[Granville-Hough] Granville Hough's Message of 1 Jan 2009

[Trustees for Granville W. Hough]

Date: Thu, 01 Jan 2009 11:09:12 -0800
From: Granville W Hough <gwhough at oakapple.net>
Subject: Message of 1 Jan 2009

My son David and grandson Kendrick were able to visit Monday through
Thursday, with Kendrick returning Wednesday and David on Thursday.
David left at 9 am after one of the thickest fogs I have ever seen.  He
has to avoid the Pasadena traffic.  Love to all through this New Year!

A LA DERECHA vs A LA IZQUIERDA

When I was assigned to the 504th Field Artillery Battalion in Fort
Bundy, Puerto Rico in 1950, I soon learned that there were two basic
categories of actions to Puerto Rican soldiers, ôa la derechaö (those to
or on the right) and ôa la izquierda,ö (those to or on the left). Those
a la derecha were legal, acceptable, and honorable. Those a la izquierda
were what you could get away with if no one were looking, Bernard Madoff
fashion. I learned that a few men in our battalion (which was a
Caucasian unit) actually had two wives, one a Caucasian, a la derecha,
married in the church; and another, a la izquierda, negro, not married
by any legal definition. These few (fortunate or unfortunate?) men had
two families to support, and they were eager to do anything which would
gain them promotion and additional pay. I later learned that this
curious custom was somewhat common in armies of the old Spanish Empire,
where oneÆs a la derecha wife had to be left in Spain, and the lower
class women, Indians or negro slaves, were eager to become wives, a la
izquierda, wherever Spanish soldiers were stationed. It spread from the
Spanish Army to the general population, and it probably exists today in
many countries with Spanish origins.
I also heard the terms ôa la derechaö and ôa la izquierdaö applied to
all kinds of situations where you could take an acceptable action or
take one which was not honorable. I began to wonder about the origins of
the terms. The answer came over 65 years later.
Our church is named Lutheran Church of the Cross, and as it faces El
Toro Road, and it has three crosses, the cross of Jesus in the center,
and the cross of the two thieves on the right and left. In my mind the
thief who scoffed at Jesus and hurled insults at him is the one beyond
his left arm, the Scoffer. A la izquierda.
The one who defended Jesus is beyond his right arm. He rebuked the other
thief with these words: ôDonÆt you fear God, since you are under the
same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds
deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.ö Then he must have looked
at Jesus and said: ôJesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.ö
He was the Repenter, asking for forgiveness. Jesus answered him, ôI tell
you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.ö A la derecha.
So we have three crosses, right to left: the Repenter, the Savior, the
Scoffer. A la derecha to a la izquierda. Which is my cross? I am not the
Scoffer. I am not the Savior. But I am the Repenter. That is MY cross, A
la derecha.
So we may call ourselves the Church of the Cross, but we are also the
Church of the Three Crosses.

1 Jan 2009