless enemy plane, he responded, "I didn't have the heart to finish off those brave men. I flew beside them for a long time. They were trying desperately to get home and I was going to let them do it. I could not have shot at them. It would have been the same as shooting at a man in a parachute."

Brown and Stigler met in 1989. Franz Stigler passed away a little over a month ago, on 22 March 2008.

Remember Me

Maybe I shouldn't have viewed this, given my mental state (as evidenced by my last post). This lovely, thoughtful, powerful multimedia site--which tells the story of the St. Pierre family as they cope with the illness and passing of the mother--moved me to tears. It is sad, but also life affirming. The startlingly personal photographs and thoughts of the St. Pierres are moving, funny, courageous, and inspirational.

Visit http://www.conmon.com/slideshow/rememberme/. [Via Fazed]

Balloons twisted in the shape of happiness

This brief video shows a balloon artist twisting balloons into hats and other shapes for senior citizens at a retirement home. Mock it all you want for being sappy, but when is the last time you made a bunch of deserving strangers this happy? [Via BoingBoing]

Obama & Will.I.Am: Yes we can

Some argue that being inspiring isn't enough;
  that giving hope is insufficient;
    that being smart and having principles doesn't go far enough;
      that representing and wanting change is a fantasy; and
        that bringing us together and asking us to do good is an
        inadequate goal for the president of the United States.

Watch this video and consider if someone could do the same with a speech from Bush, McCain, or Hillary. This is the kind of inspiration people receive from Barack Obama. Will.I.Am was able to be inspired and put together this song and video in just two days with nothing but a few calls to friends.

Do I know Barack Obama will be a good president? No, I don't. But I'm willing to give the inspiring, hopeful, smart, principled, uniting, agent for change a chance.

Or perhaps I should let Will.I.Am say it. This is taken from DipDive.com:

No one on this planet is truly experienced to handle the obstacles we face today...
Terror, fear, lies, agendas, politics, money, all the above...
It’s all scary...

Martin Luther King didn't have experience to lead...
Kennedy didn't have experience to lead...
Susan B. Anthony...
Nelson Mandella...
Rosa Parks...
Gandhi...
Anne Frank...
and everyone else who has had a hand in molding the freedoms we have and take for granted today...

no one truly has experience to deal with the world today...

they just need "desire, strength, courage ability, and passion" to change...
and to stand for something even when people say it's not possible...

bin Laden Pleas for Peace

This headline is true, but sadly the bin Laden who is pleading for peace isn't (of course) Osama, but his son, Omar.

Omar bin Laden, who works as a contractor in Cairo and is married to a British woman, is a brave man. He is speaking out because he desires an end to the violence his father has inspired, and he and his wife are launching their own movement for peace. The couple hopes to organize a multi-month horserace through North Africa in the name of peace. (I have no idea what racing horses has to do with peace or how it can inspire others, but I'm for just about any crazy idea at this point.) (Of course, one hopes the horses will be well cared for, or else this race will only bring more suffering into the world.)

Omar, who is one of Osama's 19 children and hasn't spoken to his dad since 2000, isn't merely seeking more peaceful means from his father. He has strong words for the US and others: "I don't think 9/11 was right personally, but it happened. I don't think ... [the war] in Vietnam was right. I don't think what's going on in Palestine is right. I don't think what's going on in Iraq is right. If we make what is right and not right, we will make a very big list."

Read more on CNN.com.

MLK's Final Speech

How sad and inspirational is this? Here are the final words of the final speech of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. , spoken the day before he was shot and killed. In this day of bickering, self-interested, uninspired, and uninspirational "leaders" with names like Bush, Pelosi, and Reid, how distressing is to see this footage from 30 years ago? What more should we be expecting from the people who wish to lead us?

Barack's Iowa Speech

This one goes out to Jason, who said he hadn't seen it. Some friends felt Barack had locked the Democratic nomination with this speech. I don't know about that, but Barack sure is one amazing and inspirational dude.

And unto one he gave five talents

Here is a spectacularly inspirational article that is well worth your time. "An age-old lesson comes alive for Ohioans" from the Wisconsin State Journal tells the story of Rev. Hamilton Coe Throckmorton of Chagrin Falls, OH. He decided to test a bible parable by handing out $50 to each of his 1700 congregation members. Their goal was to use one of their talents to double the money and return it to the church in seven weeks.

The story is marvelous, as people found talents they never knew they had and were stuck with inspiration and new experiences well beyond the pithy sum of $50. I won't tell you how it ends--you'll just have to find out for yourself.

Click hear to read the article.

The end of "It's a Wonderful Life"

If this isn't the happiest and most joyful eight minutes in all of movie history, I don't know what is. The final eight minutes of "It's a Wonderful Life" is presented for your enjoyment. I hope it helps to get you into the holiday spirit!

"Remember no man is a failure who has friends."

Kyle Lograsso: Prodigy and Survivor

I don't have many favorite sports writers. In fact--since I am not really that into sports--the list contains exactly one: Frank Deford. I was exposed to Mr. Deford via NPR, and I found his observations always made me care about a subject I wouldn't otherwise give much thought.

Take this television report, for example. Story about a 5-year-old golf prodigy? Sounds mildly interesting. But there's so much more to Kyle Lograsso's story.

The two parts are a little long (~12 minutes), but I think you'll find these videos worthwhile and inspirational.

Mister Rogers Rocks

How easy it always seemed to mock Fred Rogers. His slow and measured delivery--even when he wasn't on camera on his show--and his earnestness seemed so unfashionable once I reached a certain age.

But I guess I've reached a different certain age, because how it seems so clear to me: Mister Rogers was braver, more comfortable, and more real than anyone else I can think of on TV. His commitment to the children of the world never wavered, and his patience and focus were steadfast.

Losing patience, getting bored, phoning it in--those are the easy things. Fred Rogers did something very hard and made it look very easy decade after decade.

Here are two videos. The first is Fred Rogers turning a cynical senator into putty at hearings about cutting funding for Public Television. And the second is him earning his Lifetime Achievement Award at the Emmy awards.

Cherish your Mikes

I lost a friend today. My friend Mike lost his battle with cancer and passed away this morning.

Mike was a very special and unique guy, but I'll bet you have a Mike or two in your life. Mike was the most genuinely upbeat and caring guy I knew. He remembered everybody's name and greeted everyone like a friend (which is really not that unusual considering he had a way of making everyone he met a friend.) He never arrived to a party without a gift or a smile, and he had an uncanny way of having a party form around him wherever he went.

Mike was and will remain an inspiration to me. And I'll miss him.

We never have time for the things that matter but are capable of finding the time for work and stress and commuting and worry and anger. That isn't just a shame; it's a tragedy.

Life is short and precious. Identify your Mikes and cherish them. Make time to buy them drinks, enjoy laughter, share stories, lessen your burden, and spread some joy. Because tomorrow either you or your Mike may not be here.

Cherish your Mikes while you can.

In the Shadow of the Moon

I went to see the documentary "In the Shadow of the Moon" and would recommend it without qualifications. Maybe you've heard of it, and if so you may believe its subject matter is the U.S. space program, but you'd be wrong. This is not a documentary that delves into the inner workings of the race for the moon but is instead a very inspirational and contemplative view into the hearts and minds of regular human beings who were part of something extraordinary.

Twelve men walked on the moon. Just 12. In all of human existence, no more than a dozen people touched an alien celestial body. From the moon, they could look up and see the home for our entire race, every animal and plant we know, and every moment we've recorded, from the birth of children to the sad casualty statistics of war. As one astronaut tells, he stood on the moon, held up his hand, and could block the Earth with his thumb--and in saying this, he says more about the fragility of our planet and our humanity than he does about the U.S. Space Program.

"In the Shadow of the Moon" isn't about space travel but about who we are. It's about what we can achieve when we want to. It's about a moment when the whole world came together and considered themselves proud to share the planet with our country. It's about war and leadership and vision and bravery and guilt and luck and death. But mostly it's about the extraordinary memories and perceptions of the now-old men who stood on the moon and looked up at our planet.

Even though "In the Shadow of the Moon" features some amazing footage of the Apollo missions, the stars of the movie are men, approaching their 80s, who talk about their experiences 35 years past. Perhaps I expected military-like stoicism, heroic bravado, or the dry objectivity of scientists, but what I found was something very different. These men were profoundly changed by their experience. Their view of faith, humanity, nationalism, and the environment were altered by the few days they spent circling or living on the moon.

It may not be a unique sentiment, but when John Young--who risked his life to reach for the moon and, once he arrived, looked back at the earth and saw a fragile ecosystem--says this, you feel the authority, knowledge, and concern from which he speaks, "There's a lot of things like urban pollution, and you can see that when you hit orbit now. You can see that big cities all have their own set of unique atmospheres. We ought to be looking out for our kids and our grandkids. [Instead] what are we worried about? The price of a gallon of gasoline."

Someday a couple of decades hence, no person who called the moon home, however briefly, will remain. "In the Shadow of the Moon," will live on as a testament to the fact the common humanity of these men is what really made them heroes.

Freestyling on Crutches

Bill Shannon, who has a bilateral hip deformity that requires the use of crutches, might've just felt sorry for himself and made do. Instead, he became the "Crutch Master" and perfected his freestyling. (The camera work is almost as impressive as Bill's moves!)

A True Story of Heroes in Afghanistan

If you wish to read a remarkable article about true heroism and bravery by our forces in Afghanistan, spend five minutes with Military Medical Team Makes the 'Toughest Call' on ABCNews.com.

To tell you anything about it would be to ruin a tremendous story, made more tremendous because it's true. Suffice it to say, it's a story of many men risking their lives to save one, and a heartbreaking story of the sacrifices that come from serving in a war zone.

This article instantly made whatever difficulties I'm having seem as trivial as they really are.

Dr. Randy Pausch Shows Us How to Live Life

Dr. Randy Pausch gave the final lecture of his life. He's dying from pancreatic cancer and expects to live only a few weeks or months.

You might expect his last lecture to sad, bittersweet, or morose. After all, he's only 46 years old and leaving behind a terrific career, a wife, and three small children. But at that lecture, Dr. Pausch gave his students and peers a gift--he showed them (and us) how to live life right.

Please enjoy this excerpt of Randy's final lecture, and if you're intrigued, you'll find his entire presentation posted to YouTube.