With the elections coming up in November, political debates are around every corner. I am taking two government classes this semester, one at NCTC and one at EC. I had the opportunity to see Drew Springer, the rep for district 68, as well. As you can imagine, the government has been well on my mind the past two months. But I feel as if we often forget something very important.
We offer a military discount at home depot. After verifying the customer’s ID, I am always sure to thank them for their service and tell them how much I appreciate it. Something small I do, but it has a big impact. Most often, they’re always saying it was a privilege to serve, and they would gladly do it again.
Tonight I had a customer that stood out. He was pleasant the entirety of his visit. He made an effort to remember my name, and to thank me each time I assisted him. When he was finally checking out, and I applied the military discount, his response was something different than the usual responses I hear as I thanked him for his service.
“I think of it every day. I remember every man that did not come back with me from Vietnam. We were young, foolish boys, only 18, 19, 20. So young, so eager to prove ourselves. But not all of them were lucky enough to return home. Every day I remember how lucky I am to be here, and I will never stop being thankful.”
And with that, he smiled again and walked out of the store.
Take a moment and look at our flag. The flag of the United States of America; the land of the free. Our country is not perfect. We are still so much younger than the rest of the world. Our history is not pretty, and our present is divided. There are evil things that go on, but we are still the land of the free.
I am strongly opinionated on many issues.
But it would be a shame to tell our veterans that all they fought for was a country full of squabbling children.
We need to see the importance of taking a step back and remembering who fought and who died so that we would have the opportunity to have opinions.
For once, the customer is right- I am lucky to be here, and I will never stop being thankful.
A Daydreamer's Reality 
Leave a Reply