Blog 461 – 11.10.2016

I never got to meet my Dad’s Dad, Thomas Fleetwood White. He passed off this stage before I made my entrance. But I did get to know him through the loving eyes of his son. My dad had no illusions regarding his own father’s weaknesses and short comings but he saw his strengths and finer qualities in technicolor and proudly shared them with his grandson. My grandpa was a wonderful horse trader, a Master of the Deal. No billionaire to be sure but seldom if ever bested in a trade.

I never got to meet Thomas Jefferson, our third President either but he has been a great inspiration to me. As one of the founding fathers of this great experiment in republicism and democracy his words, his efforts, his life left us quite a legacy. That he was flawed is beyond doubt but his finer nobler qualities far out shine his weaker petty ones.  He had slaves but penned “All men are created equal and endowed by the Creator with certain inalienable rights among which are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” He was a man of his times and shared many of the prejudices of those times but he saw farther into a brighter future than many and helped moved the minds of many to see beyond those limiting beliefs.

Another Thomas that I did not meet personally, at least not yet, I hope to someday, was Jesus’ disciple. That Thom gets a bad rap because he didn’t jump on the bandwagon immediately after stories of a risen Lord first began to circulate. He wanted proof and Jesus gave him the proof or so the story goes. I am with Thomas, what we believe, what we build our lives on should be more than other people’s opinions or testimony. We need first hand information and experience.

Lastly in my tribute to Toms I would like to mention a Tom that I did have the privilege to meet this passed Sunday afternoon. I ate again with the Lutherans. This time I was invited to join them at their reserved table at Pointers Cafe where they meet to break bread together every Sunday after church in Mineral Point, Wisconsin. In a previous blog I mentioned my first Sunday dinner with these fine folk where I got the idea for that blog called, Lend A Hand (Do check it out if you missed it.)

One of the lady in the group said that they missed me last week and I replied that I did not recall even where I had eaten that day. She also repeated her invitation to join them for church services and I reminded her of her original invitation’s wording, “Come if you get the urge.” and my promise to do that. I doubt if I will get such an urge but I do often get the urge to eat and nothing makes eating more enjoyable than eating with friends and getting to know one another better.

It was said of my Daddy that he never met a stranger. I feel the same way. I sat next to Tom at the dinner table Sunday and we talked and I found a new friend, a brother I did not know I had before. I look forward to breaking bread and talking with him again. Often in my traveling life I get the question from a host or hostess in a restaurant, “Party of one?” and I say yes, but one is to me not a lonely number for I believe we are all One and I look forward to the day when the Atonement (At-one-ment) forever disspells the man created error of Separation. Thanks to all the Thomases doubting and believing who have and are helping that day to arrive.

Your friend and fellow traveler,
David White