Book Review: The Hiding Place

I love reading. This shouldn’t surprise you considering the times I’ve talked about some of the books I’ve read. As a personal challenge however, I had an idea. Several people I know also enjoy reading so I thought we’d swap books. That is, the challenge is they would give me a book that they’d like to see me read, and I would, in turn do the same.

It’s a good idea for a couple of reasons. One it helps you to broaden your horizons, and two, it provides others with an insight into the things that you find interesting or fascinating. Late last year, I exchanged books with my aunt. I gave her one of my favorites, which was a biography on Johnny Cash, and in exchange, she gave me an account of life in Holland during World War II called The Hiding Place.

To begin, it took me several months to read this book. Not because it was difficult to read mind you. Actually, if a person were to really dig in, they would be able to read it in a couple of days, if that. But, given how my mind works, I wasn’t really in the best frame of mind over the winter to really dig into it, and given the account, you really had to be. My fault, to be sure, but I did finish it, and highly recommend it to you.

The Hiding Place is an account of life in Holland just prior to, and during World War II. It’s told from the perspective of Corrie ten Boom, a middle aged woman living with her family and extended family. Corrie discusses life in the town she lives in Haarlem, and her family runs a watch shop. There, her aged father builds but mostly maintains watches for the people of the town. They are a Christian family, and throughout the whole ordeal, Corrie makes many references to their devout faith, which is found especially in her younger sister, Bestie.

The ten Boom family

Eventually, the Nazi’s invade, and life in Haarlem isn’t the same as it used to be. Certain people (feeble minded and Jews) are rounded up on a daily basis and others are threatened to toe the line as it were. However, the ten Boom family will not turn anyone away from their door, regardless of their religious beliefs. This action causes some issues down the line, and eventually they are recruited to work for the resistance. The watch shop (and home which is above it) become a place for people to hide from the SS.

The actual Hiding Place, located in the ten Boom home which is now a museum.

The family manages to get away with this for a long period of time before the Nazi’s come. They arrest the family and take them to several prisons, both in Holland and later, in Germany.

What I found most fascinating about the story was the descriptions of the times. Obviously, life was much different but still, it was possible to make comparisons to life today, and when doing so, I found that, even in that context, I was making comparisons to some things I was dealing with.

Corrie and Bestie ten Boom.

Likewise, the descriptions of the atrocities of the Nazi’s and man’s inhumanity to their fellow men were powerful. Throughout the course, Corrie finds her faith is tested; I would even go as far as to say well past the breaking point. And yet, throughout it all, her sister Bestie carries on an unwavering faith that is almost unbelievable. Strong faith, when put through such horrific conditions is something that is hard to imagine. Bestie’s faith in God and her Christian belief’s do not waver for even a second. At times, it seems as though that is the only thing that keeps Corrie going on, especially through their ordeals in the Nazi prisons.

Imagines of Schindler's List were going through my mind while I read the account, and while I was in the middle of it, I was watching the miniseries Band of Brothers. I had to stop watching for a bit because the story was so powerful, so vivid, and so compelling.

While it has many lighter moments, and bits of humor throughout, The Hiding Place is a very powerful account of life under the Nazi regime and a very memorable account of the power that having faith can do for people who are under such circumstances.

If you get a chance, I would highly recommend it.

In Memory of Tom Sprang

Tom, the year he was given the Cattlemens Service Award.

When it comes to the kinds of people who have a hand in shaping your life, or in their own way provide you with an example as to how to live life in the right way, there can be many. We all have those who have come into our lives and have changed them in fundamental ways. It’s not something that I believe we realize at the time, and many times will take for granted, but that doesn’t mean it is any less so. This week, my family and I lost one of these people.

Tom Sprang has been a family friend I would imagine since long before I was born. I don’t recall a time before knowing he was a part of our lives, as a neighbor and as a friend. When we kids were younger, and Dad would come home from work, he would take us to visit the neighbors and see how they were doing. (In truth, it was to get us out of Mom’s hair for a while but we didn’t know that at the time). Every so often we would visit Tom and his family. Dad would “shoot the shit” as it were and they would both solve all the world’s problems. None of these visits were particularly memorable, but collectively they helped me to get to know Tom and his family.

Tom (holding the box) working at the Steak Barn at the fair.

Over the years, I could see how someone like this could impact so many people. He was a 4-H Advisor with my club, the Lynn Valley Farmers, and through that assisted many members with their projects. Tom worked with the Hardin County Cattlemen’s Association and each year, I’d look forward to interviewing him at the banquet and at the fair to get a recap of the associations fair barn activities. He served on many boards and community organizations and I’m quite certain his impact was felt by many.

The big thing for me though is when our families worked out an agreement for his family to farm on our property. Many landowners’ cash rent these days, but to have your neighbors work your farm, sharing resources and working for the benefit of all, is and will always be a lasting impression on me. One aspect of this though is that the families grew sweet corn each year. We’ll plant a field on our property. Dad would purchase the corn seeds he wanted to grow, Tom would have some, and he (or Scotty) would plant the field. At the end of the summer, it was like a community field, with many of the neighbors coming down to partake. I loved these times.

The community at the corn field.

Tom Sprang left an impression me, and I could tell that it was the same for many others. He had a commitment to Hardin County agriculture, but more importantly, to his family and his community. Would we all follow in his example, many of the problems we face today wouldn’t exist. That is, and will always be his lasting legacy.

Thank you Tom, for everything!

Ignorance & Mediocrity: Our Cross To Bear.

I fear we are on the verge of a complete downturn in the history of human innovation and imagination. The prevailing thought these days isn’t to use your God given abilities to find the answers to questions or solve problems but rather to have others do your thinking for you. This is a tragic development in human history, and I believe it is only going to get worse.

We live in a world that is on the go 24/7. The days of pure relaxation and enlightenment are long gone, and we can no longer appreciate moments because we are constantly moving ahead to the next thing. How can we as a society survive and thrive if we are not challenging ourselves to better ourselves? How can we truly know what it is like to be free when we chain ourselves in ignorance and mediocrity?

I work at a radio station in a small town. Over the past couple of weeks, our community has seen several major events, primarily that which pertains to weather. Years ago, the State of Ohio instituted a Snow Level policy which was designed to demonstrate to what degree of caution motorists should use when traveling out on snow covered roadways. It means nothing, but is designed to give people some insight.

Since its implementation, I’ve discovered that people are using it as an excuse to not think. Rather than judge for themselves the level of caution they should use when driving on snow covered roadways, they chose to let others do their thinking for them. In the last week, I received a call from an individual who was mad (with me for some apparent reason) because snow plows hadn’t been our plowing the snow roadways. He said that he was driving on one of these roadways and almost slipped into a ditch.

There is nothing I could do about this (obviously) but I listened to his call, and casually inquired as to how fast he was going when this happened. He said that he was driving 60 mph because the county wasn’t on a level and he assumed it was safe.

Modern critical thinking at its best.

How did we get here? I’m not entirely certain, but I theorize its roots begin in the notion that we must test schools and students as a method to judge performance. No universal test can be administered which would cover every single individual, but that was the idea. Schools which perform better, receive more funding (odd considering they were doing ok with normal funding) and poor performing schools and educators (at least according to the standards) were phased out.

Now we have a clear understanding of what it takes to succeed today. And in the process, the only thing we’ve lost is our ability to think for ourselves.

Anyone see a problem with this?

Current testing methods teach students to recite back facts and data, and while teachers are instructed to apply those lessons critically, students quickly learn to only memorize that which appears on the test. Passing the test (and by extension the class) is the only driving factor as it’s the only thing that actually counts. The process of learning is at best, a quaint notion.

Funny thing is though, when you look back at all the great minds, individuals who have impacted history and those who are living today, ask yourself, did any of them get to where they are by simply parroting back facts and data or did they challenge themselves to better themselves?

The world is full of mediocrity, but that which defines our lives is that which chooses to not live according to societies whims. In order to truly impact the world, you must step outside of it. In order to truly innovate, you have to try new things, ideas, methods, and not be stuck in the same tired practices.

During the American Civil War, technology allowed arms to be fired more accurate but men were still massed in battle lines charging into enemy guns. As a result, many more men were killed in battle than had ever happened before in American history.

One of the things I’ve dealt with over the past ten years is a constant fight with complacence. We are comfortable where we are, and consequently we treat all change as a fight against our values. We cannot accept a fate which leads to an unknown because we’ve become complacent in our lives in the here and now.

The modern, technology crazed world we live in takes all emotions thoughts and issues then magnifies them to extreme levels, so this problem is in fact smaller than we may believe it to be. But still it is imperative that we recognize it is happening, if only to save ourselves from ourselves.

Clearly, all these guys were just going along with the flow.

Challenge the status quo, accept and embrace change, be cautious but also open minded, and don’t let a fear of the unknown prevent you from fully realizing your potential. The difference between a leader and everyone else is that the leader was the only one with the stones to put themselves out there. Ask yourself, would you do the same? 

Happy New Year: Goodbye 2013, and looking forward to 2014.

2013 is ready to close. It’s been an interesting year in many ways, but as I look back on the previous year, I find that I am grateful for much that has transpired because I am a much better person now than I was at this time a year ago.

I went back and reviewed my posting from last year, and I was struck at how I wasn’t really enthusiastic as to what 2013 could bring. At that time, I really wasn’t looking forward to the year, but in retrospect, I find that I’m much more confident and grateful for what has happened to make me the person that I am in today.

One of the things I did over the course of the last year was kept a weekly journal. I made efforts to compose an entry at least once a week (usually on Sundays) to keep up to date with things that were happening in my life and some of the things I was dealing with. Here in the last week I took some time to review the journal over the past year and I was struck by a number of things.

To begin with, I can see my development as a person and my growth, emotionally or otherwise, through my entries in the journal and it’s great to see how much has happened over the course of one year. But taken as a whole, I found it to be really repetitive. I found I would stress over the same things again and again and the only way I would deal with them was to let them pass through the course of time. Upon reading this though, I realized something.

I have found that too often, we stress WAY too much. I’ve noticed this among my friends, family and myself time and time again. We worry about things or rather how we’re going to get things done to the point that we can’t live in the moment and enjoy something. We’re too busy worrying about what comes next that we can’t appreciate where we are.

Some of this is justified. If you’re going to graduate or are worried about your job, health care, or whatever is a driving force in your life, it’s going to cause you some stress. Tragic things that happen will stress a person (such as death, or sickness) and it’s easy to get worked up.

We all need to learn how to live for the moment. Look, life is much too short, and if we spend it worrying so much about what comes next, we can’t appreciate what we have right in front of us. If you have a life with friends, enjoy them and their company while you can. If you have major projects and are juggling multiple ones, prioritize, categorize, and while you’re working on them, seek out something about the work that satisfies you. Perhaps it’s just the people you work with, or the work itself is enlightening. Whatever works, try to live for the moment.

Over the course of this last year, I have achieved a college degree. That is (understandably) satisfying, but at the same time, I miss working and seeing many of the people who I met while there every day. With them, and in working side by side with them, I found that I really enjoyed their company, but only realize it now. I didn’t appreciate it then (perhaps I couldn’t) but in any case I do miss that. It happens to all of us. We’re so caught up on our own things that we can’t see what is happening before our eyes and it’s time to change that.

As we move forward into a new year, we need to look back and reflect, but also live for the moment. The time we have NOW is so important, and special that we need to appreciate it while we still can. Stress over the future can take over a person if they let it, so don’t let it.

I know it’s easier said than done, but try. I’m going to make more efforts to live in the moment in the next year, and I encourage all of you to do the same.

Happy New Year, wherever you happen to be. I hope it’s filled with success and happiness, and let it begin today.

Finish the season on a high note. That's all that really matters.

Oh my word. I don’t think I’ve seen a more exciting Michigan game is quite some time, nor as an exciting day of college football. Sure Ohio State should have easily dispatched the Wolverines but in true rivalry fashion did not, and the result was an exciting afternoon. However, while much of the talk this week will surely focus on why or why not Ohio State deserves to be ranked #2 in the nation, it seems to me it would be better to focus on just winning.

So far today, I’ve read a couple of reports that Auburn, after their impressive and incredible win over Alabama should be allowed to jump Ohio State in the rankings because of the strength of their schedule. Theory being, in spite of the fact that Auburn has lost this year, and Ohio State is undefeated, Auburn played tougher teams, and therefore is the superior team. So should be ranked higher.

Undoubtedly, this will be considered by the so-called geniuses who run the computer rankings and the voters but really, who cares? Seems to me that finishing an impressive winning streak, the season undefeated, and a Big Ten Championship would mean much more to the folks in this state. After all, if the BCS wants to have a national championship between a team that is undefeated and a team that has lost this season while they have a contender in 3^rd place which is also undefeated, be it on their own head. It would serve nothing other than to illustrate the ineptitude of that system. (All the more reason to bring on the playoff)

And you can bet that the other schools will look for any, ANY excuse to keep Ohio State out of contention, so screw em’. Nothing that team does will change that so why worry about it? Focus on ending the season on a high note. Given the game yesterday, that’s going to be a major challenge in itself. Ohio State’s defense needs to actually show up. Michigan State, while having a limited offense has a solid, strong defense, and to think this will be a walk in the park is just plain stupid.

At the end of the day haters are going to hate. There’s neither rhyme nor reason to it. So why worry about it and get worked up over it? Focus on what’s right in front of you and worry about the future when you’re done with today.

GO BUCKS!

Thanksgiving? What's that?

Each year I’m more and more amazed at how early Christmas is getting to be. Obviously the holiday itself isn’t moving earlier in the year, but people begin to get ready for Christmas much earlier each and every year. I’m not certain if it’s the need to get things done and the thought that there just isn’t enough time, or just to be first, but in that, I think we are losing something.

I’m certainly not the only one who has this view, and I suppose there is a sect out there who believes that those of us who do are simply insufferable at this time of the year, but seriously, ask yourself why should the season begin so early, and why is it that we’ve allowed ourselves to be sucked into the myth that this is a good thing?

Normally I don’t care, but more and more, and this year especially, I see us moving toward not even acknowledging Thanksgiving, moving straight on into Christmas after Halloween, and becoming so fatigued with it before it happens we lose sight of the things that matter. This year, many of the stores are no longer holding Black Friday sales (even though they’ll still call them that) and are instead opting for early starts to sales on Thanksgiving night. Stores as early as 5pm, and I would imagine others not even bothering to close on Thanksgiving in order to be the first.

I could say that the stores shouldn’t do that. To hold such ludacris sales early requires employees to man the stores on Thanksgiving. Times when many would rather be with their families, but as such action becomes commonplace, that notion becomes ever quainter. But I can’t say as I blame the stores as such. They’re simply providing a demand, and that’s the problem.

The problem lies within all of us. Stores wouldn’t be inclined to skip Thanksgiving altogether if not for the public, in droves demanding such things. Sure, some of us do no partake, and never will, but sadly too many of us are at these establishments (days in advance in some cases) in order to be the first one to get the best deal. The stores, like a drug dealer, are only providing us with what we want.

And many times, the guys on the front lines have little say in the matter. If the Wal-Mart Corporation decides to begins their black Friday sales at 3pm on Thanksgiving Day, all the stores are forced to comply. No one can opt out. It’s all a numbers game to these corporate stooges and that’s all it ever will be. (Ironic considering you know those same morons will be at home with their families on Thanksgiving)

I suppose it would be futile to ask people to not feed the beast, but it needs to be said, and it needs to happen. Ask yourself, is it really worth your time to camp out in front of Sears for two days in order to get 70% off a new coffee maker or washer? And if so, what does that say about you and your values in life?

It’s not the stores themselves, but rather all of us that need to take a stand and say ENOUGH! Thanksgiving is important, because it’s a day we can get together and give thanks for everything that we have in life, where we are in our lives and hope, or pray for success and prosperity in the coming year. Contrary to popular belief, that’s the only thing that really matters in life.

No one ever shows their friends pictures of their washing machine and brags about getting it at half price on Black Friday, but they do remember the afternoon backyard football games with the cousins, the turkey, and catching up with the relatives. It may not be fond memories in all cases but memories nevertheless. These are the things that are important in life, and it’s time we all realized that.

2013 Hardin County Fair: A recap.

As I write this, I am sitting up at the station after a long week at the fair. There’s a stack of production waiting to be mixed, several news stories to write, and pictures to post. But I find myself with no desire to do any of it. I suppose it’s because at this moment, I’m a bit reflective over the past week at the fair, and some things are going through my mind.

As many of you know, I am an observer of human nature. Watching people is a past time of mine, and through that, from time to time I’ll make random observations on the absurdity of life, or just life in general. And this week at the fair, I’ve made quite a few.

Good weather for an outdoor festival is a rarity and should be acknowledged.

Anytime you cram that many people into a small area, there is no effective way to handle traffic.

The fair is a collaborative effort, of many people of all ages coming together for one week out of the year to celebrate themselves. This will never change no matter how hard someone tries to make it all about them.

It’s one thing to be mad, but to keep it up for an entire week, and try to take it out on people who volunteer their time makes you nothing more than a complete, entitled douche.

When has calling out of town media to cover local stories ever made a situation better? Ask yourself, would they also come to cover something like a business opening, or park improvement? If not, why would you think they’ve got your best interests in mind?

The red shirts are awesome. There’s no bones about it.

When at a fair, time has a way of shifting. If you say you’re going to run out for ribbon fries and come right back in five minutes, you really mean about twenty minutes, because you’ll need to stop and talk with fifty people you haven’t seen yet between the grandstand and the arena.

While things are never as they used to be, it’s kind of nice to reminisce once in a while.

While it’s always better to have someone to walk around with and share the experience, it’s certainly not necessary.

Babies riding in John Deere wagons are always cute.

It’s amazing how many white benches there are all around, but never when you really want one.

The best place to see people is the picnic tables right outside the Pork Producers Barn. You can literally watch the whole fair walk by.

People who donate fair earnings to non-profits should be commended.

True good sportsmanship is rarely recognized, but that’s as it should be.

Fairground cell service SUCKS!

Organized chaos and sometimes not so organized chaos is a staple at a fair, and yet it wouldn’t happen any other way.

There are some others of course but that’s about it. Several random observations.

Everyone should have something in their life that they have a passion for. For some it’s their work, and others, their hobbies, but for me it is, and will always be the Hardin County Fair. I’m biased of course, having grown up with the fair over the years, but the people of this county, I don’t believe, have a real appreciation for what we have here. It isn’t perfect, and will never be. There are things that happen, and when they do, you learn from them and move on. But, having been to a number of different fairs myself; we really have a fair to be proud of.

I reflected on this, this morning. During the hour of inspiration I happened to gaze out over the track and to the fields behind the grounds. There was something, almost poetic about that moment. The singing of the songs, the cool breeze, the overcast day, the track and activity going on throughout the grounds, while the cornfields continued to shift in the breeze. I’ll never forget that moment, because it truly made my week. It helped me to really appreciate what can be found in the here and now, and to appreciate what we have.

What we have is a great fair, a showcase of talent, ability, and friendship that by and large seems to be lacking in the world today. We don’t truly appreciate what we have until we no longer have them so we need to live in the moment.

When taking it all into consideration, it’s been a great week, and a great fair.

See you next year!