Saturday 9 - Battle Hymn of the Republic

Welcome to a very patriotic edition of the Saturday 9 inspired by the Battle Hymn of the Republic.

If you're unfamiliar with this week's song, you can listen to it here.  This performance is from Robert Kennedy's funeral.  So, this week we focus on him.

1)  During WWII, when he was just 17, Robert Kennedy enlisted in the Navy. He was disappointed he was never involved with combat.  Tell us about a time when you felt fate/circumstances kept you from something you wanted.  Back around 1999/2000 I wanted to go to seminary and be licensed as a lay-pastor.  I was approved, I had a mentor lined up.  I was just waiting for enough people to make up the class.  They finally announced it...two weeks before it started and wanted payment, in full, before I could start. I couldn't come up with it.  A couple of years later we ended up leaving the church so it never happened.  I did try taking a course a couple of years ago at the insistence of my pastor, but it just wasn't for me at this time.

2)  Bobby was trained as an altar boy and throughout his life he regularly attended early morning mass.  When is the last time you attended a worship service?  The traditional kind you are thinking of?  It's been a couple of years. However, I belong to a home fellowship that meets weekly.  We model ourselves after the first century church, meeting in homes with informal teaching, study of scripture, and fellowship.  I also belong to a Bible study group that meets weekly.

3)  He may have been an altar boy, but he was no angel.  During junior high he was suspended for punching a classmate.  Who is the last person who made you very, very mad?  I'm sorry to say it was my daughter. The last couple of years with her living at home were not good ones.  We were butting heads all the time and she got very good at pushing my buttons.

4)  He had his first date when he was a senior in high school.  Looking back, Mary Bailey Gimble told Kennedy biographers that she knew he had a crush on her and wondered why it took him so long to ask her out.  Tell us about one of your early crushes.  Donny Osmond was my first crush when I was still in elementary school.  The boy with the purple socks made me swoon long before he and Marie had their variety show and I was a card-carrying member of the Osmond Brothers Fan Club.

5)  Bobby's wife Ethel is as bubbly and talkative as he was introspective and shy.  He was organized, she's messy.  While opposites may attract, do you believe the happiest marriages are between partners who are more similar than different?  I do believe there should be some fundamental common ground...religion, basic goals, morals...but otherwise, I think the success of any marriage is dependent on the couples' willingness to be committed to each other and to work on it.  A good marriage doesn't just happen.

6)  By November 1960, when he was 35 years old, Bobby already had served as legal counsel to two Senate committees and run his brother's successful Presidential campaign.  He was looking forward to a quieter life teaching law but gave in to family pressure to become President Kennedy's Attorney General. Tell us about a time when you were at a crossroads.  Who influenced your decision? It's probably not a good thing, but when I have a big decision to make I really don't seek the counsel of others. I will pray about it and act independently based on that.  The only big life decision I would say I was influenced (or forced) in was college.  I was never really given any choice whether I even wanted to attend college and I was not allowed to go to my preferred choices.  I had to go to the one closest to home. Maybe that's why I don't ask for people's input now.

7)  In 1777, Colonists celebrated July 4 with the firing of cannons and muskets, followed by a public reading of the Declaration of Independence.  What is your neighborhood doing to observe the day? My town has a pretty large celebration.  It started about a week ago with the contest to crown the Queen and a patriotic interfaith service.  The carnival started yesterday in the park.  It includes rides, games, food, bingo, live entertainment.  On the 4th there is a huge parade in the morning and then fireworks at night.  The county park also hosts a nationally acclaimed Arts & Heritage Festival every year.

8)  The Revolutionary War still raged during that summer of 1777. General George Washington allowed his soldiers to celebrate with a double ration of rum on July 4.  Do you know anyone who is serving in the military this 4th of July? We have a nephew who recently completed basic training for the National Guard and will soon be leaving for training to be an officer.  We also have a brother-in-law, who after having served 4 or 5 tours of duty in Afghanistan and Iraq, is biding his time until retirement running an armory.

9)  Celebrity chef Rachel Ray says considers mini-hamburgers or "sliders," the All-American food.  What will you be eating this 4th of July?  I don't have a clue. It will depend on what we are doing.  The kids won't be around this year and I don't know if we're going to throw something on the grill with my mom and step-dad or not.  We may be at that art festival or checking out a new movie or something else.  I just don't know yet.