Catching Creation

11/08/2023

Hey! Do me a favor and subscribe to my weekly SUBSTACK. I post a new article every Friday. The topics are across the board but if you know me, well, you get that. I’ve been using these weekly articles as a way to process the dissonance in my head and discipline myself to always keep writing. My SUBSTACK is called “Dissonance Personified” and I think you’ll dig it.

Subscribe here:
www.Stanlake.substack.com

08/02/2023

https://reptilesmagazine.com/what-to-do-if-your-pet-is-bitten-by-a-copperhead-snake/?fbclid=IwAR2GsSyRtM5oeVgf8uvNSS6c2mFp5md3fO1J_AlByP17vvAFtwoPyg8pLWs_aem_ATJa79xXxwQiEKrF1p7HSImT1BZKRQ_Vk9fZqSg5ZB_yEZyO_t30O7qb4OFQtUoiCW8&mibextid=Zxz2cZ

If you pet needs antivenin it is important to get your animal to the veterinarian as soon as possible to mitigate the severity of the bite.

07/07/2023

On my first mission in Iraq, I did what’s called a right seat ride with the Iowa National Guard unit we were replacing. This was so they could show us the routes and what to expect in country. The Iowa guys I rode with on that mission brought a bag of soccer balls for the Iraqi kids. A school in their hometown donated them for the children in an attempt to win hearts and minds. As the gunner, I had the best vantage to throw the balls to the kids. That moment created a significant amount of dissonance for me. I was both scared to death of being in a combat zone while simultaneously having a moment of pure confusing joy. To see the happiness on the faces of these children juxtaposed against the war-torn landscape was emotionally jarring.

The children were mostly barefoot and in colorful, threadbare clothing. They were all smiling as big as can be. The moment was broken as we rolled away when the beautiful Iraqi girl who caught the soccer ball was chased down and beaten mercilessly with sticks and fists by the surrounding boys so they could get the ball from her.

I immediately went from a sacred moment of shared joy to complete rage. I was powerless to do a thing about it. The convoy rolled away with me as the rear convoy gunner. All I could do was watch the shocking melee as we ambled down the road in hand me down equipment to complete our mission.

Read the whole story at : https://open.substack.com/pub/stanlake/p/memories-of-war-always-forward?r=1pdpz0&utm_medium=ios&utm_campaign=post

06/30/2023

This weeks post is about a salamander larvae, a new faith, and a dude freezing in shin deep water with a huge smile…

A little over a decade ago I found myself up to my shins in water that was barely above freezing. To most people this spot was just a swamp, or a glorified mud puddle at best. To me it was heaven. Cold, but divine. I’ve been fascinated with the mystery of nature for as long as I can remember. It s...

10/31/2021

Happy Halloween

10/18/2021

Hi, my name is Stan and I’m a Toad-a-holic

10/12/2021

I had the pleasure to hang with Fox 8 WGHP reporter for an interview for their long running “Roy’s folks” segment all about unique NC folks. I guess I made the cut and now I’m in an interesting club. It was a great experience.

10/04/2021

Bats Holla Back y’all…

09/24/2021

Hey guys, hope you’re doing well. Over the last few months Mikey and I have been going back through our original 3 children’s books and fine tuning the illustrations and stories a bit. We uploaded edited versions of all 3 and we couldn’t be prouder of how they turned out. If you have young readers or wa r stories to read to small children check these out. All titles available on Amazon. My author page may be the quickest route to all 3. Hope you have a good day.

www.Amazon.com/author/stanlake

07/12/2021

Check out the article I wrote for WSFirst “Do Good Journal” Volume 2 on salamanders and faith.

A little over a decade ago I found myself up to my shins in water that was barely above freezing. To most people this spot was just a swamp, or a glorified mud puddle at best. To me it was heaven. Cold, but divine. I’ve been fascinated with the mystery of nature for as long as I can remember. It s...

07/12/2021

I was recently published in the “Tarheel Guardsman” Magazine. Check it out.

Magazine article about my reflections on service in Iraq during a North Carolina Army National Guard deployment 2005-2006. This story was published in the Tarheel Guardsman Magazine in the July/August magazine. This magazine is a publication of the North Carolina National Guard Association.