Mr. Dietrich - if that had been preached at my church this morning, we’d be scheduling baptisms for the next 20 Sundays. You plant seeds of hope in a way they can’t help but find root and grow. Thanks!
I love those dreams where it feels like they are right there hugging your neck and when you awake you can still feel them. I believe our loved ones are actually visiting from heaven. And then we miss them all over again.😭🙏🏻
Will Rogers was a wonderful character. I've felt a very slight kinship to him, since I'm also Cherokee. I got to see James Whitmore portray Will Rogers in a one man stage show. He walked onto a stage set up as a theater in the round, as himself, began talking about Will Rogers, what kind of guy he was, what he did, and transformed himself into the character. It was fantastic. And what an observant guy Rogers was. It was back in 1932 that he said: "The money was all appropriated for the top in the hopes that it would trickle down to the needy. Mr. Hoover was an engineer. He knew that water trickled down. Put it uphill and let it go and it will reach the driest little spot. But he didn't know that a money trickled up. Give it to the people at the bottom and the people at the top will have it before night anyhow. But it will at least have passed through the poor fellow's hands." It was humorist Will Rogers who coined the phrase trickle down economics. He realized the fallacy of the theory. But some politicians that came along later didn't figure out just how right Will Rogers was. What a wonderful man who died way too soon.
I do believe you were meant to dream that, Sean. To see Will Rogers and your grandfather in heaven. To let us know exactly how it will be up there. To let us all know that we will love it! :-)
I pray that I end up in that heavenly realm. And if and when I do, I can hardly wait to see old friends that have gone before me, as well as my parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and all the wonderful people like Will Rogers! Won't that be the most wonderful day ever? I know it will be hard on family members, because I've mourned my losses of others, but we all need to aim for something wonderful like heaven. Thanks for the reminder, Sean, and so glad you got to see Will and your grandad.
About your grandfather who thought he had been someone else…sometimes experiences seem to fuse. Wonderful factual book by Bob Gandt, Bogeys and Bandits, describes among many other things a pair of identical twins who are in fighter training together. They kept (and probably still keep) confusing themselves with one another. They were funny guys and their squadronmates nicknamed them Heckle and Jeckle—in no particular order. Here’s an actual interchange that occurred in training:
"Who the hell is Roman Three-oh-seven?" demanded the Air Boss. His exasperation level was peaking out. What he wanted to do now was wring some peckerhead fighter pilot's scrawny neck. The Air Boss was trying to figure out what was going on with Roman 307. Some guy kept checking in on the radio, identifying himself as Roman Three-oh-seven. "Roman 307 airborne. . . Roman 307 leaving marshal. . . Roman 307 commencing approach. . ."
The only problem was, they didn't have any goddamn Roman 307, at least in the air. "Lemme get this straight, Roman Three-oh-seven," said the Air Boss. "You say you're a Hornet and you're out there in the pattern tonight?"
"Yes, sir."
"Well, son, I'm looking down at the flight deck this very minute at a parked airplane with a pilot in the cockpit. Its number happens to be Three-oh-seven. And my board says that pilot is someone named McCormack. Could you be that gentleman?"
A moment of radio silence. "No, sir. I mean, Yes, I could be, but that's not me."
"Then just who might it be, pray tell?"
"Me, sir," said another voice. "I'm McCormack, the one on deck. That guy out there just thinks he's me."
"I see. He thinks he's you. Well, in that case, you out there, the one who thinks he's Roman Three-oh-seven, would you kindly take a minute to look at your digital display and tell us what number your airplane thinks it is?"
"Yes, sir." After half a minute, "Ah, sir, it looks like I'm. . . ah, not really Roman Three-oh-seven. It looks more like. . . ah, Roman Three-ten. Sorry about the confusion, sir."
The Air Boss, of course, didn't know about the Heckle and Jeckle phenomenon—that the twins had been screwing up events all their lives with their proclivity for transposing identities. In this instance, Russ had mentally transported himself into Rick's jet, assuming his brother's call sign. It was a classic McCormack brothers mind-warp.
Up in his glass-paned aerie in Pri-Fly [air traffic control on an aircraft carrier], the Air Boss was glowering at the blackened sky, out there where some peckerhead in Hornet number 310 was flying around. He lowered his microphone and tilted back in the high, swivel chair. He rubbed his temples with his fingertips. "I've been doing this shit too long," he muttered. "I think it's making me crazy."”
— Bogeys and Bandits: The Making of a Fighter Pilot by Robert Gandt
At 62, I’m afraid I’m going down the same road your Grandaddy went down, Sean. I got halfway through this and got a very strong feeling of deja vue. Please let me know if I need to have a cognitive test done.
Sean, thanks for this wonderful story. I’m glad you got to dream about your Granddaddy. I love when I dream about my loved ones who are in Heaven. You were sweet to listen to your great uncle and let your Granddaddy remember the story the way he wanted. Love to you, Becca, Marigold, Otis Campbell, and Thelma Lou..
In Statuary Hall in the US Capitol building, there are two statues for each state. One of the most loved is Oklahoma’s statue of Will Rogers. Tradition holds that it is good luck to rub his shoe, especially before votes are taken on bills. It is the statue that is usually in the background when legislators are interviewed. The Will Rogers Museum is located in Claremore, OK. He is not forgotten here.
Mr. Dietrich - if that had been preached at my church this morning, we’d be scheduling baptisms for the next 20 Sundays. You plant seeds of hope in a way they can’t help but find root and grow. Thanks!
🙌🏻✝️
And we as followers of our Father must help to water those new plants daily though our actions & prayers.
Amen, Jan(et). Sometimes we water them with tears, as well.
Never met a story of yours I haven't liked either...
I love those dreams where it feels like they are right there hugging your neck and when you awake you can still feel them. I believe our loved ones are actually visiting from heaven. And then we miss them all over again.😭🙏🏻
Will Rogers was a wonderful character. I've felt a very slight kinship to him, since I'm also Cherokee. I got to see James Whitmore portray Will Rogers in a one man stage show. He walked onto a stage set up as a theater in the round, as himself, began talking about Will Rogers, what kind of guy he was, what he did, and transformed himself into the character. It was fantastic. And what an observant guy Rogers was. It was back in 1932 that he said: "The money was all appropriated for the top in the hopes that it would trickle down to the needy. Mr. Hoover was an engineer. He knew that water trickled down. Put it uphill and let it go and it will reach the driest little spot. But he didn't know that a money trickled up. Give it to the people at the bottom and the people at the top will have it before night anyhow. But it will at least have passed through the poor fellow's hands." It was humorist Will Rogers who coined the phrase trickle down economics. He realized the fallacy of the theory. But some politicians that came along later didn't figure out just how right Will Rogers was. What a wonderful man who died way too soon.
Fascinating, Lander! Thank you for sharing!
I do believe you were meant to dream that, Sean. To see Will Rogers and your grandfather in heaven. To let us know exactly how it will be up there. To let us all know that we will love it! :-)
I pray that I end up in that heavenly realm. And if and when I do, I can hardly wait to see old friends that have gone before me, as well as my parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and all the wonderful people like Will Rogers! Won't that be the most wonderful day ever? I know it will be hard on family members, because I've mourned my losses of others, but we all need to aim for something wonderful like heaven. Thanks for the reminder, Sean, and so glad you got to see Will and your grandad.
Beautiful! You were blessed! Thank you for sharing your blessing.
I don’t think Ol’ Will would mind having a few extra fans that he doesn’t know about.
About your grandfather who thought he had been someone else…sometimes experiences seem to fuse. Wonderful factual book by Bob Gandt, Bogeys and Bandits, describes among many other things a pair of identical twins who are in fighter training together. They kept (and probably still keep) confusing themselves with one another. They were funny guys and their squadronmates nicknamed them Heckle and Jeckle—in no particular order. Here’s an actual interchange that occurred in training:
"Who the hell is Roman Three-oh-seven?" demanded the Air Boss. His exasperation level was peaking out. What he wanted to do now was wring some peckerhead fighter pilot's scrawny neck. The Air Boss was trying to figure out what was going on with Roman 307. Some guy kept checking in on the radio, identifying himself as Roman Three-oh-seven. "Roman 307 airborne. . . Roman 307 leaving marshal. . . Roman 307 commencing approach. . ."
The only problem was, they didn't have any goddamn Roman 307, at least in the air. "Lemme get this straight, Roman Three-oh-seven," said the Air Boss. "You say you're a Hornet and you're out there in the pattern tonight?"
"Yes, sir."
"Well, son, I'm looking down at the flight deck this very minute at a parked airplane with a pilot in the cockpit. Its number happens to be Three-oh-seven. And my board says that pilot is someone named McCormack. Could you be that gentleman?"
A moment of radio silence. "No, sir. I mean, Yes, I could be, but that's not me."
"Then just who might it be, pray tell?"
"Me, sir," said another voice. "I'm McCormack, the one on deck. That guy out there just thinks he's me."
"I see. He thinks he's you. Well, in that case, you out there, the one who thinks he's Roman Three-oh-seven, would you kindly take a minute to look at your digital display and tell us what number your airplane thinks it is?"
"Yes, sir." After half a minute, "Ah, sir, it looks like I'm. . . ah, not really Roman Three-oh-seven. It looks more like. . . ah, Roman Three-ten. Sorry about the confusion, sir."
The Air Boss, of course, didn't know about the Heckle and Jeckle phenomenon—that the twins had been screwing up events all their lives with their proclivity for transposing identities. In this instance, Russ had mentally transported himself into Rick's jet, assuming his brother's call sign. It was a classic McCormack brothers mind-warp.
Up in his glass-paned aerie in Pri-Fly [air traffic control on an aircraft carrier], the Air Boss was glowering at the blackened sky, out there where some peckerhead in Hornet number 310 was flying around. He lowered his microphone and tilted back in the high, swivel chair. He rubbed his temples with his fingertips. "I've been doing this shit too long," he muttered. "I think it's making me crazy."”
— Bogeys and Bandits: The Making of a Fighter Pilot by Robert Gandt
Liked the dream……liked the setting….and especially liked, “You’re going to love it up here.”
Very good! I like the ending
Me too!
At 62, I’m afraid I’m going down the same road your Grandaddy went down, Sean. I got halfway through this and got a very strong feeling of deja vue. Please let me know if I need to have a cognitive test done.
You’re still young! I took that test. It was embarrassingly easy. You can spell deja vu. You’d ace it.
Yes, John, like M209 said, take the test. If it turns out positive, there are meds now to slow the progression. ❤️👍
Sean, thanks for this wonderful story. I’m glad you got to dream about your Granddaddy. I love when I dream about my loved ones who are in Heaven. You were sweet to listen to your great uncle and let your Granddaddy remember the story the way he wanted. Love to you, Becca, Marigold, Otis Campbell, and Thelma Lou..
In Statuary Hall in the US Capitol building, there are two statues for each state. One of the most loved is Oklahoma’s statue of Will Rogers. Tradition holds that it is good luck to rub his shoe, especially before votes are taken on bills. It is the statue that is usually in the background when legislators are interviewed. The Will Rogers Museum is located in Claremore, OK. He is not forgotten here.
Will Rogers was my grandmother's distant cousin. That's as close as I get to a claim to fame. I'll take it!
A great story and remembrance of grandfather. However, I hope that next to last sentence doesn't mean anytime soon.