November 2019 — Alan Lampe

End of a Decade

Thirty-one days is all that’s left in this decade. Time sure does have a way of moving at lightning speed. And yet, it always moves at one second at a time. Too much has happened for me to give a proper review of the past ten years. World and personal events have shaped our lives, as they always will. But how often do we sit and pause, turn off the phone, TV, and Wi-Fi, and reflect on a short passage of time like the twenty-teens?

Some would raise a ruckus if the Wi-Fi was turned off. Modern technology has connected us in ways never before realized. Well, those of us with modern technology. There are millions, perhaps billions, in the world who don’t have modern technology, clean water, or safe living conditions. Countries still fight each other on battlefields, which all too often resemble city neighborhoods.

The rich fight like hell to retain their wealth and power. The poor fight like hell to stay alive. To be fair, I am aware of several American billionaires who do give generously to the needy. How many billionaires in other countries are doing the same? But the world shouldn’t rely on billionaires to save it from every disaster. Governments of the world need more cooperation with each other and less manipulation of each other.

A hundred years ago, the Great War ended and America was set for the Roaring 20s. What are you looking forward to in 2020? You have thirty-one days to make your plans.

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What I’m Reading – Many readers I know like to inquire what their favorite author is reading. At the end of each blog post, I’ll let you know what book is open on my Kindle. I hope my choice of reading material inspires you to read a variety of authors and topics. I’m currently reading Death of a Young Lieutenant by BR Stateham.

First Governor of Louisiana

On this day in 1817, the first governor of Louisiana died. William Charles Cole Claiborne was a descendant of Colonel William Claiborne (1600-1667), an English pioneer who settled in the Colony of Virginia. The actual date of his birth is in question, but he was born in Sussex County, Virginia.

After serving as a young congressman from Tennessee, William was appointed governor and superintendent of Indian Affairs in the Mississippi Territory. He held the office from 1801 to 1803. In 1802 his led the charge for mass vaccinations of the Natchez from smallpox.

In 1803 William was moved to New Orleans and oversaw the transfer of Louisiana to the United States. The local French and Spanish residents saw it as a military occupation. From 1804 to 1812 he governed the Territory of Orleans. He was young, inexperienced and spoke no French, yet held the job for over a decade. The largest slave revolt in U.S. history happened during his watch. However, his role as the representative of the American government did little to suppress the event.

When Louisiana became a state in 1812, he defeated Jacques Villeré to become the first governor of the new state. He served a four-year term. During the War of 1812, he attempted to keep the Choctaw out of the war while creating militia companies. He asked Jean Lafitte for help defending New Orleans when the British attacked the Crescent City in 1814.

William C. C. Claiborne

He concluded his government service by becoming a Senator for Louisiana in 1817. His term was short as he died on November 23, 1817. He is interred at Metairie Cemetery in New Orleans after first being buried in St. Louis Cemetery Number 1. A controversy of having a Protestant buried in a Catholic cemetery forced his remains to be moved.

He is honored with three county names, one in Louisiana, one in Mississippi, and one in Tennessee. The longest street in New Orleans bears his name. Camp Claiborne, a military installation still in use, was named from him in 1939. The administrative center for the Louisiana state government is housed in the Claiborne Building in Baton Rouge.

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Remembering Armistice Day

One hundred and one years ago tomorrow morning at 5 a.m., in a railroad carriage at Compiegne, France, Germany signed the armistice to end The Great War. The fighting stopped six hours later, at the eleventh hour, of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. The formal state of war was declared over on June 28, 1919, with the Treaty of Versailles. The United States, however, did not ratify the treaty. Our involvement continued until July 2, 1921, when President Warren G. Harding signed the Knox-Porter Resolution. Over 17 and a half million people, soldiers and civilians, lost their lives in this conflict.

November 11 is a national holiday in many Allied nations. Some countries renamed it Remembrance Day, while America calls it Veterans Day. The United States salutes and honors all veterans, living and dead, on this day with parades and restaurants offering free meals to veterans. For comparison, Memorial Day, celebrated in May, is a national remembrance of those killed in action. This holiday predates World War I.

My family has an extensive history of serving. My grandfather was in The Great War. He worked the mule teams to unload the ships in France. All of my uncles served, one in World War II on gliders. My dad served in the Air Force between the Korean War and the Vietnam Conflict. My sister and I were in the Air Force. Numerous cousins and friends also served time in our military.

I can’t say “Thank you” enough to all my service family members, or those who serve. You do an amazing job in foreign lands and across the USA. It is because of you we are a free nation. Thank you so much for serving this country.

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What I’m Reading – Many readers I know like to inquire what their favorite author is reading. At the end of each blog post, I’ll let you know what book is open on my Kindle. I hope my choice of reading material inspires you to read a variety of authors and topics. My review of The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything by James Martin, SJ, is on Goodreads, Amazon, and Book Bub. I’m currently reading The Self-Aware Life by Nancy S. Kay.

A Hodge Podge of a Post

Well, look who’s back to post on his blog again after five months. Yup, it’s me! I’m hard at work on my fourth manuscript. In the summer I was working on my third. That story got abandoned because my main character, Peggy from Bill’s Cajun House of Pleasure, didn’t have a story arc. There was no place for her story to go. She, and others, from Bill’s will appear in my current project, but as minor characters. The main character is someone new. I’m having fun writing her.

Can you believe we have under two months left in this decade? Pretty soon it’ll be the roaring twenties all over again. Without Prohibition and gangsters in their stock cars evading the police. As long as Black Tuesday isn’t repeated at the end of the next ten years, everything will be fine.

A highlighted historical event from today comes from 1493 when Christopher Columbus first sees the island of Dominica. It was a Sunday, dies dominica is Latin for “the Lord’s day.” I’m not sure what the natives called Dominica before he arrived, but this name stuck.

If you follow me on Goodreads, you’ll see I’ve been reading a lot of Matthew Kelly and spiritual help books of late. Reading them in a batch like this is beneficial as you get a good, uplifting message over and over again. After I finish my current read, there is one more spiritual self-help book on my to-read list. Then it’s back to fiction.

Well that’s a hodge-podge of a blog post, isn’t it? I’m all over the place. Hopefully, I will return to form soon and give you some great historical tidbits. Happy reading and welcome back!

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What I’m Reading – Many readers I know like to inquire what their favorite author is reading. At the end of each blog post, I’ll let you know what book is open on my Kindle. I hope my choice of reading material inspires you to read a variety of authors and topics. Currently, I’m reading The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything by James Martin, SJ.