It happened again yesterday.
I was at a local business having a piece of plexiglass cut to make a new windshield for my ATV and I was wearing a Marine Corps t-shirt. I was asked if I served. I responded. The next words to fill the air were “Thank you for your service”.
I nodded and smiled. I can’t remember the exact words, but I’m sure my response was sincere. Inside though…inside I was cringing.
Now….don’t take this the wrong way. I’m flattered. It makes me feel good that someone notices the sacrifice the members of the armed forces make. In a way I’m being honored for stepping up, and I get that. It still doesn’t stop that knot from forming in the pit of my stomach.
I’ve had the conversation before and I’ve tried to explain the feeling I get when someone thanks me for doing my job. So let me see if I can do better in writing than I can in conversation.
Now…Again…..Don’t take this the wrong way. I don’t want to hear “Thank You for Your Service”, less.
I want to hear it more.
Let me explain.
When I’ve voiced the discomfort that “Thank you for your service” causes me, people like to remind me that service members volunteer to put themselves in harm’s way for the citizens of the nation and, in turn, endure a great deal of mental and physical trauma in the course of doing their job.
The problem is….I never hear anyone tell a police officer or a firefighter “Thank you for your service”. They put themselves in harms way to ensure the safety of the citizens of the nation. Truth be told, a lot of them are probably in harm’s way a hell of a lot more often than your average service member. They too deal with the stress and physical trauma that their job demands. So why aren’t they afforded the same respect?
First Responders and emergency room nurses….I can only imagine the stress they put themselves through in their efforts to save the lives of the citizens of the nation. Yet I don’t think I’ve ever heard a single soul tell a random EMT or ER Nurse “Thank you for your service”.
Teachers….holy shit. The amount of stress they shoulder while trying to instill the fundamental educational requirements needed to ensure the perpetuation of the national ideals is mind numbing. Yet, when we meet someone for the first time and find out they’re a teacher the last thing on our mind is to thank them for their service.
Ya see….it takes a lot of people giving of themselves to keep this republic of ours moving forward. There’s a lot of people out there that should be thanked for their service. From the trash collector that keeps our homes, yards and roads free of debris to the loan officer at the bank that ensures we can keep a roof over our heads and send our kids to college…..from the rec league coaches who teach our children sportsmanship and the value of hard work to the people who work in small soup kitchens and missions around the country to help those of us who have fallen on hard times….from the person who delivers your mail to the person who gets your electricity back on when mother nature knocks the power out. Truck drivers, millwrights, coal miners, chemical workers…..the list is endless.
All of the people I’ve mentioned above and so many others have dedicated their lives to serving the citizens of the nation. If they do something for one of us directly, I’m sure we go out of our way to say “Thank You”. But don’t they deserve that same random “Thank you for your service” from time to time? Don’t they deserve the recognition of their fellow citizen for rolling out of bed every morning and doing a job that positively affects their community?
There are a lot of moving parts in our society, folks. It takes a lot of people sacrificing of themselves to keep us moving in a happy, healthy and positive direction. Personally, I think everyone who laces ‘em up every day and leaves the safety of their home and comfort of their family to go out into the world and try to make my world a better place deserves….if nothing else…..they deserve to know we recognize their sacrifice and appreciate it. I honestly think if I heard it directed toward others more often it wouldn’t put that knot in the pit of my stomach when “Thank You for Your Service” is directed toward me.
So….to everyone out there who reads this blog…..all three of you…..Thank You for Your Service to your community…to your nation….and to your fellow man.