In a cigar box in an Aberdeen museum lay a few pieces of old wood. This week, a keen archivist realised the importance of these few shards. The wood was cedar wood and put together they made that most humdrum of items, a ruler. Long after the treasures of the Great Pyramid had gone, this ruler had survived flood, famine and invasion. When discovered by an archaeologist a hundred years ago, they brought it back to Scotland and “put it somewhere safe.”
If 2020 can tell us anything then surely it must be not to take anything for granted. Peace, freedom and even Christmas are not to be forgotten without risk. The fate of the nation’s old people, tucked away “somewhere safe”, but not with us, has been a tragedy. Whilst the arguments rage about equality and fairness, the Egyptian ruler tells us that we cannot do without “makers”, people who can actually create and build. The obsession with death that led to the long drawn out demise of Ancient Egypt is a stark warning to those who obsess on daily death totals.
I went looking for my own ruler and found it. I also found a card game that I had forgotten I’d bought my boys. In a tin next to these two finds was a number of playing cards that I had misplaced. Once I had the cards, I was off on a hunt…”All Miniatures Great and Small” is a great watch on YouTube. As the authoritative father and slightly dazed son play through games, I saw they had a list for Fallshirmjäeger.
Thirteen Stügs were needed and when I looked I’d squirrelled away fifteen, as well as one dead one! It’s an objective marker and therefore doubly untouched!
Did I have enough Panzerschrek teams for a züg? I had eight! There wouldn’t be a Sherman left in my area of Normandie!
The version four of Flames of War is very user friendly. On the shelf next to Cartman from South Park ( my all time hero) , were the cards and source books I needed. I didn’t have paratroops fielding 10.5cm guns but I had a batterie of 7.5s and the ubiquitous 88s.
So in my angst to “get stuff finished” I began to realise just how much had already. I think I ‘ll have to start taking a leaf out of that Aberdeen archivist’s book and start valuing the things we already had. A big thank you to all those who have followed my ramblings over the last six years. I greatly appreciate all those who regularly offer ideas and inspiration in this most strange of years.
I wish you all a very merry Christmas!
Michael
2017?
2020
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