Wild, weird world of coincidence

It's kinda neat sometimes how the past can return in unexpected ways... and not always to haunt you either.

A couple entries ago, I posted an entry about hearing from a former co-worker that I hadn't kept in touch with in almost 4 years.  Earlier tonight, during a church function, I happened to meet someone who -- as we found out through casual conversation -- was a classmate of mine back in elementary school.  Yeah, back from first through third grade (I transferred to a different school in 4th grade).

Even though that school was small, I don't remember the other students from small-kid time all that well.  I think part of that was because that school never did a yearbook, just a class picture... and I don't even know if I have any of those pictures.  I think they may have been long since lost in obscurity.

The cool thing, though, was that at least for me, I've been pretty much able to let go of any wounds (pretty much all psychological) that were inflicted on me during that time.  I'm lucky in that I wasn't physically bullied when I was growing up, but I was frequently the target of verbal abuse... partly because I have a first name that can be either male or female, but is more commonly female.

I'm curious to see what other remnants from the past will, or could, surface in the future...

O.o

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"Don't get stuck on stupid!"

Had to use that quote from Lt Gen Honore (pronounced "on-or-ay", aka the "Ragin' Cajun."

I remember when Lt Gen Honore was the 2nd Infantry Division commander back in Korea... he came in roughly a third of the way through my tour, and he was "ornery," living up to his name all right.  One of the first things he did was abolish the "Liberty Pass" system (not the same as Navy liberty... this is an Army general we're talking about).

Some background on the Liberty Pass:  the previous commander had enacted it as a better way to hold soldiers accountable.  Soldiers had to carry both their military ID *and* a Liberty Pass to enter OR leave any installation within the 2ID area.  It was pretty much a stupid rule because it only applied when you were north of the Han River, but didn't apply if you went south to Yongsan or Osan, where you only needed a military ID to enter the installation and could depart at will.

I also remember one briefing during which Honore berated his driver (who I think was either a private or specialist, don't remember exactly) for not having a working tactical radio on his humvee, instead resorting to using a cell phone to communicate during an exercise.  The intent was to make a point about making sure tactical equipment works while in the field.  The next day Honore gave his driver a coin for being a trooper during the day's previous briefing.

Honore's more recent quote, "don't get stuck on stupid" is something that probably more of us, myself included, need to start following.  I wonder how many times we ourselves will get "stuck on stupid" during any given issue...