Wednesday, November 11, 2009

A short conversation about Veterans Day

"What are you doing?"

"I'm sending out 'thank you's to all the military veterans I know in honor of Veteran's Day."

"Oh. You're welcome."


"Ha ha! Okay."


"I'm being serious."

"..."

"Yeah. U.S. Army. Four years. You're welcome."

"I know, but, well, it's not like you actually fought in a war or anything."

"So? I could have! I went through all the training. I took an oath to defend the country. It's not my fault there wasn't a war on. I'm so sorry I didn't go to a foreign land and get shot at for you."

"Look, I'm sorry...I just don't think of you as a veteran, that's all. I guess maybe that's my mistake and I apologize."

"Oh yeah? What do you think of me as? Just some kind of one-dimensional clown or pet monkey whose only value as a human being is being a source of cheap entertainment for you?"

"Well, not right now, no."

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