Marlow's Musings 11/12/23
Insights, adventures and fun stuff from this week.
Audio narration by David Marlow
One of the things I enjoy about my grandson ‘E’ is his ability to quickly grasp and then hold onto concepts.
I've taught him, “If we put things back where we got them, we will know where they are for next time.”
It’s been said often enough he not only believes it, he also lives it and benefits from it. He enjoys knowing right where his 'magical key' (some old key I put on a chain) is whenever he wants it.
It can be the same for our personal growth. Whether we tell ourselves or are told something repeatedly, it often becomes our reality.
Speaking of rising to what you’ve been told you could do…
"A well-trained and motivated human being can do almost anything."
Former Marine Jim Lehrer, speaking about Marines
at the dedication of the National Museum of the Marine Corps,
Happy 248th birthday to the United States Marine Corps. All Marines are obligated to mention the Marine Corps birthday on or about November 10.
The birthday and the concept of achieving more than we think is possible brought back a memory. It would become the defining moment of my time in the service and one of the most defining moments of my life.
It was a rare cold misting day in San Diego, where they were 'making Marines.'
We were on what is called the 'Confidence Course.’ An obstacle course where overcoming physical challenges instilled confidence in us.
It scared the stuffing out of me. I was climbing these telephone poles rubbed smooth by the climbing of thousands of Marines over the years.
They were also wet from the mist and extraordinarily slick. I was on a cross beam well above the ground and had to reach out and jump to the next.
It was high up and, as I said, slick, and the subsequent cross bean seemed 20 ft away.
Hesitating for just a second, boom! There was a Drill Instructor 'motivating me.'
I jumped.
"I made it!" I said to myself as I held on to that slick pole.
Life was literally never the same for me after that.
That day, I erased years of messages filled with fears, doubt, and failure.
After that moment, each time I was pushed beyond what I thought I could do, I’d draw on that memory and find the inner strength to push on until I could do it.
They say not everyone can become one of 'The Few and the Proud,' which is true.
Everyone can do and be more than they realize, becoming part of the ‘few’ that live their, Ikigai.
Thankfully, not everyone needs Marine Corps Boot Camp like me to come to realize it.
Word of the Week
Epiphanot (n )
/əˈpifənät/
1: Almost an epiphany…but not
2: A moment of insight that doesn't fully materialize
To experience an insight only for it to be a false or underwhelming epiphany. Epiphanot delves into the potential extraordinary moments of insight that often need to be explored for their connecting thoughts more than the original.
Check it out!
In case you missed it…
In ‘Leaf Your Cares Behind,’ I shared two gloriously serendipitous moments in my life, both involving an oak leaf.
Ikiquest+
This week in Ikiquest+…
I went deeper into ‘Leaf Your Cares Behind’ and ‘The Time is Now’ with bonus audio and commentary for Plus subscribers.
I also shared some exciting news about an upcoming feature coming to Ikiquest.
Plus, subscribers can check it out here.
Quote I’m Pondering
This week, I’ve pondered this prescient thought from the late Steve Jobs.
“When you’re young, you look at television and think, There’s a conspiracy. The networks have conspired to dumb us down. But when you get a little older, you realize that’s not true. The networks are in business to give people exactly what they want.
That’s a far more depressing thought. Conspiracy is optimistic! You can shoot the bastards! We can have a revolution! But the networks are really in business to give people what they want. It’s the truth.” [Wired, February 1996]
Comment of the Week:
This week’s comment comes from Tom. I like that he has created a practice of setting things aside until he has time to sit with them, which he did with ‘Way of the Warrior.’
Tom’s reflection is powerful and heartfelt. It inspired me to lift the paywall on this post so that everyone can read the article and all of his reflection, a portion of which is published below…
I've had this one bookmarked for a while David. Finally had the chance to spend time with it today.
The topic (Greatness redefined as service) resonates deeply with me. Servant leadership has been a desire of my heart for as long as I can remember. Your commentary challenges me to broaden that desire to "service" in general, without the requirement of "leadership" context. I think my heartfelt desire is to be great at serving others in ways that have a positive impact on individuals and community alike ...without the desire or expectation of personal recognition (being famous).
The contemplation leaves me realizing more than ever that this is a struggle. It is a pursuit that requires focus and intentionality each day. To truly succeed, it requires me to overcome the "self," the ego that desires attention.
This leads me to a paradox…
Read the article and all of Tom’s comment here.
Fun Thing I Saw This Week
Time magazine has come up with the 200 Best Inventions of 2023.
The one that caught my eye was this radiator that uses graphene, an ultra-thin, highly thermally conductive material made of carbon atoms. It is a virtual fireplace with computer-generated holographic flames that folds flat and can heat up to 167° F using just 200 watts of power—30% more efficient than electric coil heaters.
There are 199 more that you can check out.
Final Thoughts
There is a lighter side to the Marine Corps that is often overlooked. Given the nature of their work, Marines become well-versed in Gallows or Dark humor.
Antonin Obrdlik wrote gallows humor “…has the social effect of strengthening the morale of the oppressed and undermines the morale of the oppressors.”1
The ‘oppressor’ can be many things: the enemy or the bureaucracy of the Marine Corps itself, to name two.
The ‘Gumby’ image above from the early days of the Iraq War represents a perfect example of Gallows Humor.
Everyone knows Semper Fidelis or Semper Fi for short…always faithful.
For the day-to-day experience of Marine life, there was another saying—Semper Gumby2, which means always flexible.
Some Marine saw those two bullet holes in the wall after a fire-fight and thought they were perfectly spaced for Gumby’s eyes and made this ‘art.’
The squad probably had a good laugh and then returned to doing what Marines do.
🌀Semper Gumby
🌀 Can you articulate your Ikigai in a single sentence?
Having an Ikiverse clarifies how to live out your Ikigai.
✅ Being able to state it invites others to support you in your Ikiquest.
You can learn more about Ikiquest+ here. Check it out!
https://havokjournal.com/culture/military/why-gallows-humor-is-essential-in-the-military/
The first use of Semper Gumby is often assigned to Marine Captain Jay Farmer of HMM-264 in 1984. He actually flew with a Gumby character toy mounted on the standby compass on the instrument panel of his CH-46E nicknamed "Airwolf.” However, the term was in use in 1977/78 in 1st Battalion, 5th Marines at Camp Pendleton.