Today’s wake-up call
2009 May 1
Today I went to a funeral for a friend’s father who passed away last weekend. If you know me, you know that it’s going to be automatic tears at any wedding, funeral, or Clint Eastwood movie.
I was completely composed until about three-quarters of the way through when from behind me two Marines came up the aisle and replaced the Catholic sheet laying over the casket with an American flag… and of course the eyes started to swell up.
My friend then went up and spoke about her dad, who really was her all-time best friend. She explained about after 9/11 her dad came to visit to make sure she was okay, and how that trip was the first time he opened up to her about his purple hearts and his stories from Vietnam.
Then a few weeks before he passed, he asked his daughter to get a box down from the closet and go through it with him. It was his purple heart medals and his letters that he got when he received them. This guy was so incredible – held off an enemy battalion with a rocket launcher and a M-16 by himself, allowing the rescue of 22 of his guys while getting shot twice in the process. I had no idea… I remember him as the guy with the big ass smile greeting people upon entering my friend’s wedding five years ago.
After she was done (she went into other personal things about him too), the Marines came back, and held up the flag while they did the gun salute outside. I was done at this point… a complete emotional mess, but it really has gotten me thinking this afternoon.
Yesterday I wrote a blog entry just ranting my ass off about people being against homosexuality. It was the honest way I was feeling, but perhaps it was a little over the top. I obviously still believe that the US has a lot of growing and maturing left to do regarding the issue, but in reality, I get to live with my wife, we’re free to make a living, to go to dinner and a movie tonight and just feel ultimately safe and go on about our lives… how blessed. Its nothing like Iraq, where they actually just legalized rape.
I don’t know… It just put things in perspective today. Her father fought and sacrificed himself to help provide/sustain the freedom ideals of the country where legalizing same-sex marriage is even a possibility.
It just kind of smacked me back to reality. Yes, expect more and continue to fight to make the country better, but holy shit be grateful for what I have.
