Love design!!! I just came across your blog and wanted to say that Ive really...No, Juliet, It’s Not Just A Scary Disney Ride
Posted by Erik Rupard on July 14th, 2008
Those of us who are members of both the LDS Church (”the Mormons”) and the United States Military eventually figure out that we are, indeed, in two separate very small worlds, in which the twain shall not only meet like the circles in a Venn diagram, but shall do so repeatedly. This Sunday, I had no less than three of these “small world” experiences in the space of an hour during our first church meeting of the day.
Exhibit #1
Around 12:50, ten minutes before our services began, I noticed a new face in the small crowd. He was a Army Specialist with short cropped hair, a kind and friendly face, and the sort of ruddy complexion which made me bet silently to myself that that hair would be red when in full bloom. As soon as he found himself a seat and put his stuff down, this gentleman introduced himself as Brother Karl Kurtz of California, and asked if he could help prepare the sacrament. As he took his seat behind our makeshift sacrament table, I thought he looked vaguely familiar. However, since I have begun to suffer (unofficially, as yet) from early-onset Alzheimer’s Disease, I have learned to distrust these impressions. I have such impressions frequently, and have investigated some, only to find that the Person In Question simply had a physical trait or mannerism (i.e., a haircut, gait, or accent) which reminded me of someone else I had known. So I tossed this one out, and church proceeded on.
Next came a talk (Bro Neff), an interlude musical performance (the three members of the group leadership, Bros Diaz, Lloyd and I sang “O How Lovely Was The Morning”), and a testimony by Brother Phillips who will be redeploying after 15 months (!) in the Brown Zone. Finally, my lesson on Chapter 13 in the Priesthood/R.S. manual. During the lesson, I referenced and experience I had on my mission, though I did not mention where I served. After class, Brother Kurtz came up to me and asked if I served in the Texas San Antonio mission. Indeed, I had, and as he asked the question, I suddenly pictured a younger but no less smiley Elder Kurtz, who served in Austin, TX (among other places). I remember him at that time being a faithful, humble missionary, and he does not seem to have changed a bit in that respect. We talked about our mission president, the great Dale Huntsman, who was such an inspiration to so many of us, and I learned that his wife Karma had passed away many years ago, which saddened me. Brother Kurtz will be here for the rest of the year, and possibly a bit beyond. It was great to see him again, and I look forward to talking with him some more, and feeling of his tremendous spirit.
Exhibits #2 and 3
During the aforementioned lesson, I also referenced a very unique experience I had in/around 1984 when I was involved in an LDS Encampment of the Boy Scouts of America in upper New York state (Litchfield or Letchworth, something like that—google is not helping me much here, perhaps Mom Rupard will remember?). It was a huge gathering of Latter-day Saint scouts and we had a great time.
The story I told was of one of our adult leaders, a man named Frank (he had us call him that, so his last name escapes me), who was a Vietnam veteran. Around the campfire we would beg him for stories about his experiences, and he would tell us a bit here and there, probably scaling things down a little, but occasionally letting loose a PG-13-rated word, if you get my drift. He was a crusty guy, not used to being around a bunch of squeaky-cleans, and at one point he taught us (motivated us, really) to march very closely and well. We eventually used this new found skill to march our entire platoon into the Hill Cumorah Pageant, where our very crisp and in-step cadence garnered our unit, among the dozens there, the only standing ovation offered by the crowd before the show itself began. In my lesson, I told how this bearded, hardened veteran of a terrible war had gone with the rest of us into the Sacred Grove the following day, and broken down and wept as he gave his testimony of the marvelous events that had occurred in that place. That moment moved me greatly, and is one I will always remember.
After the lesson and at separate times, two Marines came up to me (Brother Callahan, Brother Martz) and told me that they had also attended that encampment, and we shared memories of the event. One of the nice things about the Church and the Military is that members of each have surrogate family wherever they can find another member. In both cases, it is our mutually-held values, our colliding spheres of activity, and in many cases our shared experiences which bind us together. I treasure the “small world” moments which this closeness affords.
July 14th, 2008 at 8:35 pm
When I realized what this title was talking about I literally rofled. well not literally. but i did literally lol.
July 15th, 2008 at 8:57 am
Dear Erik,
Juliet loves you so much and speaks of you all the time. She never ceases to tell me “But he should never taken me on that ride”. You should be proud, you have made a memory for her that she will never forget, even if she sometimes wakes screaming in the night. Nice one!
I missed you while we were away at Moosehead lake. Erik, I can’t tell you how great that vacation was. It was so beautiful and relaxing there. I never wanted to leave. We had no computer access(you would have lost it) but I loved the slow pace, the quiet of the giant lake, the call of the loons in the middle of the night, and waking up, walking out your bedroom slider and right into the lake, or in the kayak. It was so wonderful. You should definitely go there. We rented a cabin and it was perfect. Clean and tastefully decorated with lots of sleeping places and dish tv, so we could actually get some shows in the evening
You sound as if you are doing well. That article about the itching was so interesting. I have to admit that the scratching to the extent of brain exposure was so horrifying that I felt physically ill for a while after.
I learned a few interesting bits about itching, but I knew it wasn’t related to pain neurons, as I found that taking analgesics during my episodes was not effective at all. It was gratifying to have my misery justified in that the studies showed that itching held a stronger pull on the brain than pain. I scratched part of my leg raw during my itching episode. I still have a few scars. I could control the itching during the day, but you do scratch at night without realizing it.
Thanks for sharing that article. Juliet will be thrilled to see her name on the blog, so when she gets back from summer school, I will show her.
I love and miss you more than you will ever know. Please come home soon. love love love, Mit
July 15th, 2008 at 7:05 pm
Great post, Doc. Becky and kids returned home today…got there safe and sound. She said Ethan did not sleep a wink while on the road. That kid is the energizer bunny, for sure. Always fun to have them. Weather was darn near perfect. Went to Mystic Aquarium, movies (wall-E), beach x2, boardwalk at Niantic and got some good sea food. Had the Tompkins over x2 and watched the kids have a rousing good time. Sorta reminds me of my own childhood and family get togethers. Always good memories.
Get your WSJ and read the review on Wall-E; it is a most spectacular movie and a real tour de force by Pixar. ($62M on opening week). One of the most delightful of movies. Too bad most of Hollywierd can’t seem to get it right with humans on the set.
As you learned, Mom is fine following surgery on lt eye. We will be mostly back to our normal routines in a few days. But right now I’m pretty well done. I will hit old Mr. Sack early tonight and listen to John Adams, the book. Catch you later. Any bets on the All Star game?
July 15th, 2008 at 8:47 pm
Mom Rupard; So glad to hear that all went well with your surgery. You have been in my thoughts, which have been less than organized lately. Sorry about the delayed call. I’ve had many visitors with yet more still coming. i.e. Tonight, we have only two guests staying overnight, then on Sunday, we pick up Maya’s friend from CAE and her sister….Maddy’s bff from Md on the following Saturday. Then back to ATL on the 28th as our French exchange student returns to France.
I’m looking forward to August for various reasons….other than the obvious: Erik coming home to me!!!
I had a wonderful visit with my dad and Sandy last week. Every time I turned around they were pitching in and helping out. My dad, very discernibly judging that I was on the cusp of a breakdown….. helped move furniture, folded my laundry, taught me how to properly soak strawberries (duh!), grilled some great food, among other things around the house. Sandy pitched in too and kept me laughing through it all.
They even brought a few of my favorite things from the North…dill pickle and smoky bacon chips, nanaimo bars, butter tarts, assiago cheese (from Wisconsin admittedly), black angus beef steaks. It was wonderful to have such support and love during a time when I needed it terribly. After the AC quit, and the main TV blew, dad helped me shop for and pick out a nice HDTV and I am praying that Erik likes it.
That process itself was a hair-raising adventure into technology at dizzying heights. Indeed, it warn’t no scary Disney ride….In the end, after dragging 5 people around all day back and forth to the same couple of stores and feeling the dehydration and boredom setting in among the troops my dad treated us all to a late lunch and then we marched back to CCity where he and I agreed that save a few, they all looked pretty dern good but of course, rather expensive!! I shut my eyes and pointed to the 48″ Sony.
January 21st, 2009 at 9:44 pm
I remember that encampment it was one of the more incredible experiences of my life.