Quotes that made me sane

In Tim O'Brien's book The Things They Carried, he told a story of a young man conflicted about going to Vietnam. He went to the No Woods in MN and the lodge keeper rowed him across Rainy Lake. He thought he wanted to go to Canada to escape his draft. But, he ended up in tears and decided "I was a coward--I went to war." He couldn't face the fact of the embarrassment he would entail from family and friends if he went to Canada.

In Farley Mowat's book And No Birds Sang, he inscribed the quote "Dulce et Decorum Est—Pro patri mori“ taken from the writings of Wilfred Owen. This is a saying from the time of Homer that meant "It is sweet and just to die for one's country." Mowat and Owen wanted to put down the old lie that has been around since the time of Homer. It is a lie.

I had 4 little boys in the 1960's and heard Betsy Palmer (actress) say on her daytime TV show that she would walk her son across the Canadian border if he were drafted. I was confirmed in my thinking. 

These 3 things kept me sane as I felt the same as all three and was so happy to see my feelings confirmed.