Friends that are family!

In my 28 years away from the Summit City of Fort Wayne, IN, Cindy and I have met some wonderful people. There are people who have been so meaningful in our lives that they are really, truly, and absolutely family (even more family than some blood people are). Let me tell you about some of them (I will only use initials, so that I don't disrespect anyone's right of privacy in cyberspace:

1. I K L - This person is the absolute picture of grace, yet they are SO CERTIFIABLE that it's humorous to watch them walk around every day. This individual is full of knowledge (they've also met almost everyone in the world - When Ted Kennedy died, we heard that this person had met him). Both Cindy and I treasure the friendship and I regard them as much as a part of our family as one of our daughters, even though they are older than I am.

2. M A B - This person is one of the "coolest cats" that I've ever met. I've watched them go through a building and give everyone grief every chance that they've gotten, yet take it with an unflappability that is second to none. In fact, the first person mentioned above and this one and I have formed our own little family that is really neat to see. If and when either one (or both) of them leave, there will be a hole in my life (don't tell them that, though. You would need a giant pincushion to deflate their heads if they found out). In fact, whenever I hear the word "CAAAAAAAKKKKKE", I will always picture that person's face. They've already been told that they will remember that story wrong, but that's ok. That's what families are all about and, yes, this person is also very much family.

3. A G S - The Minich family has been attached to this person for the better part of fourteen years and we haven't had a moment of regret in that time. In fact, it was a Tony story when we met this person. They had a pro-evolution with pictures of an amoeba (on the left), a monkey (in the middle) and a man (on the right). Being a total stranger to this person, I turned to this person and said, "My wife wants to know if that's a self-portrait in the middle". I got an elbow in the ribs from Cindy and a fast retort from, as they are now, my friend and Christian family member. The neat part is that this person is so much family now that I can depend on them for straight talk and accountability (something that a lot of Christians don't generally share).

4. J H - This person has been an integral part of my Pennsylvania existence since July 2001. As a member of the clergy at one of the local churches, I have been able to turn to this individual for laughs, tears, film opinions, down to earth talk, and good Christian fellowship. Whenever I feel like a stranger in a strange land, I turn to this person. After my Christian recommitment last month, I came to this person and we had an entirely new discussion, held in an entirely new light. I am proud to say that this person and the Minich family have been well taken care of over the years by this individual.

Whenever I get to feeling down, which I often do, I look to these four people for a lot of laughs. Best part of all, though, is even though we get the laughs going, there have also been some very serious and very deep discussions. As a retired U.S. Navy sailor, let me put it this way: I would trust any of these four people with my life and I have no illusions that they wouldn't do the same.

To the three of you when you read this (as you will know who you are): Thank you for the positive affect that you've had in my life. The Living God put you in my life for a reason and I'm extremely grateful that he did.

George Bailey, Redux!

As the corresponding secretary for a local theater group, I was tasked with sending out thank you cards for donations made in memory of someone who passed away. As I dd this, I was reading the tributes to this person. I was really impressed at the impact this person had made in people's lives. Suddenly, it dawned on me in a IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE (1946) kind of moment: I wondered if MY life had had any kind of positive impact on people. How other people in my life would have been if I had never lived.


I'm pretty sure that I have not had the impact on most people's lives that I would have wanted to have. Our daughters will remember me as the father who did crazy things all the time, but never let them do what they wanted; the authoritarian father who never gave in when he should have. All of our friends and family will remember me as a man who spoke his thoughts, regardless of what they were; a man who, when opening his mouth, would have people running for cover because of the possibility of any number of things being said. My co-workers will probably not remember me at all because I've driven people away.

I had always been told that I was QUITE memorable. Now I realize that I am really not THAT memorable. I have encountered people that I've known previously who don't remember who I am. It's really quite disheartening.

I know that my family (birth and married) loves me very much. It's just a down time right now. I share this with you for that reason.

Film Recommendations - Courtesy of a DeVry University student

In June of this year, I left the hallowed halls of Lansdale (PA) School of Business (LSB). Turns out that it would take six months to finish my Associate Degree when I could attend DeVry and get my Bachelors Degree in a year (I miss the whacked out people at LSB, but I'm enjoying DeVry just as much).

After dropping an online MS Excel course (I need to be in the classroom for that one), I am taking a Humanities 422 course (Film as Literature). I've been having a ball learning to watch movies from a new point of view (I've always been a movie critic of sorts, but now I can understand more of what they look for). Also, anyone who has known me for more than two minutes knows how much I enjoy all genres of the film experience from anywhere in the world. That was explained in an earlier post in this blog.

So, with no more inane entries about The Middle Aged Education of Tony Minich, here are some more movie recommendations (one from the movie course and one from elsewhere) that I've found recently:

1. Dr. Pyckle and Mr. Pryde (1925) - directed by Scott Pembroke

Prior to Laurel & Hardy (L&H), Stan Laurel had already achieved fame on his own. This short film (20 minutes) is an absolute pleasure to watch. It is a hilarious satire on the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde story. Dr. Pyckle is a revered British scientist who, after ingesting a formula, become Mr. Pryde, a man who terrorizes London pulling practical jokes on people.

As you watch this, the extent of Stan Laurel's genius becomes evident. Having watched many L&H movies, I had heard that Laurel wrote and created a lot of the team's comedy, but never truly understood how great he really was. NOW I KNOW!

Even if you don't enjoy non-talking movies (again, as before, movies were never really silent), try this out for size. At worst, it will only be twenty minutes wasted. Ideally, though, it will be the most enjoyable time you've spent in a while.

2. Memento (2001) - directed by Christopher Nolan

This movie was the first one that we watched in HUM422 at DeVry. I had avoided it for 9 years because it sounded TOO strange, massively weird, and sounded like it would be a waste of time.

Once again, as my beloved bride loves to tell me, I WAS WRONG! This movie is FANTASTIC! It is the story of a man whose wife was brutally raped and murdered. In the process of trying to save her, he sustains an injury that causes him to have no short-term memory.

The movie starts at the end and works its way back to the beginning. It's a throwback to the 1940's film noir (in an interview, Chris Nolan compared this movie with one of my personal favorites DOUBLE INDEMNITY). By the time you get to the end of the movie (which, technically, is the beginning), you will wonder how you got to that point, which means you will have to watch it a second time.

So much for now. More to come (but you already knew that).