Pondering for me: what is that word?

Bird Droppings September 11, 2026
Pondering for me: what is that word?

Today is an interesting day; twenty-five years ago, I started teaching again after a twenty-three-year layoff. About twenty-one years ago today, I started as a part–time instructor for Piedmont College.

“When it is dark enough, you can see the stars.” Charles A. Beard

I do recall that first day of class all those years ago, with much of it spent in lockdown and feeling confused about what was really going on. Many days later, I really thought about what day I would come back to teaching. Charles Beard was a historian, and often a controversial one; it is said he commented that Roosevelt brought the US into World War II for economic recovery. Interestingly, that has been the case several times in history as to why we really go to war. When I first read his quote, I thought about little children being afraid of the dark and nighttime, and how, several times, when I’ve been out with youth and tried to ease their fears of darkness, I have used stars as a focal point. It does have to be dark to see the stars.

But in life, so often we lose sight of the stars until trials and tribulations show in contrast, and we can again view our own stars. Folks, they are there today. With all that is going on, it is often hard to see and remember the shining stars, but rest assured they are there, and they will be shining when we need to see them. I have been writing and thinking about this day for some time. Yesterday, I received a response to my Bird dropping that I would like to share from a dear friend.

“You know, Frank, Viet Nam doesn’t seem that long ago, but it was. I’m a Vietnam combat vet; I was in the Navy but served for two temporary assignments with the First Radio Battalion, Third Marine Amphibious Force in I Corps (Da Nang, the northern part). I was essentially a Marine. It still amazes me how different folks interpret the same war experience. I was running a security communications operation and was calling in the Arc Light Raids, precision bombing (for then) with the B-52s. I guess you could say I never saw the ones I was killing … I do believe my work saved the lives of many of our own troops. (They gave me a medal for it; can you believe that?) What’s right, and what’s wrong? When you lose a friend, you want to kill them all. Even today, the flag-folding at a casket tears me up. All of this to say that, from the standpoint of being veterans who can still function a little, the Vietnam guys are “old” vets now. I just want the world to know they’re NOT all drunks and drug addicts. You jarred some memories, my friend. A different place … a different time.” Jim, Dr. James D. Sutton, Clinical Psychologist and nationally recognized speaker and authority on Conduct Disorders

I was writing yesterday about my hatred for war and its destruction. As I grew up listening to my father’s stories of WWII and today looking at old photos he had, images of the attack on Iwo Jima where many thousands of American soldiers died, and tens of thousands of Japanese soldiers perished as well, I wonder about war. Many of my friends from high school are Viet Nam vets, and often in communications, comments are made, and I have the utmost regard for these men and women who served in a time so many have forgotten.

Today, however, we look at the twenty-fifth anniversary of an attack on our country. Does this change my perception of war and revenge? Not at all; retaliation still solves nothing. True, a great sigh of relief came when SEAL Team Six killed Osama Bin Laden. I was at that moment more concerned about my nephew-in-law, who serves in the team, than the fact that Bin Laden was killed. Today, images in many people. Hope and fear both rise to the top of the barrel.

“The trouble with justifying your violence, your hate, your profitable destruction through your subjective sense of victimization is a)the chain of violence can go on forever b)everyone, since no one has a monopoly on suffering, can use victimization to justify then practically anything for an indefinite amount of time and violence and c)as vengeance only retaliates, never returns, there will never be an end to the justification of your violence, and as such your violence itself.” Manny Jalonschi, former Publisher at American Ex Pat Books

I have known and been reading Manny’s blogs for several years now, and this one caught me in my pondering state. I posted the following response.

“When raised in Judeo-Christian unpinning of an eye for an eye and tooth for a tooth, it is hard to separate the revenge aspect of the equation and throw in staunch capitalism, which a long time ago gave up on the Koinonia (community) of early Christianity in favor of greed and profit and ran roughshod over indigenous peoples worldwide. What is to be expected, sadly, of kids raised today without historical understanding of where they came from?” Dr. Frank Bird III

Over the past few days, several teachers have made comments to me about my choice of political party and/or representatives. I find it interesting because, while they see it as wrong in many ways, they have no way to address it other than saying it will take care of itself if we get rid of this or that program.

“We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.” Albert Einstein

I pondered most of the week listening to rhetoric of warmongering and capitalism and the problems with the government’s handouts and healthcare. I grieve with and honor those who died in the heinous attack on the Twin Towers and Pentagon ten years ago, but I also say retaliation is never a solution. We have retaliated for twenty-five years and nearly destroyed our country.

“To see what is right, and not do it, is want of courage, or of principle.” Confucius

I honestly wonder, borrowing from Gandhi, “An eye for an eye, and the whole world goes blind,” how long we can continue without lifting and moving ahead. I have worked with and taught numerous autistic children over the years. Dr. Temple Grandin is one of the world’s leading authorities on animal handling. She has designed and engineered seventy-five percent of the commercial livestock handling facilities for commercial packers in the United States. Animal rights groups have recognized her for her ethical treatment in design and development, and she has written college texts on animal science. She is also considered a world leader in autism, perhaps because Dr. Grandin is autistic herself.

“I can remember the frustration of not being able to talk. I knew what I wanted to say, but I could not get the words out, so I would scream. I can remember this very clearly.” Dr. Temple Grandin

In recent years, more children are being diagnosed as autistic. As I read her words, which applied directly to her as she grew up frustrated with a world that only heard her screaming and never her words, I thought too of those often less fortunate than we who have no voice. Through political maneuvering, redrawing lines, and forgetting to advertise new laws requiring photo identification to vote, we tend to silence many people. I watched several political debates and speeches this past week, and Dr. Temple Grandin’s words hit me again.

“People are always looking for the single magic bullet that will totally change everything. There is no single magic bullet. I was very lucky to receive very good early intervention with very good teachers, starting at age two and a half years. I cannot emphasize the importance of a good teacher enough. A good teacher is worth their weight in gold. Some teachers have a knack for working with autistic children. Other teachers do not have it. If you find a good teacher, hang on to them tight.” Dr. Temple Grandin

On a day of remembering, I wish we never had to go through this again. I offer this as a solution: if we keep our eyes and ears open, we can find open-minded, great teachers; we can resolve issues before going to war; and all children can have the opportunity to succeed and learn, and never be silent again. Please keep all in harm’s way on your mind and in your hearts.
namaste

My family and friends, I do not say this lightly,

Mitakuye Oyasin

(We are all related)

bird