i want to take a moment, amid the glitz of (i HATE this aspect of capitalism) predatory store sales, as well as relaxing picnics, to note the original, oft-forgotten intent of setting aside memorial day -- as a token of remembrance for those who have died in the militaary service of our country. there remain those among us who visit a cemetary to spend a few moments with the fallen, or who fly american flags at half-mast. most of us take the day for granted as a paid holiday.
but for many of us, memorial day, like veterans day, carries a deep, sorrowful, personal meaning. quietly and in private, military veterans who've been to war and the families of service men and women who've been struck down, remember their loved ones. i've described in past entries my own time in vietnam, and the men i knew who died there, or who returned home to a hostile nation, unthanked, unappreciated, in terrible lifelong pain. just as with physical wounds or the carcinogenic effects of exposure to agent orange, PTSD is no joke.
so i ask you, please, take a few moments to think about those who are no longer with us, and if you see a vet, please say "thank you." it will mean a lot.
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