THE COLOURS OF WAR

I got the flick on my mind to fill my blog with the above title while going through the news headlines on cnn.com just before going to bed last night. Right on top of the home page was a colourful picture of a military parade from North Korea. As I looked closer, I thought to myself that if only the photo was showing the colours of battle, then war is beautiful.


What is the origin of conflicts, the extrapolations of which makes men want to kill their fellow men? From the age when all there is to war was about thrusting another man’s flesh with anything sharp to the development of the A- bomb, the weapons as well as the politics of war have evolved over time. It’s amazing that these days, the final executors of war, the ground soldiers and their like sometimes have no idea on why they do what they are doing. They are just following orders from a Commander-in-Chief who is comfortably seated far away in front of a screen. Hence, these “heroes” come back from the battle fields, become depressed or go the direction of the sociopaths we have heard about so often and again. The truth is, unlike the soldiers of the distant past, they never had a personal reason to kill another man.

I read some where while still a little boy that the first and foremost battle is that of the self. It said that no matter what battles we have won in life the most important will always be winning the battle within ourselves. Our inner convictions and peace is our greatest ally in life. As I glance over the same page on cnn.com, I saw a video of James Cameron saying he will not win an Oscar with Avatar. Indeed, the battles of our mind can suddenly make us look less invincible after a major feat. Winston Churchill had is doubts and went on to lose the immediate election after WW2, Adolf Hitler had his hesitations within the inner circle of his influence, Bill Clinton wrote about the demons in his “Life”.

It’s our conquest in the wars within us that make for true peace, the colour and rhythm of which a famous author has called The Top.

(Please refer to the next blog post; The Top)

THE GAZE

                A shot of the Thai Army in parade,2008.



MY EXTRA THOTS

 I remember it was a morning exactly 20 years ago when at the school assembly, we were told that there would not be classes that day. Instead we were to take a long walk, about 2 km to another school. A black leader had just been freed after 27 years in prison and we were to take this walk to the venue where other schools would be gathering for a solidarity rally. The name of the freed man: Nelson Mandela. I was in my 1st year of high school then and I didn’t really understand the value of that solidarity walk. Looking back now, I’d say I’m glad I was a part of a triumph to humanity. Here is a hearty cheer to the courage of Nelson Mandela.


LOL!
Love is in the air as Val’s day is 3 days short. So here is a laugh line on the subject of sharing love.

A husband, who is a certified public accountant, works 15-hour days for the first few months of the year. In spite of his hectic schedule, he took time out to order his wife flowers for Valentine's Day. While pondering what sweet endearment to write on the card, he obviously began thinking of the many hours of work still ahead of him. His note read: "Roses are red, violets are blue. If I weren't thinking of you, I'd probably be through."