It’s a Wonderful Life

 For all the fans of “It’s A Wonderful Life” and Jimmy Stewart.  Just months after winning his 1941 Academy Award for best actor in “The Philadelphia Story,” Jimmy Stewart, one of the best-known actors of the day, left Hollywood and joined the US Army. He was the first big-name movie star to enlist in World War II.

An accomplished private pilot, the 33-year-old Hollywood icon became a US Army Air Corps aviator, earning his 2nd Lieutenant commission in early 1942. With his celebrity status and huge popularity with the American public, he was assigned to starring in recruiting films, attending rallies, and training younger pilots.

Stewart, however, wasn’t satisfied. He wanted to fly combat missions in Europe, not spend time in a stateside training command. By 1944, frustrated and feeling the war was passing him by, he asked his commanding officer to transfer him to a unit deploying to Europe. His request was reluctantly granted.

Stewart, now a Captain, was sent to England, where he spent the next 18 months flying B-24 Liberator bombers over Germany. Throughout his time overseas, the US Army Air Corps' top brass had tried to keep the popular movie star from flying over enemy territory. But Stewart would hear nothing of it.

Determined to lead by example, he bucked the system, assigning himself to every combat mission he could. By the end of the war he was one of the most respected and decorated pilots in his unit.

But his wartime service came at a high personal price.

In the final months of WWII he was grounded for being “flak happy,” today called Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

When he returned to the US in August 1945, Stewart was a changed man. He had lost so much weight that he looked sickly. He rarely slept, and when he did he had nightmares of planes exploding and men falling through the air screaming (in one mission alone his unit had lost 13 planes and 130 men, most of whom he knew personally).

He was depressed, couldn’t focus, and refused to talk to anyone about his war experiences. His acting career was all but over.

As one of Stewart's biographers put it, "Every decision he made [during the war] was going to preserve life or cost lives. He took back to Hollywood all the stress that he had built up.”

In 1946 he got his break. He took the role of George Bailey, the suicidal father in “It’s a Wonderful Life.” The rest is history.

Actors and crew of the set realized that in many of the disturbing scenes of George Bailey unraveling in front of his family, Stewart wasn’t acting. His PTSD was being captured on filmed for potentially millions to see.

But despite Stewart's inner turmoil, making the movie was therapeutic for the combat veteran. He would go on to become one of the most accomplished and loved actors in American history.

When asked in 1941 why he wanted to leave his acting career to fly combat missions over Nazi Germany, he said, "This country's conscience is bigger than all the studios in Hollywood put together, and the time will come when we'll have to fight.”

This holiday season, as many of us watch the classic Christmas film, “It’s A Wonderful Life,” it’s also a fitting time to remember the sacrifices of Jimmy Stewart and all the men who gave up so much to serve their country during wartime. We will always remember you!

Postscript:

While fighting in Europe, Stewart's Oscar statue was proudly displayed in his father’s Pennsylvania hardware store. Throughout his life, the beloved actor always said his father, a World War I veteran, was the person who had made the biggest impact on him.

Jimmy Stewart was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1985 and died in 1997 at the age of 89.

-- Ned Forney, Writer, Saluting America's Veterans

Missed Opportunities

 One of the worse things about today’s divisiveness and our inability to discuss things are the missed opportunities, the chances not only to possibly learn but the opportunity to gain a friend.

I am 63 and lived most of my life trying very hard not to pre judge a person and to look for the positive in everyone , I say most of my life because the last few years seem more difficult for whatever reason. People seem angry and they label people and you are either with them or against them. Thank goodness that it was not always like that around me or would have not had so many friendships. After over 40 years in business the thing I look back on with the most fondness are the friendships I made and my rewards were the times I could make someone’s life better or job easier.

We are all here on the beautiful planet for such a very short time and in the end the only thing that matters are the people we meet, the positive difference we may have made and the smiles we created. Don’t miss the opportunity to make a friend, stop and listen, exhale. 

Something to Ponder

 A little something to ponder...

I asked one of my friends who has crossed 70 & is heading to 80 what sort of changes he is feeling in himself?
He sent me the following very interesting lines, which I would like to share with you ....
#1  After loving my parents, my siblings, my spouse, my children, my friends, now I have started loving myself.
#2  I just realized that I am not “Atlas”. The world does not rest on my shoulders.
#3  I now stopped bargaining with vegetables & fruits vendors. A few pennies more is not going to burn a hole in my pocket but it might help the poor fellow save for his daughter’s school fees.
#4  I pay my waitress a big tip. The extra money might bring a smile to her face. She is toiling much harder for a living than me
#5  I stopped telling the elderly that they've already narrated that story many times. The story makes them walk down the memory lane & relive the past.
#6  I have learned not to correct people even when I know they are wrong. The onus of making everyone perfect is not on me. Peace is more precious than perfection.
#7  I give compliments freely & generously. Compliments are a mood enhancer not only for the recipient, but also for me. And a small tip for the recipient of a compliment, never, NEVER turn it down, just say "Thank You"
#8  I have learned not to bother about a crease or a spot on my shirt. Personality speaks louder than appearances.
#9  I walk away from people who don't value me. They might not know my worth, but I do.
#10  I remain cool when someone plays dirty to outrun me in the rat race. I am not a rat & neither am I in any race.
#11  I am learning not to be embarrassed by my emotions. It’s my emotions that make me human.
#12  I have learned that it's better to drop the ego than to break a relationship. My ego will keep me aloof, whereas with relationships I will never be alone.
#13  I have learned to live each day as if it's the last. After all, it might be the last.
#14  I am doing what makes me happy. I am responsible for my happiness, and I owe it to myself. Happiness is a choice. You can be happy at any time, just choose to be!
I decided to send this to all my friends. Why do we have to wait to be 70 or 80, why can't we practice this at any stage and age....

Don’t tell me what I believe

 Don’t tell me what I believe 

And don’t put me into a certain group because it helps you with your talking points - the one thing that has always bothered me is when people group others all together for identification purposes. I simply do not buy in that ALL of any certain group thinks the same exact way or ALL have the same morals or work ethic, be it by gender, race , religion or political affiliation.

My experience has shown me that there are good and bad in all and to group people together is a total mis- justice , do not assume you know anyone and absolutely do not assume you know me and throw me into a nice neat column to make your point or drive home your own opinion.

This political season in 2020 is the most contentious of my 63 years here on this planet. I have never seen such a divide and people ready to yell and spew hate because you do not agree with them. I fully get that we all have different opinions and it has never stopped me from still getting to know someone or befriend them. 

I have always respected our policemen and women and our military members and veterans-always , and still do and always will so please do not throw me into any column because I do not support a certain candidate , that is down right insulting and wrong.

Do not assume I do not believe in a higher being or spirit or God because I believe in a woman’s right to choose or I believe in birth control , people need to practice more of the words of our prophets and less of hate and division.

There is no - them and us - there is only one race- the human race.

Where you are born on this planet or what skin you happened to be born in should not determine your worth or your life , we are all born into this world and every life matters and we should treat each other with the love that we all had in us upon birth, hurt people- hurt people, we need to rise above the bigotry and extend an olive branch to everyone we meet. Take the time to smile and listen and learn from each other- there is so much to learn. 

It is your life - your one life and life is short- use your time as a positive influence and your shoulders will be lightened and your path will be revealed.

Find Joy

 These are certainly stressful times !

It is very hard to turn away from the noise and anger, it is everywhere- all the time! And it is very easy to slip into depression or join the angry people. I do think it is important to stay aware and educated and try to read more articles and newspapers on current events. Try to look and listen outside of your normal echo chamber and always try to look at the other side.

Whatever you are going through right now align your self with people that bring you joy do things that bring you joy and try as much you can to stay in the moment knowing that your absolute best days are ahead of you in spite of everything you’re feeling or going thru right now 

Sheep

 Sheep follow each other, it is easy to round up sheep because you can easily get the herd to just follow the group in front of them. They have no idea where they are going , they just follow.
I always preached to my kids growing up to not be sheep, do not just follow others. I told them to make up their own minds and to ask questions and listen and to always beware when people try to talk you into anything.

Unfortunately today I see more and more people becoming sheep, they are easily fooled and follow others without stopping and listening and learning. I absolutely believe that these times will be studied for years to come as to what happened to reason and common sense and why did so many people just go tone deaf. The times were certainly ripe , many people who just followed were angry and wanted to join others that were angry, there in numbers they felt some kind of comfort but why were they all angry. My thoughts are many felt like their voices were not being heard, that people in higher offices especially did not see them or care about them so by banding together they felt stronger, they felt like they finally had a voice.

I can fully understand how people can feel left out and frustrated and isolated and I now understand how people of ill intent can capture those un-forgotten people and today it is made so much easier with the internet and social media. Follow me they say , I hear you and I have your back. They package themselves to look and sound soothing and understanding much like the predator that preys on small children or the sociopath that pulls people into his mangled world so he can control them.
Today it is more important then ever to not be sheep, question everything and everybody, STOP LOOK and LISTEN. When someone is insistent that “they” are right and “others” are wrong that is when you need to look the other way. You do not need to be part of a crowd to be seen or heard, be yourself!

Your voice- your thoughts - your good intentions- do not get sucked in to “ Us” and “them”.

Do not become sheep-

I am not saying that groups are bad, being siloed and by yourself all the time is not healthy either. You can make real change if you unite but do it for the right reasons. Do not gather out of hate or fear, join groups to learn and grow and conduct positive change. I know that is very difficult to hear the opposite side , especially when it is being shouted at you but shouting louder will never get anyone anywhere and will never ever have the opportunity to truly listen or build a bridge.

What is ... and is not - Leadership

 Leadership matters 

I have see a deterioration of leadership that has been happening for the past 10 plus years and in all walks of life. When I have conversations with my family and friends we all share the same concerns and complaints - lack of leadership and direction- we represent teachers, nursing, sales, trucking, higher education, politics and more but yet we all have similar stories.

What happened? 

Well first what makes a good leader ? Someone who listens and understands what the employees that he leads do , hopefully because he once did it. So prompting from within and climbing the ladder is essential. That said not all good employees make good managers or bosses, it is a completely different skill set. I notice that people are put into positions that they are simply not ready for but the pay raise and titles are enticing so of course they grab it, not their fault but whoever offered them the position may not be right for their position so therefore starts the trickle down collapse of leadership.

A real leader wants his employees under him to feel like a team and they matter because they do, the success of the leader and the company relies on everybody doing their part. A leader listens and watches and advices and has the best interest of their employee at heart, your job as a leader or boss is to know each person’s weaknesses and strengths and then assist in bringing out the best in them, always praising and respecting them even when showing them where improvements are needed.

A real leader always keeps his door and ears open and if there is failure he must take his share of the blame and correct the process. If someone is not following up on their work he must do his best to first educate and help and if necessary Re assign that individual but remember everyone is alway watching, how they see you handle other people is how they feel you will be with them.

Forming a team atmosphere is always a work in process, you can always do better. Better technology is always around the corner, improved processes and communication means more profit and increased pride.

What leadership is not - bosses or people with titles thinking they are better or barking orders to the people that they are supposed to be responsible for. Leaders and bosses and managers must stay engaged, daily.