In Search Of Heroes Spreads Good News About Everyday, Real-Life Heroes Who Deserve Recognition For Their Good Works

The "In Search Of Heroes™ Program" honors all the HEROES Helping, Enthusiastically, Responsibly, Optimistically, Eagerly, and Sincerely individuals, neighbors, family, friends adversely affected by the recent hurricanes, Gustav
Hanna and Ike and the Stock Market Crash.

When major trials and tribulations affect our lives, we can choose to be victims or accept our situation and make the best of it. After experiencing the deaths of my mom and dad and a divorce in the last year, it would be easy to feel like a victim of events I had very little control over.

Fortunately, after interviewing social, military, charity and business heroes, I was inspired to deal with the obstacles in my life in a positive way by focusing on helping others. It is truly amazing that you can choose a positive attitude no matter what is happening in your life or accept the negative, fearful attitude that is the natural human response to adversity.

In the most difficult and dire situations, such as what is happening to Galveston and Houston residents because of the devastation caused by hurricane Ike, your only choice is your attitude and how you deal with so many personal tragedies.

It is often hard to accept adversity and look for the silver lining in every dark cloud, however the silver lining is there, always.

Sometimes, it is hard to recognize the silver lining and tough to keep a positive attitude, but the alternative is a frightening descent into the HELL of victimhood. I have been there and never want to experience the feeling of helplessness ever again.

After interviewing so many successful people, it is amazing the adversity they had to overcome to achieve their dreams. Many stated that the the teaching of Napoleon Hill in his "Think and Grow Rich" book, helped them deal with reality and create the life of their dreams.

Napoleon Hill outlined how the most successful business people 100 years ago overcame FEAR, frustration, anger, exhaustion and stress. His teaching have helped me tremendously in dealing with my own mistakes and bad choices.

To help everyone going through a tough time now and in the near future, I am making available the entire "Heroes In Training Program" FREE online through "Youtube" videos. Just click on the links below to be Inspired by the HEROES interviews and the super-learning "Think and Grow Rich" program by Napoleon Hill.

Think and Grow Rich Super-learning Program that will teach you the secrets of success, peace and happiness of some of the richest and most successful people in history.

Heroes interviews of Coronado Community leaders, High School principal and teachers, KNSD Sports Director Jim Laslavic, Gregory Alan Williams Baywatch Star, San Diego Comic Heroes and the Neale Family by Coronado Journalism High School Students on how they survived the Northridge Earthquake right after their two daughters were severely injured by a drunk driver

Health Hero Interview of San Diego Dr. Michael Borkin, NMD who is recognized world-wide as a leader in using hormone testing and bio-identical hormone supplementation to help people overcome stress and heal from adrenal exhaustion

Charity Hero Interviews of Dr. Asa Morton, MD and other doctors, nurses, students and volunteers who are a part of the HELPS International charitable organization that go to Guatemala every year to do eye surgery on the poorest of the poor

Health Hero Interview of Dr. Robert Rowen, MD, one of the pioneers and leaders in Alternative Medicine and major contributor to alternative medical freedom in Alaska

Military Hero Interview of Captain Tony Gonzales, former Commander of the Naval Base Point Loma

I pray this information will help you overcome the difficulties you are facing in your life.

My goal is to encourage moms and dads and kids to form a mastermind family group that works in harmony to solve their own problems.

Then businesses and the government will apply the "Think and Grow Rich" principles. The Stock Market Crash is a direct result of businesses and the government employees and management focusing on their own personal good rather than their customers and citizens. Unless we all start working together in harmony with integrity our society is doomed!

It is time for the heroes and heroines in our society to rise up because the world needs you now. The "Think and Grow Rich" principles are a tried and true model for creating a bright, prosperous future, no matter the catastrophes that affect our lives and society.

Posted by ralph at 04:46 AM | Permalink

Post I recently placed on Frank Kern's Mass Control Blog. He has an emergency video everyone who wants to take advantage of the greatest period of opportunity in history should go watch.

Frank Kern's Emergency Video

Wow Frank. Right on the MONEY! You are one of my HEROES and hopefully soon to be interviewed along with your good friend John Reese.

How true about the thought process. If you buy into poverty, you become impoverished. If you believe and have faith you can make money any time, any place...it is true, especially if you combine focused, intelligent action with your faith.

I have been working on the In Search Of Heroes Program for almost 16 years, searching for the answer, "What is heroism?" and "Who are the real heroes?" After interviewing some of the most successful internet entrepreneurs, many attributed their success to getting their thought processes focused on being a success and making money following the time immemorial wealth principles described in Napoleon Hill's book "Think and Grow Rich."

With their high praise, I bought a copy at Barnes and Noble. After reading it, I was impressed, but there seemed to be something missing. When I took the public domain copy and converted it into a super-learning program, I discovered important information that had been secretly removed from the book in the stores.

What is happening now is a part of a socially recurring pattern. In 1918-1919, when we had the Spanish Influenza Pandemic, that killed millions of people world-wide, the media promoted FEAR OF ILL-HEALTH AND DEATH. The media is trying to create another Pandemic again by using FEAR of the flu to get viewers so they can get a bigger market share and make more money.

Before the Great Depression in 1929, the media promoted FEAR OF POVERTY. Exactly the same thing is happening now. Here is Wikipedia's explanation of the Stock Market Crash in 1929:

"Although its causes are still uncertain, the basic cause was a sudden loss of confidence in the economic future. The traditional explanation is a combination of high consumer debt, ill-regulated markets that permitted malfeasance by banks and investors, cutbacks in foreign trade, and growing wealth inequality, all interacting to create a downward economic spiral of reduced spending and production. The initial government response to the crisis exacerbated the situation; protectionist policies like the 1930 Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act, rather than helping the economy, merely strangled global trade. Industries that suffered the most included agriculture, mining, and logging as well as durable goods like construction and automobiles that people postponed."

My motto has always been, "Heroes and heroines rise up. The world needs you now." It is time all the internet entrepreneur heroes I interviewed and will interview join together to save the world from FEAR. As Frank says, "This is one of the greatest opportunities for those who have a prosperity mindset?"

Frank's Mass Control concept is as effective as it is timeless. The journey of the hero, A. Hometown boy or girl makes good. B. Us versus them. and C. Heroes return to share their magic powers and mental breakthroughs to help save their world, has existed from the beginning of time. Frank's Mass Control material is an integral part of the "In Search Of Heroes" Program because he again has proven through his massive sales statistics that the truth always works, when applied correctly.

Keep up the good work Frank. Mass Control is AWESOME!

My heroes program will be up and running soon so all of the entrepreneurial heroes can work together to help save the world. I am still a little behind from taking care of my parents 24-7 for four years until their died recently. Now that they are gone, I am going to focus all my time teaching people how to find their own hero within and beginning their heroes journey...and taking their kids and grandkids with them.

Captain Biorhythm

Posted by ralph at 06:04 AM | Permalink

DALLAS HELL IS THE TRUTH!!!!!

My brain felt like it was being cooked right inside my skull. It has been so hot you could fry an egg on the sidewalk.

Now I know what they mean when they say your brain is like eggs in a frying pan when you are on drugs. Heat exhaustion is pretty extreme and you begin to see visions. You don't needs drugs or alcohol poisoning to experience an whole new reality.

The last two weeks were beyond belief but thankfully there were many miracles as God guided my path. Thanks for all your prayers. I never could have made it without them.

I will give you a full account of my descent into HELL on Wednesday after I get a high speed internet connection. Wednesday was the earliest I could get hooked up to high speed AT&T cable and internet.

Frankly, I feel like an internet addict who has had to go cold turkey. It is hard to comprehend just how much I use the internet for business and personal communications until there is none.

I have been deprived of internet access for almost 10 days and I am getting withdrawal symptoms.

Luckily, a lady in the near vicinity did not encrypt her wireless internet router and i am able to connect using her service on rare occasions. This is one. The signal is so poor I just hope this posts okay so all my friends know I am still alive.

take care,
ralph

Posted by ralph at 04:20 PM | Permalink

Dear Warriors,
I hate to admit it but I am going to HELL!

Dallas, Texas HELL to be specific where they are experiencing one of the hottest summers in years with 18 days above 100 degrees. It reminds me of 1999 when we moved there and the temperature was over 100 degrees for over 90 straight days.

You ask, what in the world am I thinking? Why would I ever leave San Diego Paradise for a burning inferno of a city. Well, here is my reason. My wife's family lives in Dallas and Louisiana. She helped take care of my mom and dad for three and four years respectively. It is time to return the favor.

My previous stint in Dallas was from 1999 until 2004 when my mom and dad got sick. I hope and pray I only have to stay less than a year.

The following quote is one I am trying to internalize.

"Happiness is not in our circumstances but in ourselves. It is not something we see, like a rainbow, or feel, like the heat of a fire. Happiness is something we are." John B. Sheerin

I am consciously choosing to be happy and look forward to the move to Dallas as a huge adventure...sort of. We have been packing all week and can only imagine what it will feel like unloading it all in 105 degree heat. Yahoo! I won't need to take a sauna the day we arrive and I unload. How is that for positive thinking?

At this moment in time I am inspired by what Google Adwords expert Perry Marshal said about the lowest point in his life when his dad died.

Perry Marshall: That’s a good question. Everybody has different hard spots in their life. They are always hard for different reasons and lots of times you can’t compare one to the other.

My dad died when I was 17. There was a three year process of fighting cancer and the emotional roller coaster of “Dad is going to be okay, Dad’s not going to be okay, Dad’s going to be okay” and all that.

Most people, by the time they are well into adulthood have probably experienced that with somebody. I remember being really upset about that.

I remember having this conversation with my mom where I said, “Well, I guess God gave me a dad and if God is going to take my dad away then God can do that.”

Later on, it would have been about a month after my dad died, I was a senior in high school and I was taking this class. We had this interesting assignment to write a philosophy of life. By virtue of having been through the wringer with this I had given those questions a lot more thought than probably most kids do at that age.

I hope I remember this correctly; I wrote down three things and I turned this in. I said, “Nothing is worth living for unless it’s worth dying for, because to live for something is to spend time which you can not get back in pursuit of it.” That was the first one.

I didn’t make up any of this stuff myself. I got it all from other people. The second one was “The difficult things you deal with in life will make you a stronger, better person, but only if you let them.”

The third one I think comes from the Westminster Confession. It says, “The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.”

That was my philosophy of life at age 17, and I don’t think I would change that now. I think that was pretty good, but being forced to confront a lot of hard issues is, I think, the only way you really figure out what is important and what is not.

take care,
ralph

Posted by ralph at 02:31 PM | Permalink

Michel Fortin has experienced many difficulties in his life that would bring the strongest person to their knees with his wife's breast cancer and his ailing back. When you learn about the lowest moment in his life years ago, it is inspiring to all of us who have less challenging obstacles.

It is important to focus on what you want in life rather than what you don't want. I am learning that is so true with every day.

We been exploring the inner workings of the mind for many years. It is a fact that we know the impact of the daily thoughts on our attitude. When we focus on not missing the target we often miss the target and the results can often be disastrous.

When we focus on hitting the bull’s-eye, it is impossible to think negative thoughts.

In Tennis Awareness, focusing only on the ball allows your body to perform magnificently. It is important to make sure your goals are specific and precise and you know your end result.

Michel Fortin: I wrote a book over ten years ago that I just recently put to the Internet for free, and it was a book that I’d written as a way to teach my own self how to go through some of the hardships that I was going at that time. I was a go getting, goal-achieving, goal-oriented, Type A personality, do as much as you possibly can-type person and I realized that I was achieving a lot.

I was making a lot of money. I was a salesperson working on commission and I was doing very well until I realized that I was neglecting and ignoring other things, and especially my own self, the quality of my life. I was focusing too much on quantity of time rather than quality of life.

Well, lo and behold, in what seemed like a matter of hours I lost everything in my life, my home, my car, my furniture, my wife. I lost everything and then I went into bankruptcy and I even had to look at sleeping at the YMCA for shelter and then I started writing that book and I realized there are far more important things out there than, you know – first of all, people are more important and second of all is time.

Time is a commodity, a scarce commodity and what you don’t do in this moment is something you will never be able to do, in that moment anyways. When that moment’s gone, it’s gone. Do you want to spend it working like, you know, on your business?

Sure, if it gives you some kind of feeling that I’m doing something that I absolutely love to do or do you want to work in a job dreading those years until you retire? Or are you going to work so much that you neglect the people who you love? So the point, I’m saying, is that low of the low that I have gone through was the most precious and beautiful gift that I have ever received.

It was the biggest lesson that I had to learn and that’s what I – that pretty much encompasses everything I just said up until this point.

Posted by ralph at 09:05 AM | Permalink

The following quote from Vincent Van Gogh "Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together." definitely gives everyone hope that they too can achieve their dreams, one small step a a time. Great things take a long time and lots of small steps, both forward and backward as we learn through our mistakes what works and what does not.

One of the heroes I met while taking care of my mom and dad was Dr. Donald Guess, DMD. He invested 35 years in conducting research projects on how doctors and business executives could become financially free in the shortest period time. He discovered that financial freedom is a savings account big enough that the interest will cover all the living expenses.

One of his research projects that cost millions of dollars and was conducted at Stanford over a number of years produced the fact that "When people make changes in their lives and businesses, there is an immediate loss and deterioration in performance. The trial and error, making as many mistakes as possible to find out what works fastest, is a critical part of generating enough momentum to catapult to the next higher level of performance.

The researchers discovered that this applies to all areas of life. That is why it is so hard to make changes in our own lives because of the fear of failure and loss, but it is the only way to disrupt the status quo. Choosing to be better or achieve a higher level of performance takes courage in every area of life.

Either we do everything to maintain the status quo or seek to be different and choose to set ourselves apart from the masses and become great. Overcoming the fear of failure is crucial before we can be great achievers because making mistakes is an integral part of transformation.

take care,
ralph

Posted by ralph at 09:38 AM | Permalink

Dear Warriors,

Here is some more inspiration from Souza and Jason Potash. After reading the quote from Souza and Jason's lowest moment, I realized that life is filled with problems and difficulties...every day. It is the attitude we choose that determines or happiness, how we respond to the obstacles. Either we are proactive and determine our destiny or get crushed by the mistakes, errors, tragedies, cataclysms and sorrows.

Biorhythm Awareness have been one of the most valuable tools I have ever discovered to help me understand and plan for the ups and downs of life. This knowledge really helped me give my mom and dad the best care during their final days, especially knowing when they needed more love and encouragement on the emotionally down days.

"For a long time it seemed to me that life was about to begin - real life. But there was always some obstacle in the way, something to be gotten through first, some unfinished business, time still to be served, a debt to be paid. At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life. This perspective has helped me to see there is no way to happiness. Happiness is the way. So treasure every moment you have and remember that time waits for no one. Happiness is a journey, not a destination..." Souza

Jason Potash: "It’s a business, but what sticks out in my mind is one of the most difficult challenges I’ve had would be going back just after I got married, about ten years ago now. I was working in a deadbeat job and not making very much money.

I basically decided to send my wife back to college to fulfill her life long dream of becoming a teacher. She’d held that dream for years and years. When we got married I said, “You know what? We’re young, now is the time. Let’s just sacrifice it and get a line of credit, send you back to school and of course, have a big fat loan, a student loan on our bank record.”

We had just gotten married and were looking to buy furniture so it was not a good situation. I moved into a small, basically one bedroom apartment. The joke was that you could take a marble and drop it on the floor in the kitchen. It would roll real fast to the other side of the kitchen.

The floors were slanted; we had raccoons living in the rafters. I’m not making this stuff up, there were raccoons living in our rafters and they were fighting at night. It was just a run down place. You get to that point in your life where you are like, “I just hope to God that it’s only going to go up from here because how much lower can we go here.”

Driving a beat up car and my wife wasn’t there for support and at that point in my life, my parents had been split up for many years and my mom decided to go back with my brother to live in Germany where her family was.

My family was gone and my wife was away, I had huge debt piled up, I was barely making ends meet, I had this crappy car that I was driving, and living in this run down apartment. That was basically rock bottom.

You know, I think that basically through my attitude and perseverance and knowing, believing in myself and just studying like crazy about all the things that would help me to succeed in business, and having a goal and some focus, that really helped me just to never lose sight of my goal, to know that this is a temporary situation.

If I was 85 years old and this had been my life for the past 85 years, you might want to get depressed and upset because you’ve done nothing. You haven’t changed anything, you’ve lived the same life you had when you were 20, 30 or 40.

That can be pretty sad but the fact that I was young, intelligent, had a lot of motivation, able bodied, able minded, what could stand in my way and stop me?

My driving persistence and desire to want to succeed was what really kept me going. It’s hard to give yourself a kick in the butt to keep going and to constantly tell yourself that things will get better. I’m going to succeed some day and this is just a test, it’s just temporary and I can change these circumstances with the power of will that I have.

That really kept me going, and it didn’t take me a year to get me out of that situation, it took me several years, probably at least three years. As I slowly built things up, each new month became a little bit better, and I knew I was just stoking my mental fire with information and knowledge to help me break the shackles of poverty and succeed.

I did, I faced the brink of bankruptcy. At one point I was willing to throw in the towel. A lot of my friends did who were in similar situations and I said, “No, I’m not going to give in.” I know I can just hang on to this bowl, and even though it’s throwing me around and I’m getting kicked back and forth, I know I can ride this thing out. I’m going to be a better person having gone through this again, this “test” that I’m being put through here.

Obviously, there is a happy ending to this story and my wife is still with me and she has been a driving force in my life and has really been one of my coaches to get me back on the saddle and give me a kick in the butt and say, “Keep going. You can do this, keep plugging away.”

It’s easy to give up, to crash and burn and throw my hands in the air and say, “This is not worth it, and I can’t take it any more.” There has been a lot of life lessons learned in that process as well.

I guess you’ve heard this before, but anybody listening today who is in that situation today, I’m here to tell you that it’s all up to you. It all depends on how badly you want to get out of that situation.

I remember even having jobs where I just hated, hated the environment I was in. My boss was a jerk, I hated the way I was treated, and the money was just garbage. I was being taken advantage of and it wasn’t a good feeling.

Many people go through that in life and they are not willing to make the change. They just go through that for 30 or 40 years and it’s sad. As opposed to people who say, “You know what? I hate this job so bad, I’m going to do whatever it takes to get myself the heck out of here. I don’t care what it takes. If it means I have to stay up five hours a night studying marketing or studying real estate or studying investment planning, I don’t care. I’m going to do whatever it takes to get myself out of this hellhole.

That’s exactly what I did. You have to reach that point in life, I think, where you say to yourself, “Am I willing to do whatever it takes to get myself out of this situation?” Whatever that situation might be.

When you come to that point, and you’ve really just entirely had it, I think that’s when amazing things happen and breakthroughs happen. It happened for me because at that point I just said, “That’s it. There is no turning back. I’m just going to rock and roll, buckle down, do what I have to do. Keep my nose to the grindstone, not complain, not whine and not moan but just do this and make it happen and not finish until I’m done and I’m satisfied and I’m living the life that I want to live.”

That’s what happened to me, as I said when I sort of was in financial ruins and so forth. It became the driving force to achieving the success that I have today."

take care,
ralph

Posted by ralph at 07:18 AM | Permalink

Dear Readers,

This quote by Soren Kierkegaard and Willie Crawford's description of the lowest point in his life really inspired me to not be a whiner and get on with my life. I have decided move back to Texas, rent an apartment in Bedford Texas and get back involved in the community like before my parents had their catastrophic illnesses four years ago.

It is time to start making a positive difference in the world rather than thinking about myself and feeling like "Woe is me because everything has been so up in the air since my dad's death!"

It is time to publish the series of Heroes Books I have created from compiling the wisdom of the Internet heroes I have interviewed over the last five years. The inspiration and wisdom is so valuable, I feel convicted that I need to make it available to the world now. Everyone needs more motivation, encouragement and hope for a better life as difficulties increase world-wide.

The increase in gas, crash of the real estate market, floods, hurricanes, tornadoes and decline of the stock market all are creating FEAR in our society. FEAR becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. We all need to work together with our family members, friends and neighbors to help each other in our local communities, to solve our own problems by stepping up to the plate and being "social heroes."

"If I were to wish for anything, I would not wish for wealth and power, but for the passionate sense of what might be, for the eye which, ever young and ardent, sees the possible. Pleasure disappoints, possibility never, and what wine is so sparkling, what so fraught, what so intoxicating as possibility!" Soren Kierkegaard

Willie Crawford: "I want anyone reading this call to go to GitOffThePorch.com, and read my biography. I talk about getting up one morning, walking into the shower, taking a shower and in the middle of the shower collapsing and I made such a thunderous noise that my wife rushed into the bathroom and saw me lying in the shower dying. I'm convinced I was dying at that time.

She yells and screams at me 'Don't you do this, don't you leave me.' She yelled and she screamed so much that there was a part of me that thought you know, I'm tired, I'm very tired. At that point I'd probably been drunk for like six months every single day.

I was a functional walking drunk. I would go to work and do my job and drive back and forth, and I could function perfectly normal but my body had said you completely overwhelm me, I'm tired and I'm lying on the floor of a shower with the water flowing and the room is going dark.

It was my wife’s yelling and screaming that I guess pulled me out of it enough to where she helped me out of the shower, and I sat down on the toilet lid and got dressed and they took me to the hospital where they sent me into treatment for alcohol addiction at the time.

A third of my blood was alcohol. It was in excess of .35 I think it was.

It should have poisoned my brain enough where my brain should have stopped working and so they sent me to a 28 day treatment program, and that was the low point of my life. It was the weeks leading up to that I had done a number of crazy things.

I spent three years in Alaska where I was assigned as a soldier and when you go out fishing, or in the wilderness in Alaska you can look behind you and see a bear or a wolf or a badger or some other creature that wants to hurt you.

I carried a 44 Magnum pistol with bare rounds and these rounds were powerful enough, where somebody can drive at you with a car and you can shoot through the radiator into the engine block of a car with a 44 Magnum and stop that car.

That is how powerful that pistol was. I went from Alaska to Florida with the military, I brought my pistol along, and at my lowest point I actually considered suicide. I can remember being out drunk and thinking I've lost control. I'm a control freak.

I thought to myself that I've lost control and I thought,'Ah I'm going to end it all.' I actually stuck my gun to my head and cocked it and then I thought I don't want to die alone I want somebody to hold me in their arms as I die. That is what stopped me from shooting myself.

I just didn't want to be out by myself in the middle of nowhere with no one appreciating the fact that I was killing myself.

I wanted to be touched by another human being as I died. That was the lowest part probably in my life.

Many people go through that and it’s important for those people to realize that it’s ok to be that way, but you need to reach out to others and let them know that you're struggling because there’s people who are there to help you.

People helped me and you know I turned around, but that was a low point in my life. I was on the verge of taking my own life.

Another time was when I collapsed in the shower and was on the verge of my body just saying ok we give up. You've abused me too much and I came back and at that point I was making over $100,000.00 a year on the internet.

You know things have turned around enough now where its seven figures and it happened and when the momentum kicks in its just amazing, just totally amazing. It’s mind boggling.

For me it’s all about serenity. It’s all about being at peace and at ease and comfortable with your role in the world, and if you're not happy with where you are and with who you are, then you know something is out of kilter, but you need to find that balance because otherwise life is just not worth living to you.

Serenity is very important to me. Peace and happiness is very important to me. I mean I live in northwest Florida where I can get up any day and just go out go fishing whatever, and as long as there are no hurricanes, I can just go out and go fishing I can be out in the middle of the ocean.

The ocean is the most peaceful place in the world. I mean it puts me in touch with my tiny place in the world, because I am just one little tiny speck, a dot in the universe.

You can go out and look down in the ocean and see a school of a million fish and you realize how vast things are, and if you look on your depth finder and you see the ocean that spots like five miles deep which is incredible.

You realize that if you fell overboard you would never reach the bottom, because the water pressure and the things change and you would sink slower and slower and slower and you'd never reach the bottom.

That’s just incredible, but you know I'm all about serenity, I'm all about being happy with what I do and I when I was in the military I'd wake up everyday I'd look at the television and there was the news on and everyday there’s a conflict in the world. Theirs like 35 wars going on in the world right now whether most people think about it or not. I mean Korea has been at war since the 50’s.

They are still technically at war. You know the north against the south. There is about 35 wars going on in the world, and as a soldier I would look on the television and say 'Where am I going to be tonight?'

I didn't know and there came a point where I just said I'm tired of this and I want to experience some of my children’s birthdays and just be more in control of where I am at the end of the day, and that is when I decided I was going to leave the military and build my own business and make it a success. You see failure was never an option for me.

It was; you will build a successful business and you will make over a million dollars a year from your successful business. It was never an option that I could do anything other than that."

take care,
ralph

Posted by ralph at 10:13 AM | Permalink

I am trying to keep a positive mental attitude but it is hard under the difficult circumstances. I am being forced to move out of my parents home so it can be sold. My sisters want to sell it to get the money, but to me it has a huge nostalgic value...all the wonderful memories, the laughter, joy, sorrow and miracles.

I just don't have the desire or energy to be involved in difficult relations with my sisters. Since I spent so much time taking care of my mom and dad in their home, I feel their spirits every moment of the day when I move from room to room.

I remember events going all the way back to my childhood. It is tough to realize that I have to be out of the house with all my possessions before the second week of August.

Here it is, another emergency situation where major decisions have to be made.

It will take some herculean feats of strength and endurance to move all my stuff into storage and find a place to live.

For many years, I lived out of my car, just to have a simple, uncluttered life. After all I have been through over the last 4 years I feel like buying a van and simply disappearing into the wilderness.

With all the difficulties in the world, with the increases in the price of gas, the crashing of the stock market, the banks going down the drain, government institutions failing, the world needs my "In Search Of Heroes Program" now more than ever.

The San Diego Comic Con is next week and I was going in search of costumed heroes who are making the world a better place to do some inspiring interviews. But, I am having a hard time getting motivated with the move looming in the near future.

I guess I should go back and listen to the heroes interviews again and read about the heroes lowest moments in their lives to become inspired. Perhaps I will post some of their darkest moments and how they survived so you can be inspired too.

I just don't know. It is hard to get over this wave of recent depression I have been experiencing as the moment of homelessness fast approaches.

I guess I really need to work on my Positive Attitude in light of the end of an era.

take care,
ralph

Posted by ralph at 06:50 PM | Permalink

Warrior forum response

Dear George,
Thank you for your kind words.

It is hard to understand what a family goes through when you have parents or a child who is sick and dying unless you have actually been through it or know intimately family members who are dealing with it or have been recently involved in such a situation.

Caregivers are truly a special breed, because it takes a certain amount of emotional and physical strength to deal with the emotional ups and downs that occur when you're dealing with the death process.

Having been through it myself, it has really opened up my eyes to how important and valuable it is to be involved in the life and death process of our family members. When we go through the dying process with a child or parent, we begin to understand how fragile and strong life is, all at the same time.

Often times, there is nothing we can really do but just pray. The control of the situation is completely out of our hands.

It is frustrating, but also liberating to know that we are not God. There is a real peace in knowing that God decides when people live or die and all we have to do is be there and do whatever we can reinforcing the choice for life, unless the patient has chosen non-intervention.

Take care
Ralph

Posted by ralph at 09:40 AM | Permalink

Warror Forum Response

Dear Simon,
Thank you for your compassion and empathy.

On the 4th of July, it is a time to celebrate our freedom that was purchased with the blood, sweat and tears of so many generations of our parents, their parents' parents...all the way back through our history to the great American Revolution when men and women decided to stand against tyranny...no matter the cost in time, money, possessions and lives.

But, it is also a sad time for those of us who have lost our parents. They loved this country and personally sacrificed a great deal to insure our freedom, one that cost so many lives. They fought many enemies during their lifetimes to battle for the survival of this great country that was founded on patriotism, love of God, self-sacrifice and hard work.

I am grateful that my parent's generation, one of the greatest to ever live, encouraged and inspired us with their lives...their honesty, integrity and love of this country and God. They encouraged their kids to be the best we could possibly be by providing us with the great educations, food, a place to live, our first cars and the encouragement that we could do anything we set our minds to.

Now that the corrupt politicians, complicit media and greedy oil moguls and dictators have brought our world to the brink of collapse because of their unbridled desire for power, profits and pleasures, it is time for all the heroes in our lives...moms, dads, kids, grandparents, teachers, coaches, religious leaders to repair the damage.

We can do it if we all work together in our own communities and spread "Good News" to counteract and defuse all the bad, cataclysmic news of the media. They appear to only be interested in ratings.

Unless we the people in our own communities start being social heroes and work together to solve our own problems and create our own prosperous realities, we are doomed to live a future of deprivation and suffering only the media will appreciate. They are doing everything they can to spread FEAR of failure, poverty and sickness to promote a recession or even depression and perhaps a pandemic.

Just as in the time of Napoleon Hill, when the news media created unrelenting FEAR in the population of financial failure, poverty, sickness and death from the Spanish Influenza, the media of today appears to be trying to do the same thing.

At least in the time of Napoleon Hill, the media changed their stories to positive ones when they became aware of the damage they were doing to their own society.

After all, they had to live in a world of their own creating. They also were being adversely affected by the financial and physical suffering. Back then, they actually had an understanding of right and wrong. They changed their negative focus when their own personal interests were threatened. They selfishly relented.

In our world today, one that is sick from moral relativism, that is perpetuated by the incredible mastery and deception of the highly paid "spin doctors," I wonder if the media will stop before their poison destroys our awesome country and ruins even their own lives and those of their families.

It is time for all the local heroes to rise up and take action because the world definitely needs social heroes now. If people in our world continue on with their apathy, who knows what the future holds.

"All it takes for evil to triumph is for good men and women to do nothing!"

I was just watching the Harry Potter movie, the "Goblet Of Fire" and one of his mentors said so profoundly, "We are going into a time when it is important to do what is right rather than the right thing."

take care,
ralph

Posted by ralph at 09:11 PM | Permalink

Thank you for your kind words and blessings.

I am sorry to hear about the loss of your mom. It is so tough to lose you mom, especially when she is an inspiration to you, your family and friends.

I appreciate you mentioning God and how He blesses those who take care of their parents. In the scriptures it says, (paraphrased) God sets a father in honor over his children; a mother's authority he confirms over her sons.

Whoever honors his mother and father atones for sins, and preserves himself from them. When he prays, his is heard; he stores up riches who reveres his mother. Whoever honors his father is gladdened by children, and when he prays, he is heard.

Whoever reveres his father and mother will live a long life; he obeys his father who brings comfort to his mother. My son, take care of your father and mother when they are old; grieve them not as long as they live; Even if their minds fail, be considerate of them; revile them not all the days of their lives; kindness to a father and mother will not be forgotten, firmly planted against the debt of your sin-a house raised in justice to you.

This is one of the most comforting passages in the bible about taking care of parents. It provides a lot of peace and joy. Taking care of dying parents is one of the most difficult things a child will ever do in their lives but the rewards are truly amazing.

Thanks for your encouragement. I appreciate it.

ralph

Posted by ralph at 02:36 PM | Permalink

Today I volunteered my time to go videotape Dr. Asa Morton's HELPS Eye Care Mission that he goes on each year to dark recesses of Guatemala. I have photoed and videotaped his "Thank You Dinner" every year for the last three years.

My dad really believed in helping the poor and unfortunate in other countries and contributed greatly to Dr. Morton's mission. Last year I can remember how thrilled he was to go and be with his friends and see the slide show presentation.

I see visions of him sitting in his wheel chair, with his contorted smile, complimenting all the women young and old on how beautiful they were and talking with the other contributors and supporters.

It is times like this that I realize helping others with time and money transcends our own selfish reality. When we realize there are so many people in the world who are blessed by a scrap of bread , a roof over their heads and a place to sleep, it is much easier to be thankful for all of our blessings. Our problems in comparison are nothing!

In light of the suffering of many people in the world it is sad to think we are so caught up in our own pathway to wealth and personal possessions and power that we lose sight of what is really valuable...helping others in our family and neighborhoods.

We don't have far to go to find others who need our help in our local neighborhoods...the sick, elderly, poor, depressed, confused, orphans, divorced, etc. Real personal power is not what we do for ourselves and how much adulation we gain but how we serve others who have no one else to help them but us.

take care,
ralph

Posted by ralph at 07:58 PM | Permalink

Warrior Forum response

Dear Mohamad,

Thank you for your encouragement. I really appreciate your comments.

"Be a hero yourself and be strong."

Sometimes it is tough being a hero in the matters of the heart. Running into a burning building to save people would almost seem easier because it is a one time event that is over in a few seconds.

"I lost my father suddenly. He was gunned down in the line of duty when I was still a teen and he was the sole breadwinner of the family."

I am so sorry to hear about your dad being gunned down in the line of duty. Was he a soldier or a policeman? It is really hard to loose your dad so young. I am so grateful to have had a relationship with my dad for so many years. How did your family ever survive without your dad, the major breadwinner?

"Your father is your hero. Now you can be your own hero by being there for your father."

My dad was my hero and I did my best to be a hero while taking care of him. But, it was extremely hard to be a hero all the time.

Sometimes, I just wanted it all to end so I could have my life back. The sacrifices you have to make are extreme. The financial difficulties and emotional suffering is
a catalyst to depression, despair, self-pity and all the other non-hero attitudes.

"It's good to know that you are expressing gratitude for the blessings and the goodness that has been shown to you and your father."

Words cannot adequately describe my gratitude for all the people like you who took the time to encourage me. If not for all the kind souls who supported me, I don't know what I would have done. I had no idea the death of my dad would affect me so much. I loved my mom and suffered greatly with her death last year on April 16, but was not prepared for the recent passing of my dad. I guess there is something profound when your last living parent dies.

"Rest assured your kindness and compassion will not go unrewarded."

Thank you for this assurance. God does promise, "Give and you shall receive." I am confident God will reward me for my taking care of my parents.

take care,
Ralph

Posted by ralph at 03:48 PM | Permalink

Dear MarkHBE,

Thank you for your condolences.

I am so sorry both your parents died when you were a teenager. Dealing with long illnesses is a challenging and oftentimes a horrific experience.

After four years of taking care of my mom and dad, it was agonizing to see them deteriorate slowly, especially in the light of the knowledge I gained in 30 years of alternative medicine research. I could have helped them so much.

They could have enjoyed longer lives and less suffering if only they were open to the wisdom I learned from top alternative medicine doctors all over the world.

But, my promise to them was to allow them full choice while they were alive, to choose their own destiny without me imposing what I believed was the right thing for them. It is so frustrating when you see your loved ones suffering and you know the answer that would solve their suffering in a matter of days.

I am feeling better every day. I feel my mom and dad's presence especially at mass every day when I approach the throne of God and have a little bread and wine with them. Every day I go, I feel closer and closer to them. I can hear their comforting words and feel their gentle touch.

I do keep the rest of my family and my friends close. They are a very special blessing and they do make me feel good.

I decided to get back into the physical activities I loved the most: teaching the "Inner Game Of Tennis," working out at a gym in Ocean Beach and playing and teaching "Tapeworm Tennis."

I still suffer the extreme loss of the two people who loved me the most. Life is empty without them, but I am making small gains in focusing on the present and living in reality rather than the past.

Take care,
ralph

Posted by ralph at 05:20 PM | Permalink

Response to Warrior Forum Post

Dear Sonia,

So many of our parents were real heroes. They knew the meaning of sacrificing for their families and our society. They loved God, their family and this country!

Isn't it interesting that the children of the heroes of the "Greatest Generation" are really concerned about our society today and it's insidious moral decay.

The real question is, "Are we willing to lay down our lives for our family and society and desirous of taking up the challenge of doing whatever it takes to make a stand against the pervasive evil that is seeking to destroy the world our parents created?"

You know and feel how important our parents faith and commitment was. My parents were married for 60 years. They gave me a lifelong example of what it means to not quit, no matter the obstacles or consequences, to join with like minded individuals to make a positive difference in the world.

They taught me that it is important to stand for what you believe even though you know persecution is a reality for those who speak out and won't be silenced by political correctness. It is time we make a stand for truth, honesty, integrity and morality and get as many other heroes to join with us in the current battle against the evil that threatens to destroy the world our parents gave us through the sacrifice of their lives.

"All it takes for evil to triumph is for good men and women to do nothing." author unknown

We need not shudder to think about what will happen when all of the greatest generation are all gone and social revisionists have corrupted the morals, values and ethics that made this country great.

Instead, we need to take action and find the personal courage to stand for a moral, ethical and just society where individuals work to benefit the whole rather than demanding total individualism that ends in anarchy.

When every man and woman seeks total freedom without any constraint they are setting themselves up as gods, who must experience both good and evil. They must be both evil and good so they can distinguish between the two and become our benevolent rulers who know better than us how to live our lives.

I really miss my mom and dad and their friends who have passed away. My passion is to find those special individuals who want to be a part of the next "Greatest Generation." It is not too late for good men and women to make a positive difference in our lives, our family members, our businesses, community, state, country and world.

take care,
ralph

PS Heroes rise up, the world needs you now!

Posted by ralph at 11:43 AM | Permalink

Dear skystar2 from the Warrior Forum
My mom and dad were both in World War II. I believe Tom Brokaw was correct when he said they were the "Greatest Generation." I agree that their values of devotion, duty and sacrifice for one's family and country were deeply ingrained in them by their parents.

Yes, my mom and dad instilled in my the love of God, family and country in that order. When I think about when I was young, those values were shared by the society in general.

There was no social fear for young children being sexually molested, murdered or kidnapped for ransom. From the age 5 I wandered the streets of Ocean Beach with impunity, riding my bike, walking and running as far as my human power could take me. My mom and dad only wanted to make sure I was home for dinner and did not ditch school too often.

What a difference in the world today that is at war with the Christian values, morals and ethics of the "Greatest Generation." With the expulsion of God and the Ten Commandments from schools, churches and the government we now have a society that is totally self-absorbed. They are locked into material possessions, a imaginary world created by TV and the internet and a destructive addiction to fantasy sex fulfilled and perpetuated through pornography.

Politicians, TV commentators and journalists twist the facts and come up with their own distorted truth. They try to perpetuate their perspective on reality by saying their vision of truth over and over again until people accept their distorted vision as social truth.

With no absolutes or right and wrong, every person now has the freedom to do whatever they want. The only sin is getting caught doing something the majority or the power hungry judges say is wrong.

The new morality is moral expedience. Political correctness has demonized everyone with a different point of view rather than the accepted liberal, socialist view that the government is the answer to all of societies problems and the politicians and bureaucrats are our saviors.

They know better how to spend our tax money on themselves by lining their pockets and paying off their cronies. Sometimes I wonder what every happened to "Mister Smith Goes to Washington." We desperately need people in government who have honesty, integrity and ethics.

I truly miss the people of the "Greatest Generation." I shudder to think what will happen when they are all gone and social revisionists have corrupted the morals, values and ethics that made this country great.

take care,
ralph

Posted by ralph at 03:04 PM | Permalink

Dear Wofawarrior,

Thank your for your virtual hugs and feelings of love for me and my family. It is people like you and the other wonderful individuals who posted to this thread.

It is amazing how much support I received from my internet family. So many people I don't even know were praying for me and my family and continue to do so. I appreciate this very much.

I am sorry you had to go through the loss of one or both parents. I guess we are all fated to do at one time or another.

I agree that its not easy. It is the hardest thing I have ever done in my life.

I can not tell you how many times I wished for a different fate for both my mom and dad, perhaps a sudden death like that experienced by Tim Russert recently.

After taking care of them for so long, I consider a quick death a blessing rather than a curse. Although, a instant death is tough on those who remain. It is hard to say which is more difficult for the survivors: instant death or a lingering demise.

"They say time heals all wounds, well I wouldn't say that but it does teach you to live with them.
It takes a while."

I agree. I guess the person who said that either had unlimited time or was depending on Alzheimer's or senility to wipe the mind clean.

That had to be very hard on you with your mom suffering a stroke and dying of cancer. It is tough to see your parent so unhappy and wishing they were dead. The almost dead, the comeback, then almost dead, then comeback recurring cycle is extremely tough for everyone. Sometimes you want to scream...Enough!!!

Not knowing what was coming was challenging, although having biorhythm charts on everyone in the household was a huge advantage for marshaling scarce emotional resources and having an idea of when were the most dangerous and unstable times. Knowing when to allow invasive procedures when the patients have the greatest chance to survive is invaluable.

It was good you had 14 months with your mom. It is an amazing experience to go through the death process with a loved one. The bonding is the most powerful I have every felt, especially with 3 years with my mom and 4 years with my dad.

Even though the emotional and financial challenges were severe, you cannot put a price on the emotional and spiritual rewards you receive when you do the right thing for the people in your life. There is something special about your parents telling you thank you for changing their diapers and feeding them when they can no longer take care of themselves.

Take care,
Ralph

Posted by ralph at 10:06 AM | Permalink

Response to Warrior Linda

Dear Linda,

Thanks for your kind words. I appreciate your reading my posts and actually sharing your good feeling with me. "As I sip my glass of wine I toast you and wish you great JOY!" I just wish we could have shared the glass of wine together physically rather virtually.

Thank you for sending me light and love on my mothers birthday. I am working hard to have a better understanding of life.

I guess the more difficult the experiences the greater the growth and trust in benevolent higher powers. What has really helped me over the years of all the catastrophic events with my parents, not judging the events as "good" or "bad" really helped a lot to stay focused on the present.

Since I had no control over their lives or deaths, there was a certain peace at choosing whatever therapies would minimally prolong life. I just had to stand buy and do whatever was needed next. With sick and dying parents, the choices were pretty clear.
take care,
ralph

Posted by ralph at 12:10 PM | Permalink

Father's Day was amazing. I had the opportunity to think about all the great days I spent with my dad over the years. It was always a pleasure to thank him with a beautiful Father's Day card for all the ways he blessed me financially, emotionally, spiritually.

Thinking about him yesterday was such a fulfilling experience because I know he is with our Father in heaven. He is enjoying a peace that goes beyond understanding, spending time with his wife, brother, mom and dad and other family members who are already in heaven. The fellowship and joy has to be incredible.

When I go to mass every day, it seems mom and dad are there with me worshiping God. Time slows down as I partake a small taste of eternity. Reality, every day I go to God's house, seems to expand to encompass a dimension I have never before experienced.

I think the prayers of my mom and dad for me directly to Jesus' ear is working. My grief is gone and I am filled with joy and anticipate the future and making the world a better place, one energizing hug at a time. Thanks DAD for the encouragement and example of loving people by giving them a totally accepting hug without any strings or stipulations.

take care,
ralph

PS Today is my mom's birthday. I decided to buy a bottle of wine and drink a few birthday toasts to her. I definitely miss her and know she is in a much better place. Her last years were extremely difficult on her.

Posted by ralph at 01:14 PM | Permalink

Response to Warrior Forum Johnson

Dear Johnson,

AMEN to all the great dads out there, especially on Fathers' Day!

That is great to hear that your dad is your hero. We need more sons and daughters talking about the heroes our parents are and were.

WHY WAIT till they are dying or dead before we honor them or thank them or tell them we love them.

A lot of times we don't realize just how much our dads and moms sacrificed for us while we are growing up. It is incredible to consider the costs of food, shelter, clothing and schooling, let alone goodies, sports equipment, technology and gadgets.

Patience is such an awesome blessing to kids while they are growing up. Living in a stressful world and raising a family, sometimes it is easier to shoot verbally from the hip first, ask questions later and let God sort them out.

Asking your kids' forgiveness for your sins against them is one of the most difficult things in the world, but probably the most valuable of way of getting them to love and respect you more.

Your dad sounds like a saint. Biting your tongue and biding your time is a real gift developed over a long time of making mistakes that you learn from. Patience is born of love and being long-suffering.

In my own experience with the initial difficulties I had with my dad, things changed dramatically when I was able to totally forgive him for every perceived grievance and mistake while I was growing up. The change had to come from my heart first before he was allowed to be the kind, loving and compassionate person he was.

It was the darkness in my heart that forced him to act in a way I did not desire while I was growing up. My angry, resentful and hateful feelings for him forced him to act in a specific way that matched how I expected him to respond to me.

I am thankful our reconciliation occurred back in 1980 when I experienced the forgiveness of Jesus Christ for my sins...not on his death bed. One of my friends at that time, who shared the message of salvation with me, confronted me about my malignant relationship with my dad. He challenged me to forgive him just as Jesus forgave forgave me.

My dad and I had a wonderful, fulfilling relationship for over 28 years. It was one of my greatest joys to take care of him and my mom till the end. It was a transcendental experience to be holding their hands as they took their last breath.

take care,
ralph

Posted by ralph at 09:20 AM | Permalink

With the unexpected death of Tim Russert today we again experience the shocking fact...Life is fragile.

The "Grim Reaper" eventually comes for us all. It does not matter who you are, where you are, what you are doing, how rich or poor, famous or infamous, healthy or sick, happy or sad.

With Tim Russert's many years as a reporter and political commentator, he had the ability to ask hard questions that made many individuals squirm in their seats as they tried to distort the truth to match their political position. He was a great journalist who inspired many up and coming writers.

The big question is, "Who will replace this amazing man?"

After listening to all the TV commentators today, the thing that stands out is their "SHOCK and DESPAIR" at his sudden death. When someone of Tim's stature dies so suddenly, it gives everyone pause. Those who knew him are forced to consider what will happen to them when they die, suddenly or agonizingly slow.

"Is there an after life?"

"Does God really exist?"

"Are there any moral absolutes?"

"Is there judgment for our sins and rewards for righteousness?"

"Were the Ten Commandments commands or merely ten suggestions?"

These are timeless questions. I think most of us do everything we can to not think about these issues.

From my recent experience of my dad's death April 30th, 2008, one of the huge blessings of taking care of dying parents is your forced daily reality, "Is this the last day here on earth?"

It is a little frightening to realize that there is no guarantee we will live one second longer than the people we are caring for, who are involved in the death process. I believe that it is only the grace of God that gives us time to ponder our lives and search for true meaning...perhaps salvation or even sanctification.

I used to think that when a person drops dead suddenly, "What a catastrophe!"

After taking care of my mom for the last 3 years and dad 4, and watching their gradual decline, loss of personal freedom and inevitable descent into the hell of terminal sickness, now my perspective has changed.

It is easier to say, "What a blessing to escape the long term suffering of a long and drawn out death. Thank God his family was spared the years of sorrow and daily suffering and grief."

We can rejoice with Tim that he miraculously went from earth to heaven instantly and is now experiencing the rewards of a life well-lived and a career that brought light to a world of constant darkness.

In his books you see his love for his dad and reliance on the true moral values and ethical code instilled in him by his father, Big Russ...the attitude and code that made this country great. I felt the same way about my mom, dad and uncle.

What a sad day when we experience the loss of another shinning light and brilliant intellect that knew the difference between good and evil, who appreciated the great contribution of his parents' generation.

Tim was a great orator and interviewer who always worked hard to focus the hard light of truth on the world of darkness where political correctness, moral expediency and an all out attack on the religious foundation of this country has destroyed much of what Tim's parents created and passed on to his generation.

After spending so much time on the video eulogies for my mom and dad and Uncle Jerry, who recently passed away, I pondered long and hard on the values and optimism of my parents generation. The most poignant part of the eulogies were the 21 gun salute, taps, the folding of the military flag and its presentation with the solemn words by a soldier, "On behalf of the President of the United States and a grateful nation, our country's flag is presented as a token of appreciation for many years of faithful service."

Filled with sadness for his grieving family, Big Russ, his dad, wife Maureen and son Luke, I just wanted to say you are in my prayers.

take care,
ralph

PS Photos and videos when merged together in a powerful story can inspire, enlighten, uplift, entertain and bring tears to your eyes. I have uploaded my tribute to my mom and dad and also my dad's brother Jerry Zuranski.

This video is a celebration of the lives of my mom and dad who were both in the Air Force During World War II. My mom was a flight nurse and my dad was a bombardier in the "B-26 Widow Maker bombers," so-called because close to 75% of the men who flew in this unforgiving stubby winged aircraft with monstrous engines were killed by the anti-aircraft fire, enemy fighters, equipment failure and miserable, often times impossible weather conditions.

My dad even survived the crash of his bomber in France on the way back from a mission. He was found 500 yards from the crash site. When the plane hit, the glass dome in the nose of the airplane disintegrated upon impact.

My dad became an unwilling, unidentified flying object. Even now I believe he was caught by angels who minimized his injuries. It was a miracle he survived.

Both of my mom and dad received military honors. The flag on my dad's casket is something I will cherish as long as I live and remember the courage of my parents' generation and their service to this country.

Video Tribute To My Mom and Dad

I had the privilege of creating a video celebration of their lives that I have posted on youtube.com for your enjoyment and inspiration. Sometimes you don't realize how proud you are of family members and friends and how much you loved them until after they are gone.

My Uncle Jerry, my dad's brother, was a Bronze Star Medal winner with Clusters in World War II during the Battle of the bulge in Europe. Our troops were horribly outnumbered and the fighting was brutal. They were running low on food, bullets and medical supplies because the supply lines had been ruptured by the Germans. They were surrounded in an almost hopeless situation.

My uncle had to take over command after all the officers above him were killed or wounded. At his funeral, some of the men who served with him told me how Uncle Jerry saved the lives of many men in an impossible situation. Out of 600 men only about 150 survived.

Video Tribute To My Uncle Jerry Zuranski, Bronze Star Medal Winner with Clusters

Posted by ralph at 01:07 PM | Permalink

Since you have read this thread for so long, I thought you might enjoy the history of my dad's and uncle Jerry's family. I know they were both very proud of the Zuranski name as I am.

Biography of Kazimier Zuranski Family
Born; 1887
Anna born 1893
At 18, in 1905, left Poland for the United States of America. Upon arrival, he continued on to Cleveland, Ohio where there were members of the Zuranski family. He remained in Cleveland for a period of time before moving to South Dakota, and then on to Chicago Illinois.

About 1916 he joined Polish General Hallers Army of Polish Volunteers. He then went to Canada for further training in military tactics.

In 1918 the unit he was in moved to France for military operations. After the defeat of Germany, he returned to Poland to fight the Russian Bolsheviks.

After completing his service with General Haller, he visited with his family and returned to the United States.

In 1920 he married our mother Anna Czosek, he was 33 at the time. Jerry arrived 18 months later. 18 months later Ralph arrived followed by Anna 18 months later. Casey came about 8 1/2 years later.

Our Family lived at several locations in Cragin a section of Chicago. Our father worked as a candy and tobacco salesman for a firm named Poterek. During this period, one of his customers asked him to look after their store while they visited Poland. After three months of selling notions, tobacco and occasionally bootleg whiskey. Our parents were able to earn about 3000 dollars for their effort.

This money allowed the purchase the house at 2223 Leamington Ave, which was our home for many years.

Our father was active as an official in a savings and loan association, as its secretary

All of us attended St Stanislaus B&M. After graduation, Ralph attended Lane Tech High School. Jerry drove a delivery truck for Poterek and handled our father’s customers during an illness. He later attended Forman High. I don’t think that Anna attended high school. Casey attended St Mels.

Our father enjoyed playing pinochle on Fridays, but he and particularly, our mom looked after us kids. Our mother was also performed all the tasks around the house, such as painting, gardening other tasks in which we the kids were often the laborers.

We had a normal childhood. Our mother had a large family; she was the oldest of 11 children. Her parents needed help with the family so she was only able to complete six years of grade school. There were many relatives and we visited often, particularly on Sunday afternoon at our grand parents home, which was three doors from where we lived.

Our father was known as Charley to his relatives and friends. He was upbeat, friendly and encouraging.

In 1939, our father was planning a visit to Poland to have our family visit his family. Fortunately, we did not go. It seems our father, had to leave Poland to avoid conscription. It was thought that our father left Poland dressed as a woman.

Pearl Harbor created a real problem for the United States and all of us. Many people thought that the war would end before we had a chance to defend ourselves. However, as a result of some preliminary action by our forces and a rapid increase and development of a military force and arsenal, we were able to us to put up a defense.

Jerry and Ralph enlisted into the military forces. Ralph wound up being in the Air Force as a Bombardier-Navigator, and Jerry first as a cadet in a Navy flight school. It made our Dad proud to have his boy’s pass the rigorous tests to qualify. At this time, there were more cadets than training slots than positions, which allowed him to enlist a second time and eventually as a First Sergeant in the 42nd Rainbow Division.

Both of them were in combat in the European theater, Ralph bombing Germany and Jerry advancing through France and Germany taking many casualties. An article in the local paper identified Sergeant Zuranski’s unit as the first American unit to enter Schwienfurt. Both survived their tours of duty in combat. As a former military man it pleased our father that we chose to enlist. Our father was an air warden and our mother was an awarded knitter for the Red Cross. She received many awards for the number of hours she spend knitting garments for the military. It was said, that our father loaded his car with copies of the newspaper, and gave the newspapers to his customers.

It this time that Ralph was injured in an aircraft accident and was returned to America for recovery. Jerry remained in Germany with the occupation force, and then released from active duty. During a reunion of the family after the war, our father was pleased that his sons had served with honor and distinction.

The Korean War started, and it was Casey’s turn to enlist and complete the family’s participation in the defense of the United States. Needless to say, it further pleased our father that all his sons served in our counties military service.

Our fathers later years were spent as an officer in the savings and loan performing the duties as a trustee.

Ralph married, reentered the Air Force and move on, Jerry married and moved to Cleveland. Anna and Casey also married, Anna remaining in Chicago and Casey moving to Indianapolis.

In 1965, our father died of lung cancer.

Our mother maintained residence at our Cragin home, with Anna and her family moving in with her to assist in her later years. She died in 1990 after a lengthy illness.

In closing, let it be known that our parents were well liked by everyone they met. Our father helped wherever there was need. He never used profanity. He enjoyed a glass of Rock and Rye or Rock and Rum after work, but to the best of our knowledge never drank Alcohol excessively.

Our parents endured a great hardship after their marriage with jobs being scarce and bringing up a family of four during the era of prohibition and war. They instilled in us all the behavior and values that produced responsible citizens that supported the country and their church. They are greatly missed, and we hope to be with them when it is our turn to move on.

We pass this biography on to our children hopefully to fill in some of the lore that was not passed on to you. It will be up to you to complete Chapter II as it pertains to your families.

I guess it will be up to me. I just hope my video tribute to my dad, mom and uncle Jerry is adequate.

take care,
ralph

Posted by ralph at 02:27 PM | Permalink

Dear Friends,

Photos and videos when merged together in a powerful story can inspire, enlighten, uplift, entertain and bring tears to your eyes. I have uploaded my tribute to my mom and dad and also my dad's brother Jerry Zuranski.

This video is a celebration of the lives of my mom and dad who were both in the Air Force During World War II. My mom was a flight nurse and my dad was a bombardier in the "B-26 Widow Maker bombers," so-called because close to 75% of the men who flew in this unforgiving stubby winged aircraft with monstrous engines were killed by the anti-aircraft fire, enemy fighters, equipment failure and miserable, often times impossible weather conditions.

My dad even survived the crash of his bom