Unifying Northwest Iowa

Congratulations to John Wills, now our Republican candidate for House District One this fall.  He ran a good campaign for the seat and I thank him for his friendliness every time we met.

Thank you!  To every supporter, voter and volunteer.  My wife and I thank you for all of your hard work and effort.  I cannot tell each of you enough my gratitude for all you did.  Thank you also for all of the kindness and hospitality that all of the voters expressed as I visited across the district.  We live in a great area with many of the best of people in our country and we should never forget that we are capable of anything we set our minds to.

The primary is over.  I am not disappointed in the results, we did well and I have nothing but optimism for our future.  Some of the goals of the campaign were to remind the voters that they are more important in the process than the politicians and that the ideas discussed should be addressed.  I think both of those are clear to John and I trust that he will move forward with those ideas.

Now will be the time to unite as one district so that when John arrives in Des Moines they will know that our resolve in District One is set and we will not be swayed into others agendas.  Don't forget to keep communicating with him and all of our elected officials, from township level to national level, to remind them all that we the people are the most important ingredient in the operation of this country.

We, not Me

I had several questions this morning from someone that should be answered to more than just one.  The first was "Why haven't you talked more about yourself?  You have worked with just about everything.  Lenders, attorneys, contractors, judges, farmers, business owners, working men and women, old and young, rich and poor.  Under just about every circumstance, dissolving partnerships, corporations, estates, property disputes, greed, envy, hatred and cooperation.  Why not more about you?"  The answer: "I don't think it's about me."  I have not been one to talk about myself and it does not seem appropriate to talk about "I or me".  The important thing I thought was to remind all of us about our basic agreement with government, we allow them some decision making at a minimal cost for our organization as a state and country, they insure and protect our liberty for our pursuit of happiness.  Government at a minimum with decisions made as close to home as possible.  They leave us alone and we use them as little as possible.

Another question was "If you are elected and are gone part of the time, who will take care of our stuff?  Who will hold the auctions and watch out for us in the real estate world?"  There are already good people working here and there are others out there.  That was the easier part of the conversation.

Another question: "Why didn't you promise more?"  I found that in political campaigns you have to be as sharp as reading a contract.  What I heard was lots of promises to "fight for" but never an "I will".  That seems to be the key wording for many.  My personal and business experience taught me to never promise unless I can deliver or can back up what I say personally.  The most successful life and business delivers more than is promised.  Will I fight for things?  Sure.  Can I promise to fight?  Sure.  Can I outright promise results?  No.  I look at this situation as a farmer or businessman hiring an employee.  The best employees I can find only promise to work with all their heart and mind and effort.

I hope and trust that all of you have carefully considered all of the candidates for each of the races.  I hope you have taken time to discuss candidates and issues with them and with your friends and neighbors.  Any support you give to me I do appreciate.  However, the most important thing that you can do as a citizen is to show up and vote.  That is one of the responsibilities that we have.  We must live up to our promises or the system won't work the way it was designed.  Keeping our promise to participate is a key step.  (We and our, better words than I or me.)  The next step is reminding government and the people serving in it their part of the agreement.  Let's take that step together after the primary.  We can do this.  Together and not alone, staying on target for our goals.

Don't Be Afraid to Ask

How many of us remember asking a question in school?  How about at a meeting with lots of people?  Or asking a difficult question during a church meeting?  We wish that we could ask these things on a one to one basis.  No one wants to look uninformed or feel foolish for asking a question when others might already think the answer is clear.
Someone asked me a question today about an issue that could (and probably will) come up in our state legislature.  This question had to do with an issue that won't effect many people directly.  But it will effect everyone in some way through either more taxes or more laws (if we take the conventional approach to the problem).  The best way for me to give the answer was to ask this person a few questions so that they could already be thinking about some of the solutions.  I told a few stories about similar situations that also helped the person pick and choose between some of the solutions put forward by other people.  Then, after narrowing the possibilities down, it was easier for her to see the obvious answer.  It was also easier for her to see some of the difficulties (but not impossibilities) in achieving the goal.
I do not think it is hard for anyone to talk to me, but I only took notice that real questions from people have come more in the one to one visits.  Several have talked to me at the office, on the street, on the phone, emails or at their door.  If you have a question that you did not want to ask in front of a group of people please call or email or message me.  I will be happy to answer.  My thinking is that if I am a public servant in any way then I better be ready to talk to and explain to my bosses (you the voter) the reasoning and actions for any issue.  The best teachers I ever had said there is no such thing as a dumb question and they were always willing to explain so that anyone could understand.  I always appreciated that.  The best educators and leaders don't dictate with force, they gently help people to understand and guide them into thinking for themselves.  Like today's chance meeting.
Political campaign stuff can't answer everything.  Many times in the past I thought I knew where a candidate stood on something but really did not know for sure.  Or worse I was surprised to find out later how they acted.  If you aren't sure about something, ask me.

Wisdom Shared

It is nice to be remembered and needed.  That seemed to be the theme for today, especially the evening, but that would be jumping ahead.  The morning was spent with catching up on some more paperwork but visiting with several people in between.  Then I had the opportunity to catch up with a family in Minnesota who I helped sell a house to 19 years ago.  They remembered me from that first time and wanted my advice on reselling that home.  They are sharp people who had most of the plan figured out already but wanted some reassurance that they were on the right track.  Another example for me that everyone in this area has the ability to think, reason and act on a situation for themselves, they just needed another opinion to confirm.  A NW Iowa Realtors meeting in Orange City for the evening exchanging a few stories with others from the four county area.  Then the best part of the day with a lesson included.  We stopped at my wife's aunt and uncle in Orange City.  Both are in their 90's and doing well.  They celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary recently with their family.  She told us about where they first met and what her first thoughts were about him.  Her uncle was telling us about how he was a radar operator in the Aleutian Islands in World War II and how he was in the only spot attacked by the Japanese and how he survived.  Then she shared some age-old wisdom in a poem that we thought would be good for our daughters.  My wife, Laurel, asked if we could video her saying the poem to share with our girls and also asked if we could include it on this blog.  She was happy to share.  It goes along with some of what we talked about in some of the community meetings, wisdom never grows old.  We are rich in wisdom with the older generations around us if we just take the time to listen, think about it, reason it out, confirm it and then act on it.  They were glad for the company even though it was a short visit.  Remembered and needed.  Yes, Ray and Myrna Van Pelt, that you will always be.

Do You Remember Decoration Day?

Thank you to all of the members of American Legion Rex Strait Post 103, VFW Post 6960, VFW and American Legion Auxiliaries in Rock Rapids for inviting me to speak at your Memorial Day Service today.  We did record a good portion of the program but our sound quality did not work well.  If there is anyone who has a version with good sound quality, please let me know.  I am including a transcript of the message portion I shared today.  

Good morning and happy decoration day or as we know it now Memorial Day. I thank all of you for allowing me to speak with you today and am honored that on this important day where we remember those who have died in military service, that you have asked me, a simple man from Northwest Iowa to share some thoughts and ideas about the day with you. I did not know if I would be able to live up to the great expectations of speeches that I have heard at other Memorial Day services in the past. But maybe my greatest gift for everyone today will be to help young and old understand a little bit more about some of the customs that we have at the cemetery on this day.

One of my bigger questions that I have had about this day that no one has been able to answer well is, why do we honor or bring flowers & decorations to graves of men and women or children who did not die while in service? I searched for answers in books in history and on the Internet without ever finding a real answer so I went back into my own experiences before I came up with what I think is the answer for all of us today.

The answer starts with a story. When I was between younger, about 10 years old, one of my jobs around Memorial Day was to accompany my grandma Elma in her 1967 gold colored four-door Plymouth Fury to all of the local cemeteries. I would help her load the trunk and the backseat of that car with 5 gallon pails of dirt, plastic flowers, real flowers, water cans, garden tools, hoes, spades, grass clippers, and even cleaning supplies. My job was to accompany and help her decorate the graves of great-grandparents, great-great-grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins, and many friends. As we traveled between country churches and small-town cemeteries she would tell me stories about relatives and friends that lived on certain farm places and in local small towns. When we got to the cemeteries and as we began to work to clean the headstones and place flowers and decorations, she would continue to tell stories about some of the things that these people had done while they were alive. It was very important for her to make sure that I knew the stories. On several occasions she even said to take special care that I remember the stories and the locations of the graves because I might be one of the last in our generations to have some direct link with the past. That might be one of the reasons that I like to hear the local stories and try to remember as many as I can, although I wish I would've written down many more.

Everything that has ever happened has been given to us as an example. We know that those who have died in service are some of the best examples of Americanism that we can ever have. And I know we sometimes decorate graves of the recently deceased either in our grieving or in a celebration of their life. But I think that reason that we honor and decorate gravesites of nearly forgotten relatives who had no military service is that they were also, in their own way, examples for us of patriotism as well. The stories that my grandma wanted me to remember were about the character of the people that she talked about, not so much about any specific thing that they did.  So what were the stories about and do they show some of the characteristics of a true American?

If these people were examples to us, what was in their character that was so important that my grandma wanted me to remember, to learn from, and to pass along. In short what made them bad or good people, or bad or good Americans. One of the first things that I know was important in her stories was that these people had a love for each other and for God. She would also share about their contented and happy lives and how they could find great joy in the simplest of day-to-day events. It seemed that most of them lived in harmony with their neighbors that included a gentle quietness, and the ability to work as one with relatives or neighbors when the need arose. They had great self-control in difficult circumstances. Most were kind and moral people, although she also gave me some examples of the not so kind and not so moral. There were stories about belief and trust in the future of our country and some of the things that they did to demonstrate that faith.  Some were graced with humility, the ability to praise others more than themselves and their consideration for other people.  I think what she was trying to do was to teach me in her own way about patriotism, history, faith, what was important to try to do, and what was important to avoid. Most were the traits of a good American and a good citizen.

I think she used these examples because they were people and situations that she had known about firsthand.  And I think that's why we all use relatives and friends as examples for our own families. This is something I think we need to explain better to our children so that they too can understand why we are at the cemetery today and why we decorate graves.

One of the more surprising things to me was that after looking at the best characteristics of a good American I was reminded of several Bible verses. Verses come from Galatians 6:22 and 23, and it says:

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance: against such there is no law.

If anyone would ever ask you about whether or not United States of America was founded on biblical principle you now have one of the best arguments that proves that this is true. Whether it's the service man or woman or a local friend or relative their example of love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance reveals the fruit of the Spirit shining through them and woven thickly into our history.

And I want to take one moment to speak to that person who's here today who would tell me that they have had a lousy life. They had bad parents, or bad relatives, or bad friend, or bad circumstances and that they will never be able to enjoy that fruit of the Spirit that we talk about today. Let me give that person a reason to rejoice in hope for the future. If you can thank your parents for nothing more, honor them for the simple reason that you are here today. Without the two of them you would not exist. Thank God for them for that reason. Thank God that you have the common sense to recognize bad characteristics of friends or relatives. Through those examples you realize what you do not want to become. The choice to change or the choice to learn from those examples is your responsibility. Your choices determine what type of an example you will be in the future.

Today, and every day, please, talk to your friends and your family about the people who have been laid to rest in this cemetery. Talk to them about the good and bad using each as an example. Explain to your children about the veterans laid to rest and why we are here. Explain to them also about your friends and families and histories that are the examples they can use in their futures. While you are doing this you will also be setting one of the finest examples of being an American, teaching by example. Past and present examples, one of the reasons we are here today. Please don't waste any opportunity to share.  Thank you to all of our veterans, and let us humbly and proudly honor those today who gave their lives for our country, our finest example of the fruit of their spirit.

Small Seeds, Big Results

When I started writing these posts for everyone to read, ponder, share and maybe apply to life I had a central theme that I was working toward.  Seems like I have not been able to see the forest for the trees over the last few weeks visiting with people and making as many stops here and there as I could.  The theme though kept popping up when we discussed ideas.  In some of the first posts before the visiting started we looked at who are we, should there be another law, consistency, pennies making dollars, focusing and aiming, and then ethics by government.  The thoughts are easy enough to follow and should be leading you to certain conclusions.  In Who Are We the entry told to show how reliant we are all becoming on government and systems to solve all of our problems.  No responsibility.  There Oughta be a Law entry showed a little of how we are convinced that more laws are better.  No responsibility either.  In Consistency there is a look toward better foundations, personal responsibility.  Pennies Make Dollars was another look at some of the systems our government has created and a look to the future if we don't take control.  Responsibility.  Focus and Keep Aiming took a look at more local responsibility.  Ethics by Government showed one aspect of relying on governmental instruction for responsibility.
This brings me back into that central theme.  If this country and state is going to work well and in the way intended, the WE the people must work at restoring the responsibility to the local level.  We must be responsible for us, not government or laws.  I borrowed something from the Project Appleseed website that says it very well.

"Civic Involvement

There are those who feel that America’s future is grim, that is, that America has lost something special and it can never be regained. And in their consternation they mutter about “dark choices” and the like. Appleseed has a message for them. Just over two hundred years ago our ancestors genuinely faced a tough choice. They could submit to those they felt were depriving them of their rights as Englishmen or they could fight. Because they chose as they did, we may never have to face their dilemma because we have a third alternative.
So what must you do with your third choice? Well, you must roll out of the recliner, cut off the computer, turn down the TV and get involved. That’s it. Talk to family, talk to friends, interact with neighbors, take part in local community decisions, and become active in whatever political party best fits your idea of how America should be governed. Write to your elected representative, attend town halls, correspond with newspaper editors, and wholeheartedly enter the discussion in both online and traditional forums.
Read! Think! Debate! Vote! You are an involved, committed American making responsible use of the liberties gifted to us so long ago. The future is what we make -- YOU make -- of it."

"Mounds" of Knowledge

Ocheyedan today and what a nice reception from everyone there.  There was more group participation today in what I remember as the old wisdom passed down from generations past, thank you for those pearls of wisdom also.  We talked about some of the old sayings that have been handed down, what they meant and how they relate to our lives and the world around us today.  Simple things, wisdom and manners, seem to be out of style in today's world.  The folks that were there talked about the strange looks that they get from kids (or grand-kids) whenever they bring up anything from the past.  Sometimes they felt like the younger generations think they are crazy when they try to teach them any of it.  Everything today has to be "new", including information and knowledge.  Better yet, (for them), it has to be from the internet or something else electronic.  These generations are missing out on loads of experience handed down over time that, maybe stated in older stories or language, are still the same truths today.  I encouraged everyone to share more of that old wisdom, forget the strange looks.  Since there is nothing new under the sun, we can apply that old knowledge to the problems of today.  "Don't spend more than you earn" would be pretty good for governments along with "look before you leap", "the trees don't grow to the sky", or "a penny saved is a penny earned".  A sports team can have lots of talent and never win a game.  A good coach will see that the players don't remember the basics and that the team is not working together.  Pretty simple really, in life and in government.  Back to the basics and work at things together.  I spent some time this evening working on a legal description error with three separate owners.  The cooperation of all of the owners was required to fix the problem from the past.  After explaining the problem, how it started and the easiest and cheapest route to fix it everyone agreed to work together to fix it.  See, there is loads of common sense out there, we just have to explain the problem, the possible solutions, find an agreement and work at it.  The last part is sometimes the hardest (work) but once in agreement, with a clear and common goal, even the work is easy.  That is where our state can be as well.  Don't let the words of work or doubt scare you.