JustAL Loqui

Author: Steve Briscoe

  • 52 Years Ago Today

    Fifty-two years ago, this very day, I was rudely awakened in the middle of the night and dragged out into the snow.  I learned in an instant that, as a private in the U.S. Army, soundly sleeping in a pup-tent on the snow covered Rocky Mountains of Colorado is apparently a luxury that is not guaranteed.

    February’s 15 degree temperature demanded I crawl back into my sleeping bag but the obstacle to that desired intent was formidable.  My First Sergeant had other plans for me that very cold winter day.

    For the next 24 hours I was placed on perimeter guard; restricted to a frozen hole in the ground that was about 3 or 4 feet deep and a roughly 4 foot egg shaped circumference.  Whereas I was mad as a hornet and frozen to the core, I had to admit (after the fact) the view was awesome.  The only thing better than being in the snow covered Rocky Mountains is being in the snow covered Rocky Mountains surrounded by a fireplace heated cabin.  There really was no comparison to the view before me.  Regardless, at that particular moment anger ruled supreme.

    I could hear activity in the AO but most of the visibility was obscured by trees and boulders.  The longer I sat there, the angrier I got.  Not sure there has been since, a man I’ve hated more than that First Sergeant at that time. About every hour or so my Squad Leader or Platoon Sergeant (and even on one occasion the First Sergeant) came to check on me, bringing me hot drinks, snacks and meals as required. They would always chat for a minute or two; I figured they hung around for a bit to relish in my anguish. However, with time I grew to believe they chatted with me to ensure I had not faltered into a frozen stupor.

    First Sergeants control the lives of everyone in the unit.  You would have to have spent time in the military to fully understand that harsh reality.  I’ll not waste words here trying to explain it; it’s one of those things you have to live through to understand.  His intent to torture me on that day had no training value, it had no value in honing my skills, it certainly did not enhance my morale; so what was the purpose?

    To this day I cannot say for sure what his purpose was, but the fact of the matter is, had he not done that, my 18th birthday in 1973 would have come and gone with little to no fanfare.  As it is, I look back on that day with a fondness that I keep hidden away, a recollection that pops up every year around this time.

    Today is my birthday, I turned 70 years old.  I have many such memories that span my lifetime, some are good memories, some are bad memories, some are regrets of what I did and regrets of what I should have done.  I’ll not wax philosophically and say that day taught me to be strong and gave me stamina that served me my entire life.  It was just another day in the life of a Private in the U.S. Army; a day like any other that contains a memory.  This particular one was a hard day to live through at the time, but has changed into a memory that brings a smile to my face.

    Here, as they say, is the rest of the story.  A few days after this incident, while still in the training scenario, I received a package in the mail.  Letters for me during my early years in the military were few and far between, so a package was a spectacular surprise that helped ease the tension brought on by “the incident” of a few days prior.

    The package, in the hands of the First Sergeant, hereto referred to as my nemesis, was in bad shape; obviously crushed during shipment by the USPS.  As it turned out it was a cake sent to me by my girlfriend.  Sadly, the cake had also been crushed.  It wasn’t until after he gave me the package and I had opened it that I noticed he had with him a pick-axe.  He retrieved the package, gave me the pick-axe as well as my next task.  I dug a 3X3 foot hole in the frozen ground and we buried that cake with a 21 gun salute and taps sounded out by kazoo.  According to the First Sergeant, my cake had died in action yet continued to struggle and with it’s dying breath got back to the unit; and for that, it deserved a military funeral.  I don’t recall how I actually felt that day.  I think “stunned” would be a partial description of how I felt.

    Thus was my 18th birthday and the memories that surrounded it.  Full disclosure, when we concluded the field exercise a week or so later my First Sergeant gave me a 3 day pass, a freshly baked birthday cake and a six-pack of beer.   Guess he wasn’t so bad after all.

  • Our Search for Value

    The older you get, do you become desperate in a search to find value in what you believe to be your worth; do you ponder what you’ve accomplished? How do you compare to those who were before?  Will those to come compare their worth to yours? Who you are will leave a trace; the question is will it be of any value? How do you measure personal value? Is the metric you use easily attained or must you work hard to reach the level you have set for yourself?  If you reach your desired goal, do you reset the bar or do you rest on a bar that may rust and collapse with time? What is your worth?

    Is this a question you ask yourself? Are you content with what you have become; there is a fine line between being content and being complacent. What do you think? Is being content the same as being complacent? Is there a point in your life when steps toward self-improvement are no longer worth your time? Do you strive to be an individual struggling with your own thoughts and abilities or are you satisfied with living an easy life outlined by others? Do you act and react a certain way because that is what you are told to do? Is that little voice in your inner thoughts still viable: do you question when your inner voice tells you to question or has your inner voice been clouded and deluded by complacency?

    Is your value of any worth? I will not question your value; I have trouble enough sorting through and attaining my own goals. Your value, what you consider a value, is a quest you must embark upon through your own personal deliberation.

    It is said that when the course of humanity is changed it is often from the efforts of one person; not sure how true that is. It is doubtful I will be that person and chances of you being that person is slim; but if you are content and/or stagnant in who you are, your chances have gone to zero.

    I will not say you must always strive to do better to be of value. I will say if you do not strive,  you have become complacent and, chances are, you are less than you are capable of being.

  • Characteristics of Steel

    If steel lacks the characteristics of steel, is it steel?  If bread lacks the characteristics of bread, is it bread or something else pretending to be bread?  If a full spectrum color palette lacks a color or two, is it full spectrum? There are absolutes that cannot be altered and any attempt at changing what is, results in degradation of perfection (it becomes something less than it can be) or, worse case scenario, a total loss of something that can never be replaced.

    You can apply that analogy to whatever scenario you want, or you can ignore it and consider it worthless gibberish. However, I would submit, if you consider it babble, you have lost the ability to think for yourself and prefer to allow others to think for you. You accept, without consideration, the opinion of others and are content to do so. If you question anything, it is because someone somewhere told you to; you storm forward, forcefully shouting the questions with little concern for answers that contradict what you have been told to believe. 

    If you feel, without quiet consideration, or with outrageous indignation, that you do not fall into this category then you probably fall into this category.  If you fail to conduct an HONEST assessment and evaluation of who you are on a regular basis, you will fall prey to complacency and will become something less than you are capable of being.

    Question everything. Truth stands up to questions, deceit despises a legitimate question and the people who have the audacity to expect a legitimate answer.  If your questions result in anger, then rest assured you have uncovered deceitful behavior.  If someone questions you and you get angry, then chances are you are part of the deceit. Don’t be that person; be steel with the characteristics of steel.

  • Just 1 Second

    Just 1 Second

    We are all creatures of habit.  Perhaps some are more creature-like than others. But we’ll leave that thought in the shadows for now.

    We get up in the morning at pretty much the same time, take a shower, drink our coffee, and drive to work down the same street, day after day after day, on and on. Have you ever gotten out of your car once you got to work and not actually remember the drive in?  We do it so often it has become common place and unless something out of the ordinary happens, the drive is uneventful and your brain, from a layman’s point of view, shuts down and apparently does not bother to record anything.

    This phenomenon is a motorcyclist’s worst enemy.  Why?  Because every time a cager hits a rider, the first thing they say to anyone willing to listen is, “I didn’t see him!”  Now, before we go any further into this subject, let me set some ground rules.  First, the term “cager” refers to anyone in a car, truck, sedan, minivan… pretty much anything not two wheels.  Second, the term “him” in this instance refers to either a man or a woman regardless of whether the biped carries the Y Chromosome or not.  Third, if you are easily offended, I suggest you stop reading now. Full Disclosure, taking responsibility for, catering to, or monitoring your emotions is nowhere on my radar screen.

    We are creatures of habit.  We have all, for several decades in some cases, driven our cars to and fro and most of us diligently accept the responsibility that goes with the privilege of driving.  However, with repetition comes complacency.  We come to a stop sign and we glance left and right for oncoming traffic and proceed accordingly.  The brain is an amazing organ, but there is a problem with repetition and complacency—and I think it is self induced.  

    When we look left and right, or when we look in the mirror to change lanes, or when we look straight ahead with the intent to turn left and cross oncoming traffic we look for cars, trucks and minivans; many have not conditioned their brains to see motorcycles.  I cannot tell you the number of times a car has pulled out in front of me, ran me off the road by a lane change, or crossed my path as they turn left.  Some do so and never know I’m there even after the sounds of screeching tires, horns and expletives have filled the air.  They are oblivious to their surroundings and need to be put down for the safety of others.  Those that do eventually see me seemed totally surprised as if I have popped into their surroundings from nothingness, or as if a magician has conjured me up from the dust of the ground right in front of them.  I did not pop out of nothingness and I was not conjured up by sorcery, I was there all the time; they just didn’t take the time to see me. This would be the perfect time to go into the practical application of O2DA but that’s a topic for another narrative.

    Of course we have the brainless, self-indulgent, and self-important piece of worthless flesh who think it acceptable to drive down the highway or city street talking on a cell phone or sending/reading a text. I’ve even seen people drive down the road reading a book.  It is for this reason I seldom give myself ready access to a firearm while I ride.  The temptation to remove these hazards from the equation can be overwhelming.  Don’t take that as an actual threat, it’s just a flippant comment. If you choose to take it as anything other than flippant, I’ll assume you do so only because you want to, but it’s just a comment with no intended action behind it.  I will also assume most who will take that as a viable threat are the same ones who find it acceptable to drive down the road will a cell phone hanging off the side of the head.  Therein lies the real threat, the driver who will set aside their responsibility, put everyone in danger, so they can send a text.  That is a deliberate intent, not a flippantly made comment.

    Indulge me for one second.  Read the next three words out loud, “One Thousand One.”  If you read that in your mind go back and read it out loud.

    The one second it took to read those three words is all the time required to end a life.  That short span of inattention, the second it took to look over to grab your phone, the second you looked away while driving 40 MPH will carry you “58” feet (and a few inches to be completely accurate).  A lot can happen in “58” feet.  That same second is all the time it takes to end a Iife or save a life.  Just one second of looking a little harder to see what is actually there.  Take an extra moment to check the blind spot that will not hide a car but can hide a motorcycle.  Most riders will not hang in a cager’s blind spot but sometimes city traffic makes that difficult.

    Spring is here, which means motorcycles are going to be out and about 24/7.  Use your seconds wisely.  The life you save could be a family member, your friend, or your co-worker.  For sure and certain the life you save will be a family member, friend, or co-worker to someone.

    Take your responsibility seriously or get off the streets.

  • Dare To Stand Alone

    The notion that we must be absolute in our opinions pertaining to political and social associations troubles and confuses me. You’re either with us or against us.  Republican or Democrat, Republic vs Democracy, Red State or Blue State, Left or Right, Conservative vs Liberal, Christian or Atheist, Pro-Life vs Pro-Choice, the right to provide for yourself and your family or depend solely on the government to provide. Even rights dictated by the law of the land have generated rifts in friends and families. To be viable it seems we can only reside in the extreme fringes of these issues, there can be no middle ground and certainly no room for debate. Anything short of “extreme” shows a lack of commitment.  We can no longer look at an issue and ponder through a process to determine for ourselves the right decision; this too shows a lack of commitment to your masters.  Regardless of the camp in which you reside, YOU MUST defend the “camp’s” viewpoint. It is not enough to ignore or disregard opposing viewpoints, we must also viciously attack opposing viewpoints as well as the person with those viewpoints. Additionally, we must be quick to label any opposing viewpoint as hate speech, systemic racism or “just too stupid for words.” To debate is beneath us and a waste of our time. Why bother with an honest debate? It’s common knowledge the opposition is without a doubt wrong on any conceivable level.  Sadly, all too often the viewpoints you hold near and dear are based on a platform developed by others who care little for anything other than what is best for them; and that viewpoint can change with the wind and when it changes, YOU MUST change with it. 

    Our ability to reason and calmly debate is, or should be, a significant part of our humanity.  We have lost the ability to debate.  Not so long ago the art of debate was taught in our public schools but has been pushed aside; why it has been removed from the curriculum is anyone’s guess.  We have become all too willing to forfeit our “reasoning” in exchange for the good feeling of standing on what we have been told is the moral high ground.  Claiming the moral high ground is easier than becoming familiar with the art of honest debate. We must take on the position and attitude of “our team,” or stand accused and be ostracized; to be cast out. You must be ostracized. Our cancel culture points that out on a daily basis.  Anything short of public annihilation, and you may stand out as someone who is above the fray; someone willing to walk a different direction; one who demonstrates discernment and has an ability to reason, most importantly someone who can think for themselves; you are a major threat to them. Your dismissal has been mandated.

    If, when faced with historical and current fact, we are unwilling to admit we may be wrong and admit our error, then it must be said arrogance has replaced intellect, humility and integrity. If our viewpoint cannot tolerate debate or abide remarks meant to question, then we have by our own making placed ourselves in shackles and do the bidding of a misguided cause. We have become nothing more than a puppet. Do not let others dictate your thoughts, your beliefs, your passions nor allow your viewpoint to be guided solely by the whims of others. Are there absolutes? Yes. Be willing to stand up for them. Be willing to stand alone for them. Absolute truths do not need defending, but a cordial debate is healthy. If a debate quickly turns into a personal attack, then take that as an indicator that the “truth” being presented is lacking.  With regard to absolutes… others can question it and others can deny it, but their opinion does not diminish that truth, regardless of fierce and unrelenting attacks.  Do not fear being an outcast, it may be the only thing that saves you.

  • How Will You Be Remembered?

    This is an older article I wrote in 2010… but I think it still rings true today.

    I heard a line in a movie once that I thought was very profound, “What you do in life, echoes in eternity.” The movie was a fictional account of what an individual did while facing insurmountable odds. Some of you may know what movie I’m talking about, but the movie is not the premise of this discussion.

    How will you be remembered? Did you make every attempt to go to work every day and support your family? Did you go the extra step and extend your hand to others you knew needed assistance? Do you do for others as often as you can or do you wait for others to do for you? Do you cling to integrity or do you bend left or right of center based on the opinion of others?

    Everything we say, do, think and see has molded us into who we are today. Our experiences, both good and bad, have added fabric to the material that makes us who we are. Who we are will dictate our actions and our actions expose our worth. Doing the right thing is usually harder than doing the popular thing, but both carry direct and/or indirect consequences to ourselves and to those around us. Your actions will inscribe a memory in the minds of your family, friends, associates and strangers.

    Will the memory of you bring a smile or will it bring a dismal response? Will you be remembered at all? There are several names from history that will never be forgotten, some good and some bad. Names like Hitler, Gandhi, Mandela, Gangis Khan, Sgt York, the Wright Brothers, Lincoln, Stalin… all are names that resound in history. Had Sgt York not acted selflessly that one time it is possible you would not know his name and it is very possible that day during WWI would have ended very differently. Had Nelson Mandela let depression and hate take over his persona what would have been the outcome? Most of us will not go down in the history books. We will live our lives and then fade closer and closer to total obscurity with each passing generation. The best we can hope for is to affect those around us in the present and hope, once we are gone, we will be remembered by friends and family as a person of worth. If we are lucky our worth will be passed on to someone who will carry on, someone we have affected in a positive way.

    By our actions we display a right way or a wrong way to our children and those with whom we have influence. I suspect, if the truth be told, we will pass on both right and wrong; both ends of the spectrum. Hopefully the positive side of the spectrum will carry more weight… hopefully. It is a good bet that three generations from now no one will know your name or know what or who you were, but you can have a positive effect on that generation if you have a positive effect on this generation because they will pass that on to subsequent generations.

    Whether you want to or not you will affect those around you. By your actions, either good or bad, you will bestow upon someone a piece of fabric that will intertwine itself into who and what they will become and they, in turn, will pass it on to those around them. That is a great responsibility, one you may not acknowledge, but it is there nonetheless. What you do today will echo into the next generation and perhaps beyond. Please take that into account when you are faced with an option that requires a hard decision; others are watching and others will be affected. Think of who you are, who you want to be, and how you want to be remembered.

    Addendum added 6 February 2022. The two pictures portrayed in this article were not chosen at random nor were they chosen to demonstrate a specific segment of history. They just happened to be two pictures from the same era from opposite ends of the spectrum. These two men, Dietrich Bonhoeffer and the unnamed guard were both at the work camp at Flossenburg Germany at the same time; one a guard and one a prisoner. Both roughly the same age, both raised in the same country, but they are remembered differently. This is the choice we make with every action and every word we speak. How will you be remembered?

  • The New Norm

    It’s now 2022 and the buzz phrase of the day is “The New Norm.” Its most recent application is used to identify the many changes in our daily lives brought on by the, all too often falsely focused, attempts to mitigate COVID. But things have been changing for a long time. Look at what is acceptable behavior today and compare it to similar behavior from 60, 40, 20, or even 10 years ago. If you are still able to visualize and be persuaded by truth, you will acknowledge significant differences and slowly creeping changes that are proving detrimental to society. Analyzing the differences will reveal to you the damage done by the “new normal” adopted by our society. There are some cities in this nation that no longer consider certain felonies a crime and will refuse to prosecute; this is an open door to anarchy. An ID is required to buy a pack of cigarettes, but asking for an ID to practice a most precious right of citizenship is considered racist. Fact is, it is not racist but using the term “racist” is a sure fire way to get what you want. Another fun fact, it is easier to defraud and circumvent when IDs are not required and we willingly accept this as the “new norm.” I challenge you to identify any behavioral change, at the social level, that has improved society as a whole.

    COVID has changed what we do, but has had little to do with a change in who we are. COVID has had nothing to do with the decline in honor, integrity, compassion, and respect. Before you go all “social justice” on me, I’m not saying these attributes are dead in us all as individuals. I know far too many honorable and compassionate people to believe that. But, these people are not the norm and sometimes it takes a little effort to seek them out. A sure way to find a person of honor is to look for anyone ridiculed for doing the right thing. It’s easy to find people who talk it, hard to find those who live it. Those who easily and eloquently talk honor and integrity often show a distinct inability to practice honor and integrity when pressed into service. A distinct indicator that shines a bright light on those who lack any level of integrity are those who condemn a person based on an action committed and then praise a different person who does the very same thing. Do they think we are blind and do not see. If you do not see, it is because you decide to turn a blind eye and pretend all is well. If you condemn an action, then ignore the same action when your role model does it, then you should consider that a trait to analyze and re-evaluate.

    Far too often the role models for our youth are fictional super heroes whose powers come from CGI or sports superstars who, when removed from the arena, fall short and are found wanting. Those who pursues honor, integrity and compassion and teaches the same are not only ignored, they are often sought out and ridiculed by the woke culture.

    You cannot accept a “new norm” and live by a code, the two contradict each other. If you live your life based on a true “code” of honor, integrity, and compassion then chances are, more often than not, you abide alone. But, you cannot always abide alone, you must seek out like minded people who live by a similar code so you can support and encourage each other when the “new normal” presses in and attempts to force changes that are contradictory to your sworn code. Standing against tyranny is a group effort, a single entity will fail with time.

    You cannot stand alone against the Woke Culture.

    Often times, to abide by your code, you must not only walk alone but be content to do so; you must be comfortable with a life detached from what society offers. Many, once they sense you abide by a code, will do everything they can to break you down, ridicule you, embarrass you, and shame you. Why? Because if they can break you down, and see you go against your chosen path under pressure, it justifies and vindicates their failures and shifts the light that highlights their faults away from them. To see a person stand firm to their values in the face of adversity – whether those values be a belief in God, a belief in a high moral standard, or a refusal to see a lie as truth or see evil as good – is something today’s “normal” cannot abide. All too often if, after extreme effort, they cannot break you they bring false testimony against you and let loose the trolls of propaganda.

    If you refuse to see evil as anything other than evil, then today’s “normal” will label you as deplorable, despicable, unworthy, and a blot on the utopia so many believe they live in.

    So, if you live your life based on a high moral value (yesterday’s value, not today’s) then expect troubled times, expect to be hated, expect to see the “new normal” suffocate your surroundings. The “woke and cancel” culture will make you their next focused target. Seek out like minded people and associate yourself with them. Dissociate yourself from those who see your code as something to attack. Disassociate yourself from those who see evil as good and see good as evil. Standing firm will win some over but most will never accept the possibility they could be wrong; even when wrong stares them in the face.

    And most important, do not hide your code, allow it to be a beacon so those of like mind can find you. Your beacon will draw in the trolls, but it will also summon the allies.

  • Who is Responsible for My Safety

    Couple of problem areas to discuss today.  Stupidity should have consequences. The results of stupidity should hurt and leave a visible scar to be a constant reminder of what happens when you do stupid things. Signs are often plastered around work sites warning of potential accidents and injuries; “Watch Your Step” “Lift With Your Legs” “Wear Safety Glasses” “Caution, Wet Floor” to name a few. Why do we need signs to point out danger areas? If the floor is wet, common sense would (should) tell you to walk with sure footing. But apparently, we need a sign to tell us because we have lost the ability of critical thought and therefore cannot be expected to take responsibility for our own actions. We slip on wet pavement or trip over a crack, it’s obviously someone else’s fault, even though 500 other people just walked over the same area and did not slip and fall. We have willingly relinquished our God given obligation to take care of ourselves and our family; it’s now someone else’s responsibility and they own a little piece of us.  That’s problem one.

    Problem two. Not only do we need warning signs to replace our sense of self preservation and common sense, the warning signs and/or notices cannot offend fragile sensibilities of the workforce; it might hurt their feelings.  A requirement to wear safety glasses cannot contain a picture of a nail embedded in someone’s eye; the consequence of not wearing safety glasses. Why? Because the picture may offend or give someone nightmares. The warning has no teeth.

    What has happened to bring us to this? We’re not responsible for our own safety but when someone else is forced to step in and protect or warn us our first instinct is to look for ways to be offended. Sign on the wall says, “Wear Safety Glasses.” Company issued you a set of OSHA approved safety glasses, but you don’t wear them because you don’t care for the way they look.  You lose an eye, and you blame the employer; employer is not at fault, they voiced their safety requirements on a Politically Correct sign, they gave you glasses.  OK, let’s sue the company and make it the insurance company’s problem.

    We are our own worst enemy. We have pushed the envelope so far that companies will check a “safety” block on an official form or give notice in a bulletin, but the warning has no teeth.  Any effort to add teeth is met with rebuke. In truth, most companies care nothing for safety anymore.  How can they? Any legitimate attempt is deemed offensive; they care about the perception of safety. It boils down to, “Can they demonstrate compliance in a court of law.” This dilemma is not their fault, it is ours.

    For grins and giggles let’s take this one more step; a third problem if you will. We are so concerned with the perception of safety we have muffled individual advancement.  Face it, most advancements (both at the individual and national level) has come about when someone is willing to take a risk. Whether it was a physical safety risk, financial risk, or, in the case of writing politically incorrect blogs, the risk of personal standing.  Don’t fear taking a risk, don’t let fear stop you.  In fact, walk up to fear, look fear in the face and slap it across the face as hard as you can, you may find there was nothing to fear at all. Even if there is something to fear, chances are you will prevail… if your courage holds.

  • Get Angry Only On Purpose

    Do you find yourself getting angry when you scan through your Facebook Feed? If so, this could mean two things. One, you need to rethink your “friend” list. Side note, FaceBook friends are not really your “friends.” Some may be real friends, but most don’t even come up to the “acquaintance” bar. I’m not the type to “unfriend” someone who has opposing views, but if you expect me to swallow your opposing view without benefit of debate, or refuse to debate, or are quick to initiate a personal attack because of my opposing view, then the chances of your “opinions” being deleted and you being ignored are pretty significant. Take that for what it’s worth. Second, and most important, getting angry over the stupidity of FaceBook or those who use FaceBook as a weapons platform are bad for you on so many levels. The many posts that have the intended purpose to anger are growing exponentially. Trolls step in and throw fuel on the fire just for fun; their intent is not to discuss but to make people angry then they step back and watch. Don’t play their game.

    FaceBook may have started as a social network to bring people together; that ship has sunk. (Factoid – FaceBook was initially created to score the aesthetic value of women; it was referred to as “hot or not” game. A law suit shut it down so they redirected their efforts.) FaceBook has a good purpose, it allows real friends separated by distance to remain in close contact. But other applications have been applied; it is also a tool used by those who wish to implement divide, create dissension, and obscure truth. If you have not yet figured that out you have not been paying attention.

    If you are easily angered then you unwittingly allow yourself to be manipulated.  We all have “buttons” that, when pushed, initiate a specific action; that’s what buttons do.  Hide your buttons. If a word, phrase, action, or attitude from others initiates your anger, shifts your focus, or narrows your scope of observation or influence then they own you. If the actions of others shift your attention to unwanted or unimportant areas, then you have given public access to your “button” that can be pushed by anyone at any time in order to control your actions or responses; they own you.

    If your “public” buttons are known, one has the ability to intimidate, persuade, mislead, or manipulate you.  One can use a button to focus your attention elsewhere, allowing them free and clandestine movement in much more important areas that you would otherwise be focused on; your focus is now elsewhere so they can move about and act without you knowing their real agenda and intent. If someone pushes your anger button for no reason, it is ok to be angry, but be angry in private; refocus your attention on what is important, it could be the imposed anger is a misdirection meant to mislead and help hide their true agenda from you. Politicians do this on a regular basis.

    Everyone has buttons.  The key is to know what your buttons are and hide them.  I’m not saying a hidden button cannot be pushed, it can.  If a hidden button is pushed, hide the response.  Don’t make your buttons public.  Some will push your buttons for the entertainment value only; don’t be someone’s toy.

    Never let your anger be public.

    It’s OK to get angry, but get angry on purpose and on your own terms. Find a private place to release your anger.

  • It’s Not Them – It’s Us

    Throughout the many decades of my active military career and post active military career working for the Department of Defense I have had the privilege of working with some great and sometimes not so great people from all corners of the world; literally.  I’ve worked with people I would trust with my life and I’ve worked with people I would not dare take my eyes off of them for fear they would knife me in the back; literally.  I have spent time in places I never before knew existed and endured hardships that, after the fact, were events to ponder as to how I survived with my mind (and body) intact.  I learned from them all, people and events alike; the good and the bad, and even the ugly.  I learned how to respond, how to act; more importantly, I learned how not to act.  I can’t say I always react properly based on my life’s tutelage, but I try.  I have my bad days just like everyone else.  I’ll not say I have an ability to understand the cause and effect of past events; what precipitated the event, how they played out, and the resulting aftermath.  There are however, many past events within history (both global and personal) that I, from time to time, try to figure out.  Why did it happen and how did it happen.

    I’m currently living in the heart of Germany, a wonderful experience; I’m about an 30 minutes from the border of the Czech Republic.  The food, the people, and the scenery of Bavaria portray just a bit of the overall experience.  I must admit I have yet to meet a rude German, however, sadly if pressed into a truthful statement, I must admit I’ve met rude Americans here.  I’m not saying there are no rude Germans, I’m just saying I’ve not met them yet.  For the most part my existence here is pleasant but it brings to mind one of those “events” that eludes my understanding.

    How could these wonderful people, a mere generation ago, march hundreds of thousands to extermination camps?  This is not a question meant to isolate the German population as evil incarnate.  Every nation has its dark past that shames the pages of its history.   The United States’ initial agricultural foundation was built on slavery.  The Chinese, European, and African immigrants who came here were dogged, berated, and beaten, the Native Americans were all but exterminated.  In fact, as Germany was using their camps as mass murder facilities we, the United States, had its own camps that “protected” the Japanese Americans, many of whom were born here and lost everything when we decided to “protect” them.  So let’s not stand on the moral high ground and judge the representation of the Germans portrayed in the ‘30s and ‘40s.  This chronicle has nothing to do with a single nation or isolated group of people.  If you look at the whole picture, and assess the portrait correctly and honestly, you will see that throughout history there was never a moment when we were not, in some small and large part, all to blame. 

    So, back to the original question.  How could a civilized, hardworking, generous, educated, and supposedly spiritual nation allow such things?  How can a group of mothers, fathers, sons, and daughters stand on the sidelines and watch the fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, brothers, and sisters of others be forced through a gate knowing full well what was happening within those walls.  How can these same mothers, fathers, sons, and daughters be the ones herding the crowd through the gate?  There were those who stood their ground and tried to stop it and it cost them their lives; Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Johann Maier, Rupert Mayer to name a few.

    So, what’s the answer?  This is a question that each of you must answer for yourself.  If you ignore the question it will all happen again, as it has many times in the past.  In fact, it’s happening still in several parts of the world, although many refuse to see or acknowledge this truth.  If we acknowledge the current atrocities, we will have to admit our complacent involvement and willful ignorance.  So, as you can see, this narrative has nothing to do with others—it has everything to do with the individual, you and me.

    We do not, even collectively, have the ability to stop all evil in the world; even if we could, complacency and apathy would stand in the way.  But we can control the evil within our own lives.  If we do that, it might give strength to the person next to us to control theirs.  We might not be able to change the world, but we can change our little part of it.  It’s really not that hard.  Do not let complacency, apathy, or an artificially manufactured self-destructive hatred forced upon you by others, turn you into something you were never meant to be.

    Here’s a final question.  Would you be willing to give your life to stand against such evil?  Ponder that question diligently as there may be a time in the not-so-distant future when you will need to make a decision.  Will you stand up to hatred and evil and possibly lose your life or will you turn your back to it, ignore it, and die anyway.

    Just a thought.