This video based on my Substack article reflects on the long-standing tradition of New Year's resolutions, tracing their origins back nearly 4,000 years to ancient vows made for divine favor. It shares a motivational 1912 holiday greeting that encourages people to resolve to do their "dead level best" in the coming year, defending the practice even if resolutions aren't always kept, as the act of making them fosters personal improvement. The piece emphasizes committing fully to eliminating weaknesses and striving for righteousness in the new year.
In the aftermath of the American Civil War, personal accounts from soldiers offered raw glimpses into the brutal realities of conflict, far removed from romanticized histories. George Cary Eggleston’s Southern Soldier Stories captures the unvarnished experiences of Confederate troops, emphasizing not just battles but the everyday struggles against scarcity and deprivation. This excerpt from his collection, titled “Random Facts,” vividly illustrates the ingenuity and endurance of Southern soldiers amid profound shortages—of clothing, medicine, ammunition, and even food—highlighting how necessity forged both practical innovations and spiritual resilience. It serves as a poignant reminder of the human cost of war, where survival often depended on makeshift solutions and unyielding determination.
https://humblymybrain.substack.com/p/confederate-soldiers-hardships-scarcity
