Veteran's Day

It’s Veteran’s Day and what does Veteran’s Day make you think of? War.

War has always been a messy subject for me. I’ve always loved history and enjoy studying the history associated with war. I appreciate those who fight for our freedom and know for a fact that is something I could never personally do. I often think of guys my age spending months on end on foreign land, putting their life on hold and in danger. I see pictures on Facebook of people stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan. They are uploading pictures of themselves behind giant war machines, tanks and guns and I’m spending my time going to work in an office, going to shows and bars and living in my cozy apartment.

The life styles don’t even compare.

I simply cannot imagine life in the military. I would be terrified, clueless and probably crying a lot...

At the risk of sounding like a complete hippie, I still don’t understand how war is the answer. Maybe I’m naive and there really is no other way, but it’s 2010…and war just seems….so barbaric. The world is never going to be perfect, and differences will always exists among us. I can ramble on for hours about war and religion and life and how the conclusions many people arrive at, make no sense to me. I can tell you that I think our country wastes a shit ton of money on war and thousands upon thousands of innocent lives are being cut short. I can sit here and explain how it felt to walk through Anne Frank’s house in Amsterdam and the chills that I got as I peered in on the space that she called home for the last two years of her life. I can go on and on about how I don’t understand why fighting and killing is the answer, but that doesn’t change the fact that it’s happening. I’m not going to change the world in my lifetime, but I am going to spend a little more time promoting peace. And until we live in the perfect world, I’ll choose to remain grateful for those who do what I cannot. Thank you Veterans for putting your life at risk for mine.

But let’s all remember to try our best to make love, not war. Peace.