The Existential Cure

Nothing puts life into perspective like someone trying to kill you

You say your life is meaningless

I have a cure for that 

Sign up for the military 

and end up in combat

Your apathy will disappear 

You'll have a reason why

You'll gain a new perspective

Why you don't want to die 

So if existential angst you have

Try ducking a few rounds

Your outlook will change instantly 

and then you'll come around 

Author's Note

Combat isn't as terrifying as you would think. Anticipating it is much worse. Worrying about when you're going to get hit and what can go wrong will eat at you like a raptor ripping through your stomach so you learn not to dwell on it. Once you're in the middle of a fire fight there's to much to focus on to think about being scared but you're still plenty scared. You just don't dwell on it so you act instead of freezing.
That's a key thing about being scared. If you just let it happen and don't think about it you can plow right through the fear and do some incredible things. Heroes are just as scared as the next ordinary person. They just know not to think about it. Anyway. There's your Baby Ricochet life lesson. Fear is normal and if you don't think about it you won't freeze. Like you don't think about going to the bathroom or getting aroused. It just happens. So stop thinking what can go wrong and go scare the living shit out of yourself doing something you're terrified of. I guarantee you once you're through it you'll think "holy shit I never want to do that again" but at the same time you'll feel like you can do anything. It's a weird dichotomy.

Reviews

[Raymond Federle]

When that first round whizzes past your head all that baggaged s**t you carry around in your head goes right out the window. Well done BR. :)

[Baby Ricochet]

Thank you Raymond

[DIVYA]

Thanks for this lesson Baby. I may not be eligible for going to combat but I really appreciate the tips on how to control fear. A very worthy read.

[Baby Ricochet]

Thank you Divya

[Lyn Anderson]

Your poems and your notes are equally powerful. This is a great piece.

[Baby Ricochet]

Thank you KL

[Rita L. Sev]

A lesson for all of us - Fear is a great motivator, that's for sure! Knowing that you can be bitten makes you more eager to take a bigger bite out of Life...

[Baby Ricochet]

True dat. Thanks Rita

[Corset]

haha true dat, nothing like a good adrenaline rush of the survival instinct to wake a peep up to the beauty of living, or even the realization that it's instinctual to live. I wouldn't try this at home folks!

[Baby Ricochet]

That's for sure. Thanks Firebird

[MAD ENGLISHMAN]

The poem is short and direct. It should be used to stop moaning minnies as we call them over here. HOWEVER you notes are a revelation. Such insight from one who's been there and done that. You should write a short story along this experience. There are plenty of us who would gain so much from reading about a real experience. Very well done. Clive.

[Baby Ricochet]

I've written dozens of pieces on my deployments. Mostly poems. I'll PM you a few of the better ones.

[MAD ENGLISHMAN]

I'd be pleased to read them. Thanks.

[icelandicblue]

Thanks for the insight because it's all beyond my own experience. You explain fear and what you can do with it very well in the poem and in your notes. We are all a mass of contradictions. You can put your finger on the pulse of yours.

[Baby Ricochet]

Thank you Blue

[Coyote Poetry]

This is real truth. I saw how men learn how good life is standing on borders waiting to fight, kill or die. I like the old war movies saying. "War is measure in seconds." Maybe we should face life with the same attitude. Thank you for sharing the outstanding poetry.
Coyote

[Baby Ricochet]

Thank you Coyote

[Vidya Bacchus]

Very wise words there my friend.Being scared does not make you a coward it just makes you human but how you handle it that is what makes you :)

[Baby Ricochet]

That's for sure. Thank you Vidya

[Vidya Bacchus]

You are welcome :)

[Honey-Bee]

Randomly, I once ask a college student what it the most important thing in life? Quickly, he answered the will to survive. I liked that answer and I always remembered it. You poem brought that college students answer to mind. If your fighting for your life, you have little time for fear or apathy. I tend to be a fighter by nature ( of course I have a peaceful side too) but when the twin towers went down, I tried to sign up in the army. Mainly, I was pissed. They didn't accept me anyway. I liked your poem! It was great!

[Baby Ricochet]

I was already in the Corps on 9/11. Man did that ever screw my plans up