On the day leading up to Remembrance Day I started thinking again, of the young men, and yes, a few women who provided the ultimate sacrifice in the name of democracy, time and time again. These were people who were done, obviously well before their careers were even allowed to launch. Most were in their teens or early 20s or at most, in their 30s.
What other talents did they have that the world was cheated of due to their early demise?
It seems our two World Wars, and all those fought since, managed to bring out the very worst in many and sometimes the very best in terms of heroic deeds or ingenius innovations and inventions for the war cause.
Those thoughts led me down another reflective path.
There have been thousands of talented people who, for one reason or another, were done too soon. Too often, especially in the world of entertainment, it was a self-destructive world they were in that cheated us of their talents.
For others, it was simply an evil twist of fate.
Take, for example, hockey's greatest, Bobby Orr, done at the age of 28 due to crippling knee injuries. Anyone who is even a casual hockey fan I am sure has, at one time or another, wondered what if, in Orr's case. At least he's not gone too soon. He's still contributing to our world. It's just that he had to pack up his on-ice talents too soon.
I was listening to a Janis Joplin song on Sunday, and, again, thought "how tragic." She went way too soon, through self destruction, as did Amy Winehouse and Elvis. Who wouldn't have appreciated a Winehouse duet with Adele or K.D. Lang or some other combo thereof?
Wouldn't guitar players love to hear what Jimi Hendrix could have done teamed up with Iron Maiden? Or would that have ever happened? We'll never know, but it's interesting to speculate.
Could John, Paul and George have weaved more magic with Ringo in a re-united mode in 2013? Alas, we don't know and never will.
There are all kinds of what ifs in our world.
So I suppose my message this week, dear diary, is if you have a bucket list, you might as well get on with it.
If you have a desire to travel then do it. I understand there are physical and financial constraints, and reality prevents a lot of us living out most of our dreams.
If the grand safari or climbing Everest is just not in the books for you anymore, please, enjoy the scaled-back model. Commune with a coyote or wolf if you can't get to the tiger, rhino or cheetah. Visit the Rockies and do a little climbing and enjoy the view without being burdened with oxygen masks and having to hire sherpas. Let the park guard be your sherpa. Enjoy the moments you have available.
Those of us who live in Estevan have the opportunity for international travel every week if we so desire. After all, a jaunt to Noonan or Crosby qualifies as an international exchange, doesn't it?
We take little things like that for granted.
Several years ago we had friends from central Sask. visit us who had saved up U.S. money when they saw how close we lived to the U.S. border and we were quite happy to take them "across the line," for an international exchange afternoon during a break in the ball tournament they were attending here. So it's all relative folks. Do it before your knees do a Bobby Orr on you.
