One Hot Mess

Have you ever seen Dear John?  I know that it might not be the most accurate of accounts, I'm aware that its kind of cheesy. It saddens me, because I know that fighting for your country is a little easier when you have someone waiting for you back home. But when something happens, and you don't have that support system its so much harder. Dear John brings me to tears every time I watch it, it gets me every time. I know what happens, but that doesn't make it easier. I am not sure whether I would consider myself fortunate that Nate isn't a military guy, but I know that I am not strong enough to go through what so many spouses go through. I wouldn't be able to go days without hearing his voice, weeks without seeing him, sometimes months without knowing he's safe. I watched Dear John tonight, again, and as I'm pouring out tears (the particular points that get me are, when he's reading the letter to his dad and when he takes the bullet out of his friend's plate just before he is shot in his shoulder) I realize this relatively huge weakness of mine. I know many military personnel, some have gone overseas others have not, but they know that's a risk they're going to have to take.


My cousin is a member of the National Guard, along with a former coworker of mine. One of my best friends is married to a Navy man (another best friend of mine), another one of my friends is in the Navy. A former coworker of mine is married to a Marine. A high school classmate of mine is in the military. . Another of my cousins served. I am proud of all of them, and I admire their families. Tonight, after I finished bawling for fake military stories, I turn the channel to TLC to find Surprise Homecoming. Its an amazing show about these military folk coming home and trying to show how grateful they are to their families for sticking by them. Which of course sent me right back into my crying spiel. I once had a friend who lived in a local apartment building. There was a sign on one of his neighbor's door, that had a quote I will never forget.

"For those who fought for it, freedom has a taste the protected will never know."

When I worked at Applebee's, my favorite thing ever was when random strangers would buy military men and women their meals. It was like they were saying "Its the least I could do." Its proof that good, grateful people still exist. I'm not saying they don't make money, but in those few jobs where your life truly is constantly in the line of fire (literally and figuratively) or in frightening amount of danger consistently, only the government seems able to put a figure on what they think your life is worth. I know that the wives, husbands, children, parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, siblings and grandchildren of the military feel their life is worth more than that. They want to serve their country but they want to see their children grow, they want to celebrate anniversaries with their spouses, and birthdays, and they want to attend graduation ceremonies and parties of their kids or siblings or other relatives, or even just kissing their families good night. As a military person, they miss out on so much, just so you can be able to attend that graduation, kiss your children good morning, and go to your "normal" 9 to 5'er. Be glad, some people in our country have the balls (literally and figuratively) to be willing to miss their lives for you. Complete strangers in many cases. A military wife stated it best, as frightening as it may be, "You never know when there won't be a tomorrow." Life is not guaranteed, and while folks are fighting everyday for you, people are so naive and some others are just plain ridiculous and think freedom is a free thing. Don't let the name confuse you. Be grateful. Some people don't get the same luxuries as you.