GORUCK 9/11 – That Flag Traveled Across The World

In our age of technology the world seems to move so quickly that we often forget to stop and say thank you. We have in many ways become a global community and at the same time become more isolated in our interactions. We forget to say thank you when someone holds a door for us, we forget to say thank you to the co-worker who offered to get a cup of coffee for you, to the cashier at the checkout line, to the cleaning person in our building, to acknowledge the thank you for the most seemingly mundane of activities. But those thank you’s are not the ones I am talking about today. No, for this thank you often gets lost in politics, gets lost in the debates on television, this thank you goes out on this day of remembrance to all our veterans and I would also extend that to all those currently serving our country so I can sit here act and do as I please. For today is 11/11/11 and also Veterans Day.
 

My EMS Helmet

This is a day that use to hold no meaning to me. Sure, I had a grandfather who fought in WWI and WWII but that was their generation, not mine. The wars fought today seemed too distant for me to connect to and too far removed. I think my appreciation for our armed services started when I joined the Killington Fire Rescue and became and EMT/Fire Fighter. It was my first time really doing anything to protect and serve my community, although in only a small way. However, it has not until the last year or so as I became more involved in the obstacle racing community that more and more of my circle of friends seemingly were veterans or deeply rooted in the armed services. The world of obstacle racing does have close ties with the armed services, for who better to jump over walls and crawl through barbed wire. For many of them it is like another day of PT while us civilians look at it as some exotic adventure. Many of the races and events I do have strong military undertones and help raise money and awareness for our troops. As I have become more entrenched in this world I have built extremely close bonds with current and former military personal. Today, I am proud to call many of these men and women my friends, and many have become my closest friends.
 
So today, I pause from the norm talking about carrying weird objects or some other form of workout and instead focus on our veterans and all that they have given to our country. There are too many in my life to name individually, and I apologize for not listing them, but really I am thankful for everyone who serves both those I know and those who are strangers to me. Too often we get so caught up with our own lives that we forget the thank you’s. Our differing political views turn these men and women into chess pieces. We let the voices of the political extremists cloud the work these people do for us. So today on this special Veterans Day lets put our political rhetoric aside take the time to say thank you, thank you to the men and women who have and are continuing to put their country before self and allow us to enjoy our fancy cup of designer coffee or any of the other hundreds seemingly mundane activities and interactions we have each day. For many of our veterans walk along side us, work along side us and we may not even know it. Thank you and appreciation can go a long way. Call me a Patriot, I am proud of these men and women and wish to give them the attention they deserve on this day. Today, I plan to take the extra time to remember what it means to be free, and thank those around me, especially those who have served. So here is my proposal today on 11/11/11 at 11am take a moment, to reflect and say thank you to these men and women.