Semper Gumby

As I have said before, I read a lot, and widely, paper and online… 

How in 68 years have I never heard of this…  

Read this in The NY Times, article about the Mexican Army using this as an informal motto.  

Of course, I’ve heard of Semper Fi, Semper Fidelis, the motto of the Marines, Always Faithful.  

Apparently, Semper Gumby has a whole (short) Wiki:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semper_Gumby

Of course, this means Always Flexible, in “Dog Latin.”  

I assume everyone knows of the flexible green cartoon character, Gumby…   

Apparently, informally used by a number of armed forces, as well as FEMA and the Civil Air Patrol.  

True Latin would be Semper Flexibilis…  

I like it! 

Not that I was a big fan of the Gumby and Pokey show.  

I tended toward watching Bugs Bunny, Mighty Mouse, Flintstones, The Jetsons, Rocky and Bullwinkle, Popeye, Mr Magoo, Snagglepuss…   

I am sure I am forgetting some great cartoons…  

I like the underlying idea of being flexible…  

I feel that flexibility is so important for living well in this world.   

As well as being prepared.  

As I write, a great tragedy is unfolding in Europe, where Russia has invaded Ukraine.  

Someone wrote that perhaps war is obsolete in Europe:

https://spice.fsi.stanford.edu/docs/why_war_has_become_obsolete_in_europe

However, there have been a great many conflicts since 1945

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_conflicts_in_Europe

Most seem to be a fallout from the breakup of the former Soviet Union…  

Perhaps, this seems to be the most brazen move by Putin in many years.  

Although, he did annex Crimea in 2014…  

In 2013 I wrote about how we can no longer go to war:  

http://enlightenedmdphd.blogspot.com/2013/03/why-we-can-no-longer-go-to-war.html

Apparently, I was wrong (again!).  

Well, actually, this is what was the gist of that Blog: 

“My thesis is simple: We can no longer go to war because we have already evolved too far.  We cannot go to war without paying too huge a price of damage to our emotional and spiritual brain-bodies.”  

And I still believe this is true, these individuals, taking another’s life, will never be the same, most of them will become broken, in various ways…  

I see this in my clinic, as various manifestations of PTSD…

Those fighting for what they think is “just.”  Defending their country, and others who cannot defend themselves, may suffer less…  

I can imagine many of the Russian soldier invaders will pay an immense price…  

I am also worried that this will be an excuse for similar moves by China toward Taiwan.  

Then who knows what else.  

As far as being prepared…  

I actually ordered iodine pills for prevention of radiation effects on the thyroid.  

As I wrote previously, I have survivalist tendencies:  

http://enlightenedmdphd.blogspot.com/2013/10/are-you-survivalist.html

Perhaps I’ll have to add the Coast Guard motto, to Semper Gumby:  

Semper Paratus, Always Prepared, or Always Ready…  

I can only hope that we will never see a nuclear weapon used in war in our lifetime…

I do not have that much faith in humanity…  

I hope I am wrong, and that a nuclear weapon is never used again… 

Namaste