News and Gunslingers

Today we finally got some long awaited good news about Agent L. We knew yesterday that she went into surgery, but we found out today that it went well. At this point all we are getting is second and third hand information as to what all took place and what her prognosis is. Agent S is off the heavy medication and is taking the over the counter stuff to quell the pain. I have not heard anything recent about Agent M and therefore will not comment on her current condition. Even amongst all this good news, all three still need our prayers.

Now, on to other business. I believe it is time for me to explain some things. First, the title. "The Chronicles of a South Carolina Gunslinger.” As far as I can tell everything in the title is self-explanatory except for the last word in the sentence. If you need help with "Chronicles" and "South Carolina" let me know and I will explain further. Let us move on to Gunslinger. As the Merriam-Webster Dictionary definition is posted in the Profile, I will skip ahead to my definition of a Gunslinger. This comes a great deal from Stephen King's The Dark Tower series and the main character, Roland Deschain. To put it simply a Gunslinger is a romanticized knight with pistols or revolvers (minus the cumbersome shiny steel plating) and is proficient with these weapons and the weapons they are.

Taking this further a Gunslinger needs to be able to handle any situation that is set before them (within human capability). Most of these situations would send most crying off. These select few stand boldly (but not stupidly) in the face of danger. The use of the tools on their hips is used only as a last resort, but will be used without hesitation.

What most call weapons or guns, in the hands of these few are tools, tools that are designed to do a job. That job, despite popular belief, is not to kill. The job is to move a projectile from point A to point B. Like any tool it can kill, injure, or destroy anything that is either between Point and A and B or is point B.

This brings us to the second point I would like to discuss. I have placed the Litany of the Gunslinger on this page. This is straight from the mind of Stephen King. The idea of it is first used in the first book of The Dark Tower series and is actually stated in the second book. The Litany is a mindset that is ingrained into every Gunslinger apprentice in the books written by Stephen King. This mind set shows the apprentices that their revolvers are not just tools or inanimate objects but an extension of themselves. It also serves to focus the mind.

Moving away for Stephen King for the moment, we arrive at the third point. "Semper Fi Deus." To put it bluntly this is obviously an addition to the United States Marine Corp slogan, "Semper Fidelis" or translated to "Always Faithful." Semper Fi is the shortened form of Semper Fidelis. Now, in a witty play on words I added the Latin word for God or "Deus." Thus, creating "Semper Fi Deus" or "Always Faithful to God." I know this is not a literal translation, but it sounds good to me.

I realize that this may have been done by someone else out in this massive world, however, I have yet to hear it or see it come from anyone else but me. Therefore, I claim it.

Long days and pleasant nights.

Goose
Semper Fi Deus