In loving memory of Raymond Lutzke 1957-2013

Raymond Lutzke was simply the most inspirational man I have ever known.  Ray was born mentally handicapped and grew up down the street from my childhood home in a neighborhood full of kids just outside of Toledo, Ohio.  He was much larger than all the other kids and his mere size could be intimidating.  Our neighborhood had a small community swimming pool that was the spot where we all hung out all summer long.  It was the perfect place for kids to burn off their excess energy while teenagers flirted with their latest crush and parents could relax and gossip with the neighbors.  We all loved the pool, including Ray.  I am sure that’s where we met.   

I Met a Man on a Plane Today

I fly a lot and my usual routine is to find my seat get comfortable and occupy myself with something.  Continental now has Direct TV on most flights and I can rely on that, if nothing else, to keep me occupied.  On today’s flight a very polite man sat next to me.  I say polite because he called me sir and said please and thank you in virtually every sentence that came out of his mouth.  He was a studious guy first checking the news and markets on his iPAD and then on Direct TV.   He mentioned he was going to the Corporate Headquarters of his employer that happens to be near my home.  When I asked how long his stay would be he told me he was on a flight back home tonight.  A quick turn like that begged a question, why?  My tendency is to ask questions sometimes without thinking.  He said he had to return home because he had lost his brother on 9/11/01 and this weekend marked the tenth anniversary of this horrible tragedy and he needed to be home with his family and friends. 

Words vs Actions

When I was trained to run I was taught that the faster I moved my arms the faster my legs would move.  You see your arm movement facilitates your leg movement and if you speed up your arms your legs will follow.  Until that was brought to my attention I never even considered using my arms to run faster.  It works give it a try.  There was a clear cause and effect relationship between my arms and legs.  I wonder if the same is true for the words you choose and your subsequent actions. 

Memorial Day or Thanksgiving

The following are my jounal entries from a trip to Hombourg, Belgium.  I traveled with my wife Sue and her Mother Barbara to visit the grave of Barbara's Father who was killed in World War II and buried on European soil.  You may never look at Memorial Day the same again.  You may look at it more like Thanksgiving.