Month: December 2024

As I was pondering our collective close to 2024, I contemplated the year’s most significant stories… 

…the November election… the House hearings on antisemitism that triggered 2 Ivy League president resignations… the campus protests… Bill Belichick parting ways with New England… the partial collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore… the total solar eclipse… the emergence of Caitlin Clark… Trump shot… hurricanes Helene and Milton making their presence known…The Eras Tour end… Big Lots, Joann (Fabrics), Party City, Red Lobster, Spirit Airlines, TGIFridays, True Value and Tupperware filing for bankruptcy… Shannen Doherty, Teri Garr, James Earl Jones, Joe Lieberman, Willie Mays, Liam Payne, Pete Rose, OJ Simpson, Jerry West and more passing away… Israel and Hamas, Ukraine and Russia (and also more) still fighting…

Still, from my limited vantage point, my sense is there is a bigger story embedded in the year that was. And I must admit, when take one was written, our focus was far too narrow. We originally began with a sensitive but reasonable story about the Executive Office of the President. It wasn’t about age nor clearly a stutter. One of the biggest stories of 2024 was the cover up of the mental decline of our sitting President. As recently reported by The Wall Street Journal, based on their interviews with nearly 50 people who either participated in or had direct knowledge of White House operations…

“… Presidents always have gatekeepers. But in Biden’s case, the walls around him were higher and the controls greater, according to Democratic lawmakers, donors and aides who worked for Biden and other administrations. There were limits over who Biden spoke with, limits on what they said to him and limits around the sources of information he consumed. Throughout his presidency, a small group of aides stuck close to Biden to assist him, especially when traveling or speaking to the public. ‘They body him to such a high degree,’ a person who witnessed it said, adding that the ‘hand holding’ is unlike anything other recent presidents have had…

…The president’s slide has been hard to overlook. While preparing last year for his interview with Robert K. Hur, the special counsel who investigated Biden’s handling of classified documents, the president couldn’t recall lines that his team discussed with him. At events, aides often repeated instructions to him, such as where to enter or exit a stage, that would be obvious to the average person… The strategies to protect Biden largely worked—until June 27, when Biden stood on an Atlanta debate stage with Trump, searching for words and unable to complete his thoughts on live television…

Biden, staffed with advisers since he became a senator at age 30, came to the White House with a small team of fiercely loyal, long-serving aides who knew him and Washington so well that they could be particularly effective proxies. They didn’t tolerate criticism of Biden’s performance or broader dissent within the Democratic Party…

Interactions between Biden and many of his cabinet members were relatively infrequent and often tightly scripted… Over four years, Biden held nine full cabinet meetings…

In the fall of 2023, Biden faced a major test when Hur, the special counsel, wanted to interview him… The actual interview didn’t go well. Transcripts showed multiple blunders, including that Biden didn’t initially recall that in prep sessions he had been shown his own handwritten memo arguing against a surge of troops in Afghanistan. The report—one of just a few lengthy interviews with Biden over the past four years—concluded with a recommendation that Biden not be prosecuted for having classified documents in his home because a jury was likely to view him as a ‘sympathetic, well-meaning elderly man with a poor memory.’”

There was indeed some level of deception, a deception that prompts the following reasonable, respectful questions: why is Pres. Biden still President? Why is this only coming out now? And who covered up for him? 

But as I’ve thought a little longer, I think the above focus is too narrow. 

In recent weeks we also became aware that Rep. Kay Granger (R-TX, age 81) hasn’t been present in Congress since July. Instead she’s been residing in an assisted living facility in Fort Worth. Upon investigation, a family member responded that Granger has been “having some dementia issues late in the year.”

So again, we ask: why is Rep. Granger still in the House? Why is this only coming out now? And who covered up for her?

It’s clear the deception isn’t limited to a singular party, although sometimes, that’s hard for us to admit. It’s also clear, no less, that each party’s denial leads to a bigger question: is it any wonder we have collectively lost significant respect in the parties? With all due respect, they covered up the decline of Pres. Biden, Rep. Granger, and possibly more. The media was also complicit. Each tells us only what they want us to know.

Here’s to a better 2025. Hoping for increased honesty from all in the year to come.

Respectfully…

AR

Without a doubt, Christmas is a special time to me and many. It is the celebration of the birth of the Christ child. As we have long said, it’s an opportunity to stop, slow down, and give thanks… to give thanks for the hope, peace, joy and love found in Jesus.

While I have great respect for those who don’t have a relationship with Jesus, I do wish that hope, peace, joy and love for each in humankind. Such is why at Christmas, we typically retell the reason behind the writing of the iconic classic, “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day.” Perhaps you know the song…

I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day
Their old familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet the words repeat
Of peace on earth, good will to men…

The song was penned by Charles Appleton Longfellow — known as “Charley” to family and friends. I’ll be brief, but as documented here previously, suffice it so say, his life was hard…

He was the oldest of six and the son of celebrated American poet, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Home life was hard, as his mother died when he was 16 when her dress flukily caught on fire.

Charles joined the army to fight in the Civil War. He swiftly impressed his fellow soldiers and superiors. Hear the rest as written several years ago by Justin Taylor, Crossway Sr. VP & publisher, putting life into perspective…

After participating on the fringe of the Battle of Chancellorsville in Virginia (April 30-May 6, 1863), Charley fell ill with typhoid fever and was sent home to recover. He rejoined his unit on August 15, 1863, having missed the Battle of Gettysburg.

While dining at home on December 1, 1863, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow received a telegram that his son had been severely wounded four days earlier. On November 27, 1863, while involved in a skirmish during a battle of the Mine Run Campaign, Charley was shot through the left shoulder, with the bullet exiting under his right shoulder blade. It had traveled across his back and skimmed his spine. Charley avoided being paralyzed by less than an inch.

He was carried into New Hope Church (Orange County, Virginia) and then transported to the Rapidan River. Charley’s father and younger brother, Ernest, immediately set out for Washington, D.C., arriving on December 3. Charley arrived by train on December 5. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was alarmed when informed by the army surgeon that his son’s wound “was very serious” and that “paralysis might ensue.” Three surgeons gave a more favorable report that evening, suggesting a recovery that would require him to be “long in healing,” at least six months.

On Christmas day, 1863, Longfellow—a 57-year-old widowed father of six children, the oldest of which had been nearly paralyzed as his country fought a war against itself—wrote a poem seeking to capture the dynamic and dissonance in his own heart and the world he observes around him. He hears the Christmas bells and the singing of “peace on earth” (Luke 2:14) but observes the world of injustice and violence that seemed to mock the truth of this statement. The theme of listening recurs throughout the poem, leading to a settledness of confident hope even in the midst of bleak despair…

I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day
Their old familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet the words repeat
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

I thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along the unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

And in despair I bowed my head:
“There is no peace on earth,” I said,
“For hate is strong and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.”

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
“God is not dead, nor doth he sleep;
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail,
With peace on earth, good will to men.”

Till, ringing singing, on its way,
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime, a chant sublime,
Of peace on earth, good will to men!

Respectfully… with hope… always…

AR

Three days before Christmas, and throughout the globe and entire nation, we’re prepping for the holidays, and all the celebration. 

Families will gather, missing loved ones with care, knowing deep down we wish, we could join together somewhere. 

We get to the place in which we poetically speak of the clatter, but this day we speak of the most beautiful matter…

Know what we like most about this season? … or at least the days beforehand and the week before us? I speak of Christmas Eve to New Year’s — with Hanukkah in between… 

There are stories and stockings and visions of sugar-plums in our heads… there are latkes and lights and all sorts of little elves on the shelves… there are cheesecakes and chestnuts and candlelight church services…

It is such a time of merry… such a time of glee. It indeed seems a season of a string of holy nights.

So a couple of permeating thoughts in these nights before Christmas…

First, I think one of the things I like best is that we slow down.

When I relocated some seven years ago, one of the wisest men I know and one of the wisest women I know — older and unrelated to one another — each gave me a set of books, but both gave me a book on intentional rest. Slowing down. Being still. My sense is there was something they wanted me to know…

There is wisdom in being still. It allows us to reflect; it allows us to ponder; and it diminishes our embedded temptation to over-react. Sometimes in current day culture, I think a lot of our polarization and division is because we perch; we pounce; and we jump right in with our immediate perspective. We don’t take the time to be still, know God, and do our due diligence in siphoning out the sagacity in perspectives other than our own. Such is where we fall prey to bias, adopt black-and-white thinking, and/or conclude solely one has cornered the market on morality. 

Stillness is one of life’s absolute best, healthiest practices. I’m excited in the week ahead, that many of us will choose to be still.

Second, no less, let us acknowledge that while it is indeed a time of merry and glee, not every moment surrounding the holidays feels so holly and jolly. There is loneliness. There is grief in regard to those we miss, those no longer here. And there are gatherings that oft include relationships we find difficult to navigate. Here is where we’re confronted with another one of life’s poignant realities; sometimes we find ourselves feeling seemingly competing emotions at the exact same time.

It all makes sense. And so we ponder…

Peace on Earth… 

Goodwill toward men… women… and all humankind…

Glory to God in the highest!

So much to think upon, my friends.

So grateful for this time to be still…

Respectfully…

AR

The line was long. We got in place about 2 hours and 5 minutes before the show was set to begin, notably longer than our usual behavior. Can’t say I’m a particular fan of long lines. This one I really didn’t mind, however. We’ll get to that.

One of the things that I think is very important is to unequivocally honor all people where they are in respect to religion and faith. As said often here, we are no one’s Holy Spirit. Not only are we not in that role, we are also completely incapable of such. It’s foolish to think we are somehow able to serve as someone else’s convicter of truth.

That said, Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, born in Bethlehem some 2,000 years ago. It’s telling that his birth is not debated in Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, the Baháʼí Faith and more. 

But because we individually debate Christ’s prominence in our own lives, discerning what a personal relationship with the proclaimed Son of God might actually look like, sometimes we struggle with how to handle Christmas collectively.

Do we water it down? … can we still celebrate? … can we still say the name of Jesus?

Such is the basis for the “happy holidays/merry Christmas” quandary. There is zero wrong with wishing another’s holidays to be happy. The problem arises when it’s mandated that “merry Christmas” is not to be said… or in the town square, the nativity scene cannot exist in a public place… or at school, where Christmas cookies are an explicit no-no… All this even though Jesus is named in the holiday, thus the clear reason for the season.

I think that’s one of our current societal challenges. Sometimes we think that in order to honor another, a differing opinion cannot be expressed in their presence. Friends, I’m not so sure that’s honoring; that’s simply pretending that other opinions don’t exist. 

Saying “merry Christmas,” displaying a nativity scene, therefore — those are no attempts to dishonor or disrespect. Those are celebrations consistent with what the holiday is actually about.

So it’s caused question in me in recent years, when persons are ok with Rudolph and Frosty and Santa and all the elves, but not with Jesus… even though Rudolph and Frosty and Santa and all the elves don’t find any of their names listed on the calendar for December 25th. Sometimes it’s as if we refuse to say the name of Christ, the first whole syllable of the holiday. In some places, with absolutely all due respect, it seems harder to say than in others.

Hence, the other night, it was time for one of our favorite December activities, the annual Candlelight Processional at Disneyworld. 

Every year a mass choir, 50+ piece orchestra, fanfare trumpets and more gather at EPCOT’s America Gardens Theatre to share tidings of comfort and great joy with the public. The beloved show features various celebrity narrators, some who come most every year — i.e. Neil Patrick Harris, Gloria Estefan, Whoopi Goldberg, and Gary Sinise. What does each read boldly, publicly? This diverse celebrity group?

The story of the birth of Jesus Christ.

We got in line at 4:40pm for the 6:45pm show; there was another show before then. But the amphitheater holds a little less than 2,000 people, and there were far more than that in line. There was such a joy, such an enthusiasm, regardless of the wait. People were so excited to be there.

When we were finally seated — awaiting Ralph Macchio, the original “Karate Kid” — his first time here — the orchestra soon began by playing “O Come, All Ye Faithful”…

O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant, O come ye, o come ye to Bethlehem… O come and behold Him, born the King of Angels, O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord…

I’ll admit, a few tears rolled down my face. Still absolutely respecting of all people, it’s simply meaningful to see things not watered down.

Respectfully…

AR

Thankfully, it’s December 2024; the next presidential election is 1,426 days away. Because I’m not a fan of what recent elections have fueled in our country (i.e. denigration, polarization, binary thinking, massive spending, assumptions of moral high ground, political attack ads, total lack of respectful dialogue — and that’s just a start), I’m grateful this election was not close. That’s not because I’m a fan of President-elect Trump, but rather because I am not a fan of how our country responds when the results are less conclusive.

Lest we digress, the point of today’s post is not to examine why what happened. We’ll save that to the analysts, who always need something to talk about and who currently seem all over the place pending personal perspective (i.e. sexism… racism… elitism… fascism… too moderate… too progressive… too radical… Biden got out too late… she’s a bad candidate… low turnout… super PAC alignment… the assassination attempts… the trans issue… FOX News… shift in Latino vote… immigration… inflation… it’s the economy, stupid… people are stupid… the prosecution of Trump… the lying about Biden’s decline… the VP debate… the working class… women… “The View”… Rogan… Liz Cheney… no Josh Shapiro… Israel… etc.. etc. etc.).

There was one aspect of the recent race, though, that especially disturbed me. As long articulated, the Intramuralist was not a fan of either presidential candidate (including Biden, prior to Harris, primarily due to his clear mental decline). My sincere concern about competency and character prompted me to be increasingly involved in No Labels, a 14 year old centrist organization focused on common sense problem solving (see past conversations about who they are, how they are different than the other parties, and their 2024 Unity Ticket). 

The Unity Ticket was a plan only to be invoked if one, Biden and Trump were again our nominees and two, the ticket had a path to victory — not just spoiling the chances of one. The ticket would be one Republican and one Democrat; they would model for the country how to work well together. When the short window of time came in which such a scenario presented itself, meaning the primary votes were in and nominees were confirmed, No Labels was unable to attract a candidate. Now that the election is over, as reported by many, it has become clear how some worked tirelessly to ruin them. As written by The Washington Post last week: 

“… leaders of No Labels are fighting back in three federal courtrooms with a sprawling legal-discovery effort aimed at exposing the secret machinations they believe led to their project’s demise. Leaders of the moderate Democratic group Third Way and of Investing in US, a political operation funded by LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman, are fighting to limit the document production.

But documents already unsealed by the courts reveal remarkable details about private proposals for a wide range of hard-nosed tactics that would go beyond public efforts like ads, op-eds and meetings to discourage the No Labels campaign. The documents include emails exchanged between various Democratic strategists involved with efforts to oppose No Labels.

‘Our main focus should be brand destruction but, where possible, we also need to throw up any and all roadblocks to stop them from being successful at signature-gathering,’ Lucy Caldwell, one of the anti-No Labels strategists, wrote in a document uncovered during the legal battle.

A separate ‘Direct Action Campaign’ proposal, which was never fully adopted, called for the personal harassment of No Labels founder Nancy Jacobson and her husband, Mark Penn, a former adviser to Bill and Hillary Clinton.

The proposal to ‘socially stigmatize’ Jacobson and Penn, according to documents revealed in court, included plans to hire clowns ‘to hangout on their block’ in the Georgetown area of D.C., post fliers in the neighborhood attacking the couple, send a ‘truck carrying musical performers’ to wake them up at 6 a.m., and fly banner planes over Harvard University’s graduation attacking Penn, who does a poll for the university as chair of the Harris Poll and CEO of the marketing company Stagwell. Penn did not play a role in the No Labels presidential bid, according to the group….”

Wow. Note the manipulation, duplicity and lack of decency. Clearly partisans don’t want another party to usurp their perceived power; established parties aren’t all that welcoming of other options. The hypocrisy, however, is that they intentionally were working to destroy the voters’ options, all while claiming the desire to protect and promote democracy. 

Let’s see what more we learn… at least in the next 1,426 days.

Respectfully…

AR

With the “Thanksmas” season seemingly condensed this year, week one was eye-opening in regard to current events, especially those that caught the Intramuralist’s attention. While we could always dissect multiple perspectives, we’ll stick to a paragraph or two rather than entire posts. Sometimes saying less says a lot more…

President Biden pardons his son, Hunter. While most of us were enjoying a final day of leisure recovering from Thanksgiving’s leftover frolic and food comas, Pres. Biden issued a statement not just forgiving his second son’s felony gun and tax convictions, but rather, pardoning also any other offenses his son may have committed in the past 10 years.

Who are we kidding? If as a parent, you have the ability to wash away all legal ramifications for your own kid — hopefully not including being a murderer or terrorist, but even if he’s not the most reputable adult in the world — wouldn’t you do it, too? Of course most of us would!

The error in the pardon, however, isn’t the pardon itself. The error in the pardon is the multiple impassioned months declaring never/no way/absolutely not and all the surrogates who echoed his denial and assumed an accompanying moral high ground because “we value the law” — unlike others. Friends, there is no moral high ground. This act reeks of everything that’s wrong with American politics and why so many of us have struggled with the system long before the second coming of Trump. Biden lied. And he lied for political purposes. There is too much hypocrisy in our elect. On all sides…

The CEO of UnitedHealthcare was murdered in Midtown Manhattan. This story is disturbing. In New York City for an annual investors conference, Brian Thompson was shot at point-blank range by a masked gunman multiple times just outside his hotel on Wednesday morning. Shell casings were found at the scene inscribed with the words “deny,” “defend” and “depose.” The attack was thus targeted and intentional. Known to friends and colleagues as “B.T.,” the 50 year old husband and father of two was pronounced dead at 7:12 a.m. [Note: as of this posting, the killer has not been identified nor found.]

How horrific that a man could be killed in the middle of NYC, a few blocks from the Rockefeller Center where the masses would gather only hours later to light their annual, iconic Christmas tree. How horrific, too, that many found justification immediately afterward, especially on social media, celebrating the assassination, citing mistreatment from insurance companies.

The insurance world is challenging; the number of claims denied is indeed worth scrutiny. Yet still once more it’s clear how individual experience and perspective often obstruct visibility of what’s good and right and true…

And thirdly in our current events for the week…

DOGE begins to develop. The newly-announced, non-official government department has begun to take shape. Led by prominent Trump confidants Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, simply put, the purpose is to make the federal government more efficient. Said Musk in the week that was, “I think we should be spending the public’s money wisely.” 

(“Touché,” said the taxpayer.)

Interestingly, DOGE is getting widespread attention and diverse support, noted by the leaders on Capitol Hill this week. Democrats and Republicans alike have been outspoken in regard to the potential upside. Together they are working on problem solving. Sen. John Fetterman, for example (D-PA — who is quickly becoming one of my favorite, non-hypocritical politicians), spoke of working with DOGE. Said Fetterman, “I admire Mr. Musk. He has been involved in very important parts of American society… Hey — he has made our economy and our nation better, and our politics are different, [but] that doesn’t make him an enemy.” 

The acknowledgements, bipartisanship and problem solving are refreshing.

All for now.

Focusing on what’s good and right and true.

Respectfully…

AR

Every now and then we pen a post that I’m well aware has the potential to be eminently unpopular. Let me respectfully prepare all now. Please note that the lack of popularity is never the result of intentional offense; rather, the perspective is one with which we either (1) vehemently disagree or (2) simply don’t want to admit may be true. All should feel said freedom.

I witnessed something last weekend, no less, that seemed to surpass most learnings in sports. (Stay with me, friends; this is not a sports post, albeit still understandably, particularly painful for my pals in the state of Ohio.) In one of the most notable rivalries in college athletics, the Ohio State football team lost to the University of Michigan; their history is huge. The teams first met in 1897 and have played annually (save Covid) since 1918. There’s no question it’s one of the most contentious, anticipated games on the college schedule and thus important to many. Hence, when the Buckeyes lost to the Wolverines for the fourth year in a row Saturday — in a year when it wasn’t even expected to be close — it was difficult for the diehards to handle. That includes persons in this blogger’s own household.

There is absolutely no judgment for an outcome being difficult. We each have people and passions we prioritize — in far more than sports. It’s hard when they fail to win.

Said failure transcends the stadium. As oft stated here, for example, I work in the HR world. I’m grateful to have done this for many years and be able at this stage in my professional career now to add value in ways that I clearly missed when lesser experienced; there’s beauty in the grace the years present.

In my current scenario which includes a significant number of young professionals, one of the encouragements we fervently repeat is that “you have the freedom to fail.” Let me say that again…

You have the freedom to fail.

Note what that is and is not. It is not a denial of defeat; it is not a celebration of error, omission or total lack of success. But what it does mean is that everyone is on this team for a reason… “We believe in you… we believe in your ability.” And recognizing that none of us have walked on water yet on this planet, none of us are perfect; hence, we don’t expect perfection.. “All of us will make mistakes. All of us will fail some days. Let’s learn from both the best and worst of days.”

The freedom to fail takes the pressure off. It’s amazing therefore how much better work it produces and also what a healthier culture it creates when no one thinks there’s an expectation to be perfect.

So back to the college gridiron…

The week of the game, highly respected OSU coach Ryan Day sat for an interview discussing the upcoming contest. He poignantly verbalized what it was like to lose to Michigan. Said Day, “We’ve felt what it’s like to not win this game, and it’s bad. It’s one of the worst things that’s happened to me in my life, quite honestly. Other than losing my father and a few other things, like, it’s quite honestly, for my family, the worst thing that’s happened. So we can never have that happen again — ever.”

Contentious. Highly anticipated. Important to many. All of that is still true. But with absolutely all due respect to Day, note the message he’s sending to his team, a group of men whose average age is just over 21 years old. The mindset is that losing a game is “the worst thing” that could happen to you in life.

No judgment, friends. I know we passionately want our people and teams to win. But I sincerely question two things:

One, do sports ever become too important? Games? Does winning ever become more important than life and death, faith, health and relationships?

And two, if a team goes into a game absent the freedom to fail — believing if they lose, it will be the worst thing that ever happens to them — will they play their best? How tight/loose will they actually play?

Just asking… and grateful to add value in ways that I once missed. There is indeed beauty in the grace and insight experience present.

Respectfully…

AR