Dave Welch - a small tribute

Everyone will tell you that they had a “best friend” growing up. Here is a picture of my best friend, Dave Welch. I will make this brief, but I just want to tell you all how much I loved this guy and how, after 33 years it still brings tears to my eyes to think that he died so young.

But it is not about his death that I wish to comment. It is his life that is so memorable. I could post some pretty funny pictures of a nerd right out of the early 70’s. Dave wore the high-water pants, glasses, and was long and gangly. When I was around him, I seemed to lose the very tentative hold I had on my inhibitions. He was so funny that it made me want to be the clown as well.

Dave was the smartest guy in our High School (at least in the class of ’72). I was close in math, but that's all. We were both in football, track, choir, and scouts. We got our Eagle Scout Award the same night. We had the same passions, right up to and including having the same girlfriends. (Yes, sometimes at the same time – not fun). Dave talked me into joining Key Club and then running for a state-wide office. I won. I didn’t have any idea what to do, but I did it anyway). I only ran because he told me to. Returning the favor, I talked him into trying out for All-State Choir. Dave was not a good singer. He was in our choir because he was a great drummer and he was needed for the Vocal Ensemble. When we got to Flagstaff, he performed the solo he had prepared and then had to try to "sight read" some very difficult music. He told me how embarrassing it was for him. We laughed so hard. Later that same day, there was an indoor High School track meet inside the doom at NAU. We had signed up. I threw the shot put and he threw the discus. Not until we and signed in did he discover that they don’t have the discus as an event in an indoor meet. (duh? Not too safe) So he decided to throw the shot put instead. As luck would have it, he followed the state record holder in this event, Bob Breunig. The announcer would stop all events every time it was Breunig’s turn to throw the shot put. After his taking his stance, hyperventilating, skipping, spinning, and emitting a guttural yell, the crowd would all applause. Then Dave stepped into the circle and in his faded orange sweats, he would just step to the front and push the shot put; no glide, no turn, and no yell.

Why are these memories so vivid? I think it is because he and I could laugh at each other. It was so easy for me to be around Dave. But that is not the whole truth.

When I looked at the degree of self-discipline Welch had, I recognized that if I didn’t gain that, I would never amount to much. I had talents that he did not have. In fact, we sort of had a mutual admiration thing going. But I had rules, religion, and family structure to keep me on some sort of a good path. Dave’s parents trusted him to do the right thing and to be responsible. So he did. We had other friends that were using drugs back in those days. I did not, mostly likely because of religious constraints. Dave had an internal guide that led him.

I could write pages about Dave. I must say that our friendship was called “The Brothers Three”. Richard Kenneth Harvey was as much a part of this friendship as Dave or I. Harvey and shared the same faith and many other things. He too was a football player (until his knees gave out), a track star, a singer (he was good enough to make all-state choir) and more. One of our favorite past times was to go through a list of all of the girls in our class and talk about which ones would be a good match for Harvey. If you ever ask me about the trip we took to California at Christmas 1977, you will see me laugh until I cry. What the heck, here is a shortened version. One night Harvey wanted to take the car and get some pop or something. After he Harvey left the motel it seemed that he was gone way too long. I know this may not make any sense, but Welch, Curtis Klofkorn, and I were playing cards and were wondering Harvey was gone so long. We should have been worried. Harvey sometimes did not have the best luck. We start guessing what bad thing could have happened and kept speculating about worse and worse possibilities. When he came through the motel door, he had this look on his face and announced that he had been robbed. There was a moment of silence followed by the three of us bursting out laughing and literally rolling around on the floor repeating that Harvey had been robbed. He was not amused. Maybe you had to be there.

As I remember Dave, the critical role of friends looms large in my life. Thank you, friends, for all you have done for me. If I start a roll call, I will surely omit one of you. You know who you are.

And thanks to all of you friends of Marilyn, Rhett, Sandee, Gary, Angela, Troy, Trevor, and Brandon. I recognize that substantial, even enormous credit that is due to your friends.

Mixed feelings about new book on Washington

One of my favorite biographies of all time is Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow. He is an amazing biographer and I love the way he composes his thoughts. It seemed to me that I was reading prose rather than just plain history.

As anyone who knows me can attest, my favorite subject of history is George Washington. I love and revere this man so much. I am a bit defensive when I hear criticism of him.

One more preliminary point..

I made a promise to myself that I would not not buy another book from Costco until I had read more of the ones I already have.

So much to my surprise when shopping there yesterday, I saw a brand new book, over 800 pages long, written by one of my favorite biographers on my favorite subject. The binding is wonderful and it was just calling me, "Buy me! One more book will not hurt. You are going on a long trip next week. I will be your companion!" It all made sense to me.

Then I opened the jacket and began to read about this volume. I was disturbed at what I read. It seems to be a psycho-biography where a person comes along many years later and peels back the cranium to seen what was going in there... (i.e. Fawn Brody and her biography of Joseph Smith - "No Man Knows My History")

I think I want to be open to all information but prefer to read biographies written by fans of the subject matter, not mere critics. If you want to read a well-written biography of Washington, Joseph Ellis's "His Excellency" will fill the bill.

So what to do?

I decided to download the audiobook and give that a try. The reader is Scott Brick, the same narrator that did Alexander Hamilton. He has a terrific voice.

Stay tuned. Maybe after over 40 hours of listening, I can come back and recommend or not recommend this book.

The Great and Wonderful Love

I was reading a talk given by Anthony Perkins in the October 2006 Conference. It is titled "The Great and Wonderful Love". Rarely have a read a talk where so much is said in so few words. I recommend spending a day reading these words and would appreciate feedback on "the snares" listed and the five solutions listed. I found that just following footnotes was very insightful.
I love how every scenario Satan presents can be defeated by understanding and using the scriptures. Many of the citations are of scriptures that are not frequently cited in other talks.
I am inadequate, imperfect and have guilt. But it is the false, exaggerated and needless aspect that drags me down.
Any insights or comments are welcome.

Prayer of the Heart or Alma's cry

What is the “Jesus Prayer” or the “Prayer of the Heart”? A few years ago I was listening to a Princeton podcast about prayer. One of the participants talked about the Jesus Prayer, or the Prayer of the heart. This is a prayer that seems to be very ancient, coming out of the desert in the early Christian church. Two interesting links about this prayer can be found at Wikipedia and http://www.prayerofheart.com/.

Apparently, the practice of meditation and repetition of this simple prayer has been useful to induce an altered state of reverence and communion with God. When I heard the podcast I recognized the words as being approximately what Alma “the younger” cried while in his altered state of pain, anxiety and despair. While listening to the most recent talk by Elder Holland I was reminded of this prayer. Near the end of this address, full of the deepest emotion I feel Elder Holland experienced while giving this talk, he repeated the words of Alma.

I find it fascinating that Alma the Younger uttered nearly the identical words and was delivered from captivity. What is it about these words, uttered from a completely broken heart, that have the power to deliver one from “…the pains of a damned soul” racked with “…inexpressible horror” to a state of “…remembering my pains no more” “being filled with “…joy, marvelous light”?
Your thoughts are welcomed.

Every Year or so I guess I ought to add a post

Since it has been nearly one year since I posted a blog, it is high time I did it again! What a wonderful year it has been. With the family trip to the Holy Land, the return of Trevor from South Africa, the birth of Dillon, trips with the kids and with Chad and Marsha, a great Richardson Reunion the time spent at the new cabin, scuba diving in the Maldives - who can not feel grateful for all of that?

Even though each one of these activities deserve a few paragraphs of their own, I will come back to them later. I do feel like mentioning that I love the scriptures. I think that I will mention something that most interests me... I have been very interested in learning more about the Old Testament. I have been reading various books about the Old Testament. My favorite is the one titled, "Sperry Symposium Classics, The Old Testament". So many of these essays are amazing.

One book I am now enjoying is "Reflection on the Psalms" by CS Lewis. There are some interesting insights. I noted that this essay seems to stir controversy among some critics. I don't look at it as the gospel truth, but some of his ideas are so pertinent. One more book that I have read some chapters in is "Voices of Old Testament Prophets: The 26th Annual Sidney B. Sperry Symposium".
I am looking forward to this year's study in Sunday School. I would love to have some discussion about the OT if any of you that may read this blog feel like contributing.

Have a wonderful weekend.
Ron