Sent my piece to our friends in Washington, LAB and Tom. Decided to call it "The Gateway" after a quote by Norman Vincent Peale. Left it unvarnished so that it had that earthy/matte feel throughout. Lab said she like the darker colors, but this piece just wouldnt accept being totally dark, so kept the gritty texture and inner pieces lighter.
Labyrinths have been spiritual entities throughout the ages - ancient, pre-Christian and Christian. Even today, they are used for meditation and spiritual walks. They have created a labyrinth on their own property as a spiritual place in the memory of our veterans. This piece in no way compares, but is meant as a thank you to them for all they have done for us.
Thank you for this work....yes, for veterans and the dead, my own Walk.
ReplyDeleteAnd covered with rusty pine needles brought down by the rain, it is, this wet, wet morning.
It was a pleasure to create for you. Your and your husbands fantastic creative spirit and your loving spirituality was such a pleasure to be with. The loving and caring you showed that you have for the veterans, we both being vets, was truly appreciated...and refreshing to find.
ReplyDelete:::::sigh:::::
ReplyDeleteSometimes I think only those of us who have served bother to remember the various trials and costs of military service. I think it is why I actually DO believe in a requirement for national service of some sort---better that ALL citizens of a nation have a taste of those costs.
That way, the ones who 'pay' for more than 2 or 3 years don't have to bear it completely forgotten and unsupported.
Because of our military past and now our son being in, I can see nothing wrong with requiring 2-3 years service. It give kids a chance to grow, to belong, to earn on their own, etc,etc. The main problem people have with it I think was from Viet Nam era, when it seemed that this was just a channel to feed boys like cannon fodder. If there was a guarantee that during this service they would not go to a war zone, that could help make it more palatable
ReplyDeleteYes, the Viet Nam draft was the killer. Of course, in these wars, they had the back door version in the name of "Stop Loss" for a long, long time. That did not add to popularity either. But in a way, Stop Loss was worse. During the Viet Nam war, nobody had to serve more than one year "in country".....in the current crop of wars, some men have been back five or six tours in the war zone. That is even worse, that is on par with the "in for the duration" during World War II.
ReplyDeleteNational service with a guarantee of no more than 18 months service time in a war zone, that would work for me.
What was really disgusting is that the leader of Viet Nam said in years afterward that after the Tet Offensive, we had won....they were going to give up. But then pressure at home had us running away like thieves in the night.
ReplyDeleteThere are some men who are meant to be warriors, and you see that in the battles today...they keep wanting to go back....not just to battle, but to take care of their own. Countries throughout history have always had these warriors. Let them go to the war zone, but make it well worth their time.
For all the others who just are part of the National Service, no war zone for the first 2-3 years unless requested. The main idea of this Natl Svc being not only service to the country, but a way for young people to grow, learn responsibility, earn money, training, etc, etc. It could even be a separate branch that afterwards they could move into a regular branch and keep the time they put in.