Thursday, December 04, 2014

Vince Lombardi Quote

My dad was great at corresponding. He wrote letters to me when I went off to college and kept it up through most of my married life until he died. He wrote to his friends - often silly cards. He thought it was very funny to send Christmas cards on your birthday or vice versa.  Just ask his nephews and nieces who were often the recipients of such cards.  He often clipped newspaper articles or copied articles out of magazines and sent them along with his commentary. When I began teaching, he often sent me articles on teaching. Sometimes he sent funny articles on such things students say or write.  Sometimes the articles were more on teaching, education, and leadership.

Today while I looking for something, I came across a few articles Dad had copied and sent to me. I have a file full of such correspondence.  I wish I had kept all his letters - hindsight. I'm sure my dad sent such things to my brothers and sister, but I think he sent more to me, because I wrote back. And maybe because I was his favorite :) He kept my many of my letters and returned some of the funnier ones from when I was young. After Dad died, I found other letters of mine that he had kept. Damn, I really miss that man.

Anyway, I came across a copy of a Vince Lombardi quote. He must have sent me this while I was teaching in Questa, NM, because he made comments that were directed to my teaching there. He also commented, "Ol' Vince knew what he was talking about, too. I wish more modern parents and the Questa School Board would think more like him." The quality of the copy/printing was lousy so I looked for a copy of the quote online. I found bits and pieces of it, but not what I was looking for. So I am going to type it out for you - much like my dad often did on his old manual typewriter. He never went electric and would never have used a computer :)
  • The test of this century is whether we mistake the growth of wealth and power for the growth of strength an character. We've weakened discipline and respect for authority and let freedom of the individual predominate. Before you can do what you want to do, before you can exist as an individual, the first thing you have to accept is duty. The second thing is respect for authority, and the third thing you must accomplish is to develop a strong mental discipline. We speak of freedom. Sometimes I think we confuse it with license. Everything is done to strengthen the rights of the individual, at the expense of responsibility to Church, State, and authority. 
    - Vince Lombardi

It is a good quote. Ol' Vince did know what he was talking about. 


6 comments:

Okie from OK said...

Alas, old Vince probably doesn't translate well today, in our new melting pot with the flame set so high it consumes everything put into it...

Bag Blog said...

Maybe not, but he had some good thoughts.

Okie from OK said...

I have an older brother stuck in a time warp. Every week he goes to the library and reads. He'll then make copies of things and send me them. I call it the monthly care package. If he had a computer he could just cut and paste, ha.

The library started charging for the copy machine, and he told them it was a terrible idea. He told them to go back to free. They asked why, and he opened up a book with several pages torn out! People will destroy the book before they pay the dime!

Ah well, libraries will probably be history in a few years anyway...

Bag Blog said...

I have a problem with libraries - when they charge for overdue books. Makes me crazy. And then they want you to be quiet while you are in the building! I hate rules.

Jo Castillo said...

I love the quote, I sent it on to the family in our texting group. Very wise man.

I was my dad's favorite, too! :) Gene is much more a reader than me. He has read sooooo many books. Our libraries were bad so our house was full of book store books, now his iPhone and Kindle are full. Never enough!

Bag Blog said...

Of course we were the favorites!

I read quite a bit, but not very important things. I like mysteries and adventure and romances. Now and then I read something serious. I love reading on my phone and Kindle.