Friday, May 23, 2008

Memorial Day

When I was in college, I had a summer internship working for an engineering consulting firm by the name of STS Consultants. Working for them, I spent the majority of summer testing concrete. It wasn't too bad of a job, in fact I was pretty lucky, I actually had a internship that paid me. I think I was making $7.50 an hour. Obviously I started right after classes which ended somewhere around mid May. As Memorial Day weekend approached, I was informed by my boss that I would be getting paid for a full days work despite having Memorial Day off. This was fabulous news to a college kid. I ended up spending all day Memorial Day drinking. I also spent most of the day telling people that I was getting paid to get drunk.
I have matured quite a bit since that time. Now instead of getting drunk, I have a new Memorial Day tradition. Every Memorial Day Weekend I watch Saving Private Ryan. It is one of the better war movies. The opening half hour of the movie is quite possibly the most intense opening of any movie I have ever seen. However, I believe the most powerful scene of the movie is when the priest arrives at the Ryan family farm to deliver the news of her children's deaths and Mrs. Ryan collapses on the front porch.
With all that being said, please take a moment this weekend while you are grilling out, attending a party, playing with the kids in the yard, or just outside enjoying the beautiful weather, to consider why it is you can enjoy this freedom. Realize that thousand of men and women gave their lives so that you could enjoy the freedoms that you have.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I could not have said it any better
Thank You to all the men and women protecting us.