The Cedar Post (Volume 1)

This is a heart-warming story of a farm boy who considers himself more average than a telephone pole. He dreams of doing something really big during his life - like holding the hand of a cheerleader named Moose or winning a state wrestling title. Despite his big dreams, he feels trapped in his mediocre and powerless to make any significant changes - that is, until a deaf-blind, legless old man named Ur moves into Declo.

Jack Rose was reared in Declo, Idaho. At age eight, his father died, leaving him and two brothers to be raised by his mother, who suffered the effects of a stroke. After high school he moved to Los Angeles where he became associated with the Deaf and Deaf-blind.

At California State University at Northridge (CSUN) and worked as a sign language interpreter while seeking his B. A. and M. A. degrees. It was at CSUN that he met and worked with several Deaf-blind individuals who had a great influence on his life. He continues his association with the Deaf by teaching in and directing a large American Sign Language program at Brigham Young University.

He has also been heavily involved in community service. For the last eight years he has taught ethics to incarcerated youth at a youth correction facility. He has served his community since 1982 as a reserve police officer. He has also served as a Cub Scout Master, Boy Scout Master and as a Varsity Scout Coach. He has been heavily involved in amateur wrestling in both freestyle and college style.

His hobbies include back packing, auto mechanics and running. He has run three marathons in the last five years.

In 1973 Jack married Ronda Babiracki, an elementary school teacher. They have reared six children in a beautiful Valley in the Wasatch mountains.

One of his great loves is lecturing. He travels coast to coast every year speaking at conferences and high schools in the United States and Canada. He is a popular speaker for both youth and adults, and has become renowned for his story telling skills, using country wit and powerful stories to teach character values.

Troubled by the deterioration of ethical and moral standards in our society, as well as the insatiable and reckless pursuit of easy wealth, Jack set about seeking to understand the true meaning of The Pristine American Dream. What are the elements of true success in America? How does one attain peace of mind in a society that is never satisfied with enough? How does one build a solid foundation so that they might safely entrust themselves with the privileges of power, wealth, and/or parenthood?

Pondering these question brought him to understand the meaning of inherent or inalienable rights. He has continued to research, write and speak about the peace and happiness that is obtained when these rights are maintained. Jack has discovered that except for the famous three inalienable rights, that of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, most Americans have lost the meaning of inalienable rights. They cannot name a fourth, or indeed any others, yet these rights are their heritage, and are powerful tools for successful living.