The Passing of a National Hero

I found out recently that a hero of mine passed away.  For anyone who’s ever watched an episode of Band of Brothers, you should have heard the name of Maj Richard "Dick" Winters.  After I first watched it I instantly respected the man (who usually himself gave personal accounts of events at the beginning of each episode) and all of the men and women who fought in WWII.  Since first watching the series I’ve watched it again at least a half dozen times (I now own a copy), bought and read the book by Steven Ambrose that inspired the series, as well as the accompanying book by Dick Winters himself.  I’m actually reading the Band of Brothers again while I’m deployed.  The words of Maj Winters’ men exalting his leadership and the words of Winters himself on the subject have shown me what leadership is and how I can learn to exude those qualities of the Greatest Generation.

I’ve never met the man but he has my respect and honor.  Never before or since had our nation faced such a threat as these men and they risked everything to defend it.  Rest in Peace Maj Winters.  “Currahee”!

You can read Maj Winters’ Wikipedia page HERE and his obituary HERE.

Confessions of a Drug User

I have a confession.  I’ve started using a new drug.  And I’m not just talking about my long standing addiction to caffeine; no I mean the real hard stuff.  That’s right folks—Tobacco.  I’ll wait for your condemnation and damnation to subside.

As I’ve hinted at before in my blog and have mused about in person, I’ve thought about picking up pipe smoking for several years now.  I realized it’s an odd aspiration, sucking in the fumes of burning dead plant matter, but for some reason the thought of it had taken a hold of me.  There was some romanticism in the idea of leaning back in an easy chair next to the fire or rocking out on my front porch on a nice night, slowly sipping a bowl while my children, or grandchildren, scurry around.  As far as I can remember I’ve never had anyone in my life that smoked the pipe but when I first got the tobacco, the smell triggered nostalgic memories of hardwood and leather.

                                      Mark Twain

Health Effect

 “But Chris” you say, “what about the health risks associated with smoking?”.  It’s true that the Surgeon General warns that tobacco use of any kind poses significant health risks over time.  However those studies lump chewing, cigarettes, pipes, and cigars all in the same category and thus apply the same level of risk.  But studies that have examined pipe smoking specifically have found that pipe smokers, especially those who do not inhale, actually live longer than their NON-SMOKING counterparts.  I tend to believe it’s similar to the effect of owning a cat.  It’s relaxing and thus the body experiences less stress.

                                                                               Gen. Douglas MacArthur

Hobby vs. Habit

“But Chris, but Chris, aren’t you a hypocrite for criticizing cigarette smoking for so long?”.  Pipe smoking is not an addiction for me, I’ve never had a craving to light up, and it definitely wasn’t because the “cool” kids were doing it.  Going to smoke is a deliberate act that takes a bit of planning to make happen as I don’t walk around with all of my pipe paraphernalia.  Most cigarette smokers require several 15 minute breaks throughout the day, going through a pack or two in the process, otherwise they get quite unbearable.  Smoking a good bowl take about 30-45 minutes so imagine I left work for that long on my break.  I can purchase a bag of my preferred blend for about $20 and have it last a month or more because I only go out once or twice a week where as a cigarette addict spends $40 on a carton that’ll last a week if they’re casual smokers.

                               Clark Gable 

My Conclusion

I’ve been using a pipe now for about two months and I really enjoy it.  I don’t know if it’s something in the tobacco or if the sheer act of reclining with my feet up in the open air, listening to some light jazz under the stars, but the whole process is very relaxing.  I’ll get strange looks from passersby but more often than not it’s not a look of ridicule but more of curiosity and even at times of admiration.  It’s a little unusual.

I didn’t pick up pipe smoking because it was manly, but because it was something I wanted to do.  While I have a somewhat regular routine here that will obviously be changing when I go home.  Holly and I will have to sit down and discuss when, where, and around whom I will be smoking.  I obviously don’t see anything wrong with an adult smoking the pipe but as I’d mentioned previously I have little eyes watching all that I do.  I don’t know how I feel about my little one’s imitating Dad’s smoking (or drinking a beer for that matter) although I do remember having a bubble pipe when I was a wee lad so I guess it’s not that weird.  It’s something we’ll have to sort out later I guess.  I leave you with this:

"I believe that pipe smoking contributes to a somewhat calm and objective judgment in all human affairs. "

–Albert Einstein, upon joining the Montreal Pipe Smokers Club. (1950)

Quote of the Week

‎”The true Soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him.”
–G. K. Chesterton

Deployment Dialog – Day 133

We sometimes play the game “What Do You Miss” when we need a good topic to mull over.  The most common answer among the guys (well second I suppose to the obvious one, sex) is food.  I can’t wait to get back and get my hands on some real Mexican food, or some sushi, or Jason’s Deli.  Mmmmmmmm…………..  Anyway, there are many things I miss in addition to my wonderful family and the afore mentioned items.  Here’s just a few in no particular order:

·         Fire.  Making one, sitting by it, having the weather outside be cold enough to warrant one.  A fire sounds nice.

·         Coming home to little cries of “DADDY!” from the other end of the house.

·         The commute to work.  Drinking my coffee and rocking out, laughing, praising, arguing, or just relaxing to the radio.

·         The smell of Holly’s homemade bread engulfing the house.

·         Gardening.  I know I’ll make it home just in time to get our garden going for this year but I miss the planning and preparing part that we would have begun already.  Holly’s making me jealous because she’s helping her mother start their garden now in New Mexico.  I had a random desire the other day for the smell of the gardening store.

·         Cooking.  Making a meal from scratch and all the work and care that go into it.  Picking the right ingredients (especially from our garden) and chopping, stirring, tasting, and enjoying.  Along the same lines—

·         Grilling.  This never used to hold that much appeal for me.  It seemed like too much work to get the grill going, prep the food, take it outside, stand in the heat, etc, etc.  However, after getting a grill and using it for a while, really like the distinct flavors and dishes I’m able to make.

·         The farmers market.  Again, I’ll be able to participate in the one this coming summer but I missed out on the fall one so it’ll be a whole year since the wonders of the market.

·         Garage saleing.  I rarely find something for myself when we go but occasionally I find that one thing that makes it all worthwhile.  Plus, quality time with the fam.

·         My Church.  I told Holly soon after I got here that I realized we’d been spoiled for the last few years by Church at Red River.  The chapel doesn’t hold a candle to what we have there, neither Pastor Troy’s engaging lessons nor the warm faces every Friday night and Sunday morning.

I could go on but you get the idea.  I’m ready to go home.  I have roughly 49 days left and counting.