HOME | POLITICS | SPORTS | LIFE | SCI/TECH | OPEDS | HELPFUL TIPS
|
Nov. 23, 2006 After the Pilgrims realized that communal (communist-socialist) methods of community didn’t work; realizing that people were more productive with a profit motivation; they became quite prosperous in their capitalism, paid off their debts to their European creditors and settled into trade relations with the local Indian population which turned to the mutual benefit of all concerned. But this article isn’t about the historic success of capitalism over communism. The choices were turkey, ham or prime rib with corn-bread stuffing, mashed potatoes, yams, collard or turnip greens, corn, green beans and carrots. The salad bar had shrimp by the bucket-load, all the possible salad fixings and cranberry sauce. There was fruit cake and fruit, seven kinds of bread and a variety of desserts that hurt the stomach just thinking about all that sugar. This was the Holiday Meal for the soldiers stationed and passing through Camp Beuhring , Kuwait . My plate held a dab of just about everything. Today was a work day, but lunch was a masterpiece. There was all this great food that I should not have eaten, but for one day out of a couple-hundred I decided to ignore doctor’s orders and feast with the troops. And they feasted. Actually this day is a blessed day. It is quiet and the only real thing on the minds of most soldiers here is food, fun and family. When I entered post today several hundred soldiers were participating in a 5K “Turkey Trot” sponsored by the base. Imagine, waking up at 5 a.m. to run 5 kilometers in a cool desert breeze at about 8 degrees centigrade. The DFAC was all decked out in holiday colors and streamers depicting the Thanksgiving theme. The working food service personnel were wearing their finest shirts with bow-ties and cummerbunds, all smiling and full of their best greetings. All of it was very much appreciated by the soldiers. Be aware that these are the people who think about you every day. They are volunteers. They did not have to be here. They want to be here. You are important to them. You are their family and friends. They know they have a purpose in protecting the generations that will follow them. They know they have an example to set. They care. For those who celebrate Thanksgiving, understand it is about thanking God for his bounty and his blessing. I know this meaning gets very lost in Black Friday holiday shopping and the worthlessness of the materialism of Christmas gift giving. Thanksgiving is about others. The Pilgrims thanked the Indians for their help and their wilderness expertise by sharing their subsequent bounty with their benefactors. We can each see and hold thanksgiving in our hearts for the thousands of men and women who place their lives on the line every day to protect the American homeland. They wear the uniforms of Firefighters, Policemen and Soldiers and I don’t see them begging your thanks or expecting your gratitude. I just see them doing their jobs with little complaint and a whole lot of contentment. Holidays are not the best days for those who stand in desert lands apart from their loved ones. The people responsible for taking care of your soldiers know that. They put out every effort to give your soldiers comfort and a little touch of “home”. It is important work taken very seriously. Take a moment and think and appreciate the fact that car bombs do not detonate daily on American streets. To those who celebrate the day…Happy Thanksgiving. ------------ About the Author: Michael John McCrae has contributed over 500 articles to Useless-Knowledge.com. Email: macswordV@hotmail.com Comment on this article here! ------------ All articles are EXCLUSIVE to Useless-Knowledge.com and are not allowed to be posted on other websites. ARTICLE THIEVES WILL BE PROSECUTED! |
||||||
|
|
|||||||
|
