Before I sign off for the day, as I have rewrites to touch up, tick/flea medicine to pick up from the vet, birthday party things to sort out (my daughter's 13th this weekend) I wanted to link y'all to a post that made me absolutely choke up. I make no bones about my respect for the military, for my respect for anyone that puts their life on the line so that I can have a Starbucks on every corner, my kids can bad mouth politicians in school, and so that we here in the US can continue to live our ridiculously privileged lives. Well, some of us here get to.
My son wants to become an army doctor, and has begun the steps to fulfill that goal, so maybe that's why I got weepy. Or possibly because my father is a Vet. And my grandfather served in WW2 in the Navy in the Pacific. And my stepfather was a medic, chopper-jockey, and in Special Forces in the Vietnam war and still carries the scars of his three tours to this day. A girlfriend of mine is married to a man that was a Navy Seal in the first Gulf War and suffers from Gulf War Syndrome. And is one of the sweetest fathers I've ever known - he hides his demons at night, she tells me.
I get choked up seeing military flying on airplanes, not knowing if they're coming or going, but I smile at them all the same. This whole post of "coming home" pictures is absolutely wonderful and heartbreaking and wonderful. You don't have to agree with the war to feel empathy for the men and women that are caught in it and doing their jobs to the best of their abilities. <3
- Spock is::
thoughtful
'Oos dis bint, then?
stoney321- Laura Stone
- Hey, Don't Judge Me
Comments
I don't really talk about it much, but most of my extended (non-NYC) family is military, both current and ex, in all branches but Army. Out of pretty much everyone I know, they're the only ones who didn't give me shit over working for Lockheed Martin.
My ex was a Marine, as well. And Lockheed Martin is a BIG EMPLOYER where I live, so yeah. I won't give you shit for having had that job, either. It's not like it was Monsanto. (LOL, Kassie is going to punch me.)
It was just an internship, really, but it was 3-4 years after Desert Storm so people were still pretty het up, idk.
Hope the girl has a fantastic birthday this weekend! *hugs to all of you*
We're having a roller rink party and I'm SUPER EXCITED about it! I get to pull out my gold lame skates, WHEEE!
Of your skates, and the roller rink party. WHAT, YOU'RE NEVER TOO OLD TO GO TO A ROLLER RINK AND DO THE CHICKEN DANCE ON SKATES.
Side awesomeness: You just reminded me that the place I went to as a kid was called "Interskate 91."
My dad's retired Air Force, my hubby is former Navy Reserve, my mom's dad was a Seabee, and my dad's dad worked for Howard Hughes. I've lost count of the friends and acquaintances I have who are/were military.
I've told my kids I'd be PROUD if they joined the military.
OMFG I cried like a baby.
OK SO I AM THE THIRD ONE TO POINT IT OUT. THIS IS JUST PROOF OF ITS AWESOMEOSITY.
Edited at 2010-05-26 06:10 pm (UTC)
I never went into service (because of college) and it seems I will no longer have the opportunity to (we're phasing mandatory service out in favour of a fully professional standing army), but I have respect for the military, especially since my neighbour back home is in the airforce.
When it comes to war stories, I can only regale you with some army anecdotes from my father (who went into mandatory service during the People's Republic era for the required 9 months) and the story of my grandfather, who was part of the underground Polish army for only a couple of weeks (he was deemed old enough just before the Sovet steamroller made its way over the country), yet was still incarcerated for 5 years by the Party for it.
<3 <3 <3
I knew better than to look at the pictures, though I did anyway and cried, but I really, really knew better than to watch the videos, because I've seen them before, and yet I still looked and now I'm out of tissues.
I also remember that song!
AND LAMBERT!! I know my sisters and I might be the only members of our generation to know about that, but MY DOGS ARE TOTALLY SHEEPISH LIONS. (Then again, I was genuinely surprised as a kid when no one ever understood what I meant when I tried to do the "Applecore-Baltimore" joke/prank from Chip and Dale pre-Rescue-Rangers.) When Chronicles of Narnia came out, we joked that Sleepy was Aslan's broke cousin trying to hit him up for a job. Aslan always avoided eye contact.
DOGS ARE GREAT.