Friday, May 22, 2015

Before You Hit Enter...

While checking one of my favorite webcomics, Terminal Lance (not for the faint of heart), I was reminded of the two ways people seem to celebrate this weekend.

Drunken barbarian or keyboard-enabled douchenozzle? You decide!
As a result, I would like to offer a small suggestion/request.

Even though this is Memorial Day weekend, and not "drunken-gorge-myself-on-hot-dogs-and-cheeseburgers" weekend, please refrain from spending a passive-aggressive weekend on Facebook trying to make people feel bad because of the following:

  • they did not serve in the military, 
  • people died in uniform somewhere, 
  • someone wants to actually enjoy their time with family and friends, 
  • Someone in our government, another country, or both "hates the flag", or
  • 'Murica

Please DO remember. Simply that. You don't have to feel bad about it. You don't need to make others feel bad about it. Just remember that someone else (who likely had no intention to do so) gave their life in the service of their country. I bet most of them would think it is awesome that someone is eating a cheeseburger on a back porch instead of carrying a rifle somewhere overseas. I would also bet that they would not think it is awesome that you are sharing your internalized guilt by making others feel bad.

While I was in the Army, I never went to war. I never went overseas. I never carried a weapon except in training. The closest I got to hazardous duty was one gig we played in New Jersey (I wish that was a joke).

I did participate in more memorial ceremonies than I would care to count. I get it. I have seen what we are remembering. I have seen the families, the friends, the fellow service members, the survivors. They remember much more than they want to.

This weekend, shoulder a little of that for them.

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