Hey folks – This is Dave here, writing about the upcoming Personal Safety & Grandfather’s Prophecy online class happening this coming Saturday night.  I was just talking with Tom about the class, and hadn’t realized that Memorial Day weekend was already coming up. To tell the truth, when I’m not behind the keyboard editing audio and video for Tom, I’m usually out in the woods with bad cell service and no thoughts of calenders in my head. It happens to a lot of Tracker folks:) Heck, just ask Tom how hard it is to get a hold of me when I’m not in NJ. Actually, wait – probably better not to remind him…

I think it’s important to take some time this weekend to honor those who have died while serving in the U.S. Armed Forces. It’s not just another holiday – it’s got real meaning behind it. The tradition of honoring fallen soldiers goes way back, far beyond the mere 150 years or so that we’ve been publicly observing Memorial Day in the States. Remember Tom talking about Amaranth as a great grain to know better? (I think it was the Building Safe Villages and Farming online class in particular, though I’ve heard him speak of it a few times.) It’s Amaranth blossoms that decorated the tomb of Achilles in Thessaly as emblems of immortality and friendship in honor of the great warrior. And that’s just one example – throughout history we humans have always thought it important to pay our respects to the dead, to those we loved and to those who gave their lives to defend our societies.  In this age of distraction and disconnection, it’s all too easy to forget what the real meaning is behind so many of our holidays…

So anyway, I know this is a busy weekend for many of you. In light of that, Tom’s fine with having me leave the video links up for the Personal Safety & Grandfather’s Prophecy online class for twice as long as usual – 60 days. Once the class is done on Saturday night, it’ll take me a day or two to get the video links posted for review, so expect them to be active until the end of July. Should be plenty of time to watch the class if you can’t join us for the live broadcast.  And I’m excited about the class – in Tom’s description, the line “…This class is designed to not only put your mind at ease, but to give you the skill and knowledge to remain safe and prepared no matter what the situation dictates…” is what really caught my eye at first.  It’s easy to fill your head with all sorts of doom and gloom about the future – just pick up any random newspaper. And any good scout is going to want to know as much about future possibilities as he or she can, so it’s not like you can honorably do the opposite and just stick your head in the ground. What’s hard is to maintain that level of awareness and knowledge of what difficulties we may face in the future without getting bogged down in apathy or despair.  Keeping an easy mind about things, forewarned and forearmed. I’m looking forward to hearing how Tom goes about that.

No matter what the future holds, I will maintain the presence of mind and integrity of character to remember, at least once a year, to put a flower on the grave of a fallen warrior and say “thank you”.

Hope to see you this weekend,

Dave