Dearest Rachel – Well; that was a real pippin of a dream, to borrow a phrase from your beloved Jo Grant. I suspect that my mind, knowing that I was going to be meeting up with Lars today, knew I would be hard-pressed for topics to write you about (since I’ve told you most ofContinue reading “Embedded With the Enemy”
Tag Archives: war
Have We Lost Our Minds (Again)? Did We Ever Have Them?
Dearest Rachel – Despite the relative tranquility of our own personal lives, we were born into a world of utter chaos. The year of my birth was a particular annus horribilis; I can – and often do – imply the date by connecting it to the assassination of Martin Luther King (I have an alibi,Continue reading “Have We Lost Our Minds (Again)? Did We Ever Have Them?”
Serving in the Shadows
Dearest Rachel – Last weekend, when we were moving most of Sylvia’s stuff out of her home so she can live with Ellen (and be watched over by Jeanette when she can stop over), we moved a lot of stuff into the U-Haul. I could safely assume that the sisters packed up what they consideredContinue reading “Serving in the Shadows”
Enlisting
Dearest Rachel – You’d think I’d been eating too heavily too late at night on a regular basis, judging from the number of weird dreams I’ve been having (and telling you about) lately. and maybe I have, come to think of it – it is the holiday season, after all. Although, considering my continuing effortsContinue reading “Enlisting”
Who Teaches War?
Dearest Rachel – Conflict is a necessary part of storytelling. In a situation where everybody abides peaceably with each other, it’s all very drama-free and let’s face it, that’s boring. There has to be something – or someone – to overcome in order for there to be an actual story worth telling. That story couldContinue reading “Who Teaches War?”
To Live For a Lie
Dearest Rachel – As with yesterday, a lot of what I have to say has to do with a song that entered my head and knocked about for a bit while I question its whole premise. This time, at least, it hasn’t been out of some urgent need to quell the silence within and aroundContinue reading “To Live For a Lie”
Rear Echelon, Monday to Friday
Dearest Rachel – Given that I do most of my writing to you fairly early in the morning, when the house is quiet and there’s not much else for me to do (other than go to work out – which provides a lot of the fodder for letters, as I suspect my reluctance to doContinue reading “Rear Echelon, Monday to Friday”
For the Rough Men
Dearest Rachel – Some days – rather a lot of days, come to think of it – I have difficulty coming up with something to write you about, apart from the events of the day, which, unless I’m doing something extraordinary (such as during the last three months), aren’t generally the sort of things proverbiallyContinue reading “For the Rough Men”
Prison Planet
Dearest Rachel – There have been moments in our lives where we managed to forget that conflict – well, perhaps I shouldn’t sugarcoat it, and just call it ‘war’ like I ought to – is the natural state of the world collectively, just as sin is the natural state of individual mankind. When we wereContinue reading “Prison Planet”
Words Before the Battle
Dearest Rachel – Last night’s dream, as far as I can recall, appeared to have me in the role of Neville Longbottom, giving a St. Crispian’s style speech before the Battle of Hogwarts. Most of what I can remember is starting from the top of a table in the Great Hall, and continuing to moveContinue reading “Words Before the Battle”
The Last Stand
Dearest Rachel – We’re back at Masada yet again; and although it doesn’t factor into the Biblical record, it seems to be de rigeur for a tourist in Israel to visit, it would seem. It’s a symbol of heroism for Israelis, despite involving what was effectively mass suicide, a serious breach of Jewish morality. However,Continue reading “The Last Stand”
A Light from the Heights
Dearest Rachel – After lunch at Caesarea Philippi, we take an hour-long ride into the Golan Heights (still a part of the Galilee region), to a town called Gamla. You would think that a nation barely the size of Rhode Island wouldn’t have such long drives from place to place, and yet, here we are.Continue reading “A Light from the Heights”
The Site of Armageddon?
Dearest Rachel – It’s a strange thing to consider; while we’re well aware that the name Armageddon comes from a specific place – the valley of Megiddo, where we are now heading to – it goes against our understanding to think of the end of the world happening in a single specific place. Armageddon seemsContinue reading “The Site of Armageddon?”
One’s Soul For One’s Country
Dearest Rachel – When one thinks of things one would be willing to sacrifice one’s life for, thoughts tend to run toward the things one loves. If there is to be anything worth dying for, it would be (ironically) the things that make life worth living. Possessions rarely fall into that category, although some thingsContinue reading “One’s Soul For One’s Country”
Would That It Had Meant Something
Dearest Rachel – This isn’t the day for me to be dwelling on having lost you – at least, no more than any other day. There are others who are supposed to be honored today, none of whom I know –or rather, have known – personally. It’s only recently that the difference between today andContinue reading “Would That It Had Meant Something”
Tomatillos
Dearest Rachel – Sometimes, I find myself wondering what my mind is thinking. Then I remember what’s doing the wondering, and reality folds in upon itself. When my own brain doesn’t seem to know what it’s coming up with, I have really fallen down the rabbit hole. Fortunately, the things it comes up with areContinue reading “Tomatillos”
Peering Through the Fog
Dearest Rachel – I promise to keep comments on current events to a relative minimum going forward, but right now, that’s most of what’s going on. This is bigger than much of what we’ve dealt with personally throughout our lives: to not address what’s happening, even though it’s on the other side of the world,Continue reading “Peering Through the Fog”
Brilliant Unconcern
Dearest Rachel – Well, it’s on. I feel like I was keeping you out of the loop, dwelling on my own problems yesterday, rather than focusing on the big picture as tanks roll into Ukraine and explosions rock the country from Kharkov to Kiev, and so many unpronounceable places in between. Of course, in termsContinue reading “Brilliant Unconcern”
The Box of War
Dearest Rachel – I don’t think you performed this before I was aware of you; at least, not when you performed it for the BASIC group as part of a talent night. If I recall, you had also recited this as part of a similar talent night on the educational cruise you took with yourContinue reading “The Box of War”
Letters to Rachel 