Thank You, Veterans

Thanks to the men and women of our U.S. military, past and present, for their sacrifices on our behalf.

May the families of those who have perished by blessed, and may our active duty all return home safely.

May we all strive for peace at home and abroad so fewer and maybe eventually none have to put their lives on the line.

Happy Veterans Day, all.

Boston Marathon Solidarity

The bombings at the 117th Boston Marathon were cowardly and horrible.

I'm grateful that no one I know personally was injured in the attacks, but I feel sorrow for those affected and my thoughts and prayers continue to go out to them.

In contrast, my spirit is buoyed by the incredible response of both Bostoners and people around the country.

First, this happened, and we were all stunned and shocked and horrified.

Then this happened, and we were reminded of how strong the people of Boston and its marathon are.

Then Patton Oswalt spoke up, and Stephen Colbert intro'd his show with this.

The Colbert Report

And people all over the country joined together in support of Boston and the people affected.

Seeing this arena-wide singing of the National Anthem at the Boston Bruins game on Wed, 4/17/13, brings tears to my eyes. Beautiful song, and a beautiful response as a city.

This quote by Mr Rogers has come up multiple times in the past couple years, and I find additional comfort in his reminder of the helpers and how many more people want to do good in this world than seek to do evil and harm innocents.

God bless Boston and its people, and I hope those responsible are brought to justice soon.

Happy Veterans Day

Especially on a day like today, I'm so proud to have military veterans in my family.

Our US soldiers serve with honor and distinction, and I consider my dad and grandpa to be heroes.

My sister posted two great pictures of them on her blog today, and I'll share them here as well.

Pops in his fancy Naval clothes

Grandpa holding my sister

I wrote a post about my Grandpa's WWII service here, if you're interested.

Both men are/were great patriots, as are all of our beloved service men and women.

God bless them!

Maintaining 9/11 Unity and Patriotism

I was in a foreign land when the 9/11 attacks occurred.

There is a helplessness in being so far away while your countrymen are suffering.
But I knew that people in Ohio and New Mexico and Mississippi and all over my homeland probably felt the same as I did.

And in that desperate moment, our country came together in a way only heartache can cause.

It unified us.

On Sunday, a speaker in church talked about how the Great Depression and WWII galvanized that American population. Their dedication to this country justly earned them Tom Brokaw's praise as 'The Greatest Generation'.

When terrorists carried out their plot eleven years ago, they undoubtedly thought it would be a severe blow to our national pride. While the shocking brutality of their methods may have briefly accomplished that goal, our citizens bounced back with an even greater surge of patriotism and love of country.

So today, as we remember the tragedy of 9/11 in the midst of a political season, I pray that we'll remember we are all Americans, citizens of the United States.

I hope we'll treat each other as fellow patriots.
Even if we don't agree in our opinions, let's be respectful in our discourse.

Let's maintain the unity so tragically awoken in us through lost American lives on 9/11.

Say It Ain't So! [Etta James]

It's a sad day when a music legend passes on.

Probably best known for her hit song "At Last" (video below), Miss Peaches came on the scene in 1955 with her breakout song "The Wallflower".
Despite/through bouts of addiction, she's been performing ever since.

She even won 6 Grammys during her lifetime and earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

I won't attempt a comment with the clever use of "at last" being at peace or being able to rest "at last".
Her voice and music were/are too powerful for that sort of pithy punchline.

RIP Etta James.

Metallica Monday: The Memory Remains & Hero of the Day

I'll keep this short, because there has been a lot of talk about the tenth anniversary of 9/11 already.

Two songs, both related to yesterday's memorial.

While we continue to heal a decade later, we will never forget that day.
The Memory Remains

Brave people stepped up, many sacrificing their lives to save others. They are true heroes.
Hero of the Day

My 9/11 Story

Ten years have passed since the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

Everyone has their own story from that terrible day. The previous generation had JFK's assassination and the moon landing; I think we will always remember where we were on 9/11.

I was serving an LDS mission at the time, living in Boca del Monte on the outskirts of Guatemala City, Guatemala. Having been in the country for 6+ months, I felt pretty comfortable and was kind of in a groove.

My companion and I lived in a second floor apartment, with the owner's family living in the main house below. After our morning scripture and language study, we'd gone down for breakfast, which Doña Audi prepared every day.

Soon after we sat down to eat, Doña Audi came in and told us that the morning news was talking about something happening in New York City, and how we needed to see for ourselves. As missionaries, we don't usually watch TV, but it felt like we needed to this time. Maybe 30 seconds after we started watching, the second plane hit. Shocked horror and stunned silence. I couldn't take my eyes away from the broadcast, trying to comprehend what I was seeing.

I remember my feelings clearly, but much of what followed is hazy in my memory. Plane crashes into Pentagon. Phone call from zone leader informing that everyone in our mission was okay, but President Lemmon (mission leader) orders precaution of not leaving the apartment. Flight 93 goes down in the Pennsylvania field. Lots of praying, both verbal and silent. Lots and lots of worrying over family and friends in the U.S. and around the world.

The rest of that day and over the next couple days, we learned more about the attacks from the newspapers and through mission leadership. President Lemmon called individually to make sure we were doing alright and see if we needed anything. That comfort was greatly needed and appreciated by us young boys, serving far from home and family during a time of uncertainty. Receiving a letter from home the next week also helped, because then I knew for sure all of my family was safe.

While I didn't personally lose anyone in the attacks, I still get a bit emotional hearing stories from that day, like the ones recorded (and subsequently animated) by the StoryCorps. Here is one such story:

Sadly, there are far too many stories like this one.

That was a tragic Tuesday, and on this day we unite in memoriam and sorrow with those who lost relatives, loved ones, and friends in the attacks.

We will never forget.

Free Newseum on 9/11 Anniversary Weekend

The 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks is almost here. 

Everyone will have their own way to remember, and I'm sure there will be a lot of national, community, and family ceremonies to remember the tragedies of the Twin Towers, the Pentagon, and that Pennsylvania field.

If you're looking for something to do, here's one option:

See the Newseum and its 9/11 exhibit for free.

Just go to their website and claim your free tickets.

(Saturday is sold out, but tickets are still available for Sunday)

And let me know if you go, because it'd be great to see you!

Little Did He Know...

Note: I'm finishing this post in October 2011. A tad late, but better to have it recorded than to completely forget, right?

While I was sick, I did a lot of sleeping, drinking warm drinks with ~4,000% of my daily need of Vitamin C, and watching movies. I had the opportunity to watch the movie "Stranger than Fiction" and was reminded how much I had liked it the first time I saw it. IRS accountant Harold Crick lives a mundane existence until he starts hearing a voice, which isn't a big issue until it mentions that he is soon going to die.

The voice surprises him with this news, saying, "Little did he know that this simple seemingly innocuous act would result in his imminent death." Harold is fortunate in that he can hear this voice and now is aware of what the imminent future holds. By the time his death actually comes, he has come to grips with it and is prepared, or at least as prepared as one can be for such an event.

On Sunday, I had a surprise that life would change dramatically from that point. Kaitlyn and I were having a normal, happy conversation and then suddenly she hit me with this: "I can't do this anymore." I was stunned. My throat wouldn't make any sounds because too many thoughts were bouncing around in my brain.

When I was finally able to get my wits about me somewhat, I broke the deafening silence by softly asking what "I can't do this anymore" meant. She replied that she wasn't ready to leave Huntington Beach, and furthermore that she couldn't do a long-distance relationship anymore.

I don't remember much else from the conversation. Maybe my memory banks shut down as a defense mechanism. Maybe it's a little shell-shock. But that's it. That's that.

I'll respect her decision and allow her to move on, and I'm going to do the same.

Good night...and good luck.

Update: As of October 2011, Kaitlyn has married a great guy and they have a super-cute baby. I'm very happy for her and continue to wish her the best.