Today my husband Jerry Dunfey and I visited Arlington Cemetary to pay our respects at the graveside of Senator Edward M “Ted” Kennedy and his brothers US President John F. Kennedy and US Senator Robert F Kennedy. Having been at Ted’s funeral Aug 29, we wanted to say good sailing to our friend. I was struck when we went to Walter Cronkite’s memorial this Wednesday how at the respective services Teddy and Walter’s love of sailing was a metaphor for what they each had done with their remarkable lives. As many spoke about leadership, I thought about how the sea – particularly when it gets rough – can either knock you around or you can navigate it with skill and patience and respect.
{ 3 comments… add one }
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September 13, 2009, 5:45 pm
So true…
and I am sorry for your loss. I know these people meant a lot to you.
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September 13, 2009, 11:28 pm
I had a feeling you two would be at Cronkite’s memorial service, which was just around the corner from me, but other responsibilities prevented me from hobbling over. The nearly simultaneous loss of Ted Kennedy and Walter Cronkite was an enormous blow to those of us who grew up with them (even if we didn’t know them personally) and a huge loss to the nation, much of which, I fear, is too young or too indifferent to appreciate it. I renew my hope that Kennedy’s death will help revive America’s sense of responsibility, sense of decency, and common sense. And I hope that Cronkite’s death is a wake-up call to TV news people in all capacities, who know in their hearts that they’ve allowed the news to be programmed like entertainment for ratings, rather than important information for the public’s edification. It’s hard to believe that we live in an era in which such fundamentals of government and journalism have been so grossly corrupted. We can only hope that the past will lead us to a better future.
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September 17, 2009, 8:12 pm
They have made a profound impact in this country. Their departure reminds us that we have a responsibility to bring forth the legacy of the movers and shakers who lived before us for the future generations to appreciate and to learn from.
