Just Imagine and Think . . .

It’s sad.

Yet, it’s a typical response. A person says to another, “I enlisted in the service. I’m going to serve my country.”

And the other responds with, “Why?”

Why? Did they just say that?

There are variations of it, but for the most part, a person today says to someone thinking about joining, or who has already joined, “I wouldn’t encourage anyone to join the military today. Not today in this world. Hello. There’s a war.”

You’ve heard it, you may have even spoken it.

Let’s jump back, let’s say, two hundred and thirty plus years.

A young man and his father tell the wife/mother, “We are going to join the militia and stand for our country.”

Her simple word of ‘why’ and then reasoning, influence the decision that these two males make. They don’t go. Let’s say this happened to everyone who heard a negative connotation.

If every farmer, sailor, man/woman out there, listened to the reasoning of the naysayer, we could easily be drinking tea, eating crumpets and singing Hail to the Queen right now.

But that’s not the way it works.

Our country, our great nation, was founded on the sacrifices of others and the willingness to fight for what is right.

There is never a good time to join the Army. There is no peace time, ever. Especially, not right now, not with the oppression and the fear that the terrorist have placed in so many hearts.

We are a great nation with a plentiful land. We are not immune to foreign invasion. We are not. And as we so learned, we are not immune to attack.

When trouble falls upon us, when threat is near, do we not find comfort in the fact that we have the greatest military on the face of the earth? We seek for them to defend us and protect us.

Yet, many are quick to condemn those who wish to join. What would happen if every young man or woman today listened to those who didn’t support the decision to join the service? Who would defend us? Who would be there?

As I said before our country was founded on those willing to make the sacrifice, and this tradition of pride in a nation, and willingness to take arms, has carried for centuries.

“I enlisted in the service,” says the future soldier.

“Why?”

“Why? Because you didn’t. Because you didn’t have the guts, or you wanted to and just couldn’t. Why? Because I have the strength and fortitude to stand up and say I have what it takes to defend this great nation of ours, at any cost, at any sacrifice.”

So the next time someone says to you, ‘I enlisted in the service, I am going to serve my country.’

Simply say ‘thank you.’

Feel free to pass this around.

Summertime Blog Blues

I don't know what it is, maybe not much is happening in my life. Which, by the way, could be a good thing. But I just don't have the blog-initiative.

I'm trying though. Maybe because the summer is usually my slow writing time, but since Ali is away, it's not.

Who knows.

Anyone else suffering from Summertime Blog Blues?

Long Day, Wait Over . . .

They say a picture speaks a thousand words.

Instead of saying what I was waiting for, it's better to show you what I waited to video tape.

Took until midnight.

Waiting . . .

I'm waiting. Nothing to do with Ali, but another one of my kids. Waiting. More as I know.

What Goes Around . . .

I bet when you read the title of this blog you are thinking, wow, Jake is gonna write some odd Karma Blog. Or vengeful words about what goes around comes around.

They aren't vengeful. I don't think.

Before I forget. I got a new mattess and box springs. Holy cow was my old one OLD. I need a step ladder to get into bed now.

Some deep thinking hit me on my way to Dukes. Roni's Boyfriend was in the car and he commented on you are only as old as you feel in your heart. True to an extent.

Smart boy.

He commented on 'what is acting old? I mean, seriously. You act as old as you feel.'

I thought about it and told him, although many of us are young at heart, there are things we do that are tell tale signs that we feel old. No wait, not feel old, are getting old. Things that happen and that you do, that are natural progressions you can't help during aging

Like at 42 your eyesight goes. At 40 you start to hold things outward, 42 you realize you may not be able to read that print. by 43 or 44 you break down and wear glasses.

As you get older you get this overwhelming desire to wear polyester. Ever notice all older people wear it. Why? It's comfortable, stretches and they don't care what people think. Why? Because they are older.

It was then it dawned on me. My God, what goes around. We actually do get full circle (In a way) When we get older. Think about it.

When you are a baby, it is a proven fact you can't focus when you get older you can't focus.

A baby or infant has a short term memory. We lose that memory when we get older.

We sleep a lot as a baby, and sleep a lot as an older person

When we are young we wear elastic pants. When we get older we were them for comfort,

Stripes and checks, how many of us got in trouble when young for wearing that. After all, we didn't care what we wore or if we matched. The older we get, we get back that 'care less' attitude about fashion.

There are two times when you are  closest to God. One when you are a new soul being sent into this world, and the other is when you are close to leaving this world.

Odd. Just deep thought about full circle. Anyone have anything to add?