Family Fiesta
Mississippi River
Pentecost Worship Service
Ronald Reagan/Berlin Wall
D-Day
Priorities: An Object Lesson
Flag Colors
Shuffleboard
Doves and Pigeons
Indiana/Indians
Japanese Numbers
Squirrels
Crossing the English Channel

Family Fiesta
04/06/02

It is customary in our retirement community to have meetings of some kind on Sunday and Wednesday evenings. Some of them have a religious character. Others are informational, educational or recreational. Recently, we had a Talent Night, at which a number of residents took part to share their talents. The coordinator, who had spent many years in Latin American countries, called it a 'Family Fiesta." Some participants sang solos. Others played musical instruments. One lady read poems she had composed and others gave recitations. Artistic skills in stained glass and woodworking were also explained and displayed. My wife participated in a skit performed by the clowns and I gave a recitation I have repeated on various occasions over the past 65 years. I first heard the reading on the radio when I was in high school. I wrote to the radio station to receive a copy of it. Then, I memorized it, recited it at certain times and still remember it today. Entitled 'Melody in F," it is a variation of Jesus' parable of The Prodigal Son using many words beginning with F which I felt was appropriate for a 'Family Fiesta." It begins as follows: 'Feeling footloose and frisky, a featherbrained fellow forced his fond father to fork over the farthings. He fled far to foreign fields and frittered his fortune, feasting fabulously with faithless friends." The final words, following his return to his father's house, are his father's. 'Unfurl the flags. Let fun and frolic freely flow. Former failure is forgotten, folly forsaken. Forgiveness is the foundation for future fortitude." (742)

Mississippi River
04/06/04

Many names of places in the United States of America are derived from tribal languages of the Native Americans who lived there before the influx of settlers from Europe. Mississippi, which has only four different letters in its eleven-lettered name, is derived from an Algonquian word meaning "big river." It is the name of both the big, long river that runs through the country from north to south and of one of the ten states whose borders it partly defines. When combined with the Missouri River, which flows into it, it is almost 6000 kilometers long, making it the third longest river in the world, after the Nile in Africa and the Amazon in South America. Early settlers and explorers from Europe hoped to discover a river that ran from the east coast to the west coast, but they were unsuccessful. With its tributaries, the Mississippi drains over 3 million square kilometers of the central United States, including all or part of 31 states and two provinces of Canada. The river is a busy, economic waterway throughout the year, but shipping in the northern part may be interrupted by ice in the winter. The river is rich in freshwater fish and enters a delta before it discharges into the Gulf of Mexico. During the Civil War, the Mississippi was an invasion route for Union armies and the scene of many important battles. Following that war, river traffic resumed and is colorfully described by Mark Twain in his Life on the Mississippi. It was after working as a river pilot on the Mississippi, where "mark twain" denoted the river depth of two fathoms, that Samuel Clemens chose that for his pen name. (741)

Pentecost Worship Service
04/06/06

In the Christian Church Calendar, the birth of Jesus, the Christ, is celebrated at Christmas. His resurrection from the dead is celebrated at Easter. The third main festival celebrates the descent of the Holy Spirit, which occurred on "the day of Pentecost," fifty days after the resurrection. This event is often referred to as "the Birthday of the Church." According to the account written in the 2nd chapter of Acts, a sound like the blowing of a violent wind filled the house where Jesus' disciples were meeting. Then, they were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues, or languages, as the Spirit enabled them. People from various countries were amazed and confused when they heard these Jews declaring the wonders of God in their own languages. The people attending Penney Memorial Church were also amazed and confused during the Pentecost Worship Service last Sunday, at which certain worshippers, who had been contacted previously, stood at a certain time and began reading Acts 2:1-4 in many different languages. My wife and I read from the Japanese Bible while others read the passage in French, Spanish, Dutch, German, Chinese and various languages of India and Africa, countries where these residents had served. Following this time of confusion which may have resembled the event recorded in Acts, the preacher emphasized how God speaks to people in different ways, some of which may be confusing to us, but we should always be alert to receive his message and to follow it. (743)

Ronald Reagan/Berlin Wall
04/06/09

On Saturday afternoon, Ronald Reagan, the 40th president of the United States of America, died in California at the age of 93, ten years after his announcement in a public letter that he had Alzheimer's disease. Saturday evening television programs and Sunday newspapers were filled with many stories about his life, his family and his influential role in American and world affairs during his two terms in the White House, from 1980-1988. Standing before the Berlin Wall, his exhortation to the Soviet leader, "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall," was repeatedly shown on television and reminded me of my experience at that wall. My wife and I and our three children were on our way back to the U. S. A. from Japan in 1963, traveling through Germany in a camping car. At the home of a German relative (with whom we could not easily communicate) we saw President Kennedy on television giving his famous speech in West Berlin. Two days later, we passed through "Checkpoint Charley" into East Berlin and rode through flag-decked streets lined with people and policemen who were awaiting the arrival of Russian Prime Minister Khruschev. We stood with the crowd in front of the City Hall Landing from which Khruschev spoke in Russian with a German interpreter. Fortunately, the man standing next to us spoke English and told us what was being said, including the emphasis on Soviet supremacy in space. As it began to thunder, I suggested that there was some disagreement in heaven, but he said it was probably St. Peter, who doesn't understand politics, moving some furniture. (745)

D-Day
04/06/11

D is the fourth letter of the modern English alphabet. In the ancient Phoenician script, the letter was written with three straight lines in the shape of a triangle and called "daleth," meaning "door." Now, "daleth" is the name of the fourth letter of the Hebrew alphabet. When the Greeks adapted the Phoenician alphabet, they altered its shape and called it "delta," the name of the fourth letter of the Greek alphabet. In schools that use letters to indicate grades, D is the lowest passing grade for students. This week, radio, television, newspapers and magazines were filled with stories and memories of what is called "D-day," the day in 1944 when Allied troops invaded France during the Second World War. The term "D-day" was used for the unnamed day when the military offensive was to be launched. Originally, June 5th was the day chosen for the invasion, but weather conditions forced its postponement to June 6th. On that day, about 156,000 troops landed on the French coast of Normandy, transported in some 4,000 ships and 3,000 planes. It is estimated that up to 5,000 Allied soldiers lost their lives on that day and even now, construction work sometimes unearths bones and skeletons of those who died. There are over 9,000 white gravestones in the American cemetery there. On the 60th anniversary of D-day, some 8,000 people gathered at that cemetery to pay their respects to those who sacrificed their lives. In English, we do not use the term "worship" to denote the attitude or action involved in these ceremonies, but respect for the deceased is expressed in traditional ways in both the East and the West. (746)

Priorities: An Object Lesson
04/06/13

A professor stood before his philosophy class, picked up a large, empty jar and filled it with golf balls. He asked the students if the jar was full; they agreed that it was. He then picked up a box of pebbles, poured them into the jar and shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was. Next, he picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Then he poured the contents of two cups of coffee into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand particles. "Now," said the professor, as the laughter subsided, "this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things: God, your family, your children, your health, friends, things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter: your job, your house, your car. The sand is everything else: the small stuff. If you put the sand into the jar first, there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you. Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your partner out to dinner. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the car. Take care of the golf balls first, the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand." One student inquired what the coffee represented. The professor replied, "It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend." (747)

Flag Colors
04/06/16

Prior to the meeting of the leaders of the world's major industrial democratic nations in the U. S. state of Georgia, our local newspaper printed an introduction to those nations that included their national flags. Noticing that flags for Germany and Russia were identical, I informed the newspaper of the error and a correction was printed in the newspaper the next day. Comparing the flags of those countries, I noticed that five of the eight national flags included three different colors, but the Japanese and Canadian flags had only two colors, and only the German flag did not include the colors of red and white. This stimulated my examination of the flags of 193 countries appearing in a current reference book and this is what I found. There is only one national flag (Libya) that has only one color (green). The flags of 35 countries have only two colors and those of 73 countries have only three colors. Obviously, red and white are the most popular colors. White is included in 136 national flags and red is found on 131 of them. There are 13 national flags that have only the colors of red and white, 34 that have three colors including red and white and 22 of those flags have the three colors of red, white and blue. Colors symbolize certain feelings or concepts, whether on national flags, church, school or home decorations, but the meaning may vary depending on the culture. I am reminded of the thesis our daughter, who is now the editor of a publishing company in Thailand, wrote for her college graduation: "A Cross-Cultural Comparison of Color Terms: 'White,' 'Black,' and 'Red' in English, Greek and Japanese." (748)

Shuffleboard
04/06/18

Residents in this retirement community have a variety of ways to exercise their bodies to keep them in good condition. Some enjoy walking along the tree-lined streets. Others take advantage of the Fitness Center with its many different machines that strengthen various parts of the body. Others go swimming in the swimming pool. Outdoor sports facilities include a golf course, a tennis court and a couple of shuffleboard courts. Although a game called "gate ball," which is similar to "croquet," is considered the most popular sport among senior citizens in Japan, we have not seen either of these games played in the U. S. A. since our retirement. "Shuffle" may denote dragging the feet along the ground while walking or mixing things together. Some elderly folk shuffle their feet when they walk and others shuffle playing cards or dominoes before playing a parlor game. Shuffleboard is played on a smooth court that is 15.8 meters long and 1.8 meters wide. There are triangular diagrams at each end with numbers in them. Players use long cue sticks to push disks down the court toward the scoring diagrams. Two players play from each end of the court and must stay behind the base line as they try to push their disks onto the diagram at the other end. Each player has four disks and players take turns pushing their disks so it is often the case that a disk on the diagram is bumped off by a later disk. The score is added up after each round when the eight disks have been pushed. A winning point total is often set at 50, 75 or 100 points. As we grow older, it is important for us to exercise our minds as well as our bodies. (749)

Doves and Pigeons
04/06/20

It is interesting that the same kind of bird may be called either a "dove" or a "pigeon" in English although there is only one word for this bird in both modern Japanese and in Old Testament Hebrew. Also, the conceptual images connected with these words are different. Figuratively, a "dove" is "a person regarded as gentle, innocent or beloved" and a "pigeon" is "a person who is easily deceived; [a] dupe." In English translations of the Old Testament, both "doves" and "pigeons" were offered as sacrifices to God and in the New Testament, a "dove" is the symbol of the peaceful Spirit of God (Luke 3:21-22). Some people keep pigeons as pet birds. Homing, or carrier, pigeons may be used both for racing contests and for delivering messages which have been inserted into a tube attached to one of their legs. Two residents of this retirement community have recently revived an interest they have had in pigeons from their childhood. Many years ago, one of them, who was born and raised in India, was informed by the pigeon his wife had taken with her to the hospital that it was time for him to join her, so he rushed to the hospital to be present when their child was born. The other one, who served as a missionary in Japan, sometimes used a pigeon to communicate with his family when he was working at a church far away from his home. Earlier this year, a pigeon coop was built for them and the two young pigeons which were born there are daily permitted to fly outside but always return to their coop, even when taken on trips hundreds of kilometers away. (744)

Indiana/Indians
04/06/23

One of the Midwestern states in the United States of America is the state of Indiana, which previously was the land of Indians. When "polis," the Greek word for "city" is added to the name of the state, we obtain the name of the capital city in that state: "Indianapolis." Thus, both the state and its capital city include the word "Indian." When Christopher Columbus crossed the Atlantic Ocean and landed on an island in the Caribbean Sea, he mistakenly thought he had reached the Asian country of India so he called the inhabitants "Indians." That word came to be used for all the native peoples of North and South America so it is now an ambiguous term which may denote either a citizen of India or a native American. The so-called white people from Europe who came to the so-called New World were quite often cruel to the so-called redskins and the treatment of these native Americans is a real black mark in American history. In recent decades, efforts have been made to bring the plight of the native Americans to the attention of the general public and to urge compensation for past injustice. In some states, the fourth Friday of September is called American Indian Day to commemorate the contributions to American life and civilization made by the native Americans. Although now legally able to participate in the democratic process, native Americans are still underprivileged in many ways along with other minority peoples. In all nations of the world, continuing effort is needed to achieve the ideal society in which all people are respected, regardless of their ethnic, national, cultural or religious backgrounds. (750)

Japanese Numbers
04/06/25

Recently, my wife and I presented a program on Japan, where we have spent most of our lives. We spoke about Japanese history, the Japanese language and many other topics including Japanese customs and traditions. One of the problems I noted was the number of Japanese words that have identical pronunciations but are written with different Chinese characters and have very different meanings. While explaining about the first telephone number we were given there, I realized that the pronunciation of all the numbers from one to ten have at least one other meaning. When I received our first telephone number from the telephone office, I was asked if I would accept it. It was after giving my consent that I realized why I was asked this question. The number was 9242, which is pronounced "kyuu-ni-shi-ni" in Japanese. Whenever we told this number to others, they all thought of the other meaning of that pronunciation, which may be translated as "sudden death." I am sure that many Japanese would have refused to accept this number, but it did not bother us and all of our friends were able to remember it easily. At the meeting where my wife and I spoke, a young lady who had just returned from Japan where she had been teaching English for the past year in a university in Osaka was present. She said that she was confused when a number of her students wrote the numbers 39 at the end of the final papers they handed in to her. Then a Japanese teacher explained that these numbers, pronounced "san-kyuu" in Japanese, were the students' amusing way of saying "Thank you." (751)

Squirrels
04/06/28

In the retirement community in which my wife and I reside, there are many large trees on the spacious lawns between the houses of residents. These trees with their variety of leaves, palms or needles, provide homes not only for many different kinds of birds but also for squirrels. Squirrels are a kind of rodent. Rodents, which include rats and mice, are characterized by front teeth adapted for gnawing and cheek teeth adapted for chewing. Squirrels have slender bodies, sleek, thick fur and bushy tails. As I look out of the window in front of my desk, I often see squirrels racing across the lawn, running up or down the trunk of a tree or sitting with their bushy tails erect behind them while eating something held in their forepaws in front of them. In contrast with cats, bears and monkeys, squirrels always descend from trees head first. Although they can run fast on the ground, they are able to climb trees faster than they run. Squirrels not only swiftly jump from branch to branch on the tree next to our house; they often jump onto the roof of our house. They also enjoy eating the droppings of seeds from the bird feeders in our lawn. According to a reference book, the bushy tail of a squirrel is used as a rudder when it leaps and as a parachute when it drops. I presume that squirrels relax in their nests, but I have never seen a squirrel that appeared to be at ease. They are always very tense, alert and vigilant, ready to dart when they see a sudden movement. There are things human beings may learn from watching animals. (752)

Crossing the English Channel
04/06/30

One meaning of the word "channel," is a "strait," "a body of water joining two larger bodies of water." The English Channel is the body of water between England and France, which connects the Atlantic Ocean with the North Sea. It is about 560 kilometers long and between 240 and 34 kilometers wide. There are various ways of crossing this channel. Airplanes fly over it; a tunnel goes under it and ferryboats go on it. It is also possible to cross the Channel in a Hovercraft, a vehicle used in low-level flight over land or water, but a recent news article noted that a new record had been set by an amphibious vehicle from England to France. Amphibious animals are able to live on both land and in water, and amphibious vehicles are able to operate on both land and water. According to the article, an Englishman drove into the channel at Dover in England and crossed over to Calais in France in one hour, forty minutes and six seconds. The vehicle he drove is able to reach about 150 kilometers an hour on land and about 50 kilometers an hour in the water, with its wheels retracted. I recall the Channel crossing I made with my wife and three children in the camping car we purchased in Germany on one of our return trips to the U. S. A. We rode on a car ferry from Ostende in Belgium to Dover in England, arriving late at night. While driving along the country road in the dark, I had to remember whenever I saw a car coming from the opposite direction to keep on the left side of the road, which was the opposite side of the highways I had been driving on in other European countries but the same side of the road I drove on in Japan. (753)