Jul. 25, 2008 - Knotted Stomach, Pounding Boots
I am back from holidays, and hopefully will have time to write about that soon. But for now I will write about today. Today we played in a Change of Command Parade.
I almost didn’t make it. Last night I awoke around 3 due to dreaming about having awful stomach cramps. I awoke to discover it was not a dream. I spent about an hour up, trying to encourage these cramps to subside, finally going out to the trailer to get some Tums. I estimate that I lost about 2 hours’ sleep in total. When the alarm woke me up this morning the cramps had not completely disappeared. I lay in bed wondering if I’d be able to make it to the parade. I did not feel sick. I had no fever. I was sure that it was all due to lack of sleep over the past holiday week, a number of things building on my stress plate this summer, and some ill-timed greasy appetizers my trumpet player and I indulged in after band last night. A good sleep and I’d be fine. But at the moment I could not sleep if I were to be ready in time for the parade.
Just when I’d think I was fine and could go, my stomach would tie itself into another knot. I could not figure out if I’d be ok in time or not. By 8:50 I felt good enough to get dressed and see if I could be ready in time to leave at 9. I did and I was, so at 9 am we headed out for the parade. During the parade I felt fine most of the time, but the knot did return a time or two. The sun was warm, but when it went behind the clouds the otherwise-welcome breeze worked against me, the cold air making me feel worse, as it is prone to do even at the best of times. I was thankful every time the sun’s healing warmth reappeared. I was also thankful for my trumpet player standing next to me, who occasionally, when decorum allowed (in other words, when we were not at attention), looked my way and asked in a whisper how I was doing. A few times I wished I had stayed in bed. A couple of times I considered bending down on one knee as those on parade are supposed to do when they feel they might faint. I wasn’t going to faint, though, and I didn’t want to draw attention to myself, fearing that one of the ambulance attendees might see and come to my unnecessary rescue. So I stood, and for the most part was fine, though I was glad when it was over.
But what struck me this morning happened before the parade began. We were formed up off the parade square, ready to march in after the others on parade. The command for the flights was given and I heard the distinct “thrump, thrump, thrump” of the collection of army boots all hitting the pavement at the same time. It occurred to me that if they were not all in step the sound would not have been as loud. I remember as a newlywed hearing this same pounding of the pavement, at that time echoing over the water from the parade square to our apartment. How the sound carried! It is no wonder that in days past this pounding was used as an intimidation tactic.
I saw images in my mind from movies I’ve seen about war in other times. Particularly, I recalled a movie about the Napoleonic wars. The French army was a master at intimidation. One would hear the boots resound as one as the many men marched as one. The drum line pounded with feet and sticks, intensifying the sound of the oncoming soldiers. One could hear the approach as the crescendo continued. The tactic was effective, but it would only succeed if every soldier marched in time, the many working as one.
Today we don’t use pounding boots to intimidate our enemy, but the unity of the march is not outdated. Our military continues to practice the discipline of marching in unison for many reasons, but what struck me today was that these men (and now women) who were marching together as one, also work together as one. It was as if their cadence was representative of their unity of purpose, without which they could not succeed. It is common in today’s world to hear the military criticized for its uniformitarianism, its insistence that each individual conform to the whole, but it is only this willingness to work as one that allows them success. It may seem extreme to those of us outside the military, but due to the nature of what they do, it is necessary. And for those who do not require such regimented uniformity, there is a lesson to be learned about the effectiveness of working together for a common goal…even when you’d rather be in bed!
