July 28, 2023 Dan Berei

Just a Few Things | July 28, 2023

Welcome to this week's edition of Just a Few Things, where I share just a few things from the week that have inspired, motivated, interested or made me stop and think.

Why does Just a Few Things matter? Because we often find inspiration in the most unexpected of places. Maybe you'll see something in this week's edition that spurs you to action, inspires you to read something new or maybe you'll be moved to share a thing or two from your week with us!

And if you're thinking “wait, what does this have to do with flags?” Well, it has absolutely nothing to do with flags. Combat Flags has always been about more than flags - it's about community, sharing ideas and constant improvement. Let’s get to it.

What I've been reading | Soldiers Don't Go Mad: A Story of Brotherhood, Poetry, and Mental Illness During the First World War

Written by Charles Glass, "Soldiers Don't Go Mad" is a historical account of the impact of World War I on the human psyche, focusing on the experiences of Second Lieutenant Wilfred Owen and fellow officer Siegfried Sassoon. Through their time as patients at the Craiglockhart War Hospital, the book explores their unique friendship, shared love of poetry, and struggles with war trauma and societal pressures. Drawing on extensive research, the author highlights the profound intersection between psychiatry, poetry, and the human response to the horrors of modern warfare, shedding light on the origins of post-traumatic stress disorder and the healing power of creative expression.

You can find it at a local book store or on Amazon.

What I've been listening to | Tetragrammaton with Rick Rubin

Last year I read Rubin's book "The Creative Act: A Way of Being" and ever since I finished the book I've listened to his Broken Record Podcast. Excitedly this week I found another podcast he hosts called "Tetragrammaton" after hearing an interview with John Mayer. If you're into music or eavesdropping on absolute experts as discuss their profession openly and beautifully, you should give this one a listen.

Listen to Tetragrammaton with Rick Rubin featuring John Mayer

Something I purchased and don't regret | An air cleaner

You know you're getting older when you get excited over an air cleaner... I'm not ashamed! Between the billows of wild fire smoke blanketing the Charlotte area every few weeks, germs from kids and an unusually high pollen count, I've been dealing with some kind of sniffles for most of the summer. Enter this air cleaner on Amazon and things are already different. For under $100, it's made a noticeable difference in the quality of the air in our rooms. Lame, boring, but it works!

Alright, that's it for this week's edition of Just a Few Things. I hope you've been inspired to try something new, read a book, reflect on your week or listen to a new podcast.

Please feel free to drop a comment or email with a thing or two from your week that I can share with others!

Have a good one!

-Dan

*You'll notice I included links in this week's Just a Few Things. These are not affiliate links (we get nothing in return for including them), I simply want you to have the chance to navigate to what I'm sharing easily.