It is a remarkable thing, this experience we share on a spinning globe hurtling in an elliptical manner around a gigantic ball of bright burning gas. We have our relatively short times here on earth, and the cohort of the Salts in the circle are all becoming conscious that our time here is entering the concluding chapter. That does not mean we are dwelling on the endings rather than beginnings, but we confess the memories of the endless sallies against a welcoming eternity is a bit disconcerting to compare to an abrupt and adamant misty gray wall.

That optimistic view of youth has mostly passed with some humor. That was the one in which every fiber of the body shouts of old indignities, is accompanied by laughter at the luck that deposited us here in this merry place in all the spinning. The news of late has contained some reminders that there limits to almost everything, and those boundaries are making their presence known with an increasing frequency.

There have been some recently. Our Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin, was one of those who reminded us. He is two years younger than some in our cadre, at the pinnacle of a military career in uniform and as the senior civilian. The news this weekend was that he had checked into the National Military Medical Center at Bethesda for an unknown treatment. It was presumably surgical in nature, since that is the sort of thing with which we have all had increasing encounters.

There was no specific announcement of the malady. Whatever it was, it must have been unexpected, since his Deputy, Kathleen Hicks was on vacation in Puerto Rico. A follow up story indicated she was ably covering all contingencies from her place in the Caribbean.

The President has on vacation in that lovely body of body as well. He broke two weeks of rest to make an impassioned speech yesterday. We were not completely sure what it was about, since much of the surrounding commentary was about how Dr. Jill was managing to get him on and off the stage in good order. It has been a topic of discussion for some time now.

As a news note, it all of it seemed to be a fairly routine situation. But a few moments of consideration left all of us a little uneasy. You may have heard that there are two significant areas of violence in progress at the moment. The one in Europe appears to be an attempt to reenact the horrors of the First War. The other is replete with civilian casualties and ancient religious conflicts being played out in violence. Of more immediate concern is the Red Sea situation in which American ships are combatting swarms of drones launched by proxy insurgents of the Islamic Republic.

We agreed we probably would have cut our vacations a bit short.

We wish Secretary Austin the best of health and a speedy recovery, of course. We hope his Deputy gets some good rest. But with the portents of war abroad in the world, and rumors of the transfer of atomic weapons to and from multiple trouble spots, we would be more comfortable if there appeared to be in charge.

Considering the breadth and gravity of the challenges in this new year, it strikes us that we would like to have someone in the office, you know? At least someone we know.

Copyright 2024 Vic Socotra

www.vicscotra.com