As a general rule I avoid talking directly about current events on this site. I try to leave it as a place to come for rest and relaxation. But the immense tragedy unfolding in Afghanistan brings me to tears and compels me to speak.

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The following excerpts are taken from "Sacred Duty: A Soldier’s Tour at Arlington National Cemetery," written by retired 1st Lieutenant Tom Cotton, 101st Airborne (Bronze Star Medal, Combat Infantry Badge, Ranger Tab), reflecting on his tour of duty with the Old Guard at Arlington Cemetery. You can read the full reflection here.

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14^th Century Friar readers will be happy to know a new chapter should be coming out in the next few days. Thank you all for your patience. I cannot promise my upload schedule will be getting any more regular, but I’m trying to get back on the horse after – frankly – a long string of crazy months.

A quick note on the upcoming chapter and a planned chapter that I’ve had to abandon any real hope of writing:

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Hello my friends, and an early Happy Thanksgiving.

This is a multi-layered letter to you all, one which will begin with pragmatism and close with offering you a personal Thanksgiving message. The first part is something that’s really been on my heart to address in a (hopefully) helpful way: what the lockdown is doing to us, and what things we can do about it.

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Howdy folks,

Most years I write a reflection on Veterans Day (Remembrance Day in many countries). This year, I regretfully do not have time. Instead, I would like to issue a simple call to action:

Charities are hit hard by COVID. Veterans charities are suffering right now. That means veterans are suffering. Men and women coming home from war often need help for any number of reasons, ranging from a lack of employment to dealing with post traumatic stress or physical disabilities.

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Hello, 14th C Friar fans (and fans of other stories, as this applies to those as well). Just a quick update here:

I'm not dead, and neither are my active stories.

Life has been, in a word, "complihectibusycated." I've had a lot on my plate that's just been... a lot, and that has significantly sapped my energy and ability to lose myself in the writing process. I've barely strung two words together for anything remotely related to creative writing for, well, a painfully long time.

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Let's take a little dive into one of my favorite means of giving exposition without slowing down the story: the lore snippet.

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It may be nothing, but I got a potentially ominous message from user 'Six String' on this site, and the user page bio makes me concerned. If any of you happen to know Six String and have a way to get in touch, you may want to do so, just in case. Might be nothing, but better to be safe.

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People often talk about "turning points" in history - those single events upon which the future changes. But there are not nearly as many single "turning points" as most people think. Far more often, it is a gradual progression of events with some notable moments interspersed to give us a few dots to connect. Moments like the Assassination of Archduke Ferdinand or the Battle of Midway, where history really does drastically change overnight, are comparatively rare.

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I try to write stories about heroes – heroes of great crises, and heroes of little, everyday problems. Given that this is one of the most central themes of my writing, I can only assume that many of you read my work because that appeals to you.

Today, I’m going to offer you a moment for some of that everyday heroism. To do it, I have to share something unpleasant. Something I truly don’t want to talk about.

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