Autumn
It has been a very strange fall. Parts of the area I live in got 10 inches of snow; there are still green leaves on the trees.
A word about the picture, "Reflections."
This has always been a very deep picture for me. The other day I caught myself staring at this picture hanging on a wall in town. I have seen it before, it always stirs something deep. I started thinking about all the losses we have had in our unit, and how that picture is any one of us at any given time. It is such a fitting picture that portrays many many of my emotions without painting any words; this picture simply says it all. I am determined once again to finish what I have started by completing my book.
The feelings this picture awakens are similar to the emotions I experience when I am writing. I dig way back and start to remember things that had begun to fade. I am still on page 18 and haven't made much progress. The beginning is very important, it sets the stage for a good portion of what is to come. However, finding the time in peace and quiet are two things that rarely coincide. I think with the stability of my new job I will force life to slow down enough this winter to finish it once and for all. I hope I am able to tell the tale, or at least express in words the feelings "Reflections" brings forth.
Enjoy this fall, there will never be another like it for all time.
Another day in the life that is Zeke
Hello my loyal fans!
I must say, since the appearance of
face book I have not made as much effort to write in my blog. Since
face book is a love/hate relationship, not all of you get to see me so much. On that note, if I don't accept friend requests, it is that I don't treat
face book as my social network. When you ignore a friend request there, people get their feelings hurt and think I don't like them. Not true, I just don't want to see 400 updates every day!
With that bit of
unpleasantness over I can move onward ever onward.
The cold weather has arrived and with it a renewed zeal for writing. I have puttered with my Iraq saga book a bit, but find it extremely hard to find peace and quiet in which to write. I find that some of the details are so fuzzy I have to rely more and more on my journal and notes from in country than my memory. This comes from the fact that I want everything to be factual and not just memories pulled from my head at random. Which seem silly since most of the book is specifically about my experiences. The key is simply to write, and I have always found that this blog is for exactly that.
This may seem like a long ramble for some, and believe me, it will be the first of many as I attempt to sharpen my writing skills. Then it occurs to me that, yes, this blog is for my adoring fans, but first and foremost, it is for me. It has always been for me. My relief, my safe haven, a way to release and explore ideas, thoughts and emotions. So bear with me, feel free to comment and question. It is from questions that I have spawned much of my writings.
A Soldiers Poem
"The Soldier Stood And Faced God" Which must always come to pass. He hoped his shoes were shining, just as brightly as his brass.
"Step forward now, you soldier, how shall I deal with you? Have you always turned the other cheek? To My Church have you been true?"The soldier squared his shoulders and said, "No, Lord, I guess I ain’t,because those of us who carry guns, Can't always be a saint.
I've had to work most Sundays, and at times my talk was tough.And sometimes I've been violent, because the world is awfully rough.But, I never took a penny, that wasn't mine to keep...Though I worked a lot of overtime, when the bills got just too steep.
And I never passed a cry for help, though at times I shook with fear.And sometimes, God, forgive me, I've wept unmanly tears.I know I don't deserve a place, among the people here.They never wanted me around, except to calm their fears.If you've a place for me here, Lord, It needn't be so grand. I never expected or had too much, but if you don't, I'll understand."
There was a silence all around the throne, where the saints had often trod.As the soldier waited quietly for the judgment of his God."Step forward now, you soldier, you’ve borne your burdens well.Walk peacefully on Heaven's streets; you’ve done your time in Hell."
-Author Unknown-
My new favorite poem nonetheless
Until We Meet Again...
Jesse Davis, my friend and brother in arms, took his own life one week ago today. His passing has left a scar on all of us who knew him. Jesse was a team leader in the same squad as me, 2
nd squad 1st platoon of Able Company 2/136 Infantry 34
th Div. "Red Bulls."
I spent nearly every day with him over a two year period during our Iraq deployment.
Now he is gone. The last time I saw Jesse was mere weeks ago. We ate lunch together, and reminisced over a cold one. Everything seemed fine until I heard the news. It simply does not seem possible; it is still so surreal.
Jesse was bright and funny. He had an intelligence that surpassed education and book learning. He was a great soldier and a better friend. Every time you saw him, your day was that much better. It was a privilege and honor to have shared time with Jesse.
The grief that nearly overcame me when I learned of his passing was a large weight that I carried. This weight was lifted when I went to the viewing on Saturday. I saw Jesse’s body, but it was not Jesse, it was only a shell of what he was. I sincerely believe Jesse is more alive today than he ever was on this earth, and I know beyond any doubt that I will see him again one day. Though he is in a better place, I will selfishly miss him in this one.
I will never forget the joy that he brought in life, nor the sorrow brought by his death. I will carry his memories with me forever as I drink the cup of bitter-sweetness, in anticipation of our next meeting.
Obama, Duality and Socialism
Obama approval ratings slip lower and lower, looks like the honey moon is coming to an end, the bride-..er media woke up next to him in bed and discovered he has morning breath and they didn't "get theirs."
I've always said talk is cheap and that is all this guy seems to do. Big brother Obama is now attempting to push his Social Indoctrination schemes into our schools, going so far as to hand out study packets. Since when does the office of the president go so far as to have a hand in what our children learn...? Since they've done so well with the rest of the country to date, I don't think they should be touching education.
First he says that America "is no longer a Christian Nation." Then at the Egypt speech he says, "America could be considered one of the largest Muslim countries in the world..."
In earlier speeches he mocks the bible. Yet in other speeches he makes reverent notes about "The holy Koran." In a recent speech he praised Muslims for "enriching" America.
While he mocks biblical text, selecting verses at random to strip mine it until he can call it radical, he fails to quote portions of his precious Koran that call followers to "break the cross," and "kill the infidel." Which part of those radical Koran quotes "enrich" America by the way?
I've strayed a bit, but wanted a little background on where this guys principles lie. Anyhow, socialism...we have mandated "liberal arts" in school, but no conservative arts. We have a socialized health care bill that no one wants. A government that seems intent on taking over and meddling in the private sector. An administration that wants to live on credit and print money until our dollar deflates and our national debt is no longer payable.
On top of all this it's time to dabble in education as well?
Interesting how Bush had a decent rating overall in 8 yrs , yet the media never ceased to portray him as hated, and how Obama has such a low rating after a hundred days or so and the media is still crowning him king.
If Obama was a conservative pushing this stuff it would never fly. But having a pretty face and a silver tongue gets whatever it wants I guess. I don't know if this rant makes much sense and it doesn't really matter if it does. I would like to post something positive later, because it does become a drag after a while always reporting the bad. However it certainly angers me to see this country repeating the errors of history. Indeed as we move hand in hand with a near mirror image of the rise of Nazi Germany.
Conspiracy Meets Reality
So, we have all heard way too much about the "Swine Flu" of late. Of special note is the huge governmental interest in this. When has our wonderful government ever cared about the flu? I thought they were all concerned with population control...why not let the flu run rampant instead of ordering 6 million doses of
vaccine?
Here is something to chew on; with the Obama administration's current health care push that focuses on [forced]
euthanization, abortion and other methods of population control, would it be too much of a stretch to ponder what exactly will be in these "
vaccine's." Some wonderful experimental cocktail for sterilization wouldn't be too far fetch now would it?
Well, since "they" are concerned with population control in the first place, how about just giving everyone the actual flu instead of the
vaccine? Or something nice to make you sterile...?
Think this is a little far fetched? Not when you consider John
Holdren, who has proposed forcing abortions and putting
sterilants in the drinking water to control population...
A closing thought, a conspiracy doesn't sound so far fetched when it has a ring of truth to it. I say never trust your government, never cease to question. On that note I ask, how is all that change and hope working out for you?
Writers Maze
I am in awe of the complexity that is involved in the writing of a book. I keep trying to hammer it out like an essay, and that has been my single biggest
challenge; this is NOT an essay.
The beginning of the book is the most complex, attempting to cover several major topics required for the reader to understand the background of a soldier.
Once I work through this portion, the rest should flow. I have most of my material outlined already from my journal logs from in-country. I'll need to do a little interviewing of
colleagues for fine tuning. It may take months or a year, but I am up to the
challenge.
I have heard several of my fellow soldiers mention a wish to go back...more than 6 have mentioned this to me in the past month...makes me wonder how many others are feeling the same...? There is a simplicity to
military life that can be reassuring and familiar...quite hard to explain really...perhaps I'll make a post out of it one day.
He book continues.
