My kooky brother-in-law

I've been thinking quite often these days about my brother-in-law, Pete, Norma Jean's husband for almost five decades. Don't ask me why these pictures kept intruding into my consciousness, but I remembered he had sent me this series of three pictures sometime in 1985. They made laugh then, and they make me smile with fondness now. He died on February 10, 2011, just a few days past his 67th birthday. He wrote a post about his final birthday here.

Pete finally decided to start a blog in early September 2010, after having spent a vacation with his daughter Allison, who was promoted to Lt. Colonel in the Army and who also gave birth to a beautiful daughter in June of the same year (and is raising alone). After having been badgered about it from all sides, he didn't actually say he would do it, but he left the door open. He ended up writing more than a hundred posts before the end.

I was visiting Allison also, as her guest, along with my sister Norma Jean. The five of us, counting Lexie, or the seven of us if you also count the two dogs, Lou and Moose, all gathered in Alexandria, Virginia, last August for the ceremony to celebrate Allison's achievement. It meant a lot to Pete, and it is the subject of his first blog post, which you can read here. Pete was a gifted writer, and since he's been on my mind lately, I hunted down those three pictures and scanned them for this post. I think he is probably having a laugh himself; if there is a heaven, he's there.

Pete was not a perfect person, but then again, who is? We sometimes engaged in enthusiastic arguments. I enjoyed many things about him, not the least of which was his intellectual curiosity.  Sometimes I think that those who are intellectually gifted have a particularly hard time fitting their square pegs into the round hole of society. During those three weeks I spent in Florida with Norma Jean, she shared a piece of his writing with me that is dated 1/20/85 (about the same time those pictures were taken), and he entitled it "To My Children: A Layman's Guide to Living, or 'Life Isn't Fair, Allison'." It is in outline form, listing 11 different categories: Friends; Work and career; The Cosmos (universe); Family; Education; History; Politics; Everyday living; Religion; Self; and Your future society. I'd like to share with you that last category, as he wrote it.

1. Accept concept United States is no longer power it once was
• United States, as we know it, will probably not exist in far future
2. Global society -- we're no longer self sufficient
3. Fear a new wave of conservatism and repression
4. United States economy too increasingly dependent upon non-essentials
• Recreation and leisure-centered economy
• Information services replacing goods and products that are basic needs
5. Will see increasing separation of classes
• Believe there will be a political revolution
• Increasing separation of affluent/educated and the lower classes
6. Outer space will be place of future, predicting now:
• Global warning systems, civilian visits to space, colony to moon
• Space will likely be the primary battleground of the future

He wrote all this in January 1985!!! The guy was not only prescient in many ways, but I truly hope that some of the things he predicted will not come to pass. However, many of the things he wrote have definitely come true today, with no hint back in 1985 (to me, anyway) that the United States would be like it is at this juncture. He saw it, though. It seems quite clear to me that Pete was someone I am proud to have known, proud that he was part of my life, and I wish we could talk together about all this.

He was not a believer, but I am. If I am right, we will have that conversation someday (somewhen?). 
:-}