Lines in the Sand: Part IV Outlasting Excellence Robert D. "Bob" Anderson
“The greatest use of a life is to spend it on something that will outlast it.”
--William James
“Every job is a self-portrait of the person who did it. Autograph your work with excellence.”
--Betty M. Nelson
For those of you who read the original Lines in the Sand and then Part II & III; I wanted to share some information on the line called my father, Bob Anderson. He was an influencing factor when I wrote the first piece of this four part series. He became the foundation for Part II and is at the essence of the poem in Part III.
At the time I wrote Part II, I did not know what laid in our future, or his. Now, for one chapter in line making the physical nature of one individual came to an end on January 30, 2017 at 4:30am. But through the convergence and divergence of this man’s life; his influence and interaction with so many lines, the impact of his being truly human, and his caring and compassionate approach to all with whom he came into contact his influence continues to sustain the momentum of his line laying with outlasting excellence.
As I said in Part II, my father’s journey in line making started over 90 years ago. His physical line ended during the early morning of January 30, 2017. He led a good life and left influencing footprints that have positively shaped the lines of others with every step and action he had taken. He shared a passion for and service to others. He dared to be different and did uplifting, courageous things his entire life. He made a difference and in the essence of his carpenter father, laid a good line.
I grew up with and admiring men from the “Greatest Generation.” Bob Anderson (my father), who found himself later in the war as a navy corpsman at a staging base in the Marshall Islands preparing for the invasion of mainland Japan. Elmer Blankenhagen, fought at the Battle of the Bulge. Bob Dole, severely wounded in Italy, who would become a senator from Kansas and eventually a Presidential candidate. My youth was filled with these men, and many others. Learning from them, being mentored (before I even knew it) by them, admiring them, and yes wanting to be like them.
My father was a deeply caring and kind man. He believed in our youth. He believed in our future. He was genuinely interested in each and every person with whom he made contact. He believed in tolerance and diversity. Not the superficial approaches to those words, not the polarizing manipulation of their definitions, but the true essence and meaning of both--not just of the words, but more importantly the interactions that occur as a result of their daily execution and his embracing passion for a better tomorrow. He believed in people and the goodness that can and does come from being human. He was committed to lifelong learning, and life lessons. He was the epitome of a servant leader.
He was a man who contributed to making my line in life possible. He committed his life to serving others and by sharing his passion for humanity he also interacted with, influenced and shared in the line making of countless others on their own individual journeys. He helped me see the lines all around me, and helped me see their beauty:
There are lines all around us
Of various shape and size
They come in different colors
Depending on your eyes
I see them everywhere I go
They ebb and then they flow
They help me see life’s beauty
Despite the challenges, don’t you know
When I started down the path of Lines in the Sand and then Part II and III, I wanted to share a personal journey that was and is reflective of the sands of life, their snap shots and moments in time. The influencing nature of lines that affect us all; lines that are permanent, lines that change, messy lines, and yes those that ebb and flow and impact the choices each of us have in using them with compassion and to advantage.
- Lines in the Sand: https://www.bebee.com/producer/@joel-anderson/lines-in-the-sand was about a time continuum of change that used a graphic to reflect a line experiencing exponential acceleration. Change is never easy and change is often contentious. Because of that, I chose to start that piece out with a quote from William Faulkner: “Never be afraid to raise your voice for honesty and truth and compassion against injustice and lying and greed. If people all over the world...would do this, it would change the earth.” Although one man, this quote epitomized so much of how my father approached life. The graphic reflected the changes that he had experienced over his 90 years. Along that line, he was a man who embraced others despite their differences, and did the right things because they were the right things to do.
- Lines in the Sand Part II: https://www.bebee.com/producer/@joel-anderson/lines-in-the-sand-part-ii was about a snap shot/a moment in time where the lines in my life converged in a small hospital room with my dad, my wife, my daughter and other family members. That moment in time meandered across a myriad of life’s realities (current, past, and future—political, emotional, communicative, and maybe even humorous) and caused me to reflect upon its complexities and the beauty of the lines in our lives within the context of a man whom I loved dearly.
- Lines in the Sand Part III: https://www.bebee.com/producer/@joel-anderson/lines-in-the-sand-part-iii was a follow on to that reflection, written late one evening with him in mind as he so loved using words and interactions to underscore the beauty and positivity within us all. The essence of talking the talk and walking the lines of simply being human and making a difference despite the challenges in front of us.
Now Part IV is merely a tribute to Robert D. “Bob” Anderson who was my father, but more importantly--a man that left footprints and lines in the sand of outlasting excellence.
Thank you for letting me share him with you.
For other works by Joel Anderson: https://www.bebee.com/@joel-anderson
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this post are solely those of the author
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Comments
Joel Anderson
6 years ago #11
Joel Anderson
6 years ago #10
Cyndi wilkins
7 years ago #9
Joel Anderson
7 years ago #8
Sara Jacobovici
7 years ago #7
Sara Jacobovici
7 years ago #6
Joel Anderson
7 years ago #5
Gert Scholtz Thanks for the comment. He was indeed.
Gert Scholtz
7 years ago #4
Joel Anderson
7 years ago #3
Thank you Cyndi wilkins And to you also. Keep making a difference.
Cyndi wilkins
7 years ago #2
Joel Anderson
7 years ago #1
Thanks Deb \ud83d\udc1d Helfrich your words mean so much. Travel on I will and marvel in the interactions that shape, mold and characterize the lines and treasures along our collective journeys. All my best and thank you again.