My grandfather used to impress upon me the importance of a sharp knife. “You see Travis,” he would say, “it’s a dull knife that will slip off of the thing you’re cutting and slice your hand.” He took pride in a well-honed blade and this, amongst many other things, is a trait I inherited from him: as soon as I could afford one, I got one of those posh electric sharpeners to ensure the edges of our family knives remained perpetually honed. And they are — the weight of the knife alone is more than enough to pierce the stubborn skin of a vine-ripened tomato without any bruising at all to the tender fruit beneath. Perfectly thin slices, arranged on white porcelain, drizzled with a little olive oil and reduced balsamic, flake salt sprinkled over the top, adorned with fresh basil. Thing of beauty.
My grandfather took me fishing every time we visited his home in Thermopolis, Wy. The Bighorn River is to this day, my favorite river on Earth. He was a tower of a man at 6'5'' of 285 lb. Before he "retired" to feed the buffalo at Hot Springs State Park at the Buffalo Pasture, he employed as a policeman for the town of Riverton, Wy. I owe a whole lot to that tower.
I appreciate you writing this. Your grandfather sounded like he was a great man. My dad was a Vietnam Veteran who taught me the value of personal strength, resilience and integrity. He was, he is, my hero. He was also a flawed man who made mistakes, who became frail and hid mind faltered after fighting cancer w/ chemotherapy for 6 years more than likely given to him by Agent Orange. My dad did not regret his sacrifice. Neither do I. The sacrifices our family's made for this country give me pride. Our humanity is so humbling.
My father worked his ass off to give his family a better chance. Hard work and perseverance were his daily sermons, preached through his daily actions. He taught leadership through integrity and respect. He is my lifelong mentor.
I wholeheartedly believe you will make your grandfather proud Travis. I believe he'd be proud of you now, though the work of protecting our country is far from done. I look forward to following your journey. You inspire me daily to continue my own legacy.
Thanks for persevering. It gives many of us hope 🙏
“Our ancestors were slaughtered on the fields of Culloden when they chose to charge British rifles with little more than their swords and kilts rather than bend the knee. That lineage breeds a certain ethos that echoes through time.”
The Ulster-Scot vibe runs deep through America’s psyche 🔥
Dec 10, 2022·edited Dec 10, 2022Liked by coloradotravis
Yeah, that is an issue. Those who want to change with the future and those who are more afraid of leaving behind the past (Confederate flag and statue lovers comes to mind).
Second, I still remember the day, while seeing a patient at the VA hospital clinic, when, however our conversation went (yeah, I'm the guy who actually talks to them, learns about them, gains some trust, and learns things about them that can change a lot of their care and not just their medical issues trying to keep up the pace that has ruined primary care). Suddenly, it hit me like a ton of bricks as I fully realized how much I have spent my life, sometimes drawing a line in the sand, making sure my mother would be proud, despite being long gone and holding back the tears. Ken sounded great and you were lucky to have him.
Last, my friend's mom was originally from Panama. After he died, they inherited a suitcase that his son used going on trip with mom. At the airport TSA found a loaded revolver stitched into the lining, quite the kerfuffle. Luckily, he was an active-duty USAF Colonel but let's say it took some explaining. He always said his mom was tough.
My grandfather took me fishing every time we visited his home in Thermopolis, Wy. The Bighorn River is to this day, my favorite river on Earth. He was a tower of a man at 6'5'' of 285 lb. Before he "retired" to feed the buffalo at Hot Springs State Park at the Buffalo Pasture, he employed as a policeman for the town of Riverton, Wy. I owe a whole lot to that tower.
Thank you for sharing this.
I appreciate you writing this. Your grandfather sounded like he was a great man. My dad was a Vietnam Veteran who taught me the value of personal strength, resilience and integrity. He was, he is, my hero. He was also a flawed man who made mistakes, who became frail and hid mind faltered after fighting cancer w/ chemotherapy for 6 years more than likely given to him by Agent Orange. My dad did not regret his sacrifice. Neither do I. The sacrifices our family's made for this country give me pride. Our humanity is so humbling.
My father worked his ass off to give his family a better chance. Hard work and perseverance were his daily sermons, preached through his daily actions. He taught leadership through integrity and respect. He is my lifelong mentor.
I wholeheartedly believe you will make your grandfather proud Travis. I believe he'd be proud of you now, though the work of protecting our country is far from done. I look forward to following your journey. You inspire me daily to continue my own legacy.
Thanks for persevering. It gives many of us hope 🙏
“Our ancestors were slaughtered on the fields of Culloden when they chose to charge British rifles with little more than their swords and kilts rather than bend the knee. That lineage breeds a certain ethos that echoes through time.”
The Ulster-Scot vibe runs deep through America’s psyche 🔥
Yeah, that is an issue. Those who want to change with the future and those who are more afraid of leaving behind the past (Confederate flag and statue lovers comes to mind).
Second, I still remember the day, while seeing a patient at the VA hospital clinic, when, however our conversation went (yeah, I'm the guy who actually talks to them, learns about them, gains some trust, and learns things about them that can change a lot of their care and not just their medical issues trying to keep up the pace that has ruined primary care). Suddenly, it hit me like a ton of bricks as I fully realized how much I have spent my life, sometimes drawing a line in the sand, making sure my mother would be proud, despite being long gone and holding back the tears. Ken sounded great and you were lucky to have him.
Last, my friend's mom was originally from Panama. After he died, they inherited a suitcase that his son used going on trip with mom. At the airport TSA found a loaded revolver stitched into the lining, quite the kerfuffle. Luckily, he was an active-duty USAF Colonel but let's say it took some explaining. He always said his mom was tough.