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All's fair in love and war
All’s fair in love and war.
It’s one of those handy multi-purpose statements that we’re each of us bound to come out with at some time or other to suit a scenario. What exactly is fair about war is incomprehensible really. Perhaps at a time when what went on "over there" was left to the imagination, the only natural consideration was that everything that happened was something to be proud of. With modern media accessibility we are now often made to question that, with endless coverage exposing unacceptable political and military behaviour.
But for those who have committed themselves to a forces career that cannot be considered and they must remain unshakeable in professional purpose. They cannot pick and choose where or when, but must embrace all that goes with the territory. I have a friend currently serving in the Falklands and whilst we joke frequently about the only action there is that of joining the relentless march of the penguins, the fact is that day in day out he is training and working with front line commitment. Remaining true to an objective is vital for anyone wishing to influence an outcome. And battlefields come in all guises. The choice to simply give in or give up is always there, but it is those who stick to their beliefs and put their absolute spirit behind them that emerge victorious. Sometimes it takes confrontation, sometimes it takes creativity and above all, it takes courage.
It’s all about love, actually. Those that commit themselves to something they want with absolute passion take the twists and the knocks on the way and keep moving forwards. There are no rules when passion is involved, only dreams and these are worth fighting
for. That means recognising how things change - and the clarity, honesty and determination to face up to new ideas and different ideals as part of that are strong weapons indeed Nothing good comes easily and whilst we may not agree with some of the tactics in achieving what is desired, in reality, we have to accept them, even learn from them. So, accept what you can’t change and change what you can’t accept. With passionate belief there is vision, to be part of what happens or to create alternatives!.
So often, too often, the defeatist cries of those who in this age of paranoia simply cannot be bothered to open their minds and go into winning gear are those listened to. No one likes change or the casualties it may bring, but it is inevitable, and it isn’t
necessarily wrong. It’s a part of life and life, as we are also told, is invariably not fair.
Those that choose to just stand and complain will be defeated time and again, simply by empowering their opposition or, equally negative, by failing to realise their own dreams through clouded vision holding them back. Making the most of given potential means taking risks and making compromise, but the alternative is a half hearted, half measure and surely the quickest route to failure.
Protest is good, it is our right. But alongside protest there has to be proactivity. Taking the elements of who we are, what we know, and what we want and putting what we believe in into action with absolute energy and as much integrity as possible. Nothing could be fairer than that.
Lauren Fox, Editor
