Happy Veterans Day, everyone!

I just stepped out on my front porch a few minutes ago to inhale the fresh morning air. Although, it was a little nippy and my coffee couldn’t stay warm enough after a couple of minutes, so I had to waltz on back inside and… well, turn on the TV! 🙂

By the way, I’m really liking this new digs of mine. I’m already feeling the freedom from having to open up a code editor just to write a journal entry and then, ftp to my webserver whatever elements I have to just to make a single post! Aaaarggghh!!!! It’s nice to just have a laptop while sitting on the couch watching CNN.

Speaking of CNN, with all its Veterans Day type issues being discussed this morning, it reminded me of that show “Band of Bloggers” that I saw a few days ago on the History Channel. It was pretty intense. I immediately started reading these blogs that the show was all about. I even scoured Technorati for war-related posts. It’s amazing, these guys blog the same day they’re in the firing line, so you can imaging the raw emotion and gruesome details they’re able to muster in their words. It was like the movie Saving Private Ryan, only you were reading about it. And thinking that this could’ve happened just yesterday made it seem even more real and personal. One guy was saying these blogs are critical to their sanity it would never stop as long as the war is going on.  And as much as they’re grateful for the ability to blog where they are, what they would welcome even more is the possibility of carrying a pda with them in the line of battle (they already carry a digital camera now). Wow, blogging in combat! Unreal!

But all this only made me feel for the soldiers. One guy was saying that it made all the difference to know that someone is reading their blog and is sympathizing with them in what they’re going through at that very moment. That’s what drives them to do it in the first place. That feeling of connection and companionship with the reader, it’s a need.

I am with you, brother.

Man, I just think no one should be deprived of his/her family by being sent to war. But war is a dirty job and someone has to do it. I really felt grateful. Not just because someone’s fighting for our freedom, but also because all of us really do have some kind of freedom to begin with, any way we look at it. Sometimes it’s hard to see (… perhaps ’cause it wears a camouflage ;)), but just the fact that we’re alive and breathing is freedom in itself.

Freedom is not free though. But when you think about it, someone always pays for one’s freedom. Many times, that someone is a complete stranger even. This is true in any and every situation, I believe.

Anyway, I didn’t plan on getting deep and philosophical about this. I simply want to express gratitude that I, today, woke up and was alive and well, am able to go outside my house and feel the morning breeze and see the clear blue sky.

I’m sure someone today would like to have some of that.

By the way, about a week ago at work, I printed a photo that I took here in town at the Frontier Days parade back in July. I hung it in my office and a few people took notice eventually. They liked it and suggested I put it up on our corporate website’s homepage just for the week of Veterans Day. Well, I was a bit busy and forgot to do it, so I’m posting it here for all to see now. I especially like how the little guy looks so innocent and has no idea of the freedom he has. Just sitting there, enjoying the parade… life’s great.

And it is!

Anyhow, it may not explicitly be a Veterans Day type image but, in a way, it sure portrays the freedom we have in this country.

At least, some of us in the office think so…

Umm… and one more thing I’m grateful for… no work tomorrow!!!

Oh Yeah! Let freedom ring indeed!