I was outside this morning at 6am. Deb joined me a few hours later. Together we sat at the picnic table and let sights and sounds wash over us — for four straight hours. We simply reveled in “the tonic of wildness,” and The Mountain came to us.
Later, we took advantage of a revised weather forecast — that is, we wouldn’t get storms today — and drove to Mountain Home to pick up the rest of what we’ll need (or most of it) to install the woodstove. We got cement board to underlay and backstop the stove, 170 (count ’em) pavers for the hearth, mineral wool and fiberglass insulation for wall and ceiling, and a couple of tubs of decking screws.
The red-aproned young man who helped us is one I’ve worked with before. He enlisted two of his colleagues to get almost 800 pounds of pavers into the bed of our truck, and he made sure we weren’t charged a “loading fee.” He politely refused a tip.
And thanks to him, I got a free pallet out of the deal. Once Deb and I unloaded everything — no small feat, I can assure you — I dropped that off down by the woodpile.
An enjoyable day, and a productive one.
Look, I know you mean well. At least you think you’re doing the right thing. On social media, you post your memes and make sure that everyone knows that Memorial Day is about honoring fallen warriors — and it is, and I do. Some of you cross a line, though, and I’m here to call your sorry asses out.
When we pause to remember a soul we’ve lost in service to our country, yes, it’s proper to be respectful and somber, at least for a moment. But when you throw shade on fellow citizens who dare to party on Memorial Day, have cookouts, run the Evinrude at full throttle in a no-wake zone, you expose that you don’t comprehend what our warriors sacrificed to preserve.
Worse than that, you chide folks who greet a living veteran on Memorial Day with, “Thank you for your service” (or equivalent). You insist that’s what Veterans Day is for, and that no one ever should thank a surviving veteran on a day when we honor those who died.
Oh, kiss my ass.
First of all, there’s no day on the calendar when it’s improper or inappropriate to thank a living veteran.
Most important, however, these warriors gave up their lives so that we can live in the freedom they defended. And the best way to honor the fallen, it seems to me, is to stop and say a silent thanks for their sacrifice — and then cut loose and party like hell.
I mean, if you could ask them what they’d do if they were here with us, do you think they’d choose tears or beers?
Be an American who’s worth dying for, dammit.
Take care of yourselves, Patriots. Stay calm. Stay sharp. Stay free.
#WiseUp #LibertyOrDeath #Ungovernable
#LetsGoBrandon #FJB