Birthday Reflections

[Joshua Santana]

I thank for the early and late Birthday Wishes.

The reason why I have not posted on Facebook from Monday was I holding Monday to give reverence to my Grand Father's passing which happened the day before my Birthday.  I was 13 at that time and I recalled being the only Grand Child at his Death Bed.  My sister and other cousins came two days after his death.  But I recall him smiling when he held my small hand despite him being in severe pain. 

When I was young I didn't understand why he smiled.  But now I have come to realize that he was smiling because he knew I came for Family and to show how much I respect the meaning of a Family.

It wasn't until this Monday that my Father told that my Grand Father did a noble act worth remembering.  He married my Grand Mother as his way of saving her from the rejection and emotional abuse from her father who never cared for his children after the death of his wife.  My Father later on went to tell that my Great Grand Father was an individual who was Honorable and Noble at Heart.  He was the Man who would be there for Family, he would help other people outside or inside the Family and he took care of My Father when he was young. 

My initial reaction to this was a discovery of a Moral Nobility Legacy that passed from from generations, to my Great Grand Father, Grand Father, my natural Father and now to myself.  This to me is proof of how True Nobility lies in the Heart rather than in family bloodlines.  I am proud of being the inheritor of this legacy and I reasoned that maybe this is why three years ago I felt a fire that burned in my heart to follow my Christian Faith with a renewed Zeal and to follow the Code of Chivalry.

[Thorsteinn]

What it must be like to have a lineage worth remembering.

[Lord Dane]

What it must be like to have a lineage worth remembering.

I'm lucky if I remember yesterday without a potential migrane.

[Sir William]

What it must be like to have a lineage worth remembering.

What it must be like to have a lineage that can be traced back.

[Joshua Santana]

What it must be like to have a lineage worth remembering.

What it must be like to have a lineage that can be traced back.

Brethren, what I can say is this.  It feels great and emboldening at the same time.  Because of this discovery, I now see a new purpose in my daily living by my Faith and the Code.  This Legacy passed on to me comes with a responsibility of living up to that legacy and to honor it in my future Deeds and Choices. 

I am certain there are relatives or grand parents that you Brethren have.  I find that discovering this legacy adds further purpose to my life and is another reason to fulfill my parent's wishes of completing college and leading a purpose driven life.  I hope you all can find what emboldens you to pursue your dreams or ambitions.  A purpose driven life starts with finding what drives you to live another day, in finding that purpose and seeing it in the long run, that is the beginning of a purpose driven Quest called Life.   

[Lord Dane]

What it must be like to have a lineage worth remembering.

What it must be like to have a lineage that can be traced back.

Brethren, what I can say is this.  It feels great and emboldening at the same time.  Because of this discovery, I now see a new purpose in my daily living by my Faith and the Code.  This Legacy passed on to me comes with a responsibility of living up to that legacy and to honor it in my future Deeds and Choices. 

I am certain there are relatives or grand parents that you Brethren have.  I find that discovering this legacy adds further purpose to my life and is another reason to fulfill my parent's wishes of completing college and leading a purpose driven life.  I hope you all can find what emboldens you to pursue your dreams or ambitions.  A purpose driven life starts with finding what drives you to live another day, in finding that purpose and seeing it in the long run, that is the beginning of a purpose driven Quest called Life.   

Alright, who brought the 'fortune cookie philosopher' into the forum??? 

[Thorsteinn]

Mom: School Psychologist
Dad: Lawyer
mGma: School Bus Driver & weakling.
mGda: Pedophile alcoholic Police Chief.
pGma: Neurotic narcissistic Legal Aide.
pGda: Abusive neurotic Hairdresser; came out of the closet in the '70's.

Past that I know the names of some of the family but both sets of Grandparents don't talk or didn't ask and my only Great Grandparents that lived to see me born (foreign born parents of pGma) didn't talk about the old country.

Geometry tells us you don't always need to know where you were to know where you are if you know precisely where your going.

So I guess "No matter where you go, there you are."

[Lord Dane]

Mom: School Psychologist
Dad: Lawyer
mGma: School Bus Driver & weakling.
mGda: Pedophile alcoholic Police Chief.
pGma: Neurotic narcissistic Legal Aide.
pGda: Abusive neurotic Hairdresser; came out of the closet in the '70's.

Past that I know the names of some of the family but both sets of Grandparents don't talk or didn't ask and my only Great Grandparents that lived to see me born (foreign born parents of pGma) didn't talk about the old country.

Geometry tells us you don't always need to know where you were to know where you are if you know precisely where your going.

So I guess "No matter where you go, there you are."

Ok. I can try this. Here goes ...

Me: Professional Ball-Buster / Law Enforcer / Trainer / Security Consultant / Medieval Badass / Loving Husband
Dad: Retired CPA / State Employee / Navy Vet. (Deceased)
Mom: Retired Quality Control Inspector / Glass Company
PGDad: Retired Post Master / USPS / Army Vet.
PGMon: Retired Housewife (Deceased)
MGDad: Retired Print Press Mechanic / School Chef / Navy Vet.
MGMom: Retired Housewife / Navy Vet. (Suffering from Alheimers)

Knew my great grandparents briefly but not much remembered ..... have to dig up some local history.

[Joshua Santana]

Alright, who brought the 'fortune cookie philosopher' into the forum??? 

LOL! I was only expressing my thoughts when I heard this from my Father.

Rautt:  I understand that you come from a broken family.  I sympathize with you and I know what it feels like to have relatives that have fallen from grace and are working to regain a start in life.  I am the only one in my family line with a college degree (the others do not) and I think the only one who has followed the Christian Faith with Zeal and with the Words of Truth.  However broken families end when one family member starts on a Path of Courage and Honor and allows his own Family to live by the same principles as he does.  That is the beginning of the legacy that I have inherited, it started with my great grand father all the way down to me and the amazing part is that it started with one man.  You Rautt can be that one man who can start again by living by Courage, Loyalty, Honor and Moral Nobility in your daily life and in any adventure you undertake.

Lord Dane:  I can tell you have been inspired by your family line to join the Police Force as a means of serving your community and I commend you for that.   

[Sir James A]

Mom: School Psychologist
Dad: Lawyer
mGma: School Bus Driver & weakling.
mGda: Pedophile alcoholic Police Chief.
pGma: Neurotic narcissistic Legal Aide.
pGda: Abusive neurotic Hairdresser; came out of the closet in the '70's.

Seems like a fun game.

Mom: Office manager

Dad: Public Safety / Fire Science / Anti-terrorism training

mGma: Housewife (grandparents came over from Germany)

mGda: Phone wires (pole climber) / General Phone stuff (1/2 or 1/4 Native American - and VA State archery champion 7 or 8 times). Also, VA District Deputy Grandmaster of the Masons (which we found out *after* he passed and saw his membership card - ugh, the things I'd have asked him!!)

pGma: Office/Administrative/Single parent for most of her life (see below) - From NY

pGda: Passed when my dad was 4 or 5 years old

pGreatGda: 1st Fire Dispatcher of Loudoun County

Uncle/dad's side: Undercover investigator / law / real estate (mentioning this cause the undercover stuff is pretty cool)

So within the last 5 generations, I've got New Yorker, Native American, German. Then, according to somebody who did some family research back when I was little, Upper England/Lower Scotland further up the tree. Which makes me a native american, german, english, scottish, new yorker "mix". I guess the only thing as frustrating as not being able to trace your heritage is knowing it's across half of europe and the US, and not being able to call any particular place "the homeland". Explains my fascination with armor and archery quite well, though.

Joshua, happy belated birthday. It's always easier to stay strong to faith and/or philosophy when it has personal heritage to it.

[Lord Dane]

Alright, who brought the 'fortune cookie philosopher' into the forum??? 

LOL! I was only expressing my thoughts when I heard this from my Father.

Rautt:  I understand that you come from a broken family.  I sympathize with you and I know what it feels like to have relatives that have fallen from grace and are working to regain a start in life.  I am the only one in my family line with a college degree (the others do not) and I think the only one who has followed the Christian Faith with Zeal and with the Words of Truth.  However broken families end when one family member starts on a Path of Courage and Honor and allows his own Family to live by the same principles as he does.  That is the beginning of the legacy that I have inherited, it started with my great grand father all the way down to me and the amazing part is that it started with one man.  You Rautt can be that one man who can start again by living by Courage, Loyalty, Honor and Moral Nobility in your daily life and in any adventure you undertake.

Lord Dane:  I can tell you have been inspired by your family line to join the Police Force as a means of serving your community and I commend you for that.   

Incorrect assessment. I became one because it's what made most sense for someone with my background & skills at the time. Family is the reason I didn't want to be one. I don't like mixing professional & personal lives & that to some degree is a 'family' business. Like for example, I enjoy drinking coffee every morning, having donuts, ... you know stereotypical cop-like stuff....   LOL  But I must admit, I do look good in blue. Oh know, I AM becoming Lord Vanity. ..... Just kidding, I've always thought I looked good. 

But thanks for the kind words. A good quote & wise words.

[Thorsteinn]

@Josh: I just keep wondering if, had the below scenario played out, if my dads life, and thus mine, would have been better>

Ken Karp is a repressed homosexual. After getting Sandra, his girlfriend, pregnant he realizes his error and comes out & is honest about it. They breakup, she moves on and marries a good man. He moves on and settles with a good man. He raises his son to be honest and true and not let his inner demons destroy him or his family.

Think a version of The Birdcage where my dad is Armand's son.

I don't come from a broken home for that assumes it was ever really working in the first place. 

BTW oddly enough my dads been married to my step-mom for 30 years and my mom's been with her boyfriend for 29 years. I guess the right person for them existed, it just wasn't each other. 

Josh, how goes your reading of the Tao of Jeet Kun Do? You mentioned that you were going to start it?

[Sir William]

Speaking of birthdays, today's is Sir James Anderson's- happy birthday, Brother!

[Sir James A]

Speaking of birthdays, today's is Sir James Anderson's- happy birthday, Brother!

Thank you

[Thorsteinn]