Six Very Simmler People

Fran Life Objective

2010-05-23T04:56:00.001-07:00

Fran Simmler’s Spiritual Life Objective

I want to glorify God in every aspect of my life. My heart, soul, mind and strength are dedicated to showing His glory to those I come in contact with.

I will accomplish this through prayer and careful study of God’s word. Keeping myself prepared to proclaim the Hope that I have found in God.

Proverbs 22:29 † Proverbs 30:7-9 † I Timothy 6:12-14 † Matthew 5:16 † Mark 12:30 † 2 Timothy 2:15 † 1 Peter 3:15

December 13, 2003

Spit-shine With Tears

2009-11-11T09:59:00.001-08:00

Spit-shine With Tears

A shine of pride is the last detail a tired soldier performs at the end of a day. Not a task of drudgery, but one for respite and reflection. A moment to think about loves left behind, of sacrifices made.

Lord, forgive my self-pity and please give me comfort and strength, as I spit-shine my boots with tears.

Many soldiers have polished their boots as I’m doing; boots that have carried brave men to the foe in the defense of freedom. Volunteers, some without shod feet, struggling to loose the bonds of oppression. Their legacy is trimmed in blood and sweat.

Oh God, help me to live the tradition of courage and honor, as I spit-shine my boots with tears.

I think about the aching hearts. Those who have lost their sons and daughters, fathers and mothers; to no longer feel their warm embraces. Husbands and wives that will never again share their love or dreams. All they have left is knowing their soldier persevered to the end.

Gracious Father, grant peace and hope to the hurting ones, as I spit-shine my boots with tears.

All the wars fought have reaped bravery and courage from the souls of men. Persons who fought not only their enemy seen, but the unseen ones; demons of fatigue, hunger, and fear. We owe a debt to the patriarchs who have trodden the road of freedom.

Lord, let me not forget my indebtedness to you and those before, as I spit-shine my boots with tears.

©1999 Francis J. Simmler III

The Ant and The Grasshopper (Traditional and Progressive Versions)

2009-09-03T10:40:00.001-07:00

This one is a little different... Two Different Versions! Two Different Morals!

OLD VERSION: The ant works hard in the withering heat all summer long, building his house and laying up supplies for the winter.

The grasshopper thinks the ant is a fool and laughs and dances and plays the summer away.

Come winter, the ant is warm and well fed.

The grasshopper has no food or shelter, so he dies out in the cold.

MORAL OF THE STORY: Be responsible for yourself!

MODERN (Progressive) VERSION: The ant works hard in the withering heat all summer long, building his house and laying up supplies for the winter.

The grasshopper thinks the ant is a fool and laughs and dances and plays the summer away.

Come winter, the shivering grasshopper calls a press conference and demands to know why the ant should be allowed to be warm and well fed while others are cold and starving.

CBS, NBC ,PBS, CNN, and ABC show up to provide pictures of the shivering grasshopper next to a video of the ant in his comfortable home with a table filled with food. America is stunned by the sharp contrast.

How can this be, that in a country of such wealth, this poor grasshopper is allowed to suffer so?

Kermit the Frog appears on Oprah with the grasshopper, and everybody cries when they sing, 'It's Not Easy Being Green.'

Jesse Jackson stages a demonstration in front of the ant 's house where the news stations film the group singing, 'We shall overcome.' Jesse then has the group kneel down to pray to God for the grasshopper's sake.

Nancy Pelosi & John Kerry exclaim in an interview with Larry King that the ant has gotten rich off the back of the grasshopper, and both call for an immediate tax hike on the ant to make him pay his fair share.

Finally, the EEOC drafts the Economic Equity & Anti-Grasshopper Act retroactive to the beginning of the summer.

The ant is fined for failing to hire a proportionate number of green bugs and, having nothing left to pay his retroactive taxes, his home is confiscated by the government.

The story ends as we see the grasshopper finishing up the last bits of the ant's food while the government house he is in, which just happens to be the ant's old house, crumbles around him because he doesn't maintain it.

The ant has disappeared in the snow.

The grasshopper is found dead in a drug related incident and the house, now
abandoned, is taken over by a gang of spiders who terrorize the once peaceful neighborhood.

MORAL OF THE STORY: Be careful how you vote in 2010.

2008-02-28T07:29:00.000-08:00

Dinner With Barack Obama

I had the oddest dream last night.

I was with my family waiting for a table at a restaurant and Barack Obama and his family came in behind us. He asked if he and his family could "sit" with us, and if we minded if
one camera person from his campaign recorded the event. I looked at my wife, Diane; she just shrugged and said "Whatever!"

So, they sat us down at a big table/booth combination like they have at Denny's, but this was a Chile's.
I ended up facing Obama; our wives, Diane and Michelle were sitting next to each-other. My four kids and their two daughters were packed in around us all. We all exchanged perfunctory introductions.

It seemed a little awkward at first, but I knew this was some kind of campaign stunt/experiment for Barack. Inside I grinned because I suspected that he did not consider that his paradigm might be tested by eating with us.

Barack broke the ice after we ordered our beverages.

"So Fran and Diane, I have to ask you outright, do you plan on voting for me if I am the nominee from my party in November?"  His wife reached
across and slapped his hand.

"What a way to start!"

"This is why we are doing this." He turned to me, "Do you mind if I ask you that so bluntly?"

"No," I said. "In fact, I hope it doesn't spoil YOUR evening. I wouldn't vote for you." Then looking over at Diane and Erik, "I don't think they would vote for you either." They both nodded their heads in agreement.

"Perfect!" Barack said. "I am sorry Erik, I should have figured you were old enough to vote.
Well, what is it that would keep you all from voting for me?"

We all looked at each-other; I chuckled, as I think the rest of my family did, "Everything you stand for."

"Whoa, that is a broad statement you guys. Surely there has to be something we can agree on?" He looked around to all of us. "Are these all of your kids, together?"

"Yes," Diane said curtly. (This question irritates Diane because people assume that if you have
more than two kids, you must be a "blended" family.)

Michelle picked up on this, "Diane, Barack did not mean anything by that!"  Casting a
sideways glance at her husband. Drinks arrived and the waitress took our orders, forcing a pause.

"Diane, I did not mean to offend. I just figured I would ask about health-care. Surely with such a big family, I would assume that providing affordable health-care would be a concern for you folks?"

"Well, since Fran is in the Guard, we pay into Tricare and his employer credits him."

"Fran, thank you for your service."

"Thank you, it is my pleasure."

Barack began again. "Don't you think that every American should be entitled to the same benefit of health-care that you folks have?"

"They do," I replied.

"No Fran they don't, there are 47 million people without affordable insurance. What is wrong with helping them?"

"First of all Barack, you are mixing two facts that have to be examined separately. That 47 million figure is bogus. It doesn't break down those between jobs and those that choose not to have insurance. Second, if you want or need something; you make sacrifices to get it."

Barack sat back and looked at me. "Okay, I concede the first point, but it is not fair to make people choose between their health and putting food on the table!"

Diane blew a soft raspberry. My kids chuckled and the Obamas looked at her. "Please, they aren't deciding between food and insurance. Their hard choice is whether to get a fifty inch tv or the latest Nintendo whatever for their kids."

Michelle countered, "Diane, I have seen real poverty and there are those that need assistance with health costs."

"Sure, but there usually is a reason that they are in poverty, like making bad choices." Adam chimed in.

Barack looked at him, "How old are you?"

"Fifteen."

"Adam that might be true, but I think we should help. Provide a safety net so that they can rebound." Barack paused to let his point sink in.

"But who is going to pay for it?" Erik challenged. "Those of us that have jobs and pay taxes, which frankly I am getting more keenly aware of as I look at my pay stubs."

Barack looked at his wife, then back to me. "Food will be coming soon and I really want to find some common ground. You guys alluded to the fact that Fran was in the Guard; Do you know that my goal is to bring our troops home as soon as possible, if elected?"

I nodded. "Yeah, I think that would be a huge mistake. I just came back from Kuwait. I wouldn't want to go back, the separation was hard. (Michelle looked over at Diane, Diane
blinked and nodded in agreement) But frankly I hope that my contribution to the effort will negate the need for my sons from going in the future."

"But Fran, the war was illegitimate!"

"Barack, if Bill Clinton sent us there, would it have been different?"

"But he didn't, Bush fabricated evidence to get us in there!"

"George Bush did not say or present anything different than what was already known by the previous administration. Saddam was a bad man with bad intentions and was just waiting for the means to do something to us." The whole time both Barack and Michelle were shaking their heads "No" as I was talking. "Now, do I think the war was prosecuted well? No, it was poorly done at first. I also think that Bush does an inadequate job at communicating to the public."

As if looking for a chink, Barack turned to my wife. "Diane, do you want to see an endless war? With our military being so stretched, a draft might be inevitable....." He motioned around the table, looking at each of my boys.

Diane shook her head. "Funny you say that." She now started to fight back tears. "I did not want to do this dinner thing when you asked us! We are out for dinner because this is Erik's last night with us before he goes to Basic." (I think I heard the cameraman gasp quietly)

Realizing that this tack was getting nowhere fast, Barack sat back and seemed a little flummoxed. The food was delivered during this interlude. Picking up a french fry, he looked
at Diane and I and he then appeared confident he found a good thought to pursue. "Given you folks have a good sized family, I am sure education is important and how you are all going to pay for it." Anna stifled a giggle at that statement.

"Anna, how old are you?" Michelle asked, like Anna was keeping a secret.

"I am eleven."

"Well, you seem much older." Barack commented. Anna giggled more at that.

"As a matter of fact, education is very important to us," I answered.

Barack seemed a little energized now. "I knew I could find something!"

Trying to finish up a bite and still talk, Diane added, "We homeschool." (I thought I was going to have to use the 'Heimlich Maneuver' on Michelle!)

"Okay, I respect that." Barack slowly spoke as if trying to recover from a blow to the head. "Not everyone can make that kind of commitment for whatever reason and as I look at your kids; it seems that you two have done a wonderful job so far."

"Thanks." We simultaneously answered.

"Surely though, if you want to send your kids to college, the cost would be hard for you all to handle?" He pressed.

"Not everyone needs to go to college," I said flatly. Diane nodded in agreement and the Obamas now were sharing an expression on their faces as if trying to figure out what kindof oddity they were looking at. "Our goal is to educate our kids, and by the time they graduate, have a skill or vocation that suits them. If they want to go to college, I will pay for the gas to take them to a recruiter." (I think our inquisitors were going into shock now.) Micah, who was his usual quiet self, just grinned huge from hearing me say this often, usually in jest.

"I went to college and had to drop out so I would not go into debt more." Diane added. "Fran is right, not everyone needs a degree. Erik here just decided to acquire one after he is finished with flight school. Micah here wants to be a contractor and might take some classes on business.
Adam wants to make movies, so I don't know, he probably will go to college.

I joined in. "If Adam goes local, he can work and we will provide him room and board." I could see an aide coming over to where we were and thought maybe this was the Obama's cavalry.

Barack looked at each one of us with a kind of half-opened mouth, perplexed expression.  Then he looked as if he solved a puzzle and jokingly
asked in an accusatory tone, "Are you all McCain supporters?"

As if on cue and sounding like a chorus, we all answered "No Way!"

"We probably will vote for him, but that is because it is the only choice that the Republicans are going to leave us with!" Erik commented with a touch of sarcasm.

"May I ask who your candidate was?" Barack asked.

"Mine was Thompson." I sighed. "Diane at first was for Huckabee until she did some digging. Then she settled on Romney." Now the aide was whispering in Baracks ear.

"This has been great!" Wiping his mouth with a napkin and folding it onto the table. "Unfortunately, you know, demands of campaigning, we have to go. Please, let us pick up the check?"

Diane looked at me. "That is kind, but this was supposed to be a dinner for Erik......"

"Please, it is the least we can do. As a way to say thanks for you and your son's service." (Beep...beep.....beep.....beep.....)

I said at the beginning, it was a weird dream!