fallible me

I’m not super political. We know this from prior posts in the political area that bring facts about obscure laws rather than stats about affects laws have. There are a couple things that I don’t have to wax on political rant to say… I don’t like this “war” we’re fighting. But we’re fighting it none the less. I don’t like the killing of other humans for gain of materials or property or something that may or may not exist, now or ever. But it’s happening none the less. War is not new. Killing for materials or property is not new either. Nor is “protecting” claims on or interest in those properties. Whether or not we like these things, people with more power than we have, make the decision to pull the trigger. Fallible humans capable of mistakes just like me. Now I realize I am dangerously close to the rant, but I won’t, that’s not the point. As a person just a fallible, I can choose to be angry or not. I choose to recognize. Too many blame and rant and yell and burn out their lungs and my throat is tired. Wow, I’ve gone askew from where I started… In the vein of recognition some of the music I listen to has a political theme, some more overt than others. It was interesting to get a soldier’s perspective on one of those songs. I fully expected a pro-defense, though not necessarily pro war, stance and a reaction giving me shit for listening to stupid emo kids that have no idea what it’s like to be on the other side of the weapon or be in combat or even to want to be in the military. Well I can’t really argue, but I didn’t get that reaction at all. What I got was ‘so its an army song.’ (former Marine – very loyal if you know anything about that stuff) ‘doesn’t matter though, people with think its some cool anti-war song, but that’s real. That’s what happens, everyday. You live that shit and then it comes home with you’. I was taken aback, first by the even tone, then by the reality of what he said. We listen to songs about war and killing and what someone interprets soldier life as, but never realize the implications. You never stop to think about that the vet may have a completely different view than you think. So I filed this information away. I changed cd’s and hadn’t really thought about the conversation again until I saw the latest The Big Picture Blog post. It was picture from Afghanistan and they aren’t old or retouched. I look at the Big Picture every time he posts because it is always amazing. This time was no different. In my day to day filled with data entry, eating, getting coffee, making plans for whatever and all the hustle that is life I forget that there is much beyond my control. I can’t fix it, nor can constant worry help. But awareness and taking a minute now and again to remind myself ‘that’s real, that’s what happens everyday’. And more importantly that someone I know, and probably someone you know now lives with that shit because it came home with them.

Rise Against
Hero of War

He said, “Son, have you seen the world? Well what would you say, if I said that you could?”