On this day in 1854, Alfred, Lord Tennyson wrote “The Charge of the Light Brigade” to commemorate the spirit of the British during the Crimean War, and even more so the courage of the 600 troops at the Battle of Balaklava who were ordered to charge an all but impregnable defended position though they knew they had little chance of survival.
But what does an 18th century poem by some dead guy have to do with us today and what can we learn from it? Not only is it a cautionary tale about the dangers of following the wrong leaders who in all their assumed power and wisdom are failing themselves and their people, as well is it about the impact of fighting battles we don’t understand and blindly hitching ourselves to bandwagons:
Not though the soldier knew someone had blundered. Theirs not to make reply … theirs not to reason why … theirs but to do and die.
Look, you don’t have to be a soldier on the front line of a bloody and emblazoned battlefield about to charge into his death or a football player running head first into a Sumo-sized wall of concussions waiting to happen to know that life really IS a game of inches that we should be courageous, honorable, and educated enough to play wisely:
While it’s obviously geared towards inspiring a team, in all the years I’ve listened to it, I’ve done so from the perspective of “me, myself, and I”. Meaning? This “I am my own best friend and the one person I know I can always count on” mindset of mine was clearly within me all the while, even during the lowest points of my “game”. I guess I just needed some “get REAL, Cat”, no nonsense, TOUGH LOVE and GRIT coaching from myself as I fought to climb my way out of hell and into the Light … one inch at a time. These words can apply to essentially any relationship dynamic.
(“Any Given Sunday“)
They say that “TEAM work makes the DREAM work”, and I suppose that can be true, but the last time I checked, some of our “leaders” aren’t actually leading us anywhere. Rather, they’re herding the masses of oblivious, albeit cute ‘lil sheep who simply HAVE to be able to squawk, “Woohoo! I’m on the team! I’M ON THE TEAM!”, when where they’re really going is to Napoleon The Pig’s self-serving, tyrannical Manor Farm SLAUGHTER.
While of course we often have to come together as steadfast and loyal “team players” with the strength in all our numbers for the sake of humanity’s betterment and survival, I guess what I’m trying to say is be careful when hitching your bandwagon to someone else’s star. Unlike “the 600” who had no other choice but to ride boldly into the Jaws Of Death, the last American draft call was December 7th, 1972, the authority to induct expired June 30th, 1973, and thankfully fewer than 30 countries still require whole age cohorts to complete a military service that could force them to sacrifice both their life and personal honor in pursuit of a cause they may not even believe in. Meaning? For the most part, we can, indeed, “pick our battles” now.
I guess what I’m saying that yes, you should most definitely pray for the courage to stand alone against and apart from a herd that’s running face first and fists a pumpin’ towards the edge of a cliff based on some other jackwad’s dumb ideas or mistakes. This is especially true for today’s children and childlike, non-thinking “adults” who are being indoctrinated not to question the either the rules or those who are making them. Maybe some know best, but then again, MAYBE THEY DON’T! It all depends on who they are and where they come from.
In the meantime, if you do ultimately die trying for something important, do your best to have have courage and honor in doing so. Now, THAT will be pretty damn good!
I.
Half a league,
Half a league,
Half a league onward,
All in the Valley Of Death rode the six hundred.
“Forward, the Light Brigade! Charge for the guns!” he said.
Into the Valley Of Death rode the six hundred.
II.
“Forward, the Light Brigade!”
Was there a man dismayed?
Not though the soldier knew someone had blundered.
Theirs not to make reply,
Theirs not to reason why,
Theirs but to do and die.
Into the Valley Of Death rode the six hundred.
III.
Cannon to right of them,
Cannon to left of them,
Cannon in front of them volleyed and thundered;
Stormed at with shot and shell, boldly they rode and well, into the jaws of Death, into the mouth of hell rode the six hundred.
IV.
Flashed all their sabres bare,
Flashed as they turned in air,
Sabring the gunners there,
Charging an army, while all the world wondered.
Plunged in the battery-smoke,
Right through the line they broke;
Cossack and Russian reeled from the sabre stroke shattered and sundered.
Then they rode back, but NOT the six hundred.
V.
Cannon to right of them,
Cannon to left of them,
Cannon behind them volleyed and thundered;
Stormed at with shot and shell while the horse and hero fell that had fought so well.
Came through the jaws of Death,
Back from the mouth of hell, all that was left of them,
Left of six hundred.
VI.
When can their glory fade?
O the wild charge they made!
All the world wondered.
Honour the charge they made!
Honour the Light Brigade noble six hundred!
The Diary Of My Perfection 
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