Winning Words 4/28/10
“A man who’s willing to make a decision in the first place can always make another one to correct any mistake he’s made.” (HST) Truman was called on to make key decisions when he was President. A sign on his desk read: “The Buck Stops Here.” He realized that he was not perfect and might have to go back and make a corrected decision. Life would be better if we were to follow his example. ;-) Jack

FROM LIZ IN ILLINOIS: I heard one of the TV shrinks say, "You can always alter your course" the other day. Sometimes I forget that. FROM JACK: ...and sometimes the course is altered for us.

FROM SH IN MICHIGAN: I have one of your WW from 1/8/09 taped to the top of my computer. Now going to print out today's too and tape this WW on the other side of the top of my computer. Great thought for today and one I'll probably pass along to others. We need to always be aware of how much we and others can change and not make hard, final boxes which actually don't reflect the whole reality. FROM JACK: I have stuff taped by my computer. Once in a while I reread them and try to remember why I put them there.

FROM JK IN MICHIGAN: Funny, I shared something last night with friends the Lord had told me recently; "I have chosen you & I already know about the mistakes (you will make). I still choose you." FROM JACK: The Lord moves (in our lives) in mysterious ways...and it makes a difference.

FROM ML IN ILLINOIS: i've made some of my best decisions on the 2nd...3rd...4th try. FROM JACK: As the old saying goes..."If at first you don't succeed..."

FROM MOLINER TG: Did Harry Truman have a middle name? I remember shortly after he became president newspapers reported his middle name as "Ship". More recent accounts say he had no middle name but adopted "S" to have a middle inital. Having lived during the time so much scorn and a lot of jokes about his hayseed ineptitude were heaped on him during his presidentcy, he turned out to be one of our most underrated presidents and a darned good one. FROM JACK: You're right about the middle initial, S (without a period after it.) He would have preferred "damned" over "darned." SG (one of our classmates) and I would agree with your comment about his presidency. Maybe it's because it was our first chance to vote in a presidential election.

FROM MO IN ILLINOIS: I recently read his very large biography by David McCullough of TRUMAN, and it was well worth the read! He sure was one who took responsibility for what he decided and did or said.

FROM CJL IN OHIO: Have you read Merle Miller's HARRY TRUMAN: AN ORAL BIOGRAPHY? It'll give you a great perspective of this great man. FROM JACK: The brother of Don Johnson (from Class of 54) was an archivist at the Truman Library. He dresses like Truman (and looks somewhat like him) and goes around giving lectures as a Truman impersonator. History has been kinder to HST than the polls were when he was living. Mary and I visited his home in Independence.