By Mike Johnson
A poster of JFK hung on my bedroom door during the late 1960’s.
I was too young to grasp the turbulence of the times.
I didn’t yet understand what the murders of JFK and RFK said about the reality of our world.
I only knew I looked up to them as I did my favorite Minnesota Twins.
The idealism of youth always sees the best aspects of people.
Unstained by the experiences of immorality, dishonesty, compromise, betrayal and other harsh human nature, heroes look larger than mere mortals.
Later, we learn, we experience, we increase perception and realize every hero is mortal and guilty of the same foibles we wrestle with ourselves.
With enough self-research and introspection, we learn to bow before no man.
But we also learn that a man is a compilation of both good and evil.
He’s capable of the most astounding acts and achievements and the most degrading thoughts and debauchery.
The trick is to tame the worst traits and amplify the best.
Those who make the history books excelled in one or the other.
Power, money and fame are the shallow trifecta chased by most men.
When they finally achieve these, they realize they climbed the wrong ladder.
Character, freedom and love are far less flashy.
But magnitudes more fulfilling.
The Kennedys were noteworthy because they seemed to realize that.
They often quoted poetry in their speeches.
They knew that the soul of man was more important than the body of man.
When JFK gave a eulogy for poet Robert Frost, who had read at JFK’s inaugural, JFK reminded the gathering of the importance of artists.
“The artist, however faithful to his personal vision of reality, becomes the last champion of the individual mind and sensibility against an intrusive society and an officious state.
The great artist is thus a solitary figure.” – JFK
This gathering to honor Robert Frost was just weeks before JFK’s appointment with Dallas.
JFK shared these other, powerful, perceptive words.
“When power leads men towards arrogance, poetry reminds him of his limitations.
When power narrows the areas of man's concern, poetry reminds him of the richness and diversity of his existence.
When power corrupts, poetry cleanses.
For art establishes the basic human truth which must serve as the touchstone of our judgment.”
Over my six decades of great interest in JFK, I’ve learned a full measure of his good and evil.
I’ve seen his higher angels and strongest demons.
But his higher angels exude the predominate fragrance for me.
JFK held more power than any earthly man.
But no president since has ever held a higher perspective.
That the powers of this world cast him out in such vulgar manner, and the new guard of leaders refuse to even share the truth of that event, proves that they too, fail to see the supremacy of soul over body, courage over conformity and truth over deception.
Those, more than any other reasons, explain the state of the world we experience today.
###
Back to Mike's Warm, Wealthy Wisdoms
Back to Mike's Website, WorldsBestWriter.com