Army of Wasps

I always wished i lived a wasp lifestyle. Not because I want to own a yatch or drink at lunch (though it would be nice) but because family was a lot tighter. And its tightness led to power.

In a discussion over a David Brooks article, I sent the above lines to my father. it was odd in a way because our family, comparitivly, has been fairly fractured.But family, regardless of bloodline, has always been a tremendous source of power by virtue of their indispensiblity. Which is not to say they're valuable, just unshakeable.

I'm about to finish up Kennedy & Nixion which, if you're into this sort of thing, is phenominal in its informational overload. But for all the money the Kennedy's had, and for all of their political connections, what served them best, longest was that there were 3 or 4 guys who always looked out for the best interests of the family. In a world where few can rely on much, having an expansive family drive toward the same mission might make you more successful than much else.

I think I respect the frugality of the WASP, too, because of the long term vision it held. If you read the Brooks article, he notes that company owners hadned businesses down to their blood. It lead to long term thinking. So too did the tightness of the wallet. Ensuring the financial independance of your own children, but instilling them with the hardened, Yankee-hillside discipline and social resolve meant they could drive like an arrow at intended goals with an alarming success rate.

I use to end journal entries with some form of closing position that today I feel gave it an overdramatic gravity I'm too aware of to use anymore. For my own dignity, and maybe another offspring of an old brahman dream i'm still waiting to realize.