Memorial Day of AWESOMENESS

Why hello.
It is Memorial day and I am at work.
"Why?" you might be saying to yourself.
Well, UA does not recognize Memorial Day as a holiday, thats why.
Now look, as all of you know, I am not a man with strong opinions. Ummm, yeah.
But this is one holiday which should be recognized and respected. I am very thankful to have a job here @ UA, a job that I thoroughly enjoy (I am now working at the Center for Mental Health and Aging while continuing work on my PhD), but I do not feel right being at work today. I called my dad this morning to just talk for a little while and thank him. I prayed for Grandpa, and thought about all those Tigers he wrestled in India :) I thought about all the vets I've ever known, both related and otherwise. As soon as I gt my lunch break I'm going to call Nick (who thank God is not a vet, and Heaven forbid that he ever becomes one) to thank him for taking on such an awesome responsibility during a time of active war... for accepting a commission as an Army officer. I know that you can say to yourself: "what am I really doing by taking the day off of work, grilling, and drinking beer?" It can seem silly, actually. But after knowing Nick's friends for the last three years (not to mention Nick), I have discovered something. All the clichés and Lee Greenwood songs have their base in something both noble and admirable by nature: the propensity to allow others to act freely. We can take today off because, in an abstract and ideal manner, the individuals we honor today wanted us to be able to do so. The details and political motivations of war are debatable and often less than pure, but the ideas harbored by those who actually fight those wars are, more often than not, truly heroic. So, as much as it sounds like a made-for-TV special, I say thank you to all those who have risked and / or lost their lives defending my right to live the way I do. Nick once told me that he does what he does so I can do what I do. He's right. And the tradition of people doing just that in my family generation after generation makes me genuinely proud to be both of member of an amazing clan and a citizen of the United States. For all of the apathy, deceit, power-driven motivation, stereotyping, greed, unnecessary nationalism and thanklessness, there is an equal portion of basic good in people like my brother.
I hope everyone enjoys whatever they are doing today. If you are a member of one of the armed forces, past or present, and you are reading this, thank you for what you believe in.
I hope everyone is well!
Peace,
Joe