Thang Nguyen 555

It’s Spring forwarding. Losing one hour then to gain it back in the Fall. Losing life? To gain it back from other lives? Greater than no man who loses his life so others may live. We are taught to be honorable, good, true, patriotic and right at all times. Until….not done right by the system.

I woke up to the news of another serviceman (7th) who lost his life. BTW, he is from KY. Like many, I went right onto my “TV page” (per Crowded House’s Don’t Dream It’s Over). I could empathize with older folks back then during the Vietnam War, watching the 6 o’clock news showing clips from Five O’clock follies in Saigon.

Casualty of war. This side vs that side, AK 47 vs M 16, civilian death vs commies’ death. When we lose just one hour of sleep, we feel it. How much more our whole life. Its effects on families, neighborhood and nation (or State).

That said, I also remember sleepless nights, watching Nightline. 444 days of hostage taking. Unresolved and dragged on indefinitely. Of course, Carter looked weak. No doubt: Sunday school teacher, then with tool belt in retirement to barn raise and build houses for Habitat for Humanity (but could not bring home hostages). Yellow ribbon on the oak tree in front of a newly built house, but no one is coming home (in the Deer Hunter’s case, he just drove pass the welcome home party).

Hey now hey now. Don’t dream it’s over. One life to live, one hour to lose. Make it count.

Help others see the front page, right above the fold, with news about the war, before flipping over to the TV page or the TV guide.

Long ago, while they held the five o’clock news briefing, Rex hotel then stand up close at the Caravelle Hotel rooftop, from Hit Parade we heard: “I will follow you” by Rickie Nelson before Reflections of my life. One song about “Ask not what your country can do for you,” then “follow me” to the far shores, where the action is; the other was about “I don’t want to die” when death racked up to the tunes of 58,220 US deaths.

The world needs influencers and leaders. Iraq, Ecuador, Venezuela, Iran and Ukraine. Even hot spots got competition (for attention and aids).

I wake up to the sound, not of music (as in Let It Be), but of gunfire, drones and bombardment. War again. Give it a chance! the times they are a changing, mr. tambourine man. The heroes this time are those who posted – and not printed – The Pentagon Papers. No xerox machine needed. Everything is digital now. Hey now, hey now…you swipe right onto TIkTok screen, where there is no need to wait for six o clock, or 5 o’clock, since it’s around the clock, commentators and podcasters, everyone is now a news person.

Everyone is losing sleep, some losing life and limb.

Humanity without war? Humanity without waste? You must be kidding! At the tune of 2B a day, only Dr Evil would guess inflation wrong (having been deep-frozen for decades in the incubator). Oil above 100 dollars per barrel. Hero bread at 12 bucks per loaf.

Go back to sleep, and don’t wake up til Fall (back). I guarantee you will not have lost that precious hour. Six months long sleep. Lifelong sleep. Sgt. Pennington is his name. Fact check me. It’s in the news today. But then most of us went right on “to the TV page”.

Hey now, hey now.