Tag: Service

The President

On By Peter's ponderingIn accountability, Common sense, community, responsibility, Service29 Comments

“The President is merely the most important among a large number of public servants. He should be supported or opposed exactly to the degree which is warranted by his good conduct or bad conduct, his efficiency or inefficiency in rendering loyal, able, and disinterested service to the Nation as a whole. Therefore it is absolutely necessary that there should be full liberty to tell the truth about his acts, and this means that it is exactly necessary to blame him when he does wrong as to praise him when he does right. Any other attitude in an American citizen is both base and servile. To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public. Nothing but the truth should be spoken about him or any one else. But it is even more important to tell the truth, pleasant or unpleasant, about him than about any one else.” –

Theodore Roosevelt, 26th US President (1858-1919)

Sunset

On By Peter's ponderingIn #My Music, Army, boys, bravery, community, courage, danger, death, freedom, friends, heroes, history, horror, loss, love, My Music, Remembrance, sadness, Service, ships, Thanks, war, waste, Weekly prompts39 Comments

Over on GC and Sue W’s Weekly Prompts site, the Wednesday Challenge is the word Sunset. I don’t often take part in this challenge but I knew immediately what had to be entered for this one as tomorrow is the 80th anniversary of the Normandy Landings on 6 June 1944.

 “Sunset”, also known as the “Retreat Call”, is a bugle call played in United Kingdom and British Commonwealth countries to signal the end of the official military day.

Content!

On By Peter's ponderingIn about me, Army, community, death, Fact, family, fear, history, horror, hurt, Insecurity, loss, love, My life, Peace, Personal, philosophy, Poetry, Remembrance, responsibility, sadness, Service, war, wellbeing23 Comments

Tomorrow is Armistice Day and, at this time of year, I always get to thinking about those I have known, and those I never knew, who died, or were affected in any way by war, or in the service of their country and humanity.  Service has always included not just military men and women but also the myriad folk who contributed, and continue to contribute, in any way whatsoever. The basic concept of Armistice Day is “Never Again”.  The world should not forget that. The sentiment should not be Never Forget, but Always Remember. We have that responsibility.

I tend to get a little maudlin, each year, for a few days over this period and, I suppose, that is what prompted this poem!

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Content!

Love sustains me beyond the fears, the insecurity, and the pain; 

The very fundamentals of life…and death;

The in between that’s never seen;

The basic structures of existence:

And yet…here I am, uncertain, a little fearful, the beginnings of trepidation

For what?

I know not!

Perhaps it’s always been there.  The insecurity, the uncertainty, the pain!

Nevertheless…I like that word…nevertheless I am what I am;

I am who I am;

I am where I am and, with that,

I am content!

Thank you Ma’am

On By Peter's ponderingIn ageing, community, death, duty, elderly, Facts of life, getting older, heritage, history, Living well, Poetry, Remembrance, Royalty, Service, Thanks28 Comments

Details of the death certificate for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II were released today.

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Let’s turn a new page

She died of old age

Is it terribly rude to speak so?

She willingly served

I was rather unnerved

when, at last, my Queen had to go.

.

I did not join the crowd

most of whom were quite proud

to go and pay homage in pain

Instead I stayed home

shed tears on my own

and gave thanks for her life and her reign.

Peter’s Pondering Pipes #25

On By Peter's ponderingIn #Peter's Pondering Pipes, about me, Army, beauty, birds, boats, community, decline, Fact, heritage, Music, My life, Pipes, sadness, seclusion, wellbeing35 Comments

This is part of a series. Previous posts can be found by clicking on #PETER’S PONDERING PIPES.

Evacuation of St Kilda – 92 years ago.

On 29th August 1930, following years of hardship and a dwindling population, the remaining 36 islanders from St Kilda were evacuated at their own request. They sailed to the mainland never to return, thus ending a way of life unchanged for centuries.

The slides were taken by James Smith during several visits as a work party member and the music is from “Skyedance” by Alasdair Fraser.

This is really all about the people of St Kilda, a hardy bunch of folk who lived very much hand to mouth until tourism and exploitation threatened their way of life. I have highjacked part of the story to feature the pipes within the musical accompaniment to the video.

I was fortunate to live and work on St Kilda for a total of eight months during the period December 1979 to January 1982, serving a rotational tour of approximately 6 weeks on and 12 weeks off depending on weather conditions for safe travel by either Landing Craft Logistic or by helicopter.

https://vimeo.com/744150939?1&ref=fb-share&fbclid=IwAR07LwZD6fEsbBkNSjb2AtOYD_qWDFt-MgY1Y86b6u5FBJL5avmRbhxW1oc
This file has, unfortunately, either been deleted or permissions have been withdrawn. There is no other suitable alternative – my apologies!

Here is a BBC news report which may be unavailable to anyone outside of the UK.