A ride through Europe

Covid got in the way of our 30th anniversary. We had booked a trip to Israel and were planning on taking our children/spouse. The long tunnel that covid seemed to be was never ending and our plans were cancelled. But around May, we booked our trip…this time, just the two of us as Ashton and Ben were into baby mode with the birth of our first grandchild.

Thirty (now 33) years, seemed like a milestone only older people achieved. I have come to realize that age is a perspective. The older you get, the younger the next decade seems. Only this decade comes with 30 year old children and now the title of grandparent. So, yes, grandparents are a young group of people.

I booked us a Viking tour thru the heart of Europe. Starting in Budapest, we have floated on the Danube River and learned about the long history of Hungary, Slovakia, Austria and now Germany.

Three overriding things have captured my thoughts. 

1. The architecture.

The grandeur of both the governmental buildings and even more so the houses of worship are breathtaking. From the details in the stonework to the inlays in the floor; vision, talent, and a creative mind(s) certainly were at work. Many of the structures are 1000’s of years old or older and are still standing. Large gates, epic wooden doors, and granite columns will be forever a reminder of the designers desire to build something that would last more than just a generation. As one example, the Hofburg Royal Palace in Vienna; a 13th century palace built, opened in 1279, with a capacity of 4900 people. All I could think about was how they built this baroque style building with no power equipment or tools. There isn’t just one big palace or cathedral to see in these cities, they are stacked on top of each other. 

2. The gardens

The gardens that made the greatest impression on me were the ones in Salzburg. Designed with a baroque pattern where everything is in excess and built with symmetry. Both the architecture and the gardens are built with equilibrium in mind. It provides a balance to the eye. The colors were amazing. We were here at the end of growing season and were able to see the color of the flowers and the beginning of fall foliage. Perfect timing! The daily temperatures hovered around 6o F. The most impressive gardens we visited were the Mirabell Palace and Gardens. Built and cultivated in 1606 by Prince-Archbishop Wolf Dietrich for his love, Salome. These gardens are known by most Americans whether they realize it or not. This was  the most significant shooting location of the famous Hollywood musical, “The Sound of Music”. As you will recall, Maria and the children dance around the Pegasus fountain located in the gardens in front of the palace. There they were singing “Do Re Mi”.  This American movie about the Von Trapp family is clearly evident in Salzburg. The gardens made me want to go to Lowes and buy more flowers, but I realized it would be fall when we returned.

3. The music

Our first concert was in Vienna and was called the “Mozart” concert. The musicians were amazingly talented. Their love of the music was evident in their performance and as an added bonus we saw a couple ballet dance and another couple sing opera. Mozart’s music called for all the forms of artistry to shine. The next day, we visited and heard the renown Vienna Boy’s Choir. The group “sub”group of singers were from ages 10-14 years old. Not only were they disciplined and polite, they sang beautifully. Music is a significant thread in the fabric of Vienna and Salzburg. They are most proud of Mozart. Born in Salzburg, on Elizabeth’s birthday, January 27, 1756. His story is too significant to pen in this blog, but the overall story is he left Salzburg because of pay and the restrictions given to him by the Roman Catholic church. Elizabeth loves his whimsical and playful style of music composition which can also be quite dramatic. Me? I like Bach who is from Eisenach, Germany, a town we did not visit. 

We are half way finished with this trip. Today we are in Nuremberg, the second largest city in the German State of Bavaria. This city held great significance in Nazi Germany. The Nazi party chose this city as the site for huge Party conventions - Nuremberg rallies. Held in 1927, 1929 and then annually from 1933-1938. The location was the backdrop for Nazi Propaganda and ideals. Later it was the location for war crimes. 

I’m looking forward to today.

Dead at 27

 

A Parable of Modern Technology: Internet Explorer Dies After 27 Years (A blog borrowed from Albert Mohler)

But I'm going to end today noting an obituary.

It's not an obituary for a person, no worry. It's an obituary for a product. And that product was Internet Explorer. It turns out it's dead. Microsoft has killed it.

It announced some time ago that Explorer was no longer going to be supported, but as it is, what was once the most popular internet browser, frankly, the first commonly used internet browser in the world among consumers. It is now no longer supported because it no longer exists. Internet Explorer has died.

Here's another irony for you. One of the signs that Internet Explorer was in decline is that people were using Internet Explorer in order to download other internet browsers, then to abandon Internet Explorer. Now that just shows you something about the obsolescence that comes in all kinds of products, very fast for technological products. But it also reminds you that something that could just be seemingly as essential as well say a piece of furniture in your house, Internet Explorer is now something that well, just to state the issue clearly, most younger people listening to The Briefing today never used and probably never heard of.

Internet Explorer by the way, was released by Microsoft in 1995. But now fast forward, what web browsers are most commonly used? It turns out the Google's Chrome has about 65% of the world's share of the internet browser sector. You follow that, Apple Safari has only 19%. And from there they really fall off. You have Edge, the newer product put out by Microsoft, at about 4%. But that's just a little bit ahead of what had been another big internet browser phenomenon known as Firefox. The Associated Press had it right when it said that "Internet Explorer now joins Blackberry phones, dial up modems and Palm Pilots in the dust bin of tech history." One parable for us all to consider is that dust bin of tech history is growing very high, but also very fast. That's another point about the society around us, at least in terms of technology. And remember technology impacts individual lives and society at large, the pace is now coming with incredible velocity. Today's absolute mainstay can become something that children in just a few years and teenagers have never heard of.

Finally, the problem is that many people think that moral change should be expected just in the same way, just that fast. Moral principles upon which civilization has depended simply thrown into another form of the dust bin of history.

We know better. We better know better.

Al Moher

It's amazing how fast technology and commerce has progressed since I started my business in 1991. When we opened, I didn't have a fax. I remember thinking how advanced we were when I hooked up my new rolled paper fax. Then I bought a huge monitored desk top. Later, a bag phone, then a flip phone, then a laptop, then a Blackberry, later the iPhone. Its a rapid world that we live in and one thing is for sure; It's getting ready to change.... learn, learn, learn. Be an advocate for continued learning.

T. Kyle Swicegood

Go to Music!

Unlike many of my peers growing up, I fell in love with folk and bluegrass. My introduction to Tony Rice was like entering the Graceland of Bluegrass & Folk. 

I grew up going to chicken stews and family reunions where very often there would be a five-string banjo and a guitar and amateur musicians strumming out old fashion tunes. Little did I know that my DNA was being infused with the love for American traditional stringed music. 

My favorite combination was Tony Rice’s interpretation of Canadian music and songwriter Gordon Lightfoot. Lightfoot became successful in folk, folk-rock, and country music. Popularized in the 60s, he is considered one of Canada’s greatest songwriters.  His biographer Nicholas Jennings said, “His name is synonymous with timeless songs about trains and shipwrecks, rivers and highways, lovers and loneliness.”

In 1996, Tony Rice created the album “Tony Rice Sings Gordon Lightfoot” which was a compilation of Gordon Lightfoot written tunes. For me, combining the distinctive baritone voice of Rice and raw guitar talent with the ingenious song skills of Lightfoot created music that ranks #1 in album picks. In an interview, Rice said about Lightfoot, “Every written word had value.”  

Tony Rice Sings Gordon Lightfoot

Even if you’re not a Rice fan or haven’t heard about Lightfoot, I expect you’ll recognize some of the more popular songs written by Lightfoot; like, “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" or "Early Morning Rain" which was popularized by Elvis Presley.

If you have never been introduced to folk or bluegrass, I would recommend you give “Tony Rice Sings Gordon Lightfoot” a try. Without question, it’s my number one favorite album. My favorite song on the album is “Shadows. Later, after the 1996 album, Allison Krause provided her interpretation of this piece with Tony Rice playing lead guitar. I have tug-a-warred in my mind whose version is the best….It all depends on my mood. I encourage you to watch these two Youtube versions and come up with your own favorite. 

Lone Star Dreaming

I remember 1981. I was in the 8th grade at South Davie Junior High. I had my first “job” early that year working for a local beef and hay farmer. I remember picking up bales of hay that weighed just a little less than I did. A close friend of my father let me ride his horse back and forth to the farm to feed the cattle. I crossed over probably three different property owners to get to my destination. Back then, graciousness was common with neighbors as it relates to trespassing.

I remember getting a pair of cowboy boots for Christmas. The heels were probably two inches tall, but they made me feel a foot taller. I also purchased and wore a large western belt buckle that had a bull rider in the center of what could be called a silver billboard. The farmer trusted me at that age to run a John Deere 1020, I believe a 1970-year model. It gave me a lot of responsibility. With the cows that I fed, the horse that I rode, the1020, and my boots and buckle, I thought in my mind I was truly a cowboy, all 125 pounds of me. 

I had a spiritual life at that age. It was that year I remember that I began to pray for a future wife. But, I not only prayed for a pretty one, but I also prayed she would be a Texan. Honest! My visions of Texas were ranches, cattle, horses, and western sunsets. In those sunsets were what I believed were the prettiest of girls. That year, the owner of Babe (the horse that I rode) invited me on a trip to Texas over Christmas to deliver a product that he had sold at his shop. He asked my parents if I could come along for the ride. They agreed and I was the most excited person you could imagine. Texas Bound!

Chuck picked me up on a cold December morning. I was wearing my boots, belt buckle and had a bag of homemade biscuits with country ham that my grandmother made for our journey. Unbeknownst to my mother, I had snuck a can of Skoal from my grandmother's store to try to make that imprint in my back pocket as I thought all true cowboys had. Chuck and I had the biscuits eaten by the time we hit the Iredell County line which is the neighboring county. Chuck was determined that we would Drive the 22-hour journey straight through. By the time we got to Asheville North Carolina, this cowboy was falling asleep on his partner. By the time we reach Knoxville Tennessee, I was awake and decided it was time to put a dip between my cheek and gum. Chuck, who at the time was a Levi Garrett chewing tobacco aficionado, didn’t say much about my pulling out the can of Skoal, opening the container, and beginning to dip. I immediately felt a sense of manhood as I began to dip. But about 7-mile markers outside of Knoxville, I began to get dizzy. I had my spit cup, but something was not going right with this tobacco experience. I quickly took my pointer finger, cleaned out my lower cheek of the tobacco, and did not dip for the balance of the trip. In fact, I never tried snuff again even to this day

By the time we got to Music town, Chuck was revving up the idea of the Mississippi River. He told me that I would not believe it. So, as a kid who grew up near the Yadkin River, I was expecting to see something amazing. A little less than nine hours into our journey we were entering the outskirts of Memphis Tennessee. Chuck, with anticipation in his voice, told me to get ready here it comes. We were on I 40 and all of a sudden we cross this bridge and I looked at the river with the biggest disappointment I have ever felt. I looked at the bridge, I looked at the water and said

“Is this all it is?” 

Chuck, kept a very coy demeanor as he sat in the truck with a very disappointed young fella. Well, about 7 miles later I’ll look down in front of me and said Chuck “you’re not telling me the truth.” In front of me was the Hernando DeSoto Bridge crossing the truly Mighty Mississippi River. What we had crossed was the Wolf River, which is a little larger than the Yadkin River that I grew up around.

 

Our trip, now entering our third state, became somewhat eventful as, by the time we reached Little Rock, we were in a snowstorm, a pretty significant one. But we kept moving. About 18 hours into our journey, we entered Texarkana. I was wide awake and remember seeing this beautiful blonde driving in a pickup truck with a cowboy hat on. I thought I had entered the promised land. I don't really remember what she looked like, but she had a truck, a cowboy hat, and a Lone Star State license tag; she had to be gorgeous.

 

We stayed at his mom and dad’s house, which by the way had about 15 grandfather clocks. Sleep was a challenge at the top of every hour. One of our first ventures was to visit the flea market of Canton Texas. It is the oldest, largest continually operating outdoor market in the USA. It operates on hundreds of acres. Since I had entered the promised land, I felt it necessary to fit in with the natives. So, I bought myself a cowboy hat, not just any cowboy hat, a Texas cowboy hat. It wasn’t a 10-gallon hat, but he completed my western attire. 

We were only in Texas for three days which included a Sunday. Chuck’s father, a godly man, invited us to the Greenville Church of Christ. I must admit, matters of spirituality were probably not on the top of my bucket list that Sunday morning. I was anxious to see what the junior high and high school crop of students look like now that I was in Texas. 

I woke up in time to get my shower, opened my makeshift toiletry bag, and had the essentials except for hair product. It was very important for me that day to look my best. I didn’t want to wear my new hat and look like a wannabe.  Sounding the alarm to Chuck that I needed hair product, he gave me his mother’s aerosol hairspray. So I combed my hair and sprayed liberally the hairspray, looked in the mirror with approval and off to church we went. On the way, I scratched my head and in my peripheral vision noticed flakes coming from my hair. I asked Chuck if he saw the same thing, and he concurred with my greatest fear. The hairspray stuck to my hair like glue and was beginning to flake out. So concerned, I put my head out the window to mess up my combed hair to get rid of the dust. Self-conscious during the entire worship assembly, I don’t remember a word or scripture that the preacher spoke about. I taxed my eye muscles looking at my shoulder.

 

It was that Trip that placed in my heart my desire to someday fall in love with a girl from Texas. What I didn’t know at the time is four years later I would meet my Texas sweetheart who at the time lived only 70 miles from Greenville, Texas the place that we visited.

 

As I look back on that time, I was looking for her in Canton Texas, at the Texarkana line, and even at church that Sunday. I’m thankful she didn’t see my flaky scalp that Sunday morning in Greenville.

It was not our time to meet. But I do remember from the eighth grade on I always had this desire to marry a girl from Texas.

 

We’ve been together now for 37 years and I’m still proud that I married that girl from Texas. I can only credit God for the desire to chase that Lonestar dream. I still wear boots, show up in a silver buckle often, even own longhorn cattle. I shed the notion of Skoal, aerosol hairspray, and spotting pretty girls with cowboy hats riding down the road and pick-up trucks. But the Texas-size hole that was in my heart was completely filled by God. I didn’t realize it in 1981 but he already had it planned out.

If I'd known what being a Grandfather was like.

 

“If I’d known what it was like to be a grandfather, I’d a had them first.” I’ve heard that phrase for many years.

 

In time for the 2021 tax deduction, Braxton Gray Burton entered the life of his mother and father and made me a grandfather. Excited…happy…. elated…. I’d probably have to study The New Oxford Dictionary of English, first edition with 350,000 entries to find the adjective to express the emotions that came with that day. Holding Braxton for the first time created an immediate emotional bond that I will keep tucked in my heart for the balance of my journey.

Looking into his eyes, seeing his little hands spread wide to stretch his fingers, touching his perfect skin, I pondered the many places he would go, the ballgames he would enter, the fish he may catch, the life that he would carve. I watched his mom and dad fall right into being loving parents nurturing his physical and emotional needs.

The experience took my back to 1992 when Braxton’s mother was born. We had our life ahead of us and asked God to guide us as parents. Now, some 28 years later, I am watching this young couple begin to point their child to the saving love of Christ.

 

“If I’d only known….”

 

This grandparent is looking at his daughter and son-in-law and saying you guys are doing a great job. You have created a beautiful child. I am proud of you and love your child more than you can imagine! Thanks for making me Poppy.