The Man, the Myth, the Legend--the Father of a Nation

This last week marked the "end" of an incomparable legacy of service, strength and character. My grandfather, Charles William ("Bill") Laing, of whom I've written previously, finally "graduated" peacefully and passed away August 9th, 2012. We celebrated his life at a beautiful service last Monday that was both touching and inspiring. It was a perfect reminder of a man who spent his whole life quietly triumphant--my biggest hero and idol (next to my dad, of course, Grandpa's eldest son, which makes sense if you think about it; they're cut from the same cloth, as anyone who knows them will attest). 

I won't make this too long but I did want to quickly reference a thought one of my uncles shared during his tribute to Grandpa at the funeral. He spoke of George Washington, the first U.S. president, and compared him to my grand dad, speaking of Grandpa as the "father of our 'nation,'" our "Laing Family Nation." He went on to  mention several ways in which George Washington was  key to the success of this country. We refer to GW as the Father of our Nation, with good reason. My grandpa, Charles William, embodies the same characteristics. Here are 3 examples of many, 3 ways in which made an impact and so deservedly enjoy this title of respect. 

1.  Example: George Washington led by example. He didn't just talk about standing up to the British. He didn't just stand on a soap box and preach against taxation without representation. He led, suffered, and overcame together with his troops. His was "faith in action," not just rhetoric or indignation. He was a great leader but perhaps the best thing he did, as most Umphers do, was lead by example. He "Did," he didn't just "Talk." As commander in chief of the Continental Army, he wasn't afraid to get into the trenches and get dirty when he had to. The nation showed him their thanks by electing him unanimously as our first U.S. President in 1788 and naming our Capitol and the State of Washington after him; he served for two consecutive terms. 

2.  The second way George Washington made such an impact, in my opinion, as did my grandpa, was with their faith. We've all heard stories of GW praying with his troops, of humbly petitioning help, and of him turning to the Lord for guidance in the face of their almost insurmountable odds. One of my favorite GW prints hangs in our home--the picture above--of him praying in Valley Forge by his horse. I just love the imagery, and the message. George Washington reminded us that we are watched over by and dependent upon, as he saw it, a Father above--one who had a literal hand in the establishment of this nation, where freedom of religion, speech and so many others could finally exist.

As one of our nation's founding fathers he helped draft the Declaration of Independence, and set up a nation FOUNDED upon the lasting principles espoused therein. True, we've strayed from them in ways, today. But, GW and his compatriots gave us the roadmap, the "blue print," for success. George Washington knew that faith in God and adherence to his principles was and needed to be at the very heart of our nation's success. My Grandfather Bill taught his family the same things--and his six boys and one daughter have passed those principles along to me and all the cousins, grand children, great grand kids and (just recently) one great-GREAT grand daughter baby girl. We continue to benefit from his example. 

3.  The third way I feel George Washington--and my grandfather, as well--led so valiantly throughout both of their lives, was by speaking up, by bearing witness when they could and by sharing their convictions whenever the opportunity to do so presented itself. President Washington obviously did this--he spoke out against tyranny, he helped draft the Declaration, he stood up for what he knew to be good and true and right. He never backed down, and he inspired a nation in the process. That, more than anything, I believe, is the mark of an Triumphant leader. Not only do you lead by example, not only do you do the right thing--but you inspire OTHERS to do the same, to FOLLOW your example, and to "take up arms" with you if they must. A truly Triumphant leader is just that--a LEADER, a mentor, someone who inspires you to follow ... a leader who through his or her examples inspires you to live your life the same way.


My Grandpa Bill did this same thing throughout his life. And he did so very quietly. He didn't need a bull-horn or a soap box. He spoke and people listened; even in a whisper, even in his last few hours, after cancer had ravaged his body. It's hard to explain, but you couldn't help but want to stop and pay attention to him, whenever he spoke. Now, I obviously never knew George Washington the way I knew my Grandpa Bill, but I can imagine that he was much the same, a man who caught your attention whenever he spoke or even walked into a room. He didn't demand your respect; people just gave it to him, freely. You knew you could trust him, that he had your best interest at heart; you knew he could teach you and mold you into a better man or woman, or country. And he did exactly that.

Obviously, I'm guessing here. I didn't know GW though I've studied his life and have continually been impressed by the example and the legacy that he left. And, it is a legacy that continues to shine forth as a beacon of hope to the world to this day. My grandpa's legacy, though not nearly as vast or well-known, shines brightly as well, with a family of well adjusted, contributing, and decent descendants dotting the globe. We too have been touched by him and we too are overcoming ... his legacy lives on, and I will be ever grateful to be a part of it all.

Thank you, Grandpa. We'll never forget you. We ARE you, and we're truly grateful every day.

As mentioned before, my grandpa was told he had just a few short months to live almost 2 1/2  years ago. He never gave up easily; he went down fighting and, just as always, he inspired us all as he did. His was a legacy of which all of us are ever proud. He was a true Umpher, a triumphant father, grandfather, neighbor, bishop and friend. I'll always be grateful for his example, his faith and his conviction.

Thank you for listening and my apologies for how long it's been since I last wrote. A divorce last year, a new marriage this year, a new position at work, two funerals and five busy kids. As I'm sure you understand, time gets away from you.

I'll try to do better.

Triumphantly,

JP River

Movie Review: Conviction

So ... I made a goal to write daily and now it's 5 minutes to midnight here (when I started writing; now it’s 1 am). Let me, just real quick, tell you about a movie I watched the other night starring Hillary Swank, Sam Rockwell and Minnie Driver. The movie is "Conviction," a powerful true story of Triumphing over enormous odds and a corrupt system that makes me shiver a little just thinking about it. Better yet, since it's late, I think I'm just going to cut and paste a segment from Wikipedia and a link to a really good trailer. I’ll wrap up with a few of my own personal thoughts:

"Conviction is based on the true story of Betty Anne Waters, a single mother who works tirelessly to free her wrongfully convicted brother Kenny. The story unfolds in flashbacks, and the film opens with the scene of a brutal murder in Massachusetts in 1980. We soon see that Betty Anne's life in many ways revolves around her brother, who is now in jail for the murder. Despite Kenny's knack for getting in trouble, they have always been close. Two years after his release as a suspect in the 1980 murder of Katharina Brow in Ayer, Massachusets, "new" testimony from two witnesses lead police to arrest Kenny and he is tried. Based on this circumstantial evidence, Kenny is convicted in 1983 of first degree murder and sentenced to life in prison without parole. The three main witnesses against him are Sergeant Nancy Taylor (Melissa Leo) from the local police department, his ex-wife, Brend (Clea DuVall), and his ex-girlfriend, Roseanna (Juliette Lewis).  

Three years later, Betty Anne lives with her husband, Rick (Loren Dean) and two sons, Richard and Ben. She is frantic that she has not heard from Kenny, who calls her every week, and she is finally told that he tried to commit suicide in prison. Betty Anne decides to go back to school and become a lawyer so she can free him, but her husband is skeptical and unsupportive, and eventually they split up. As Betty Anne struggles with being a working mother going to law school at Roger Williams University in Rhode Island, we see flashbacks of her life growing up with Kenny. Their mother was callous and uncaring, allowing her eight children (by seven different fathers) to grow up almost feral. Kenny and Betty Anne were very close, and used to break into neighborhood homes together just to feel like part of a normal family, until they were sent to separate foster homes. She continues to visit him, working in a bar while going to school, until her sons decide to move in with their Dad. Struggling in school, demoralized and exhausted, she stops going to classes, until a friend from school, played by Minnie Driver, comes to her house and prods her to just get up, get dressed, and get back to class.

In her study group, Betty Anne learns about the new field of DNA testing and realizes this could be the key to overturning Kenny's conviction. She contacts attorney Barry Scheck from the Innocence Project. The backlog of cases will mean waiting more than a year unless she can pass the bar and find the blood evidence from Kenny's trial herself to have it tested. At first she is stonewalled, then told the evidence was destroyed, but she refuses to give up, and she and her friend Abra (Minnie Driver) embark an an odyssey to recover any evidence that might still be stored away somewhere. At the time of the trial, Kenny's blood type was shown to be identical to the killer's but DNA testing didn't exist. In the process, Betty Anne learns from an acquaintance who is now a police officer that Nancy Taylor was fired from the police department for fabricating evidence in another case. This deepens Betty Anne's suspicions about Kenny's conviction and the "evidence" given at trial."

Finally the DNA results come back and "the survey says...."

I hate spoilers so I won't tell you how the movie turns out. You'll have to see it yourself if you want to. I will say ... there are some interesting twists as they navigate several challenging hurdles along the way. It's Rated R for a bloody murder scene at the beginning and for language (Sam Rockwell and his buddies, especially his co-inmates, make for an intriguing bunch....). If you can get past the f-bombs (I didn't appreciate them but they were true to form), the story is strong—one of the best I've seen about not caving to life's trials. The language is a little jarring, but the story is worth it. The characters are raw and the actors spot on. 


Watch the trailer:  http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi4273341977/