Thank you to all those who serve and to those who have served. Freedom is not free, it requires much sacrifice to maintain. Without you, we would not be able to enjoy the lifestyles so many of us take for granted.
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MM
That which does not kill me postpones the inevitable.
I make it a habit to say "thank you" to the military personnel I encounter out in public. Its just one of my things.
One time on a flight back from D.C., I noticed a guy... obviously a Marine from the tattoos... traveling with his 4 kids. He was seated immediately in front of me on the plane. The kids were very young, but largely well behaved, though the were doing the "Daddy, Daddy..." every few minutes and it was pretty obvious he just wanted to sleep. Equally obvious was that he had lost part of his leg in the war. When we got back to KC, I paused to say thank you as I was getting off the plane. This seemed to make his day.
Months later, my mom calls and tells me I need to check out the newspaper... the show Extreme Makeover was going to fix up that Marine from the plane's house. Sure enough... same guy. It was a pretty cool deal.
A couple years go by, and I'm at the Biker's For Babies ride going through the area where they have all of the vendors and displays. One area is all about this one bike that was custom built for a disabled Marine... same guy. My son was admiring the suicide shifter on the bike and wanted to ask some questions. The Marine was standing there, so I walked Chris over and told him that this is the Marine who owns that bike and that he is a war hero. He shook Chris's hand and without missing a beat told Chris, "Its nice to meet you. I met your mom before on an airplane coming back from D.C."
You might think it a forgettable gesture to the the soldier or sailor that you randomly thank, but I assure you it isn't. It does mean a lot to them... obviously.
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MM
That which does not kill me postpones the inevitable.
Well, it is Wednesday. Hey - how you doin'?
