Update

After a week of no change, I called my doctor yesterday. They prescribed an antiviral med, and today, the paralysis is showing slight changes. Hopefully this will be over in a few weeks. It will be nice to drink without it dribbling out one side of my mouth.

Anniversary of the Disaster

I wrote this years ago, and I don't think I've posted it since. 

Enjoy

***

I was a hundred miles out in the Atlantic, when the Liberty went down. It was a strange occurrence; especially since I served on the Liberty years before.

It was clear night, and the seas were near calm. We’d been fishing for over 36 hours and I finally told the crew it was time to take a break. Fishing was good, they were tired and I needed them for the next big push the next morning. I’d caught a cat nap, while they cleaned the deck, so I was freshest. I’d brewed a fresh pot of coffee and was good for hours.

What was really strange was I was thinking about the Liberty as I sipped hot coffee on the front deck and stared off to the west. We were too far to see land, and the stars shone like beacons in the still night air.

I remembered the forward guns, on which I was a gunner. I had three to help and they were the best – as far as I was concerned. We could lay down more fire than any other two crews combined. Most of them stayed, but I did my five years and left the military. I wanted to have my own boat and knew I’d never had the opportunity if I stayed.

Our chief would constantly give us a ration of crap, but we knew he only did it to not show favoritism. He had more than us to lead and morale could be bad enough without adding any other problems.

As I sat, I thought of how the 100 foot fishing boat I owned would be dwarfed by the Liberty. At almost 800 feet long and over 4000 tons, she was a big ship and well known in the fleet. First in her class, she was long in tooth when she went down.

They never completely determined what happened. Some say it was sabotage; others thought the navigation system failed. I even heard some say they laid the blame on the captain. Maybe so but since he went down with the ship, it was fool’s errand if he was up to no good.

Almost all the crew abandoned ship. With the loss of control, and definite threat of disaster, the captain called for abandoning the ship, while he stayed near the helm. The helmsman and XO refused to leave, so they were lost with the captain.

The first hint I had of something wrong was when something caught my attention on the horizon. I can only describe it as what appeared to be a huge firework rocket; climbing and a dull orange in the thick atmosphere.

Soon, the light brightened. The orange turned to yellow, then finally mostly white. The central area was fuzzy and what appeared as sparks showered from the sides. When it was halfway to the zenith, she started coming apart. What started as one light was now a myriad of lights; tumbling, burning different colors and travelling at different speeds. Trails were apparent and the huge, tumbling mess of light traveled damn near overhead as it burned in the atmosphere.

Within moments, the sounds arrived. There were booms, the rushing sound of something travelling fast and all types of other sounds, including whistles and whirring noises that made my hair stand on end.

As all this happened, I could only stare; wide eyed; my mouth hanging open. The long trail that marked the passage was a shimmering, greenish gold. It hung for minutes after the entire mess continued on toward the eastern horizon.

After about a minute, it was all over. The sound of the night and generator seemed deafening, although they were as quiet as usual. I could only wonder about what I’d seen and had an uncomfortable feeling of dread.

I sat on the front deck until the sky started lightening to the east. I didn’t want to check the radio, or wake the hands. We’d know soon enough, and that was probably too soon.

That fishing season ended that morning. Between the search vessels, restricted areas and general bureaucratic BS associated with what happened, it didn’t take any of us long to count our losses and give it up until next season.

After it was all said, and done, all the money spent was just waste. Nothing was ever determined, except the Liberty couldn’t correct a course error and burned in the atmosphere. Some said she might have made it, but the forward, lower turret (my turret) dragged the entire ship down. We’ll never know and it’s really not important any longer.

Still, every season, on the anniversary, I pour myself a stiff drink, salute the captain, and throw a wreath into the Atlantic. It’s the least I can do. He never abandoned his ship.

I'm Tiring of the Uncertainty

First, if the Chinese were really sitting on a pandemic pathogen, refusing to stop the spread, and exposing the entire world to illness, may those involved suffer for their lack of humanity. Such things fall under the purges of society by Mao, Stalin, Hitler, and the rest of the liberal Progressives throughout history. There is no punishment really appropriate, except isolation for the rest of their lives in small cells. After a few years, give them a dull knife.

I'm tired of all the B.S. to be found. This virus is deadly, not deadly, spreading rapidly, not spreading rapidly, lasts for weeks without a host, lasts for hours without a host, hospital beds are lacking, hospital beds are empty.....the list goes on.

The media is not to be trusted. Instead of embracing their Constitutional duty, too many fell to the level of tabloid garbage. Conjecture is all the "experts" can present, and sensationalism demands we're told about the illness of an inconsequential wart on the ass of society  celebrity.

If a third of the citizens of the U.S. are as fed up as I am, woe be it to anyone that is the focus of the anger.

What I've Been Learning

This Coronvirus, which is supposed to be from China - although they disagree, even if that's where it' from - is leading to all important information:

- Whatever you've read, or heard, don't believe any of it. Everyone is lying, fabricating, embellishing, twisting, hyping, and disagreeing. There are no real facts, even if there are.

- Toilet paper is more important than food items. Enough food for months is available, but you can't eat it, since you don't have any toilet paper. So, why buy food?

- Social media is where people are taking out their frustration, and boredom. It's really not much different than any other day, but the arguments shifted to something else most people don't understand.

- People are not qualified to determine what's essential enough to brave disease contamination. They need to have permission from a government official, who represents the most feckless section of society. I'ts like having a blind crossing guard, only more dangerous.

- Influenza isn't important. If it was, people would realize how they expose themselves yearly to a deadly disease and postulate the vaccination is a government plot to reduce the population. Those pesky statistic are all fabricated, and Uncle Pete died from old age.

- A vacation cruise is remarkably similar to an episode of Gilligan's Island, except Maryanne is a whiny, over-weight accountant with halitosis. It's a good thing she's isolated with her cousin on another deck.

- If you have enough money, you can have supplies flown in. Of course, you have to submerge the helicopter in bleach before it lands. That sure ruins the taste of the fresh pastries.

There are other things I've learned, but they're just not coming to mind at the moment. Feel free to add anything in the comments.



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A Mistake to Avoid

I've noticed a lot of resentment towards Baby Boomers. There's anger toward the state of the United States, and this generation is looked upon as a selfish burden that needs to be abandoned, if necessary.

This isn't good, since it's the same ploy used for decades to divide the country, instead of galvanizing to solve a common problem. Universities taught this, so did many government officials. All were part of the grand plan to try the Communist experiment again on an ignorant society.

I'll warn those willing to sacrifice their elders for safety. You'll never have that safety. Those you abandon are far more resourceful than you imagine, and if forced to defend, they'll be ruthless. Their parents passed on the suffering they once faced, they suffered through illnesses you were never exposed to, and they know how to do with much less. They learned this in their younger years, since their parents cherished the things you are so willing to toss away. They know that those that created this division are also ready to take advantage of a weakened society. They'll win, and you will lose your liberty.

Regardless how we reached this point, we're all in the same boat. It doesn't matter who steers, but it needs to be in the right direction. Pointing fingers, throwing people overboard, and expecting someone else to be responsible is a waste of time. Focus needs to be on survival, self-reliance, and the knowledge a global society is not what our founders wanted. The world isn't a large, healthy community, and there are ruthless people that will enjoy your torment to relish their power.