We all went out to dinner this evening at a local restaurant. 
We enjoyed the meal and then said our good byes as it was Bingo night at church. We thought we’d try it out and see if Dad might enjoy it. It was also DF’s (A good friend of Eric’s) last night in town. He was headed home to Chicago as he was a school teacher and school was to start soon. DFC Chris, his wife, a talented art teacher had already headed home a week ago. So we said good bye to a good person and good friend. And wished him well. Then Dad and I left. And headed to Divine Mercies Bingo Night.
Soon after departing the restaurant we took a wrong turn (I’m directionally challenged) and started heading home in the wrong direction. DS keeps telling me to invest in a GPS device to help me find my way. She’s right, I need one. Any way, I discovered my error in about an hour south of home. Made a call to verify. And then started home in the correct direction. You have to admit, it’s kind of comical me and Dad in a car together. He can’t remember what day of week it is, and I have no idea what direction to drive home. We got to Bingo a little late and decided to skip it after all.
All the way home Dad kept telling me about a song they would sing in Korea during the war when they were done for the night. Going Home, Going Home…; he sang it to a familiar tune, but I can’t think of the name right now. Dad had a little too much wine and was feeling a bit low. We made it home finally, and Dad seemed to bounce out of his sad mood, upon seeing all the dogs and setting them free from my DS’s room.
I’ve been thinking all day about what to write in the blog today. I’ve introduced my family. I was unclear about what direction to take this new blog in. And then an idea struck me.
I got home and was watching the Movie “Happy Feet” on HBO. I’ve seen this movie before and I’m a fan of penguins and dancing, so I enjoyed the movie. While I was watching this movie, I remember reading a while ago, that penguins were not native to frigid weather (Like Antarctica); and that Scientist suggested that penguins may have adapted to this extreme weather. If you’ve ever scene “March of the Penguins” ; about the Emperor Penquins of Antarctica you’d know what extreme conditions penguins endure and what extraordinary measure the penguins take to survive the harsh, extreme weather conditions in Antarctica.
What struck me when watching the penguin movie, was that their survival tools in these harsh, extreme weather conditions; was to constructively work in the best interest of their entire family. Or in other words to help each other. Sounds simple doesn’t it.
In generations past, in fact perhaps just one or two generations past. Our families depended very much on each other to survive things like The Great depression. I remember one of my bosses with my first job in an office. He told me about how during The Great Depression, in his family, everyone who had a job threw their paycheck in a bowl on the dining table and his mother would then use that money to feed the entire family. No one had their own money. The families’ needs came first. This was their survival skill in difficult times.
I’m certain that their are countless other stories of survival that we all either have lived through or have known someone who has lived through such times.
It’s these stories that unite us from one generation to another. And this is how we’ve learned to survive. By helping each other along the way. More reasons other than survival draws us to help family when genuine needs present themselves.
