future | rfljenksy – Practicing Simplicity

This week WordPress’s Weekly Photo Challenge is Future Tense.

I find myself torn with this challenge is I struggle everyday with not living in the moment. I am constantly seeking the “next” objective which causes me to often lose the best of what is going on right now in my life.

I’m busy studying a new language. I’m busy trying to keep up with my social obligations. I’m trying to stay in contact with my kids and grandkids and other friends. I’m pretty tired and getting very discombobulated. Even though I had tons of homework and felt I was falling behind, I decided that the sun was beckoning and with snow being predicted along with cold rain and more bad weather.. (SPRING AND SUMMER WEATHER.. WHERE ARE YOU???) I should stop living in the future and go for a bike ride and just enjoy the moment.

First sunny day in quite a while. Perfect for a ride on a brand new bike.

The double advantage of this decision was I was also able to finally get a few photos that just happened to fit into this week’s Daily Post Photo Challenge.

I’m a big fan of futuristic stories. I spent way too much time as a child reading science fiction and watching really terrible “B” movies that involved all kinds of conspiracy theories and horrors of what our future was going to present to us. On this ride, I found an incredibly futuristic object. I had never been this close to this memorial and was impressed with its design and futuristic impression. Having watched all of the “Planet of the Apes” (I told you I was sick for this stuff). I wondered how long this memorial would stand and what would future generations make of it if no one were around to explain it.

Finally, this was a way for me to also sneak in a little word of respect for a branch of the military and thereby sneak in a poem of respect for all branches of the military. My hope is that the visions of the future will not lose the memories of a past segment of society who sacrificed so much for our country.

Quite amazing. Enjoy.

“It is the soldier, not the reporter, Who has given us freedom of the press.

It is the soldier, not the poet, Who has given us freedom of speech.

It is the soldier, not the organizer, Who gave us the freedom to demonstrate

It is the soldier, Who salutes the flag, Who serves beneath the flag.

And whose coffin is draped by the flag, Who allows the protester to burn the flag.”

Father Dennis Edward O’Brien, USMC