The Slap

Hello Bumby here.

Yesterday was not a great day for me. I received a scathing comment on my last post, I was cursed at by another commenter on someone else’s  blog. I started a new chapter in my life with a company that I believe in.

Now, the last part should have made me happy. However, as I was sitting there listening to the four hour orientation, I started to feel a bit overwhelmed by the amount of information that I will be required to commit to memory. And we all know… The memory is not quite the same as it once was.

My thoughts ran amok, causing all sorts of destruction. I thought…

1. Well, I could give up on this blog.
2. I should not comment on anyone else’s blog ever again.
3. That I am not up to this challenge…. so, just quit.

Now, after some consideration, a good meal and pardon the bluntness, a good crap… WOW, low an behold… A changed outlook.

This morning, I have looked  at the Guy In The Glass ,( see the post entitled such) I looked him straight in the eye… and he winked back.

It has taken my many years to break the habit of always using “Proper grammar and perfect punctuation” To free my mind.

Maybe… I am toooo free and loose in my constructions. Maybe…It is time to bring back a little “Proper”. What I struggle with is striking a balance, one that I am comfortable with. My thoughts tend toward… What if I have proper construction, but lose my passion or having so much passion that my writing is unreadable.

For me, it is not a matter of writing for technical correctness, but rather one of thought , feeling, and voice. For so many years, I wrote only technical papers, conveying only dry facts with my recommendations. I wrote so many, that I began to think only in those terms. One day I awoke or maybe  I came too, can’t remember… (The memory, you know) what I realized was, I had no passion in my life. I was dead inside. So, I did what all Great WASPS and Preppies have always done… I got drunk and changed my entire life.

Well, it is time to change again, this time without the booze in the mix.

I do understand and do appreciate, that I and I alone, can find the Voice that goes with my brand. My struggle thus far, has been finding a consistent voice. To that end, from this post going forward, my voice… the voice of The Preppy Chronicles will be of a southern man in his forties. If you will formulate an image of Hal Holbrook, as Mark Twain. Bumbys voice This is how my thoughts sound in my head  and this will now be my voice on paper.

Always Bumby

Tags: Honesty, Humor, Personal Responsibility, Preppy Chronicles

Hello Bumby here.

Welcome to this Edition of The Preppy Chronicles.

I have had many  requests in the past few months to post a current photo of my likeness for the entire world to  gawk at. When I first sat down, to consider how I wished to be viewed by the world… for Time Immortal. I was struck by the enormity and complexity of my life situation

Only after I sat down, and asked myself …”What was I going to call this new adventure; this new chapter in my life, What form was it going to take and in what type of format was it to take shape, and finally, What was I going to write about? ” Only after I  answered these questions, did the task become… How do I want to be seen world wide, what is my Logo, my moniker, What will be my On and Off line Identity.

All of the “Experts” that I consulted with in regards to this extremely important decision, agreed upon one thing. What ever your visual identity, make sure that you use it in all forms of communication and across all forms and formats of media. BRAND YOURSELF.

So, thus armed with this little bit of knowledge and desire to do something New and Bold…(Yea right, I am a WASP and a Preppy, how bold would I really go.) The Preppy Chronicles was brought into existence.

In establishing a brand, in establishing an identity, I was once again told by the  “experts ” that the single most important component is… as in any business its Logo. Spend time on it and get it right the first time…Your readers will remember this when they remember nothing else.

Chose something that fits your personality, find or create something that defines an unchanging quality in yourself.

Thus, after much thought and searching, the Mallard became my World Wide Visual Identity, my Logo, my Calling Card.

When I chose to begin to share with you my thoughts, I was reminded that due to the very uniqueness, immediacy, far reaching and permanent nature of this medium and the simple fact that there are a number of nut jobs out there surfing the net…Be Honest and Truthful …. But be careful what you print.  I will steal something from the Catholics…” Remember this will go on your permanent record! “

I think that is all for this edition, I will pick this back up next time.

As most of you know, I am at this time reading ” The Winthrop Covenant ” by Louis Auchincloss. I was having a very difficult time starting it, when one of my readers suggested that I start with a book called ” Wordy Shipmates ” by Sarah Vowell. This book would give the Purtians some flesh and context. I bring this to your attention to say that  this suggestion worked, I am now warming up to the idea of launching headlong into the Auchincloss work.

I thank you all for your continued thoughts and feedback and support.

Always Bumby

The Preppy Chronicles Edition I vol. 12

Tags: Honesty, Humor, Preppy, Preppy and WASP Lifestyles, Preppy Chronicles, Self branding

Hello Bumby Here, I have decided to reprint at classic poem. I understand that this is a slight departure of my normal fare, normally one would find such fare over on my sister site.

Most of us are familiar with the poem ” The Man In The Mirror ” I came across what is believed to be the original. This classic was written in 1934 by a man named Dale Wimbrow. The original title is ” The Guy in the Glass”

In looking back over my past posts, I have decided that I will be adopting this poem as my mantra. In the next few post I will be exploring  what I consider to be of absolute importance to me as a Preppy and WASP. How do we present ourselves to and in this world of Multi-Media and still remain true to our Preppy and WASP upbringing. I do feel that who I am does come out in my writing.Yet, I must always remember that what I chose to pen and commit to this form of media will forever be  lost to me to change.

The Guy in the Glass:

When you get what you want in your struggle for pelf,

And the world makes you King for a day,

Then go to the mirror and look at yourself,

And see what that guy has to say

For it isn’t your Father, or Mother, or Wife,

Who judgement upon you must pass,

The feller whose verdict counts most in your life

Is the guy staring back from the glass.

He’s the feller to please, never mind all the rest,

For he’s with you clear up to the end,

And you’ve passed your most dangerous, difficult test

If the guy in the glass is your friend.

You may be like Jack Horner and “chisel” a plum,

And think you’re a wonderful guy, But the man in the glass says you’re only a bum if you can’t look him straight in the eye.

You can fool the whole world down the pathways of years,

And get pats on the back as you pass,

But your final reward will be heartaches and tears

If you’ve cheated the guy in the glass.

As I move forward in this new adventure, I must always remind myself to ” Place Principles above Personalities “

Thank you for stopping by and reading.

Always Bumby

Tags: Guy in the Glass, Man in the mirror, Preppy and WASP Lifestyles, Preppy Chronicles

Hello Bumby here,

It’s book review time. I have a small work to recommend, small in size but voluminous in content and scope. It is a short story that can easily be read in one short sitting, but its message lingers and haunts you.

Therefore, I highly recommend…. Ethan Frome Written by Edith Wharton

I must confess up until this point in time I was only familiar with her work in passing. I do believe that I am now and forever hooked on this Author.

Always Bumby

Tags: book review, Edith Wharton, Ethan Frome, Preppychronicles

Hello Bumby here,

Welcome to this the 11th installment of The Preppy Chronicles.  This also marks my  8 month of publishing my thoughts, ideas, convictions and feelings… my musings in this or really any forum and format other than my own mind. Upon reflection and a reread of all of my posts in the past 8 months, I can truly say that I am grateful to this medium and to you my readers for allowing me to see and express how incredibly complexly shallow  I am. It is also very reassuring to know that I am not alone in this mental state.

This blog is to Celebrate living life as a Male, Southern, Preppy, WWASP in a society that is ever increasingly blurring the lines. It’s about who we are , why we do the things that we do, and how everyday events affect us (me)

When I began this process, I did not understand nor appreciate  what I was asking of myself and of you and how difficult this was going to be. Eight months and I find myself deeply into this Isomorphic process. ( For those of you new to this blog and as a reminder to the rest of us…  Isomorphic …Superficial similarity in organisms that are Phylogenetically different resulting from convergence.)

It has been said … ” That the Rich are different, from you and I. ”

Yes, we are. If that offends you, so be it,  as a WWASP and the author of this blog,  I have a duty to you and to my tribe to state the obvious…..but I am also here to say, that we are much more alike than any one of us wishes to admit. The difficulty in admitting, arises from one simple fact…To be blunt about it, in most circles in America it is very unpopular to say that America is a caste society. Yet we are, and if you are on the bottom of the rung you find as many similarities as you can, if however, your on top you look for the dissimilarities. Even within my own caste, I have a proper place. (And yes, I do know it, and yes I do sometimes choose to ignore it at great risk.) If you’re honest with yourself… You will admit that even within your own community of friends, you judge some to be on  more of an equal plane with you than others. We all work hard to maintain this reality.

It has been my experience, that whether you drive a Rolls Royce or a Ford Pinto, live in a Studio Apt. or a 28 Bedroom Cottage, there are some things that are just part of the human experience. Here is an example of what I am getting at… Ever go to the Grocery or Bodega and wonder around aimlessly, you’re hungry, but, absolutely nothing looks good… or your at a friends home… and you must use the toilet, and low- and-behold  the direction that the paper rolls off is opposite of what you KNOW to be the correct direction… ….. Have you ever thought about changing it?….Have you ever changed it ?

I must confess, Not only thought about it ,  but yes, I have changed it.

And of course my favorite….Every human on this planet has a  “Come To Jesus Moment” while sitting on the toilet.

These are just but a few examples of common humanness. My point is a simple one really, that some  experiencences are universal. Now, this is where the different realities start to emerge. The Rolls Royce reality or the Ford Pinto one.  Even in these seemingly diverse realities, runs a noticeable thread of  similarities. There is not only a caste system within the Society- Rich, but also the Society- Poor, there is also a caste ( or if you prefer) a divide or a disconnect in one geographical location from another. East Coast, Down East,Heart Land, Palm Beach, The South, The West, and of course The West Coast and California. In my experience WASPS and Preppies that seem to be scattered across this great land do have a shared experience but most importantly a shared past in each one of the geographical locations. Here is an example… East Coast Establishment vs. Southern Breeding, on the matter of Women and their usage and Traditions of wearing Pearls. Each have a different take but all agree, that Pearls are an essential part of a  WASP and Preppy woman’s life and style.

You may rightly ask ‘what does all of this have to do with The Message vs. The Medium, and my “Dance Card”,  Well at this moment I have no clue.

I will share one last tid-bit that I have noticed about us as a tribe, a people…. We seem to have more Emotional, Mental and Substance abuse problems than most other classes. I don’t know if that is because we can afford more problems than other classes, and even if we don’t have one of these sacred  aliments, we can pay someone to tell us that …”Yes, you do… and that will be $500.00, Thank You very much, and see you in two days.” It seems that when we visit a Sanatorium, for a stay,  the standard line amongst ourselves and too others is ” They are on Holiday ” and when it is a Drying out time we are said to be ” Abroad “

I will stop now, as I am feeling a little Bemused, Befuddled and Bemoaned and feel a need  for a ” Holiday “

Always Bumby

The Preppy Chronicles Edition I volume 11

Tags: Honesty, Humor, Preppy, Preppy and WASP Lifestyles, Preppy Chronicles

Hello, Bumby here.

Yes, it has been a few days since I last posted,and I must confess that I have really missed you all.

I am still ruminating my last post:Unintended Consequences part II.

Memorial Day through the Fourth of July are always filled with the memories of a life past, one that may or may not be able to be recaptured.Every year brings with it the new, mixed with in with the old. WASPs and Preppys are busy about their tasks, of preparation for the summer journeys. Summer cottages must be opened,domestics hired,docks checked, boats inspected and check books strained as we repair what the ravages of time and weather have inflected on our beloved homes away from home.

Our family decided that we would all go computer and phone free for the weekend.My two nieces are for the most part addicted to electronic devices and I must confess, that I experienced a craving….to just look …I’ll be real quick no one will ever know. Once the cravings stopped, Every one was able to focus on just having fun and enjoying each others company. The fare for the weekend was a series of BBQ and Weenie roasts, lawn bowling, croquet, bonfires, retelling of ghost stories, marshmallow roasting. We talked about fishing and boating. Some were going Down East to open Dark Harbor and others were off to Kentucky and Louisiana to open the Antebellums’, still others to places around the globe.

This unfettered and unfiltered moment in time, reassured me that  WASPdom at least in my corner of the sandbox, and at least for now… in my clan,is still very much alive. I am grateful.

Always Bumby. The Preppy Chronicles

Tags: Fourth of July, Memorial Day, Preppy, Preppy Chronicles, The Preppy/WASP lifestyle, WASP

Hello Bumby here,

This post is not the one that I have slaved over, the truth is after 5 drafts it was going nowhere, I was stuck, then last evening I pick up a book by the Great, Great, Great, Great Grand daughter of Cornelius Vanderbilt. From the reviews, it was going to be horrid, written by a ungrateful shrew. That my friends is what is called contempt prior to investigation.

I sat down on my favorite couch, blanket at the ready, glass of Sweet Tea on the side book table; ready to investigate. I read the dust cover, then settled in to read the prologue, I felt shame and sorrow by the time I was finished with page 8. At this point I felt sick, I had to decide at that moment if I was going to give up my precious time and read the rest of the book. I decided to read the last two chapters and low and behold my opinion did not change.

For me it’s all about perspective, I chose not to continue with the book and put a video recommended by a friend called… Consuming Kids: The Commercialization of Childhood. This video is only 67 min. long but it started me thinking again about my recurring themes. The themes of my childhood, as the product of or more aptly stated as the sum total of all that is WASP all that is Preppy and all that goes with being a Wealthy Southern Male. The over the top lengths that Mommy and Daddy went to make sure that I know who I was, and what was expected from me, and most importantly how to act and dress the same way that the generations before had done, all the while trying to maintain a ” normal ” childhood. From the schools that I was to attend to what shoes that I would wear and to what events I would attend. The not so subtle  branding: Brooks Brothers, L.L.Bean, J. Press, Bass Weejuns,  Clark Wallabees, Sperry Topsiders, Boxers not briefs , hand made wooden boats , Fly fishing  and all the gear, I learned very early in childhood that Polo was not a  brand but a sport, then came the Family Branding ,the list goes on and on. I grew up playing outside, I distinctly recall the immortal words ” Not in the house, go outside and play” and of course  “Stop hitting your sister” and the always popular ” Be Home for Dinner” The more I reflect on the messages that were sent to me, the more convinced  I am that no matter how screwed up I am, or my family seems to be, They provided me with just enough Branding messages to keep me loyal to my brands and yet, because my brands change little… I change little. The message of this video disturbed me … What kind of a generational mess are we as a society creating, and most importantly how do we stop it. I think that it is mine and yours …OUR responsibility to reverse this disaster. The rate of decline of our children, childhood obesity all seem to be related. The pat answers from Brands and Media seems to be It is the Parents responsibility not theirs . They will continue to to rape and pillage our youth until we all say to the companies that are marketing to our children Enough.

I said earlier that for me it’s all about perspective,  Do I want to take the time to read the ramblings of an  ungrateful shrew or spend 67 min. watching something that will lead me to action.

I wrote this post. What are you going to do?  I wonder, what will be the unintended consequences of you reading this post? What will be mine, How will my perspective change? Will I get up off my WASP ass and do something? ???? These things I will ponder as I sip on a tall glass of Sweet Tea, in my Chinos from Brooks, wearing my J.Press Bn,  and wearing the Weejuns that I bought 30 years ago.

Always Bumby

The Preppy Chronicles Edition one Vol 10

Tags: Bass Weejuns, Brooks Brothers, Clark Wallabees, Cornelius Vanderbilt, Dr.Michael Rich, J.Press, L.L.Bean, Personal Responsibility, Perspective, Preppy and WASP Lifestyles, Preppy Chronicles, Sperry Topsiders, The Preppy/WASP lifestyle

Hello Bumby Here, This came across my e-mail today.

Thank You for your Sacrifice.

Always Bumby

Tags: Conscience, Honesty, Personal Responsibility

Happy Mothers Day… WASP Style.

Bumby here, I just wanted to express to all the mamas out there, My  heart felt gratitude for all that you are. We men tend to forget that you are the heart and soul of our existence.

For the Lilly lovers out there…..

I do trust that that is a Lilly Pulitzer dress in that box. Because you know, I just must have the latest.

Now for a musical number…There is nothing like a Dame from the show South Pacific.

We got sunlight on the sand…. We got moonlight on the sea,

We got mangos and bananas….You can pick right off the tree

We got volleyball and ping-pong…. And a lot of dandy games

What ain’t we got ?

We ain’t got Dames……..

We get packages from home, We get movies We get shows

We get speeches from our skipper and advice from Tokyo Rose

We get letters doused with perfume, We get dizzy from the smell

What don’t we get ?……You know darn well.

We got nothing to put on a clean white suit for….What we need , is what there ain’t no substitute for

There is nothing like a Dame, nothing in the world,

There is nothing that you can name that is anything like a Dame.

We feel restless…We feel blue, We feel lonely and in grief

We feel every kind of feeling …But the feeling of relief

We feel hungry as the wolf felt… when he met Red Riding hood

What don’t we feel? …We don’t feel good

Lots of things in life are beautiful but Brother, There is one particular thing that is nothing whatsoever in any shape like any other…..

There is nothing like a Dame, nothing in the world,

There is nothing that you can name that is anything like a Dame.

Nothing else is built the same……….Nothing in the world

has the soft and wavy frame, like the silhouette of a Dame

So, suppose a dame ain’t bright,

or completely  free from flaws,

or as faithful as a bird dog

or as kind as Santa Clause.

It’s a waste of time to worry over things that have not……Be thankful for the things they’ve got.

There is nothing you can name , that is anything like a Dame

There are no books like a Dame and nothing like a Dame

There are no drinks like a Dame and nothing thinks like a Dame or attracts like a Dame

There ain’t a thing thats wrong with any man here that can’t be cured by putting him near,

A Girly, Womanly, Female, Feminine, Dame.

So, again let me say on behalf of all men world… THANK YOU for being just who and what you are.

Always Bumby

The Preppy Chronicles Edition I vol.8

Tags: Humor, Mothers Day, Preppy and WASP Lifestyles, Preppy Chronicles, South Pacific, thank you

Hello Bumby Here,

As I begin to look closer at the third of my dance card yet to be filled. I experience a great surge of hope…yet, with just a touch of languishing despair. The pressing Questions, to which I know deep down have no foreseeable answers . Experience  is teaching me that, I can only dance one dance at a time…

The Questions nevertheless still haunt me.

Do I need to change the band as well as the music,  Do I have the skills necessary to learn the new dances, Must I do them in White Tie or will they require a Toga?

How do I start the Isomorphic process, is it up to me to throw the switch?  For I do believe, that that all the basic pieces are here in some what of a primordial existence; how then to combine the old plantings and  the new cuttings?  There is a passage that comes to mind, from A Separate Peace by John Knowles…

To enlist. To slam the door impulsively on the past, to shed everything down to my last bit of clothing, to break the pattern of my life – that complex design I had been weaving since birth with all its dark threads, its unexplainable symbols set against a conventional background of white and schoolboy, all those tangled strands which require the dexterity of a virtuoso to keep flowing – I yearned to take giant military shears to it, snap! bitten off in a instant, and nothing left in my hands but spools of khaki which could weave only a plain, flat khaki design, however twisted that might be.

There is a tremendous thirst- to- stay as the Caterpillar… to do nothing but consume and grow large; all the while, resisting on a sub-basic level the inevitable fact that I must change into some other creature to live again. In the past few years, I have felt the beginnings of this Isomorphic process, even now just by the mere fact that I am writing about it shows me that this process is well under way.

If I wish to be an agent of change; within the contextual background of my Family and of my Tribe, I recognize that I somehow must reconcile seemingly opposing views of the world that I find myself in.

A good example of this is… Jesus teaches me to love the human, but reject the sin. It sounds so simple, yet it is extraordinarily difficult to accomplish. My experience has been that what I tend to do is, love the person  until I see their actions… then ALL that I see is their actions, of which I find to be intolerable.

Let me give you an example of this very struggle in my life. I belong to an organization, that by its very nature and purpose brings people from all walks of life together, united in one cause and purpose. I willing admit, that there is one specific area in my life that I am a Bigot. A Bigot as defined by Websters Collegiate Dictionary (1946)… Bigot: One obstinately or intolerantly devoted to his own church, party, belief, or opinion. This area of bigotry in my life, is in regards, to those who wish to practice a lifestyle of Homosexuality and Lesbianism. As a SMWWASP, growing up in the late 60s and 70s, the WASP party line was and still is…Yes Darlin, there are those in our tribe that are Homosexuals, and Lesbians, but, they are our Homosexuals and Lesbians, and as long as they entertain us normal folks, it’s OK. In my Religious upbringing, I was told that those that practice these lifestyles, are and will always be an abomination to God. God loves the Human; the Sinner, but not the Sin. Anyone, that truly is a Christian, cannot nor will wish to continue these lifestyles. Now to my dilemma,  each and every day, I am thrown into environment, in which I encounter people that choose to practice these lifestyles. For the success of this organization, to achieve its purpose, I must sit and listen to their thoughts and ideas. How do overcome my Bigotry long enough to listen and learn, and truly hear what they are saying? For me it is very much a case of the Message vs. the Medium, as I have no intention of giving up the Bigotry, I must find a way to accept the Message and not be distracted by the Medium. In the book, Influencer By various authors; including Kerry Patterson, and Joseph Grenny. The authors, talk about how we as Humans tend to think, and how to change our vital behaviors by changing where in the brain we think, thus to quote from the book…Once you change where you think, you change how you think, which in turn changes what you think. It is my experience, that I am not able to do this by sure willpower, I must rely upon God to give me the grace and the strength to change my vital behaviors and to grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change. For me the simple fact that… I realize, and understand that I cannot change anyone, that they must want to change based upon their own value system, is what brings me the serenity that I so crave, that said; it does not absolve me of the responsibility that I must change.

I will end by quoting two passages that I have found to be hooks that I am currently hanging my hat on. The  first comes from an anonymous source, And acceptance is the answer to all my problems today. When I am disturbed, it is because I find some person, place, thing or situation…some fact of my life…unacceptable to me, and I can find no serenity until I accept that person, place, thing or situation as being exactly the way it is supposed to be at this moment. Nothing, absolutely nothing, happens in God’s world by mistake. Unless that I accept life completely on life’s terms, I cannot be happy. I need to concentrate not so much on what needs to be changed in the world as on what needs to be changed in me and in my attitudes. Until I can accept this precept, I am not able to affect any change in anyone, I will not be able to see the answers to the problems that plague  society and my tribe as a whole, I will not be able to be that agent of change. I consider acceptance  to be a key component in this isomorphic change. The other quote is also from Influencer…The norm that mandates silence has to change, when you make the undiscussable  discussable, you openly embrace rather than fight the power of social influence. Now, what that means for me in regard to this particular Bigotry is this… If we as a society ( around our kitchen tables,water coolers ) talk about what we want our country to be like, have a honest open discussion. I believe that we will discover that we as a society do not want the Gaying of America to continue, and that this lifestyle choice is just that a choice. All American citizens have the same rights Life, Liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Now that is the pursuit… not the guarantee. How much of this lifestyle are we willing as a society to tolerate.

As you can see, I am searching for the next dance and partner. This is just one of many examples that I could give about having to reconcile seemingly opposing views in this world that I find myself in.

Thank you so very much for you time.

Always Bumby

The Preppy Chronicles Edition I vol.8

Tags: Conscience, Honesty, Personal Responsibility, Preppy and WASP Lifestyles, Preppy Chronicles

Hello Bumby here

I thought, that I would take a few moments, and share some of my thoughts  on the latest books that I have read and a recently watched movie.

My thoughts on the first book…Try For Elegance, written by David Loovis

I picked this book to read, after a mention on another web site, Ivy-Style. Christian is always coming across some wonderfully obscure films and books. The dust jacket has a little review by Gore Vidal, so I thought I would find a copy and take her for a spin. Over the years, I have discovered that when a book  is out of print and hard to find, I am in for one of two experiences, either  I have just stumbled upon a hitherto  undiscovered gem, or a pile of dung. I am sad to report that I have waded through the dung pile on this one. I will not bore you with the details. Suffice to say … a direct quote  from page 13 of the book …Don’t bother.

Unfortunately, I also have another flop to report from a well known Author Rita Mae Brown…Santa Clawed.

It starts off well enough, then… quickly flat-lines with no hope of being revived.

Now, for something that I found to be delightful, The movie Christmas In Connecticut. Staring Barbara Stanwyck. This gem was made in 1945 at a time that America was At war,  The DVD, starts out with a little short film called Star in the Night. the Oscar winner for 1945. Both of these left me with a warm feeling, and hope about the human condition.

Thank you.

Always Bumby

Tags: book review, Honesty, Humor, Pork

The Power In Powerlessness

Hello Bumby here, General George Patton, is credited with this statement:

I don’t measure a man’s success by how high he climbs but how high he bounces when he hits bottom.

By now, most of you have come to understand that I am very protective of my Family. I have not, nor will I name names, for one simple reason. My Family still likes me and is still speaking to me and I wish this to continue.

We have another disgruntled Vanderbilt descendant, that appears to feel the need to air dirty laundry in public. This pubescent need for attention has resulted in most, if not all, of her Family not speaking to her. As Mister Rodgers would say… Now, boys and girls, can you say…Shameful ingrate…..I thought you could.

What I can and will share with you about my Family, are these few facts. Part of the Tree that I am descended from can be found in Burke’s Peerage. Both main branches, owe the King a great deal. Huge land grants and concessions in the new world. One branch made their fortune in slaves (as in the transport of such) and Plantation ownership, specializing in Cotton, Sugar, and Rum, the growth, manufacture and shipping of such. The other branch, in Oil Refining and transport ( part of the original Standard Oil Trust). These two houses joined like all other Great Houses in marriage, as all Old Families tend to do, for the sake of  Name Fortune and Lands. Hence, my statement that as WWASPs, our passions run to the substance of things and that as a  Preppy I am more concerned with the fluff of life.

As a direct result of my Family, most of the tone and timber of my life was established long before I was born.

Growing up in my family was an eclectic mix of the old and new, from cars to furniture, from Beethoven to Disco, from private to public schools but always with this underlining and sometimes overbearing feeling and knowledge of History and Obligation.

Looking back, I have realized that my life has been a cross between a John Irving novel and the movie The Royal Tenenbaums. I must confess that there were only a few consistency’s in my life , they are as follows and in no particular order… I always wanted to say that. A belief in God, Music and Dance and the fact that I stopped growing at the age of 10 and wear glasses, and finally, the knowledge that I was Wealthy and you were not. These consistency’s, still exist today…

My belief in God is not just a thought process; but has turned into a relationship, of which I have wrote about in another post. As far as music and dance, because of my parents being Bohemians, I grew to like almost all forms of music, the two hold outs are Opera and Rap. Opera because I have to translate the words in order to enjoy it, and Rap because I just don’t see the point. I am still short and I still wear glasses and by the way, the lenses are still made of glass not plastic. In regards to dance, I do enjoy watching skilled dancers, as far as myself dancing, I am for any activity that will bring my into contact with women, As to the money issue I am still Wealthy, albeit that I spent the first Draw, which was in the 8 figures, in just a matter of a few short years, and the fact that it will be many more years before the next Draw.

In the past few years, I have learned to wear my Entitlement as well as my History and Obligation, as one would wear a loose garment. Just the other day, I had a Aha moment, when I realized, that from the time long in the past before I was born, my dance card was three fourths filled. Most of my life I have been dancing to someone else’s music and with partners not of my own chosing. I have been given one third of this card… How am I going to fill it?

I think that is enough for today.

Always Bumby

The Preppy Chronicles Edition 1 vol 7

Tags: Honesty, Personal Responsibility, Preppy and WASP Lifestyles, Preppy Chronicles, Trust fund

Hello Bumby Here, Welcome back to The Preppy Chronicles.

As A man thinks in his heart so is he.

A very simple statement but extremely powerful. It has been said that money changes who you are. I disagree, I have now after many years come to believe that it is your relationship to money that changes you.

At the age of 21, I thought that I had a good grounding as to my relationship with money. Little did I know that what I thought was a solid foundation was only a illusion. Up to that point it was my Family name and the power that it brought that was my day to day experience. I am here to say that it’s true… that Great Wealth Earned or Unearned, wielded by any one without good character turns out to be nothing more than greed.

I am about to break that unwritten, but most powerful rule of my class…Don’t ever talk about money…It’s rude. However, if you must… always talk about other peoples.

Lets start with the root question… Does a persons character really matter?  Let me first be clear on this point, it’s my heart felt belief ,that money DOES NOT change you. There is a saying; That if you take a drunk horse thief, and sober them up, what you are left with is a sober horse thief. When you add money to the mix, or for that matter take it away, all that is left is that persons character. The gain or loss only amplifies it. It has taken me 20 years to understand and appreciate this simple fact of life.

Let me briefly talk about perceptions.

I could be Mother Teresa, but from the moment that I drive up and emerge from a Rolls Royce, you are making judgements about me, my character and my integrity. You are asking yourself, how did he get that car. Now let me take this farther, say I am a Black man, or… a old White man or… a Mexican or lets say a 21 year old WASP who happens to be dressed Preppy, as we run down the list your perception changes, it’s only human nature. What happens in the next few moments will cement into your brain if your perceptions and value judgements  are valid, or are you going to be confused,  because I don’t act the way you think that I should act, the way in which you want me to act, now that is your own perception. Lets go one more step shall we, class perceptions, if you are poor, middle class or upper middle class and even just rich….Old Money rich or Nouveau Riche all classes have their own perceptions about how the others are suppose to act.

For as long as I can remember, I have always been treated differently even within my own Family, by the time that I was 2 years old, my first Passport was already full of destinations from around the globe. ( The new one had to be shown to all the relatives) The proper Alma maters had been notified of my birth,That’s where my normal childhood stops. I came to understand that my immediate family, was also different from the ” normal “ in the ‘ Family ‘ we were the Bohemians of the clan. My parents met each other through music lessons, so music became their passion, well at least my dads, mom took up dance in the late 60′s. Music and dance have always been an important part of family life. I am told that my first traveling play-pen was a guitar case. I quickly grew into the mind set that I was indeed as special as everyone said that I was. At the age of 6 or 7,  I had an emerging knowledge that I would never need to worry about money and that I was capable of anything that I set my mind to do. I was one of the chosen few , as the result of this feeling of entitlement I was always in trouble, (The Black sheep of the family) while,  my sister  was the perfect child. I just knew, that no matter what I did I would always land on top NOT because of my Family name and its power but because of WHO I WAS. This sense of entitlement served me well for many years. When it came time for my initial draw, I thought, that  the world was mine for the taking and boy did I take.

We will pick is up in the next segment of The Preppy Chronicles.

Thank You

Always Bumby.

The lessons will teach you

What you need to know

To find out who you’ll be

And which way you’ll go.                     Maria Shriver from the book…Just Who Will You Be?

The Preppy Chronicles edition I Vol.6

Tags: Preppy, Preppy and WASP Lifestyles, Preppy Chronicles, Trust fund, WASP

A new Standard.

Hello Bumby here, This is a Transitional post. I first wish to apologize for the bumpiness of my last post. I needed to make a shift on to a new track, looking back on it, it seems a bit like the scene for the movie Vacation. It’s night, the Griswolds are driving to the motel, everyone is asleep including ‘Sparky’, (Chevy Chase). The car swerves from one side of the road to the other never connecting with anything, then jumps the side and off the road and lands in the motel parking lot just in time for sparky to wake up and declare with confidence …Were Here.

Well, Were Here! In that post I gave you all a Red bouncing ball to follow, looking where I will be going in the future it might come in handy. I for one have tied a rope around my waist and anchored it to my first post ‘Preppy To The Bone” so that I will not lose my way. My task is not an easy one… to deconstruct, What makes me who I am and share with you what I find, and put it all back together again. I will be at times pulling from all of my older posts and groundwork, interweaving the new and old. I will pull from any source material I wish… from the Bible to Little-Bo-Peep, if it will describe or accomplish what I set out to express. Somethings that I will talk about will be Cold, Harsh, Calculated…others will be soft warm and fuzzy and not in the least bit logical. This is part of the human condition, as well as part of being a WASP and Preppy.

In the past few days I have been attacked by someone who has tried to gain their 15 min of fame on my dime. I let this persons comments stand for a few days; because I do believe in the freedom of speech. I have deleted these comments, for the sake of space . I will be moderating my comment section for a while. Sorry for any inconvenience that this might cause.

I have also been asked to provide a glossary  for terms that I use all the time.

Personal Responsibility: Taking ownership of your life, your thoughts, actions, words…by knowing what you believe or if you will …What you stand for.

Message vs Medium: When you act on your thoughts, by the use of your words, photos, art, written page, radio, TV, blogs, comments your clothes….How do you craft your message in each medium… What is more important  The message or the medium, are they of equal value or one more important.

SMWWASP… Southern Male Wealthy White Anglo Saxon Protestant

WWASP…Wealthy White Anglo Saxon Protestant

WASP…White Anglo Saxon Protestant

Preppy or Preppie…A person that dresses and displays colors like the Peacock spreading his plume with its vibrant exciting colors to tantalizethe eyes and sences.  A lovely creature to be sure. But do remember that as with all creatures, It eats, sleeps, poops, pees, and breeds. (Oh, My!!)

I will leave you with a quote from Lee Iacocca’s Book  ‘ Where have all the leaders gone? ‘

What we can’t prevent we must embrace.

Always Bumby

Tags: Conscience, Ivy-league, Personal Responsibility, Preppy and WASP Lifestyles, Preppy Chronicles

The Preppy 12 Step

The Preppy 12 Step….I do believe that I hear the strain of a country song or at the very least a new dance step.

This post is about unintended consequences.  If I am to know what I expect… from my family, friends, co-workers, my elected officials, and society, I, first must know what I believe is expected of me. (As I wrote that, I felt that I needed to give us all a red bouncing ball to follow.)  Now I can only speak from my own experience in this matter; as a WWASP then as I Preppy. OK.. ready for the Red bouncing ball ?

Many are the passions of the Preppy, But are they the same as the passions of the WASP ? I think  not. Sure, on some levels they are deceptively similar, my experience has been that;  they are very different at the core. (I have my waders on and I am about to step in it.)

As a WASP, I am about the substance of the thing…as a Preppy I am about the fluff.  I say this because,  All WASPs are Preppy at heart, but not all Preppies are WASPs. Yet, there are those that are Preppies but not WASPs. They do share the same value systems and have gone through the same rights of passage as us (or is it we) WASPs. Now if your experiencing a bit of confusion… your not alone.

For those of us in the WWASP (Wealthy WASP) category, we even differ, again, from our WASP cousins; in the respect that we have an extra burden of wealth.

I am still exploring Personal Responsibility and the theme of The Message vs The Medium.  It is very easy for me to look at the world outside of myself and declare with voracity that all of you are the ones that are screwed up.  No one that I know, including myself,  likes to take a good long hard look at themselves, their actions and choices that they ( I) have made and their unintended consequences. The single most important and influential choice in my life was not made by me, but for me, when my Founding Family Member established the Family Trust. This Patriarch,thought it best to let every other generation receive and the ones in between work, in the attempt to stave off the most common problem associated with unearned wealth, namely a sense of entitlement. It is my experience, that those of us that do receive, have an ever consuming sense of entitlement. Now, with this sense of entitlement, comes  an unintended consequence an overpowering feeling of total uselessness.

Having traveled around the world and seeing  the accomplishments of those that have gone before me, I realized that I will never measure up. and for many years I just languished in a mental state of hopelessness, self pity and uselessness with no sense of direction. The saddest thing, is that I watch most of us (WWASPs) follow the same path.  On the outside,we are the life of the party, on the inside we are just lost. We go through the motions  all the while in self delusion that we are happy. Some are truly happy, because they have a solid grounding  a sense of who they are and where they belong in this world, most of us do not . For me it took great hardship and time to start me on my journey.

In the next edition of The Preppy Chronicles, I will share a little more of my journey and what I believe, have been some of the most profound changes in my life.

As I have stated, from time to time, I will recommend some misic, books, movies… Today I would like to recommend a CD…Alison Krauss & Union Stations ‘ So Long So Wrong. Enjoy.

So, until next time I will leave you with…

I celebrate myself, and sing myself,

And What I assume You shall assume,

            For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you.

Song of Myself…..Whalt Whitman.

Always Bumby

The Preppy Chronicles Edition I vol. 5

Tags: Conscience, Honesty, Personal Responsibility, Preppy, Preppy and WASP Lifestyles, Preppy Chronicles, Princeton, Trust fund

Just a Few thoughts

The Declaration of Independence …..1 page and 1330 words

The US Constitution …..1 page and 4400 words.

The Emancipation Proclamation… 2 executive orders…5-8 pages 700 words

Senate Healthcare….2074 pages and 561,893 words

House Healthcare…1990 pages and 400,000 words

Does anyone else see something wrong?

Always Bumby

Tags: Abraham Lincoln, Conscience, Health care, Honesty, Personal Responsibility, Preppy Chronicles

Wedgwood, Pork and Triage

I awoke late in day, about 8:30 . Went to the kitchen to see what might be rustled up  for breakfast. I poured a tall glass of dairy fresh milk, and set about  perusing  the fridge, my eye spied the Ziploc  baggy of cubed pork and the carton of jumbo eggs. On top of the stove set a 8 in, pan still warm from the last use and containing a sufficient amount of grease to cook the pork.

Bootsy, as is her habit; had followed me into the kitchen, looking for the all elusive  canned food, although I had just fed both her and Sasha. I took out the eggs and pork, went over to the counter, measured out the 4 oz that I am now allowed to have, (Health and all of that rubbish) and pulled out two perfectly portioned eggs. As the pork was sizzling in the pan I returned the unused food to the  safety of the fridge. I pulled out the Louisiana Hot Sauce, removed the now cooked pork from the stove and slid it  onto a Wedgwood  Plate; one that had been relegated to kitchen duty due to a few chips. Cracked open the eggs and seasoned them and replaced the cover.

The milk was at about half full, In 2 min I checked on my most precious eggs, as  I do enjoy them sunny side up…Perfection… I plated the eggs next to the cubed pork, and proceeded to splash the hot sauce liberally, as is proper for hot sauce . I remembered that I had also spied in the fridge, some grated cheese, for the sake of expediency, I thought that I would bring the plate to the cheese. I picked up  the plate….. or so I thought that was what I was going to do. It slipped out of my hand and came crashing to the floor with shards of Wedgwood, pork, sunny side eggs and hot sauce platted across a 5 foot area of the kitchen…..Bootsy was now nowhere to be found. As I sat on the cold floor, surveying the wreckage of my breakfast, and determining  the best course of action to secure the rescue of the pork…I was not going to let that pork fall in vain. The very first action was to suspend the 5 sec. rule. Next, armed with broom, dust pan, paper towel, and waste basket, I drained the remaining milk in the glass, for fortification. And thus began Operation Piglet, as I crept towards the main battlefield being ever so careful; I only in my house slippers, and on my knees, I extract the fallen pieces of pork from the wreckage and carefully placing the in a plastic bowl,  in preparation of triage.

With the floor now cleaned, it’s time for triage to commence… the prognosis is very good . After washing off the pork and determining that it was once again fit for consumption, I re- seasoned the meat, and reapplied  the hot sauce. (For those of you not in the know, Hot sauce is like vodka, it will kill all germs) And re-plated the pork put it in the microwave for 10 sec.  Refilled my glass of milk and sat down to eat, only after had I consumed the entire 4 oz did I remember the grated cheese,that was now in the darkness of the fridge mocking me.

Tags: Breakfast, Humor, Pork, Preppy Chronicles, Wedgwood

GREETINGS AND SALUTATIONS!

ALL ARE WELCOME, PREPPIES AND NON-PREPPIES ALIKE.

Let me introduce myself. My friends call me Bumby.

I would like to begin this edition of The Preppy Chronicles, by sharing with you my hopes and dreams and thoughts about the ultimate purpose of this blog .
My concept for this blog is for it to be a CELEBRATION of living life as a Preppy-WASP male in a society that is ever increasingly blurring the lines… It’s about who we are as a society and as a tribe. Why we do the things that we do. And how we view and respond to every day events, and how they effect us. As well as how we shape the world around us. And to this end I will ask you to join with me and CELEBRATE .

What this blog is not about: It is not about how to teach you to dress in the WASP, Preppy Trad. or Ivy-league styles. There are a plethora of those types of sites to choose from. One that I find to be top-notch is called… Ivy-Style….. please check them out.

Let me say from the outset, that many are the ones that misunderstand us. We are portrayed as very humorless, well dressed , well behaved, statuesque parodies.  I am here to say we are not without our humor.

“How many WASPs does it take to change a light bulb?  NINE. one to actually change it, seven to sit around and reminisce about how good of a bulb it had been, and two to check and see if it came over on the Mayflower, so that it can be properly noted in the obituary.”

Now it has been said, by someone, somewhere, someplace in time : That we wear the clothes that we wear because, we have always worn them. We tend to summer in the same places year after year, generation after generation. We know the same people that we have always known. And our breeding habits could give rednecks a good run for their money. And these statements about us are  indeed true. It is also true that we are a tribe that rarely moves from our comfort zones and when we do, we tend to move in packs or herds or gaggles.. feel free to use which ever term you think appropriate. And it is, as much our clothing as any thing that allows us to spot and identify a fellow tribesman.

Please indulge me for a moment as I describe to you, my dear reader, what I believe are some basic truths about us. There are somethings that are just hereditary to the WASP…Effortlessness, Narcissism and a true sense of Entitlement. And there are somethings that can only be taught, learned, and culled from your parents, family and the tribe as a whole. A couple of the biggies are… Ennui and Gracefulness…. As we view it, being and expressing our preppy-ness, is a natural extension of or if you will the sole prerogative of being a WASP. It is a lifestyle not merely a clothing style as some would have you believe. Not that they are in the wrong, but being a Preppy is sooo… much more. The Preppy, Ivy-league, WASP, and Trad. styles of clothing are once again becoming ever so popular with the masses. So, we in the tribe must identify ourselves to one another in different ways. As our identifiers become embraced by the masses we tend to revert back to the older forms. An example…. Lacoste, as more and more non-preppies wear this brand we revert back to monogramming our polo shirts in place of the gator. However, there is one sure fire identifier, our attitudes, habits and shared core values these can only be achieved by one method and that is Breeding.

One of the most difficult aspects for non-preppies to understand is our sense of entitlement. They tend in a general way, to misconstrue it as merely snobbery, when in fact there is a solid foundation for it [ just ask us] Yes, it does hearken back to the Mayflower, and the founding fathers and mothers and yes even to their (our) families. According to my observations, and it appears that history in both written as well as oral forms, backs me up on this. That as much as we would like it to be different, these great men and women” The Great Houses of America” were not the “Father knows Best” crowd, but a combination of the Bundy, Simpson and Stepford crowd. These incredibly gifted people were some of the most dysfunctional and narcissistic people of their time, but we claim them as our own. They gave you and me and the rest of the world, the foundation and institutions..that is.. “The United States of America”.. Suffice to say, they created a system of government and a society that is by its very nature and design dysfunctional and narcissistic. So, for better or worse, you have us to thank for all of this. Inasmuch, as we created and continue to create these institutions, we also shoulder the responsibility for them. We have held and continue to hold, for over 200 years now, the foundational underpinnings of power in this country and no matter how far to the right or left that society swings at any given time in our history, we hold that foundation, we are its anchor and its bedrock. That is our lot in life. So when you encounter one of us on this happy road of destiny … Please give us a break. We are doing the best that we can .

NOW FOR SOME COMIC RELIEF:

May I introduce you to one of our most beloved and sweetest WASPs

Yes, I do wear Lilly Pulitzer. You want to make something of it?

As this blog is about Celebrating life as a Male Preppy and a WASP… and All things that relate to us. [MPW]

I promise you…my Dear Reader, that I will always try to give you my best work and if it’s not I will tell you so. I will give you my thoughts and recommendations on… Books, Music and any other items of interest . It is my hope and desire that you will participate and E-Mail your thoughts and ideas on books, music and items that are of interest to you and of course any ideas on future posts that you would like me to write about. You will always be able to find these on the Sweet Vibrations page and also on my sister site, ” The Preppy Chronicles II ” otherwise known as .. “P.C.2.” As with all Preppies I like to do things in redundancy… so I will always post my current recommendations in the current post and also in the Sweet Vibrations section, and P.C.2 .Please check it often as I might add your recommendations before my next post.

Here are my first two book recommendations:

1. George Being George…wonderfully edited by Nelson W. Aldrich. Which is an oral biography of George Plimpton, as told by his friends. George was and remains a truly consummate Preppy.
2. The Big House: A century in the life of an American summer house. Written by George Howe Colt… This is a book that takes us back to our roots and our memories. I chose this one because as I sit with family; around a very well stoked fire, and we reminisce about life, the good times and the not so good. I am overcome with a very real sense of well being and the  knowledge that all is well in my little corner of  WASPdom.

As for my first music  selection it is:.. “Songbird ” by Eva Cassidy. A talent gone too soon

It is time to wrap up this edition, and put it to bed. I will leave you with a small quote from a book called ” A Separate Peace”  by John Knowles

” Everyone has a moment in history which belongs particularly to him. It is the moment when his emotions achieve their most powerful sway over him, and afterward when you say to this person “The world today” or Reality” he will assume that you mean this moment, even if it is fifty years past. The world, through his unleashed emotions, imprinted itself upon him, and he carries the stamp of that passing moment forever.”

So, bye for now.

Bumby Scott.

The Preppy Chronicles Volume 1

Tags: Conscience, Humor, Ivy-league, Preppy, Preppy Chronicles, The Preppy/WASP lifestyle, WASP

Lest We Forget.   The year 1776 and lest we forget the year of 1865.

Two of the most important years in the life of this country.  As we look at Personal Responsibility, we must ask our selves, Where do we as a nation go from here in the coming years?

Please join with me and read one of the most important speeches ever given.

Fourscore and seven years ago our fathers brought forth upon this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to this proposition that all men are created equal. Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. we are met on a great battlefield of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field as a final resting-place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this. But in a larger sense we cannot dedicate, we cannot consecrate, we cannot hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember, what we say here; but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us, the living, rather to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us, that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion; that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain;  that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, and for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

Abraham Lincoln.

Here is another line.

Always Bumby

Tags: Abraham Lincoln, Conscience, Ivy-league, Personal Responsibility, Preppy, Preppy Chronicles

Hello and Welcome, Bumby here.

In this edition of The Preppy Chronicles, I will explore a bit about Beliefs and Perceptions, namely my own.

Young Lady Of Niger….By Oliver Wendell Holmes

There was a young lady of Niger

who smiled as she rode a Tiger;

They came back from the ride

with the lady inside

and the smile on the face of the Tiger.

If you will recall a few posts back, I raised the notion of.. Is it the message or the medium. I concluded that for me it was both.

We live in an era of Human existence , with technologies that have never existed in any other age. Yet we still deal with age old issues.

Salvation or Damnation, Morality or Immorality, Doing what is right in the sight of God or living our lives anyway in which we chose, only to please ourselves

In days of old, when a man was faced with these issues, he could stand in the town square and declare his beliefs and in his own perception, he was just like the young lady of Niger. However, if not careful, he could suffer the same fate as our young lady. The truth be told,  no one particularly cared about him or his beliefs and rarely were moved to action. The reason is simple, he could make his heart felt declarations in one town, and then  move to another and make a whole different set of heart felt declarations. What mattered then and what matters now, is does he live by what he says.

With the invention of the Internet, Facebook, Twitter, and phones with cameras, when a man or woman makes a stand and states that they, believe in something, it is literally transmitted around the globe in seconds, for all to read, listen to and to see. There is no shrinking back.. no shying away from… therefore, the risk is much greater.  So, when I stand up and say I believe… I had better know who I believe in, and what I believe.

I stated in my very first post…Preppy To The Bone. This Blog is to be a celebration of living life as a Southern Male Preppy-WASP, in a society that is ever increasingly blurring the lines.

What Lines? For this man, the first line is a spiritual one.

Ultimately, What I truly believe about God and my relationship with Him, about my purpose or the reason for my very existence, is the cornerstone of how I view the world and my place in it. It establishes what is right, what is wrong, what is moral and what is immoral. How I am to live my life. THESE ARE UNCHANGING AND UNFORGIVING TRUTHS. Thus, starts the journey of Personal Responsibility; for in the end, what I believe is going to show itself in my everyday thoughts, words and actions, My life choices, and in my lifestyle.

In the next few moments you will make a judgement and decide for yourself …Am I  a troglodyte living in ignorance or might I actually be on to something?

I Believe that the Bible is the infallible word of God. I believe that Jesus Christ is the only begotten son of God, born of a virgin. I believe that I am a spiritual being on a human journey, that Jesus came to earth to die on a cross and shed His  blood as a sacrifice  to redeem me and set me free from the bondage of sin, and restore the lines of communication and right relationship with my creator. I Believe that Jesus is the only way… the gateway for me to enter into a restored relationship with God. I do believe that there is a literal Heaven and A literal Hell. I do believe that there is a fallen angel, we call Satan, and HE IS NOT GOD OR.. A god.That he is not all knowing , all seeing and everywhere at once, and that God will deal with him and his followers at a later time, he is not my concern, but Gods.

Wow, I do have to tell you that before I wrote that down, I was I bit nervous, but now that it is out there for all the world to read I feel empowered and at peace.

I hope now, that you can clearly see that  my view is very narrow and is by design Elitist and intolerant. That the notion that we can live our lives anyway that we want as long as you are a good person, the notions that everything will turnout OK in the end, and that all religions basically believe in the same things, all the different paths lead into one….These Notions Are Wrong.

Once that I have accepted the fact, that Jesus is the only pathway to me having a restored relationship with God, then a new era in my life begins…one of Personal Responsibility. To live as God says to live. A life of Love and Holiness . I know that the word and concept of Holiness is old fashioned. To do what is right and pleasing in the sight of God. To take a stand for what is right and reject what is wrong, not to sit on the fence but to be clearly on one side or the other.

( For me its progress not perfection)

Once I had accepted this, I can more clearly and assuredly move forward to answer the questions… Why was I born into my paticular family, and tribe? What is my place in this world and what are my responsibilities?

The way in which I view my life processes are these:  I believe that every human has a Divine spark, this light shines on two constently  rotating;  if you will, spheres…one is.. LOVE and the other is Fear. which means I can be experiencing  one or the other or both at any given time. This light is then filtered by my relationship with God (my religious views) then reflected onto the human side of me, the side that you see … a Southern Male Preppy WASP and all that goes with that.

Thank you for allowing me to share with you something that is very private. I hope, that as we get to know one another better; that me sharing this with you,will give you a better understanding of me.

I will leave you today with a poem by Eugene Field called.. The Duel 

 The gingham dog and the calico cat

 Side by side on the table sat;

‘Twas half-past twelve, and (what do you think!)

Nor one nor t’ other had slept a wink!

         The old Duch clock and the Chinese plate

        Appeared to know as sure as fate

There was going to be a terible spat.

                            ( I wasn’t there; I simply state

                              What was told to me by the Chinese plate! )

The gingham dog went ’ bow-wow-wow!’

And the calico cat replied ’ mee-ow!’

The air was littered, an hour or so,

 With bits of gingham and calico,

             While the old Dutch clock in the chimney-place

            Up with its habnds before its face,

For it always dreaded a family row!

             ( Never mind: I’m only telling you

               What the old Duch clock declares is true! )

The Chinese plate looked very blue,

And wailed “Oh, dear! what shall we do!”

But the gingham dog and the calico cat

Wallowed this way and tumbled that,

       Employing every tooth and claw

      In the awfullest way you ever saw-

And, oh! how the gingham and calico flew!

          (Don’t fancy I exaggerate-

            I got my news from the Chinese plate!)

Next morning where the two had sat

They found no trace of dog or cat;

And some folks think unto this day

That burglars stole that pair away!

        But the truth about the cat and pup

        Is this: they ate each other up

Now what do you really think of that!

         (The old Dutch clock it told me so,

          And that is how I came to know.)

Always Bumby    

                                        The Preppy Chronicles Ed.I Vol.5              

Tags: Conscience, Honesty, Ivy-league, Personal Responsibility

Hello Bumby Here.

A Troglodyte.. Yes, I said a Troglodyte. That was the name given to me the other day after I answered a question, and the person asking, did not like the answer given. I try to be as honest as I can and speak from my heart. I will tell you from the outset of this post, I will be spreading my thoughts out over a few different posts. The reason is simple, I want you to think.

I have wrestled with writing this series of posts,  because I know that I will offend some people and become a Troglodyte in their eyes, while others  will sing my praise.

What do you believe, not what are you expected to believe and think , but truly what …Do you believe and think about Personal Responsibility ?

I thought I knew the answer, but after deconstructing my thoughts and belief system, I came away from the experience very surprised, some beliefs held up some did not.

This is not a post that I want you to walk away from and forget. I want it to follow you, until you take a serious look at yourself. My reasons are simple. We are entering a time in this country that we must be crystal clear as WASPs, Preppies, as Americans… What do I believe?

I grew up in a time and place,  a family and a tribe that stressed the notion of Personal Responsibility. Now I said stressed, I did not say practiced. For me the practice came in my thirties, it came silently and quickly… Well, that’s a lie, looking back it was as thunderous as a steam locomotive traveling down a  downtown street at 3 am.

In eight short years, after receiving the first installment of my trust, I had partied it away. I would go on to loose all the houses, cars, boats, ponies, friends and lovers that I had. Two years later my Dad would die, leaving me with the responsibility of the family, but with no money, our trust system is set up that every other generation receives. I have a limited say in how the trust makes and spends its money, but at this time I do not receive. I have shared this because when I speak of Personal Responsibility, it is from this place of humility that I share.

For me, Personal Responsibility is a morals… a core belief system issue, which then extends into a action of moral conscience. Early on in my childhood, I was taught that as a wealthy man there was a code that you live by. This code can be located in the book of Proverbs chapters 22 and 23

What I have learned in the past 16 years is this… You and only you are responsible for your life choices. The good ones and the bad ones. When those choices turn out for the good you rejoice, but do not boast, and when your choices  turn out to be  crap ,you don’t complain, you learn from them and pick up a shovel and go about the task of cleaning up the mess you have made.

You might ask …OK, where are you going  with this train of thought ? Glad you asked, because it is at this time that I am going to ask you to begin that task of thinking…  About the choices that you have made in your life. What do you really think about Personal Responsibility?  We will cover many areas in the next few posts. This blog is about Celebrating live as a Preppy, WASP Male in a society that is ever increasinglyblurring the lines . I will not allow this blog to become a place of hate or malaious. But I will say that if the shoe fits wear it.

And we will pick this up in my next post and you will at that time learn why I was called a Troglodyte and if I deserve that name.

I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it, The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear…… Nelson Mandela

Always Bumby

The Preppy Chronicles Edition I Vol.4

Tags: Conscience, Honesty, Ivy-league, Nelson Mandela, Personal Responsibility, Preppy and WASP Lifestyles, Preppy Chronicles, Princeton, Proverbs, Troglodyte

Hello and Welcome, to the next installment of the Preppy Chronicles.

WASPs and Preppies It's Time to step up to the plate

It is my hope that this installment will cause you not only to think but to act.

In the past few days we all have been assaulted by horrific images  of the tragedy in Haiti. I use the term Assaulted, because there is not an hour that goes by that we are not reminded of the tragedy by the media. We have held everything from  Telethons to Bake sales, you name it we have done it, to raise needed money for food, clothing, medical supplies.

Three days ago, I was asked : How did the earthquake affect me, How do I currently feel about it, and What was I going to do?

My response  came in Four parts:

1. As a human, I was at first in a state of shock, then came anger and pity and finally  compassion.
2. As an American, I was and still am proud of my country  for stepping up to the plate and doing what no other country can or will do.
3. As a political analyst,  The earthquake was the best thing that could have ever happened . ( Now before you take me out to the edge of the city, to stone me hear me out.) We now have a major change in the size of the population, a major dispersion of the population; which will allow much needed growth in the country side. The entire infrastructure will be rebuilt from the ground up. (And who will be supplying the materials and labor? … You guessed it The United States… Can you say Economic stimulus ) Haiti will become the Phoenix  that rises from the ashes.
4. As a WASP, my response must be one of substance and sustainability. Those of us that do still have wealth, must respond by putting our money where our mouth is. The funds that have been raised, are nothing short of astounding. But what happens when this bounty runs low or out, which it will do. Most of the money raised has been from the common man, who will shortly run out of money to give, although the need will still be great.

That’s the time that you and I must step up to the plate.

To be blunt.

There will be great needs and opportunities in the future. In areas that the government, theirs and ours just suck at, because they ( the governments ) are just too large to handle the problems effectively.  So…I ask that you think about the ways that you can do something of substance and sustainability. Haiti, is just one of many places in this world that needs our help. I can’t feed the world, but I can do something that does make a difference in the future.

Now, I am going to say something that will make some of you, including myself cringe, As a WWASP (Wealthy, WASP) I don’t like being forced into a position, that I must step up to the plate, but the reality is, that is what is expected and that is what we will do. ( I, like to do things because I want to not because I am expected to) So.. I will pull out the check book, and get involved as best I can. And Damn it, I will put a smile on my face because it will put a smile on the face of someone that I will never meet. ( believe me I am not feeling sorry for myself, but just expressing my thoughts outloud. I am very blessed to be in that position, … No really I am.)….Now before I completely put you off of giving, off of me, this blog and the all the WWASPs out there I will shut up.

1. Doctors without borders
2. One lap One Child

Thank you for your thoughts and actions.

Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass but learning to dance in the rain.

Always Bumby

The Preppy Chronicles Edition I vol.3

Tags: Daddy Warbucks, Doctors without borders, Earthquakes, Haiti, One Laptop One Child, Preppy and WASP Lifestyles, Preppy Chronicles

Hello, sad news to report  The Washington Post has reported that

JD Salinger has died

1919-2010

JD you will be missed

Tags: Humor, Preppy, The Preppy/WASP lifestyle

Hello Bumby here. Some of you will have noticed that my very first post resurfaced . This was done because 60 days ago I launched The Preppy Chronicles . As you all know this blog is to be about celebrating life.

I am celebrating the Birthday of The Preppy Chronicles. I have also decided that the week of the 24th each month ; for the next year, it will reappear and then again once a year.

Three months ago if you had said..Bumby you will be blogging and enjoying it . I would have laughed, but here we are.

A heart felt Thank You goes out to all that have stopped by. Thank you for reading, commenting and following.

I must confess that when I started this little adventure, I had three fears.

1. I would have nothing to say that would be worth reading.
2. That I would have too much to say, that still would not be worth reading
3. That I would do a good job and that still no one will read it, or that you would read it and I would run out of things to say that were worth reading.

But I put my faith in you, and I have been overwhelmed with acceptance and kindness. You have opened your hearts and welcomed me with open arms.                                                                                                                                           THANK YOU.

Many of you will notice that my Blog roll is small. I have purposely done this. The reason is a simple one.. lack of space. I also find that when I see more than five or ten at a time I tend to lose track  of the ones that I have visited. To remedy this problem, I have my complete roll over on my sister site.. The Preppy Chronicles II. My sister site is for all of us WASPs and Preppys to post stories, poems. Kind of a WASP and Preppy  creative community board, on my dime ( bandwidth). A gift from me to you. In the next days and weeks I hope to be able to share some of your creative thoughts ( links, ect.)

I look forward to getting to know you better.  I will leave you with a little Robert Frost.

Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening:

Whose woods these are I think I know.

His house is in the village though;

He will not see me stopping here

To watch his woods fill with snow.

The woods are lovely and deep.

but I have promises to keep,

And miles to go before I sleep,

And miles to go before I sleep.

Always Bumby Scott

Tags: Robert Frost, thank you, The Preppy/WASP lifestyle

Hello again. It’s 3 am on Saturday morning, I have a head cold, it’s 20 degrees outside, I have just put on a LP of.. The Best of Bill Monroe.. Yes I did say LP and I did say Bill Monroe. I have a glass of  Sweet Tea  sitting on my desk and I am writing this in longhand with my favorite Parker fountain pen with Private Reserve Ink (Dakota Red) on Clairefontaine paper…Sasha, the cat; we are fostering, is curled up in her favorite spot. Later today, we will be receiving the newest addition to the family a 1yr old tabby that we have named:  Bootsy. ……Not bad for 3 am on a Sat. morning. This will be a short post today.

I would like to continue on the theme of  the message or the medium and passions.  The theme of today’s post is the same old question.

I ask you… WHAT TYPE OF WASP ARE YOU?  In an article written by  Margaret Talbot, where  she compares The Grande Dame Julia Child with Martha Stewart . The message is subtle but very strong. (follow the link at my sister blog The Preppy Chronicles II)

Martha, a classic self-made woman; who is endlessly anxious about making a perfect impression on Old Money, New Money and any who aspire.

Julia, on the other hand is a classic ( Boston) Aristocrat, Gawky but at ease, with a warbling voice and a bemused gently ironic manner.

Martha’s message is: THINGS MUST BE DONE RIGHT! with right being defined as looking beautiful and most important, as proclaiming the enormous amount of “taste” and hard work that went into them. She is the new lean and mean corporation. Whereas, Julia Child offers a much more relaxed, sensual and considerate view. She notes that Julia is almost cavalierly amused, at the many mistakes that will happen, and almost giddy with delight at her successes. She tends to do things not just for the impression on her family and guests, but merly for the fun of doing  it and eating it.

Now, we all know that traditional WASP cooking.. is like.. eating paste from a jar, great when you were three, but nasty as an adult ( well, I must confess here and now I do enjoy the taste now and again. How sick is that?) Being raised in a Southern family I learned to cook.  One of the fun things about learning and doing is watching. My fondest memory of Julia was .. Watching her cook some sort of chicken dish, she was discussing the benefits of “buttering”  she moved the chicken forward and it slid right off the table and on to the studio floor. She calmly looked at the camera, and said “Oh, that’s not suppose to happen” and she went right on as if nothing was wrong.

So, Again I ask What type of Wasp are you? ……..Martha or Julia?

I am proud to say that as a Southern Male (straight) Preppy WASP. I am squarly in the Julia Child camp .

How about you?

It’s now4 Am, my head hurts and the Sweet Tea is done. So for now.

Always Bumby.

My thanks to Nelson Aldrich, for the insight into the article. Thanks to Esquire for the photo.

Tags: Julia Child, Martha Stewart, WASP

My First ..And It's from Princeton

Hello Bumby here, Did I chose to write this blog..or did it choose me? That’s the age old question now isn’t? Entire books have been written and university courses have been given on this very subject all in the attempt to answer this .. Is it the message or the medium?        

What draws us the most. Why could I have not chosen to write about Preppy and WASP clothing, Politics, Religion, Stuff that we collect? Anything but our Thoughts, Ideas, Feelings, Emotions, Reactions and Relationships that we all have as humans, but because of being a High WASP and our inbreed aversion to telling ourselves, let alone the entire world how we think, feel, emote.. how we as WASPS and Preppies relate to the world and each other as a whole.         

So my friends beware, you are going to get some real random thoughts as I explore some of these. Here is one..     

Why does a silver spoon taste and ultimately feel better in my mouth than a plastic one?.. or.. What causes me to choose a  J. Press shirt over a  J. C. Penney one?        

 Is it just mere personal taste, is it breeding, or does this speak more about my core belief system. In this ever changing world why do I insist upon clinging to my WASP and Preppy Past? Why do I have a Feeling of pride about some of the most horrid parts of my families past. The overwhelming question that I have at this moment is: Why do I feel so good about myself, my life and who I am and this wonderful tribe of WASPs and Preppies that I have been born into?      

Now, I know that some of you are thinking;  WOW this guy is sure full of himself. OK  maybe I am… but you can’t honestly tell me that you have never asked yourself these same questions . Most of us think it but rarely does any one say it out loud. I am shocked at myself for saying such things. No truly I am.    

 I do believe that we all must on some level, reconcile the past, our present and our future.  Why do I pull so much from my past to secure my future? Why is it important?        

Looking at us (WASPs ) as a whole, we have done a very good job of alienating the rest of the population. It is one thing to tend the anchor, and quite another to keep the blinders on. There is an old saying :       

 IF THERE IS NO ONE IN HERE… THEN THERE IS NO ONE LOOKING OUT THERE       

We have marginalized ourselves so much, that we have allowed the middle class to take over in many areas such as Wall Street, and in doing so have put in charge men and women who have no experience with extreme wealth, they lack basic character. The current state of the the American economy rests squarely on our shoulders . We WASPs and Preppies  have fallen asleep at the wheel… Wow that stings, it stings to read it, it stings to write it, and it stings most of all because it is the truth.   So I resolve, that this year, I for one will awaken and start to regain my rightful position and find my voice as a WASP and a Preppy. I would call you to do the same.    

Now, what does this have to do with the questions I posed at the beginning?  I do believe that for me, it is both the message and the medium. As far as I know, I was not consulted as to what family or tribe that I was to be born into, so by accident of birth or an act of God I was born into my family and this tribe of WASPs and Preppys. The silver spoon tells me that I have certain responsibilities, to my family and to the tribe and ultimately to this wonderful nation the I live in. The silver spoon tells me of the privileges and rights that I as a member enjoy… if I act responsibly. I am only a steward.  And truth be told, I also just like how the spoon looks next to my Cobalt Blue china.      

In my travels around the globe, I have been afforded the kindness, the generosity and the open arms of friends and strangers alike, and for this I am grateful. I have had the pleasure of eating and sleeping in some of the most exquisite places on earth and I have also eaten and slept in some of the most harshest places on earth. So in the balance of things; if a silver spoon or a plastic one or none at all it is of no great consequence.  I must deffer to Mr. Ralph Waldo Emerson …      

The Importance of Friends:      

It makes no difference in looking back five years, how you have dieted or dressed; whether you have been lodged in the first floor or the attic; whether you have had gardens and baths, good cattle and horses, have been carried in a neat equipage, or in a ridiculous truck! These things are forgotten so quickly, and leave no effect. But it counts much whether we have good companions in that time.      

     Bye for now, My new companions on this journey    

                                                                                                                 Always yours Bumby Scott.    

 The Preppy Chronicles Edition I vol. II

Tags: Ivy-league, Princeton, The Preppy/WASP lifestyle, WASP

With  Christmas upon us and the loss of “Tiger” my pet of 17 years.

I have found that I need to step back and re group.  You my readers are too important to have me give you less then my best. So for the next two weeks, I will grieve.. and celebrate the birth of Christ.  And start  fresh and new, in the new year. With a emboldened sense of what this world looks like through the eyes of this   Southern  Preppy WASP Male.

So Have A Very Preppy And Merry Christmas

Love Bumby                                                           

Hello, Bumby here.

I write today with a heavy heart. Today Dec.16th 2009. I have to put my long time companion  of 17 years to sleep.  Tiger was her name.

In the proper WASP/Preppy fashion, I share with you my readers, my pain and her obituary.

Tiger, Born: February 1992. Died December 16,2009.

She is survived by her two humans that will miss her dearly.

I would like to share with you a few thoughts and memories about the life and times of a Preppy kitty named Tiger.

I first met Tiger when she was only 8 months old. She was already boxed trained, yet still a suckling, I recall that in those early days, I had to really watch how I slept, as she would find any exposed skin to suck on ..an elbow, an ear, a toe it made no difference  to her. As she grew older her favorite sleeping spot was above my head on my pillow, or on my side..literally on my side. I would whistle, like you would for a dog and she would come running. Her favorite whistle call was the theme to “The Andy Griffith Show”. She would always  come over and squint her eyes and give a little grunt, we had our own special language, much like we preppies.

In her youth, she would ride around town, and through the mountains, stretched out on my dashboard watching the road and when she tired of this view she would just turn around and stare at me while I drove.. very unnerving. She also liked to take me for walks around the neighborhood, no collar and no leash.  She had her own  trail to her favorite spot of grass, she would run along side the buildings until she would reach the corner of the building and there she would wait for me to catch up, and check to see if the coast was clear of neighborhood dogs, I would check it out, and tell her “OK” and she would take off running to the next corner and there she would wait.

Tiger was the preppiest, kindest, and most caring cat that I have ever known. When Mom and Dads’ cat became ill, Tiger sat watch over her, until the very end.

So, Please take the opportunity today to give your pets a hug and let them know that they are loved and while you are at it hug the rest of your family too.

So bye for now .

Bumby Scott

Goodnight and Goodbye  my sweet Tiger… I love you and will miss you.