Questioning Soldiers, Success, Happiness, and Knowledge

“Guns are made for killing. That's the only thing they're for. And they don't give a flying-flip what they kill. It's the people handling them who have to take all the responsibility. You always handle a gun like your life and the life of anybody around you depends on how safe and careful you are, 'cause it does.”

-- Bill Wallace

What are your goals for 2022 and what do you plan to change or keep the same in your life moving forward?

String lights around the top of the golf cart, go fishing more, lose some weight, stay on this side of the dirt, and continue to be happy always and in all things since this keeps my life moving forward.

Who is someone you used to admire but lost your respect this year?

I admired many people that I found out were socialists this year. The ones who wish to destroy the Constitution I have lost all respect for.

Can you recommend to me some books that can make my personality perfect?

“Tao Te Ching” - Lao Tsu

“The Art of War” - Sun Tzu

“The Five Rings” - Miyamoto Musashi

“Code of the Samurai” - Inazo Nitobe

“Tell me what you pay attention to and I will tell you who you are.”

-- José Ortega y Gasset

“Respect isn’t something you get from a position or even from past achievements. Respect has to be earned and re-earned with every single person you come in contact with” do you agree with this philosophy?

Situationally. There are those of us who, out of general courtesy, respect everyone we meet until they prove us wrong for doing so, or if they’ve done something that prevents the giving of that respect. In the military, you can respect a person’s rank without having to respect the person, until the person proves themselves worthy of your respect.

What do I do now that I am becoming successful? I've been broken up until now.

Give back what you feel you can. Volunteer if you have the time. Build on the karma that seems to have found you.

Games make us happy because they are hard work that we choose for ourselves. ― Jane McGonigal. What are your thoughts on this statement?

For some, maybe. Games make me happy because I enjoy the break from the hard work I choose for myself. Games might be hard work for those who have issues with concentration, learning, or both. Luckily, I pick up games easily. If I have to try that hard at some game, I’d be finding another one or going back to work.

“We do not stop playing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing!”

-- Benjamin Franklin

Is it always okay for one to make friends with people who share/have the same vision or mission as one does?

Competition can turn ugly in short order. Teamwork, on the other hand, is about supporting each other toward a common goal. You work together and get accolades as a group, not as an individual.

What's an oddly specific thing that gives your life meaning?

Paranormal research.

Besides keys/money/credit cards, are there other things that you keep with you at all times?

Medicare card, driver’s license, watch, “Air Force Retired” cap, my military I.D. card, and the occasional 9mm.

“A magician may step out without a purse, but he should never step out without a pack of playing cards.”

-- Amit Kalantri

What makes you happy and hopeful?

Life! Every day on this side of the dirt is another gift from God and another chance to excel in life. To waste the opportunity is not an option. 

What subject have you been engaged in trying to learn or understand that you simply gave up on, and why?

Math. I really struggled in high school and didn’t even attempt it in college. The only thing holding me back from a degree is a college-level math class. Luckily, my life went in directions where college wasn’t necessarily needed, and I still retired three times.

Could people make good decisions without learning anything?

It would be a roll of the dice. Without learning anything, what are they basing their decision on? Pick door number one, or door number two? If they haven’t learned anything, my advice is to not let them be cutting any wires attached to explosives or handle guns that haven’t been checked for rounds in the chamber.

“So. Tell me. What do you think? Which is better? To take action and perhaps make a fatal mistake - or to take no action and die slowly anyway?”

-- Ahdaf Soueif

What odd things have you done to start out the New Year?

I did not get hammered.

What is every human goal?

True happiness.

What will inevitably happen if military units stand idle in the fields for several months and do nothing?

They will lose their edge. If they lose their edge, they lose their preparedness. If they lose their preparedness, they will, in all probability, lose the battle.

"We cannot afford to be idle, and though weaker than our opponents in men and military equipments, must endeavor to harass, if we cannot destroy them."

-- Robert E. Lee

What are your measurable indicators when working towards success?

Am I still truly happy with what I’m doing to attain the goal? If you’re not, what’s the point? “Success” is being truly happy, not in attaining a goal. 

What does it really mean to put the past behind you?

Remember the past for the lessons it taught, but don’t dwell in it. What happened is not as important as what you do now, at this moment. What we do now will affect the future. Better to be focused on the present.

Author's comment:  You're correct except that the past I'm referring to is crimes against me & my family. The past has to be dealt with to produce freedom from it in our future.

My reply:  It helps to put the question in some context. But, what you seem to be referring to is revenge. An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind. But, then, I am not you, and I will not judge.

Author's reply:  Defending my family against crime is not revenge - for the record.

My reply:  Again, you stated you were referring to the past being dealt with, which sounded like revenge. There is no issue with protecting the family from a repeat of the past. 

Is a retired soldier still a soldier?

If one has stayed in long enough to retire, they’ve probably evidenced their patriotism. The Marines state, “Once a Marine, always a Marine.” It actually encompasses all services, for those who served with honor. You see them proudly wearing their “Veteran” or “Retired” caps. You see them pass an American flag and skip a step as they look up, or stop and silently salute.

I gave almost 23 years of my life to military service, and I regret none of it. It made me who I am today. I helped to define my personal ethical code. As I approach 70 years of age, I know I would go back when called, if for no other reason than to train others.

“...It is a proud privilege to be a soldier – a good soldier … [with] discipline, self-respect, pride in his unit and his country, a high sense of duty and obligation to comrades and to his superiors, and a self-confidence born of demonstrated ability.”

-- George S. Patton Jr.

“Time is precious. Don’t waste it on people” do you agree with this philosophy?

Time is nothing but a human construct, developed for no other purpose than to give life structure. If you wish to “waste” the moment on people, go ahead. Infinity has plenty of more moments to share, if not in this life, then in the next.

What does the rich do differently in shaping their habits that foster wealth and success?

They hire competent people.

Has the person who has a strong purpose, a reason to live, a strong desire to achieve something, finds a way to survive even in the most difficult of circumstances?

They will find a way to survive or they’ll go down fighting. They have faith in themselves. Never give up. Never surrender. Where there is faith there is always hope.

Author's comment:  Thanks this helped.

My reply:  You are so welcome.

“The worst part is wondering how you’ll find the strength tomorrow to go on doing what you did today and have been doing for much too long, where you’ll find the strength for all that stupid running around, those projects that come to nothing, those attempts to escape from crushing necessity, which always founder and serve only to convince you one more time that destiny is implacable, that every night will find you down and out, crushed by the dread of more and more sordid and insecure tomorrows. And maybe it’s treacherous old age coming on, threatening the worst. Not much music left inside us for life to dance to. Our youth has gone to the ends of the earth to die in the silence of the truth. And where, I ask you, can a man escape to, when he hasn’t enough madness left inside him? The truth is an endless death agony. The truth is death. You have to choose: death or lies. I’ve never been able to kill myself.”

-- Louis-Ferdinand Celine

Editor's Note

(Re: disclaimer cum "get out of jail free" card)

Before you go getting your panties in a bunch, it is essential to understand that this is just an opinion site and, as such, can be subjected to scrutiny by anyone with a differing opinion. It doesn't make either opinion any more right or wrong than the other. An opinion, presented in this context, is a way of inciting others to think and, hopefully, to form opinions of their own, if they haven't already done so. This is also why, occasionally, I will present an "opinion" just to stir an emotional pot. Where it may sound like I agree with the statements made, I'm more interested in getting others to consider an alternate viewpoint. 

It is my fervent hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions and while engaging in peaceful and constructive discussion, in an arena of mutual respect, concerning those opinions put forth. After over twenty years with military intelligence, I have come to believe engaging each other in this manner and in this arena is the way we will learn tolerance and respect for differing beliefs, cultures, and viewpoints.

We all fall from grace, some more often than others; it is part of being human. God's test for us is what we learn from the experience, and what we do afterward.

Pastor Tony spent 22 years with the United States Air Force Intelligence as a planner, analyst, briefer, instructor, and senior manager. He spent 17 years, following his service career, working with the premier, world-renowned, Institutional Review Board helping to protect the rights of human subjects involved in pharmaceutical research. Ordained 1n 2013 as an "interfaith" minister, he founded the Congregation for Religious Tolerance in response to intolerance shown by Christians toward peaceful Islam. As the weapon for his war on intolerance he chose the pen, and wages his "battle" in the guise of the Congregation's official online blog, The Path, of which he is both author and editor. "The Path" offers a vehicle for commentary and guidance concerning one's own personal, spiritual, path toward peace and the final destination for us all. He currently resides in Pass Christian, Mississippi, where he volunteered as a chaplain at the regional medical center.

Feel free to contact Pastor Tony:  tolerantpastor@gmail.com