This entry is in support of the below described event:
From: Rob Shattuck <rdshatt@aol.com>
To:
Cc: fmshattuck@__ <fmshattuck@___>
Sent:
Subject: Invitation to mark my 2022 significant birthday
Dear ____ and ____,
Please come to the Fairmont Room at the Pine Tree Country Club, on Sunday, February 20th, from 5 pm to 7 pm, for a marking of my 2022 significant birthday.
At this birthday marking, I wish to have the opportunity to make remarks related to myself, in a fashion that borrows from that other occasion upon which there is a gathering at which others make remarks about one, but one is no longer around to say anything.
In that vein, I wish for attendees to be seated if possible, and not standing, during the time of my say. I plan for my say to commence at 5:15. I don't know yet what my say will be or how long it will last. Beverages will be available starting at 5:00, and food will be put out shortly after 5:15. If you want food while I am talking, please feel free to get up and get it. If you arrive after 5:15, please feel free to get a beverage and/or food and find a seat.
Thank you for your indulgence. I hope my 2022 significant birthday can be interesting for you.
While the receptivity to this invitation would seem iffy, I'm going to roll the dice, and say no RSVP is requested.
I hope you come to the Pine Tree Country Club on the 20th.
Sincerely,
Rob
The germination of the event
This event germinated from a propensity I have to be awake in the middle of the night and ruminate about my life (and the world generally) in a free flowing way.
I feel almost compulsive in doing this.
I express wonder about others at comparable stages of their lives either doing similarly or not.
I attempt limited inquiries of others about this, but have found out little.
I wish to have more of an outlet about this.
I came up with my event to be such an outlet.
Some points of reference
[The below "points of reference" come from me. I am highly inclined towards them. Others may have no inclination towards my "points of reference." Maybe after I have my say, these others would be willing to comment.]
A. The philosophical, including religion
Attending funeral and memorial events
Provokes thinking about one's mortality; how many will there be at one's service; what will be said about one; how private does one keep one's thinking
Learning about deceased, whom one may have known little, and deceased's life, is interesting
Keep coming back to one's mortality
Want to gain acceptance of mortality
Want solace in vale of tears; human pain and suffering in vale of tears overwhelming
Sources of acceptance and solace
Religion
Christmas eve service is beautiful and soothing to me
But story line is highly dubious to rational mind
Limitations of rational mind
Human (rational) mind concepts of perfection, omnipotence, omniscience
Problem of contradictions between Christian God and said concepts
The "free will" wrinkle is problematic
Religion does it for some, not for others
Other sources of acceptance of mortality and of solace in vale of tears
One is not alone; 7 billion on earth
Awareness of so many people seeking acceptance of mortality and solace can help one's own quest
Appreciating sublime art and music (not qualified here)
Awareness of one's smallness in big, amazing universe can help with acceptance of mortality
Earth infinitesimal speck with jam packed activity, in seeming infinite, hugely empty, universe
To repeat, the above are my "points of reference" and many people may give them no heed.
Financial, health and family problems may pre-empt giving much heed to foregoing "points of reference.".
B. Practical things to do in face of one's mortality
Don't retire
Do more of old activities - golf, tennis; gardening; home improvement projects
Travel
Take up brand new activities - George W. Bush and painting
Charitable work
Socializing
Lots of time with grandchildren
Imbibe addictive TV and movies - Succession: Yellowstone
Continuing life long learning about big, amazing universe, including about history, different human beings and the animal kingdom (getting recorded in amazing documentaries)
C. Taking stock of ("accounting for") one's self
This picks up from my previously mentioned propensity to be awake during night and to ruminate on my life.
Some may have no use for that or any other form of "accounting for" one's self.
Somehow, for me, taking stock of myself is part of gaining acceptance of my mortality.
Others many see no connection between taking stock of one's self and gaining acceptance of mortality.
Differing approaches and ideas for "accounting" for one's self
Dedicated following of Jesus' prescriptions during one's life and preparatory to meeting one's maker
Other religions and their prescriptions
Being a good person and doing good apart from religious belief.
I have mentioned taking stock in middle of night ruminations.
Ruminations can also be written down.
I think much fiction writing is a form of taking stock, in the sense of author consciously creating and thinking about characters and their decisions and actions. I don't think the author can do that without reflection upon the author's self as a person.
For me, taking stock includes reviewing one's accomplishments, comparing the same to accomplishments of others, and acknowledging things from my past that "I am not proud of."
Some may want nothing to do with acknowledging things from their past they are not proud of.
As I've said, I am compulsive about the "taking stock" exercise, somehow for me it plays into the gaining of acceptance of mortality, and others may choose to do little or nothing on the "taking stock" front.
D. Personal writing; what has been formative of me
Given what I have said above about ruminating and writing, I wish to indicate some of the writing I have done, going way back.
I started living in my head when I was taken by Emerson and Thoreau.
High school - handwritten diary
College - typewritten diary
1980 -Flop, Flip
1989-1994 Dear Friends letters
1994-2000 Commentaries
circa 2001 -2004 Open Diary website - "Pete's Owner"
circa 2008 - 2014 Blogging Eagle blog
2014 - 2018 Blogging Eagle facebook
E. Taking stock of my political efforts
1992 - initially backed Ross Perot; turned against Perot just before election day
circa 1996 -2004 "How to Combat Plaintiffs' Lawyers" blog; shifted to focusing on business ethics
2010 - Rainy Day Patriots; against "legalized bribery" of campaign contributions
2012 - a next step in political activity
2014 - ran in AL 6th Cong'l district, GOP primary
2014- 2022 voluminous political tweeting and political blogging
In my political efforts, I have a great deal of interest in the important political and policy issues of the United States.
In my political efforts, I am of minuscule significance but I provide myself psychological validation.
F. The above is my say
Do you have any questions or comments?
[Note about this webpage: I needed a place on the web to post this. This webpage is in my Blogging Eagle blog. My Blogging Eagle blog is in shambles, but feel free to peruse it.]
From: Rob Shattuck <rdshatt@aol.com>
To: [group email sent to all email addresses to which original email invitation sent]
Cc: fmshattuck; thomas.w.shattuck
Sent: Fri, Feb 18, 2022 12:54 pm
Subject: My 2022 significant birthday
Hello all:
To try to expedite my purpose for Sunday, I have done a write up, which I have posted at https://bloggingeagle1.blogspot.com/2022/02/my-2022-significant-birthday.html.
As indicated in my email invitation to you, I hope what I am doing can be interesting for you.
Sincerely,
Rob
From: Rob Shattuck <rdshatt@aol.com>
To: [group email sent to all email addresses to which original email invitation sent]
Cc: fmshattuck; thomas.w.shattuck
Sent: Sun, Feb 20, 2022 8:17 am
Subject: I will wear a mask today for the reason indicated below
The Pine Tree Country Club COVID protocols are for employees to wear masks but otherwise wearing masks is optional for patrons and guests.
I am going with the optional approach, and people coming to my event should feel free to wear masks or not, as they choose.
I will wear a mask today for the purpose of encouraging invitees who are not inclined to attend because of COVID to feel comfortable in wearing a mask, to at least come and observe the Fairmont Room, and decide whether they think they would be comfortable in the room wearing their mask (and go into the Fairmont Room), or, alternatively, decide they think they would not be comfortable in the Fairmont Room even with their mask and not go into the Fairmont Room and instead leave the premises.
Sincerely,
Rob
2/20/22
[Gist of what I said at my event; drafted from a written composition I prepared before speaking]
Thank you for coming.
I have set up this occasion for my 2022 significant birthday in a way that is deflating of a celebratory mood.
That has made for a problem in exactly how this event should be conducted.
Further there are intervening public events of enormously serious import that are playing out right today.
I am referring to the war that is threatening to happen in Ukraine.
That public event also is not conducive to a celebration in the private domain at the moment.
So, there is juxtaposed here my private topic that is problematic for a birthday party and the public event of threatened war that is also problematic for birthday celebrating today.
I am going to make a melding.
On the private front my intent for this event was to create an interest on your part in a bunch of ruminations of mine. On Friday, I put out by email to you for your consideration these ruminations, and I think that suffices for that on the private front today.
On the public event of the looming Ukraine war, I wish to make a tracing of three points of time in American history.
[Gist of what I said at my event; drafted from a written composition I prepared before speaking]
Thank you for coming.
I have set up this occasion for my 2022 significant birthday in a way that is deflating of a celebratory mood.
That has made for a problem in exactly how this event should be conducted.
Further there are intervening public events of enormously serious import that are playing out right today.
I am referring to the war that is threatening to happen in Ukraine.
That public event also is not conducive to a celebration in the private domain at the moment.
So, there is juxtaposed here my private topic that is problematic for a birthday party and the public event of threatened war that is also problematic for birthday celebrating today.
I am going to make a melding.
On the private front my intent for this event was to create an interest on your part in a bunch of ruminations of mine. On Friday, I put out by email to you for your consideration these ruminations, and I think that suffices for that on the private front today.
On the public event of the looming Ukraine war, I wish to make a tracing of three points of time in American history.
First: World War II, as to which there was division in America about entering war, but after entry, Americans united and collectively sacrificed in order to defeat Hitler and tyranny and protect freedom in the world.
Next: the Vietnam War engendered a profound division in America, with, on one side, the generation that had fought and sacrificed to win World War II and faced new enemies of Russia and communism. On other side was college aged generation, which was called to fight in Vietnam and which protested against the war and were viewed by the other side as unwilling to make the sacrifice for American that the other side had made. This profound national division had real, serious, life and death considerations on both sides and was an eminently understandable division.
Next: the pandemic. At the start, some talked a wartime like mobilization to defeat the virus and its devastation on America. This quickly degenerated into more polarization in the culture wars. Vaccine mandate became the leading battleground in the political war between the the Dems and the GOP. Compared to the serious, life and death considerations and sacrifices on the two sides in the Vietnam era division of America, the stakes and sacrifices involved relative to the political war over vaccine mandates are ridiculous, but are tearing American apart.
Next: the pandemic. At the start, some talked a wartime like mobilization to defeat the virus and its devastation on America. This quickly degenerated into more polarization in the culture wars. Vaccine mandate became the leading battleground in the political war between the the Dems and the GOP. Compared to the serious, life and death considerations and sacrifices on the two sides in the Vietnam era division of America, the stakes and sacrifices involved relative to the political war over vaccine mandates are ridiculous, but are tearing American apart.
Finally Ukraine is front and center right today. If there is war, and U.S. wages economic war against Putin and Russia, there may be great negative economic consequences for the U.S. and the American people, possibly in ways needing significant shared sacrifice. If unity and shared sacrifice becomes important, recent years don't bode well.
Having said the foregoing un-celebratory things, let me conclude by first saying, if anything in my private ruminations provokes an interest to talk about something with me, please reach out to me. Second, on the public domain matter, I mention that CNN has an LBJ documentary tonight that should tell things about the 1960's Vietnam division, and tomorrow is Presidents day for thinking about leadership today in the United States, or lack of leadership.
Again, thank you for coming to this significant 2022 birthday event of mine.
Please enjoy the food and drink and conversation you have with others.
Having said the foregoing un-celebratory things, let me conclude by first saying, if anything in my private ruminations provokes an interest to talk about something with me, please reach out to me. Second, on the public domain matter, I mention that CNN has an LBJ documentary tonight that should tell things about the 1960's Vietnam division, and tomorrow is Presidents day for thinking about leadership today in the United States, or lack of leadership.
Again, thank you for coming to this significant 2022 birthday event of mine.
Please enjoy the food and drink and conversation you have with others.
From: Rob Shattuck <rdshatt@aol.com>
To: [group email sent to all email addresses to which original email invitation sent]
Cc: fmshattuck; thomas.w.shattuck
Sent: Mon, Feb 21, 2022 2:34 pm
Subject: One last email
Thanks to all:
Before 1:30 am Sunday, I was in turmoil about what I was going to say at my event.
Lying awake then, my solution hit me about what I would say, which would navigate between "countervailing considerations" that were impinging on me.
I told Fiona I had found my "solution." She said for me to tell her in the morning what it was. I proceeded to compose in writing my "solution."
While I had my speech in hand, I had no idea how the remainder of my event would go after I was done talking, particularly taking into account that my speaking would be very brief and there would be that much more remaining time for my event to get filled up.
As it turned out, I was stupendously pleased.
I decided I might have more humanity than I previously thought.
I have not yet gotten around to your presents and cards. Cards have gotten separated from presents they were with. I will do my best to figure out connections.
I still have my original purpose of pushing out my ruminations.
I have added to my https://bloggingeagle1.blogspot.com/2022/02/my-2022-significant-birthday.html link my Feb. 18 and Feb. 20 emails (email addresses redacted) and the gist of what I said at my event. After I send this email, I will also add this email (with email addresses redacted) to the link.
Several attendees last night expressed interest in further communications with me, and I will follow up on those.
For what it is worth, my above link accepts comments, for anyone who cares to engage in that fashion.
Again, thanks to all.
Sincerely,
Rob
