James Bond

As has been suspected, I am a fan of said character. From before day one.

We were a family that had books floating around the house before they became famous/movies. Never had a library nor an office. Just books. And an insatiable hunger for knowledge.

Bond is too broad a topic for just a blog entry. Books have been written and college courses devised concerning our 'gentleman secret agent'.

Yet, I'm compelled to tell you what I think.

He is the White Knight. He avenges wrongs, not just against the state, but against the people. He has a conscience, though he must sublimate feelings to accomplish a mission and is not as he says just a 'blunt instrument'.

His personal vices are set to make him look like he is less than worthy whereas he is more than worthy. Thus, Fleming mirrored himself. He was brilliant in his simplicity and that simplicity was convoluted.

James Bond is a great many things to many people. He could be an everyman in defining how we think of situations, how we react to either tyranny or embracing it.

Ok some of you think of him as the bludgeon of the state. One way to look at him. I see him as did Fleming. He is a man of few virtues except patriotism and courage. His job calls upon him to kill in the line of duty. He kills only those needing it aka the villains.

The plots are a mixture of fantasy and actual procedure. Fleming makes it entertaining because often the life of an intel op gets boring or at best is very hurry up and wait.

Vicarious entertainmet yes. Morality plays? I think they are to a degree.
Fleming used the books as a coping mechanism for encroaching middle age and marriage. Yet he actually lived some of the stories again masterfully mixed with fantasy and plenty of fiction.

We have real life heroes. Yet the literary/cinematic reach and can teach on a broad scale. They can be a gateway to lead people to the reality of a situation.

Heroes can be drawn from history specifically as in those who have died for Freedom and those who established our Republic. They can be based in historical context yet license is given to tell a tale.

History can become legend and legend can become myth. It is up to us to gain the core values, to see where the story goes. Keep digging.

I'm not reading more into James Bond than is there. The sun doesn't rise and set for me with those stories.

But they can be food for thought. There might be an inkling of the fight between good and evil. After all life is lived on all levels, ie body, mind psyche (from god or outside us) and spirit.

Remember, most knights were not nor are they now saints. Very earthy and flawed, as are all of us to a degree.

We must resist deifying our heroes. But we must also draw from them the inspiration to continue and set forth in reality to right the wrongs that oppress us. We must look to those best qualities and strive to be the best we can be.

Having some guys and gals on the inside as it were can't hurt. Skilled agents who are loyal to Freedom, who want to Restore the Republic can do a lot of good.

So lose yourself in the world of James Bond for a couple of hours. Then come back to reality and realize we just might share those traits he bore.

Patriotism and courage.

Throw in faith and you have an unbeatable combination.