"It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself in a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat."
—Theodore Roosevelt
Speech at the Sorbonne, Paris, April 23, 1910
This quote is one of my all-time favorite quotes. It provides an apt description of many people whose paths I have been fortunate enough to cross. It was one of David Bliss' most-liked quotes, and it fits him well. It is an apt description of who David was and how he lived.
David Bliss is dead. I realize we have a tacit agreement on this website not to talk about religion or politics; however, I can't talk about Dave without talking about his belief and faith in God. It was who David was. And I cannot talk about David without discussing his impact on my spiritual journey. Bear with me. I will keep it short, well, as short as I can.
David considered his time at Newton High a high point in his life. His experiences and memories at Newton High were an excellent source for many of his stories and illustrations in his preaching and work on the mission field. It is also not an exaggeration to say he loved this class. I witnessed David praying for this class and many individuals in it. Why would he pray for this class, perhaps you and me? He cared. We, you, were vital to him. I know because David frequently prayed for me, you, and our class.
If you only knew David from seeing him around school, you might think he had it all together. Many classmates saw David as intelligent, good-looking, athletic, and popular, even with his teachers. Of course, many may have seen David that way, but not all. All the reasons that people liked David and wanted to be friends with him were the same qualities about him that made people dislike him. He was easy to dislike. I disliked him
Did I mention he was also religious? He was not "a going to church on Sunday and getting "real" the rest of the week type of Christian." Instead, he tried to live his life the same way every day, saying and doing what he believed God wanted him to do. Wherever David went, God and church were with him. Of course, this religious "stuff" didn't sit well with many people, including some of us, his classmates.
On January 29, 2019, I posted a message about David Bliss and his slow, declining, losing battle with dementia. Today, his struggle has come full circle. He did not live to see his 77th birthday on January 22, 2023. Of those 77 years, I have known David for 62 years.
Football, sub sandwiches, pranks, girls, playing war, and encouraging each other to try and do things that we might not have done alone aside, our relationship was based on David's love of God and striving to live his life for Jesus. Even at 15, David had an extraordinary passion for those who didn't necessarily love him. When David and I were sophomores, we both played football. Well, I did. I was on the varsity, and David was on the sophomore team. In my eyes, David was a goody-two-shoes. I would have called him a nerd today. But, the bottom line, it was beneath me to even acknowledge his presence. As time proved, I got it upside down.
Things began to turn around during our junior year of football when he earned my grudging respect by holding his own with me when we faced off against each other in practice. All right, there may have been a couple of times when he did more than hold his own, but that's another story I am sure you don't want to hear about!
Finally, I grudgingly began to develop mutual respect for him. One day David offered to give me a ride after practice so I didn't have to wait for the bus to get home. Let me revisit that last sentence. David would not allow himself to ignore me or treat me the way I treated him because he felt God wanted him (David) to reach out to me to help me have a relationship with God.
As I mentioned a couple of years ago in one of my posts, this attitude, this caring for others, drew me to David. In the years and times Dave and I spent together, he earned my respect because he reached out to people most of us wanted to ignore. David taught me and, more importantly, showed me how to value and treat people with love, care, and respect. David "walked the talk."
For all of us, life became more complicated after graduation. David was not an exception. You have heard the saying, "It is not the number of times that you get knocked down that counts. Rather it is the number of times you get up." With God's grace, David always got up one more time than he got knocked down.
I will not get into the struggles that David dealt with, but to say that many were the same that we deal with or have dealt with in our past. However, David believed in God. David's faith in God gave him the strength to keep getting up. Sound familiar? It bears repeating:
"It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself in a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat." That was my friend David Bliss.
I should stop here, but I want to add some other things. You have read in some of my comments about the importance of caring for each other. David did that before I cared much about anything. David knew the importance of continuing to like those who do not want anything to do with you. Don't write people off or out of your life because they don't like you. It is not whether they like you. It is all about you caring for them. Do you know anyone that doesn't want you? How do you feel about them? Is it a case of mutual dislike? David saw all people as children of God. He loved our class, and he loved you. I can't think of anyone more unlovable more hateful in high school than me. But he loved me anyway.
David was a humble man. He learned early on that there is no I in team. Regardless of our circumstances, we are no better than anyone else or worse. The question is, even if I am struggling, will I do all in my power to be better today than yesterday? Too often, we see things as me against you or them. We must know who the real enemy is. The real enemy I face is me. It's personal. David knew the enemy. He loved and cared enough for me to help me recognize the enemy for who it was and show me how to defeat it. In the years we spent as friends, some 60+, he was my guide and mentor in matters of the spirit. It is easy for people to see the monsters we have on the outside, but it takes a person with love, care, and humility to see the light in the darkness, the good in evil. David was that man. He had that vision and would share it with all who would listen. Even when not in his right mind, David brought joy, love, and caring into the lives of those around him. Having a little piece of David in our lives might not hurt. It certainly hasn't hurt me.
David loved music. He loved to sing and play the banjo. He especially enjoyed the old hymns and a few more modern ones. I opened with a quote, and I want to end this with an old hymn. David spent most of his life in various parts of Africa, and this African spiritual hymn was a favorite of his. "Swing Low" celebrates death as the time one leaves this world to be carried home to glory. The joy of what's ahead, "a band of angels coming after me," acknowledges that my work on this earth is done. "Tell all my friends I am coming to" is a statement that binds us all together. We have lost many people that mean so much to us, but our sadness and sorrow are only temporary. We will soon be reunited. The day I depart this world is not wrapped in darkness; instead, a blinding light is driving the darkness away. Yes, life comes with ups and downs. We may know " the triumph of high achievement," or if at worst, we fail, at least we fail while daring greatly.
For David, the chariot swung low and has carried him home. As we grow old and die off, we must leave all we have to give on the field. We must leave it all behind. We can't take it with us. We have to leave it all on the field. Love, care, compassion, and humility are all we have to leave behind to our loved ones, families, and friends, the ugly, hateful, unlovable, the lonely, and left out. We were given what we got for that purpose to leave it behind.
There are no words I can appropriately pen about David's life and death. The world was/is a better place for his presence. I am a better man for his friendship.
The first time I met Dave was at Sophomore Football tryouts under Coach Fractman. Sept. ‘61. All the prospects from the Jr. High Schools showed up. 40 or 50 I think. You knew the kids from your school.. the others were unknown to you.
One of the first trials was the “board drill”. Each lineman straddled the board...the objective being to drive the other guy backward, or off the board. I was FA Day...I drew Dave from Bigelow. He was a 6’1” Swedish stud weighing a buck eighty. I was 140 lbs soaking wet. As a complete fluke (John Eldridge coaching) I got under his pads and beat him.
I expected him to be pissed off. HS ego and all. He was most gracious. Slapped me on the back.. smiled...looked into my eyes and said great job...whatever. It was at that moment I knew Dave was different than the rest of us. I couldn’t articulate it at the time..but he was special. Of course, unbeknownst to me...it was his deep, overwhelming connection with God and his devout upbringing ( his Dad was Minister at the Park St. church 14 years). The nut did not fall far from the tree. He was centered...unflappable.
We became friends..and would lift weights in the basement of my home on Page Rd across from Horace Mann. He would cruise over in his restored Model T. That rig had an elixir smell I had never experienced to that date...or since. He loved that jealopy.. and in a way it meshed perfectly with his old style values.
As Dave matriculated to Football Star and Class President, and I different sports, we spent less time together and went off to school. We lost touch
One fond memory was our 50th Reunion. I was fortunate to sit with Dave.. Mark Abrams.. and catch up with all Dave’s experiences in So. Africa. Dave was healthy as an ox at that time. It was a highlite.. as were discussions with Mark about our distressing Red Sox.
I only spoke with Debbie once. Strong comes to mind. But I do wish to extend my gratitude to Roger Watson & Bob Biederman for the special trip they made to visit Dave in San Diego after he got Dementia. They did God’s work there.
As most of us know.. Dave was a treasure of a man. RIP my friend!
I remember Dave Bliss and Carolyn Deats were together and we would sometimes talk about civil rights and world events at school. Does anyone know about her now? I also remember Dave mentioning earlier in this forum that I was more of a presence at school than I realized. That really meant a lot. Rest in Peace Dave Bliss and thank you Roger.
Roger Watson
An Elegy For A Friend
"It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself in a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat."
—Theodore Roosevelt
Speech at the Sorbonne, Paris, April 23, 1910
This quote is one of my all-time favorite quotes. It provides an apt description of many people whose paths I have been fortunate enough to cross. It was one of David Bliss' most-liked quotes, and it fits him well. It is an apt description of who David was and how he lived.
David Bliss is dead. I realize we have a tacit agreement on this website not to talk about religion or politics; however, I can't talk about Dave without talking about his belief and faith in God. It was who David was. And I cannot talk about David without discussing his impact on my spiritual journey. Bear with me. I will keep it short, well, as short as I can.
David considered his time at Newton High a high point in his life. His experiences and memories at Newton High were an excellent source for many of his stories and illustrations in his preaching and work on the mission field. It is also not an exaggeration to say he loved this class. I witnessed David praying for this class and many individuals in it. Why would he pray for this class, perhaps you and me? He cared. We, you, were vital to him. I know because David frequently prayed for me, you, and our class.
If you only knew David from seeing him around school, you might think he had it all together. Many classmates saw David as intelligent, good-looking, athletic, and popular, even with his teachers. Of course, many may have seen David that way, but not all. All the reasons that people liked David and wanted to be friends with him were the same qualities about him that made people dislike him. He was easy to dislike. I disliked him
Did I mention he was also religious? He was not "a going to church on Sunday and getting "real" the rest of the week type of Christian." Instead, he tried to live his life the same way every day, saying and doing what he believed God wanted him to do. Wherever David went, God and church were with him. Of course, this religious "stuff" didn't sit well with many people, including some of us, his classmates.
On January 29, 2019, I posted a message about David Bliss and his slow, declining, losing battle with dementia. Today, his struggle has come full circle. He did not live to see his 77th birthday on January 22, 2023. Of those 77 years, I have known David for 62 years.
Football, sub sandwiches, pranks, girls, playing war, and encouraging each other to try and do things that we might not have done alone aside, our relationship was based on David's love of God and striving to live his life for Jesus. Even at 15, David had an extraordinary passion for those who didn't necessarily love him. When David and I were sophomores, we both played football. Well, I did. I was on the varsity, and David was on the sophomore team. In my eyes, David was a goody-two-shoes. I would have called him a nerd today. But, the bottom line, it was beneath me to even acknowledge his presence. As time proved, I got it upside down.
Things began to turn around during our junior year of football when he earned my grudging respect by holding his own with me when we faced off against each other in practice. All right, there may have been a couple of times when he did more than hold his own, but that's another story I am sure you don't want to hear about!
Finally, I grudgingly began to develop mutual respect for him. One day David offered to give me a ride after practice so I didn't have to wait for the bus to get home. Let me revisit that last sentence. David would not allow himself to ignore me or treat me the way I treated him because he felt God wanted him (David) to reach out to me to help me have a relationship with God.
As I mentioned a couple of years ago in one of my posts, this attitude, this caring for others, drew me to David. In the years and times Dave and I spent together, he earned my respect because he reached out to people most of us wanted to ignore. David taught me and, more importantly, showed me how to value and treat people with love, care, and respect. David "walked the talk."
For all of us, life became more complicated after graduation. David was not an exception. You have heard the saying, "It is not the number of times that you get knocked down that counts. Rather it is the number of times you get up." With God's grace, David always got up one more time than he got knocked down.
I will not get into the struggles that David dealt with, but to say that many were the same that we deal with or have dealt with in our past. However, David believed in God. David's faith in God gave him the strength to keep getting up. Sound familiar? It bears repeating:
"It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself in a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat." That was my friend David Bliss.
I should stop here, but I want to add some other things. You have read in some of my comments about the importance of caring for each other. David did that before I cared much about anything. David knew the importance of continuing to like those who do not want anything to do with you. Don't write people off or out of your life because they don't like you. It is not whether they like you. It is all about you caring for them. Do you know anyone that doesn't want you? How do you feel about them? Is it a case of mutual dislike? David saw all people as children of God. He loved our class, and he loved you. I can't think of anyone more unlovable more hateful in high school than me. But he loved me anyway.
David was a humble man. He learned early on that there is no I in team. Regardless of our circumstances, we are no better than anyone else or worse. The question is, even if I am struggling, will I do all in my power to be better today than yesterday? Too often, we see things as me against you or them. We must know who the real enemy is. The real enemy I face is me. It's personal. David knew the enemy. He loved and cared enough for me to help me recognize the enemy for who it was and show me how to defeat it. In the years we spent as friends, some 60+, he was my guide and mentor in matters of the spirit. It is easy for people to see the monsters we have on the outside, but it takes a person with love, care, and humility to see the light in the darkness, the good in evil. David was that man. He had that vision and would share it with all who would listen. Even when not in his right mind, David brought joy, love, and caring into the lives of those around him. Having a little piece of David in our lives might not hurt. It certainly hasn't hurt me.
David loved music. He loved to sing and play the banjo. He especially enjoyed the old hymns and a few more modern ones. I opened with a quote, and I want to end this with an old hymn. David spent most of his life in various parts of Africa, and this African spiritual hymn was a favorite of his. "Swing Low" celebrates death as the time one leaves this world to be carried home to glory. The joy of what's ahead, "a band of angels coming after me," acknowledges that my work on this earth is done. "Tell all my friends I am coming to" is a statement that binds us all together. We have lost many people that mean so much to us, but our sadness and sorrow are only temporary. We will soon be reunited. The day I depart this world is not wrapped in darkness; instead, a blinding light is driving the darkness away. Yes, life comes with ups and downs. We may know " the triumph of high achievement," or if at worst, we fail, at least we fail while daring greatly.
For David, the chariot swung low and has carried him home. As we grow old and die off, we must leave all we have to give on the field. We must leave it all behind. We can't take it with us. We have to leave it all on the field. Love, care, compassion, and humility are all we have to leave behind to our loved ones, families, and friends, the ugly, hateful, unlovable, the lonely, and left out. We were given what we got for that purpose to leave it behind.
There are no words I can appropriately pen about David's life and death. The world was/is a better place for his presence. I am a better man for his friendship.
Swing low, sweet chariot,
Coming for to carry me home.
Swing low, sweet chariot,
Coming for to carry me home.
1 I looked over Jordan, and what did I see,
Coming for to carry me home.
A band of angels coming after me,
Coming for to carry me home. Oh, [Refrain]
Swing low, sweet chariot,
Coming for to carry me home.
Swing low, sweet chariot,
Coming for to carry me home.
2 If you get there before I do,
Coming for to carry me home.
Tell all my friends I'm coming too,
Coming for to carry me home. Oh, [Refrain]
Swing low, sweet chariot,
Coming for to carry me home.
Swing low, sweet chariot,
Coming for to carry me home.
3 The brightest day that ever I saw
Coming for to carry me home.
When Jesus washed my sins away,
Coming for to carry me home. Oh, [Refrain]
Swing low, sweet chariot,
Coming for to carry me home.
Swing low, sweet chariot,
Coming for to carry me home.
4 I'm sometimes up and sometimes down,
Coming for to carry me home.
But still my soul feels heavenly bound,
Coming for to carry me home. Oh, [Refrain]
Swing low, sweet chariot,
Coming for to carry me home.
Swing low, sweet chariot,
Coming for to carry me home.
Alan Crosby
The first time I met Dave was at Sophomore Football tryouts under Coach Fractman. Sept. ‘61. All the prospects from the Jr. High Schools showed up. 40 or 50 I think. You knew the kids from your school.. the others were unknown to you.
One of the first trials was the “board drill”. Each lineman straddled the board...the objective being to drive the other guy backward, or off the board. I was FA Day...I drew Dave from Bigelow. He was a 6’1” Swedish stud weighing a buck eighty. I was 140 lbs soaking wet. As a complete fluke (John Eldridge coaching) I got under his pads and beat him.
I expected him to be pissed off. HS ego and all. He was most gracious. Slapped me on the back.. smiled...looked into my eyes and said great job...whatever. It was at that moment I knew Dave was different than the rest of us. I couldn’t articulate it at the time..but he was special. Of course, unbeknownst to me...it was his deep, overwhelming connection with God and his devout upbringing ( his Dad was Minister at the Park St. church 14 years). The nut did not fall far from the tree. He was centered...unflappable.
We became friends..and would lift weights in the basement of my home on Page Rd across from Horace Mann. He would cruise over in his restored Model T. That rig had an elixir smell I had never experienced to that date...or since. He loved that jealopy.. and in a way it meshed perfectly with his old style values.
As Dave matriculated to Football Star and Class President, and I different sports, we spent less time together and went off to school. We lost touch
One fond memory was our 50th Reunion. I was fortunate to sit with Dave.. Mark Abrams.. and catch up with all Dave’s experiences in So. Africa. Dave was healthy as an ox at that time. It was a highlite.. as were discussions with Mark about our distressing Red Sox.
I only spoke with Debbie once. Strong comes to mind. But I do wish to extend my gratitude to Roger Watson & Bob Biederman for the special trip they made to visit Dave in San Diego after he got Dementia. They did God’s work there.
As most of us know.. Dave was a treasure of a man. RIP my friend!
Lewis Watts
I remember Dave Bliss and Carolyn Deats were together and we would sometimes talk about civil rights and world events at school. Does anyone know about her now? I also remember Dave mentioning earlier in this forum that I was more of a presence at school than I realized. That really meant a lot. Rest in Peace Dave Bliss and thank you Roger.