September 11, 2012

1. Today is 9/11. Hard to believe it has been eleven years.

2. On a personal and football-fan note—ten years ago today, Johnny Unitas died. He has my vote as the most influential quarterback in NFL history. I had a chance to see him play when I was a kid at the old Cotton Bowl.

3. Another influential quarterback is Peyton Manning. It warmed my heart to see him win Sunday night, and play so well. After all the adversity he has faced, he was due some good fortune. Something else that shows what a classy guy he is occurred during the coin flip before Denver’s game against Pittsburgh. Colorado resident and Olympic gold medal winner, Missy Franklin, served as an honorary captain. After the coin toss, as the captains were heading to the sidelines, Manning made it a point to stop and shake Franklins’ hand then say a few words to her. Peyton Manning: the epitome of poise and class.

4. This will probably be the last thing I'll write about Neil Armstrong. Jeffrey Kluger, who co-wrote with astronaut James Lovell the book APOLLO 13 (also known as LOST MOON) published a neat retrospective about Neil Armstrong in last week's issue of TIME magazine. He concluded with a neat story.

            Kluger emphasized that Neil Armstrong always sought to live a multidimensional life, as opposed to a life solely defined by his walk on the moon. Kluger accompanied Armstrong and other former astronauts on a tour of United States military bases located in the Middle East back in 2010.

            On the trip, Kluger knew that it was inevitable that Armstrong would be confronted with his participation in such a momentous event as the first moonwalk. On one such occasion, Kluger observed:

            “One evening during our Middle East tour, all the astronauts were on stage before an audience of service members young enough to be their grandchildren. During the question-and-answer session, one audience member asked Armstrong if he wouldn’t mind taking the mike and, well, saying the words—the famous words, those one-small-step words. I winced, and I suspect [the other astronauts] did too. This was dog-and-pony stuff of the highest order. Armstrong just smiled and reached for the mike. His hand seemed shaky, and his voice was weak—not the clear Midwestern tones that were spoken in 1969 and have been heard and heard and heard ever since. But he spoke the words all the same—and the audience roared, and the applause rained down, and it was just the coolest and grandest and finest thing you could ever hope to see….”

            That sounds awesome to me.

5. The Richer Sex: How the New Majority of Female Breadwinners is Transforming Sex, Love and Family is a new book written by WASHINGTON POST reporter Liza Mundy. In it, she documents how the percentage of women who earn more than men is rising in the U. S. The same applies regarding the amount of women who are pursuing higher education (now a higher percentage than men.)  These factors create a strong sociological impact, which she predicts will grow in future generations. The tenor of the book is that these trends are good and healthy.

            I need to be careful to finesse what I am about to say, and I freely acknowledge it is primarily sociological and subjective.

            I believe women should be paid the same as men. I am convicted that some of the legacy of feminism is good, appropriate, and overdue. Increasing women's wages is one of those items overdue in our culture.

            We live in a free nation, and women should be able to pursue their careers as they wish. Nevertheless, here is my concern: I have lived (very briefly) in an economical matriarchal society (Papua New Guinea), and I have lived in a spiritually matriarchal society (Argentina and to certain extent, Brownsville, Texas.)

            In the bush country of New Guinea years ago, one could not help but note how many men sat around and lazily did nothing—because they depended on the women to take care of the family. The impact on the culture was devastating.

            Likewise, on a spiritual level, living in Latin America and on the Texas border, one could not help but notice that the majority of men spiritually deferred to the women. Again, the impact was negative.

            I have three daughters; the last thing I desire is for them to be restricted in their economic and educational pursuits. My prayer is that my son becomes what God created him to be as well. I wish the same for all humanity.

            Throughout the years, I have observed the tendency in us males—from boys to men—to get out of whatever work and responsibility we can. From the kitchen to the classroom, if a large number of females are active in the front, too many males are passive in the rear.

            Selfish ambition is bad; godly ambition is good. When it comes to providing for the family, we need more godly ambitious men—both economically and spiritually.

*Thanks to Peter King for the inspiration for this blog's title.