Monday - Day 260 - Veterans Day

A day to remember.  A reminder to honor those who served our country and possibly to feel a little pride for being a United States citizen.  It is easy to forgot how good Americans have it.  Especially, when many of us are feeling the pinch of our current economy. 

John had a nice chat with one of our permanent neighbors today.  It's amazing what we learn from people, especially on a day like Veterans Day. 

Our neighbor served in Vietnam.  John and I had no idea.  He was in the Navy, on special assignment, he rode down rivers, at night, in the jungle.  He was basically a kid at the time.  

Our neighbor also told John that they could not turn lights on at night for fear of being seen, caught or shot at.  We worry about our kids watching violent and scary movies.  Yet, there are people we share our time with who secretly keep our worse horrors and fears tucked inside their memories.  Real experiences of fear, ones none of us could probably imagination.  

Does the passage of time make it easier and less dangerous?  

It's no wonder Veterans can lose "it" after serving in a war.  We all have demons to deal with, but maybe some of us are slaying demons that are much more real than the rest.  

And I thought about my neighbor for a while and opened my heart to his circumstances and I will be more understanding when he says things I don't like about my son.  At the end of the day does it really matter?  

James is just a kid, and we all take issue dealing with other people's children.  James has his entire life ahead of him, and he'll never be forced to wade through a jungle, at night, in fear for his life.  It is all relative to perspective now isn't it?

I found myself at home later.  Ty was finishing a plate of food.  He wasn't totally done, instead of placing his dish in the sink, like he normally does, he shared his leftovers with his dog. 

I share this, because amid all the shit in this world, something so pure and innocent finds it way into our life.  Each day we are challenged to find the good, forcing us to appreciate the bad.