Hilton Head Island: 1939; increase in production

I just finished reading 1939:  THE WORLD WE LEFT BEHIND in which British journalist, Richard Kee, relates the events of that year through what was printed at the time in newspapers, mostly in Europe and the United States.  

The book was unexpectedly interesting, largely because the year began and ended with illusions and delusions, although they were not the same illusions and delusions in December as they were in January.  Almost no one had any idea what was happening at the beginning of the year, at the end, or in between, which is probably the usual human condition.  During the year two countries, Czechoslovakia and Poland, ceased to exist and what is called World War 2 began, though I contend, as do many historians, that the World Wars were one war interrupted by a twenty-one year cease fire while the bleed out combatants grew a new generation of cannon fodder.

An amusing anecdote in the book is when A.P. Herbert, a member of Parliament, ridiculed practitioners of officialese by paraphrasing Lord Nelson’s famous signal to the fleet at the Battle of Trafalgar:  England expects that every man will do his duty, into government speak:  England anticipates that as regards the current emergency, personnel will face up to the issues and exercise appropriately the functions allocated to their respective occupation groups.

Richard Kee also wrote a similar book, 1945:  THE WORLD WE FOUGHT FOR.  I bought it and look forward to reading it soon.

Productivity is generally thought to be good, but all isn’t.

I was chopped again Monday.  This a growth on the shin of my right leg.  I have an appointment with the beautiful skin cancer specialist in Chicago early next March, but this appeared a few weeks ago and grew quickly and could not wait.  So I again have stitches and can’t do my workouts for a while, which is a nuisance, though I did bike to and from the doctor’s office.  That part of my leg does not flex while pedaling.

I checked my calendar.  I was also chopped in early August.  I do hope this is not going to become a monthly occurrence.