Sergeant Tony's Blog

“For want of a nail the shoe was lost.
For want of a shoe the horse was lost.
For want of a horse the rider was lost.
For want of a rider the battle was lost.
For want of a battle the kingdom was lost.
And all for the want of a horseshoe nail.”

My grandfather taught me that rhyme when I was about 8 or 9 years old. It’s been around since the 14th century he told me. But I didn’t understand it all.

Instead, I just started saving everything. I thought “if those guys had had enough horseshoe nails back then they’d have been in good shape.” And that put me on a course of years and years of being a pack rat. “Better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it” I reasoned … for years! I’m over that now. Kind of. Seriously. Sort of.

Later my granddad tried to explain the rhyme to me using some dominoes, a tennis ball, and our dog’s water bowl. He set up the dominoes on edge in a line with the tennis ball at the end of the line and on the end of the table. On the floor just under the table edge was the water bowl.

He told me to push over the first domino furthest from the tennis ball. Then one by one the dominoes fell until the last one fell over and pushed the tennis ball over the edge of the table and into the water bowl. The ball hit the water and splashed water all over the floor.

My granddad then pretended to scold “Trixie,” our Boston Terrier, for being a bad dog and making a mess. I defended Trixie and said that it wasn’t her fault.

I played right into his hands.

“So, who made the mess?” he asked me.
“Well, the tennis ball fell into the water bowl.” I explained.
“And how did the tennis ball get into the bowl?” asked my granddad.
“The domino knocked it off the table.” I said.
“And how did the domino do that?” he asked with a smile.

I looked at the row of fallen dominoes and realized that knocking over the first domino had led to the water being splashed onto the floor. And then the rhyme made sense. There is a logical progression of actions and consequences, things done (or undone) and the results that follow.

For want of a nail …

When my son, Matthew, was about 12 he asked me why girls are so mean. Wow, what a question! I reasoned then, as I STILL do, that girls get socialized differently than boys. As boys growing up, we learn that if we do something cruel to another boy or say something malicious about another boy, there will definitely be consequences. There’s gonna be hell to pay. Black eyes and bloody noses are part of the socialization of boys.

Not so much with girls. You girls could literally get away with murder, say whatever you wanted using the cruelest of words … and you didn’t have to worry too much about Amanda giving you a black eye after school. I never saw two girls fighting when I was growing up. I WANTED to, but never did!

No hate mail from you girls, please! I already KNOW that you know some pretty mean words!

It’s been over 10 years since I have said or done anything intentionally to hurt another person. I don’t call people names, or cuss people out, or do things to them to harass or hurt. That doesn’t mean I haven’t hurt anyone. It just means that I didn’t do it on purpose.

But I was in Japan a long time ago, sitting around a conference table during a committee meeting … and snapped when the arrogant, pompous, self important Frenchman — I’ll call Pierre — a fellow committee member sitting across the table from me, said, in his little pompous French accent, “You Americans are soooo stu-PID!” Putting out his little French cigarette as he said it, shaking his little French head with that little dismissive smirk on his little French face, as if he were further insulting me and the other 3 Americans on the committee by the way he put out his nasty little cigarette.

Well, here’s a bloody nose for you Pierre!

I guess French boys aren’t socialized like American boys. Too bad.

There are thousands of applications to the little rhyme about the nail.

Granddad also said, “Life is a cinch by the inch, but hard by the yard.” It took me a while to figure that one out too. I’m amused when people who over-eat or over-drink don’t seem to see the connection to THAT behavior and their expanding waist lines. Or the people who exercise once a week who seem clueless as to why they aren’t seeing results. One thing leads to another … and another. Day by day. Consequences, little by little. Inch by inch.

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HALF MARATHON TRAINING THIS SATURDAY — IT’S ALSO A FREE RUN!!

Our 6th Annual St. Jude Half Marathon Training continues on Saturday, September 12 at 8 AM! This will be our 11th half marathon training platoon!

We will meet at the U of M on September 12 due to activities at Shelby Farms. Park inside the parking garage on Zach Curlin (Mt. Fuji) and meet down in front.

If you can run/jog/walk 3 miles in 36 minutes or less, you are a candidate! It’s easier than you think! Every year half of the members of this training group are new and have never run a half marathon!

Cost of the three month training is $75 for Boot Campers and $125 for “friends of Boot Camp” (non-boot campers).

IMPORTANT NEWS … if you are a new half marathoner, or you’re not sure if this training will work for you, this Saturday’s training run is FREE, NO STRINGS ATTACHED! You can try it out with no obligation!

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0645 and 0830 CLASSES ARE ACTIVATED!!

The 0645 and 0830, both MWF classes, are back in session!

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TUESDAY & THURSDAY EVENING CLASS

The Tuesday and Thursday evening classes meet at St. Mary’s track. Those classes begin at 5:45 PM. St. Mary’s is at the corner of Walnut Grove and Perkins.

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Life is a cinch by the inch …

To your continued good health and fitness!

Tony

Sergeant Major Tony Ludlow
USMC Fitness BOOT CAMP, Commanding
Memphis, TN
901-644-0145
www.usmcfitnessbootcamp.com