It's that time of year...the Fourth of July is coming up....Memorial Day, Flag Day, Veterans Day any holiday where people in uniforms march...I get the calls, emails etc. that perplex me...."Thank you for your service!' Always said by people who have never pulled KP much less cleaned an M-16 blindfolded and I know their intentions are stellar and I always wonder what they're thanking me for. That I CAN clean an M-16 blindfolded? That I will boldly go where others tremble to protect my country's interests--whatever the heck that is. When I joined the Army I needed a job. I had no education, no experience and no prospects and it seemed like a safe way to get all three. Safe? I was young is the only explanation I can offer. But it did give me all three and I would do it all over again if I found myself in the same situation. In fact, it gave me a whole lot more, out-sized confidence, of course --most notably the high tolerance for fellow human beings that you can only get being shoved in close quarters with people you would otherwise never know and in countries you didn't know existed. And I know in my gut that--except for the highly evolved few--all of us are just the product of the stuff being poured into our ears and eyes every day--right or wrong, true or false. Because I've seen it in myself--I can change opinions like a chameleon depending on where the dial is set. Who my friends are. What environment I'm in. I'm not different from you. But vice versa, too, babe. I think that's what people should thank me for--that I know this. All vets know this. You're welcome.
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