For the children, remember the kids...

Too often I see the words 'for the kids'  or 'because of the children' and I am supposed feel for them and be protective of their innocence. And I do love kids, but I want them to escape, to try, to dare, to run and scream or sit silently and watch and question, or read.

The Dutch farmer with goats noticed the kids and the children had shared characteristics and lovingly called them kids. One syllable and very easy to spell the Americans used it a lot and still do. Kids. Unfortunately, like Saint Nicholas, the word morph'd and times changed. The Dutch farmer (boer) would expect his kids to grow, and learn, and work and become adults and take over the farming when the old folks wore weary.

Now, it seems that kids aren't able to grow up, they certainly are protected from work (exploitation?) by government agencies and do-good'rs.  And since education is a growth industry, everyone should keep the kids, children or kinder forever... and ever... Amen.

It hasn't always been that way. People once believed that children are supposed to grow up, be responsible, and accountable. Abe Lincoln paid all his earning to his father until he was twenty-one, Kit Carson fled his apprenticeship and the reward was a whole penny if he was caught and returned. He was on his way to Santa Fe at sixteen and a life full of adventure as a short but capable young man. Maybe Peter Pan and the lost boys, and the ever sensible Wendy were over used by Disney and the idea of  'won't grow up' was musically etched in our minds.

Our culture seems to kill a lot of kids, unborn and still growing infants, children and youth. There is a thought that they freeze in time and place - but they are growing and that is by design, and this too will change should be every thought when looking at the young. Expanding one's control of this fast moving, faster growing and constantly a threat to our tranquility (they are our replacements! kill them before we are out numbered and over worked trying to stamp them out) is an impossible task.

Those that want to pretend that life isn't dynamic, that humans aren't ready to be hammered into round holes like square pegs are likely the same folks that think you can predict behavior based on your perception of the life form and ones vast experience base listening to fools, are fools. Life is precious, life is to be loved and never smothered, by control or pillows or plastic bags.

Our founding fathers, those fine folks that resisted the King and Parliament's tyranny, they didn't do it for the children, or their kids. They did it for their Posterity, which in modern America seems to be mixed up with Prosperity. 

It could very well be, that as the children of Lexington awoke to the battle on the Green, between their training band and the three light infantry companies, they still worried about their animals, their mothers, their friends and getting something to eat and getting on with the day - which was certainly going to be different.

Current culture must be too self centered, like I am the most important consideration, while long ago the family and its survival was central. Then the village, the community, the larger and larger units of shared values, experiences and common goals. But then, we hardly consider family, or posterity those are things that other philosophies want to destroy and deny... but their true value is not considered, is it?

Normal has returned, now about the Appleseed in Poulsbo, WA...

Sure enough, talking like people that care will help all the hidden fears and frustrations. But we knew that.

Still no shoot box with stuff for the Appleseed, no more instructors signing up to help, and twenty-two shooters preparing to attend. Lovely challenges, thank you, LORD.

I am not a fighter I am a lover... ever hear that?

I heard it too often in my teenage years, and I was just the opposite - a fighter, not a lover. I think I got pretty good at the fighting, and since bluff is half the battle I was really good at that.

I had all kinds of things holding me back from dating, daring to was tougher than throwing a punch by a bunch. I was so backwards that a friend finally asked my Prom date choice if she would go with me if I asked her. That was embarrassing. I didn't thump him, because she was a great date and I never have had too many friends.

My wife has stopped talking to me, seems I have shamed her at church or something. We aren't talking about it - so it will be resolved sometime long after I am gone. Realize that I am not feeling her frustration, rage, hurt or whatever is my fault (which is really making her silent), I do love being a clueless man.

This house is quiet when I am here alone. One of my  friends from the Spanaway United Methodist Church rode his bicycle to my house and knocked on the door. We had been playing telephone tag, the door works better. I gave him a bottle of water and we covered many of our bases and things. Cannot text things like that, only face to face talk works - and I don't think the NSA has any idea of our position on Syria. Good to see him.

There must be several degrees of silence, home alone, home with others not speaking, outside with everyone waiting for the cougar to pounce on prey.... several degrees of silence.

All that I valued and love has gone....

Seems that I am not well and will remain in my personal darkness, which I haven't found except in the lonely, that is when you realize that all you have done is off the beaten track, in the fog, in the thick forest of trees, in the deep sinking sand, quick sand or sink holes of life. There seems to be no one around to throw me a rope.


Survival skills, lay back and hope you float or you swallow that first choking slime into your stomach instead of your lungs. The fear of Limbo and the land of the Dead is there is no light, and no love.

There aren't enough volunteers, not for Paul Revere

I haven't much help with the Poulsbo Appleseed. Only a bit more for the Port Townsend a week later. They don't make them like Isaac Davis any more.

Did post my Appleseed Trail, from 2008 to 2011. I may have missed one but likely not.

FREEDOM! for slaves it means one thing, for the freemen a better world is LIBERTY

I have just finished watching all twenty-four episodes of The Slave Hunters, and I was able to see all the parts that had been missed while I made coffee, or worked on something else.

Korea (Joseon) of 1648, the end of the Thirty Years War in Europe, the time of The Three Musketeers, in France, and in England they were beheading Charles the First. In China, the Ming was being replaced by the Qing (Manchurians, really) from 1643 until much later, China is a big place.

The KBS production is available on DVD 2 box set, my library owns a copy (large Korean-American population), it can be purchased on line, probably available on Netflix with English subtitles. It all takes place in Korea, although some of the main characters have spent time in China, and Korea has a younger brother role with the Older brother.

This movie centers on slavery, runaway slaves, and slave chasers (or Slave Hunters of the title), and court intrigue to maintain power. All the bad guys are good, all the good women are really just beautiful (even with slave markings). The martial arts are very fantastic, but close to reality (NOT), but entertaining. To me the greatest hero was the tiger hunter, now slave, that knew how to shoot a matchlock, and taught other slaves the skills needed to kill the nobles. That was revolutionary... and the story shows how the culture resisted the needed changes, although everyone had the dream.

I recommend it for all those that are thinking of resistance to the oppressors, but then I really liked the whole story...just remember, it is loosely based on real history, real martial arts and real romance... loosely.

Time isn't as exact for everyone... it is relative.

I look at the roses, just a little bit ago I had taken pictures of them as buds, and now they are big and bold and about to become petals in the wind... since they grew while I wasn't watching.

I step out, get in my car and drive off to an Appleseed, present instruction, coach, monitor progress, encourage and razz as needed. One of the shooters from a couple of Appleseeds ago said he had been the target of some gentle razzing, and he might have been correct - just not a word I use in motivation... but it does work. So, since I am a retired fellow, I have lots of time to concentrate on the Appleseeds, and I get fretful when all those folks don't check for their pictures, read and/or comment on their Appleseed experience. I want to make sure I shake them up more on the next Appleseed. I need motivating, I measure success in every smiling shooter leaving with good memories and a desire to do even better and to talk about what happened.

Like an elevator in a tall building, one gets on the Appleseed, and the Plan of Instruction flows on, and suddenly at the end of the second day, one gets off the Appleseed and goes about life, real life. Family, friends, bills, work, and will think about this last and the next Appleseed when I have to... and if you don't have pictures to post, the Internal After Action Report to file and the report to higher about this shoot, the progress checks performed to standard, recommendations for promotion and just plain old bragging about how well your team did in producing Riflemen and committed Americans understanding the sacrifices of that 1775 generation of patriots - well, you clean your rifles, repack your stuff for the next one and periodically check to see if anyone posted anything wonderful that you want to snap up into calling this shoot.

I need to make two points at my next Appleseed: word of mouth and internet connections to share the heritage (they are stepping up into Isaac Davis shoes, aren't they?) and that 10 rounds standing, ten rounds sitting (in each of the positions) and twenty rounds of prone are the minimum dry fire recommendation for five days of their week. Do it on the best AQT from their last Appleseed.

Well, enough looking to see if anyone posted anything, on the RWVA forum, or Face book.... I give my wife two 5.11 shirts to get taken in so I look professional and my YMCA bag is packed, when I return today I will start the POI for Poulsbo Appleseed, needing more instructors and more shooters - there are never enough are there?