Day 2359 - Memorial Day

Memorial Day makes me think of my parents. They both served in the Navy during World War II. Neither of them was career military, but their service mattered to them in a way I never fully understood. Tom Brokaw was right when he described people like my Mom and Dad as the Greatest Generation. They had a determination and sense of purpose that has not been seen since. When I reached the age where men serve in the military, I had very ambiguous feelings about Vietnam. I've had ambiguous feelings about war ever since. People like my parents didn't feel this ambiguity. They knew with absolute certainty that the Germans and the Japanese must be defeated and that's what they did. The world is different now, but it isn't necessarily better. We've lost that sense of purpose that made my parents generation so unique. On days like today, I remember how special they were and wonder if we will ever see anything like them again.

It was a beautiful day today, but it didn't really seem like a holiday. Janet went in to work after we gave the dogs their morning walk and I ended up spending most of the day working on a new writing assignment. I could have waited, but the client said this was a time sensitive job and I still like to be responsive. The park was full of picnickers this afternoon, but I had no desire to join them outside. Sitting in an air conditioned house and writing seemed to make a lot more sense that working in the yard and getting bit by hundreds of mosquitoes.

May is gone. Only one more day left. I'm a Gemini with a birthday in June, but I'm not really looking forward to it. Birthdays just remind me how old I am. I wish time would slow down a bit. I still feel like I've got places to go and things to do, but I could easily spend the rest of my time doing laundry if I'm not careful. Maybe tomorrow I'll be filled with a sense of purpose. I could use a sense of purpose. It wouldn't have to be the same sense of purpose my parents had, but anything would be beneficial at this point. I need to aim for something more realistic than making Dot young again but more ambitious than cleaning the car.

We're going to try to resume Dot's water therapy this week. That's a little ambitious, but not too much. Dot has been getting stronger and we've got to try sometime. We'll also be meeting with the dog walker who is going to be helping with Dot while Janet is on vacation. I could use a vacation too, but now is not the time. Until that time comes, I'll amuse myself with discovering more efficient ways to clean up dog poop and experimenting with different ingredients in my morning smoothie. I've got fresh peaches this week.

Ollie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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