I stood at the entrance of arguably the most sacred piece of American Ground; Arlington National Cemetery. I walked onto a platform overlooking masses of white stones that marked the resting place of some of the most noble, brave, and selfless men and women the world will ever see. In silence and respect I looked at the countless white markers, but as I drew my attention to my not so distant left my emotions overcame me. In a wheelchair sat a man, close to my same age; both of his legs were gone. Pushing the wheel chair was another man, a few years senior; one of his legs was replaced with a metal prosthetic. They were looking for their friends. On the wheel chair a sticker read: Operation Enduring Freedom. Tears flooded my eyes and I shook both their hands and thanked them for their service. I thought about how influential one day, one second, and a single moment can be. One moment those two soldiers were walking, or driving, or just going about routine and in one moment their lives were changed forever. Overcome by thoughts of gratitude, sadness, and honor, I realized the importance of TIME and the Essence of “RIGHT NOW.”
Often times I find myself counting down the hours until bed time, or wishing that my little guy will quickly get out of the “take his diaper off and wipe his bum on my stairs,” stage. Some days I can’t wait until my little girl is in Kindergarten, or for the day when I don’t have to do her hair anymore. I confess that I sometimes hope for time to pass quickly. Then a tragedy occurs and I wish I could take time back.
Am I an awful human being for needing wake up calls? I know I can be better, but it is in our nature to forget, even if only for a brief period. Forgetting is a defense mechanism that often times helps us move forward when tragedy, pain, or undesirable events occur. Forgetting can be a blessing, but it can also be a plague. Those who forget the mistakes of their past are doomed to repeat them. This is my wake up call to YOU and ME.
