again, several weeks of OTC
Jan. 21st, 2009 10:01 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sylph_ficsWeek 28.
3. Consequence
Words: 179
What, truth and?
No, singular this time... lord, how in the hell could I pick just one?
I've been dealing with the consequences of my own decisions for the last several decades -- oh, you're surprised? Why?
Ah. No, I know damned well most of my -- let's say difficulties -- are my own fault. I've been told more than enough times that I'm an egotistical son of a buck at the best of times, and at worst called things -- rather more profane. If you want to expand your vocabulary of profanity in several languages, piss off an ex-SAS soldier.And I just won't mention that sometimes I do it for the hell of it.
But no. I know most of what I've dragged myself and my family through has been at least half my fault. There's a great deal of blame that falls on my misbegotten half-brother -- and if I'd known it earlier, he'd have been dead much sooner -- but mostly?
My own mistakes. Though... no, never mind.
-- I did say never mind, didn't I?
See you next week.
Week 30
Words: 225
4. "I don't think the word fearless means you're completely unafraid. I don't think it means that you have no fear, or that you're bulletproof. I think being fearless sometimes means that you've got a lot of fears, but you jump anyway." -Taylor Swift
Pretty solid saying, for a teen country star.
Kind of funny to see just how much hasn't changed in the South in the last few half-century or so, listening to her. Nice to see she's got a brain in there, as well as a decent lyrical sense. My son'd laugh at the idea of any country songwriter having decent lyrical sense, but that's Adeline's fault. Woman can be such a cultural snob, sometimes -- and yet she married me.
Yes, I know that's off the topic, my thanks for the reminder.
Fearless... there've been people that called me that. Mostly in the old press articles -- anyone that knows me knows better. Fear's part of what keeps you human. What makes the difference is, pretty much what she said. What you do despite the fact that you're afraid.
Oh, eventually you get used to combat. Sometimes too used to it, too convinced you know exactly what's going on and there's no reason to be afraid... that's generally the point you lose someone, and then you've got all the 'Should've done x,y,z. Should've been faster, known more, reacted differently...'
All the should'ves in the world don't change a fucking thing. Doesn't stop any CO with anything resembling a soul from feeling the 'burden of command'. Of knowing if you'd done a better job, you'd have brought more of your people home.
Doesn't keep any decent soldier from going out again, either. All the fear in the world doesn't stop the job needing to be done.
Week 31
Words: 20 (doesn't count, but he wasn't being helpful)
3. "How much is too much?"
Bad question to ask me.
Believe me, my judgment on it has been more than slightly impaired.
Ask my wife.
Week 32
3. Photo
Word count: 260
That... wasn't my war.
That's Wintergreen's history, not mine -- at least, not as a soldier. I was almost nine when the Second World War ended. Doesn't mean I didn't hear about it -- hard to avoid the radio, the newspapers, the soldiers coming home wounded or with enlistments up (like my father, damn the man), or a new widow having the government car drive up...
Strange, how clear childhood memories are.
But I didn't see the European cities in rubble... and napalm leaves different damage. Not better, maybe worse, just... that's a city that's been bombed, not one that's been burned.
Amazing how much more quickly people will surrender when napalm's just been dropped near them. Foul damned stuff, but it's hard to argue with the results it gets.
Damn you, Jade Nguyen, you took it to an extreme. Nuclear strikes are overkill, and in the middle of a population center like Abu Dhabi?
--No. I am not talking about my doppelganger and the 'Haven. I don't pay you enough to listen to that much profanity. When I start being able to talk about it without using more curses than speech, we'll see.
Hell yes, I sure as fuck take it personally that people that ought to have known I wouldn't do that, not on American soil, not on that damned traitor's bidding didn't even seem to blink when it happened.
I did mention I don't pay you enough to listen to me for the next few minutes, right?
3. Consequence
Words: 179
What, truth and?
No, singular this time... lord, how in the hell could I pick just one?
I've been dealing with the consequences of my own decisions for the last several decades -- oh, you're surprised? Why?
Ah. No, I know damned well most of my -- let's say difficulties -- are my own fault. I've been told more than enough times that I'm an egotistical son of a buck at the best of times, and at worst called things -- rather more profane. If you want to expand your vocabulary of profanity in several languages, piss off an ex-SAS soldier.
But no. I know most of what I've dragged myself and my family through has been at least half my fault. There's a great deal of blame that falls on my misbegotten half-brother -- and if I'd known it earlier, he'd have been dead much sooner -- but mostly?
My own mistakes. Though... no, never mind.
-- I did say never mind, didn't I?
See you next week.
Week 30
Words: 225
4. "I don't think the word fearless means you're completely unafraid. I don't think it means that you have no fear, or that you're bulletproof. I think being fearless sometimes means that you've got a lot of fears, but you jump anyway." -Taylor Swift
Pretty solid saying, for a teen country star.
Kind of funny to see just how much hasn't changed in the South in the last few half-century or so, listening to her. Nice to see she's got a brain in there, as well as a decent lyrical sense. My son'd laugh at the idea of any country songwriter having decent lyrical sense, but that's Adeline's fault. Woman can be such a cultural snob, sometimes -- and yet she married me.
Yes, I know that's off the topic, my thanks for the reminder.
Fearless... there've been people that called me that. Mostly in the old press articles -- anyone that knows me knows better. Fear's part of what keeps you human. What makes the difference is, pretty much what she said. What you do despite the fact that you're afraid.
Oh, eventually you get used to combat. Sometimes too used to it, too convinced you know exactly what's going on and there's no reason to be afraid... that's generally the point you lose someone, and then you've got all the 'Should've done x,y,z. Should've been faster, known more, reacted differently...'
All the should'ves in the world don't change a fucking thing. Doesn't stop any CO with anything resembling a soul from feeling the 'burden of command'. Of knowing if you'd done a better job, you'd have brought more of your people home.
Doesn't keep any decent soldier from going out again, either. All the fear in the world doesn't stop the job needing to be done.
Week 31
Words: 20 (doesn't count, but he wasn't being helpful)
3. "How much is too much?"
Bad question to ask me.
Believe me, my judgment on it has been more than slightly impaired.
Ask my wife.
Week 32
3. Photo
Word count: 260
That... wasn't my war.
That's Wintergreen's history, not mine -- at least, not as a soldier. I was almost nine when the Second World War ended. Doesn't mean I didn't hear about it -- hard to avoid the radio, the newspapers, the soldiers coming home wounded or with enlistments up (like my father, damn the man), or a new widow having the government car drive up...
Strange, how clear childhood memories are.
But I didn't see the European cities in rubble... and napalm leaves different damage. Not better, maybe worse, just... that's a city that's been bombed, not one that's been burned.
Amazing how much more quickly people will surrender when napalm's just been dropped near them. Foul damned stuff, but it's hard to argue with the results it gets.
Damn you, Jade Nguyen, you took it to an extreme. Nuclear strikes are overkill, and in the middle of a population center like Abu Dhabi?
--No. I am not talking about my doppelganger and the 'Haven. I don't pay you enough to listen to that much profanity. When I start being able to talk about it without using more curses than speech, we'll see.
Hell yes, I sure as fuck take it personally that people that ought to have known I wouldn't do that, not on American soil, not on that damned traitor's bidding didn't even seem to blink when it happened.
I did mention I don't pay you enough to listen to me for the next few minutes, right?
