"Consistently wise decisions can only be made by those whose wisdom is constantly challenged."
Those were the words of Ted Sorensen that were on display at last week's ceremony at the University of Nebraska College of Law dedicating a bust of John F. Kennedy's White House counselor and speech writer who was a member of the UNL law class of 1951.
It was an event filled with stories about the native Nebraskan who became increasingly sentimental about Lincoln and his Nebraska roots as time marched on.Â
Sorensen returned to Lincoln many times, often to bestow a gift to institutions that helped shape him, including Lincoln High School, and always to encourage students and other young people to dream and to do.
Kennedy also hired Lee White, an Omahan who graduated from the UNL College of Law, to join his staff, and later told Sorensen that he sometimes thought he employed more Nebraskans than voted for him.
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In 2008, after a breakfast of granola covered with sliced bananas and strawberries and splashed with skim milk, Sorensen sat in his room at the Embassy Suites in Lincoln and reflected on the standing ovation he had received from a Lied Center audience of more than 2,000 before delivering an address the night before.
"I've given speeches or lectures all over the world, from Israel to Singapore, from Norway to South Africa, but I would rather have a standing ovation in Lincoln, Nebraska than anywhere in the world," he said.
"It was an emotional experience for me," Sorensen said.
"Lincoln still is my home."
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Finishing up:
* There is no way to count the number of lives that Dr. Anthony Fauci probably has saved. Here's what Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said about him last week: "Someone needs to grab that little elf and chuck him across the Potomac."
* Personal security must be the fastest growing sector of the U.S. economy.
* "The entire operation is an incredible commitment to the security of the United States of America and provides a largely unseen and unheralded security layer for the nation." -- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services regional director Joseph Palm, speaking of the University of Nebraska Medical Center.Â
* Despite continuing setbacks that keep the issue off Nebraska's ballot for voters to decide, there clearly is no quit in medical marijuana senators and the issue's supporters.
* That jaw-dropping opening touchdown drive in which Husker quarterback Casey Thompson was precisely on target was the first sign that at last this season would be different ... and then it wasn't.Â
* The college onside kick rate of success (2014-20) has been 23.8%.
* This phone message from a nephew who is the most loyal and optimistic Husker fan in my family: Win the next two games as expected, then upset Oklahoma in Lincoln and the Huskers are 3-1 as originally expected and ready to go.
* Charles Herbster's formation of a PAC signals his continued active involvement in Nebraska politics. He's got the money to make an impact.Â
* Here we go again: baseball's biggest games amidst the advent of college football. The best of times.Â