It's Memorial Day

This morning, a Facebook status from a vet friend of mine said something along the lines of not understanding why we refer to a “Happy” Memorial Day. I guess he was making the point that today's holiday was formed to remember those who died in service to our country. Over time, the holiday has become an excuse for people to tap kegs and take advantage of retail sales. That's the danger when you try to create a national holiday of solemn remembrance- the message can get quite diluted over time.

Every year on Memorial Day I make a point of reflecting for a few minutes on the men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice on behalf of our country. I become choked up a little bit but also become immensely grateful. We tend to complain a lot in this country about our state of affairs. As we do so we forget that the very fact that we can do all of this bitching and moaning is because we enjoy freedoms that other people laid down their lives for. If you're not sure whether or not it's a big deal to be able to criticize our leaders, take a moment to think about what might happen to someone in Pyongyang who chose to speak out as we are able to every day.

A while back I was watching a piece on one of the Sunday news shows about billionaires who are answering the rallying cry of Warren Buffet to donate the bulks of their fortunes to charity. One gentleman who has signed off is a billionaire hedge fund guy. He explained that, unlike many of his peers, he wants to pay his fair share of taxes because this country and its system enables people to be able to become immensely successful unlike the structures of other countries. As he explained this, he started to cry. I'll never forget that.

Today we decided to hit up the local Memorial Day parade in town. There was a stream of vintage cars, horses, and little kids. The sidewalks were full of the townsfolk, many in patriotic colors. There were American flags and red, white, and blue bunting all over town. The parade ended in a local park where they dedicated a new memorial site whose completion was due in large part to a teenage Eagle scout. Our national anthem was sung by the local high school choir. Every time I hear that song, I become emotional. Those words and that melody represent the struggles our men and women have endured for us, some having given up their lives. There are men and women at this moment who are far away from home in service to our country. They have shown a commitment to their country that few can match.

I can't relate how lucky I feel tonight to be a citizen of this county. Sure, things are far from perfect but I feel as if I have a lot on my side that many citizens of the world don't have. Without those men and women in uniform, I may not be able to say that or any number of things.