A day out
We took Neil on his first excursion yesterday. We went to Bob and Kathy's place and had coffee in the afternoon, then to Grandma and Grandpa's for one of the best meals I've had in a long, long time. Fresh peas from the garden, fresh baby red potatoes from the garden, melt-in-your-mouth, home-grown steak, salad fresh from the garden... I could go on and on, but I am making myself hungry! It was fun to see everyone and we got some nice pictures.
It was at this very moment (9:56 PM central time) exactly 40 years ago that Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon. The only difference is July 20, 1969 was on a Sunday. I was two and a half months shy of making my debut on planet Earth when that historical moment came to pass, but it must have been an extraordinary thing to have witnessed. Back in 1969, many people would have bet that in 40 years' time humans would have started colonizing the moon. Instead, we went there and... well, that was about it. The moon is still just the moon.
I think it's interesting that my Neil was born just five days before the 40th anniversary of Neil Armstrong's historic walk. But that's not who Neil was named after. I've had a few people ask about his name and the answer is very simple. "Walker" is pretty obvious; that was my mom's maiden name, and it was important to me that my mom was honored since this will be her last grandchild (yes, this is it folks!).
The name Neil comes from a man who I have admired for the past 25 years, Neil Peart (pronounced "PEERT"). I suggested the name on a whim to Beth and she really liked it, and that was that.
I know that many of you have never heard of Neil Peart. For the last 35 years, he's been universally regarded as the most accomplished and most versatile drummer in the world. He's been a member of the band Rush since 1974 and has been the band's primary lyricist, known for his intellectual and philosophical lyrics.
He's also a critically acclaimed author, having written several books about his life's journey... and what a journey it's been. His is a story of triumph over tragedy and I've always found him to be profoundly inspirational. In 1997, his only child, daughter Selena, was killed in a car accident. She was just 19 years old. A few weeks later, his wife of 22 years, Jackie, was diagnosed with breast cancer. She died nine months later. Within a year his entire world was destroyed. Peart said he didn't know how to carry on -- or even if he should carry on. Instead of doing the unthinkable, he did the only thing that made sense to him: Get on his motorcycle and just... go.
He ended up riding from the northern-most reaches of Canada to the southern tip of Mexico, mourning the death of his daughter and wife. He kept a diary of this journey and later published it into a book called Ghost Rider: Travels on the Healing Road. Peart decided to continue drumming and came back better than ever.
He is now married again and he and his wife just announced they are expecting their first child.
No, I wouldn't name my only son after just anyone. But Neil Peart is truly a man worth admiring.
One of Peart's heroes was Buddy Rich (to whom he has often been compared). Here is an excellent clip of him with Buddy Rich's original big band. For those of you who don't play drums, trust me: what you are about to watch is not easy!!! What I love about this is it is a four piece drum set, no tricks, no gimmicks, and this man brings down the house. Heck, I think even my parents would approve.
It was at this very moment (9:56 PM central time) exactly 40 years ago that Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon. The only difference is July 20, 1969 was on a Sunday. I was two and a half months shy of making my debut on planet Earth when that historical moment came to pass, but it must have been an extraordinary thing to have witnessed. Back in 1969, many people would have bet that in 40 years' time humans would have started colonizing the moon. Instead, we went there and... well, that was about it. The moon is still just the moon.
I think it's interesting that my Neil was born just five days before the 40th anniversary of Neil Armstrong's historic walk. But that's not who Neil was named after. I've had a few people ask about his name and the answer is very simple. "Walker" is pretty obvious; that was my mom's maiden name, and it was important to me that my mom was honored since this will be her last grandchild (yes, this is it folks!).
The name Neil comes from a man who I have admired for the past 25 years, Neil Peart (pronounced "PEERT"). I suggested the name on a whim to Beth and she really liked it, and that was that.
I know that many of you have never heard of Neil Peart. For the last 35 years, he's been universally regarded as the most accomplished and most versatile drummer in the world. He's been a member of the band Rush since 1974 and has been the band's primary lyricist, known for his intellectual and philosophical lyrics.
He's also a critically acclaimed author, having written several books about his life's journey... and what a journey it's been. His is a story of triumph over tragedy and I've always found him to be profoundly inspirational. In 1997, his only child, daughter Selena, was killed in a car accident. She was just 19 years old. A few weeks later, his wife of 22 years, Jackie, was diagnosed with breast cancer. She died nine months later. Within a year his entire world was destroyed. Peart said he didn't know how to carry on -- or even if he should carry on. Instead of doing the unthinkable, he did the only thing that made sense to him: Get on his motorcycle and just... go.
He ended up riding from the northern-most reaches of Canada to the southern tip of Mexico, mourning the death of his daughter and wife. He kept a diary of this journey and later published it into a book called Ghost Rider: Travels on the Healing Road. Peart decided to continue drumming and came back better than ever.
He is now married again and he and his wife just announced they are expecting their first child.
No, I wouldn't name my only son after just anyone. But Neil Peart is truly a man worth admiring.
One of Peart's heroes was Buddy Rich (to whom he has often been compared). Here is an excellent clip of him with Buddy Rich's original big band. For those of you who don't play drums, trust me: what you are about to watch is not easy!!! What I love about this is it is a four piece drum set, no tricks, no gimmicks, and this man brings down the house. Heck, I think even my parents would approve.
