I loved this! I am so happy he was a "good" alcoholic, as that sounds funny to say but I hope you know what I mean. When my husband was hospitalized for his broken hip he called his cousin to sneek him in some southern comfort. I so understand that part. LOVED the poem and a tip of the hat, and a raise of the glass for him..

Raise a glass of sparkling clear water to the friend of the Saint!

Happy St. Paddy's Day to ye! (r)

To all of us Irish who understand this post! Happy St Patrick's Day Greg!

(knocking my coffee mug to your sober glassies)
Thankee kindly, me boy-os 'n lassies.

I liked this piece.
R

Maybe not the influence he intended, but the one you needed. The man done you good then.

To Paul - for doing what he did before, during, and after the war, in spite of the "broken."

Rated. I don't have, or know, anything else to say.

I love this! Thank goodness for the people who believe in us, even when we fail to believe in ourselves. Three cheers for Paul.

I clink cups to all! Happy St. Patrick's day! Good on ye for commenting.

Written like a rapper
You no longer beer tapper

God bless him. I'll say a prayer for him today.

Greg, what a touching tribute. And a great poem.

I'll (not) drink to that! Wonderful poem.

I get this. Nicely done.

My husband is "Black Irish" by way of Australia - I thought of his dad, who died too young, as I read this. Maybe he and Paul are up there, dark eyes twinkling, having a pint and a laugh together. I'll raise my cup of tea in their honor!

Thinking of your stepfather - and my father in law who died living a similar life and was never for lack of a story that could bring a crowd to their knees.

Thanks for sharing him with us and reminding me of my own Paddy - Patrick Joseph Murray.

that was just beautiful.

thank you.

I second Rita's comment. I love the piece and the drinking song and your thanks to Paul as you close. My thoughts are with you today.

Raising a sober glass of cheer! To Paul, a person I understand, I know you are well in heaven...xox

I will gladly raise a glass of water in Paul's honor - a fine tribute, Greg, and a marvelous ditty.

To Paul!

It's nice to see a portrait of an alcoholic that isn't made out to be a monster--I get it. Nice tribute to Paul. I'm glad he was able to leave you with some precious gifts.

Cheers to Paul.

Someday I will write more completely about him. To my youngest brother, 15 years my junior, he was a monster of the first order.

But today, on his day, and for all the great good he did me, i give him this.

And I know now much more what a medic's life in the ETO was like. I have made it my business to read a couple of dozen first person accounts and histories.

The stories he did tell were hair-raising, to say the least. The kind that made everyone fall silent and swallow hard. He would always end them abruptly and make a sardonic smile. I wish I had stood up, gone over, and embraced him, just once.

It's a miracle he made it as far as he did, in every sense.

What Greenheron said -- necessary lessons, passed on by example and loss. At our best, we are lovely and flawed. I'm glad you saw both things in him when you needed to see them.

Nice lyric and memory.

It's the tag that gets me: "The broken hero"

There are so many of those walking around in denial.

I'm feelin' this with every prayer I've prayed to the patron saint of barkeeps.
R

I'm glad he knew how to reach you. And that you let him.

Refreshing to hear a great story about a stepfather. This is lovely Greg.

Well, except for the drinking himself to death part...sorry, I was just so focused on how he affected your life.

maryt: ha!

it is understandable you responded as you did. Both ways. This is a post of mixed feelings. {{{hug}}} to you

Short and to the poimt, this was a wonderful testimony to a father you obviously love ver much.
It is a shame that his life had to end the way it did.
My sympathies to you on this day.

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam'. (May he rest in peace.) (r)

I'm telling you Greg, it's hard to pass up buckets of Baileys.

I'm going to put a teaspoon of Bailey's in my chocolate mousse tonight in honor of your stepfather. I can handle it.

It was PTSD for Paul -- AND organic. I can drink once in a while. About 5-6 drinks a year, usually. Not a teetotaler, i just don't enjoy it much, but a nice single malt, at a wedding? etc? a glass of wine with my wife on date night? Lovely. (yes, that is how pathetically few date nights we take; shame on us).

But Paul's example taught me profoundly how pre-disposed some people are. It isn't simplistic about "self-discipline". A man who could do what he did during the war had iron-willed guts and self-discipline.

And his being an accomplished psychologist kept him from seeking help, until it was too late. And not even then.

Tis a sad holiday for me. Bittersweet. (thanks, steve katz)

raising a grape soda in his honor- Go maire sibh bhur saol nua.

Good Deal!

Greg,
Sometimes we learn the most important lessons from others mistakes. Even if those 'others' are our parents. It is a wise person who realizes this and thanks them as you have done here.
Salute

gratitude comes in funny packages, doesn't it? I'll raise a metaphorical toast to Paul, because he gave us you, Greg.

I know devastatingly handsome black Irish men - thanks for the memories :-)

I do wonder how old he was when he died .....

I'm glad you wrote this. It sounds like Paul deserved some sort of tribute and understanding. You did a great job and it is balanced. Paul is resting well.

:)

Beautifully done, and moving.

You who have nothing in your bio ask me for claims, have the nerve to slander me? You must be bipolar. Your research skill is Zero, and your envy is your strongest point. You are one twisted, sick, bastard.

Once again, Professor, can you provide any verification of all your personal claims? Professor Emeritus where, of what? Google produces nothing but your own claims, and porno associated with you. Awaiting your deletion, once again.
Greg Correll
March 18, 2010 03:40 PM


Awaiting your deletion, once again. Once again, Professor, can you provide any verification of all your personal claims? Professor Emeritus where, of what? Google produces nothing but your own claims, and porno associated with you.

You who have nothing in your bio ask me for claims, have the nerve to slander me? You must be bipolar. Your research skill is Zero, and your envy is your strongest point. You are one twisted, sick, moron
Greg Correll
March 18, 2010 03:40 PM

You who have nothing in your bio ask me for claims, have the nerve to slander me? You must be bipolar. Your research skill is Zero, and your envy is your strongest point. You are one twisted, sick, moron .Greg Correll
March 18, 2010 03:40 PM

You who have nothing in your bio ask me for claims, have the nerve to slander me? You must be bipolar. Your research skill is Zero, and your envy is your strongest point. You are one twisted, sick, moron.

Once again, Professor, can you provide any verification of all your personal claims? Professor Emeritus where, of what? Google produces nothing but your own claims, and porno associated with you. Awaiting your deletion, once again.
Greg Correll
March 18, 2010 03:40 PM

You who have nothing in your bio ask me for claims, have the nerve to slander me? You must be bipolar. Your research skill are Zero, and your envy is your strongest point. You are one twisted, sick, Moron.

Once again, Professor, can you provide any verification of all your personal claims? Professor Emeritus where, of what? Google produces nothing but your own claims, and porno associated with you. Awaiting your deletion, once again.
Greg Correll
March 18, 2010 03:40 PM
You who have nothing in your bio ask me for claims, have the nerve to slander me? You must be bipolar. Your research skill is Zero, and your envy is your strongest point. You are one twisted, sick, moron.

Once again, Professor, can you provide any verification of all your personal claims? Professor Emeritus where, of what? Google produces nothing but your own claims, and porno associated with you. Awaiting your deletion, once again.
Greg Correll
March 18, 2010 03:40 PM


Awaiting your deletion, once again. Once again, Professor, can you provide any verification of all your personal claims? Professor Emeritus where, of what? Google produces nothing but your own claims, and porno associated with you.

You who have nothing in your bio ask me for claims, have the nerve to slander me? You must be bipolar. Your research skill is Zero, and your envy is your strongest point. You are one twisted, sick, Moron.
Greg Correll
March 18, 2010 03:40 PM


You who have nothing in your bio ask me for claims, have the nerve to slander me? You must be bipolar. Your research skill is Zero, and your envy is your strongest point. You are one twisted, sick, person, and you are courting trouble.Greg Correll
March 18, 2010 03:40 PM

You who have nothing in your bio ask me for claims, have the nerve to slander me? You must be bipolar. Your research skill is Zero, and your envy is your strongest point. You are one twisted, sick, Moron.

Once again, Professor, can you provide any verification of all your personal claims? Professor Emeritus where, of what? Google produces nothing but your own claims, and porno associated with you. Awaiting your deletion, once again.
Greg Correll
March 18, 2010 03:40 PM

You who have nothing in your bio ask me for claims, have the nerve to slander me? You must be bipolar. Your research skill are Zero, and your envy is your strongest point. You are one twisted, sick, Moron.

Once again, Professor, can you provide any verification of all your personal claims? Professor Emeritus where, of what? Google produces nothing but your own claims, and porno associated with you. Awaiting your deletion, once again.
Greg Correll
March 18, 2010 03:40 PM

Thank you, Professor, for your comment.

Not sure why you paste it in so many times, or the pertinence to my post about my dead father, or why asking you to verify your many incredible and conflicting claims on YOUR post would make me twisted or sick, but oh well. Is it slander to ask for background materials or to request more information about your astonishing life? the materials you have on the web?

I will leave this here and let your own words, and your judgment about doing this on this particular post, speak for themselves

I think perhaps the more appropriate place to answer my query would have been on your own post, but I notice you deleted it there. But you can answer it here if you like.

Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. It is a cornerstone of science. Your claims go beyond extraordinary. You seem to want to top yourself endlessly, and it it is all over Google, your amazing claims.

I will gladly, abjectly, apologize if you establish your bonafides in an independently verifiable way. Should take mere minutes to do. You make these claims, why not force me to acknowledge them? Please: correct me, show me up, prove me wrong. I have been wrong before and will be again. I will prepare myself to be humbled, and you will find great satisfaction in the simple, sincere, and unambiguous apology I will make.

I don't like people posting on OS who use it as a bully pulpit for braggadaccio, false pretenses, self-aggrandizement, and bamboozling. Unless it is done tongue-in-cheek or with wit and writerly license.

Just one man's opinion.

A wonderful tribute!

Thank you Anne.

I love this, Greg. It's sad to see the choice some of us make to not clean up and instead choose death, very sad, but we love them and we learn from them. I'm glad you and I made a different choice.

Thank you Leslie. I just tonight had a long talk with someone about Paul. You are right: we choose. He chose, every day.

Someday I will write the other two stories that need telling: his war service, and his terrible decline.

The ironies abound. He started and ran the counseling center at a huge mid-western university, and did mighty good for me and others. His end days nearly destroyed my baby brother. I am grateful to and heartbroken for him, my brother justifiably hates him.

Alcohol lies when it tries to tell you to keep drinking because your life is over or that life without it would be miserable. But some don't challenge those assumptions. That is the saddest part of all.

But of course it is not the alcohol saying that. That's what we say to ourselves when we lose the ability to reason.

Great post. Your song reminds me of one in Russia. It's not only funny, but it helps you remember the instrumental case in Russian grammar (instrumental case is used when we'd use the word, 'with' or when describing how. As in, 'I eat my cereal spoonly' instead of 'with a spoon.' Get it wrong and you've just said, 'I eat my cereal. Spoon.')

If the sea were made of beer,
I'd be a dolphin so beautiful
If the sea were made of vodka,
I'd be a submarine.

It has rhyme and meter in Russian.

Russian lends itself to poetry much better than English, because all the miserable cases you have to learn mean that you can put the words in any order. The actual order for the last line is,
Be would I a submarine.

Leslie: you say this well, balancing it in the two comments. Thanks

Malusinka: I love OS. You bring a fascinating dimension and original set of details to this! And I like your writing. Thank you.

Raising a shot of espresso.

I'm glad for your sake, and mine too (b/c of him then, I get to read you, now). You wrote him a good ending, Greg. It's the best any of us can hope for.

Great, heartfelt tribute. I love the song.