The title of today’s blog is built on a homonym.  The two words principle and principal sound the same, but they have different meanings–they are homonyms.  When listening to a conversation, homonyms can be a little confusing.

Confusing may be the best way to describe my high school years.  Mr. McCollum was my principal and his principles were hard for me to comprehend.  Due to my ill-advised exploits, I spent quite a bit of time in the office of Mr. McCollum and got to know him very well.

Years later when I was home on leave from the Air Force, I bumped into my old principal at a cafe.  I approached him and said:  I’m not sure if you remember me.  He looked at me, and said:  Sure I do, you’re Stan Seymour.  We shook hands, and I apologized for all the problems my misbehavior had cause him.  He said:  Stan, no need to apologize.  I wrote all of that off as adolescent stupidity.

Mr. McCollum had done what a main character of the Bible did thousands of years before him.  In a sense, he had taken an eternal perspective on life.

When Joseph was a small boy, his jealous brothers sold him into slavery.  Later in life, he was betrayed by the wife of his employer and sent to prison.  While in prison he did a favor for a member of  the Pharoah’s staff, and the favor was soon forgotten.

Joseph eventually came to be a powerful man in Egypt.  After his family was reunited and his father died, his siblings asked Joseph to not take revenge on them.  Joseph replied:  What you did to me you planned for evil, but God intended it for good.

Immediate and short-term perspectives can fail us.  If Mr. McCollum would have taken this approach, I would never have received my diploma.  I’m glad he was like Joseph and knew that life is a marathon and not a race.  Those who stumble at the starting blocks need someone to give them a hand.  They need a Joseph, a Mr. McCollum,  or perhaps a person like you.

Things get kind of trashy around my house on Wednesday evenings.  Thursday is the day my trash is picked up, so I get it ready on Wednesday night.  The trashy trash goes in a black bag and the trash that can be recycled goes in a clear bag.

One evening as I was separating my trash, I thought about how I practiced recycling at the ball diamonds when I was a kid.  Between games we would search for pop bottles and turn them in at the concession stand for a deposit.

A few years later, bottles begin to be stamped with the words:  No deposit.  No return.  There is a valuable lesson in those words.  If we are not willing to make a deposit or put forth some effort, we will not acheive our goals.

Well-known pollster George Gallup Jr. warned about a lack of dedication:  We revere theBible, but don’t read it.  We believe the Ten Commandments to bevalid rules for living, although we can’t name them. We believe in God, butthis God is a totally affirming one, not a demanding one. He does not commandour total allegiance. We have other gods before him.  Gallup believed that most Christians want the fruits of religion, but not the obligations.

Far too many times we are like Groucho Marx, who said:  Those are my principles, and if you don’t like them . . . well, I have others.

Instead of choosing to go with the flow and the flavor of the day, we need to stand on principles.  There is an old adage that says: 

Methods are many, Principles are few.
Methods may change, but Principles never do.

We live in age that is known more for the ethical lapses like the Enron debacle and the sham investments of people like Bernie Madoff.   What we need are people of principle.  Thomas Jefferson said:  In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock.   

Sadly though, we have too many people drifting with the current and sinking like a rock.

It’s common knowledge that water is an essential for life, but good old H2O is also a medium that can provide a great deal of pleasure. The love of water is in my DNA. Some of my earliest memories of my dad are water memories. These times of fishing the ponds of the Flint Hills and setting lines on the Arkansas River made river rats out of the Seymour boys.

On one of these trips the river was running high and Dad was wading the river to set limb lines. I was trying to follow in his steps, but I missed one and in the blink of an eye the current was carrying me down river. As I fought against the current, I yelled to Dad for help.

It’s been said that, its not size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog that matters. Dad knew the dog he had drifting down the river wasn’t much more than a pup, so he did what he could–He brought out the fight in the dog.

By now I was far beyond the reach of Dad’s strong arm and the firm grip of his hand, but I could still hear his voice calling out to me: Swim to the bank, you can do it son. Take an angle against the current, you can do it.

Years later when I was floating a river and got caught in the undertow of a low water dam, I could hear the words of Dad once again: You can do it son, swim to the bank.

Mark Twain knew the value of people who will tell us that we can do it. He once said : Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great.

Take a little time today to create a big moment in the life of another. Tell them you believe in them and they can do it.

2012 has arrived, and I’m certain its arrival has been celebrated with parties; announced with fireworks; seen in New York’s dropping ball; and, it has been sworn-in with new resolutions.

Some people make their resolutions only after much thought, while others are made flippantly. As you read the list below, it is obvious that Ben Franklin’s 13 virtues (resolutions) are items of substance.

1. Temperance: Eat not to dullness and drink not to elevation.

2. Silence: Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself. Avoid trifling conversation.

3. Order: Let all your things have their places. Let each part of your business have its time.

4. Resolution: Resolve to perform what you ought. Perform without fail what you resolve.

5. Frugality: Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself: i.e. Waste nothing.

6. Industry: Lose no time. Be always employed in something useful. Cut off all unnecessary actions.

7. Sincerity: Use no hurtful deceit. Think innocently and justly; and, if you speak, speak accordingly.

8. Justice: Wrong none, by doing injuries or omitting the benefits that are your duty.

9. Moderation: Avoid extremes. Forebear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve.

10. Cleanliness: Tolerate no uncleanness in body, clothes or habitation.

11. Chastity: Rarely use venery but for health or offspring; Never to dullness, weakness, or the injury of your own or another’s peace or reputation.

12. Tranquility: Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or unavoidable.

13. Humility: Imitate Jesus and Socrates.

Since I can offer little to improve on the wit and wisdom of Ben Franklin, I’ll close with this: Happy New Year, and I wish the best for you in the days ahead.