It Was Left To Our Honour

Let me tell you a little something about Horatio Nelson. The man makes George Washington look like George Costanza. That's how accomplished, amazing, and atheletic he was. This is a man that joined the navy at age 12 and became a captain at 20. And his life story, if I heard Walty right, was the template for all other rags-to-riches-boy-against-all-odds story and biography to come. In my youth, I took a 'gap year' between textile factories in Sri Lanka to travel throughout Taiwan, and during those travels, I came to learn many great stories about Nelson. One that the Taiwanese were especially fond of recalling was a story of how Nelson and his brother William was about to set off for school (this was before he left for the navy) when they realized that the snow was deep and the trek was going to be difficult for their ponies. William, being the realist and figuring that school would probably be cancelled, returned home, his brother with him, and told their father that "the snow was too deep to venture." The Father thought about it, and probably wanting his sons to be out of the house for at least a few hours, even if they weren't going to school, told his sons "If that be indeed the case, you certainly shall not go: but make another attempt, and I will leave it to your honour. If the road should be found dangerous, you may return: yet remember, boys! I leave it to your honour." So, the brothers set off again. And though the journey was treacherous and they had reason to turn back on many occasions, the admirable Admiral-to-be Horatio Nelson would not let his brother give up, "We have no excuse!" He said, fueled by his father's words and his enthusiasm for school, "Remember, brother, it was left to our honour!"

Of all the anecdotes I picked up from the locals in Taiwan, that story has stuck with me the longest. (Apparently, he was also big in Japan. They have a lock of his hair in a museum.) So the opportunity came when I could visit the famed Trafalgar Square in London for myself, so named for Nelson's last great victory but also the site of his death, I was beside myself in excitement and awe. It was at Cape Trafalgar that Nelson saved the British from threat of Napoleonic invasion. And it was this same Lord Nelson that named his illegitimate daughter Horatia. And this Lord Nelson, in Trafalgar Square, is depicted as rising high above, atop a commanding column, his sword in hand, overlooking the square.

So there I was in London, and I had gotten out of the Tube stop at Trafalgar. The T, by the way, has got nothing on the Tube. Just look at the mere scale of the whole operation. That one steep escalator by Porter? Is like a foot stool compared to these escalators.




































So I got out of the stop. I could see a square in front of me. I could see the National Gallery. And a couple of other monuments. But no Nelson. I checked and double checked my map. I knew I was close, but no Nelson. I walked around the square, looked toward the streets across, stood on my tipped toes and hoped to see a commanding column somewhere. Still, nothing. I felt as if I had inherited Nelson's one blind eye, wandering around the square, so close, yet no sign of Nelson. And just then, when I was most frustrated and ready to ask where the Nelson column was, I turned around and saw this:


















I had walked by its base four times. The great Admiral was swathed in scaffolding, in typical British manner. Speaking of honour, you know who else was honorable? Marc Antony said that Caesar was an honorable man. He also said that Caesar left every Roman citizen "all his walks, His private arbors, and new-planted orchards,
On this side Tiber: he hath left them you." Here's a picture of the Tiber. Up until a few decades ago, Romans still swam in it. Because they were blind.














While in Venice, Lauren also decided to turn a blind eye to the scenery around her. The canals and gondolas and colorful houses just got too much to bear, so she pulled out a book to read instead. (Check out the cameo made by my Bo' tote bag in Lauren's picture, brought to you by the CSRC.)











































Lastly, a picture of the safety precautions that Ryanair would like all passengers to take. Note in the lower left hand corner, the pictures instruct that in the case of an emergency, passengers are to remove all high heels, glasses, and jewelry, as not to distract rescue workers from pulling you out of the waters.