Time to Get Serious

Christmas is over and time to get serious!

Under the Christmas tree these two lovelies sat waiting to be opened and read - “Washington: A Life” by Ron Chernow and “Sailing True North: Ten Admirals and the Voyage of Character” by Admiral James Stavridis. Washington’s book is door-stopper in size but promises to yield much about the man. Reviews of the book rate it a top notch biography. In the first few pages, I realized a strong connection existed between it and the book by Stavridis because they identified the same character traits in the men they write about. 

While Chernow writes about one man, Stavridis looks at ten admirals throughout history who possessed strong credentials. He begins with Themistocles who excelled in the power of persuasion. It bore fruit in Greece where he convinced the country to build a fleet of warships which he then led to victory against the invading Persians and saved Athenium democracy, something which we revere today.

Chernow promises a complete picture of Washington, a man who has “receded so much in our collective memory.” Beyond being first president, legend has him chopping down a cherry tree. Besides crossing the Potomac, what else do we know? I hope to find a complete picture of the man.

AND, a $30 Barnes and Noble gift card under the same tree let me buy Timothy Egan’s “A Pilgrimage to Eternity.” I’ve met Egan, found him to be a well-grounded person, and read some of his work. In this book, after questioning his faith, what he calls “lapsed but listening,” he undertakes a pilgrimage looking for answers. My tendency toward the agnostic will travel along with Egan to look for some answers.