Windflier, this is a wonderful thread idea. Thank you for starting it.
My screen name is the greeting which was used by St. Francis of Assisi.
St. Francis experienced a life-changing adult conversion from self-centeredness to God-centeredness. Francis was humble and he focused simply and powerfully on changing himself into a better person and on loving God.
Although Francis didn’t set out to change the world, only to change himself and to love and glorify God, the hearts thousands of people have been moved toward loving God through St. Francis of Assisi.
I’m far from being a St. Francis but his greeting wishes of peace and good for all is how I try to live, often failing - sometimes miserably! :-)
And now, a funny story about my screen name:
Shortly after discovering FreeRepublic I went to a gathering of the Houston FReepers. Two of the people who I met at that meeting were the mischievous Tom Eaker and the notorious humblegunner. Much later I learned that those two, without my knowledge and never in my presence, had the bright idea to morph my screen name and call me “pat my bottom”! LOL!!
I’m not sure that St. Francis would have approved! :-)
Also at the meeting was the late FReeper, Flyer. He’s one of the kindest, most gentle-hearted people I’ve ever known. Now that I think about it, he reminds me a lot of St. Francis of Assisi.
(Flyer, I hope you’re keeping an eye on Tom. Don’t let him get you into trouble. ;-)
Thanks for posting that humorous bit of FR lore.
Eaker was my good good buddy, and I miss him terribly. He took me under his wing when I was a newbie here, and was a source of quiet strength when my family and I were going through very hard times.