Memorial Day 2013

I know I haven't posted anything in quite some time.  My time has been consumed elsewhere, but I find I often think, "I should write about that and post it on the blog".  Hopefully I will find more time to do so.

Today being Memorial Day, my mind has really been on our service men and women.  I know that Memorial Day is a day to honor those who have given their lives for our country, but I find that I also think a lot about our active duty service members as well.

I was thinking today about just how many men have laid down their lives for our country.  I started adding with the Revolutionary War and ended with the current numbers for Afghanistan.  The number was staggering.  It really made me sit back and think.  That number represents a significant loss of life. In the case of World War II, a quarter of that generation was lost!

I am also reminded that our Armed Forces are volunteer.  Yes, we have had drafts in the past.  However, generally speaking, we have a volunteer Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines.  To think that there are men and women who love our country enough to willingly die makes me appreciate their sacrifice even more.  These people chose to put themselves in harm's way.  That is something I can't ignore.

When I complain about something happening in the political arena without fear that I'll be thrown into jail; when I worship in my chosen house of worship without fear that I'll be killed for believing as I do; when I move about my hometown freely at any time of the day or night with no fear that I'll be stopped and/or detained....I can't help but think of those who have made all of this possible for me.  I live comfortably because they chose to live in discomfort.  They chose to leave their families, miss holidays, miss births and graduations, miss funerals and weddings all so we never have to miss these things.  They are on foreign soil facing our enemies so we don't have the fight here at home.  And many of them have died.  Many more will die.  Yet, they go. 

So, before you take Memorial Day for granted and think it's just an extra paid day off of work, think about what it really means.  When you're having your cookout and watching your kids run around the yard playing, laughing and just enjoying life, think about why it is you're enjoying this moment.  When you're enjoying the beach, picture for just a moment, just one person who has made the ultimate sacrifice.  Many people died so you could live comfortably.  They chose to put themselves in harm's way knowing they may die.  Remember that.

No, Freedom Isn't Free
CDR Kelly Strong, USCG (ret)

I watched the flag pass by one day.
It fluttered in the breeze.
A young Marine saluted it,
And then he stood at ease.
I looked at him in uniform
So young, so tall, so proud,
With hair cut square and eyes alert
He'd stand out in any crowd.
I thought how many men like him
Had fallen through the years.
How many died on foreign soil?
How many mothers' tears?
How many pilots' planes shot down?
How many died at sea?
How many foxholes were soldiers' graves?
No, freedom isn't free.

I heard the sound of taps one night,
When everything was still
I listened to the bugler play
And felt a sudden chill.
I wondered just how many times
That taps had meant "Amen,"
When a flag had draped a coffin
Of a brother or a friend.
I thought of all the children,
Of the mothers and the wives,
Of fathers, sons and husbands
With interrupted lives.
I thought about a graveyard
At the bottom of the sea
Of unmarked graves in Arlington.
No, freedom isn't free.

Starting Over

Last year I didn't keep up with this blog well at all! It seemed as though one overwhelming thing after anther come my way. As many of you know, I've been at my job for three years now. This is the first of the three years that I've not been persecuted by other "Christians" trying to get me fired. I suppose it isn't fair to put Christian in quotes like that.... Even Christians can be led by the flesh; I know I have many times. Thankfully this year seems to be going better. Sure, there are up and downs, that's inevitable. Regardless, things really are going better.

Anyway...

To restart this blog from the fitful starts and stops of the last year, I've decided to keep the most popular entry from last year and move forward from there. I know I won't be able to update every day, but I'd like to try to do so at the very least once a week.

And now I'll try to catch you up on the last year. To be honest, it's mostly a blur. I was busy with church and my son and family. Over the summer I had both bathrooms remodeled. My bathroom had the most work done. I'll chronicle that whole process in my Floridian Oasis blog. (Link at left.)

My son, of course, is maturing into a fine young man. I do believe he has a heart for God. He is struggling right now with church attendance, and I hope that can be corrected. However, I hesitate to make too much of a fuss for fear of completely driving him away.

He has a life plan for which I am unbelievably thankful. At his age I had no such plan and look at where my drifting got me! I regret often that my early years were wasted so.

However, I digress...

My son has decided to let the marines pay for his education since he plans to make a career of the military. I am ever so thankful he has chosen to throw his lot with the Marine Corps. He has decided he will go the Crops of Cadets route at either UF or Texas A&M. After graduation he wants to be a sniper in Force Recon. Now I don't know enough about all that to know exactly how he's going to make that happen, but I trust that he will.

Speaking of the Marines, Amanda graduated Texas A&M and is now in TBS. She has met a man who seems to really love her and I look for them to be married within the year. I'm very happy for her.

What is left of my family is doing OK. Health problems and the like plague us, but I suppose that is a result of hard living. You know how it goes. My dad's back is terrible, but I think he's waiting for retirement before doing more surgery. My only surviving uncle seems to be dealing with his leukemia but with Russ you never know. I'm often amazed at how he seems to blithely plow through life seemingly without a care in the world.

And my mom? There's another one that amazes me. Somehow, despite all the garbage she is forced to deal with, she holds up and keeps going. I truly don't know how.

As for me, there isn't a whole lot to report. My life is pretty much all wrapped up in my son. Of course that's as it should be and I LOVE it!

I suppose the highlight of my year was purchasing my car. It pained me, but the Blazer just had become too costly to keep on the road. I picked out a silver Chevy Malibu. It's a 2010 and I LOVE it! I've named it Edward because it reminds me of a chunkier version of Edward Cullen's car. And let me be clear here: I am NOT a "Twilight" fan. You can see how I really feel about the "Twilight" series by reading my book reviews in my Well-Read Floridian blog. (Link at left.)

I believe this has gone on long enough. You're about as caught up as you need to be!

PS: This should have been posted Sunday, but I never got around to it. Story of my life! LOL So today will be a two for one. Later I will post yesterday's post.