today, my “baby” itchywings.com officially turns 1 in cyberspace. you see, the site is in its “baby steps” stage but i thank you for (re)visiting and for just being there! i share with you the hope to carry on anything-under-the-sun accounts that may perhaps bind our consciousness and aspirations.  i’ll  strive harder to craft my enthusiasm to write; i hope you will be there to read and to guide me where this site needs change for the better.  as i mentioned in a previous post, the itchywings.com’s legacy of “follow your itch… fly!” is based on fulfilling one’s dreams. let’s keep the “dream weaving” to actuality. for now, here’s a short poem dedicated to you entitled, “a year in a dream/a dream in a year”:

in the heart of wintry fall in ’07,
time passed by unnoticed.
crafting a blueprint –
holographs of the mind’s eye.
yesterday’s gone in solitude;
weathering nurtured fortitude.
insatiable longing for dreams,
no matter how trivial.
greatness in many ways surface!
slow and steady wins the race.

Many happy returns to all Americans who exercised their right to keep democracy alive in today’s election!

There are moments in our lives that we remember very vividly.  These same moments serve as the strength currency of our lives; and oftentimes, we get drowned in our thoughts and tears flood our eyes for mixed reasons.  Senator Obama’s tears last night in his final rally in North Carolina reflected his greatest moment.  (I’m sure that his grandmother, Madelyn Payne Durham, would be joyfully watching this election night in the heavens with her head erect!) Tonight is his big night, probably, his most unforgettable night.

It’s almost 11 p.m.  I am about to hit the sack so I shall see you tomorrow.  As you read this while I enjoy a deep slumber, I pray that you experience Senator Obama’s message of hope.   Life goes on no matter what happens. As President Clinton said,  "he is in the right side of history", and the signs are clear that America transcended skeptic isms and the "effects" that are bonded with it.  Thank God that America rocks!

Tomorrow is a new day.  Tomorrow will be a different America.  Tomorrow, I’m quite confident (wanna bet?) that it will be Barack Obama, the 44th President of the United States of America.  And we shall remember John McCain, his incomparable service to this great country and his campaigns with respect.  Yes, we can make a difference for the sake of next generation.  Tomorrow, the booze industry will be alive again. Cheers to President Obama!

Let’s all move on and hope for better, peaceful, and prosperous change for this country and the whole world.  Trust me, life is beautiful!

May you have peace in your world and have a good night.

In a couple of days, Americans will be electing the country’s next president. Democratic Senator Barack Obama maintains a double-digit lead in the polls over Republican Senator John McCain . Also in the running for America’s top executive are  Bob Barr (Libertarian Party), Cynthia McKinney (Green Party), and Ralph Nader (Independent Party). Whoever wins the election on November 4, 2008, the next president becomes the heir to a government defined by an unimaginable challenges to hurdle.

Based on a variety of sources *, here are some of the concerns that are worth reflecting on before heading for the polls on Tuesday below (in no particular order):

Environment: An atmospheric CO2 level of 385 parts per million (ppm); the safe level is 350 ppm.

Economy: Congress decisions on extending President Bush’s 2001 + 2003 tax cuts; a social security program that is expected to pay more in benefits than it take through taxes by 2017 if not reformed; A record of $482,000,000,000 Federal budget deficit.

Iraq/Afghanistan: Troop levels of 140, 000 serving in Iraq and more than 30, 000 serving in Afganistan; 270 detainees who are being held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Energy: A national oil-consumption rate of 20.7 million barrels per day; the country produces 8.5 million barrels per day.

Health care: 46 million uninsured Americans, that is, 15% of the US population (as of 2007).

Education: Below proficient – reading: 68% (4th grade) & 70% (8th grade); below proficient – math: 62% (4th grade) & 69% (8th grade); national high school graduation rate – 68.8%.

Housing: Late mortgage payments at a 23-year high; the lowest home prices since August 2004; foreclosures at an all-time high at the end of 2007.

Trade: In Summer 2008, thousands rioted in Seoul, South Korea to protest government’s decision to import U.S. beef; an international trade deficit of $58.6 billion on average in the first half of 2008, because the U.S. imports more than it exports.

Foreign policy: Approximately 25 severe crises and 6 wars going on in regions around the world, including the U.S-led wars in Iraq and Afghanistan; the “axis of evil” and beyond.

Crime: The Supreme Court’s 2008 5-4 rulings: that the constitution prohibits imposing the death penalty in child-rape cases and overturning the District of Columbia’s handgun ban.

Immigration: Ongoing construction of the 700-mile, $49 billion fence along the U.S.- Mexico border.

Marriage: States that allow same-sex couples to marry – 2 (MA & CA): States with constitutional amendments banning it – 26.

Women: A supreme court that could seek to overturn Roe vs. Wade ; five justices will be 70 or older by the time the court meets in October, including the oldest member, 88-year old John Paul Stevens — the ages of supreme court justices: 88, 75, 72, 72, 70, 68, 60, 58, and 53.

Public Financing : Revised campaign financing restrictions that prevent congressional candidates from raising money in excess of usual limits in order to compete with wealthy self-financed opponents.

As my last pitch in this final weekend of a long race for the White House, I ‘d like to share a prayer ** from a pocket size, laminated pamphlet given to me by a former colleague named Anne (I heard she eventually joined the religious congregation, “Pink Sisters”) on my birthday when I was in the university and was working as a research assistant for UPEcon-Rockefeller Foundation. I “revisit” this prayer most of the time; and may this same prayer help you, too, not just in making your decision come election day, but also in your daily life.

“O God, author of life and source of goodness. I come to you and implore Your divine assistance; with sincere promise to decide and to do things: not according to what I want, not according to what others desire, not according to my own benefit nor my own advantage, not for profit nor for prestige, but for the common good, especially in submission to Your Holy Will.

I come to You and ask Your divine understanding; with sorrowful heart may I receive your forgiveness: for my rash judgments, for my blinded emotions, for my selfish interests.

Enlighten me with Your truth that I may listen to my conscience, and grant me Your grace that I may follow Your commandments.

I come to you and offer you, my humble Savior and loving Redeemer, my penitent self… make me an instrument of creation never an agent of destruction; help me to assist and serve people, never to abandon them; let me share life, never lead anyone to death.

I come to You and thank You, O God my Father, for creating me, for letting me exist, much more for giving me chance after chance to live.

I come to You my Creator, to let You know I am resolved to respect and protect life. I accept Your special gift to us – the gift of life; this is Your gift of love too.

I pray, may I not lose or neglect Your gift of life; may I value more fully Your gift of love. Amen.’ “

I joined the pollsters bandwagon and created my own non-scientific and groundless scenario, “Itchy Polls ”, with the electoral vote projection using Yahoo’s political dashboard with my initials hidden on the map (Go unearth it!). Do I hear Puerto Rico? It’s fun to do the math, so check it out.

On Tuesday, go out, “follow your itch” and vote!

At the end of all this election excitement, let’s try to divert some of our energies to charitable deeds and donate some of our extra time and funds to the deprived and disadvantaged population around the world. God bless us all and God bless America!

(*GOOD News; **”Prayer Before Making A Decision ”: Text by Fr. Ruperto Santos, STL)



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I am extra cautious to write these days. I feel that there are so many sad things going on in people’s lives with the present financial crisis. I refuse to cause more panic. If you say something these days, it’s either you get to be confused with economic skeptics or be tinged with politics.

Speaking of politics, we’ll have to go back to the issue of who shall claim the slogan “CHANGE”. I just don’t get it why people can’t think whatever they want to think and change their mind whenever they want. I said it before and I will say it again this time. I believe that people who change their minds (“flip-flops”) are the people who really use their minds. In short, thinkers do change their judgments to whatever they believe is right at a certain moment depending on the situation. To underscore my point, change works in the context of time. Yes, there is a degree of relevance when people deviate from the flow or from what they believe in. Change always depends on the call of the times.

Let’s move on. So what’s the real deal in the shifting from uncertain to dismal global economies? Are we ready for this?

Greed. Okay, let’s blame this insatiable vanity in human nature. Corruption. For God’s sake, when is enough enough? Poverty. Well, it’s easy to throw stones at the bottom of the economic pyramid. Shame on interest rate parasites that exploit those who struggle to make ends meet. God bless America — the land where spending is “priceless”. To work hard is human and to have a high credit score is divine. To some people, sky is the limit for as long that wallet-size plastic cards are swipe-able. Don’t get me wrong; I am a fan of spending, too. This is the only way I know I could help boost the economy – to put my money back in the market. This is simple economics for everyone. This is the same reason why the government doled-out billions of “seed money” (a.k.a. , stimulus check) to taxpayers. The simple rule is to spend, squander, splurge or whatever way to condition people to be shopaholics.

It is very frightening when we start to engage ourselves with any monetary ventures or dealings where there is no certainty. It’s too risky to gamble on luck. It becomes more worrisome when we understand nothing or have very limited knowledge about the issue. Nobody knows the real reason behind all this gloomy economic disarray. I try to listen and read all over the place but I just can’t grasp the complicated functions of the market structures; gee, nobody knows or offers any solutions in terms and language I can understand! How could I be so brainless? And nobody seems to be accountable for all these troubles. Everyone is pointing at each other. The politicians, financiers and experts alike are making all efforts to present their own versions if-I-were-the-blah-blah-blah talking points. What about today? What happened yesterday?

When you see some simplified attempt to make a point, it all boils down to the fact that the ordinary people like you and me are the ones who pay the price. Why? Because we love this country so much that we are willing to sacrifice and suffer more for the sake of “economic corrections”. The government and economists make us believe that market fluctuations are normal adjustments in a transitory or transient recession , which I will originally coin as “trancession” (This term will soon be in the glossary of economics literatures. Again, remember that you read it here first!) There must be someone out there who can dissect this financial phenomenon. Do Bear, Fannie and Freddie, Merrill, Lehman, AIG and the other most-likely-to-collapse companies hire ghost or extra-terrestrial executives and accountants that they can no longer control their books? This is exactly the kind of corporate trickery that makes the poor poorer and the working class thrives in the dog eat dog cycle of survival. It is very depressing but we have to do something…anything. Nobody can salvage us from this financial pandemonium but ourselves. We may not control this economic crisis but we can take responsibility of our own personal financial actions.

Here are 8 simple “trancession” survival tips:
1. Stick with the classic “Live within your means!” Have some time to look at your present monetary standing. Learn to stop and reach for that pen, pad and calculator to see how much are you really worth. This is as simple as determining your spending power and be conscious of not going overboard. Then, make a rough 6-month budget before you start planning Friday drinks.
2. Save like ants but think like Bill Gates. You may be the richest man in the world with excessive surpluses but you may also think of the poorest and the under-privileged of the world. If you are Bill Gates, you are probably reminded every minute that there are millions and millions of people out there who are extremely desperate for a dollar just to survive for a day. Donate to charities and good causes if you get the chance in your own little ways. Trust me, it’s the real deal high. Some of us are fortunate that we don’t have to deal with hurricanes and other natural calamities.
3. Believe that some things are still FREE. Accept free lunch offers. Not all people are “friendly users”. Clip those discount coupons. Hunt for those freebies. Use it, share it and be proud of it! Just recently, I won a free coffee for a week (Customer of the Week) from Starbucks in Austin St., Forest Hills for responding to the trivia question of the week. (Thanks to Squidward! FYI, Squidward is the character that lives in the Moai head statue under the sea known as “Bikini Bottom” in Nickelodeon’s series SpongeBob SquarePants. Don’t ask me how I knew about squids and sponges but as bonus information, Squidward has 438 self-portrait frames hanging on the walls of his infamous residence.)
4. Take a walk and take a shower everyday. This is a very therapeutic activity to relax and rid yourself of the bad germs that are clinging on your skin while waiting for the opportunity to multiply and eat you alive. Remember that prevention is a step ahead than costly cure.
5. Spend some time to pray. When you pray, don’t think of religion but remind yourself that everything has an end. Nothing is permanent and nobody is immortal. This way you can pay more focus to family, good friends, constructive activities, true love, faith and hope, justice for all and world peace.
6. Read a good book that interests you. If you get hooked up to reading, you’ll be surprised that you’ll be smarter – as you divert those urges and energies from extravagant spending – instead of wasting your minutes on senseless calls or watching expensive cable networks.
7. Say “thank you” at all times. This simple gesture goes a long way. I hope that this reach the hearts and conscience of the greedy capitalists, opportunistic financiers and corrupt public servants who think that power and money can assure them of happiness ever after.
8. Last but not the least, be vigilant of whom to entrust your suffrage come November. Don’t be swayed by flowery words and sugar coatings. A lipstick on a pig or pit-bull is animal cruelty but a lipstick on a politician is still a lipstick. Cast your vote for the genuine guardian of the great American dream – a decent and comfortable life in peace and freedom. After all, it all boils down to the economy, smarty.

At this very moment, people are tightening their belts, shock-absorbing the ballooning mortgage payments and the soaring prices of gas and basic commodities and thinking of ways to endure this uncertain economic recession. Only one thing is for sure, Starbucks coffee costs and tastes the same from Wall Street to Main Street.

For the record, I have spent some thinking about the best definition that could be written about “the word” almost all earthlings (and probably some extraterrestrials) are chanting. “Phelps! Go Phelps!” I have a strong foresight that with the glory and honor that Michael Phelps had at the recent XIX Summer Olympics in Beijing, China, the surname “Phelps” will become another common noun or verb as the same root word “phelps” to be added in the Merriam-Webster, Oxford American and online dictionaries or even in Wiktionary and will be passed on by this generation to the next generations to come.

To this date, Michael Phelps officially becomes the greatest Olympian for grabbing 8 gold medals in 8 events in a single Olympics surpassing the record of 7 gold medals in 7 events of another great American swimming superstar, Mark Spitz, at the 1972 Munich Summer Olympics.

As my very first contribution to lexicography, I attempted an amateurish exploration of definition-writing of a very important name in the Olympic history that gave new consciousness to swimming and Beijing, in general, and raised the viewer ratings of most, if not all, government TV stations all over the world.

What is “Phelps”?

Definition

Phelps [felps]
Noun
1. Phelps – standard achievement of 8 gold medals in a single Olympics (Origin: Beijing 08.08.2008)
2. Phelps – United States swimmer and record holder of 8 gold medals in a single Olympics at the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics (born in 1985)
see also Michael Fred Phelps

[Presumptive Origin -- Phelps is a contraction and simplification of Phyllyppes -- Greek: philos (love) + hippos (horse) = lover of horse].

“phelpspower” [counterpart of horsepower] – a measure of the time rate of swimming (1 “phelpspower” = 8.88 m/sec or whatever a great mathematician derives in the future).

Noun
1. phelps – great splendor or glory of 8 gold medals in a single Olympics
2. phelps – a shiny golden shimmer on water

“phelpsuous” adj

“phelpsum” – a category of winning eight gold medals in a single Olympics; a periodic date of in a century at exactly 8:08 a.m. to 8:08 p.m. of 08.08.08

“phelpsian” adj

Noun
1. phelps – Water Cube speedster; swim like a sailfish (believed to be the fastest fish)
2. phelps – Speedo icon [“phelpspeedo”] in the 21st century

“phelpspeedometer”– [noun] a measure a speed and strength in water

Here’s another first attempt to explain the Phelps phenomenon and I came up with 3 numerological analogies why Michael Phelps is destined to get 8 gold medals in 8 events in the Olympics that kicked-off on 08.08.2008 in the heart of China. (The number 8 is believed to be lucky in the Chinese tradition.) They are the following:

I. 08.08.2008 = 8 + 8 + (2+8) = 8+ 8 + 10 = 26 → 2 + 6 = 8
II. Michael (7) + Fred (4) + Phelps (6) = 17 letters → 1 + 7 = 8
III. Michael Phelps won his 1st gold in August 10th (Day 1) and his 8th gold in August 17th (Day 8 ) → 8 gold medals in 8 days for Mr. 8!

Destiny indeed!

Now, I won’t bother myself with the rumors that Michael Phelps is genetically engineered to swim and never will I entertain any tinge of thought that he is a secret government robotics project. Given the fact that sports develops discipline and self-confidence, there is no doubt that the believe-it-or-not! victory of Michael Phelps is a perfect model of successful diversion of excessive energy towards to more productive or even stellar achievements for children diagnosed with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). I was never diagnosed with ADHD in my early youth but I begin to self-analyze since my fixation with vacuuming while I re-channel my energy every time I am feeling very stressed and disappointed. (Yeah, I should be on a flight from JFK heading for LHR at this very moment but sometimes the numbers just don’t add up for some reasons!) The result seems to be “stellar” (clean) because I wouldn’t stop until I see the last dust clinging on the floor. My wife calls it obsessive-compulsiveness. Okay, fine! I feel good about it after all. It’s funny because I consider vacuuming an opportunity to exercise. I feel bad though because vacuuming is not an Olympic event and it spoils my going to the gym and forget about the costly membership wasted.

Well, I can’t wait to see more words like phelpsophobia , phelpsnia , phepsism or contraphelps being used and accepted in layman terms. I feel the same of excitement to the next bestsellers ranging from “Phelps Diet” to “Life or Sports Phelpsophy ” not to mention the Phelps Street or Phelps Avenue or Phelps Monument that could soon be inaugurated in the coming months. Do you smell a lifetime of product endorsements? Michael Phelps may opt to not to swim after Beijing but he will definitely retire prosperous.

Discipline, dedication and hard work really pay off in an Olympic dream but destiny makes reality looks natural and effortless. Thanks to the magic of Speedo and most importantly, the miracle of the greatest fan that cheered with the rest of the world, Debbie Davisson Phelps – the mother, the “wind-beneath-my-wings” and the true heroine to another dream come true that is Michael Phelps.

Surrounded by the 6 million-acre Adirondack Park, Lake George Escape Camping Resort in Lake George, (Upstate) New York (lakegeoregeescape.com) offers a variety of recreational activities and amenities for a very relaxing getaway. After spending the 4th of July weekend with family friends, I must say that the camp site is worth visiting again.

To rate my overall camping experience with the resort borrowing a popular theme park (sixflags.com) commercial, I give it 4 flags!!! Using the “itchywings” rating with the range 0-2 wings (with 2 being perfect), the camping resort gets 1 ¼ (itchy) wings!

By the way, on our very long way home thinking that we were lost but keeping our faith (and fate) with the GPS, we “discovered” a very beautiful camping site along Route 7 (South) in Kent, Massachusetts. Well, it’s called Kent Falls. We were enamored by it’s beauty that we had to swing by and went for a quickie swim. And then came the snakes. Yes, s-n-a-k-e-s… plural! We saw not just one but two in less than 30 minutes. Umh… “Let’s go now, yes, now!!! before we catch the after-holiday-weekend traffic”. Happy camping!

I want you to read this blog because you get inspired and you want to inspire other people. I want you to keep coming back because you learn something and you are willing to share it with your peers. I want you to join me in this journey of following your dreams. I want you to follow that inner itch in you to beat all odds and fly as high as you could imagine. Someday, I will be gone and I shall rely on you to live and to share a common purpose of making a difference for a better world.

Believe in your dreams. Don’t give up.

Most people refuse to talk about their dreams. They are afraid of pre-empting their plans and representing their struggles. Some are so conscious about others may find them targets of ridicule. Seriously, some are people are just plain cynics. No matter how you speak about your aspirations and work so hard for the f uture, some are simply “wet blankets” along the way.

This site is for dreamers like you and me. The inspiration behind all I’m blabbering about is my dream. Yes, you will always hear me talking about my dreams… my plans for the future and the entire not-so-appealing voyage to dreamland.

I have a dream. And for as long as I live, I will keep following that path to success. Well, there is one thing that you should know about me. I don’t believe in luck because if I do so, I’d be the most miserable person in the humankind right now. The road to success is never easy so goes the saying. But I do believe in preparation and opportunity in the context time. When preparation meets opportunity at the right time and t he right moment — that is success for me! Whatever happens next depends on your decision to take it and the judgment to take care of it.

I have made a number of stupid decisions in the past but I am proud to say that I tried not to fall in the same trap of apathy and expediency. Yes, the easiest way to do things is to do nothing…not to take risk at all. Yes, there will be challenges in the process of achieving dreams. In fact, there will be countless of them. But don’t take your time in the rain. Get up and move on and do your homework! Umh. It’s easier said than done. But then again, have fun. Do the things that make you happy. It is important. Life is going to pass you by if you don’t have fun. It’s funny every time I remember my college days. I would sneak out of the dormitory with my friends to go barhopping until it’s past curfew time. We literally went dancing like there’s no tomorrow. Believe it or not, those were the moments that kept me sane and grounded. Those times made believe of working hard and partying harder.

I know people will judge you at the end of the day. You will be judged and gauged. You will the subject of stereotypes. At the worst, you could be disowned and alienated. You will feel insufficient and incapable. Beware of this ambush to hypocrisy. You might fall to the Coriolis effect of deflecting the focus of your energies from yourself and living (whether unconsciously or purposely) to please other people. Forget about being indispensable to others happiness. Some fake happiness at your expense. With all the misery that you will inherit from being worried about other people, I am certain that you will pity yourself when you face the mirror. I hope it’s not to late for you assure yourself that you deserve to be happy. Enough of giving too much and hurting yourself in the end!

So how do we really take care of ourselves without being self-centered? I have a theory in loving based on the idea of loving yourself as you expect others to love you. I believe in giving what is in excess of your needs. Extreme romantics might react if I say that I can only offer what is in excess of me. It’s baloney to say that a person is capable of offering and loving at the cost of everything. Again, if this is the case, I foresee destruction in the end.

Let’s go back to dreams. If you dream to be happy, focus on yourself first. You can never expect make others happy if you are not happy yourself. In the same way, you can never be dependent on others to be happy. Why am I going on and on about all this? Happiness is a key to achieving dreams. But this does not mean that you cannot afford to be sad anymore. Happiness is at its best when you can say that you truly deserve it. This may sound masochistic but reality bites. The secret is to know what will make you happy and to recognize it when you are faced with it.

We always equate dreams with the stars in the heavens. Each person gets to point to one and claims it as his own. Most of the time, everyone wants the brightest of amongst the galactic bodies. Fine. Have you ever realized that you can only see your stars in the darkest night? And it’s very ironical that at the dimmest moments of your life you tend to look up to be reminded of your shining light. This speaks so much of the conception of dreams. Dreams are made in the darkest moments of our lives. And it should not end there.

At sunrise, you have to get moving. Dreams do not happen overnight. Quit putting your dreams to sleep. You have to work for it. Claim it as yours as you believe in yourself. Have faith that someday you will be standing vis-à-vis your ambitions. By then, you can afford tears of joy if you wish but don’t linger too much on the moment because it might get to your head. Success could be overwhelming but don’t forget to spare a place in your thoughts and your heart the words “Thank you!”

In the building where I work, I see visually challenged kids everyday. They go to school at one of the floors in the building. One day, I saw a little boy being taught to use his guide stick. The sight was intensely heart breaking. What struck me more was the smile in the teacher-guide’s face. I saw in her an overflowing love and commitment in what she’s doing. To me, she was an epitome of a person who had so much love in her that she genuinely smiled for no one to see. For the cute little angel trying to attain perfection in the midst of darkness, he never had to look up in the heavens to claim his star. He just had to feel every step he made no matter how easier said than done it gets.

Tomorrow, I want to hear about your dreams. I want you to tell your friends about itchywings.com. Be a part of the movement towards positive actions to make a real difference in your life. The person next to you, you neighbors and this world will certainly benefit from its fruits in the long run. You can take my word on this promise.

“Today is the launch of the bright and triumphant years in my life!” You can recite these words as you start each day of your life. After all, it’s all in the mind. Then, let us call each other after 10 years.

No matter what happens in life, we will be happy and successful someday. In times of your darkest moments, kiss your skin and honor yourself. Be proud to celebrate that very skin that clothes your spirit. And may God bless us all!

Based on a British study sponsored by an ice-cream company, today is the happiest day of the year. The same study used the formula:

O + (N x S) = Cpm/T + He

Where:

O – Outdoor activity

N – Nature

S – Social Interaction

Cpm – Childhood memories (happy thoughts)

T – Temperature (warm weather)

He – Holidays (entertainment)

To me, this could be summed up in one word: SUMMER !!! By the way, today happens to be Friday. Oh, TGIF!

Tim Russert’s unexpected death due to heart attack from asymptomatic coronary disease on a Friday the 13th of June 2008 is a big loss for his family and friends, the news media and for this country.

Tim was an irreplaceable member of the press and politics. Much has been said about Tim’s passion for politics. Listening to the words from his friends and colleagues at MSNBC and other cable news networks as well, Tim had always come to work very well prepared as the host of “Meet the Press” every Sunday. Only a Tim Russert could architect a very insightful exchange of political Q&A that plastered viewers on their seats.

From his humble beginnings to getting a Jesuit primary education and all throughout his life, Tim Russert was a proud Catholic. He believed and lived that there is nothing wrong to strive to be good, to keep a personal relationship with God and to love politics. He made a difference and touched many hearts in his lifetime. Watching the coverage of his memorial service and listening to the countless eulogies made me contemplate about his father’s favorite remarks, “What a country!”

Being a product of a Jesuit high school myself, I learned about the Prayer of St. Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1556, Canonized 1622), the founder of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits). His main principle became the unofficial Jesuit motto: Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam (“For the greater glory of God”). Allow me to share the same very special and powerful prayer:

Dearest Lord,
teach me to be generous.
teach me to serve you as you deserve;
to give and not to count the cost;
to fight, and not to heed the wounds;
to labor, and not to seek to rest;
to give of myself and not to ask for reward,
except the reward of knowing that I am doing your will.”

I’ve never met Tim Russert in person but I am always fascinated by the inimitable love and respect he had given to his family and friends, to his profession and his country and especially to his Father, both here on earth and also in heaven.

AMDG.