When you walk into my office you will see a graphic my wife
did for me with the phrase Novissimo Die.
When translated from Latin literally means Last Day. Last Day is an old Stoic practice and
something me and Kris attempt to live by.
It puts all those normal nuisances of life in perspective. Hard to stay angry with the ones you love
when you treat each day and each moment like your last opportunity to let them
know just how much they mean to you.
When Kris had her little fling with cancer, it didn’t take away the pain
and fear, but it did ensure we stay focused on what was of real value. To be honest I think Kris is going through a
relapse and we should know something in the next week. If my suspicions turn out right, then we’ll
do what we did last time, get out the can of whoop ass, and commence to ….. and make fun of our little opponent along the
way.
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Under Novissimo Die, is an aphorism from the spirit of some
old dead Ranger SGM “The two greatest
threats to freedom: Comfort &
Security.” My desk faces that wall
to remind of me of my obligations to my family, friends, my comrades in arms
and last but not least my country, that still expects me ‘to move further, faster and fight harder than any other Soldier.’ I believe our country would be better off
if everyone….no excuses accepted, everyone…. strove to meet that expectation.
The little town I live in (Lillington, NC), just opened a
new Crossfit and they don’t know it, but they may be one of the more important enterprises
in our little town. I’ve been doing Crossfit
since 2002 and the physical benefits I have derived from it have been
tremendous. But the real benefit of
Crossfit, if done right, is the spiritual benefits. It’s a nice microcosm of life, some random
event that requires a certain amount of fortitude, exposes you to both your
physical and mental weaknesses, but at the same time it makes you little
tougher and a little harder. Our country
desperately needs a good dose of hardness to face the challenges we have
created for ourselves by always choosing the soft and comfortable.
My 80 year old daddy does his ‘Crossfit’ ever morning, actually
looks more like a redneck version of Tai Chi, but he’s moving and pushing
himself. His practice has yielded a
tough old man that still rides his four wheeler, climbs trees, cleans and
butchers his own deer, and mocks and pokes fun at time and the ravages it has placed
on his body. He has the humor and spirit
of the ‘Black Knight’, ‘tis but a scratch, a mere flesh wound’. He
doesn’t expect his government or anybody else to take care of him, he’s old
school American, self-sufficient and the epitome of dignity. Below is a picture of Daddy prepping for class, he's always teaching the 'young people' how to take care of themselves.
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Crossfit 007, I know your mission is to improve the fitness
and health of our community. But really
you are part Coach Glassman’s crusade to return Americans back to who we were - a tough, proud people that not only revels in the adversities of life, but thrives on these adversities. Many years ago, Coach Glassman was very generous to me and my brethren. He has many critics and some them I count as friends, but I know from the many conversations I've had with him over the years, this movement is much more than health and fitness. I think you are part of a movement that longs for their fellow countrymen to cherish their
freedom, but freedom comes with a price and it’s more than just the blood of my
comrades. It’s that spirit of taking
responsibility for oneself and ones actions. To acquire this spirit requires hardship. So Crossfit 007, bring it………If
you want to build a ship, don’t drum up people to collect wood and don’t assign
them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of
the sea. ~ Antoine de Saint-Exupery
