Friday, September 23, 2011

Biting the Bullet





                       Bite the Bullet. 
          I’d take a bullet for you. 
The saying started during the Civil War, when injured soldiers were given a lead bullet to bite upon during surgery without the benefit of anesthesia.
Ouch.
Lately, things are tough all over and all my friends are wondering when it will end. Things are different now. The struggle continues with little sign of letting up, but my personal viewpoint is that “things can always be worse”. I mean, look around, there’s always someone who is struggling more and suffering harder.
Where are you on the scale of 1 to 10?
I discovered “bullet stones” in the 90’s and have always been drawn to them. The bullet-shaped stone mimics the shape of a gun bullet. I‘ve always loved guns. I love the machinery of them, the mechanics, the design. I especially love vintage revolvers. 
I don’t tell many people this because everyone I know is a pacifist. I like guns for guns, it’s the people who use them that I distrust.

I designed my first bullet charms years ago. I like the ironic contrast of the dark with the light, the need for the good with the bad. This is what they represent for me.  And in honor of today's Fall Equinox, where there is an equal amount of light and dark, all the balance is elusive.   Everyone bites the bullet occasionally. 
 Just shoot from the heart, it’s bound to work out.