Sunday, March 30, 2014

La Vie et La Mort


Well, I had planned to post something else today. I have a couple of irons in the fire, another aviation tale (from the Korean War) and perhaps a little something on the Napoleonic Wars. I will sometimes start to write something and then just stop. I'll set it aside, to work on it later or perhaps it will languish in the draft stage for months.

I'm a rather spontaneous guy, I'm not real keen on plans because, as Helmuth von Moltke the Elder stated, "Kein Operationsplan erstreckt sich mit Sicherheit über die erste Begegnung mit der Hauptstärke des Feindes." Or, more simply put, "no plan survives contact with the enemy". You can also say that no plan survives exposure to real life and circumstance.


Reality has a way of imposing itself on us whether we like it or not.

Life and death are not up to us. They happen whether we like it or not.


We all experience life in different ways.

During our lives we will all be touched by death in one way or another. Death is unavoidable and inevitable. Again, whether we like it or not.

Death has touched a number of my friends this past week. It touched me yesterday.

But life goes on. And so shall I. I just can't bring myself to really work on anything today.


For now, I leave you all with this:

Cherish your loved ones and your friends, you never know what tomorrow or even the next instant of time may bring. Our time here is limited, make the most of it. But always, with love in your heart.

12 comments:

  1. Life is a lesson about plans.
    It's okay, even good to have a plan.
    Just don't plan the outcome.
    The short version goes something like, "Men plan, God laughs."
    In other words, God's plan trumps all.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Words of wisdom, Sarge. Words of wisdom. Take care of yourself. And your family.

    ReplyDelete
  3. My grand-parents generation used to say "here today, gone tomorrow." Now at my age I know what they meant. Life is uncertain..

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I understand that more and more these days. Life is uncertain.

      The knowledge of one's own mortality is theoretical when you're young. Oh-so-real once you slide past a certain age.

      Delete
  4. On this Viet Nam veteran's Day.
    Sometimes we get a curve ball at 3 & 0. It makes us more aware of what we're up to. Prayers for you and yours.

    Dave

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yup, this whole thing seemed to come in out of nowhere. Thanks Dave.

      Delete
  5. Sorry for the loss of your friend. Definitely way too early. I'm sure he didn't want to go so soon, but I pray he was ready to do so if you know what I mean.

    ReplyDelete

Just be polite... that's all I ask. (For Buck)
Can't be nice, go somewhere else...

NOTE: Comments on posts over 5 days old go into moderation, automatically.