Getting not involved
During one of flash visits from one of the kids (for a bit of fridge fodder and a chance to bring me up to date on life in the outside world), he threw out the kind of question that requires more time than most of us have available.
“So, what about the country going off to war?”
I never missed a beat. Given that there has been conflict on us vs them level, with them living somewhere south of the Mediterranean Sea and east of the Pyramids (geography depends on landmarks…) for about a millennium, there’s no quick solution.
“We shouldn’t get involved, and if we do, we should get uninvolved. Quickly.”
By virtue of recent history, I might be pacifistic. Or a believer in keeping the troops within our borders, should some need for self-defence arise.
“What about the Axis of evil?”
Umm, is that a new death metal band? My musical preferences are decidedly Celtic. No need to get into a different genre at my age.
“No, no. North Korea”
I’d read a rumour that their head guy was out of sight (out of his mind), but you can’t trust everything you read. I pointed out that we weren’t in “clear and present danger” on that front either. Thank you, Tom Clancy.
And with that, the conversation turned to other subjects. Work, dogs, my progress in the basement. Much easier to cover than “Warfare 101”. Speaking of course numbers, among today’s treasures: the enrolment package for my university studies, forty years ago. I wonder why I never had to hand in those forms? Did anyone (else) notice?
