(26 Weeks)
Typically, I do an initial draft of these posts weeks in advance. I have a thought and put a stream of consciousness down on paper (so to speak) that gets re-written and edited as we get close to an appropriate publication date. I have a spreadsheet of all the dates, with ideas, and noted special occasions that might inform when a specific subject matter would be most appropriately discussed.
For today, the idea column simply said, “6 months to go” but I also knew it was the week after election day and I wanted to wait for the outcome, in fear of jinxing it, before I took my prose in any particular direction.
I might have framed this post around Kamala Harris’ age (she turned 60 last month) and the piece I read that shared, “Harris is actively shattering worn-out stereotypes about what 60 should look or feel like.” And how I thought she was not only a fabulous role model for girls and young women, but also those of us coming up on that milestone.
A reflection about the first female President of the United States, and a contemporary.
But it was not to be.
So, let’s just talk about Veterans’ Day, like I did right after the election in 2016.
I grew up with much respect for our military. My dad served in the Army Air Corps in WWII. He enlisted right after Pearl Harbor because he wanted to be a pilot. He didn’t make the cut because he was deemed color blind and wound up staying state-side working on some of the first IBM computers.
I always loved his stories. He was very proud of his service. Even if it never took him overseas.
Some World War I veterans were still alive when I was a child, and I have found memories of one who on Memorial Day would read the poem about the poppies.
I watched enough war movies to know that war was a serious and scary business and could only begin to imagine what they saw and managed to survive to get there. I was grateful for their bravery, never imagining how anyone could face the horrors of war.
West Point football games were a fall tradition. We lived less than hour south of the United States Military Academy and I looked forward to those outings every year. There was a big group of family and friends who would attend, and we would tailgate for hours before and after the game. From a very young age, I thought the Cadets looked so handsome in their uniforms.
I married a military man. My first husband served in the United States Navy during the Beirut conflict. I loved his stories, too. And he was also proud of his service – as they all should be. Most Americans are not brave enough to join the military even in peace time. Me included.
My father’s generation fought against fascism. My generation – my first husband’s generation – fought against communism through the Cold War. America has been a protector – thanks to those who served – both home and abroad.
Newsweek this week discussed that Project 2025, the plan for the 47th President’s term, includes restructuring the Department of Veteran’s Affairs. In August, the nonpartisan Veterans Healthcare Policy Institute said, “A second Trump term would decimate veterans’ healthcare and benefits,” as it analyzed Project 2025’s proposals. It added: “The Heritage plan aims to finish, in a second Trump administration, the VA demolition job that was launched in the first one. (Clark, S. “Experts Raise Project 2025 Warnings About Veteran Care” Newsweek. 11 November 2024).
Not sure where we will all be in six months. I will be on the eve of my sixtieth birthday.
Did you really think this wasn’t going to include a fundraiser? It’s me. Of course it is! Over the course of these 60 weeks, I am hoping to raise $6000 for the children of Mercy Home for Boys & Girls (that’s just $100 a week!). To learn more about Mercy Home and my why, please visit my fundraising page. Thank you.
