Ian Overwhelmed

While I normally try to make a habit to post regularly Monday through Friday, the death of Osama bin Laden and the many conflicting emotions I feel related to my time in service and the wars started in the aftermath of 9/11 are getting the best of me today and I need to take a day off. 

I will be back tomorrow.  I encourage everyone who has known someone who served and/or died in the conflicts sparked by Osama's cowardly act of destruction to take today to reflect on the meaning of the sacrifices made by so many in order to make the world a safer place to live. 

So many of us left our childhoods behind and dedicated ourselves to the grim task of combating evil.  We gave so much, and this mixed victory has left me stunned, confused, and incredibly emotional.  We have lost so many and so much, both as people and as a nation.  Our credibility shattered and our national psyche gravely wounded, this incredible manhunt that spanned ten years and thousands of miles has finally come to an end and perhaps we can really heal.

I'm going to sit in the sun today and grieve a bit for the loss of live and the loss of innocence for so many in the War on Terror.  I would like to dedicate this post, and indeed my entire blog, to the incredible men and women who have vowed to protect the American people and the American Constitution.  So many of them have given their lives in the service of the ideals of peace, freedom, and liberty.  So, to those friends of mine who are still with us, I say:  treat each other well, and with love, and with kindness.  Too many have died for us to treat each other with hate and unkind words or actions.

Finally, I raise my glass to you, fallen friends.  In memory of incredible soldiers like Joe Nolan and Adam Bailey, thank you.  Thank you for keeping us safe.