The Warrior
January 3, 2008 by Spadoman · 4 Comments
round circle archives- originally posted april 19, 2007
This is a repost of something I wrote some time ago. In my mind, it deserves repeating, for the message comes from my heart and tells a great deal about what happens to many who are called to war.
Please bear with me and allow me this time and space.
The Warrior
Veterans are Warriors, men and women who are trained to kill, for society. Men and women who have taken the life of another human being. Even those Veterans that did not see action in the form of combat signed up or were drafted and followed orders. They would have given their life if asked. They would kill if they thought, at any brief moment in the throes of war, that they had to. All soldiers, no matter what their military occupation is, are taught how to go to combat before learning any other skill or specialty. In basic training, these killing skills are taught to every soldier. Killing is the soldier warrior’s job. The warrior is somehow stripped of the belief that life is too sacred to erase; then they are taught the details of exactly how to kill people. With a weapon, with their hands. They are forced to practice it over and over and over and over until it is automatic, regardless of how scared they may be. Even if their hearts are pounding or if they are scared senseless, these warriors can still load, fire, and erase the life of the human being identified as the enemy. They kill, if not for themselves, for the soldier next to them who is a trained killer like them. A Brother or Sister, and for the society that has required their services as a killer.
Sphere: Related ContentLessons from Nature
round circle archive- originally posted april 3, 2007
As it was a blustery day in April, I wrote this story about one important lesson that was taught to me by Nature. I finished the story and went and sat down and looked out at the snow blowing past my window. I saw a flash of something and grabbed the binoculars that I keep handy. I spotted a large Golden Eagle in a tree outside the cabin. I grabbed the camera and shot this picture. It is a little out of focus for two main reasons. The windows need cleaning here at the cabin, and the snow was blowing so hard, it obscured the view of the Eagle. I believe this sighting to be a great gift. Not many see these Golden Eagles around here. Maybe it has a message for me, or for you.
Today is April 3rd and the weather outside is like a January day here in the Northland. We have the howling wind, dropping temperatures, snow mixed with rain right now, but in a few hours, it will be all snow. There is already a good two inch coating of slush on everything. I guess I shouldn’t complain. In fact, moisture is needed badly. Lake levels are down and fields are in dire need of moisture for the upcoming growing season. We didn’t have any precipitation before February this year. Besides, complaining doesn’t change anything. Mother nature will do what it must do. It just gets to be April and there are many signs of Spring and the warmer season ahead and here we are putting it on hold while this latest storm blows through. There is a lot to be said for nature and what it does. A spiritual teaching every time nature does anything that it does. Every wind that blows, from any direction, cannot be controlled. The rain or moisture in any form, falling from the sky. The clouds, or lack of the clouds that make a day gray or make it bright with sun. All these things, even the daylight and darkness are out of our control all together.
Sphere: Related ContentWhat Road Less Traveled?
I wasn’t always able to travel. I did have to work regularly to support a family. I helped my wife raise three daughters, both with a paycheck and as a care giving Father. We had a couple of dogs and cats and we built our own solar heated house in the early 1980’s. In those days, there was no traveling. Only the trip to Chicago to my Father’s funeral in 1983. That trip was sponsored by an older man who was a friend and neighbor. He gave me some cash in folded bills and let me use his late model car to drive my family down to Chicago, from East Central Minnesota, to be with my Brother, Sister and Mother when Dad walked on. Most folks know that you can’t have this life of a vagabond, being on the road, while also being a family man. I did have many jobs as a truck driver over the road. It paid good wages and that is what was needed to support the family. When I could, I’d get off the road to be closer to home, but invariably got back into the cab of a semi when we needed to make a better paycheck. Traveling for money is a lot different than living the life of a traveler.
Changes in Attitude
round circle archives- originally posted september 25, 2007
Sunset over Chequamegon Bay from The Cabinette
The first day of Fall arrived officially at 5:51 AM on Sunday, September 23rd. Seems like the weather knew it, because the rain and wind have blown most of the tree leaves to the ground already. I went to the outhouse early this morning and noticed the carnage of the yellow, red and amber leaves. I open the outhouse door and push the door all the way around. I sit there with a full view of nature instead of with the door closed. There are no neighbors, so I don’t have to be concerned with vanity. I watched the leaves fall and land on the ground in bunches. This time of year, the weather, more than the date, dictates my feelings. It’s time for a sweatshirt, maybe the hooded one from South Dakota State, Vermillion. The one with the Coyote on it. I trade in the Tevas for the Goretex lined light weight hikers. I wonder if the oil needs changing on anything. Should I have the kids come over after school and put all their toys under cover? Everyone around here is sick with some kind of a cold. That’s another sure sign of Fall. School is back in session and they all get together and spread germs. Runny noses, coughs, mucus laden chests, wheezing and laziness abound. This morning, I’m better, but Mrs. Spadoman is down for the count. I’ll make the coffee today. Not ready to venture to the Black Cat.
Sphere: Related ContentAmerican Owned
December 20, 2007 by Spadoman · 12 Comments
When you travel in this beautiful country of ours, have you seen the signs? The marquees, the ones close to the ground, usually a yellow background, with the letters made of plastic so you can change the message? You know the kind I’m talking about, don’t you? Maybe you’ve seen them right in the town where you live. If you’ve seen them, they say, “American Owned”, and they are on motels- usually the Mom and Pop type motels (one level older than 1950’s era motels), but also on Super 8 and Days Inns here and there. Do you know what that’s all about?
The Drum and the Gallon of Milk
December 13, 2007 by Spadoman · 3 Comments
from round circle archives- original posting march 21, 2007
Recently, a good friend forwarded one of those e-mails to me. You know the kind, pass this on to 350,000 people within the next micro second and you’ll be blessed by God almighty with a bolt of greased lightning. I read them, I really do, but I don’t pass them on to anyone. Well, once in a while, if I think someone I know would be interested I’ll write a short personal note and pass it on, but usually it gets trashed. This one was about God. This man who seems to have neglected God for a while feels compelled to talk to God and listen for God’s word to him. In his experience, he goes and buys a gallon of milk, drives down a street in a semi-seedy part of town and delivers the milk to a strangers house, all these acts being directed by God via voices in his head I guess. Low and behold, the stranger answers the door and has a crying starving baby at home and in dire need of milk. You see, they had no money and the baby was starving.I don’t know about you, but if people in my household were that hungry, I’d find some kitchen appliance and go to the pawn shop and get five bucks so I could buy a 1/2 gallon of milk and a Snickers bar to eat on the way home. Ok, ok. It was a good human nature story and I got the point. But in my life, this kind of “miracle” happens all the time. It does for all of us, but we are seldom paying attention. A year ago last April, I went to a Pow Wow with a friend of mine. We both make crafts in the style of the Native Americans. Dream Catchers, Rattles, Drums, Shields. Anyway, my friend needed to sell some of his crafts in order to make some money. I paid the vendor fees and we set up our stuff. He didn’t sell anything and I sold just enough to pay for my gas and the fees. But something did happen that I find to be interesting.
Sphere: Related ContentRocky’s Speech
December 7, 2007 by Spadoman · 2 Comments
With presidential elections a year away, the tabloids and news outlets are spinning anything and everything they can to get the candidate they back a leg up. More money is being spent than ever before. It always mystifies me, that someone would spend so many millions of dollars to get elected to a thankless job that pays around $400,000 per year. Most CEO’s of Fortune 500 companies make in the millions of dollars per year along with stock options that can turn their income from their “job” into a billion dollars. Why is being President so sought after and so much money spent to be elected when to be the top dog, you don’t actually bring home that much bling in the scheme of things? The lowest salary for most professional players in the NBA, MLB, NFL and NHL is over $800,000 per year. And that’s to be on the team. You hear about Alex Rodriguez who just signed a 10 year baseball contract for 275.5 million dollars, and he didn’t have to campaign or spend a dime to get that. Just paid his agent a percentage. Hell, the presidential hopefuls would be better off financially to be professional sports players agents based on that salary tidbit.
In the end, in 2004, over 3.5 Billion dollars was spent on the presidential election. It is determined that the 2012 election will cost the victor 1 Billion dollars. This being even partially true, and I got my information from a reliable source, the money spent to make $400,000 per year and be bludgeoned by the press and a zillion people and organizations that don’t agree with your policies doesn’t seem worth it.
Sphere: Related Contenthypocrisy and illegal immigration
The Tancredo flap about him hiring illegal aliens to do some work on his house, then calling illegal aliens terrorists, really yanks my chain. I guess I don’t really give a damn what he does, it just brings this whole immigration discussion out again and that’s what pisses me off. We shouldn’t have to discuss it over and over again. It is right there in front of all of us, the writing on the wall. Think about it. If there were no employers hiring illegals, there would be any jobs. If there were no jobs, no one would come here illegally to work. It isn’t a worker problem. It isn’t an illegal immigration problem. It isn’t a terrorism or security problem. It is plain and simple a discrimination problem. Let’s start saying what it is instead of dancing around the elephant in the room. We have dog pounds, not animal shelters, we have old folks homes, not elderly care facilities, and we have dishwashers, not hydro-ceramic engineers. Now, we have discrimination towards anyone that has a Mexican accent to their English, or that speaks in their ancestral tongue, but we disguise it in an attempt to be politically correct, and call it illegal immigration. I live up North. I’m near the Canadian border. For so many years, the Canadian dollar was worth twenty or thirty cents less than the greenback. The motels and restaurants along the border area in Minnesota, for example, would have signs in their windows and on their marquees that said, “Canadian money at par”, or “Canadians Welcome”. Of course now in 2008, the American dollar is worth less than the Canadian dollar, so I’m not sure if the Canadians are returning the favors of years past, but that aside, we welcomed the Canadians and their money across the border for a visit. Come often and spend much. Cross my border, please. I spend a lot of time in New Mexico and Arizona in the Winter. I see no such signs welcoming our neighbors to the South to the good ole USA. There are no “Welcome” signs and their money is not wanted I guess. Unless, of course, you can throw a fastball at 100 miles per hour or play shortstop, then you’d be welcome. Or skate on ice and shoot the puck accurately. The skaters are usually from the Baltic or Northern Europe and Scandinavia by the way.
The Times, They are a’ Changin’
December 4, 2007 by Spadoman · 5 Comments
There are certainly enough issues out there right now. Overwhelming, actually, that we’re pulled in so many directions trying to do the right things on every front. Each of us may take up our own favorite cause, and some of us try to respond and put out all the fires at once. On some blogs, there is a new story each day, and sometimes multiple stories on the same day, and each should require your whole and immediate attention. I tend to read about most of them, but I don’t get to take action on everything. I just can’t. Overwhelming perhaps? Yes, perhaps, but I believe we need to find our niche and fight for the right things.
My main concern has been the war in Iraq. I want our country to pull out, Now! We stayed in Vietnam for the same political and financial gains, then when public outcry finally became unbearable to the leaders and they had to do something, they pulled out of Vietnam. Hanoi took over Saigon and literally renamed it over night to Ho Chi Minh City. We, as a country and powerful proud Nation, lived through it. It can even be said that we “lost” that war. Let me tell you a little secret. War is a lose lose situation every time.
Sphere: Related ContentThe Resister
November 29, 2007 by Spadoman · 2 Comments
It’s been a long time since I was in the Army. I was drafted in 1968 and I served 22 months in all, with the last 12 being in Vietnam. I was a combat infantryman in a mortar platoon. I always had some shame after Vietnam. I was always ashamed that I didn’t see the war for what it was right away. Others make the excuses for me and I’ve heard them all. “You were a young boy” or “You did what your country asked of you”. Yes, I was young, very young. I was in the Army before I was 19. I got out, after being in the war, before I was 21. And I did go and serve when I was asked to via the draft. But the truth be told, as a young boy, I believed that if I was drafted and I didn’t report, I’d get caught and go to jail. It would be breaking the law and they wouldn’t let anyone get away with that. I knew there were those that were going to Canada to escape the draft. There were also those in college. My brother went into the Marine Corps in 1963 when he was 17. Dad signed a waiver so he could join while so young. He had to graduate high school first. It wasn’t long after he was in the Marines that his girlfriend joined him at Camp Pendleton, California. They got married immediately and they had a child. I can’t attest to this being his plan so he wouldn’t have to go to Vietnam. In 1963 it was just “advisors” being sent over there anyway. Or it might be me not wanting to give my brother credit for avoiding the war.Once in Vietnam, I realized that it was a crock of bullshit and that I wasn’t defending freedom for anyone. It was dog eat dog, just like it is in any place in the USA. If you had a hungry family, you had to get food. If the North Vietnamese Communists had the food, you were a Communist. If the South Vietnamese had the food, you were a Nationalist. Some went both ways and were Communists by the light of the moon, and Nationalists by light of day.
peace protesters and free speech
November 28, 2007 by Spadoman · Leave a Comment
In a conversation the other day about the Peace Vigil that takes place once per week here in Ashland, we wondered why we didn’t hear much, overall, about protests, either that they are held, or that they had anyone in attendance. Not about the small gathering here in Ashland, but on the National level, in bigger cities where thousands are in attendance. Seems like the colleges in and around Minneapolis/St. Paul, for example, don’t have anything going on and this war has been on for almost five years.One of my friends says it’s the draft and lack of it. “If there was a draft like when the Vietnam war was going on, you’d see the college students in the streets.” I believe there is some truth to that. I also do not ever want to see a Kent State massacre again.
I have also seen the reports about the way government handles protesters at rallies and events and keeps them out of sight and earshot. Creating holding pens where the protesters, with proper legal permits, can congregate and hold their signs. If found out of these temporary perimeters, they are arrested. This happened to Cindy Sheehan more than once. In fact, Mrs’ Spadoman, on a trip to Crawford with Cindy and Code Pink, found herself being held in a containment area when she was waiting for the release of someone who was arrested.
Daniel Ellsberg, of the Pentagon Papers fame, was arrested along with a few others for going into a ditch along side the road that the police said the protesters couldn’t go in to. Barb volunteered, as one of the few who had a car on site, to wait at the Crawford Court House to drive any of the arrested people back to their motel or vehicle. She had to wait in a designated area. She was not allowed to wait at large in the town.
We have been holding the Peace Vigil in Ashland for almost a year. We have had a small turnout. We discussed why this was so. In a small town, it is harder than a large city. Some people don’t want to be seen there, even though they support the theme of Peace. Some work. Some don’t think about coming and being a part of it. We get a lot of support in other ways, but also a lot of apathy.
Mrs. Spadoman has been marching forever it seems. Longer than I. When we lived in St. Paul, she went every Wednesday morning to a protest at Alliant Techsystems Inc., or ATK, the parent company that makes Depleted Uranium munitions. Through the internet, an e-mail from Alliant Action came and had a reference to a blog with an great article about protesters and the upcoming Republican National Convention, or RNC, that will take place in Minneapolis next September. Minneapolis, being in a very liberal part of the country, has many peace and protest groups of their own, and many chapters of National organizations. They have started early to assemble and plan an orderly large scale protest to take place during the RNC.
The article deals with what the FBI and Federal Government is doing at massive protests and is quite interesting. It is written by Charley Underwood. I am not sure of Mr. Underwoods background, but he seems to be one of the writers of the mnblue blog. MNblue is a great find for anyone, even if you don’t live in Minnesota. It covers Minnesota politicians, but also National issues. It is a unique perspective from the heartland. You can go HERE to read the article. I have also printed it below. It is entitled “The Republican Convention and the Illusion of Free Speech”
Peace to All, Here’s the article from mnblue:
Sphere: Related ContentSpiritual Journey
November 22, 2007 by Spadoman · 2 Comments
Since the writers are on strike, I will honor it and not cross the picket line. After all, I am a long time Union man. I worked as a teamster for most of my working career. My father was a teamster as well as my brother. My spouse’s father was an AFL-CIO pipe fitter, and she herself served as a Union President for the non-certified employees of the Pine City, MN school district. It is with this heritage in mind that I repost a story I wrote in April of 2007.
Today is April 3rd and the weather outside is like a January day here in the Northland. We have the howling wind, dropping temperatures, snow mixed with rain right now, but in a few hours, it will be all snow. There is already a good two inch coating of slush on everything. I guess I shouldn’t complain. In fact, moisture is needed badly. Lake levels are down and fields are in dire need of moisture for the upcoming growing season. We didn’t have any precipitation before February this year. Besides, complaining doesn’t change anything. Mother nature will do what it must do. It just gets to be April and there are many signs of Spring and the warmer season ahead and here we are putting it on hold while this latest storm blows through. There is a lot to be said for nature and what it does. It could be said that it is a spiritual teaching every time nature does anything that it does. Every wind that blows, from any direction, cannot be controlled. The rain or moisture in any form, falling from the sky. The clouds, or lack of the clouds that make a day gray or make it bright with sun. All these things, even the daylight and darkness are out of our control all together.
Sphere: Related ContentPTSD and the VA: A Story of Fact
November 15, 2007 by Spadoman · 4 Comments
In the Spring of 1993, I moved from Northern Minnesota to Grand Junction, Colorado. The move was to a different climate and a change of scenery and we thought we’d try the mountains; thought the fresh start would help us cope with the loss of our daughter-we were running from something. I had suffered a mild heart attack in winter of ‘93 and I didn’t think I should stay on and continue the job I was doing. I got a clean bill of health from the Cardiologist and packed up the truck and moved. When I got situated in Grand Junction, I met a man with a nephew who had gotten money from the VA for PTSD. I didn’t really know what PTSD was, but when I got an explanation and did some research, I found out that many of the symptoms associated with PTSD and returning Vietnam War Veterans, had manifested a foothold in my own life.
audacity
Audacity. This is one word that can be used when describing the basic mold of the United States of America. It means the quality or state of being audacious and having intrepid boldness. Someone who exhibits audacity is said to have a bold or arrogant disregard of normal restraints . This definition, according to Merriam-Webster.
I think it was audacious to come to this land in 1620 and look around and decide that it was okay to just start living here. I know the Native indigenous people welcomed the pilgrims on the Mayflower, but they overstayed their welcome and were audacious. They boldly and arrogantly tried to tell the original inhabitants of what we now call the United States that the way they were living was wrong and that they would help them become ‘civilized’. The pilgrims brought their organized religion right along with syphilis and other diseases. The civilization they saw as lacking in the Indian community was there, but not to the acceptance of the pilgrims. They sought to change it. They assessed that surely a race of people could not be happy living like they were.
This theme has been hammered out by many countries in the world, but not knowing or having studied the entire history of the world, I can’t tell you who did what and where. There was the Inquisition-Catholics killing anyone that did not accept their faith. There were the Crusades- another attempt at making pagans toe the line in matters of religion, economics and lifestyle. But no one seems to have been more audacious than the USA, and the attitude follows through to everyday Americans in everyday situations throughout this country. It is spread throughout the world by Americans. It is spread throughout a community. It is spread in individual homes. This bold arrogant way of telling people how they must live. Forcing down their throats what we think best for them.
Sphere: Related ContentPassing on a great idea.
November 5, 2007 by Spadoman · 10 Comments
Originally posted at Spadoman’s Peace Blog
I got this in an e-mail from a good friend. This sounds like a very good idea.
Whatever your stance on the war…….
When you are making out your Yuletide / Holiday / Christmas / Chanukah / Kwanzaa / Thanksgiving / Seasonal card list this year,
Consider including one or more to the following:
A Recovering American soldier
C/O Walter Reed Army Medical Center
6900 Georgia Avenue, NW
Washington,D.C. 20307-5001
Add a picture of something you are thankful or grateful for.
Sphere: Related Content
