Actually, I've always loved flying.
I suppose I've always liked investing too, and I used to be into making money
but as King Solomon observed in Ecclesiastes ..."as possessions increase, so do those who use them, and what good are they --except to gaze upon them?"
So, like Solomon " I turned my heart to wisdom," but I also discovered,... "as knowledge increases, so in equal proportion does sorrow."
It's tough when you may become "the one-eyed man in the land of the blind" .. (and with the likes of our Libz and CreepyJoe, it not that hard to be that guy)
The older you get the more you see human foolishness and lies and evil everywhere, and the more "sorrowful" one may become.
I watched a video of an MI 24 being shot down in Ukraine. Broke my heart. Russians and Ukrainians killing each other-- especially the young Russians dying for a cause they were ordered to support. The Ukrainians are understandably pissed, and they're fighting for their independence-- but the civilian casualties , old men, women and children. Just another sound byte on the newz -- for a week or so-- then what?
As the flaming fuselage on the stingered MI-24 buckled and broke the tailboom, and the nose turned left from the main rotor torque, and the aircraft spun to a fireball 300 feet below, I thought of the two young men aboard will never see their families again, or their wives or children, or grandchildren. Add this to the mindless carnage I've internalized myself over the last half century-- (I almost feel guilty being a survivor)-- I have come close many times, but I'm still here.
I am thankful, but I'm sad too.
I enjoy my work these days as a PFC ("proud fking civilian") as they said back in Crowbots day (Vietnam) I joined the Army as that war was ending ( as a teenager) but those guys became my mentors as a young idealistic Shark.
Now as an old man, the world appears to be full of Giant Squids.
Except when riding my bikes or flying.
Pure science. no lies, no BS.
An honest intersection of the natural laws of Gods universe, and my little place in it.
That said, I'm still not ready to hang up the flying part.
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