The real people to look up to.

Hello.  Remember me?  I’m the guy that hasn’t blogged since October last year.  Truth be told, I don’t know if it was writer’s block, depression, or just thinking no one cares to read my stuff that has kept me off of this for such a long time.  I guess the reason doesn’t really matter.  I’m back for a moment.

For those of you that know me know that I just recently visited Ohio on a whirlwind tour of surprises.  My wife’s mother had her 70^th Birthday party, a great friend of ours celebrated her 40^th Birthday, and we also got to spend time with friends and family that we haven’t seen in quite some time.  It was a fast trip, but a very impactful trip for me. 

I tend to be a very insecure person and I am always wondering who likes my stuff, how many people read it, and what everyone thinks of it.  Well this blog I’m not going into it with any of that.  I’m really only writing this for one person’s benefit, but whoever wants to read along, feel free.  I’m just hoping I can really do this one the justice that I feel it deserves.  That’s the only insecurity I’m feeling right now.  So here we go.  Wish me luck. . . . .!

I think to say that I’m not a political person really is an understatement.  I really couldn’t tell you who stands for what and what stands for whom.  I just go about my day and try to do my best to survive and figure that no matter what I think, or no matter what I do, life is going to pretty much stay the same for my type of person.  I’m the person that believes elections are just the process of choosing the least harmful person to our country and that the majority of the time, the person we elect has very little to do with the actual running of the office.  It’s corporate America, the “advisors”, and the wealthy that dictate which way the President, Governor, or any elected official runs their ship.  I could be wrong, but I’m willing to bet that there is more truth in that then most of us cares to admit.  So I don’t really consider myself a Republican, Democrat, or Liberal.  I really just consider myself a member of the ostrich party.  I just stick my head in the sand and hope to heck my family and me stay out of the cross hairs.  Hate me for this view if you want, I promise you, it won’t matter to me.  I’ve been hated for worse.

Now with that said, let me get to the reason that I came out of “exile” to blog once again.

Curtis.  You ever hear of him?  Is he a great politician, actor, athlete, or musician that makes millions for minimal talent?  Nope!  Is he that guy that stars in one of hundreds of “reality” shows where the world’s most superficial people get paid to act like complete tools?   Nope!  Did he murder his child and then get acquitted because the jury was complete morons?  Nope!   Is he Lindsey Lohan’s boyfriend that has been with her on her numerous arrests for DUI’s and other infractions of the law, but somehow has managed to spend less time in jail than it took me to write this blog?  Nope!  He is none of them. . .

But he fights for each and every one of them.

Curtis is a 24 year old Marine that is getting ready to head back to Afghanistan for his second tour of duty and he is also my nephew.  This trip to Ohio gave me the honor of getting to spend a little time with him and getting to know him and having my eyes open to what families go through all in the name of the government that decides where we fight, who we fight, and how long we fight.  I now find it really hard to stand up for America while being led by someone that never has spent a minute in the military and has spent more time apologizing for our country, then to defend it.  He would rather be politically correct on EVERY topic then take a stand and do what’s right for this country.  Once again, I’m just stating what I see.   I’m not going to debate you.

So we all know that there has been a war going on for quite some time.  There have been many questions as to just what the war really is about, oil, money, greed, terrorists, but the fact is, soldiers are dying for whatever the government’s motives are.  For every politician deciding where to send our troops, there are a 1,000 scared men and women that are landing in a hostile environment just hoping and praying they make it back.  For every Republican and Democrat that wants the war to never end due to the profits possible, there are thousands of parents that have to hug their children goodbye and know deep down that their baby is going to an absolute hell for reasons beyond their control.  For every Kardashian, Lohan, and a host of overpaid talentless hacks that the public can’t get enough of, there are hundreds of memories that each and every soldier will never be able to un-see.  Why is it we can mourn the loss of Whitney Houston for three weeks, but couldn’t name one military person that has given their life for her right to waste her life away on drugs and alcohol?  This country’s priorities are screwed up!!!

So what is it about Curtis that made me want to come out of blogging retirement?  I guess just to say thank you.  Thank you for not being selfish and thank you for standing up for a country that most the time doesn’t even deserve standing up for. 

I sat there and got to talk to him and listening to him was a very surreal experience.  He has seen things this past couple of years that I hope and pray to God that I will NEVER have to see.  He’s had close friends killed right beside him, he’s seen friends lose arms and legs, he has seen people there one second only to disappear in an explosion.   Being in the Marines, he’s pretty much first in, last out.  He is a front line soldier that carries a machine gun and whose job it is to destroy those that don’t want us in their country and want us dead. (That’s a whole can of worms that I’m not going to open) 

I asked him at one point, “So did you get to see any celebrities over there?”  To which he let out a little laugh and told me that celebrities don’t go where he’s at.  They stay where it’s safe.  God I wish we could send the Kardashians to see him over there.

Then while sitting at the table with his Mom present, I asked him if he ever had a moment that he thought he wasn’t going to make it out of.  He looked down for a second reliving some moment in his head and then said, “Yes.”  He proceeded to tell me of a dogfight that he got pinned down in the center of a street by their equivalency of our 50 caliber machine gun and saying to himself, “It’s been a good run” as the bullets struck the ground all around him.  He’s 24 folks, and he is saying to himself, “It’s been a good run.”  How freaking sad is that for me to hear and how frightening his mother must be to hear that?

I then asked him how it works over there.  He then told me that they are in the front.  If they want a village gone, they call the Marines.  It could last two hours or two days.  Which made me ask, “When do you sleep?”,  to which he stated that he usually just leans against a wall with his hand on his pistol, rifle right next to him, and just tries to shut down for a second or two.  How is it possible to shut down in that environment?  I wouldn’t begin to guess what it would be like.  Living in a constant state of adrenaline, not knowing what the next second will bring. 

Now earlier, I said that for every politician there are 1,000 scared men and women soldiers.  I didn’t in any way mean to imply cowardliness.  Sitting there talking to Curtis made me realize that it takes a whole different mindset to do what he does over there and to actually WANT to go back there again proves to me that he is just about the bravest person I know.  I can’t fathom wanting to go back to that for 8 more months, but when I asked him why, he just said that he was good at what he does.

Then the saddest part of our conversation took place when I asked him if there were soldiers he knew that just couldn’t handle it.  He then proceeded to tell us of the amount of divorce, mental breakdowns, and soldiers that just snapped when they got back to the states because they couldn’t adjust or shut down from what happened over there.  His mother has told us that Curtis has had a lot of problems sleeping and with what he has had to see in his short 24 years, I’m really not surprised.  It’s just sad to me that we will put a show on TV like Celebrity Rehab, but not spend any time or money rehabbing the ones that fight for those pampered “stars” that destroy their own lives and then expect us to pay them to fix it.  Once again, this countries priorities are screwed up. 

 So I guess the reason for this blog is first and foremost to say THANK YOU to Curtis and all the military personnel that are doing a job that no one in their right mind would want to do.  They risk their lives on a minute by minute base because they were told that it’s what they have to do.  The ones that have decided we should be there, in most cases HAVE NEVER BEEN THERE!!!!  How sad is that?  Do yourself a favor if you are able to.  Sit down with someone that has been over there and find out what conditions they are dealing with.  It would truly amaze you.  The amount of supplies and needs that are not provided just baffle me.  So find out what is needed and get off your lazy butt and SEND it to them.  (I'm talking to my lazy butt to BTW)

Whitney Houston, no disrespect to your death, but you did it to yourself and we have to listen about it on every news station across the nation.  Curtis has lost so many friends from his platoon and I couldn’t tell you even ONE of their names.  That’s wrong on so many levels and that’s my fault for not paying closer attention to what’s REALLY going on. 

My only prayer right now is for the safety of Curtis, his unit, and all the men and women that are willing to risk their lives overseas in order for us to have the freedom to read about Snooki being pregnant and how poor Terrel Owens is.  It’s really sounds trivial when you look at it that way. . . .Doesn’t it?

Godspeed Curtis, we love you and I can’t wait to see you when you get back!!!!!   NOW THAT’S AN ORDER!!!!!