[SOC] Cheer up, things could be worse!

[Ian C. Purdie]

Heh! heh! All good stuff.

Kevin your topic reminded me of an old mate named Fred. On Anzac Day,
1972 one fellow commented that in his life "things couldn't be worse!".

Fred [the philosopher] quickly replied: "Never, ever say that".

Fred at 17 years of age had put his age up, forged his fathers consent
and joined the Army in late 1939 to go to war. As you might imagine, war
wasn't quite the romantic adventure Fred first visualised. He firstly
saw action in the middle east with the Australian 9th Division against
the Italians and then the Germans and later in New Guinea from 1942
onward against the Japanese.

By Anzac Day, 1972 he was about 50 and was somewhat what we call "a
little hard boiled" and more than somewhat cynical.

"Things couldn't be worse?"... "Well one day in New Guinea in late 1942
I woke up just before dawn, it was raining [as usual], I was up to my
waist in a water filled trench, all night long the Japanese had tried to
infiltrate our lines. I was tired, I was hungry, I'd again been eaten to
death for the millionth time by mosquitoes, I was long beyond being
scared anymore and I was right sh*tted off with war after three years,
the army and life in general". I said to myself "things couldn't be
worse!".

For the next hour Fred regaled us with the exploits of that particular
day punctuating each event with "things couldn't get worse!".

During the day he'd been shot up, blown up, lost a jeep to enemy action,
walked back to his lines, went back and forth to company headquarters as
a runner [through enemy fire], been wounded twice and as I said,
punctuating each detailed event with "things couldn't get worse!". By
days end he'd been demoted, was under close arrest and faced a serious
court martial, "things couldn't get worse!".

The only thing that saved him was the Salvation Army Padre who listened
to his story late that night and called the doctor. Fred had had a total
break down although threatening to shoot the CO was considered a bit out
of control.

This story was so detailed it took over an hour in telling and made a
very deep impression upon me. So much so I've never since used the
expression "things couldn't get worse!". It seems to be a self
fulfilling prophecy.

FWIW


72/73's

Ian C. Purdie
Budgewoi N.S.W. Australia - Co-ords S33°14', E151°34'
VK2TIP "I'll give ya the TIP mate" QRP-L #1978. SOC #171 FP#91
http://www.electronics-tutorials.com/