Courage Anyone? 

   The mention of "crying closets" in Thursday's blog - which we didn't write - got us thinking. We know of at least one major university dedicating space for wimpy students to pet cuddly dogs until they work up courage to get back in the real world. 

   We personally don't claim great courage or bravery. But, no one held our hand when we went alone at age 17 to enter a large university 200 miles from our quiet little town. Classes became routine, but it was never easy, nor graduation guaranteed.

   We had no teddy bear to hold during that overnight train ride from Pittsburgh to Ft. Knox, KY. Over the years, we moved to four different cities to begin jobs for which we had no particular background ... beyond our reputation for work ethic. One was a factory of 5,700 employees, where I was the lone "communicator" for management, among contrary union members. No crying closet there. 

Courage to the max

   In 1803 President Jefferson and just one other man worked in the empty White House. True. The president wanted to know what he received in Napoleon's sale of the "Northwest Territory." The emperor himself didn't know. French Canadians and Spanish also were curious. 

   His trusted assistant was Meriwether Lewis, a soldier among other talents. In late summer 1804, after much much preparation, Lewis and a number of explorers departed Pittsburgh. They canoed with supplies, rifles and parchment to record maps and discoveries. The Ohio River was low, requiring muscle and creativity.

   They paddled up the Mississippi toward St. Louis, where William Clark joined the team, and muscular soldiers replaced some of the crew, now 31 in all. They paddled up the Missouri. Food had to be hunted down, or fished. At times one or more would go off hunting and somehow reconnect up stream, maybe two days later.  

   Indians abounded along the Missouri - some friendly, if inclined to steal, and some hostile. Crossing the Rockies was more than a challenge. (There is no food source in the mountains.) As was finding a way to the Pacific. Jefferson later would be disappointed that there is no water route across the land. 

   Returning eastward over the Rockies was even more difficult, and wouldn't have succeeded if not for six Indian teenagers who knew the way, despite heavy snow. 

   This summary doesn't begin to describe the hardships, sickness, injuries, courage and daring of these 31 men on the Lewis and Clark expedition, 1804-1807. Suck it up, you pampered college kids!    

        Jimmy