This past week I have been thinking a lot about our military. Given the fact I have never had a family member or someone close to me in the army around these times, or knew anyone in the September 11th tragedy, or been affected personally by the war in Iraq... I have never really thought much about it. I support our troops and my country, but it is not something that moves me to tears, until recently. Watching Ryan on the Real World talk about the effects the war has had on him and the pain he feels knowing he has to go back (in April, God bless you Ryan) and hearing that a friend from high school just went off to Afghanistan, it makes my heart hurt.
I think of all the military wives and loved ones who go through each day wondering if their soldier will come home. If he is getting enough to eat, if he has to kill someone, if he will be hurt. I can't imagine feeling that way. So often do we think of the soldiers and praise them for their duties, but shouldn't we also be praising the ones they leave behind? The ones that worry constantly. The ones that might have everything to lose.
So I pray that our military get through this. I thank them for their protection. I hope they come home soon to see their families and friends. And most of all I hope we can leave this war soon without any harm to all of us in the U.S.A.
http://www.iraqwarveterans.org/
So here's the thing: about 1 out of ten people are jerks. They're awful terrible people. They litter. They yell things from moving cars. They screw up the checkout line. Maybe they shouldn't be made to suffer, but really, the world would be a better place without them. An example would be my grandmother. I loved her, she's been dead for decades, and we're all better off without her. (Before CB radios, she would lean out the car window and tell semi-truck drivers that their rear doors were open. They'd get off at the next exit and she'd laugh like hell.) So anyway, when strangers die, you need to take into consideration that they might be jerks. Don't feel totally bad -- because there is a 10% chance they were jerks, you should only feel 90% bad. Or do what I do, on 10% of the days (the 10th, 20th, and 30th of each month) I treat the news of strangers dying as if the strangers were jerks and therefore as good news. Note: It is not good for the dying people to suffer or for their loved ones to suffer. (I loved my grandmother and people shouldn't be happy that I feel bad.) People can feel good that lines are shorter and that my grandmother is no longer bothering truck drivers.
ReplyDeletePeace.
Oh geez, Bob, I don't even know what to say about that....
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