We moved yesterday – no HUAD, no hitches (except the one we needed which held nicely). I’ll write more about that later. I wanted to take just a couple of minutes to say thank you.
I heard on the early morning news that today, Memorial Day, is fast becoming one of our nation’s top 3 favorite holidays after Christmas and the 4th of July – exceeding even New’s Eve and Thanksgiving. I was amazed! We’ve become so politically polarized that I’d thought possibly patriotism was slipping.
No worries, I’m keeping my word about no politics or religion here at Fork. This isn’t a political post. It’s a patriotic post. Sometimes I think we’ve mixed those two things up. Do you know what I mean?
I’ve always been sort of weirdly patriotic, even when I was really little. I don’t think I was in school yet when my picture made the front page of the Middlebury, Indiana newspaper. The photographer didn’t snap the shot because I was cute. He took a picture of me because every day, I walked to the post office, stood out front, put my hand on my heart and said The Pledge of Allegiance, all by myself, right out loud.
I have no idea why I did this. I guess the folks inside the post office got a kick out of it and called the paper.
The first time we went to Mt Rushmore, my Mom and Dad had to drag me away (after the nightlight show). I loved it!
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This morning’s reporter went on to explain Americans love for this holiday. It turns out we love Memorial Day because it’s considered “the big kick off to summer vacation” weekend. It doesn’t have anything to do with patriotism at all. It’s a grand paid day off work and an opportunity to do a little traveling.
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6 months before my Dad died, I took him to a Memorial Day tribute to Veterans. At the end of the ceremony, they called out each branch of the military and had the veterans stand. They sat down as their war was named. My Dad was the last Marine standing at age 86. He cried that day. He said that it was so nice to be remembered. So nice to be thanked.
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My Dad on the right
This is just a brief thank you note on Memorial Day to those of you who are Veterans; to those of you who have family and friends serving in the military; to those who have lost ones you love on a battlefield somewhere.
Memorial Day isn’t about the politics of war, it’s about gratitude.
There are no “holidays” on an oil rig, but there are ways to say thank you, every day. Today it’s my turn to say thank you to our Veterans. I love the heart of this holiday. The thank you from America to all who, as Abraham Lincoln said, have done far above our poor power to add or detract…
Thank you.
FORK IN THE ROAD 