As thousands flock to beaches for a welcome break from being in quarantine, retailers can’t help but advertise their Memorial Day specials. “Now until the 31^st…SAVE”. Grocers are having sales, clothing stores, and who can forget the fireworks! I can’t really blame retailers for wanting to make some money, the country being on lockdown is bad for business and definitely the economy!

A MOMENT OF REFLECTION

Another weekend has come and gone, and while many ignored social distancing, it was past time to get outside for some fun in the sun! High schools and may college graduates could not enjoy their well-deserved graduation ceremony but improvised another way to celebrate their achievement. I don’t think the masses will let some virus run their lives telling them where to stand, where not to go and how to conduct their daily lives…in fear and confusion.

I can’t help but to shed some light on a few things; we were never fearful of the flu, that has a new strain every year, kills thousands and the powers that be, beat the “Get Your Flu Shot drum, relentlessly”. No social distancing, no “Cover Your Damn hole when you sneeze” and people didn’t hoard during a killer flu season! I guess many feared they would poop themselves to death, if not chaff their raw butts with all that cheap TP, because the Charmin was all gone!.

TIRED OF BEING IN FEAR

My heart went out to the elderly who were moved to tears and frozen by fear as they sat in their car, scared to into stores to shop. Was it the fear of catching “The corona?” Or the fear of being pushed, shoved or assaulted by some panic stricken, pandemic supply hoarding idiot. After all, I guess being beat up over following someone too close in the store is far better than losing your life to “the Virus”.  Have we lost perspective? We fear this more than death by assault or death by diarrhea! Did you really need 12 cases of TP and hundreds of bottles of hand sanitizer? NO!! Ok, let’s move on, we had Memorial Day celebrations in spite of “maintain social distancing”.

LEST WE FORGET

BB’s in the park, on the patio and a house full or friends saying screw it to social distancing.  A day at the beach, time in the mall shopping, and all this is supposed to be in memory of those who “Sacrificed their life for our freedom” Sounds like a mindless mantra! What do I mean…read on.

No military in the world, who spends thousands if not millions, training their men and women in arms, to DIE FOR THEIR COUNTRY. While there are those who in extreme, train their followers/converts to lie in wait for the order to Strike! Die in sacrifice and give their life (while taking other innocent lives) for their cause. Those senseless deaths are supposedly rewarded by the company of 72 companions in the afterlife. No parades, no BBQ, no day of remembrance at the beach for them.

Do we remember? We can definitely repeat the narrative feed to us in soundbites, “Honoring those who sacrificed their life” NOOO…NOOO; How about this:

” Honoring This Who Lost Their Lives in the Defense of…” Yes, we have those heroes who literally sacrificed themselves to save another solder, those who would not accept defeat or allow harm to come to their squad or platoon; and being moved with almost tears in my eyes at the way we memorialize veterans, we flock to the beach, have a BBQ and set off some firework and say…” my… it was a great weekend and the food was great!”

God Bless, to all the Solders, Sailors, Airmen and Marines, who served and are now serving, because you could have chosen a live of ease, could have been at the beach, in the mall, of at a BBQ, but you chose Service to Your Country.

Semper Fi

Going Against the Grain