Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Memorial Day
Memorial Day is a holiday intended to reflect upon the fallen soldiers, and honor them. However, Memorial Day as I saw it this past year was just a day that people only cared about the fact that they had off. Everyone I talked to was either going to a party, going to the shore, or just sleeping in with their day off. Going to a party doesn't sound too bad when it is a Memorial Day party meant to honor the holiday. Yet, how many of those parties take a moment away from their food and beer to honor the fallen heroes? I find myslef guilty of this pleasure as well. Except for the fact that I spent my Memorial day working to make extra money, I did attend a party on Sunday. At the party all I thought about was the food and friends around me, not the reason for the party. The only true act of patriotism that I witnessed this holiday came from my girlfriend's father, and I praise him for it. He is a member of the Air Force Reserves and he spent his day off down at his base in Maguire, NJ. Every year he goes down with a couple of his fellow troops and just hang around the base, talking and maybe working on some things. This year was extra special for them because their troop had just returned from Iraq, so that were extra happy to be home, and were thankful that they were all home. More patriotism should come from all US citizens on this holiday, not just the troops.
A Day For Memory
My memorial started off with me waking up in Kelly Hall. Not my ideal home but for once it was nice because there was no drilling at 7a.m. I got up took a shower and started to work on my design project. Design is like a war itself. You work and work for hours and somethings work and other don't you win and loose battles and don't get complete satisfaction until you get your final grade and that lets you know if you won the war. So in my own way I payed triubte to the soldiers who fought and died for our country because I am fighting my own war. I hope I win.
Memorial Day Weekend
I used to think that Memorial Day weekend was just an excuse to have a day off from school and lengthen the weekends getting closer to the end of the school year but then my high school history teacher taught the class that it was much more. It is supposed to celebrate those who have fallen fighting to preserve the peace and sanctity of our beloved nation. Some still view it as a reason to go down to the beach and drink but for the veterans of wars past and present Memorial Day means much more to them and having a day to honor them brings them a certain pride. I am pretty sure that most people couldn't identify the difference between Memorial Day and Veterans Day besides that you get off for one and the other you don't.
It's not that we neglect what our soldiers have done and are doing for our freedoms; it's that people wish they wouldn't have to protect our freedoms with force.
Memorial Day
Celebration-wise, not much happened for me, besides seeing the local parade. I've been in the parade every year of my high school as part of my marching band. I never remember the director saying anything in particular about why we celebrate Memorial day; we would just learn and play the music. After the parade, we had a little barbeque, and then I had to get the train back to Drexel. I'm glad we acknowledge Memorial day, but I feel like my family and friends care more for the day off and the fun times together than memorializing our troops. Like the Iraq War and its effects, the sacrifices of our troops have lost some of their significance since we don't think much about it.
May 26th
As i come from a country in south east Asia, i had not experienced a memorial day until this year. This was just a regular day for me as i was not aware of the importance of this date. However, it's a long weekend, and therefore i decided go out of the city to relax and enjoy. As i went to my friend's b'day party on Friday, i engaged in discussion with someone who was much older than me, literally an uncle to me. He taught the importance of this day and how some Americans do not show their gratitude to the forces in the US at least on a special day like the 26th of May. Even though i got to know about it, i couldn't do much since my friends had already planned activities for the weekend.
I spent the holiday in a suburb area having a BBQ with some of my close friends. The whole day was spent on fun activities and a little bit of shopping for clothes as there were sales in most of the shops. However, as i understand the importance of this day, i hope to do something productive to the country from next year. This year was just a start.
I spent the holiday in a suburb area having a BBQ with some of my close friends. The whole day was spent on fun activities and a little bit of shopping for clothes as there were sales in most of the shops. However, as i understand the importance of this day, i hope to do something productive to the country from next year. This year was just a start.
The Holiday
I did very little over the holiday weekend. My friend reminded me of why we even celebrate the holiday in simple AIM message. I had a good time and at one of the parties I attended the theme was for the lost soldiers. It was a weekend that reminded me of the people that have given their lives so that I could enjoy myself. It was a simple time of rejoicing with friends and having some fun.
May 26th
The week before Memorial Day weekend was like a major battle for me. I had two exams and two projects that needed completing and there were also so many classes to attend. So my Memorial Day consisted of sleeping and relaxing all day long. Therefore where I was, there were nothing special that happening to celebrate the Memorial Day. Yet the fact that I rested after a long and hard week reminded of the soldiers that once gave up their lives and the ones that are currently fighting in Iraq. During the time of war I think soldiers never really get the chance to rest and relax, especially after a major battle until the war is over. So I considered myself lucky, because I didn’t have any worries of being killed in the next battle or getting hit by artillery shells, something soldiers during war faced preventing them from getting well deserved rest. As a result I should be grateful and hope that I would never have to experience those feelings. It is amazing what soldiers have done in the past and is currently doing in Iraq. Finally at least for one day, we all can appreciate and thank those brave soldiers for what they have done.
memorial day weekend
Over the weekend was my cousin's birthday so we celebrated by all going out to dinner. The night before all us family went out we had a surprise party for Dhruv(my cousin) at our friend's house. We invited about 30 people and told them specifically that it was a surprise and to get there by six. By eight about 15 people had come. Luckily he was out and distracted til 8:30 by which time mostly everyone had gotten there. One of Dhruv's friends Charlie was there. He came back from Iraq 3 months ago. He was in the Marines. I was talking to him about it and he talked but wouldn' give any details. We were all drinking and feeling pretty good and still he wouldn't talk about it. He said it was intense and it changed his life. It seems like Memorial Day has lost it's value. It meant something in the 20th century when half a century was dedicated to wars and millions died. Now it's not like that so the masses don't feel the impact of this day they once would have. My cousin's dad was in the Indian Army when he lived in India. This day doesn't mean much to him other than having a day off. It seems like that's what this day has become. I nice day to go shopping. I don't mind it at all, but it's interesting to see the transition from a day of remembering to a day of shopping.
Memorial Day
This is the first time that I have been a part of memorial day because this is my first time in America. I know that the memorial day celebrates the bravery of those soldiers who gave up their lives to protect the freedom of this country. Many events are held all over the country to commemorate soldiers and their bravery. I got up pretty late in the morning and then watched a movie which had a very peculiar storyline.It was about three girls in Iraq who were passionate about soccer and wanted to see a game in the stadium. They could not do so as girls are not allowed in stadiums in Iraq. So they decided to dress up and boys and go see the game. They are successful in entering the stadium but they eventually get caught. The movie was very enthralling and it made me realize how oppressed women are in Iraq. I am happy I get to play soccer and I celebrated this by playing soccer in the evening.This was pretty much all I did on memorial day.
Memorial Day
This Memorial Day was the first one I didn't spend at home with my family; not that it makes any difference, but I just thought that was an interesting fact. I normally don't do anything special in honor of Memorial Day, and this year was no different. I actually spent most of the day in transit from New Jersey. When I finally got back, I went out to eat with some friends at Qudoba, and then we took a walk through the park at Penn. It was probably the most relaxed I've been in quite some time, probably because it's the only holiday I've had since spring break. Although I did nothing directly to honor the many US soldiers who have died fighting for us, my actions were directly affected by them. They fought to allow people like myself and my friends to have the freedom to go out and walk in the park, and enjoy eating with friends. When I think about how I did nothing to honor these brave soldiers, I feel a bit ashamed. Most people don't do anything either, but still that is no excuse for apathy.
celebrating
For Memorial Day itself I could not state a single event in which one may directly connect with the spirit of the holiday. But looking at the long weekend as a whole more closely at what I did and comparing it to what the holiday really means. I was able to make some connections. Over the long weekend in summary I did mainly a few things. Work, see my family and friends along with attending a neighbors barbeque for his son’s first birthday. Although you may not be able to see a direct connection to the holiday, what I realized is that we were remembering the holiday by being with the people you enjoy the most and doing what you love most. Memorial day weekend provides people the chance to sit back and really enjoy their lives. Because as we see from the holiday itself and the reason behind it. You do not know how much longer we have or what could happen to any of us in the next hour or day.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Escapism in its Purest of Forms
This past Memorial Day was unlike any other I have ever spent. Usually, my Memorial Days revolve around heading to the Jersey Shore with my parents or simply enjoying a quaint barbecue with a few close family members. This Memorial Day, however, my father decided to take me out to a small, secluded airport located in the middle of Bucks County called Van Sant Airport. Since my dad is so awesome, he paid for me to fly a glider plane.
This all came as a surprise to me. I knew we were heading to such an airport, but I simply thought we were going to enjoy the day relaxing and watching the above planes. Before I knew it, I was strapped in a claustrophobic cockpit with foreign gauges and a joystick situated in between my legs. A trained pilot was sitting right behind me.
After a few minutes of waiting for runway traffic to clear, we were up in the air about two miles from the ground as I detached the tension line connecting the glider I was in to the plane in front of us (which was responsible for elevating us to this extreme height). While I was flying the glider and getting used to its mechanics, I drifted into a sort of daydream that was unlike anything I have experienced before. I experienced a sense of serenity and peace, haven been above all the troubles that plagued society below. In fact, this Memorial Day seemed to have a paradoxical theme attached to it. While others were preoccupied with remembering veterans (possibly veterans in their own family), I was transported to a different place entirely, where remembering those who served our country did not even happen to cross my mind. Essentially, while others were paying their respects to servers of our nation, I was detached from society completely.
After the hour plane ride, I went home and did homework, not thinking once about the importance of the holiday. I was relaxed and focused on enjoying time with my family. In retrospect, I do not regret my day at all. Seemingly being apathetic towards the holiday, this memorial day was a cathartic experience, one that I will remember for years to come. After all, there will always be more memorial days.
No Vicarious Pain
Most people don't really connect with the whole "spirit of the holiday" that is Memorial Day. For a lot, it really is just a day off. The people that did care were the ones that were directly affected by the loss of a friend or family member. They were the ones most passionate about "celebrating" this holliday. Humans need to be close to something in order to feel it. Just telling everyone in the country that they should honor and respect the people that have "made the ultimate sacrifice" doesn't really mean much. Well obviously they're going to respect them; it's not like they're going to go out and piss on the graves of veterans. It's just that how do you respect someone that hasn't directly entered your life. And, unlike other holidays like Thanksgiving or Christmas, Memorial Day doesn't have a real event you're supposed to do. And barbeques don't count, you do them because it's finally nice out, not because the government told you to. The turkey and the tree are symbolic of their respective holidays, because they represent something, and when you do them you can say that you are truly "celebrating the holiday" in the way you are supposed to be. And if you think that the turkey and tree are shitty representations of their holiday, and act as nothing but a checkmark to your list of holidays to do properly, then I guess the state-sanctioned Memorial Day activity could be a chance to do something meaningful with real representation. Thing is,what is a real and meaningful representation of sacrifice and death?
Memorial Days
Memorial Day in my family is kind of an odd situation. First off, one of the main reasons at least my dad's side of the family is in the United States is because several of his brothers enlisted and served in the United States Navy. Second of all, my family is very dysfunctional they always are fighting with each other either up front or quietly. My little nuclear family is considered the middle divider with my dad being the mediator. There is no strict sense of respect to the elder siblings within my dad's family, nor is there direct respect for the sons who surrendered 20+ years of service in the military in order to bring the family to these United States of America. So looking at my Memorial Day (we had a picnic in a park), I found a new reality in that my uncles mad a sacrifice in order for me to live in this country so that I (inadvertently because I wasn't born yet) could have my life, my liberty, and my pursuit of happiness.
Memorial Day Weekend
My weekend was very uneventful. I stayed here at Drexel along with the only other 10 residents in my building. I stayed in the majority of the time and watched a couple of movies. One movie I watched was We Were Soldiers, which happens to be one of my favorite movies. It is about the Vietnam War and the soldiers who fought in it. The movie depicts one battle in particular in which thousands of soldiers died. This movie was very fitting for Memorial Day because you can’t help but think of all the fallen soldiers after watching it. After I was done watching the movie I thought of all the veterans I know and the people in Iraq that I know. I also found myself thinking of my twin brother who is in boot camp for the Marines right now, praying that he never sees a battle like the one depicted in the movie.
Memorial Day
Memorial Day is a time to remember those brave soldiers who gave their lives to protect the freedom of this country. Most of my memorial day was spent sleeping and watching movies all day. But I did get to see the town parade and the many speeches by famous politicians including President Bush. But the one thing that I'm glad I got to witness was the return of an Army from his sixth month tour of duty. I didn't know the man, I didn't even know his name but since he lived on our block, everyone was outside cheering and showing their thanks to the returning hero. It was truly a scene from Hollywood but I guess thats how it really looks in real life as well. But my memorial day served its purpose I got to sleep all day, and personally thank one of our soldiers.
Burn
So this weekend i spent my Sunday on a couple of "shores" near Atlantic City. First I experienced what it felt like to be buried under sand, then watch as a pyramid of sand and water is built above me. My friends were nice enough to ask the children near by if they'd like to help. This was a good experience as I've never been buried so well. I learned that with enough weight, your chest can't rise when you breath. It hurts.
Sometime between the being buried and 13 year olds asking me for beer, i remember feeling a crisping sensation on my shoulders and back. Yes, i was getting sunburned. The sun seems so much more powerful than it did years ago, when SPF 20 was more than enough.
At the time i didn't think about it, but now that i sit down i think about the warriors in Iraq and the hot sun they must endure. Do they get sun screen? Or do they not even have to worry about the harmful UV rays because of the large amounts of clothing and uniform they're required to wear? In which case they're probably sweating like pigs. Neither option sounds pleasing.
Sometime between the being buried and 13 year olds asking me for beer, i remember feeling a crisping sensation on my shoulders and back. Yes, i was getting sunburned. The sun seems so much more powerful than it did years ago, when SPF 20 was more than enough.
At the time i didn't think about it, but now that i sit down i think about the warriors in Iraq and the hot sun they must endure. Do they get sun screen? Or do they not even have to worry about the harmful UV rays because of the large amounts of clothing and uniform they're required to wear? In which case they're probably sweating like pigs. Neither option sounds pleasing.
Memorial Day Weekend
Well this weekend wasn't to eventful. I didn't go home and i didn't really do anything. There weren't to many people here to hang out with. I spent most of my time hanging around the dorm watching tv. I ended up watching sports center for a few hours over the weekend and the things that were playing actually happened to be involved with memorial day. There was a story of a young man only 25 years old who had enlisted in the war and was killed in Iraq. He had one wish and that was to teach the kids in Iraq to play soccer. His family and a person who heard about his wish started a foundation called kick for nick where they sent soccer balls across the ocean to Iraq. This story was about a fallen soldier and remembering him. Another story that was played was of the first Army player drafted into the NFL. This was his way to make it out of the war to be able to serve his country in a different way. He would be able to recruit people in america instead of fighting the war in Iraq. These stories were played to remember the people who fought and are fighting for our country. I thought it was nice that they could show stories about the war on a holdiay like this.
Memorial Day Weekend
My Memorial Day weekend was different this year, then previous years. Usually, it is spent with family enjoying the day together-- but this year my family was all off in different directions. I spent the weekend here at Drexel, I was one of the few souls who didn't go down to the shore for the weekend; I did make it to Atlantic City yesterday, to celebrate the unofficial start of summer, not to remember the tens of thousands of people who have fought in the various wars. As I was lying on my beach blanket, I overheard a man who was laying on the lounge chair close to me was yelling to someone on the phone, why he was not doing any work yesterday... he said "it's a holiday here in America." When he said this, it was the only time that the meaning of Memorial Day ever crossed my mind.
My family members were off doing their own things as well, I secretly think it has something to do with the fact that I wasn't home for the weekend, but it's not like they are going to admit that to me. I see Memorial Day weekend as a time to celebrate family, we've never been big into going to parades and such... honestly, before this post I have never really thought much about Memorial Day as being a day to remember those that have fought and sacrificed their lives for our country.
My family members were off doing their own things as well, I secretly think it has something to do with the fact that I wasn't home for the weekend, but it's not like they are going to admit that to me. I see Memorial Day weekend as a time to celebrate family, we've never been big into going to parades and such... honestly, before this post I have never really thought much about Memorial Day as being a day to remember those that have fought and sacrificed their lives for our country.
The Veterans of World War II
My family and I commemorated this Memorial Day by honoring the soldiers who had fallen during war. Each year, there is a mass at Saint Joseph's Cemetery in New Jersey that remembers those heroes who have paid the ultimate sacrifice. After the mass, the congregation processed to the graves of soldiers who had served in World War II.
Veterans of World War II came out to honor their comrades and it is quite noticeable that year by year their number grows smaller and smaller. Wreaths were placed on the graves and some veterans said a few words in memory of the service and bravery exhibited by their fellow troops.
It becomes quite depressing especially when men in their eighties become teary eyed in the worn out uniforms they have kept for decades. Witnessing that scene each year reminds me of why we celebrate Memorial Day. Going down the shore or having a barbecue is great fun, but honoring the veterans and those men and women who have died by their side is how we truly display the support and respect they all deserve.
Veterans of World War II came out to honor their comrades and it is quite noticeable that year by year their number grows smaller and smaller. Wreaths were placed on the graves and some veterans said a few words in memory of the service and bravery exhibited by their fellow troops.
It becomes quite depressing especially when men in their eighties become teary eyed in the worn out uniforms they have kept for decades. Witnessing that scene each year reminds me of why we celebrate Memorial Day. Going down the shore or having a barbecue is great fun, but honoring the veterans and those men and women who have died by their side is how we truly display the support and respect they all deserve.
Memorial Day, same thing as usual
My Memorial Day was the same as all the others. Me doing nothing at my house. Sure there is a parade and such, but I never go. I now have basic cable in order to save money. The only thing that I can actually stand to watch is the history or channel and cartoon network and thankfully they are only one channel apart. Watching the history channel I noticed it was all about war. This stuff actually caught my attention, so I sat there watching for hours. I watched about the war in the pacific and the US carriers and battles it went through. My city is trying to make people remember about war. There is a park where all the roads are named after wars, there is a statue about the Civil war in the corner between two main roads. There is actually a school called Veterans Memorial. I actually attended this middle school and read in a newspaper that the Korean War veterans donated nine flags representing every branch of the military and a new American Flag to replace the old one. The paper said there was a ceremony and everything.
The Ultimate Sacrifice
Unlike many Americans who may have reflected on Memorial Day by congregating for barbeques, I saw Monday as just another day. Although I am living during a time of war, it is not that I am insensitive to the tradition of America and patriotism, but my allegiance is solely and exclusively to Jehovah God; for it was his son, Christ Jesus that said he was "no part of this world"- therefore, that which soldiers both domestic and foreign fight for has no place in Jehovah's kingdom which is going to, as Daniel 2:44 says, "crush and put an end to all these kingdoms" and "will stand to times indefinite". What other kingdom or government has proclaimed such a promise - a government that will last forever? Is it not something only God can promise? Although we live in a tumultuous world, only the Almighty God - not man - can resolve the problems transpiring around the globe today.
So rather than reflecting on the war amidst us today, I spent my Memorial Day and spend all of my days thinking about the peace that will ensue when Jehovah takes over and leaves his son Jesus in control. Rather than governments promoting nationalism, and one nation (the US) against the other (Iraq), Jehovah's righteous government will comprise of people "of all nations" and unlike what the governments today do - his will not promote any sort of nationalism or divisions. The only memorial that I reflect upon and commemorate is the sacrifice that made eternal life in a paradise earth, under the rule of a righteous, empathetic ruler feasible - the ultimate sacrifice - that offered up by Christ Jesus.
So rather than reflecting on the war amidst us today, I spent my Memorial Day and spend all of my days thinking about the peace that will ensue when Jehovah takes over and leaves his son Jesus in control. Rather than governments promoting nationalism, and one nation (the US) against the other (Iraq), Jehovah's righteous government will comprise of people "of all nations" and unlike what the governments today do - his will not promote any sort of nationalism or divisions. The only memorial that I reflect upon and commemorate is the sacrifice that made eternal life in a paradise earth, under the rule of a righteous, empathetic ruler feasible - the ultimate sacrifice - that offered up by Christ Jesus.
My Memorial Day
Most of my memorial day was spent doing things that are not based on remembering the dead. Saturday night I drove down to my friends shore house with my girlfriend. We stayed down till monday morning and then drove to my house. On monday, memorial day, I spent the day with my family. We played board games, ate a nice meal together, and just sat on my back deck next to the pool. We then remembered my grandfather who died about five years back. The only connection between this rememberence and the war is that my grandfather was a war veteran. Overall, I am ashamed to say it, but I did not really remember the holiday.
Memorial Day
Over Memorial Day weekend, instead of going to the beach and barbecuing with friends and family, I stayed at Drexel with very few individuals. Many people went home and to the shore for the weekend. I chose to stay at Drexel. It was weird because I bonded with people that I did not always get to spend time with. We all sat as a group of dorm-mates and connected like the troops who bond together overseas. We all pulled together and made a family dinner with friends. We bonded like a family, like a team, like a troop. On a deserted campus, we made the best of being at Drexel and ended up having a nice relaxing weekend. It was a Memorial Day to remember.
Perspectives on Memorial Day
This past Memorial Day was one of relaxing and spending time with loved ones, like many others in the past. But this year I was able to observe it in a different perspective. My house is located on the top of a hill which overlooks my local cemetery. We finished our front patio late last summer, so this year I was able to conveniently watch many people come to the cemetery and give their respects to the fallen military servicemen. As people came and went throughout the day, the spirit of the holiday grew. Although, I did not talk to any family and friends about the past wars or the current one now, I gained a sense of appreciation towards our military service men and women. The people that are honored on Memorial Day are soldiers who lost their lives fighting for the freedoms of the citizens of the United States. As people spend time with the ones the love, it strengthens the bonds within the relationship. Memorial Day should be a day filled with memories with our loved ones, because after all if we didn’t have them there would not be a reason to fight. So even though my friends and family did not have a great discussion about our past soldiers, we did spend time together and in turn made lasting memories.
Later in the evening, I was called into work. Since I work at a retail store, this also showed me another side of Memorial Day, the commercialized beginning of summer. Many stores promote big discounts and savings. Although, we are currently in the middle of spring, this holiday encourages the summer time life. Some people even consider it as the unofficial beginning of summer. This holiday is placed after tax returns and even more conveniently this year’s raised tax refund. This refund is supposed to initiate economic growth by giving the citizens disposable income. Many stores are fighting to get this income so they will up the discounts and lower the prices to draw in customers. I find it interesting how many companies use holidays to promote more spending, and with our economy dwindling downwards perhaps this extra spending will help it stabilize. Whether spending time with my family and friends or working at a retail store, I was able to look at Memorial Day in a different perspective.
Later in the evening, I was called into work. Since I work at a retail store, this also showed me another side of Memorial Day, the commercialized beginning of summer. Many stores promote big discounts and savings. Although, we are currently in the middle of spring, this holiday encourages the summer time life. Some people even consider it as the unofficial beginning of summer. This holiday is placed after tax returns and even more conveniently this year’s raised tax refund. This refund is supposed to initiate economic growth by giving the citizens disposable income. Many stores are fighting to get this income so they will up the discounts and lower the prices to draw in customers. I find it interesting how many companies use holidays to promote more spending, and with our economy dwindling downwards perhaps this extra spending will help it stabilize. Whether spending time with my family and friends or working at a retail store, I was able to look at Memorial Day in a different perspective.
Memorial Day
Based on my Memorial Day weekend I cannot really comment because it was out of the norm of my usual holiday. I remained at school this weekend because I live in Boston, Massachusetts and it is expensive for me to go home. I am choosing to comment on a typical Memorial Day weekend for years past. Previously I attended in the morning a service where veterans would speak about their experiences in the war. I found this very enlightening because I have never been in war and don’t know how it goes. My bother and friends would sing in the chorus songs that represent the war, and patriotism. For instance the Star-Spangled Banner and America the beautiful.
After this memorial we would travel to the cemetery and visit my mother, grandmother and grandfathers gravesites. This would just serve as a memorial allowing us to remember the times when they were still with us. While this was a very solemn time it allowed me to get even closer to my family, living and deceased. As we would wander around the cemetery we would just observe all the soldiers that had died for our sake. People had put flags up the day before on all of the soldiers gravesites as a form of respect and thanks.
After all this we would travel to my buddies house and we would have a cookout and celebrate the long weekends culmination with friends and family.
After this memorial we would travel to the cemetery and visit my mother, grandmother and grandfathers gravesites. This would just serve as a memorial allowing us to remember the times when they were still with us. While this was a very solemn time it allowed me to get even closer to my family, living and deceased. As we would wander around the cemetery we would just observe all the soldiers that had died for our sake. People had put flags up the day before on all of the soldiers gravesites as a form of respect and thanks.
After all this we would travel to my buddies house and we would have a cookout and celebrate the long weekends culmination with friends and family.
Memorial Day...
This weekend was eventful in more ways than one. I went home for the long weekend hoping to enjoy a relaxing barbeque and spend time with the family. What actually happened was a lot less relaxing than I had hoped. I had two large family events to attend, one of them being a sweet 16 on Sunday afternoon. During the party, between all the dancing, eating and candle lighting, we had a moment of silence in remembrance of the soldiers lost and the ones still in Iraq fighting for our country today. The speech that was given before the moment of silence was very moving and genuine since the uncle of the birthday girl served some time in the military and lived firsthand the horrors of war.
Other than that, I didn't do anything out of the ordinary on Memorial Day itself. I was back in the city, and decided to spend my day shopping. While I was walking into center city via Walnut Street, I noticed some ceremony going on by the Schuylkill River down by Kelly Drive. There were soldiers in uniform on a platform receiving some sort of award and/or being honored. I thought it was a really nice thing to be done for our troops.
Other than that, I didn't do anything out of the ordinary on Memorial Day itself. I was back in the city, and decided to spend my day shopping. While I was walking into center city via Walnut Street, I noticed some ceremony going on by the Schuylkill River down by Kelly Drive. There were soldiers in uniform on a platform receiving some sort of award and/or being honored. I thought it was a really nice thing to be done for our troops.
Memorial Day
This Memorial Day was very different for me this year. For the past four years I was subjected into going to my high school early in the morning to get ready for a parade stand in the hot sun for a few hours watch someone suffer from heat stroke and then have to share a bottle of water with five other people. After that I got to go home sit down and then make Italian hot dogs for my family for dinner. This year was the direct opposite. I woke up around ten, my dad was off of work which was a little weird for me. Then my parents went to the beach with their friends for the day as I sat and waited for my friend to pick me up and bring me back to school. I went the whole day not once thinking of the people who died for our country instead I was thinking "Man, I'm going to screw up what day it is all week." I did not have a good dinner, instead if was a lovely awful meal at the Handschmacher dining hall.
drunken mayhem
For those who are unaware (specifically those over the age of 30 years old),
Kings is a common drinking game amongst high school and college kids.
Wikipedia definition:
Kings (also less commonly known as King's Cup, Four Kings, King of beers, Circle of Death, or Ring of Fire) is a popular drinking game. It uses a standard deck of playing cards. The deck of cards are shuffled and spread down on a table, usually in a circle. In some variations, a cup is placed in the center of the table. The play goes around the table with each player drawing one card at a time. Each card has a different action associated with it, which are listed below.
This weekend, memorial day weekend, I was back in Jersey to holla at my homies. Everytime we played Kings (which was quite a lot and during every party/gathering I went to) and someone drew an Ace (which is waterfall where everyone drinks and stops when the person in front of them does) I made sure that we CHEERS it to the veterans!
And of course cheers came about.
Also some anti-government talk but everyone respects the veterans.
At a party on saturday night , the obliterated host of a beerbq made a huge speech thanking everyone and made a few comments about commemerating veterans. Which was a nice touch, but the memory is hazyyyy....
Happy memorial day!
Kings is a common drinking game amongst high school and college kids.
Wikipedia definition:
Kings (also less commonly known as King's Cup, Four Kings, King of beers, Circle of Death, or Ring of Fire) is a popular drinking game. It uses a standard deck of playing cards. The deck of cards are shuffled and spread down on a table, usually in a circle. In some variations, a cup is placed in the center of the table. The play goes around the table with each player drawing one card at a time. Each card has a different action associated with it, which are listed below.
This weekend, memorial day weekend, I was back in Jersey to holla at my homies. Everytime we played Kings (which was quite a lot and during every party/gathering I went to) and someone drew an Ace (which is waterfall where everyone drinks and stops when the person in front of them does) I made sure that we CHEERS it to the veterans!
And of course cheers came about.
Also some anti-government talk but everyone respects the veterans.
At a party on saturday night , the obliterated host of a beerbq made a huge speech thanking everyone and made a few comments about commemerating veterans. Which was a nice touch, but the memory is hazyyyy....
Happy memorial day!
Memorial Day
Jasmine Singh
To be honest, I really came home this weekend to check upon my mother. I really did not take in consideration that it was Memorial Day weekend. Now when I think about it, I actually feel pretty guilty for not even switching the news stations on the radio or new channel on TV to appreciate the soldiers. I totally forgot about the fact that US was actually in Iraq.
However, I did watch a movie this weekend which says a lot about US’ roles in countries like Afghanistan and Iraq. In “Charlie Wilson’s War, the basic idea is that US goes into a country to help and leave the country without putting helping the nation to rebuilt itself. Since the US doesn’t really put in efforts to rebuild the nation, then that nation is eventually attacked by another powerful nation. The movie focused on the time when the USSR was attacking Afghanistan and the US supplied over one billion dollars worth of weapons and supplies for Afghanistan to defeat the USSR. However in the end of the movie, the Congress does not approve of the one million dollars that would go toward reconstruction of schools for the Afghan children. To be honest, I feel that it will be the same towards Iraq, in the sense that the US will not make an effort to reconstruct the nation. All the US wants his pride, that it was able to kill Saddam Hussein and eventually capture Osama Bin Laden. I don’t think the President cares about the soldiers and innocent lives that are being killed or tortures in Iraq.
To be honest, I really came home this weekend to check upon my mother. I really did not take in consideration that it was Memorial Day weekend. Now when I think about it, I actually feel pretty guilty for not even switching the news stations on the radio or new channel on TV to appreciate the soldiers. I totally forgot about the fact that US was actually in Iraq.
However, I did watch a movie this weekend which says a lot about US’ roles in countries like Afghanistan and Iraq. In “Charlie Wilson’s War, the basic idea is that US goes into a country to help and leave the country without putting helping the nation to rebuilt itself. Since the US doesn’t really put in efforts to rebuild the nation, then that nation is eventually attacked by another powerful nation. The movie focused on the time when the USSR was attacking Afghanistan and the US supplied over one billion dollars worth of weapons and supplies for Afghanistan to defeat the USSR. However in the end of the movie, the Congress does not approve of the one million dollars that would go toward reconstruction of schools for the Afghan children. To be honest, I feel that it will be the same towards Iraq, in the sense that the US will not make an effort to reconstruct the nation. All the US wants his pride, that it was able to kill Saddam Hussein and eventually capture Osama Bin Laden. I don’t think the President cares about the soldiers and innocent lives that are being killed or tortures in Iraq.
The Significance of Memorial Day
This Memorial Day, as I sat down to dinner with my family, my grandma said that we should make a toast and drink to family members and other loved ones who had passed over the years, as we do every Memorial Day. To me, Memorial Day is not only about the memory of our troops who have given their lives for our country but also about the memory of everyone else who I cared for who has died and what they meant to me and to everyone else. Memorial Day is not about barbeques, nor is it a day off to hang out with your family or go to the beach with your friends. It is all about memories, and a chance to think about someone who you might not necessarily think about every other day - that's why it's called Memorial Day after all.
memorial day weekend
Every year for memorial day, I go to some person in my familys house. This year I went to my aunt's house for a bbq. Normally when we go, even though we are supposed to be celebrating memorial day, we don't really think or talk about it too much. We mention my grandfathers relatives that had been in the war, but thats pretty much the extent of it. This year we also talked about my aunt's neighbor, who joined the war and was sent to fight in Iraq. It made me think about how sad it is that all of these people risked their lives by fighting in these wars, and most of the people don't even remember their bravery on the day dedicated to commemorating their honor. I'm the same way, I normally don't think a lot about it, but I realize that they deserve this day to honor the memory of the bravery. It also wasn't the same without the rain, since it almost always rains on Memorial Day. The absence of rain made it feel like a completely different day altogether.
An eventful Memorial Day Weekend
Over the weekend, I visited many sights all throughout central pennsylvania. On Saturday I went to the Renaissance Fair which had a the first annual flavor fest..sampling many different wines and beers as well as food. While everyone was walking/standing around laughing with family and friends, I thought about the Movie Three Kings and how we saw the scene where all the soldiers were drinking, getting drunk and having a great time..so I just thought about all those that arent with us today because of losing their life in battle, and how those nights of drinking were their last happy memories. Also driving through Gettysburg I saw the many statues with horses..each resembling different meanings to the war and each general. It was very interesting to hear all about the history and putting myself at the exact same place as those soldiers, visualizing the fighting which just gave me chills. I also went to a really cool brewery and went on a tour and learned a bunch of history about the place. I went to various different tourist attractions and just learned so much. There were moments when I wasn't even thinking about memorial day, just thinking about how much fun I was having, which I guess is selfish, but I'm sure alot of people are absent minded to the whole weekend, unless they were affected by the wars, were in them, or family died in them or they are just really patriotic people. When I was talking to my bestfriend that was in the war, he was telling me that he didnt celebrate the day like he should have. He said that you are supposed to pay respect and tribute to the people that died serving the country. He said that he was supposed to wear his uniform and go somewhere where there were veterans, or a memorial service/cemetary. He said that most people think of it as a day off from work however if you are in the military it holds a deeper meaning to your heart and you take a moment of silence to think about those that sacrificed their lives for us.
Memorial Day Baseball
Over the Memorial Day weekend I always have a busy American Legion baseball schedule full of games. We host a couple of games on Saturday and end the weekend with a doubleheader on Sunday. Since the American Legion has a number of participants that are war veterans we always do a special salute to the older players before the games begin.
American Legion baseball is the past time of a lot of older American citizens. Baseball use to be the all-American sport that everyone would love to enjoy on a nice summer afternoon. The American Legion has tons of war veterans that once played baseball through the program and their stories are remembered at our tournaments.
One individual who I remember speaking left a lasting memory with me. His name was Gene and he once played American Legion baseball for the team I play with now. He went to war when he was no older than 18 and he told us a couple of his stories.
He started with his baseball memories, playing with his buddies and how the bond he held could never of been stronger. He explained that when he went to war he lost a couple of his best friends and he was changed forever. He ended his story in a very memorable way, he laid his hat on the ground and started crying. He saluted his lost friends and told everyone how he is reminded of his friends through American Legion baseball. It was pretty upsetting and eye opening, because that could be me in fifty years...
American Legion baseball is the past time of a lot of older American citizens. Baseball use to be the all-American sport that everyone would love to enjoy on a nice summer afternoon. The American Legion has tons of war veterans that once played baseball through the program and their stories are remembered at our tournaments.
One individual who I remember speaking left a lasting memory with me. His name was Gene and he once played American Legion baseball for the team I play with now. He went to war when he was no older than 18 and he told us a couple of his stories.
He started with his baseball memories, playing with his buddies and how the bond he held could never of been stronger. He explained that when he went to war he lost a couple of his best friends and he was changed forever. He ended his story in a very memorable way, he laid his hat on the ground and started crying. He saluted his lost friends and told everyone how he is reminded of his friends through American Legion baseball. It was pretty upsetting and eye opening, because that could be me in fifty years...
The Gatekeeper
Drexel University is a campus filled with thousands of students hustling about the city, making noise, and making their presence known. Memorial Day weekend was the opposite at Drexel University. It seems as dead as the soliders we were memorializing. Everyone seemed to have left campus for the weekend, most going home to celebrate Memorial Day back in their own hometown with parades, barbeques, family, and friends. Instead I choose to stay on campus and take advantage of the pay inflation of time and a half. Working the desk in the dorms I provide the security for both North and Myers Hall during the day. I find this to be amusing since my scrawny 5 foot 9 frame and 115 pound could not protect a fly. But it made me think of the sliders who protected our country throughout the years. They, like me, at one point were not the trained soldier’s that fought in battle. Some were nerds, college students, and twigs like me. At the gate I felt as if I had the power. Letting certain individuals in, ones with an ID card, symbolic of residency in a country, were allowed to proceed on while others were detains or sent away. Overall the day left me thankful of the soldiers that learned their skill in order to protect myself and my rights.
Memorial Day Weekend
When I drove into my town Friday afternoon, there was a big sign in out little square that said "Memorial Day Observance" hanging over the fountain and covering the Northampton Township plaque that is positioned there. Although I stayed home on Monday, I do remember that last year they had a bunch of people who were affected by any war, gather there and remember the wars and all the good people that died or were injured. I assume they did the same thing this year. When I was leaving early Monday evening, the sign was gone. I remember in high school we usually had a Memorial Day assembly on the Friday before where war veterans came and spoke to us, and some that even went to the high school years earlier. I think the fact that my town does such things shows a great deal of patriotism and respect for the country and veterans of war.
Memorial Day Fire Alarm
Spending the whole Memorial Day weekend at Drexel, I cannot think of anything more noteworthy than the fire alarm that rang all over Myers Hall Sunday afternoon. As far as I know (I'm a Myers resident and spend most of the time there), this has been the first alarm in many weeks, and the reason which caused it matters less (apparently someone had overcooked a piece of toast). However, I can connect this to Memorial Day, thinking of the more deafening and horrifying alarms that mark the start of a new day of combat. Our brave soldiers have to endure this sound on a daily basis, mixed with the echoes of gunshots and exploding bombs. In a combat ground, alarms can go on for hours without cease and there are no public safety or fire department workers that can solve the problem with a routine check. When the alarms are over, the only things left are the charred bodies of both valiant combatants and innocent civilians, sent to oblivion like the burnt slices of toast.
Beach
Memorial weekend in the eyes of the college students is just a long break from school, to release the stress and relax. As for me, I decided to head to the beach with my friends. It was unusually cold for day near the end of May. The beach reminded me of the scene from Saving Private Ryan when the soldiers landed on the beach of Normandy. The soldiers were targets of machine guns and turrets, they were bathed in blood meanwhile we were bathed in sunlight. This comparison triggered my thought that America's newer generation is not as involved with the nation as the past. It seems that we take things for granted, and a day commemorated to the soldiers of the past is not as meaningful as the moment it was declared a holiday.
Weekend On the Beach
This past weekend, I went down to the Jersey Shore for the holiday. I spent the long four day weekend in the wonderful town of Wildwood. While most of my weekend was spent far from thinking about the the true meaning of the holiday, I was able to look back on the weekend and realize what Memorial Day is really about.
As I sat on the beach during the day, I began thinking about the privileges I have and I got them. Now I'm not by any means a history buff but the one thing I did think about was the storming of the beaches at Normandy. As I sat on the beach so peacefully with no worries, I thought about all those soldiers, on both sides of the battle, they were on the beach that die dying for the freedom of others. The pure fact the I have the ability to go to the beach was given to me by others and for that I am very grateful. I am grateful that others were willing to go and fight for my freedom and were willing to lay down their lives. I now look at Memorial Day in a different light. In the past, I always knew Memorial Day as the start of the summer at the shore season. This weekend has always been to kick off weekend for summer enjoyment and now I realize the true meaning of the holiday: it is a day for us to remember all those men and women who have served our country faithfully and given themselves up for the happiness of others.
As I sat on the beach during the day, I began thinking about the privileges I have and I got them. Now I'm not by any means a history buff but the one thing I did think about was the storming of the beaches at Normandy. As I sat on the beach so peacefully with no worries, I thought about all those soldiers, on both sides of the battle, they were on the beach that die dying for the freedom of others. The pure fact the I have the ability to go to the beach was given to me by others and for that I am very grateful. I am grateful that others were willing to go and fight for my freedom and were willing to lay down their lives. I now look at Memorial Day in a different light. In the past, I always knew Memorial Day as the start of the summer at the shore season. This weekend has always been to kick off weekend for summer enjoyment and now I realize the true meaning of the holiday: it is a day for us to remember all those men and women who have served our country faithfully and given themselves up for the happiness of others.
Fun Weekend Meaningful Conversations
It was a fun weekend to say the least. Fun filled activities that we always associate with the beginning of summer. Looking at the topic question, it was interesting to think back over the fun weekend and find parts that relate to something so serious as the Iraq War. For me it was the hour-long ride and the lack of parking at the beach that initiated conversations of our current situation in Iraq. Driving into Ocean City, NJ right around the new high school around 6th and Central there was a ceremony going on. Veterans and men and women in uniform were there; it must have been finishing as we were arriving. As we’re driving by the two gentlemen in the car with me brought up a conversation about how it isn’t the way is used to be. Meaning, in the support of what we’re fighting for. I talked about this in previous blogs, about how there is a lack of care or regard for what is going on in Iraq. Besides my original point about our nation’s stance on the War in Iraq, the sight of the memorial ceremony going on in Ocean City also brought up US politics and each candidate’s stance on the war.
It’s interesting hearing individual’s view on the war when they have a loved one, or a family member in Iraq currently. I find that anyone in that situation feels we should stay there until it’s done. But anyone without connection to the war wishes to pull out ASAP. Not sure exactly what that means, but all the same an interesting observation.
All in all I’m entirely grateful for those who fight for the freedom I love and enjoy, and wish more people would support the troops and care about what is going on. I must say that this class and blog assignments have given me new insight to what I truly believe in and care about when it comes to politics.
It’s interesting hearing individual’s view on the war when they have a loved one, or a family member in Iraq currently. I find that anyone in that situation feels we should stay there until it’s done. But anyone without connection to the war wishes to pull out ASAP. Not sure exactly what that means, but all the same an interesting observation.
All in all I’m entirely grateful for those who fight for the freedom I love and enjoy, and wish more people would support the troops and care about what is going on. I must say that this class and blog assignments have given me new insight to what I truly believe in and care about when it comes to politics.
Día de los caídos
Like others I did nothing out of the ordinary during my three day weekend. BBQ's and family time is all that happened along with a few parties with my friends. I guess if I had to make some connection with my weekend and the brave men who gave their lives for me to have such a relaxing weekend it would have to be the absence of their effect on my life until I am reminded. I never stop to think of how good Americans have it until Memorial Day, but I guess that's the point of the holiday.
Party
Every memorial day, my mom has a party. It is never on Memorial Day, it is the day before. Pretty much the only reason we have it on that Sunday is so everyone can stay late and not worry about going to work in the morning. Usually the party is fun – we have fireworks and games and a bbq, but this year was a little different. Just last week, my great uncle passed away. Ironically, he was a veteran of the navy, and he fought in WWII. So Memorial Day this year had a more meaning then it usually does. Also every year on Memorial Day, we bring flowers and flags down to the gravesites where my grandma and my great-grandparents are buried. I always see many families there, and even though Memorial Day is a day to remember war veterans, we usually spend it just remembering our own family.
Tri for our Veterans
This past memorial weekend was definitely one that I will remember forever. I participated in my first triathlon, which was one that recognized our veterans. On Saturday, I, along with six of my friends, raced in the Tri for our Veterans Triathlon in Sea Isle City. It was a huge success and so much fun. Unlike past Memorial Day weekends, I truly remembered our veterans. There were also veterans that participated in the race as well. It was amazing seeing these unbelievable men and women race for such an amazing cause. There were athletes holding little American flags as they swam, biked and ran, and others who were disabled, but still pushed just as hard. There was one man in particular that had amputated legs, but was somehow able to kick ass. Seeing this man and thinking about the men and women that lost their lives in war just made me push that much harder. If they were able to show that strength, then I most definitely can show mine. My first triathlon was not only for me, but also for the good of our country and it feels even better to know that I supported my troops while achieving such a huge goal in my life.
Blog week 9
This weekend I went to Boston to the see the NCAA lacrosse championship. The drive was a bit long but my buddy has a sister who lives up there and we had made the trip a bunch of times. When I read the blog before I left I didn’t know how to integrate lacrosse with war but as I saw the players in action it came to me. Lacrosse is a quick speedy game with hard hitting and amazing stick work. The teams fight for a common goal to win the victor. As they played or battled I thought of this blog and made the connection of the player to the soldiers. I understand they are very different from each other but they both fight for something. They give all they have to get this and in the end there is a winner and a loser. Then we Syracuse won I thought about how each team or college or country will be remembered. It will be cataloged under lacrosse or war. People will know who won or lost.
Memories
Memorial Day
My memorial day weekend in retrospect actually signified a lot. At the moment it just seemed like any old fun filled three day weekend but looking at it now I guess it meant more than that. It’s my last weekend here to hang out with friends since every weekend till summer vacation I am going to be home. So it was a weekend to celebrate friendship, to celebrate a year of being freshman, one last hoorah. It was a tribute to memories of adventurous nights out, drama we thought we would never ever get out of, classes we thought we would never pass, and friendships we were glad had lasted. This memorial day weekend was in fact a tribute to memories. We reminisced about the past and future memories to be made. My friends and I shared deep conversation till 5 a.m. in the morning. I spent Sunday and Monday at the beach and saw all the seniors on their beach weeks, and remembered my senior year which seems just like yesterday. As I sat at the beach and watched the waves come and go I thought about people in my lives that have come and go, but not only those who came and left but those who came and left a mark on my life. Past friendships, past family and past loves. I remembered my grandmother who raised 17 successful children who then bore my cousins and I and raised us to be the people we are today. I remembered my aunt who tried her best to be a good mother to her daughter who was disabled, and I remembered my best friends’s father who took his life just recently in hopes for a better future for his family. I remembered that though they were gone they did something with their life, like the soldiers in Iraq who had died to make a difference. This memorial day did not just make me think of others, but it made me think of myself. The change that has occurred in me and my life, the future decisions I will make that will cause change. This Memorial Day weekend made me realize so much about the past, present and future. I don’t know what the future holds, but all I know is that I want one memorial day to come when I will reminisce about how I made a difference.
My memorial day weekend in retrospect actually signified a lot. At the moment it just seemed like any old fun filled three day weekend but looking at it now I guess it meant more than that. It’s my last weekend here to hang out with friends since every weekend till summer vacation I am going to be home. So it was a weekend to celebrate friendship, to celebrate a year of being freshman, one last hoorah. It was a tribute to memories of adventurous nights out, drama we thought we would never ever get out of, classes we thought we would never pass, and friendships we were glad had lasted. This memorial day weekend was in fact a tribute to memories. We reminisced about the past and future memories to be made. My friends and I shared deep conversation till 5 a.m. in the morning. I spent Sunday and Monday at the beach and saw all the seniors on their beach weeks, and remembered my senior year which seems just like yesterday. As I sat at the beach and watched the waves come and go I thought about people in my lives that have come and go, but not only those who came and left but those who came and left a mark on my life. Past friendships, past family and past loves. I remembered my grandmother who raised 17 successful children who then bore my cousins and I and raised us to be the people we are today. I remembered my aunt who tried her best to be a good mother to her daughter who was disabled, and I remembered my best friends’s father who took his life just recently in hopes for a better future for his family. I remembered that though they were gone they did something with their life, like the soldiers in Iraq who had died to make a difference. This memorial day did not just make me think of others, but it made me think of myself. The change that has occurred in me and my life, the future decisions I will make that will cause change. This Memorial Day weekend made me realize so much about the past, present and future. I don’t know what the future holds, but all I know is that I want one memorial day to come when I will reminisce about how I made a difference.
Memorial Day Weekend
So for Memorial Day, 2008, I spent the majority of my day doing homework and studying for my math exam that is on Wednesday the 28th. I also spent part of my day in traffic on the Atlantic City Expressway on my way back to Drexel from home. I had a fun weekend though. All of my friends from home are done school already so they were all home and we partied nice and hard. It really just made me miss home and hate school more. I'm ready for summer but Drexel screws us. The only Memorial Day-ish thing that I did was watch the Great Escape about 5 times on AMC. I love that movie. Steve McQueen is the man. But I guess that was all I did. Absolutely nothing out of the ordinary.
Blog 9
Memorial Day is a day to remember those who died serving our country. I think of Memorial Day as not only remember those who served our country, but all of those loved ones who have passed away. Every Memorial Day some of my family members go visit my uncle who passed away, at the age of 24, 7 years ago. Because he was SO close to me, Memorial Day is a remembrance of my uncle. I go visit his grave site and just think about the times we have spent together when I was younger. I try to imagine what life would be like if he were still alive today and the impacts he has made on my life. Though Memorial Day is a day of remembrance for those who served our country, for me it is a day of remembering my uncle and his impacts on my life.
Memorial Day Weekend
For me, Memorial Day weekend usually means all of my extended family and family friends coming over to the house for a bbq and a pool party; hanging out all day catching up with everyone and ending with fireworks just after sunset. This year was a bit different. Instead of a big get together at the house my parents were in Washington D.C. for a wedding. This left me to make my own holiday plans. I ended up going to LBI with friends. We spent the day on the beach and in the water and walking through shops in the area. I honestly didn't even give any thought to the holiday until we were driving on our way home. It was about 9 at night and just over the tops of the trees on the horizon ahead of us you could see red, white, and blue fireworks exploding. This got me thinking about the blog for this week and it made me think about my uncle who fought in Vietnam and also made me think of my cousin's husband who is currently overseas right now. It made me proud and greatful for all the people who have sacrificed their lives, and those who are currently putting themselves in danger everyday, for us just so we can all go on living our everyday lives and keep our freedom.
Week Eight--Memorial Day
Memorial Day marks the opening of pools in most developments and parks. We spent our memorial days sleeping in, getting some house work done, going to the pool, and studying for midterms. I was constantly reminded of the remembrance holiday because of yahoos front page. The banner changes with the holidays, and this weekend it had purple heart and badge.
I was also reminded with a memorial day scholarship quiz i found online. It was hard, and i realized i really didn't know anything about the day. The day is in remembrance of those who fought in the civil war and then expanded after WW1 to honor all soldiers. The quiz asked questions like who was the general who enacted the holiday and when did the holiday become national, i guessed, and probably am not going to win.
I think that when i see older men, like grandpas, they feel the need for the holiday much more than we do , because they lived through it. This is their time to tell stories to their grandchildren, and celebrate with their family.
I was also reminded with a memorial day scholarship quiz i found online. It was hard, and i realized i really didn't know anything about the day. The day is in remembrance of those who fought in the civil war and then expanded after WW1 to honor all soldiers. The quiz asked questions like who was the general who enacted the holiday and when did the holiday become national, i guessed, and probably am not going to win.
I think that when i see older men, like grandpas, they feel the need for the holiday much more than we do , because they lived through it. This is their time to tell stories to their grandchildren, and celebrate with their family.
Week Seven--War Blogs
The blog i chose to write about is called "A minute longer." The first thing you see is a simple page decorated in blue and red, and a soldier is salute. It seems that the page isn't working properly, because there are disables links on the sides. The Author of the blog is Will. He used to work for gateway ad was in the reserve for 13 years. He says he enjoys being part of the army because he is good at it not because he has a power struggle.
The last post says that he turned off commenting, and im not sure why, id its because he went home and isn't going to reply to the blog anymore because he found better things to do with his time.
From the posts i read, it seems he enjoys his place in the war, ad feels the war is going on for a good reason, "Give us what we want and we'll go away."He tells Iraq to give up and follow America like other counties (Somalia) have done in the past. He mentions we have a rough Texan in the white house He sounds very patriotic. He is enthusiastic about his job, as a biological weapons specialist. He cleans equipment and makes sure that the fighting soldiers will be safe in combat. In one post he says that he was cleaning and yet again recleaning because the army is big on keeping things clean. I think the army is big on keeping soldiers with a purpose so they wont have time to think about quitting..
The last post says that he turned off commenting, and im not sure why, id its because he went home and isn't going to reply to the blog anymore because he found better things to do with his time.
From the posts i read, it seems he enjoys his place in the war, ad feels the war is going on for a good reason, "Give us what we want and we'll go away."He tells Iraq to give up and follow America like other counties (Somalia) have done in the past. He mentions we have a rough Texan in the white house He sounds very patriotic. He is enthusiastic about his job, as a biological weapons specialist. He cleans equipment and makes sure that the fighting soldiers will be safe in combat. In one post he says that he was cleaning and yet again recleaning because the army is big on keeping things clean. I think the army is big on keeping soldiers with a purpose so they wont have time to think about quitting..
I had a pretty uneventful Memorial Day. In fact, I wasn't really even planning on going home until I woke up Monday morning and decided on a whim to hop on a train. The only real Memorial Day-related conversation I had was over dinner with my dad, brothers, grandparents, and brother's girlfriend, when my Grand mom announced that she had unsubscribed to the Philadelphia Inquirer. She was doing the cryptogram yesterday morning, only to find upon completion that the hidden message was something along the lines of, "Patriotism is the foundation for which innocent people will die for trivial causes." I can't remember the line word for word, but that was the gist of it. I was blown away that the Inquirer would put that in their newspaper. Not only is it a slap in the face on Memorial Day, it's just bad marketing. The target audience of cryptograms is little old ladies like my grand mom, who probably won't appreciate an anti-patriotic encryption over their morning coffee. Pacifists and war-mongers alike will agree that to call the underlying reasons for our nation's armed conflicts trivial is a harsh understatement and insensitive to people whose family and friends have died for our country. There are so many other justified adjectives to apply to our country's war reasonings than trivial. The word itself doesn't imply any morality. It doesn't take a stance on anything. It would've been more understandable if they had just said immoral or unjustified. Trivial makes it seem like the hard work and sacrifice of thousands of men and women means nothing, has accomplished nothing. And why Memorial Day? If you wanted to put a hidden, ill-worded anti-war statement in your newspaper bashing the reasons why thousands of people have died, surely you could've picked a better date than the day when we're supposed to be honoring them to do it. The Philadelphia Inquirer is a liberal newspaper, I understand that and I'm sure its subscribers do as well. But that's not liberalism. It's just a bad attempt to be edgy and I'm sure it lost them a lot of subscribers.
A Memorial Day Done Right
Usually Memorial Day consists of having bbq’s with my friends and family, with little connection to the actual meaning of this holiday. However, this year was surprisingly different, because on Saturday my grandparents came over for lunch and my grandpa started talking about his father, who passed away in November and was a WW2 veteran. I always knew that my great-grandpa fought in WW2, but I never really thought about him in that way. The conversations that spurred during lunch that day really made me feel like I was truly celebrating Memorial Day because after all, this is the true definition of this holiday: to remember people that fought to make the world a safer place. It made me feel so proud that I have someone in my family who risked so much for the safety of the world.
On Monday I went to a bbq at my friend’s house, which was really nice because all my friends were home from college and things just felt like old times. We had fun, laughed a lot, and looked back on our high school years. In the midst of all of this I began to think of my friend Alex, who after graduation high school joined the Air Force. I started to think back to his excitement about joining the Air Force and how good that made him feel. Also, I remember asking him if he was scarred, and he never even had the slightest trace of fear. Therefore, at that time I could not help but feel extremely guilty, because here I am having an amazing time with my friends in suburban paradise, and he is oversees fighting to make the world a better place. Since he is a grade older than me, I have not seen him since the end of junior year, but I will never forget him because he is the true definition of a hero. He sacrificed going to college and hanging out with his friends to join something greater. Therefore, whether remembering my great-grandpa or Alex, I felt like I was celebrating this holiday correctly for once.
This Memorial Day weekend sucked
I didn't even get to eat a over-cooked cheeseburger, it was so upsetting. I have always associated Memorial Day weekend with a barbecue of some sort, but this weekend I had non of that. It started when my father told me that it was too much money for a train ticket or drive down to pick me up for just the weekend. I really didn't do anything that you typically would do on this weekend. Most the food that i ate was Chinese food, and i still don't really know why we ate that. The only really "American" thing that I did this weekend was go to see the new Indiana Jones Movie. It was pretty cool to watch, mainly only for nostalgic reasons. The Memorial day box office weekend is always a pretty strong one for films but Indiana Jones was really the only choice of films that were out this weekend. This weekend was really just a reminder that my life has changed and the simplicity of my adolescent life is gone forever. Not many really think about what Memorial Day actually means and that doesn't make a difference to me. This weekend is just an indication to the fact that summer is on the way and maybe we'll get to relax then, but probably not.
i love dad
For my memorial day, there were no parades, bbq's, or any sweet show reruns on tv that I usually expected for this particular holiday. Instead, it was a very emotional, and unexpected turning point in my life for me. No, I did not get pregnant or find the love of my life. Well, I did sort of find love. I found the love that exists within my family members, that is usually invisible to the eye, but can be seen through tears, love, and hate. Why tears, love, and hate? Here's why.
On thursday night, as soon as my plane landed home in California, I got numerous phone calls. My grandmother called saying that my dad flew in from Korea the same day and needed my help at home. I rushed home, my mom out with some golf buddies and my sister sound asleep. My dad was on the floor of the living room, passed out, next to an empty bottle of Johnny Walkers. No, this is not the story of an alcoholic father. I saw him, and laughed, saying "Daddy!!! I missed you!" I was not embarassed of his behavior, I was almost happy, because he never, ever drinks, let alone ever has time to have fun. He is the CEO of a company called Moneual. He works 24/7 and is rarely ever home. Almost suddenly, I had changed my mind about how I felt about him celebrating.
I guess he was having a hard time working, and most of all, being away from home, his family. He started crying, saying how sorry he was, that he couldn't give me all that I needed, and how he couldn't be around for me when I needed him. I got angry at that because he gave me everything I could possibly want. If it weren't for him, I could never have been able to afford drexel, let alone any college. He gave me everything, by just being my father and raising me and loving me. Then, he started to say things like "I'm sick, I'm afraid I won't be able to see your little sister go to college. I'm sick, I'm getting old." Now, that freaked me out. A lot. I started bawling. What did that mean? Was my dad just drunk and just saying this or did the truth come out because he was drunk? He started saying stupid things and I heard him screaming out, cursing at himself. I have never ever heard him say anything close to duck or knit before, or any of those bad korean words that he had said. Then he started asking where my mom was and started to get mad and cried more saying, "I think I really really love your mom." Now, any other guy would say, "A drunk fool in love." or "How whipped is he."
Then, my mom came, and I was sent downstairs. I heard a lot of screaming, and yelling from my dad. Next thing I know, it was quiet, so I went back upstairs. I saw them falling asleep in each other's arms. I realized how much in love they were with each other, after all those years.
You're probably wondering what this has to do with Memorial Day. The thing is, memorial day isn't just about the bbq's and the parades. It's about the people who fight for you every day. In this case, it's my dad, who fights for his family. Thursday night represented a night where my dad felt like he had to give up, with his company, because it was so hard to go through. It was a night of the hate he felt when he was away from his family, and also the love he felt for us. I feel as if memorial day is supposed to be about remembering the people you love and the people who love you. It's about the battles one fights in life, even as small as this, and as big as the battle in Iraq.
My battle is, struggling with being so far away from my family. It sucks being away, so bad. I never got to see my sister go from sixth grade to junior high. I am now one of them, who says,"Wow, last time I saw you, you were this small!" I got the feeling my dad was afraid to fail, to fail us for some reason. I am not going to lie, we are much better off financially now, than we were before, where we struggled a lot. I think he is afraid that we will get to that place one day when we do have to struggle with money, and I will not be proud of him or whatever. The thing is, I am so proud of him, and I do not care whatsoever if we do have money problems.
This post sounded so much better when I was crying on Thursday night and I was on the emotional rollercoaster. I guess I am having trouble putting into words what I felt this weekend. It's just a change of perspective of how valuable I view the time I have with my family now. The clock is ticking, and it is crazy to think just last year it was so different than it was this year. Some people may read this, and think that his may not relate to memorial day at all, and if you do think that I"m sorry, I dont mean to write a journal entry of my life story, but honestly, I am so grateful that Thursday night happened, because I got to truly value the things and the people I want to remember for the rest of my life.
An Epic Return
I spent my Memorial Day planning for the return of my of my best friends named Bill. Bill was in China and has been there since August of last year. He went there as part of a study abroad program and he rather enjoyed it. For his return, my friends and I decided to try and make him feel welcome(d back) so we rented a limo and dressed in suits. We had told him we were going to pick him up originally but then we had his father come and tell him we couldn't come. Long story short, we surprised him with a limo and he was the happiest I have almost ever seen him. However, thinking back on something like this, I noticed how my friend felt very welcomed and everyone was incredibly receptive of his return. With the soldiers returning from Iraq, though, there seems to be less and less of a celebration. Since the war is looked poorly upon by most Americans, the returns of soldiers are not built up, grand spectacles like they had been way in the past. I know American's are proud of our soldiers, but it seems as if we not welcomed them back in the way we once used too. Furthermore, when the soldiers return, often times they feel dejected by society because they cannot return to the peaceful, serene life they once had. We helped my friend smoothly slide back into American life by cramming fast food down his throat, but the transition for many soldiers is rough and jagged and can lead to intense stress and depression. I think we need to take better care of our soldiers when they return, no matter if we are fighting a war that America supports or rejects. These men and women willingly put themselves in harms way to do the biddings of politicians and are heroes in every sense of the word. Every soldier should have a return akin to my friend's because, of all people, they deserve it.
Monday, May 26, 2008
Where is the rain??
One of the most significant absences that i noticed on Memorial Day is the rain. My father told me during the weekend that it has rained on 19 of the past 23 Memorial Days, which i thought was pretty nuts! My father told me that he thinks its kind of fitting that it rains so much on Memorial Day because of all the fallen soldiers and how it is very depressing. Rain is rather depressing weather and on Memorial Day it makes us think more about the men and woman who put their life on the line and died. Without nice weather, we do not feel as much happiness as we would if it was sunny and nice outside. So on this Memorial Day, which was absolutely beautiful, it felt a little different. I still tried to take a few moments out of my day to ponder about the people who served for our lovely country. I am very thankful for the life I live, and I have to partly thank the veterans.
Memorial Day Weekend In The "OC"
So I spent the past weekend down in Ocean City, NJ. I had an awesome time, but I also kept my eye out for patriotic symbols for this week's blog. Well, I did not see anything that portrayed the message of "We are celebrating all of those who have served and made the ultimate sacrifice to be called American." But I did notice one thing that stood out. As we were driving over one of the bridges into Ocean City, there were about 6 - 8 huge cranes that were lined up in a row along the outside of the bridge. They must have been as tall at Towers Hall and hanging from the cable of each crane were HUGE (like 20 ft x 30 ft) American flags. This is a typical thing to do when the cranes aren't being used, but it was one of those moments where you see something and it looks almost unreal. The flags and their bright colors, gracefully blowing in the wind above the water with the town in the backround on a clear sunny day is a picture perfect scene. Those flags were raised and those cranes were positioned in memory of those soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice to be called American.
Memorial Day realization
Every year, my dad and I wake up early to go to our towns’ parade. We bring the dogs and socialize with all of our friends. The main reason I was so compelled to go back home for this weekend was because I couldn’t bear to miss the parade. It’s a tradition my dad and I have followed for years. As I have gotten older, my dad’s father has been getting sicker. My grandfather, whom I refer to as Poppy, fought in the Second World War and received 3 purple hearts for his bravery. He has bullet holes in his arms, but to this day he pushes on. It wasn’t until recently that my poppy began to become really frail. At Christmas, he was rushed to the hospital because his kidneys were not operating properly. And, ironically on the weekend he is commemorated for all of his hard work, he started to get sick again. My dad drove down to Westchester, NY to help my grandfather because he got sick again. As I sat at the parade this morning and saw the veterans walking or driving down the road, for the first time I truly felt proud. Every other year the parade just happened. This year, I really knew why. For those elders to feel so proud to be honored for their hard work and devotion many years back, I felt the same admiration. I feel bad that it took me this long to really feel and be affected by the true meaning of the holiday, but at the same time, I am glad I am not still waiting for this feeling.
blog 9, memorial day weekend
this memorial weekend was very diffrent from the ones i have had in previous years. for the past four years i have been in a military school in which we did not have this holiday off. every monday for mem. weekend my entire school would form up in the town our school was located, wayne pa. and would prepare for the paprade. vfma, our school, was the last unit to march in the wayne parade. the wayne parade was a very important time for a cadet at vfma. not only was the parade to commerorate the soliders and military men of our nation, but was a very honored time for the academy. the parade and our school went hand in hand, we were the main atraction, the parade was based on us. to march in a parade is a very amazing feeling, my freinds and i who came up through tthe academy have went through all four years. the graduating class that year has to collect 200_ what ever there year is of pennies, and when they are at the final pass of the parade we throw the coins up over a bridge, it is a very exciting tradition that i will always remeber for the rest of my life. however this is the first year i will not be taking part of this exciting time, but i will always remeber it.
DWI
Memorial Day weekend is the unofficial start of the summer season. Many people spend this weekend at the beach or having a bbq with friends and family. I myself, choose to bbq at the beach with friends. After making it through the traffic and arriving in Wildwood, we were thrilled that the weather was warm and sunny- both perfect for tanning. While driving down Ocean Avenue, I noticed many of the houses we passed had flags outside. These were to commemorate the people who have lost their lives serving our country. In addition to homes that proudly displayed the American flag, many businesses had flags out as well. In fact, we passed one restaurant that had a sign out front that read “we support our troops.”
Without these brave men and women, my friends and I might not have the freedom for such a fun-filled weekend at the shore. However, there is also a sad side to this last weekend in May. Many people drink excessively and unfortunately get in car accidents. I was looking at the Mother’s Against Drunk Driving website and discovered that Memorial Day is actually one of the deadliest drunk driving days of the year. On out car ride home we even noticed a police barricade on the highway that was stopping and randomly checking cars. Clearly, this holiday that is meant to be observed as a day to commemorate and appreciate soldiers is used as a day off from school and work to go out and get psyched for the summer.
http://www.theautochannel.com/news/2007/05/24/049117.html
Introduced to War
This weekend, I went down the shore with my family and friends for a weekend of relaxation and enjoyment. To be honest, I doubt many of us were remembering the fallen U.S. soldiers or those serving our country presently; instead, we were thinking about things like, where are we going to eat and what are we going to do. But, during the trip, I was introduced to a friend of my cousin, who had previously served in the military. He seemed very nice and personable, and after talking to him for awhile, he really began opening up to me, telling me how he had leg problems and was in constant pain, how he was suffered emotionally and mentally, and how he felt as if he wasn’t a normal part of society. His legs had blown out while he was in service and he was on several medications for mental health reasons, particularly anxiety and depression. I have read about those types of things in the newspaper or magazine articles, but in all honesty, it never hit me as hard as when I sitting there in front of someone who had been directly affected this way. Now, I know that most of this has nothing to do with really remembering the fallen soldiers, but seeing firsthand how someone had been affecting for our country’s safety made me realize that I owe at least a moment of remembrance and thankfulness to those who sacrificed their lives.
Memorial Day Weekend in Gettysburg
This weekend my family and I went camping at Gettysburg, P.A. We've gone camping for Memorial Day weekend in the past but this year had a special significance since we were truly learning about the soldiers who gave their lives during the civil war to ensure the united country we have today. I had never been to the battlefield before but standing on the same ground that tens of thousands of men died upon just about 150 years ago can really blow you away. There is this "auto tour" CD that you can listen to and it brings you to all of the monuments and sites of battle during the 3 days of fighting at Gettysburg. We would learn about the next spot we were going to on the way to the next spot and then got out to walk around. I tried hard to envision what it must have felt like to be stepping into battle, knowing you probably won't come out alive.
Two parts of the Gettysburg battle stand out in my mind and the civil war can be awfully complicated (and I won't pretend to be a historian either) but I'll try to mention them quick. On the first day of the battle of Gettysburg, the confederate troops were approaching the town of Gettysburg, but the Union troops did not have all of their troops and artillery positioned yet to fight. The union troops knew that if they secured the high ground then they could better defend themselves. To try and stall the confederate troops from reaching this higher ground before the union troops were ready, one regiment of union troops waited to fight the approaching confederate troops before they could reach the town. The regiment was fairly small and they were basically sacrificing their lives to help the union army. They did their job and ended up stalling the confederates for a while. The second part that stands out to me is Pickett's Charge on the 3rd day. Robert E. Lee, the general of the confederate army, in a controversial decision to this day, ordered his troops to march across a 3/4 mile long field to the union troops, shooting off cannons and guns. Lee felt that they could pierce the union line here in the center and it would dismantle the defenses. However, this wasn't the case. The union soldiers just fired and fired and thousands and thousands of men from both sides died. A few hundred actually made it to the union line but they were quickly overwhelmed. But the thing that really amazes me is that when the confederate troops were marching towards the union line, they were in a long straight uniform line with several rows. When union soldiers shot the confederates down, other confederates filled the gaps in the line and they kept on marching. I can't even imagine the bravery and courage those men had in the war. Whether they were fighting for the north or the south, they sacrificed their lives just the same. After the battle of Gettysburg, the tides turned and even though the war continued 2 more years the confederates never had the momentum they had in Gettysburg. These decisions such as Pickett's Charge changed the war. What if these quick decisions hadn't been made? The war could have turned in a drastically different direction. It is hard to understand the battle unless you study it or actually go to the battlefield but it really changed my perspective on wars past and on the war today. If you ever have the chance to take a day and go to Gettysburg, I think it is well worth it.
Two parts of the Gettysburg battle stand out in my mind and the civil war can be awfully complicated (and I won't pretend to be a historian either) but I'll try to mention them quick. On the first day of the battle of Gettysburg, the confederate troops were approaching the town of Gettysburg, but the Union troops did not have all of their troops and artillery positioned yet to fight. The union troops knew that if they secured the high ground then they could better defend themselves. To try and stall the confederate troops from reaching this higher ground before the union troops were ready, one regiment of union troops waited to fight the approaching confederate troops before they could reach the town. The regiment was fairly small and they were basically sacrificing their lives to help the union army. They did their job and ended up stalling the confederates for a while. The second part that stands out to me is Pickett's Charge on the 3rd day. Robert E. Lee, the general of the confederate army, in a controversial decision to this day, ordered his troops to march across a 3/4 mile long field to the union troops, shooting off cannons and guns. Lee felt that they could pierce the union line here in the center and it would dismantle the defenses. However, this wasn't the case. The union soldiers just fired and fired and thousands and thousands of men from both sides died. A few hundred actually made it to the union line but they were quickly overwhelmed. But the thing that really amazes me is that when the confederate troops were marching towards the union line, they were in a long straight uniform line with several rows. When union soldiers shot the confederates down, other confederates filled the gaps in the line and they kept on marching. I can't even imagine the bravery and courage those men had in the war. Whether they were fighting for the north or the south, they sacrificed their lives just the same. After the battle of Gettysburg, the tides turned and even though the war continued 2 more years the confederates never had the momentum they had in Gettysburg. These decisions such as Pickett's Charge changed the war. What if these quick decisions hadn't been made? The war could have turned in a drastically different direction. It is hard to understand the battle unless you study it or actually go to the battlefield but it really changed my perspective on wars past and on the war today. If you ever have the chance to take a day and go to Gettysburg, I think it is well worth it.
Remembering Memorial
This Memorial Day weekend was one spent with extended family. My family is your typical Irish alcoholic trucker family, where a seven course meal is a potato and a six-pack. The way I remembered those who have defended my country was thanking my two cousins who had just served in the Marines for their service. The oldest, Joe, had been an engineer for seven years for them, and my cousin, Mike, is currently a second lieutenant in his division. My one uncle also did a twenty-one gun salute at trains that were passing by in the backyard. Yay!
History in My Own "Backyard"
Over my Memorial Day weekend, I ran in a race back at home in a town called Forty Fort. This is located in northeast Pennsylvania. This race is an annual tradition for many people. Therefore, I decided to do some research on the town of Forty Fort, since it has a historical military background.
The town Forty Fort got its name from a fort built during the time of the Revolutionary War. In this fort, 40 settlers from Connecticut lived there. Forty Fort is the home to the Wyoming Massacre, which occurred in 1778. This battle was part of the revolutionary War. The battle took place between the American Patriots and the British loyalists. During the battle, more than 300 Patriots were killed. As a result of the battle, many surrounding settlers fled from the nearby area.
In commemoration of the soldiers who died in the battle, a mass grave was built. It is located in Forty Fort and is called the Wyoming Monument. The grave was built in 1878 to mark the 100th anniversary of the battle.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forty_Fort,_Pennsylvania
The town Forty Fort got its name from a fort built during the time of the Revolutionary War. In this fort, 40 settlers from Connecticut lived there. Forty Fort is the home to the Wyoming Massacre, which occurred in 1778. This battle was part of the revolutionary War. The battle took place between the American Patriots and the British loyalists. During the battle, more than 300 Patriots were killed. As a result of the battle, many surrounding settlers fled from the nearby area.
In commemoration of the soldiers who died in the battle, a mass grave was built. It is located in Forty Fort and is called the Wyoming Monument. The grave was built in 1878 to mark the 100th anniversary of the battle.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forty_Fort,_Pennsylvania
Memorial Day with the Chan Family
On Memorial Day, I noticed that there was a real detachment from the patriotism that is demanded from national holidays. In my house especially, the spirit of remembering those who died for our benefit today is usually forgotten. What I did notice, however, is that this appreciation goes beyond just this one day and is realized and appreciated on a continual basis.
I'll notice that my parents will bring up the numerous wars and casualties that our soldiers have partaken and sacrificed for our current well being. This usually happens when someone complains about how bad they have it, whether it be because my sister doesn't have a car to drive, or my brother complaining about dinner, or when I complain about the NY Jets not being broadcast in Philadelphia.
I guess I can conclude that, in my family, there is a genuine appreciation for those who served our country. It is just the idea of allotting a specific day for this remembrance that throws us off. It is a novel idea, but my parents have no idea what to do about it. It sounds terrible, but this is the way it is in my house.
I'll notice that my parents will bring up the numerous wars and casualties that our soldiers have partaken and sacrificed for our current well being. This usually happens when someone complains about how bad they have it, whether it be because my sister doesn't have a car to drive, or my brother complaining about dinner, or when I complain about the NY Jets not being broadcast in Philadelphia.
I guess I can conclude that, in my family, there is a genuine appreciation for those who served our country. It is just the idea of allotting a specific day for this remembrance that throws us off. It is a novel idea, but my parents have no idea what to do about it. It sounds terrible, but this is the way it is in my house.
Every summer since I was born, I've spent it down the shore where my grandparents own a bakery in Ocean City. Once I turned 14 and was able to work there I have done it ever since. Memorial Day weekend is the big weekend kick off for the beach season down there and the island goes from being deserted to packed. Everything comes in full swing this weekend. Being as I have constantly grown up around this and you wake up at 3 am to start baking, Memorial Day weekend is extremely busy and there is no time for rest. When I stopped and thought about my weekend for this post, I can't say I directly did anything to celebrate the day other then feed lots of hungry beach goers. However, I was constantly on my feet this weekend and was able to get the job done and survive the crazy weekend. On a much larger and more grand scale that is what our troops do for this country. They get the job done. And for that everyone on this day, even if its just for a moment, should recognize that.
Jam on the River
Both Saturday and Sunday of this holiday weekend, I attended the Jam on the River music festival. This festival definitely commemorated the spirit of Memorial Day. It was an awesome way to spend my weekend.
I saw it as a celebration of Memorial Day because it could be directly related to Woodstock. In the seventies everyone got together to attend Woodstock to practice peace and rise up against the war. This was sort of the same thing. A lot of the kids there were on psychedelic drugs, much like at Woodstock in the seventies, and everyone was just dancing and getting along. I felt that the festival was a celebration of being young and carefree. This idea is brought on by antiwar feelings. The war in Iraq troubles many people and the perfect way to combat the hate is to practice peace and just be happy. This was the perfect way for me to celebrate Memorial Day and I definitely plan on doing it again next year.
I saw it as a celebration of Memorial Day because it could be directly related to Woodstock. In the seventies everyone got together to attend Woodstock to practice peace and rise up against the war. This was sort of the same thing. A lot of the kids there were on psychedelic drugs, much like at Woodstock in the seventies, and everyone was just dancing and getting along. I felt that the festival was a celebration of being young and carefree. This idea is brought on by antiwar feelings. The war in Iraq troubles many people and the perfect way to combat the hate is to practice peace and just be happy. This was the perfect way for me to celebrate Memorial Day and I definitely plan on doing it again next year.
Paying Respects on Memorial Day
This weekend was amazing, as it is every Memorial Day weekend as was the annual tri-barbecue, with variations each day on classic barbecue food. It's not only about the marinade changing on the chicken wings...my dad is concerned with the presentation of the entire barbecue to be different each day. He likes to shoot for his hopes of landing the cover page on Home and Gardens Magazine - Memorial Day Edition.
Beer seemed to be a problem among my uncles this year. There was an issue when it came down to the last chilled beer in the cooler. Five men cannot share one beer. And I thought it was ridiculous that they were all considering to wrestle for it. I don't know if a Samuel Adams is worth wrestling over, but they wanted to nonetheless. I threatened that I would take the beer and smash it on the ground if they did something so stupid as to wrestle over a beer. One of my uncles looked me right in the eye and told me if I touched that beer that he would dump the cooler on me. I wanted to test his bluff, or what I interpreted as a bluff. So I took the beer and threw it in the street - and it shattered of course. All five of them took the cooler and threw the icy water at me. A very interesting memory to say the least.
Along with our fair share of barbecues, one of my favorite things in the world occurs -- the infamous [made up tradition] “Lighting of the Sparklers” every Sunday before Memorial Day, which consists of my brother and I running around the backyard, in a poorly designed obstacle course, lighting as many sparklers as we can at each obstacle, in a minute. The worst part is trying to find all the burnt sticks afterwards - there were literally over 50.
But aside all the fun, my family and I pay our respect to the fallen soldiers. My grandfather fought in WWII, and it isn’t that he brags about it every Memorial Day, but he has the concept of commemoration ingrained in my mind as well as the minds of my entire family.
This morning we went to a rather large gravesite for those who have died in war. One of my grandfather’s friends – Albert Freedman – died right along side my grandfather, in an attempt to save my grandfather’s helmet.
The story goes, as we hear of it every year, Freedman and my grandfather had known each other for most of their lives. They had been neighbors, and really became good friends when they were in school. My grandfather was the more careless character of the two men, and “Fidgety” Freedman, the nickname my grandfather gave him, was always nervous if something was out of place. My grandfather claims it was the worst case of OCD that he’d ever seen in a man.
When they both were sent off to war, I can’t remember where my grandfather said that the accident happened, but he said that he and Freedman were trying to help a few of their injured soldiers back to safety behind a building. When my grandfather bent down to help another soldier up, his helmet feel off and rolled down hill about ten feet from where they were all standing. Freedman started to freak out and my grandfather yelled at him to not worry about it, but Freedman ran after it anyway. On Freedman’s way to get it, he was right in an open area, and he was shot to death. My grandfather was so devastated and angry and still is today.
So that is what we do on every Memorial Day – we visit Freedman’s gravesite and hear the story retold. It just makes the holiday very meaningful. It’s a reminder that more should be embraced than a day off from school.
Beer seemed to be a problem among my uncles this year. There was an issue when it came down to the last chilled beer in the cooler. Five men cannot share one beer. And I thought it was ridiculous that they were all considering to wrestle for it. I don't know if a Samuel Adams is worth wrestling over, but they wanted to nonetheless. I threatened that I would take the beer and smash it on the ground if they did something so stupid as to wrestle over a beer. One of my uncles looked me right in the eye and told me if I touched that beer that he would dump the cooler on me. I wanted to test his bluff, or what I interpreted as a bluff. So I took the beer and threw it in the street - and it shattered of course. All five of them took the cooler and threw the icy water at me. A very interesting memory to say the least.
Along with our fair share of barbecues, one of my favorite things in the world occurs -- the infamous [made up tradition] “Lighting of the Sparklers” every Sunday before Memorial Day, which consists of my brother and I running around the backyard, in a poorly designed obstacle course, lighting as many sparklers as we can at each obstacle, in a minute. The worst part is trying to find all the burnt sticks afterwards - there were literally over 50.
But aside all the fun, my family and I pay our respect to the fallen soldiers. My grandfather fought in WWII, and it isn’t that he brags about it every Memorial Day, but he has the concept of commemoration ingrained in my mind as well as the minds of my entire family.
This morning we went to a rather large gravesite for those who have died in war. One of my grandfather’s friends – Albert Freedman – died right along side my grandfather, in an attempt to save my grandfather’s helmet.
The story goes, as we hear of it every year, Freedman and my grandfather had known each other for most of their lives. They had been neighbors, and really became good friends when they were in school. My grandfather was the more careless character of the two men, and “Fidgety” Freedman, the nickname my grandfather gave him, was always nervous if something was out of place. My grandfather claims it was the worst case of OCD that he’d ever seen in a man.
When they both were sent off to war, I can’t remember where my grandfather said that the accident happened, but he said that he and Freedman were trying to help a few of their injured soldiers back to safety behind a building. When my grandfather bent down to help another soldier up, his helmet feel off and rolled down hill about ten feet from where they were all standing. Freedman started to freak out and my grandfather yelled at him to not worry about it, but Freedman ran after it anyway. On Freedman’s way to get it, he was right in an open area, and he was shot to death. My grandfather was so devastated and angry and still is today.
So that is what we do on every Memorial Day – we visit Freedman’s gravesite and hear the story retold. It just makes the holiday very meaningful. It’s a reminder that more should be embraced than a day off from school.
Holiday Weekend...or just a day off?
Honestly, I understand the important of Memorial Day. It is a day dedicated to those who have died to preserve the democracy in the greatest country in the world and for those who are still fighting to keep the freedom alive. We should thank them everyday, but today is a day the nation as a whole should thank them. I see that and I personally would like to thank them. But in my family, we do not do anything seriously dedicated to Memorial Day or even celebrate today as if it is a Holiday. See, my parents are immigrants, and the same goes for my grandparents. Basically, anyone from my generation in the family has been born in America, I am the oldest afterall and I was the first in my family to be born here. Everyone before me would be in my father and mother's generation and both sides of the family immigrated over after their marriage. For that reason, they see today as a day off. I am not saying they are not patriotic or have pride in America. They do, do not take them the wrong way. But for them, India is their true homeland and they honor India the same way Americans honor America.
For that reason, I did not do anything today for Memorial Day. Instead I am sitting here writing my post. It may seem as if I have no patriotism but I do. Though we do nothing today, as a family, my entire family including my extended family gets together to celebrate July 4th, Independance Day. As for today, I guess I have to admit I have done nothing, and we usually do not do much for the day. We should do something, but why do it for the hell of it; it would be better to do it when there is a meaning behind it.
For that reason, I did not do anything today for Memorial Day. Instead I am sitting here writing my post. It may seem as if I have no patriotism but I do. Though we do nothing today, as a family, my entire family including my extended family gets together to celebrate July 4th, Independance Day. As for today, I guess I have to admit I have done nothing, and we usually do not do much for the day. We should do something, but why do it for the hell of it; it would be better to do it when there is a meaning behind it.
Memorial Day Weekend
As bad as this may sound, I didn't even really celebrate the holiday weekend by commemorating any of the veterans of war. I went down to the shore and had a good time myself bbq'ing and laying on the beach. I think this is horrible that people, myself included, celebrate holidays without really celebrating anything. This goes for all holidays, not just memorial day. Holidays are days where people feel the need t party and rlax instead of actually thinking about what the holiday stands for. When I was in Sea Isle I didn't even notice any type of commemoration for the troops at all, it was all partying. What i believe should happen is that there has to be some way to celebrate these holidays so that they are actually celebrated and not forgot about.
Memorial Weekend
For my memorial day weekend, I caught with my sleep and bbq mostly. My family don't really specially celebrate it or go to any parades. Since there aren't any parades around my town. But, our neighbor is a WII veteran. My dad and him are really good friends. He came over our house on Memorial day and told us stories of when he was in war fighting. to me, all of his stories made me emotional. In stories he mainly talked aobut food, and shelter. It was just so painfull to hear how soldiers live their life during the war. Living in Tents with practically anxious most of the times, and food is not that great. Eating caned food is something I definately wouldn't like to eat. There are times when soldiers don't even get their food and they just have to live by without any excuses. During memorial day, all of these things are remembered and our soldiers are greatly honored.
Closed for the Holiday
Many people think of Memorial Day as a nice, three-day weekend filled with BBQs and fun. However, it was originally intended as a day to commemorate the men and women who died for this country, and for many people, it still holds meaning. I do not know anyone personally who died fighting, but I think that it is important for everyone to remember the fallen soldiers. Many people say this, however, they don't think about what it really means. These people volunteered to leave their families, go to a foreign country, live under terrible conditions, kill other human beings, and ultimately be killed, all because in this world, that's how we settle our differences. By killing each other.
Many people would talk about human nature, and there being no other way, but I will always believe that no matter how far we think we've evolved, or no matter how much new technology gets invented, or even how many new medicines are discovered, we still have a very long way to go as long as there is still war. To me, Memorial Day is a day to remind us of what we are doing to each other when we wage wars. Killing innocent people in mass numbers until one side gives in is not the solution to any problem.
For the most part, I stayed on campus this weekend. In fact, because I wasn't feeling well, I barley left my room on Saturday. However, I did venture outside to go to Kelly Deli, only to find that it was closed. At first I was very annoyed, because after all Memorial Day is Monday, not Saturday. However, I started thinking that the people that work there have as much of a right as the students do to get a weekend off. They should be able to commemorate the fallen soldiers just like the rest of us. In fact, they might personally know more people who have died serving this country than the students do.
Also, I believe that this commemorates, in a way, what we have thanks to the soldiers. Being able to go right across the street from my dorm building to get something to eat is a form of freedom, really. It is appropriate that things on campus should be closed as a sort of symbol of what we have. After all, what you have becomes a lot more noticeable once it's no longer there.
Many people would talk about human nature, and there being no other way, but I will always believe that no matter how far we think we've evolved, or no matter how much new technology gets invented, or even how many new medicines are discovered, we still have a very long way to go as long as there is still war. To me, Memorial Day is a day to remind us of what we are doing to each other when we wage wars. Killing innocent people in mass numbers until one side gives in is not the solution to any problem.
For the most part, I stayed on campus this weekend. In fact, because I wasn't feeling well, I barley left my room on Saturday. However, I did venture outside to go to Kelly Deli, only to find that it was closed. At first I was very annoyed, because after all Memorial Day is Monday, not Saturday. However, I started thinking that the people that work there have as much of a right as the students do to get a weekend off. They should be able to commemorate the fallen soldiers just like the rest of us. In fact, they might personally know more people who have died serving this country than the students do.
Also, I believe that this commemorates, in a way, what we have thanks to the soldiers. Being able to go right across the street from my dorm building to get something to eat is a form of freedom, really. It is appropriate that things on campus should be closed as a sort of symbol of what we have. After all, what you have becomes a lot more noticeable once it's no longer there.
Memorial Day
Every year in my hometown, Montrose, PA., we have a parade and a ceremony afterwards at a place we call "the green." There is a memorial there that is surrounded by cannons that has just been refinished about two years ago. The ceremony takes place in front of and around this memorial statue. There are different speakers every year that talk about people serving and dieing for our country. They have a wreath dedication to honor the dead. There is usually some singing and prayers. This year the guest speaker was Chris Carney. He is a congressman for Pennsylvania. He talked about how Memorial Day is 140 years old and how it is the same because there is always the dead to be remembered. He read something from 1868 from the first Memorial Day. The first Memorial Day was in Waterloo, New York, which I learned this year. At the ceremony they usually give out awards for the parade floats and for essay contest winners. The essay topics are why I am an American patriot and things of that nature. There is an art contest as well. People gather around to show their respect and remember those who have died.
Memorial Day Weekend
I actually didn't even leave campus for the holiday, I really had no reason to go home so I stayed and enjoyed the absence of my roommate. The one thing that does cross my mind for this holiday weekend, is the same thought that has been continuouslycrossing my mind for the past 9 months or so, will my cousin soon be one of the thousands of soldiers who have died serving their country. I wouldn't say I have a military family per say, but my mother as well as my father served in both the air force and the army, that is where they met and that is also where they met all of their closest friends. The 'cousin' I speak of is actually the son of one of their friends, theere isnt actually any blood relation but we grew up refering to eachother as cousins. I don't want to see him shipped off to some warring country where there is no guarentee he will return and if he does, he will never be the same person. I'm going to honest, Memorial Day meant little to nothing to me previously, I'm not one for politics or war, but at this time, I don't think the choice is really my own, all of the deaths that have resulted from a war that is being fought for reason that aren't too clear is a reason to observe this holiday.
Memorial Day Weekend
For my holiday weekend, I worked. Since Memorial Day opens the pools, I worked as a lifeguard and will work until the summer ends. There were no parades in my neighborhood and there was no real celebration, but I heard something that caught my attention.
My mother's mom has a lot of brothers and sisters on her side and her sister's husband actually fought in the first Persian Gulf War and they have a son named Brandon. Well Brandon actually has to go to school today, and that was unbelievable to Brandon's father and the rest of the family. His father is proud of his past and what he has done, but has never bragged about it or told every person that he meets that he is a Veteran. But he is proud of what he has done and angry with the people that don't respect what he has done.
I believe that this day is special to many people, and even though me and my family don't go to a parade or celebrate it. We always remember that without those people, there is a good chance that the lives that we live today would not be the same.
My mother's mom has a lot of brothers and sisters on her side and her sister's husband actually fought in the first Persian Gulf War and they have a son named Brandon. Well Brandon actually has to go to school today, and that was unbelievable to Brandon's father and the rest of the family. His father is proud of his past and what he has done, but has never bragged about it or told every person that he meets that he is a Veteran. But he is proud of what he has done and angry with the people that don't respect what he has done.
I believe that this day is special to many people, and even though me and my family don't go to a parade or celebrate it. We always remember that without those people, there is a good chance that the lives that we live today would not be the same.
An All-American Weekend
Memorial Day - Honors men and women who have died in military service/
I made a great effort this weekend to honor the deceased American troops this weekend. I thought there would be no better way than to do American things this weekend. I made sure to eat American food and listen to American music. I also went to a small graveyard for WWII veterans who died in combat.
My friend who went to college in Arizona introduced me to country music this weekend.
And I’m proud to be an American,
where at least I know I’m free.
And I wont forget the men who died,
who gave that right to me.
The lyrics to this songs and other country music songs made me feel really patriotic this weekend. I listened to the national anthem on YouTube and many other patriotic songs. Since I know the reason for the Memorial Day holiday listening to these songs were especially emotionality. I actually got goosebumps during these dramatic performances.
I went to a few barbeque's as well. I made sure to have traditional American foods. I had steak, potatos, and corn on the cob. I also had a hamburger with American cheese with French fries and coleslaw.
On the porch on my house my father and I hung up out giant American flag. We do this every year in honor of the day and to remember the fallen.
I will end this post with the great song Independence Day written and performed by Martina McBride.
let freedom ring, let the white dove sing let the whole world know that
Today is a day of reckoning let the weak be strong, let the right be wrong roll
The stone away, let the guilty pay, it’s independence day
I made a great effort this weekend to honor the deceased American troops this weekend. I thought there would be no better way than to do American things this weekend. I made sure to eat American food and listen to American music. I also went to a small graveyard for WWII veterans who died in combat.
My friend who went to college in Arizona introduced me to country music this weekend.
And I’m proud to be an American,
where at least I know I’m free.
And I wont forget the men who died,
who gave that right to me.
God Bless The U.S.A.
by Lee GreenwoodThe lyrics to this songs and other country music songs made me feel really patriotic this weekend. I listened to the national anthem on YouTube and many other patriotic songs. Since I know the reason for the Memorial Day holiday listening to these songs were especially emotionality. I actually got goosebumps during these dramatic performances.
I went to a few barbeque's as well. I made sure to have traditional American foods. I had steak, potatos, and corn on the cob. I also had a hamburger with American cheese with French fries and coleslaw.
On the porch on my house my father and I hung up out giant American flag. We do this every year in honor of the day and to remember the fallen.
I will end this post with the great song Independence Day written and performed by Martina McBride.
let freedom ring, let the white dove sing let the whole world know that
Today is a day of reckoning let the weak be strong, let the right be wrong roll
The stone away, let the guilty pay, it’s independence day
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