Category Archives: Trogo 1: Something To Chew On

Kings of Misrule

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Lately I have seen a resurgence of a phenomenon that I first noticed about eight years ago, while I was living in Uniontown, PA. It is now occurring here in Crozet, the small community in central Virginia where I live, even as it did years ago in Pennsylvania. I remember what prompted my ire those many years ago. While driving through Uniontown first thing one morning, I came to a four-way intersection. As I approached this intersection with the intent of turning left, I encountered another motorist approaching from directly in front of me. We came to the intersection at almost precisely the same moment: I, with my left turn signal on; he, with no signal, indicating that he was coming straight through. Now, I am much older than I was when I first started driving. Indeed, I have spent a good portion of the past 3+ decades behind the wheel of an automobile. But I do not tend to suffer from either early dementia or vehicular amnesia. I still remember the basic rules of the road. For instance, in such a situation as I have described, the car that is going straight has the right of way. I, the lefty in this situation, must wait and yield the right of way. Simple stuff. Continue reading →

The Descent of Man

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By now, you would think I should quit being surprised. Yet, I still find myself constantly being amazed at people’s abject ignorance. Far too many people are just plain gullible, accepting whatever nonsense comes down the pike. If a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, then a little misinformation coupled with tons of ignorance must have the same potential as a hydrogen bomb!

Let me tell you what started all this personal shock and ire. I was reading something I had written a few years ago. It concerned a revealing conversation that Sue, my darling bride, became involved in. Revealing in the sense that the conversation exposed people’s innate capacity to believe foolishness. My wife’s field of expertise is education, especially the education of those with learning problems. She has spent many years studying and teaching children (and adults) who have learning disabilities. She knows her stuff. So she was intrigued, and a little frustrated, to become involved in a group conversation that dealt with the subject of dyslexia. One person present was pontificating on a theory that attempts to explain away dyslexia in terms of social evolution. This theory holds that one category of people learns one way, and another category learns completely differently, based on whether they are hunter-gatherers or farmers by nature. Dyslexics, according to this theory, are hunter-gatherers. And, of course, the poor, misunderstood hunter-gatherers are castigated and denigrated by the more numerous and socially acceptable farmer learners. Alas, poor hunter-gatherers! How preposterous! Sue was appropriately irritated by this folderol. Continue reading →

Size Does Not Equal Value

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When I was a kid I was fascinated by space and stars and the planets. I was a Star Trek geek before there were Trekkies. No matter how much fun I was having playing outside in the summer time, I would always come in to see what was happening that week with Kirk and Spock and Bones. Yes, I must confess, I was also an avid fan of Lost in Space.  (“Danger! Danger! Be careful, Will Robinson!”) I read Tom Swift, and loved movies like Forbidden Planet, Earth Vs. The Flying Saucers and The Day The Earth Stood Still. I was a space nut.

Indeed, my ambition as a youngster was to become an astronomer. (God had other plans.) And so with this fascination with astronomy, it is not surprising that many of my youthful science projects involved models of the solar system. I made more than my fair share of planets out of Play-Doh and Stryofoam balls. I was the king of coat hangers and clay spheres. Yet, with all my juvenile enthusiasm I still missed something. I failed to comprehend the vastness of space. In fact, as is probably common with most young astronomers, I thought my wire and Stryofoam creations were pretty realistic. Continue reading →

Supermarkets, Sundays and Sanctity

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I grew up in the suburbs of Richmond, Va. One fond memory is of a well-known Richmond institution—a family-owned chain of grocery stores called Ukrops. First opened in 1937, the stores were a regional phenomenon, known for quality products and attentive service. (You get a glimpse of their approach when you understand that their bag boys were known as “courtesy clerks” and they were required to take your groceries out to your car, no matter what the weather was like.) Their in-store delis were incredible. They became hot meeting places for people up and down the social scale. Indeed, their sandwiches were so good that many corporate executives would plan lunch meetings at the local Ukrops deli—power lunches in a grocery store! Can you imagine?

However, in my mind there was one overarching feature that stood out about the Ukrops stores: They exemplified Christian virtue. The Ukrops family were Christian people. And their Christian morals and principles carried over into how they ran their stores. The stores were clean, friendly and pleasant to be in. They did not sell alcoholic beverages. It was an annual tradition for the local newspapers to print a story about the grocery chain when the Sports Illustrated swimsuit was released—because Ukrops would not sell that particular issue. There were signs posted in their stores encouraging people to attend church. And get this, none of their stores were open on Sunday. Continue reading →

Remember…

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Today I write with no glib words, no zany humor, and no flowery expressions. I write with sobriety and solemnity. Today…I call on all of us to remember.

Today is April 8. I want to take you back to another April 8, on a Sunday, exactly 68 years ago. It is 1945, and although their end is rapidly approaching, for the moment the National Socialists still reign supreme in Germany.

In your mind’s eye see a prisoner, a German man incarcerated in a German prison. He has a squarish face, rather common looking. His rimless glasses help give him an ordinary look. He seems so average. Yet, his appearance belies the uniqueness, indeed, the brilliance of the man.

Although a political prisoner, a prisoner of conscience (these words have never been applied more truly), this man is also a Christian—and a pastor. He has gathered about him in Schoenberg Prison a group of faithful believers to worship and study together.

This imprisoned church has just finished its Sunday morning worship. The pastor has just said the final “Amen.” Suddenly two soldiers appear at the door. They call out the pastor’s name and deliver an order: “Make ready and come with us.” The small group of believers looks at their pastor with a mixture of terror and compassion in their eyes. They know the meaning of these words. This is the standard summons issued to a condemned prisoner.

The pastor rises and prepares to leave with the soldiers. However, just before he exits, he turns and says to one of his flock: “This is the end—but for me, the beginning—of life.” Moving words from a deeply spiritual man.

The next day, Monday, April 9, 1945, the pastor is executed by hanging. Continue reading →