Anyone for National Service?

Hi diamania, I hope that most young men who are called up for national service aren't actually let loose on the world with a gun, and certainly no battle fronts. I think a nice bit of national service is good for young men as it seems to mature them but I wouldn't be for it at all if it meant they got sent off somewhere dangerous, that should be left to the professionals who choose the army as a career. Hope you remain safe behind your computer.

Hi fjaril, so basically you know as much about national service as I do but I do know now that Sweeden doesn't have it, mind you you probably don't need it as you don't have oil, and I don't mean olive oil for once. Can't see anyone invading over gloop rights, or DAIM bars come to that. So basically you went to school, lived at home and have the first marriage out of the window.

Of course the navy would have been good for you, all that fresh air and the chance to taste foreign foods. Amazingly my Greek friends who were in the navy are the only Greeks I know willing to even look at foreign food, and it's a good career now out here, we even have a naval university. Then again Greeks and boats do rather go togther as we probably invented them and it was the only way of getting to the town from the fishing village until they invented the road about 50 years ago, other wise it was over the mountain on foot.

You are quite the witty lady with tongue in cheek so much and still able to speak so clearly and cleverly! Do you have a Master's in that??

I could, of course, contradict a few points you have made, but then I am no match for you. So I don't.. because I don't have information in my head like you seem to have,, I am not at all sure I can take you on, you see,,and if I told you that one of my passions has been boats, especially mine and I only.. just... a few ... years ago.. sold her.. my last one..

aagh.

Well you probably know far more about boats than me Fjaril, so you could win that one. Unless the boat you sold was a fishing boat as I've been in a few of those. I'm also well up on those big tourist boats which people pay exorbitant amounts of money to sit on. Somehow though I don't see you as being Captain of a tourist boat. But what were you doing with a boat on a mountain?

thea dearest, I know this will come as such a shock to you and, for that, I am so sorry. But we have had roads through and from and to the mountains here since the beginning of time and thus, and thus, it is very simple to turn the keys in one's ignition and drive down the mountain to the particular harbour where said boat would be lulling in wait of the master.. for yet another marvelous journey in the sun and wind on the blue sea.. aaah

John Masefield said it so well and I loved this poem the first time I ever read it...

I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,
And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by,
And the wheel's kick and the wind's song and the white sail's shaking,
And a gray mist on the sea's face, and a grey dawn breaking.

I must go down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide
Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;
And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,
And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.

I must go down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life,
To the gull's way and the whale's way, where the wind's like a whetted knife;
And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover,
And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick's over.

yeah!!

I answered this this afternoon Fjaril and I've no idea where it went. I remember now you were showing off about having had roads forever whilst in this remote part they are relatively new. People didn't have cars then though, they had feet or donkeys or took a boat, I believe the road over the mountain is between 40 and 50 years old and electriciy has been here for about 35 years. You didn't say what kind of boat it was so I'm presuming the fishing type or an inflatable rowing boat.
How sweet of you to write poetry to me, may I recommend Wallace Stevens if you haven't come across him. He had a lovely one about the sea.

You must have had the same server problem then since I also then had hiccups with a post...I ran all over myLot looking for the darn thing and it was nowhere. When I refreshed later on after server power was rebooted, I found the post, exactly where it should have been.. but you?? where really did you send yours?? or are we not on the same server in myLot ..hmmm?

I also imagine that it takes time for lava to cool and vegetation to start growing and enough people interested to dwell there and that might well account for the delay time on actually modernizing 'the mount'.
No shame in that is there, now.

well yes. the dingy was a lovely sweet 'bluebabe', served us well to reach shore when we were forced to moor our sailboat further from shore due to the rocks. absolutely! Our Vega slept only four 'comfortably' but had a nice bathroom and kitchen and very good storage and closet spaces so, yes. I miss her too!

Well obviously I knew you were going to come back with a fancy boat fjaril.

I haven't got a clue with what strange things mylot is up to, this discussion says it was started one day ago which it clearly wasn't and the end of the month came early it seems with Friday being the last day. My posts are often disappearing into space, if I get an egg timer before I submit then I know its gone but I sometimes just miss them when I think they've gone. Now I'm low on notificiations today but will try to spot your discussion on Swedish food delights from the friends started list.

naaaaah, she wasn’t fancy at all, she was cleanlined, pure white and blue and smooth and spotless and so streamlined.. a dream to handle and maintain and sleeping aboard her was an invitation to heaven.. even the dog loved it..

Have you sailed with the sun and wind in your face and hair? have you slept in the lull of the night waters allowing your self and soul to be taken and rocked ever so gently?

sigh

but ONE good thing,, I wasn’t getting notifications today so had to ‘stalk’( shudder) and now when I have returned from our all right on mylot earlier.. So things are looking up,,dear friend!

Despite the fact that you missed a sail with me and I a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with YOU, life is going on anyway.

Let’s toast to that then.. with a red??

I love to be on the sea in a boat but not a craft as fancy as yours was, and yes it was indeed compared to the ones I frequent. My favourite is a fibre glass fishing boat but alack it does not even have a sun canopy, but does boast a plastic chair. Many many afternoons I have spent on that on the peaceful sea, or even at pulling up the lines time when all the other fishing boats are bobbing about too. I can even drive it but not park it. As long as I wrap up well I don't mind the sea being rough and like the spray. Alas the boat goes out without me these days and sees no more leisurly afternoons, it is now once again just a fishing boat.

aaaah.. a virtual hug, dear thea.. I know the feeling well. Once you have felt it, you never ever forget it and it is a rather sort of longing that feels like it was from another life and you have lost it somehow..
It isn't the same but a take a stena line ferry over to Denmark every year, for a break and the feel.. not the same, but it feels good.. to sit on deck with my face to the sun and let the blue of the sea and that of the sky take me to a content place inside me.
Do you have such a place also?

Sorry Aunty, I didn't realise it went by different names. It is when usually 18 year old males have to sign up for a year in the army without any choice. Hopefully they never see real fighting. We used to have it in the UK but it has been stopped now for many years and it would certainly have brought some structure and discipline into the disaffected boys lives.

tHAT'S O.K., THEA, QUIT APOLOGIZING TO ME ABOUT EVERYTHING. That is not neccessary., lol. I thought maybe that was what u meant but wanted to be sure. IT'S called the draft here. I don't believe right now guys have to sign up. It use to be where it was mandatory when they turned 18.

Well you seem to have given it a name I've heard of rather than the other Americal versions here. Hatley speaks of the National Guard but that's where men would be expected to do their draft. I think that the draft is the equivalent of national service.

I think u are right. National guard is a good thing but it is strictly volunteer service. Hope u have a good day.

Hi Hatley, so the National Guard is voluntary not mandatory, I think that's for quite a few years while their education is paid for. I think signing up was compulsory for most in war years.
I don't think anyone seriously thought the Iraq was had anything to do with weapons of mass destruction Hatley but the news certainly showed many patriotic Americans supporting the whole thing.

Hi Dawn, I can't say we're in the minority yet over here, though we still are the only ones so far that have it, there must be more countries. Here even Greeks who were born abroad are expected to do it if they move here, and a son of a friend is about to join and he came here especially to do it as lived abroad. I think they must be brought up with a strong sense of needing to do it at some point, or maybe they just all like playing with guns.

Germany does it. Richard's cousin was telling us all about it.

Well with three of them you'd better be checking that out Zeph. Acutally Hatley up above has explained the American end.

Actually it's called the selective service and when drafted the male can be thrown into any branch of our military.

Well it was abandoned in the UK hence the growth in yob culture I believe, there's certainly plenty there that could have done with the discipline, but not all of course.
I don't see it being abandoned here as we are a small country and don't tend to go around waging wars, but with a long history of occupation, the Turks, the Germans, then of course not actual occupations but unpleasant types in charge like the odd dictator, Greece needs to keep up a strong defence and it does have the positive effect of turning out real men. Men here know it is expected of them to do their national service and even those who have lived abroad come back and do it willingly as the age limit for entrants doesn't stop at 18. One of my friends has a son at the naval university and was in China last year with the navy and does not need to join the military because of that.
I think mandatory community service is a bit of a soft option but obviously as the US is usually at war somewhere it is better than compulsory military service. I believe there is a very large proportion of men in prisons there who may have been swayed better by national service than crime if it had been an option.

Coudn't agree with you more there Alice, they should make it compulsory for ten year olds there, or their parents. I think that's part of the reason Greek young men seem so much more mature, they don't go invading the streets after a football match, they just lift themselves out of their seats a little and let out a quiet cheer. Any noise and their mamas would be coming along to box their ears, even if they are 42. I really don't know why the UK doesn't bring it back to get the problem element off the streets and some discipline inside them.

I've only just got here and I was about to say exactly the same thing as you Alice.
Youths were different heretoo up until national service ended and it would do socety (and them) a power of good if it were to be restored IMO.

10 year olds! it's a good job you're not running the country thea! lol It is sad to see kids of such a young age joining in with vandalism and thuggery but as MysD says if it were implemented again these youth wouldn't have bad examples to imitate.

Alice what on earth have you done, please put the other one back, I don't want to chat with scarely looking person.
Obvioulsy not all 10 year old children Alice, just the ones rounded up roaming the UK streets after 8pm out on their nightly sprees of terryifing whole neighbourhoods, swearing, ringing doorbells, vandalising cars, making a noise, drawing on bus shelters, smashing bus shelters.

Plug your ears, scary Alice is here only for one night thea
I'm glad you made that clarification about the 10 year olds.

Well can't you find someone unpleasant to go and troll for the night then.

You called me a troll
I wasn't a troll I was a witchywoo

Hi cynthiann, so you don't paint a picture of Jamaica as a little island paradise then. You seem quite adamanant against the weapons training. Over here lots of men have shotguns but they are only for the purpose of going into the mountains to shoot birds, and not a bit of trouble from them at all unless there's still bits of bullets in when they come to be cooked.
Your defence force doesn't sound up to much more than posing.
Is there actually a problem there with unemployed youths and crime?

The Defence Force I do have respect for as they do much to try and curtail the movement of drugs and do help with crime. I will say just one thing. today the 1799th person was murdred for this year. This Island is so beautiful and the [eople are wondeful but the youth are being destroyed by corrept politicians and corrupt police. The Army is not corrupt. And now I have said too much.

Hi Vandana, you suprise me that women were allowed to join. It sounds as if your family really holds you back from anything you want to do, that must be really frustrating. Maybe you could take up horse riding now if you still want to.