AUG 13, 17 .. EVERY COMBAT TEAM NEEDS SEVERAL VERY SPECIAL MEMBERS..

In the riveting movie, The Man of La Mancha, which I saw back in the 1972/3 time frame, one line from one scene of the movie captured me. I will die thinking about that one single line.

The scene was set in a prison full of prisoners, imprisoned because of the cruel Spanish Inquisition.

Don Quixote de La Mancha, is about to testify on his own behalf in front of a mock trial, being conducted by his fellow inmates to determine whether or not he, Don Quixote de La Mancha, deserves to be in prison and to die.

Don Quixote looks around at his fellow prisoners and murmurs, mostly to himself,

“They will die,

NOT wondering why they are dying..

BUT WHY THEY EVER LIVED! ” 

I, your Captain on this ship, solemnly resolved, when I heard that line, that when my time comes,

that as I am dying..

I do not want to ask myself the question..

“WHY DID I EVER LIVE? “

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COMBAT TEAM .. Every combat team needs the few serious members who will, with no notice, volunteer to go out on a suicide mission.

“Men we are in trouble here. I need someone to go out with me on a suicide mission. We may, we may not, return.”

Now I am  being slightly over-dramatic here. I am not talking about that kind of danger. I am talking about cleaning up dirty jobs and messes.

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Back on the 3rd, 4th and 5th, of July, when I packed my bags in Royal Oak, Michigan, to make this trip, I took more than my usual care NOT to bring along any ‘strap-hangers’.* I use this term here to describe any Bobbseys that did not have a specific and important place on my Oversea’s Team.

* Strap Hanger – The Bus Driver drives the bus. The ‘strap hangers’ hang on. They just stand in the aisle and hang on to the strap so they don’t fall down.

When I got to Hong Kong, I again ‘pared-down’ my team assembling what I would call, My Team of Mongolian Bobbseys. About 40% of what I carried over from the U.S. remained in Hong Kong.

“Yes ‘Zilla?”

“If 40% of my things remained in Hong Kong, why did those items even make the trip Cap?”

One of your usual excellent questions ‘Zilla. I brought 6-months worth of calcium, magnesium and vitamin D capsules. These supplements are heavy and I don’t need the 6-month supply on a 4-month trip. I don’t need many of the other extras (socks, underwear, shirts, dental spares, Hong Kong specific items such as electrical adapters, etc et al) that I brought along from the U.S. PLUS, when I left Mongolia in May 2016, your Captain left-behind a ‘stash’ of items here in Ulaanbaatar, more or less, planning to return.

I hope some of you noticed that one of my Sub Titles for this Post is Mental Illness.

Who knows why these things happen the way they happen to me. In my focus on NOT taking any ‘strap hangers’ up here from Hong Kong, I threw away a rag I had brought along with me.

“Yes Crocodile Dundee, so nice you dropped in!”

“Now THAT Mate, THAT is a rag!”

Those stains are real stains. They will NOT wash out no matter my efforts. I’m not at all sure how I acquired this rag.

Here is the odd circumstance. I rather unceremoniously threw the poor, little, sad, forlorn rag into a full wastebasket. Being in a full waste basket, he was prominently visible to me at all times, sitting on the top of the trash.

And so, being in full view of me at all times, he was afforded the opportunity to ‘plead his case’ to be rescued and join the Mongolian Team..

“Dad I know I am a mess. I know this, and you know this. That being the case Dad,

Why did you bring me all he way over here to Hong Kong..

Just to throw me away? 

Dad, that makes no sense whatsoever!”

The above three photos were just taken, on the floor (he feels right-at-home on a floor) here in my apartment in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.

Poor, little, sad, lonely, forlorn rag made both his case and he also  made the ‘A’ Team and traveled up here from Hong Kong with the Mongolia Bobbsey Team.

Oh no, he is not alone. There are others.

“I need help!”

“Right with you Captain.”

“Right with you Captain!”

“Right with you Captain!”

“Right with you Captain!”

“I need help!”

“Right with you Captain.”

“I need help!” .. “My shoes are wet and they are muddy.”

“Right with you Captain!”

1. Health.
2.  Money.
3.  Guts.
4. Friends.

I seem to have them all!

Am I lucky? Or am I lucky!

Smiles .. Cap

THE REST OF THE STORY.

Little, sad, lonely rag made the Russian Bobbsey Team! He proudly went along up to Ulan-Ude. This being a very small team, he now has a double duty. His other duty : He is now also a towel for certain tasks.

• ← AUG 12, 17 .. FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE .. PART VII .. THE TRIP IS OVER .. LETTING IT GO ..
• AUG 14 / 15, 17 .. FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE .. IRKUTSK .. →