I wonder sometimes how many people get the soldier. I know some of you are able to absorb  his energy and have it wake up you own. I thought there was a pretty good lesson here:

"He knows he can't get me out of my foxhole," he said of one the most provocative people you could ever meet. The guy can jerk just about anyone's chain and takes great pleasure.  "Yeah, he knows he can't piss me off enough to get me out of my hole and you come over to my hole, I'll kill ya."

Parse that and apply if you can... wish to. This is the mindset of a person not condition to losing.

I'd say that is darn good advice coming from a LONG-TIME survivor!

STAY CALM, DO NOT TAKE THE BAIT, WIN & LIVE-- to fight another day, if need be.

That's an amazing picture.  I really appreciate the way you convey the soldier to us. 

One thing that stands out to me: his humor, which seems to have this playful/delightful quality about it

i appreciate your way of doing it, too. something in me always refrains from trying too quickly to 'get someone' so i would hesitate to guess if i do...i just enjoy the stories, is all.

however something of him reminds me of my dad, whose life motto is 'don't fuck with people and if they fuck with you smash them down' LOL ...my dad takes pride in the fact he's never picked a fight but knows how to fight back (taurus moon conjunct mars)

Holy cheeze, do I wish I could refrain from rising to the bait!  It's a lesson I haven't ever been able to parse, although I know it would be much more effective.

Case in point, recently I went to my dad's, approx 90 miles away, so we could bury my cat.  I have a leadfoot, I'm not ashamed to admit it.  So the speed limit was 70 and I was travelling at a steady 85, when a pick-up truck swings out in front of me doing, like, 60.  So I slowed down and fumed, then sped past him as soon as I could because the fucker would not get out of the fast lane even when traffic cleared.  Later I made a pit-stop and as I was waiting for my friend to get out of the bathroom, the guy came up to me and starts bitching, very loudly, about me passing him.  Could I just stare him down?  Nah!  So I started, not yelling because I didn't raise my voice, but letting him know.  One thing I said was, "Either bring it or shut the fuck up, because I'm tired of listening to your bullshit."  Honestly, I should have said, "Sorry for offending your small dick, but your momma should've taught you what the rear-view was for, you pokey asshat!"

Ahem.  *angelic look*

haahhhhhhhhhhaahahaahaaaaaahahahahahaha!!!

GOD, i love you SaDiablo - and I've missed you, glad to see you back!!!  That was great.

I like the soldier a lot. He has a lot of qualities I wish I could find in a man, and a lot of qualities I wish I had had in my father. I suppose one could say that those two issues are pretty closely related, but whatever the case may be, what's he got is all good, even the bad. His devotion to you is profoundly touching.

Harry Truman is my favorite president. Sounds like a non sequitur, but it isn't. :)

I go out of my way to not get my tail yanked by people, and I mean I go miles and miles to keep a chokehold on it. If I am so angry as to actually express my anger, it's not anger by then, it's rage, and then it's final. You're done. And probably speaking to St. Peter about your entrance ticket.

i've found old soldiers to be some of the wisest, most solid people out there.

maybe because they've had to be to survive as long as they have.

i think also there's something about looking death in the face and getting the job done anyway that provides a useful, and sorely needed, perspective.

i love many of the old soldiers in my life.  some of whom are now dead.

He has a Moon/Neptune conjunction doesn't he?  I think this is how you've got to be with that aspect, otherwise you totally absorb the other persons nonsense.