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.
