LIVING GOOD IMPOSSIBLE IF YOU DIE TOO EARLY

Living good is a worthy goal. So is helping others realize what a good life offers.

However one idea of a good life isn’t the same as someone else’s.

When you discover people with shared goals the game is on.

For example, part of a good life is: “When we realize what “do unto others” actually means. When we learn that helping someone in need is our purpose and not our burden.“

One more time: “Helping someone in need is our purpose and not our burden.“

Helping someone is one thing, helping ourselves is not the same.

What’s the difference?

Over my years as a youth coach, husband, parent, and many of the tasks and events I didn’t imagine going to, my biggest helping period was in the Army bootcamp.

I joined up after freshman year in college expecting to find people like me: Tall, fit, eager to go all in.

I had that Bulldog enthusiasm.

Instead, I found the greatest cross section of guys I’ve ever been around before or since. They were big, small, thin, fat, in shape and out, and different ages.

One kid was seventeen, signed up by his parents. Another was a thirty-four year old urban bus driver changing his life. One man said he was a St. Louis pimp laying low after a few things went wrong in his business life.

I joined an outfit of black guys, asian guys, hispanic guys all going the same direction: Soldier Time.

Living Good In The Conditioning Platoon

Helping others wasn’t at the top of my list for reasons to join the Army; it was thrust on me.

‘Platoon Guide Gillaspie’ was my new title. Some of the guys saw nineteen year old me as a new daddy.

“I have an emergency and need to leave. If I can’t get authorized, I’m going AWOL. What do you think?”

This was a twenty seven year old man with a pregnant wife about to give birth. He wanted an answer I couldn’t give.

“My shoulders pop out on the monkey bars and I’m afraid to tell the Drill Sergeant. What should I do?”

This was a guy my age, small and soft, who also wet the bed. What was he doing in the All-Volunteer Army?

“I’ve been in the Army longer than all of you. If you have a question, I’m the answer man.”

This was a guy who transferred in halfway through the training cycle. He came in from the Conditioning Platoon where people who couldn’t keep up were sent to lose weight and build endurance.

He was three weeks ahead of the rest of us and took charge of his new peers like a boss. Except we didn’t need a new boss. Besides, he was plump and soft and still couldn’t keep up.

His idea of living good was laying on his bunk talking shit to everyone around.

Fire Break Fail

After the new guy pumped himself up for what was probably the third time, he showed his true colors.

What he didn’t know, couldn’t know, was that his new platoon was driven to be the best of the entire company. The top platoon walked in front and carried the flag. On dusty force marches the low scoring platoon walked in back eating dirt.

The secret agreement among our Drill Sergeants was if we didn’t score up to a certain level, even if it was the highest in the company, we walked in back carrying a Donald Duck head on a stick yelling “QUACK” during called cadence.

“HUP, TOOP, THREEP, QUACK.”

The new guy dropped back and I went with him. If he didn’t keep up we’d lose weekend privileges. Platoon Law said if one person was to blame they got their ass kicked.

I liked the sassy attitude of the new guy and dropped back before the Drills noticed. I pushed hm emotionally and physically until I got gassed. Then he quit trying and laid down.

Living good and quitting don’t usually combine for a better outcome for anyone.

He laid down, the Drills pounded him, and we lost out on the weekend and needed someone to blame. It was an easy find.

Living Good In Later Years

Who wants to die young? Hands?

Who wants to see others die young? Covid doctors, ICU nurses, and morgue techs are all suffering the effects of seeing younger people die.

It goes against the laws of nature as I understand them.

Then we hear all about people who know better than science proudly show their ignorance with veterinary medicine instead of the covid vaccine.

It was bad a year ago and still bad. 2020 was all about the older people getting the virus; 2021 has taken a different toll with the Delta variant.

Has the degree of danger sunk in yet?

For a reminder: No one is living good on a respirator. No one is living good on horse paste. No one is living good with anti-vaxx and anti-mask protestors insisting on spreading their version of freedom where the deer and the antelope play.

Covid is a pack of hyenas picking off dinner in the traditional way: first the old and infirm, then the young.

How close does it have to get in order to get the vaccine and wear a mask?

How close?