It's better to look back and say "I can't believe I did that" than to look back and say "I wish I did that".
This quote comes from an unknown source. However, I think it couldn't be more true. Today; I asked my dad for an idea on what to write about- and he responded with 'opportunity'. When he said that, that was the quote that automatically came to mind (even though I doubt this was what my dad had in mind when he said opportunity). I whole-heartedly agree with this quote though; mainly because even as a 14 year old; I have already had missed chances in life. My issue is that if I don't take an opportunity; I spend a lot of time trying to wrap my mind around how it may have turned out if I had taken the chance or gone with the alternate option. This gets increasingly annoying; especially since I think at a very fast rate. I can never make a proper decision on what the outcome would likely have been, and it drives me insane as a result. I guess what they say is true- in the end, you only regret the chances you didn't take. I don't often find myself regretting... I find myself wondering. And I believe that living in wonder is much better than living in regret. Do you agree with me? Do you disagree? Why or why not? Leave me a comment, let me know. - Maddie
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Today I read a new book called ''The Gum on the drum.'' The bear was chewing gum, and playing a drum. He wanted to hum so he took his gum out. He put it on the drum. What a mess! Never, ever do that.
Ashleigh "If a window of opportunity appears, don't pull down the shade." That's a quote by Tom Peters, an author of books on business management practices. I think this advice holds true outside of the business world as well.
All throughout life we are presented with opportunities. What we do with those opportunities will ultimately define our lives. Think back on your own life. Where you are today can be traced back to what opportunities you accepted, and more importantly, which ones you have let slip past you. This holds true for who you date, what job you do, and even where you live! We all have decisions we have to make. A split second is all you have for some of them. What way would your life have turned out if you chose differently? Decisions you make... or don't make can have an impact on your entire life. For instance. when I was younger, I sold real estate during my last two years in college. The experience gave me a sales background, which would have made it easy for me to become a stock broker. In fact, oftentimes when I handed in a resume to a financial firm to become an analyst, they asked me if I would be interested in becoming a broker trainee. I always said no, I wanted to be an analyst, and the interview or conversation would usually stop there. Had I said yes, where would I be in life? I can guarantee you that my life would be radically different. I am not saying better or worse, just different. You see, I met my wife while working for Merrill Lynch as an analyst. If I did not become an analyst, I would likely have never married my wife, or had my two wonderful daughters. Sometimes our decisions in one tiny part of our lives can have a major impact on our destiny. My first financial job I took out of college did not pay much. In fact, it paid $16,500 and I had to travel over 55 miles in one direction to get there. I remember I answered a newspaper ad for data entry for Value Line. I knew the Value Line Investment Survey, and I figured that if I worked hard at the data entry, that I could eventually move up to become an analyst there. I was very naive back then, but that is exactly how it worked out for me. Within six months I worked in quality control, and then six months later I was a junior analyst... and my financial career was started! The secret in life is to know what is an opportunity for you instead of just an option. Becoming a broker was an option for me, because of the sales background I had. It was not an opportunity for me, because I did not want to be a broker. Meanwhile, the ad for a data entry clerk was an opportunity for me, because it allowed me to get a foot in the door at a company I wanted to work for, and the work, I suspected, would allow me to meet people who could help me to become what I wanted. The low salary never even came into consideration. How my wife and I started dating was also an opportunity I failed to let slip by. I have told this story a number of times already in this blog, so I won't repeat it again here. But sometimes, your heart knows something is right and will urge you to follow it. It also helped that I felt that I was in a no lose situation, since I thought the other girl with us liked me and I wasn't interested in her. If my wife had said no to my advance, at least the other girl would have known that I was not interested in her, thus stopping an awkward situation later. That said, there are all types of opportunities in life. Being offered to do something you do not want to do is not one of them. It is an option. Right now, I have the option of droning on for another thirty paragraphs about this very same topic... and likely bore you to death. Instead, I will take the opportunity to end this missive here. When the window of opportunity opens, I prefer to rip it open with a crow bar! Not pretend I didn't see it! Easter is in three weeks. I can't wait! I love to decorate and bake. My sister will help me. I am
so excited! Ashleigh "The more things you do, the more you can do." That's a quote by Lucille Ball. For those of you who have been living under a rock for the past half a century... or those of you born after 2000 and don't watch TV (Maddie & Ashleigh), Lucille Ball was a famous comedienne who was a staple on TV for more than Fifty years. She was that rare breed who was both beautiful and funny.
One thing that always stood out to me as a child, was that Lucy always seemed to be busy either doing something or coming up with a scheme to do something. She never sat still! Thus, it doesn't surprise me to see that quote above. Her character on TV was always busy doing something, and even if her plans went a little haywire, they always seemed to work out in a good way in the end. The result may not have been what she was originally expecting, but in the end, the show never ended on a down note. Lucy was a comedic genius, and she seemed to want to give subtle life lessons in each of her shows. You don't know what you want to do with your life? It's okay, she seemed to show, just keep working toward your goal and it will work out in the end. Maybe not how you planned it, but you will have progress none the less. To move away from Lucy for a moment, think about the most successful people you can think of. Warren Buffett, John Neff, Peter Lynch... (think of your own folks, mine seem to revolve around finance). Whoever you think of. Try to picture what their life may be like. Now, after doing that, do you see them sitting down in front of the TV for any of that time? I don't! In fact, I think part of what make these people so successful is that they keep themselves busy doing productive things. Now, when I say productive, I don't mean that they are always working. No, I mean that whatever they are doing, they are getting things that are important to them done. Whether it is looking for art to hang on their walls, researching a new company, or going to a benefit...whatever it is, they are not just sitting there in front of the TV allowing their lives to slip by them. They are learning. They are doing. They are meeting new people. Isn't that how you want your life to be? Learning new things, helping people, getting things accomplished. None of those things can be done while you are sitting in front of a television. Please don't get me wrong. I am not advocating always working. Far from it. Instead, I am advocating always doing something. Work, learn, live your life to its fullest. Set and accomplish goals, both within your work life and your fun life. Don't just sit down in front of a TV and watch others pretend to live a life. The years go by too quickly. Whatever you see on TV, you can likely do in real life. Okay, you may not be able to fight orcs... but you can still travel and see the human version of orcs or other forms of the great unwashed without even leaving your own state. There are so many things to see and do in our world. Do not fail to see them because you'd rather watch some moron fight a phony zombie on the Walking Dead. Get a life people! Life is too short to spend it in front of a TV! Last night, I decided to go back on my old blog and read some of my old poetry. I now know why my dad has me keep everything in order online... it can be nice to revisit old thoughts and see how you've developed. I must say, reading my old poetry really... not boosted me; but opened my eyes. Last year was a really rough year for me; and I was (sadly enough) depressed throughout most of it. I let old memories and stress get the best of me, unfortunately... and it comes out in my poetry. I am quite happy with myself for how far I've come since then.
So... what changed? Well, I learned a few little lessons about life that helped me... and I'd like to share them with you. Keep in mind; these only helped me when I fully understood them. If you read these with no understanding; don't expect them to help you. Life waits for no one and is gone too soon, so don't waste time being unhappy. You have a choice when you wake up in the morning- to be happy or to be sad. How you think will form your life. Tomorrow isn't promised; don't go to bed upset. Take time to notice the little things. Find the silver lining in every situation. When all else fails... breathe. Nothing clears the mind more than a long walk outside. Focus on the positive things in life, not the negative. Help yourself out, don't wallow in self-pity. Do the things that make you happy. Don't surround yourself with negative people. I hope these tips help you as much as they have helped me. Best of luck to you. (ノ◕ヮ◕)ノ*:・゚✧maddie✧゚・: *ヽ(◕ヮ◕ヽ) I don't know what to write about... so here are some of the weird questions that have been on my mind today. See if you can answer any of them in the comments; it'd really help me out. Bring me some peace of mind, you know what I mean? Also; if anyone has odd or troublesome questions... they can drop them in the comments and I'll try to answer them.
Here we go! Why do people think social status is so important; especially within school systems? Like honestly... who cares what lunch table you sit at or what clique you're involved with as long as you're with the people you like!? In a few years after graduation; chances are you'll never have to deal with the people you went to high school with ever again; so what's the point in stressing over popularity? Unless you're popular with truly popular people (i.e. people who are famous, etc.) your status won't matter much later in life. Enjoy your years, don't waste them worrying about pointless shit like a seat in a cafeteria. Why do people take young relationships so seriously? Honestly, this thought bothers me the most. I understand- your significant other is important. But at the young teen years; you have to realize that there is an extremely slim chance that the person you are dating will be "the one". I see so many of my friends grow deep attachments to their first or second boyfriends at the ages of 13 and up... and it's really disturbing to me. I mean, I'll have fun in my relationships... but I always set boundaries on how many feelings I can have and I never get OVERLY attached because I know that there's a slim chance it'll even last a few months, let alone any longer. Those were really the only two things bothering me today... if anyone would like to add to what I've already said; I'd love to hear it. For now, Peace (ノ◕ヮ◕)ノ*:・゚✧maddie ✧゚・: *ヽ(◕ヮ◕ヽ) I have somebody that I love, love, love, love. Can you guess who it is? Yes, It's Neema!
I love helping Neema. I help Neema with the clothes, taking them out of the washing machine.I also spin the salad spinner. I also help keep the kitchen clean. Ashleigh "Beware the barrenness of a busy life!" That's a quote by Socrates. And it makes a lot of sense. Do we work to live? Or do we live to work? I would think that for most of us, we work to live. A problem arises when we live to work.
If you are so busy working that you don't have time to spend with your friends and family, then you need to change what you do. Not necessarily change jobs... just change how you do it. There are many ways to do things. If you find that the way you are doing things is taking up too much of your time, then you need to change the way you do it so that your time becomes your own again. If you are being paid for a forty hour week, then give forty hours and no more, If you are being paid for fifty hours than give fifty. The problem is, when you are on a salary, you are being paid to get a job done... no matter how long it takes you. In that case, you have to decide if the pay is worth the effort. If the answer is no, then you have decisions to make. Do you get the job done, but cut back on the quality of the work you give to make the pay fit the work? Or do you look for different work? I do not like to cut back on quality. However, sometimes that is what is required to be done. Sometimes, other forms of income may become necessary. If you find yourself becoming too busy, you will know it because you will find that other parts of your life will seem to become barren. Life is to live. Work is a part of it... just make sure that it doesn't become ALL of it. Well, happy belated birthday; anyway. My dad turned 50 yesterday- 50! That's a half a century. That's really awesome. And while I know you didn't want a big deal to be made out of your birthday; I hope you enjoyed the Bob Marley shirt and shitty iced tea; and seeing Deadpool free of charge (well, not really, they overcharged for concession and I think it was more than the $20 of vacuuming).
But what's more... I hope you've enjoyed your 50 years of life. I hope you've made amazing memories that you can look back on now and smile about. I hope you've lived a happy life until now, and that you continue to. I hope you have learned many important values and lessons in your life. I hope you have managed to find light within the darkness of life. I hope you find reasons to smile daily. I hope you are proud not only of me and my sister; but of yourself as well. I hope you are content with all you have. I hope that you realize how greatly you are appreciated. I hope you know how much you've helped me. I hope you know that all the things you teach me; do stay with me. I hope that you continue to live well; hopefully for another 50 years to fill out your century. I hope you have little to no regrets; and accept that the past cannot be changed. I hope you are at peace with yourself; and if you aren't that you'll find it soon. And I hope you had a good birthday. I love you dad... thank you so very much; for everything. - Maddie I read a new book today called ''Marley And The Runaway Pumpkin'.' In the fall the
big pumpkin was ready for the fair. It was so heavy that they used an ironing board to roll it up onto the truck. Marley, their big puppy, broke free from his leash and made a giant leap, landing on top of the pumpkin. It rolled, and rolled, until it crashed into a tree at the bottom of the hill. Ashleigh "Knowledge speaks, wisdom listens." - Jimi Hendrix
"Don't compromise yourself. You're all you've got." - Janis Joplin "It is not death a man should fear, but never beginning to live." - Marcus Aurelius "The soul becomes dyed with the color of our thoughts." - Marcus Aurelius "The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new." - Socrates "I put my heart and my soul into my work, and have lost my mind in the process." - Vincent Van Gogh I don't know... it's very late and I am extremely tired; with one post left to write. I have no clue what I'm going to write about, but I'm certain it'll either be weird or half-assed. These are just a few of my favorite quotes that I found. There are plenty of others; that I've written about in the past. You can check them out if you'd like. I like to think they're pretty good. - Maddie My Daddy is turning 50 today. I try to look my best. I love, love, love, my Daddy! Tonight
we are going to play Pie In the Face! Ashleigh Well, today I turned 50. A number of my friends have gotten in touch with me and have asked me how it feels. Well, it feels very similar to being 49 actually! If you asked me what I would be like at 50 when I was 25, my answer would likely have not matched the reality. Our thinking at 25 is very different than our thinking at 50. Looking back now, I think I was no happier at 25 than I am now. The difference is what makes me happy now is different than what made me happy at 25. At 25, many of the things that made me happy were things. A new car, a stereo, a house. Now, spending time with my daughters makes me happy, a good cup of coffee, a good steak. Come to think of it, a good steak always made me happy. A cup of coffee used to make me just satisfied though...so there is growth there! Looking back, I hope my second fifty will be just as good as my first. My goals are different now, so it will be interesting to see what come of them. In my first fifty years, I am happy to say that I did not reach all of the goals I set out for myself when I was younger. Some of those goals, which involved drinking and partying, were stupid then, and I am glad I did not achieve them. With maturity comes better choices, although I must say that age does limited the potential for some of them. Notice I said, limit, not make impossible. Most things are possible. It just depends how much you are willing to give up to achieve them. The goals I have set for myself are all achievable... if I am willing to give up what is necessary to achieve them. How much are you willing to change to achieve your goals? That is what my 50th birthday has left me thinking. What am I willing to give up to achieve my goals? Am I willing to leave my comfort zone? I guess that is a question we all must ask ourselves at one time or another. How much of our present are we willing to give up to make for a better future? The only constant is change. Yet so many of us seem to want to be stuck in the past. Stuck with what we already know. Change is going to happen, whether we want it or not. Better to embrace change, and work towards the change you want, rather than having it forced on you through circumstance and then having to live with whatever comes your way. For some reason, Robert Frost's poem, "The Road Not Taken" comes to mind. Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-- I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference. Like Frost, I will choose what road to take. I hope to choose the road that is grassy and wanting wear. Or even better to leave the path and start my own leading off into my own unique destiny. There used to be a saying, "All roads lead to Rome." It now seems someone has turned that into a sappy chick flick. That fact, thrown aside, no matter what we decide to do with our lives we will all end up somewhere. Where I end up is of little consequence. In the end, we will all end in a grave. HOW I get there is of more importance to me. My goal is to raise my children to have a better life than me. To be happier, and to know what they want sooner... so that they don''t waste as much time as I did. Chasing material things that in the end don't bring happiness. Happiness is found within, my girls. It is what you do, not what you get. Experience the world and build memories. Have a sense of wonder! All that glitters is not gold! Don't be diverted from your goal chasing glittery objects!
Now I am just babbling, so I will end this missive here. To me, 50 was a lot like 40, which was a lot like 30! It was not a lot like 20, which was more of an alcohol induced disaster than anything else! Another year? It means little. Although I must say I am going to try to do 1000 or so push ups today just to make sure I still can! Age means little, but hey, it can still screw up your training if you don't stay on top of things! I read a new book today called ''Buzz Said The Bee''. It's about a bee that sat on a duck's
back. The duck said ''QUACK'' and sat on a hen. The hen said ''CLUCK'' and danced a jig and sat on a pig. The pig took a bow and sat on a cow. The cow said ''MOO'' and they all fell down. The bee said ''Buzz-z-z-z.! Ashleigh “Reality exists in the human mind, and nowhere else.” This is a quote by George Orwell. I have thought about this quote for a bit, and I think that he is right... to some extent. Think about it. Everything you or I know is known through our perceptions. Describe a tree. You are going to tell me what a tree is by how you perceive it. Same thing if I ask you to describe a person. Whether its a person you know, or just someone passing by in the street, you are going to tell me how you perceive them.
Now, I know that there are a lot of things that exist, that you can describe without seeing them. But you can only describe them because you have either heard about them, seen them, or have seen enough similar things that you believe you can describe them. Secondly. think about the old philosophical argument called the caverns of Socrates. Socrates tells of a prisoner who has only lived in a cavern for his whole life, and he can only see out of it to a certain level. So much so that he can only see feet. His entire life, all he can see outside of his cave is feet. What would that man's reality be like compared to yours? And, if it is all he has experienced... and ever will experience, is his reality wrong? I would argue that it is not. It is what he can experience. Although there is a great wide world out there right outside his cavern, he does not know about it... and it is not a piece of his reality. If someone who has experienced it told him about it, he may believe it, or not. Similar to someone telling you what China is like. Whether you have been there or not! Also, consider that when someone tells you about a place you have never been, you are relying on their perceptions. How much of what they are saying will be true for all, versus just true for them? At the end of the day, reality is what we make it. There are some things that are usually true. But can we be certain that they are always true? And what is our definition of always? A strict definition of always, can negate the reality about many things. It all comes down to your perceptions. And where do you perceive things? In your mind! If any of you disagree, please leave your thoughts in the comments. I find this topic very interesting and I would love to see differing opinions. "Democracy is a pathetic belief in the collective wisdom of individual ignorance." That's a quote by H.L. Mencken. Put Mencken right up there with Bierce. A newspaperman with an acidic personality and a very sarcastic style. The world should definitely have more Menckens nowadays!
Anyway, I can't help but believe that Mencken was correct with his above quote. If you need proof, just look at how many Bernie Sanders supporters there are out there. Or Hillary supporters. Don't laugh too hard Trump fans... I could have easily pointed at you too! But I digress, lets stick with Sanders for a minute. Here is a guy who says he wants to tax the rich to give to everyone else. The problem is, his definition of rich is whether or not you have a job! Have you ever looked at this man's background? During the 60"s he was a conscientious objector to the Vietnam war. While that certainly doesn't bother me, It does make me wonder how effective he would be as a commander in chief. What really bothers me about the man is that other than public office, he has never held down a real job in his life. Politicians have created the problems we have now. I don't think a career politician is the person to bring in to solve the problem,. My same thoughts go to Clinton on this (as well as that I believe she is dishonest and untruthful. I don't know about you, but I have noticed that some people cannot speak about anything but sports, drinking and TV. Are these the people we expect to vote for who is fit for office? To be truthful, I think there should be some sort of basic intelligence test that should be administered before anyone is allowed to vote. It might have saved us 8 years of Obama. Secondly, I think that anyone unemployed should have to skip voting in the years they are unemployed. It's too easy to vote for your pocketbook For the record, I do not vote. Somehow, I think my one vote in 350 million would be essentially meaningless. I do not feel represented by either the democrats or the republicans, and I can't see pretending otherwise. Today I am going to talk about animals. My favorite animals are the leopard and our pet,
Lucky. I play with my dog. He likes to play tug-of-war with me. I love dolphins also. Ashleigh I've seen this done on YouTube before; often by more famous YouTubers who have run out of ideas and just want a quick video to rack in some more views. While I will NOT make a video right now (I have absolutely no makeup on and I am in pajamas); I wanted to give this a try since I'm currently out of blog post ideas. As for nominees? I nominate ANYONE READING THIS to do this too and leave their copy in the comments. Have fun with it!!!
1. Do you have any pets? Yes, I do! Those of you who have read the blog for awhile know that I have a dog named Lucky. He's a 4 (almost 5, now) year old Labrador Retriever. 2. Name 3 things that are physically close to you. Currently? The library chair, my laptop, and my iPod. 3. What's the weather like right now? The weather looks pretty cruddy right now to be quite honest; but then again it's only 7:30 in the morning. The sky is still grey and it's pretty cold outside (I just checked), but the weather hasn't decided itself yet. 4. Do you drive? If so have you crashed? I do not drive! In NH, the driving age is 15 1/2, minimum. At 15 1/2 you can get your permit, and at 16 your actual license. I'm only 14, but I guess that's pretty close! I do know how to drive; however. It's good to know in case of emergencies. 5. What time did you wake up this morning? I woke up at 6. I used to get up really late in the day but I've been set on getting up really early lately. Better habits for the future; plus it allows me to get ahead on schoolwork that I may have missed the previous day. 6. When was the last time you showered? Last night at 1:30 am! In fact; due to my hair's thickness, my hair is still a bit damp from it. 7. What was the last movie you saw? The last movie I saw was Zoolander 2; and that was with my Dad last night. It was an incredibly stupid movie; to the point that it was hilarious. Don't go see it if you're easily pissed off by pure idiocy. 8. What does your last text message say? My last text message says 'okayyy'. 9. What's your ringtone? I don't have a ringtone; mainly because I'm one of those weirdos who doesn't have a phone to begin with. Oh well! 10. Have you ever been to a different country? Nope! I don't even think I currently have a valid passport! I have never left the USA, though I want to travel the world when I get older. 11. Do you like sushi? Yes, I do! I love it, but I'm pretty sure I'm the only person in my family who does. My dad hates it with a burning passion; and I've never seen my grandmother or sister eat it. 12. Where do you buy your groceries? Market Basket. It's the only inexpensive grocery store within any close distance to where I live. 13. Have you ever taken medication to help you fall asleep faster? No, and never will! I prefer all natural methods to medication of any kind; including cough syrup and the like. It gets me called a "hippie" from time to time by friends who don't understand the benefits of it; but I don't mind. 14. How many siblings do you have? I have one little sister; as most of you probably know. Her name is Ashleigh (Ash for short) and she's 6. She can be annoying; but I love her to death. 15. Do you have a desktop computer or a laptop? I have both, though my desktop is currently out of service. I use my laptop more anyway, since it's portable and newer than my desktop. 16. How old will you be turning on your next birthday? I'll be turning 15, which honestly both excites me and shocks me at the same time. I'm pretty sure it's startling for my dad, too. 17. Do you wear contacts or glasses? I wear neither! In fact; I am quite proud to say that I have 20/20 vision. 18. Do you color your hair? I have only ever colored my hair once, and I'd definitely do it again. Not to say that I don't like my natural color, I mean... gingers rule, obviously. It's just nice to have a change from time to time. 19. Tell me something you are planning to do today. I'm planning on going out to the library with my family and hopefully convincing my dad to stop for coffee *cough* hint hint *cough* 20. When was the last time you cried? The last time I cried... yesterday! But it was the good type of crying; as in caused by laughter. To be honest; most days I end up crying from laughter and it's only the odd occasion that I'll cry from sadness. 21. What is your perfect pizza topping? Cheese, cheese, and more cheese. I'm a very plain person. 22. Which do you prefer-hamburgers or cheeseburgers? Cheeseburgers all the way. Hamburgers are rather blah and have no real taste to them (I don't often use condiments). 23. Have you ever had an all-nighter? I've done plenty of all-nighters and my record time for staying awake has been (don't murder me) four days. Honestly; it wasn't my fault. I had 4-5 cups of coffee each day and I could NOT sleep whatsoever at all. When I finally did sleep; I'm pretty sure it was somewhere from 12-14 hours straight. 24. What is your eye color? My eye color can go from grey to green to blue depending on lighting; but most prominently; my eyes are blue (thanks, Mom!) 25. Can you taste the difference between Pepsi and Coke? Most definitely! Coke is disgusting and leaves a shitty aftertaste; Pepsi doesn't. - Maddie "History is an account, mostly false, of events, mostly unimportant, which are brought about by rulers, mostly knaves, and soldiers, mostly fools." This is a quote by Ambrose Bierce. If you don't know who Ambrose is, then you really need to read more! "Bitter Bierce" wrote for a number of magazines and newspapers in the 1870's through about 1913.
In addition to writing for the papers, he also wrote poetry and short stories. Bierce had been a soldier during the civil war and fought in many battles. He was injured grieviously, and his war experience had a huge impact on his writing. In 1913, he disappeared in Mexico while travelling with Pancho Villa. Where he died, why and how all remain a mystery to this day. Enough about Bierce! He was an interesting character. If you want to know more go read about him. If you want to see some of his satire in action, then read the Devil's Dictionary... a tongue in cheek book with cynical and bitter definitions of words. Quite funny actually. Just remember the time period that it was written in since some of the definitions are now outdated. To get back to the quote, I think he has a point. History is an account of events that are usually written by the victor. Thus, while you do get an idea of what happened, you never get the full truth. In fact, I imagine that you rarely get the full truth in most of it! Secondly, many of the things that you learn in history are not overly important in themselves, but when taken in the whole, can help to give you some context towards what has happened in the past. My main beef about history is that it often glorifies war. I think that Bierce saw this as a distinct negative too. Some of his war stories are particularly gruesome. He doesn't write about it to gross people out, but to show what he experienced in war. I think that no one can really read his war stories and come away with the thought that war is glorious. In fact, after reading the stories, you may come away with the feeling that soldiers may be fools for believing that war IS glorious. Read "Chickamauga" to see what I mean. Still, history is one of my favorite subjects. I like to see if I can find facts that differ from what I was taught in school. Oftentimes I find that I can find dissenting views... or at least differing points of view. One thing that I find again and again that is different from what we learn in school is that war is hell. This and other similar quotes are written by the soldiers themselves and their leaders. The only ones who say otherwise are the politicians and the people who have never experienced war first hand. With that said, I tell my daughters to avoid military service. Many of the wars that are fought are not fought for the reasons given. For a recent example, think about Iraq's "weapons of mass destruction". Furthermore, think about why did we attack Iraq? The Muslims that were said to be on the planes that crashed into the world trade center were said to be from Saudi Arabia... not Iraq, and the sect of Islam that they followed was not followed in Iraq. So, why did we attack Iraq? I will leave that up to you, dear reader. Surely the fact that they have oil had nothing to do with it. Or the fact that they wanted to start selling the oil in a currency other than the U.S. dollar. History is written by the victor. Assume much of it is bullshit. Did we go to war? Yes. Was it for the reasons the government told us? Doubtfully. |
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