We all look forward eagerly to Memorial Day every year.
In my home state of Colorado, as I’m sure in much of the rest of the country, it turns the corner on spring and heads us inexorably into the warmth and outdoor freedom of summer.
Here in America the common knowledge among most is that we take this time to celebrate the lives of those who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.
I am grateful for their service, and for that sacrifice.
Did you know it was first celebrated as Decoration Day in 1868, to honor the fallen of the Civil War?
Memorial Day has been an official national holiday since 1971, and it seems like for at least that long it’s been the precursor to vast quantities of automobiles and RV’s overpopulating the highways of our land.
It seems to start on Friday, right? Just as if a number of the larger employers of the major cities let their people out early to get a “jump on the traffic.”
Ha! Fools!
As an entrepreneur in the service of other entrepreneurs I can tell you that this state of active endeavor has a huge perk this time of year.
Simply put, it’s the fact that we make our own days off. We don’t need to time our lives around national holidays to take trips or make plans.
We will be celebrating quietly here at headquarters, thank you very much.
I have to say with much delight that we took a camping and sightseeing trip to Oklahoma in the middle of May, and it is remarkable how little trouble we had getting choice sites.
Entrepreneurs, rejoice! Hot tip: revel in your independent status whenever possible.
We will of course take a moment to honor those young men and women who will not return from their military deployment to their families, but I’d also like to touch on a few other lives that ended since last year.
Notable Entrepreneurs
Here are a few names, all of whom belonged in the billionaire class, that may be familiar to all of us:
Herbert Kohler Jr.
If you ever had to go to the big box DIY store to buy a faucet for a sink or a toilet fixture you’ve seen the name Kohler. He passed away at 83 with a net worth of $8.8 billion. Kohler’s grandfather was the founder of the firm, which dates back to 1873.
Ted Lerner.
A giant in the real estate investment and development game in Washington, D.C. Unlike Kohler, he started his business from scratch in 1952 with $250 borrowed from his wife, and was worth $6.6 billion when he passed away at age 97 this past February.
Tom Love
Have you ever gassed up your vehicle at a Love’s Convenience Store? Yup, it’s that guy. He was worth $5.5 billion as of this past March, when he passed on at age 85.
Gordon Moore
Also passing on this past March, Gordon cofounded Intel (I’m using his product as a type this!) in 1968. He died with a net worth of $6.8 billion at age 94.
…As a Musician Myself…
I remember so many of the people that created the soundtrack of my earlier life passing away in 2016.
It was a hard year for the greats. Both Emerson and Lake of ELP, Prince, David Bowie, many others.
Besides running long distances with audio books my other outside passion is music, and I’ve been playing some form of a stringed instrument since 1973. So, many of my heroes are musicians.
I’d like to mention some important names from my life that I’ll be remembering this weekend in the field of music, as well:
Ronnie Hawkins, 87, 5/29/2022.
Jim Seals, 79, 6/6/2022.
Olivia Newton John, 73, 8/8/2022.
Lamont Dozier, 81, 8/8/2022.
Loretta Lynn, 90, 10/4/2022.
Jerry Lee Lewis, 87, 10/28/2022.
Christine McVie, 79, 11/30/2022.
Irene Cara, 63, 11/25/2022.
Jeff Beck, 78, 1/10/2023.
Robbie Bachman, 69, 1/12/2023.
Lisa Marie Presley, 54, 1/12/2023.
David Crosby, 81, 1/19/2023.
Burt Bacharach, 94, 2/9/2023.
Huey “Piano” Smith, 89, 2/13/2023.
Gary Rossington, 71, 3/5/2023.
Harry Belafonte, 96, 4/25/2023.
Tim Bachman, 71, 4/28/2023.
Gordon Lightfoot, 74, 5/1/2023.
Tina Turner, 83, 5/24/2023, just this past Wednesday. Rock on in Heaven, Tina; you rocked our world.
May you all have a remarkable, memorable, family- and fun-filled Memorial Day weekend, and celebrate the gift of being alive to enjoy it one more year.
Until next week…