Courage takes on many forms. One of these is the courage to speak out when the better part of valor says otherwise. At present, when conflicts initiated by power-hungry world leaders, like the crisis in Ukraine, are cropping up all over the world, standing up for what is right and just takes extraordinary courage. Carl Kegerreis, in the groundbreaking novel, I Wish I Had Those Gasoline Pellets, illustrates the real meaning of courage under fire through the lovely and irrepressible Lilly.
Spurred on by the needless killing of American servicemen in the Vietnam War, a young Lilly joins a war protest in Washington, DC. The group of college kids who were with her chanced upon Captain Oley Washington, Jr., a military war hero, who was on his way to the White House to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor from the President of the US. Blinded by righteous indignation and bloodlust, Lilly’s companions nearly bludgeoned Oley to death. Despite the possible harm to herself, Lilly pleaded with her companions to stop the beating. Oley suffered amnesia because of the incident but gained a second chance at life because of Lilly’s timely intervention.
Carl Kagerreis found inspiration in the character of Lilly through his wife who suffered from Alzheimer’s disease. The disease which is characterized by progressive memory loss and confusion is a leading cause of dementia. Carl’s wife passed away on March 1, 2021. Throughout her ordeal, she showed Lilly’s grace and composure under pressure.
Alzheimer’s disease has never been fully-explained despite modern advances in technology. Until the present day, the disease that slowly destroys brain cells has no known cure. Research done on Alzheimer’s disease has produced treatments and procedures to alleviate symptoms only. Carl hopes to contribute to the elimination of the disease in honor of his wife.
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