50 Years of John Wren's Journal

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

January 13, 1964

What a mess this world would be if everyone lived as Emerson and Thoreau thought we should live. What would happen if all persons just sat around looking dreamily into the sky, thinking such nobel thougs. Thoroeu had thoughts on politics but he would not vote. If all were as they, we would be under communist rule within only a few months. Who would make the decisions of the world such as the Panama crisis. The Panamanians feel that we should give their land back to them now that we have paid for the land, developed it, and turned it into a money making proposition. On the news I have just heard that we are trying to work a compromise with them. We are going to give them an inch, just as we gave the Cubans an inch. and it turned into a mile. A powerful nation such as the United States is letting a small isolated island called Cuba push it around. Why doi we permit this? Why don't we step in and crush Panama, show the world our power. Show the world we are not afraid to risk war, that one of us must give up. Show the world we are not afraid to risk war, that they must give us liberty or give us death. Our forefathers were willing to lay their lives on the line for what they now believed in why don't we! The Panamanians feel that we should give their land back to them now that we have paid for the land, developed it, and turned it into a money making proposition. On the news I have just heard that we are trying to work a compromise with them. We are going to give them an inch, just as we gave the Cubans an inch. and it turned into a mile. A powerful nation such as the United States is letting a small isolated island called Cuba push it around. Why doi we permit this? Why don't we step in and crush Panama, show the world our power. Show the world we are not afraid to risk war, that one of us must give up. Show the world we are not afraid to risk war, that they must give us liberty or give us death. Ourt forefathers were willing to lay their lives on the line for what they now believed in why don't we! Because we are a bunch of loud mouths. we are just a bunch of loud mouths

50 Years of Journal Writing

Last month (January, 2014) marked the 50th year of my keeping a personal journal. This blog will reflect back on those first 50 years and act as a way for me to make up my mind about continuing.

I've got boxes and boxes of old journals. My plan is to type in an old passage, share about what I've currently written, and share here about the process of journaling.

How I happened to start back in 1964 will be shared with you in the first entry.

I'd very much like this to be a dialog between me and you. So please don't just be a reader, post your thoughts, share about your experience with journaling, let's make this a conversation.

My intention is to post here each day until I get through the boxes, and writing about the old journals merge with just having the new. We'll see if this lives that long, my enthusiasm for the project, your willingness to participate, and neither of us dying before we've finished.

So let's get started. I'll begin by telling you about one of my all-time favorite teachers, Mrs. Dieter.

John Scott Wren

February 17, 2014

If you have questions it would be best if you'd post them here as a comment. But if that just won't work for you, feel free to call me. (303)861-1447

Who is John S. Wren?

My mother had a cousin who had ashtrays made with this on them, using his name of course. I've always wondered if Ayn Rand got Who is John Galt from him, never got a chance to ask him.

I was born in 1947, the year the transistor was invented and Chuck Yeager broke the speed of sound in his jet. My son was born in 1976, this countries bi-centennial and the year Steve Jobs and his two partners formed Apple to sell kits for the Apple I and NASA landed Viking I and II on Mars. John has two older and one younger sisters, more about them later.

My mom and dad meet in Amarillo High School, they married after dad served in the Navy, and they had an amazing life there. They lost one child before I was born, when I was two we all moved to Loveland Colorado. A couple of years later we moved to Denver and my brother Randy was born. We moved to Hoffman Heights in Aurora, then in October when I was in 3rd grade and Randy in Kinergarten we moved to the University Park neighborhood in South Denver on Jackson Street.

My brother Jay was born there several years later and he had a difficult time of it in those early years.

I played football, wrestled, did track, played baseball as I went to Denver Thomas Jefferson High School and Cornell College.

Then Janet and I married, I finished my Junior and Senior college years at the University of Denver while working for my dad full time. For a graduation present Janet and I got a trip to Europe, mom and dad, Randy and Jay went along. We were in the middle of negotiating the sale of dad's business, it was a forced march across Europe in a tiny car, and mom and dad were irate to learn we'd missed my graduation.

Now my son turns 38 tomorrow!

Divorce 23 years after a 23 year marriage, two married daughters and wonderful son-in-laws, four grandkids, my son and youngest daughters who are blessings.

I'm starting the Small Business Chamber of Commerce, restarting my consulting practice, and starting this process of going back through my journal.

They say more will be revealed. I hope so.

To be continued...

50 Years of John Wren's Journal

Friday, September 2, 2022

Denver Online With John www.JohnWren.com: Job aid for leading a Socrates Cafe online or face-to-face:

Saturday, August 27, 2022

Denver Online With John www.JohnWren.com: "The Lever." Oscar nominated writer speaks truth to power, makes us laugh.

Saturday, July 30, 2022

2012 Burnett Lecture Part 1 Keynote Speaker: Russell A. Barkley, Ph.D.

Thursday, July 28, 2022

Denver Online With John www.JohnWren.com: End war one person at a time, let it start with me.

Tuesday, July 19, 2022

Now on www.JohnWren.com Post I just made there:

Friday, February 21, 2014

Read this interview, then go buy the book!

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

January 13, 1964