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Here is the lede to the article in today’s NY Times:
Revelations of a Mere Mortal
By JEFFREY D. BARNETT
Here’s the lesson:
I can apply this to many social issues and common complaints, and I know that isn’t always healthy. If someone hasn’t been slapped in the face with mortality then it’s perfectly reasonable that he would apply high priority to problems of lesser consequence. To be fair, when I catch myself worrying about issues of little consequence I often remind myself that nobody will die because of it, so I should probably chill out. I have no delusions that I am perfect or that I apply my own rules perfectly, but I do seek to hold myself to the same standard.
My point is somewhat embodied in a radio transmission I made to our headquarters when they requested some routine information during the R.P.G. fire incident. “Let me get back to you. I’ve got more pressing issues right now.” After experiencing scenarios with the gravest consequences, I find myself filtering most other issues through that sieve. And while that may make me seem a little high-strung, I am also much more open to experiencing life in small tranquil sips. This theme has followed many of my post-deployment changes. Some are neither clearly good nor clearly bad, just different.
Patience, chilling out, taking and giving time!
Those are things I have great difficulty doing! And I will need to do them more often in the coming months as I try to push on to the next project in my life, importing special spirits from Canada to China and living in China for longer periods!
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