Hello friends and family,
This shows dad’s serious side . . . between smiles and chuckles. Those of you who knew Don Tschirhart also know that he couldn’t go very long without finding a reason to smile.
Today is our second day of snow. Not a record, I’m sure but . . . Well . . . I get to use my “snow-mo-blower” two days in a row. The freezing weather is not so bad when you’re behind all that horsepower and muscle, digging through 9 or so inches of snow. I call it my “snow-mo-blower” because it does wheelies when you put it into gear . . . Wheeeee! I end up doing the neighbor’s driveways and sidewalks it goes so fast . . . More wheeee!!!!
I hope you enjoy dad’s story and remember his words when asked if he can be serious: “Yup! What’s there to be serious about?”
Love to all,
David T
p.s. Comments are wonderful! Leave them at the end of the stories . . .
“Serious Thought On A Sunny Day”
By Don Tschirhart
Excerpted from the unpublished book “It’s a Wonderful World II: A Retired Reporter Looks At Life“
Serious Thought On A Sunny Day
I can usually be found with a smile on my hairy face. I guess I’m just a fun guy who loves life and being with live people.
One day, my friend asked me: “Can’t you be serious?” Had to think about the word “serious” for awhile.
Finally, I said, “Yup! What’s there to be serious about?”
“What do you think about the Iraq/Afghanistan situation?” he asked.
I hate war! I saw the devastating results of war in Tokyo-Yokohama and Manila shortly after the end of World War II.
In the case of Iraq and Afghanistan, I think the United States was morally and politically correct to invade them both and in the latter case, capture Saddam Hussein. Why? Because it’s American for the powerful good guys to defend the rights of smaller weak guys.
Instead of seeking an apology from President George Bush, Americans should applaud a leader and individual soldiers and sailors who are helping Iraqi and Afghanistan people.
“Europeans don’t like us. Why?” he asked.
I believe leaders of the once mighty and proud France and Germany are jealous of the United States; that they are no longer top dogs; that we, not them, are the world’s greatest power.
I’m ashamed my nationality is French.
While I’d like to see the U.S. make jokes about our former German and French allies — the best form of criticism — I think it best to use our vaunted advertising and public relations agencies to turn world opinion around.
Maybe we should dust off the record made by a Canadian broadcaster some years ago saying how the U.S. helps everyone when there is a disaster, but seldom does anyone come to our aid when we need it. We could pay to play it on Mideast and European radio stations.
He then asked, “What about the crime rate? Why has it decreased?”
That is a phenomenon. Usually when there is publicized economic difficulties in this country the crime rate rises. Out-of-work gangsters try to rob banks, etc. This past year or two there’s been a decrease.
Could it be that Michigan’s big cities, where a high percentage of the crime occurs, have run out of people with money to rob or houses to burgle or dope to sell?
Or could the economy be better than pessimistic economists and pundits think? Take your pick. Trained sociologists don’t have an answer. How should I?
“What do you think about news coverage of the upcoming election,” I was asked.
Most reporters covering politics really don’t check the facts of what a politician says. Their excuse: They don’t have time before daily deadlines.
Primary election debates are ridiculous. Just one example:
In the Iowa primary I saw several Democrats falling all over themselves, cutting up fellow candidates as they bid to be the presidential candidate. I’m not sure what any of them stand for except generally they don’t like anyone else but themselves. What’s new?
Oh! I thought the same thing about Republican candidates during the primary four years ago. That’s why I don’t pay a lot of attention to primaries.
I’m an ardent admirer of the late President Harry S Truman who said, “Politics is the art of compromise.”
I’m sure Harry meant after the election, not before.
The Frank & Ernest comic strip the other day had Frank in a cryogenics lab where they freeze dead bodies.
Frank says to the operator: “Oh, nothing long-term . . . I’d just like to sleep through the election year.”
That’s exactly the way I feel.
“How do you like Lapeer County?” my friend asked.
I lived in Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties before moving to Lapeer County about a decade ago.
There is so much open space here, yet we are close to so many features: Good restaurants. Pretty good schools, maybe a B-minus; good fishing and horse back riding. And I love the Pollyann Trail where I can walk my dog safely.
Services are adequate. Taxes aren’t as high as some places south and west of here. Roads, even dirt ones, are pretty well maintained, except in the spring. No one can maintain washed-out roads in the spring.
Three competing newspapers in a county this size is good. There are few communities in Metro Detroit that have a recreation center as large, clean or better than the one in Lapeer.
In another column I think I’ll spell out what I think the county could do to better itself.
But only after I do some more smiling and chuckling about things I missed today.
Don Tschirhart
