'Merica

I never really thought about what it means to serve your country until my girlfriends brother joined the army a few months back….hell, I’m sure I still can’t fully understand the sacrifice someone makes to serve their country. I just found this fitting because I’m flying out to Oklahoma this week for his graduation from basic training.

I can sit here and toot my horn day in and day out about manly things but don’t know the first thing about what it takes to dedicate myself to protecting this great country of ours. I’m not going to go off and rant about the army, and America, and how we could all give just a little more…. However, I would like to take some time and remind everyone that the single manliest thing you can ever do is serve our country.

I think I really started understanding what it really means to serve our country when I was downtown back in 08’ for the wings parade after they won the cup. I started hearing this wave of cheers and clapping rolling towards me from the north on Woodward. When it had finally reached me I saw it wasn’t Nick Lidstrom or Pavel Datsyuk….it was four marines. They walked and waved at all the people cheering for them, it was the most humble I had ever seen another.

To me it’s important to; at the very least thank these soldiers for what they’re doing. I fear that if these great men don’t feel the appreciation they should for doing this it will discourage future generations from doing what keeps America what it is; proud and free….

So next time you meet a soldier, thank him/her for serving our country, they deserve it.