Happy Memorial Day

           Happy Memorial Day Ham Sandwich lovers. We should take this weekend to remember why we have the last Monday in May off every year. Why we have the freedoms we have and remember those who died fighting for them. Although it has been celebrated since 1868, Memorial Day was recognized as a national holiday in 1971. I'll summarize a speech given by Ronald Regan at the Arlington National Cemetery in 1986. Memorial Day is a time of remembrance. It's a time to be with the family and give thanks to those who served this country both past and present. A time to sit back and really think about what this country would be if it weren't for the brave men and women who chose to defend it. If that means you have a day at the beach or a BBQ in the back yard, the important thing is to be with the ones you love and remember how we all got here.

           Living in the DC metro area allows me the opportunity to be more involved in the celebration of this holiday. I can park my car Rosslyn, VA and take a jog through Arlington National Cemetery, over the bridge and into the Nation's Capital. I can visit all the amazing war memorials and watch as Americans come together as a family. As a Veteran I like to sit back sometimes and watch how everyone celebrates Memorial Day. I enjoy seeing families having picnics, bikers riding around 20 or 30 deep with American flags waving behind them. Grandchildren holding their grandfather's hand as they walk around the Mall. It's a wonderful thing to be an American, so take this time to enjoy it. And if you see a Veteran, stop and say thank you. That's all. You don't need to buy them anything or carry their bags. Just stop and say, "thank you."

            Don't worry about the people that don't know what this holiday is about. Don't let it bother you that some people just enjoy the day off and use this long weekend to get drunk and party. It's their weekend and they have the freedom to spend it however they wish. If we attempt to take away those freedoms we forget what we've been fighting for. That's one of the problems with society today. Everyone is always worried about everyone else. There are a thousand facebook posts trying to guilt everyone into remembering why we celebrate Memorial Day. You know what I say? Of course you don't, why would you? But I'll tell you. I say, who cares. I don't use a question mark because I'm not really asking anything. It's rhetorical. The only thing I worry about is how I celebrate this holiday. I know what it's about and I always remember those who've fought and died for this Country. And I certainly appreciate the living Veterans that served or are still serving today. Instead of wasting your energy trying to convince someone else to give thanks, concentrate on your own family and pay respects your own way. And if you didn't know what this holiday was about, I hope this post shed some light on it for you. But you can celebrate it however you want, because if you were reading above, I don't care.

             I'm going to enjoy my day off by cleaning my gutters, then taking my new running shoes for that jog I mentioned in the second paragraph. Like I've been saying, don't get worked up by the fact that I'll also be negotiating a Hand-job for a Ham Sandwich in our Nation's Capital. Out of respect I'll do it as far away from the memorials as possible. I'm not a monster!