So, those who follow me on Twitter might’ve seen that I had a rather interesting day here. After months of no’s regarding my desire to extend my IDF service, I finally got a yes–of course, after I did the entire discharge process. Thus, I was a civilian again for about an hour today. Now, I’m a soldier again, at least until December. I was at peace with whatever was going to be, so there may be a life lesson there, as it was now that I succeeded.
This got me thinking a bit about life paths, and how it’s very difficult to effectively control our life trajectories beyond a certain point, and how little control we have over so many things.
Try as we might, there are always a great many things beyond our control. And making things more complicated, we also need to determine where we are meant to be at a given time, something much easier said than done, given our limited perspectives. This might be why some authors, such as myself, prefer outlining our books, as it gives us more control and order over the worlds we created–something we unfortunately cannot replicated in real life. We might be the protagonists of our own stories, but we’re not the authors.
However, that doesn’t mean we should try our hardest to achieve our goals, and that one failure means it’s all over. There is always more to come, persistence can pay off, and fortunes can shift at a moment’s notice.
I also got to thinking about D-Day as I went through this crazy day. 75 years ago, thousands of young men, almost all younger than I am now, had their own services–and lives–cut short as they bravely served their country in its fight against evil. How much could I complain about potentially being forced to peacefully and honorably complete my service after a year and a half? More so, I succeeded in extending it; those kids didn’t have any choice, no chance for a do-over. I am nothing compared to them–I haven’t been in any significant danger during my service thus far–and they should be remembered, their heroism celebrated.
Returning to my own path, I decided, as today arrived, that with the decision completely out of my hands for now (though decisions I made or didn’t make a year ago may have played a role in the challenges of late), that I would accept and be alright with whatever happened, taking it as a sign of what path I was meant for follow for the time being. Especially as I didn’t think the odds of getting approval for the extension were good, I think it’s fair to assume that this is where G-d intends for me to be for now, for another few months at least. Why, I cannot say of course, but I intend to continue on this path as best I can (that includes writing more books, and training for Ninja Israel). And, if some actual conflict arises in the next half year, I am ready to step up and do my part. That’s why I volunteered to draft in the first place, after all. To quote Ivan Throne, this was a sacred purpose, and I apparently have more to do here before this chapter concludes.
Onward! I hope to have more fun announcements in the near future, and to try and get at least one post up here a week as we move ahead.
Until next time, be sure to check out my Galaxy Ascendant series, as well as my other available books and short stories.
And soon…
Writing, Ascendant 