Lend Me Your Ears: These Words Are Monumental

Reg Spittle Leave a comment

He was too ill to present the speech in person, but his plea was instrumental to the formation of the United States. Benjamin Franklin’s words, written when he was 82, were delivered to much younger men at the secret Constitutional Convention by lawyer James Wilson. Franklin implored the delegates to sign the Constitution, then the states to ratify it. He admitted the document was not perfect, but was the “best we can do.”

His remarkable address is one of more than 200 of the greatest speeches in history, gathered by William Safire, a Nixon speech writer and longtime columnist. Arranged in 13 categories, Lend Me Your Ears: Great Speeches in History spans centuries and continents.

I normally resist rating books on the 1-5 scale, but I would give this gem a 6 if I could. I bought the ebook and used the table of contents to find speeches like General Washington’s words that pleaded with his officers to resist insurrection. And I found the Buddha’s fire sermon. Gandhi’s defense of his beliefs. Teddy Roosevelt on the strenuous life. Susan B. Anthony’s plea for women’s rights. Lyndon Johnson’s political bomb. What did John F. Kennedy intend to say in Dallas on the day of his assassination? You’ll find his speech.

You can only imagine the settings, audiences, and voices for the speeches. Safire provides a preface for each address that helps set the stage. I lost sleep over the book because I kept finding one more I just had to read. If you have a coffee table, the hardcover version might work for you. History buffs could not resist picking it up.

Top Ten Retirement Adventures: No. 1

Reg Spittle 6 Comments

When I set out to catalogue my top ten retirement adventures, the easiest choice was number one. As great as the other nine adventures have been, the John Muir Trail had them beat. By way more than a mile.

Talk about the improbable. I never imagined I would spend 30 days in California’s Sierra Nevada wilderness, sleeping in a tent. No toilets. No showers. No going back. Another out-of-character feature: I would travel with nine others, giving up my treasured privacy and my need to recharge by myself, or with just Sue.

Through seven distance treks, I have learned important lessons: Take chances, seek discomfort, be vulnerable. None is easy for me.

The John Muir Trail was the hardest adventure of them all. Sure, we were fortunate to have had a mule train and four dedicated packers that eased the physical challenges. I will be forever grateful for their efforts that allowed me to experience a trek I’m not sure I could do on my own. But, still, we walked 246 miles, conquered 100,000 feet of elevation, and answered numerous unexpected obstacles. The mountain passes tested our resolve; one of them was Muir Pass, where we paused at Muir Hut (photo above). Also, I overcame my fear of heights and climbed Mount Whitney.

The people. I will hold close my nine fellow trekkers and four packers for the rest of my life. And I was so fortunate to behold one of Earth’s most spectacular places up close.

Since our JMT in August 2021, I have been reliving my experience through my MacBook Air’s keys. I can’t wait to share the story later this year in the form of my third adventure trekking book.

Sue and I will soon embark on one of our most ambitious journeys. We will walk, but in the form of day hikes as we explore lands afar. Lead Foot (our truck) will lead the way, pulling our third Minnie, aka Mini. For the first time, we plan to take our travel trailer to another country.

We are not done distance trekking, though.

Here’s to the next top ten adventures!