Song for a Fallen Stoic (my granddad)
--
“The Object of Life is not to be counted amongst the majority but to avoid being counted amongst the ranks of the insane.” — Roman Emperor and Great Stoic Philosopher Marcus Aurelius. The object of life is not to be counted amongst the majority but to avoid be counted amongst the ranks of the insane.
Stoicism ran deep in my Papa, Lou Krenz. He was the embodiment of true Minnesota stoicism. The kind of attitude that says we control our emotions, we don’t let them control us. Through this we can get through anything in life. This is a trait uniquely found up North. At least, I haven’t seen it demonstrably in people not raised in the punishing climate of the Great North.
The object of life is not to be counted amongst the majority, but to avoid being counted amongst the ranks of the insane.
Practicality. Pragmatism. Organization. These also ran deep in my Papa. He was intensely practical and organized. This was simply his nature. It’s a trait I’ve never been able to emulate or cultivate. It’s also something I deeply admire in him and my mother.
The object of life is not to be counted amongst the majority but to avoid being counted amongst the ranks of the insane.
Breaking barriers. My Papa was never concerned with trivialities like race or creed, especially as a YMCA director. If you had the drive, the dream, the work ethic, he’d hire you if he needed you, regardless of pigmentation or what god you prayed to. This trait was especially important when he was director of Y’s in places in the American South or other areas still struggling with racial issues.
The object of life is not to be counted amongst the majority but to avoid being counted amongst the ranks of the insane.
I know it’s not considered kosher to bring up an issue like politics in an eulogy. I’m going to transgress that rule a bit here. My Papa was a man whom you could not separate politics from. Louis Krenz would not be Louis Krenz without his politics. While we didn’t always agree, the man always ALWAYS stuck to his guns and never abandoned his principles. Indeed, he clinged to them even harder in the Trump years. And I admire him for that. He saw the political arena as one that could be used to help people. To lift them up. He was a…
