Veterans Day

It makes me uncomfortable when people directly thank me for my service.  It just does.  I do not mind when people thank veterans for their service, their sacrifices, but when it comes to personal, one-on-one direct comments of appreciation, I would much rather people don't.  It's not that I do not understand their want, their need to thank a veteran, especially today, on Veterans Day.  A day that began as Armistace Day, a day celebrating the November 11th, 1919 signing for the Treaty of Versailles, which ended The Great War, World War I; well, we all know that wasn't the "war to end all wars"...in fact today we are at war in so many different locations, domestic and abroad, it is diffcult to know who the enemy is anymore.

However, back to my uncomfortable situation, which grows every year, and it is my own fault.  People know I am a veteran.  I wear it proudly.  I have even gotten involved with one of the local VFW posts (Veterans of Foreign Wars), helping fellow veterans when I can, doing what I can, what small things I can do.  But I have never wanted, nor needed the recognition.  Thank you, for all those that have tried to give me thanks, or who have, and I apologize if my uncomfortable nature made you feel uncomfortable, that was not my purpose.  I just feel there are other veterans that deserve all our praise more, and not just the veterans, the ones that have left the service, but the active duty military that will one day be called "veteran".  

Memorial Day is for remembering those that died in the service of our nation or those veterans or active duty military that passed away either away from the battlefield or from old age, those sailors and Marines, those airmen and Infantrymen, those are the folks we remember on Memorial Day.  

Veterans Day is for those that used to wear a military uniform but are now retired, returned to the civilian workforce, in nursing homes, in our schools as teachers and instructors, in our jobs as co-workers, bosses...those veterans that put their lives on the line for our nation.  They deserve our praise, our thanks.

Did I put on the uniform?  Yes.  I was running from Life.  I hid in the military, not wanting to face it.  Instead I got an education unlike any other, I got to visit exotic lands, learn lessons the hard way, all alone even when surrounded by hundreds of others because family, true life long friends they were all thousands of miles away, both physically and mentally, emotionally, in every supportive way possible.  It makes you an independent person, although one that can function as part of a team, because if you do not, you do not last.  

But I have always felt my service was little, compared to the sacrifices others have made.  It's just the way I've always been.  So when you thank a veteran, do not be distrurbed if they do not react like you think they should.  We all deal with our roles, the parts we have played, differently through the prism of time.  

The River Styx - The Final Piece

This is number 86 in my Collage series of pieces -- It will have a companion piece, depicting the other side of the coin, so to speak...coming hopefully by Winter 2017.

Enjoy, comment, critique...can you spot who is who, and what is what?  Any quesses on a theme?  Is it too subtle?  

When in High School English IV - College Prep, I wrote a term paper comparing John Milton's Parade Lost with the Biblical references to Lucifer and Satan; in my opinion at the time, lofty concepts most others may or may not have been interested in, but I was.  Still am, having been ordained in the years following my Father's death, a lifelong student of theology, religion, psychology, anthropology, sociology, attended every major religious services, types of religion, explored most, but I know not all, are we any closer to understanding anything about ourselves, or neighbors, our purpose, or are we just floating along?  Your turn, converse...

More Work

Latest stage of the project...

Styx - New Stages

More recent work...

Styx Part Two

After another stage

The River Styx

My newest project, originally began over two years ago...the idea, the concept began then...it is one of two companion pieces...originally titled "Heaven" and "Hell", I decided to start with "Hell" (now renamed as "The River Styx").  The background should evoke Hades along with stalactites and stalagmites....but along the way, searching for images I came along a surprising number of photographs of young people, especially children, in Halloween-style costumes of devils...done even in a seductive way.  The Devil, Old Nick, the Temptating One having parents whore their children out for a few bucks, wearing Devil costumes...what would their Lord think?  What would their ancestors think of their little children, with no say in it, being dressed as devils for a dollar?  

Instant Karma

Coming soon from DTV [Dalek TV] "Late Nights with Dalek Jack"

A photo posted by Gene Bannister (@scoutdaddy70) on Sep 30, 2015 at 1:40pm PDT

#MyArtProject

Putting together my first art show for Spring of '16

Last Night

Shooting Stars

It has been awhile since I've sat down and written anything longer than a status update or twit (a term I use instead of "tweet", referring to the brief Twitter posts); a letter or three to my older brother, an press release here and there or a short blog post over on my Scouting blog are about the limit of my writing, and that is not really acceptable of myself.  Since childhood I've been a writer, one with a tendency to mimic the style of other, better writers, longing to find my own voice, but a writer nonetheless; chronicling the events and experiences of my life, describing and judging the world around me and those in it.  However, for the last few decades my mind has been too frazzled, stretched too thin as I have tried to deal with personal disabilities caused by injuries incurred after my time in Europe; a brain doing the best it can to keep itself together amidst being an active parent and trying to give back to my community, to leave a legacy for my children, and for others, of being an advocate for youth, for the disadvantaged, for our elders, for our veterans, for the lost ones needing a light in their dark worlds.  My job of being a parent, the only job I have ever had that really mattered at all, is most important and my focus has had to be in their best interest.  Food, shelter, clothing were first and foremost and then everything else that comes with raising children in the 21st Century, which is expensive no matter how you slice it.  But soon our youngest will be ready to leave the nest and then, perhaps there will be an easing on the grey matter, my nerves may relax, maybe soon I will be able to sit at my keyboard and hammer out one of dozens of novel outlines that have been stewing in my vaults.  Knowing myself, I doubt it, but we will have to see.  Even this piece, another blog post, will only amount to a few hundred words of disco jointed thoughts and tangents that, hopefully, will bring you, faithful reader, to the conclusion of, which is close, hang on...a conclusion and ending as we wait to check out the meteor shower.  My youngest, feeling the effects of allergens and not well, and I, along with my wife, are going to check them out tonight.  We've tried in the past but overcast nights and over sleeping have prevented us, more excuses like mine for a lack of writing, however tonight, as my babies are close to leaving me and Wifey with an empty nest, we are going to watch the shooting stars.  Good night folks.