Short story today. Hope you enjoy.
Suggested listening: "Me, I'm Not" NIN
I never considered myself a "veteran." Standing here at the Angel game I kept thinking about it. Lord knows I had just gotten off a plane from Iraq. But I was a 'slimy contractor.'
Six some-odd years ago when I left the army I had been in Afghanistan. A land lost in time, mountainous, but blossomed with just a little rain. Even while there it all seemed surreal. Driving around with body armor on was the biggest thrill I had in my short life as I ran around picking up American flags in Kabul.
But there I was, Memorial Day at the Los Angeles Angels (of Anaheim) game sitting next to my 80 something year old grandfather and the announcer asked for all the veterans to please stand up. As my grandfather went to stand up, he paused for a second and pulled me up next to him.
And it hit me, here I was with my grandfather, and he was pulling me up to stand with him.
As a kid I always thought it was cool both my grandfathers had served in the army. I never really thought about it again till my mother told me that my grandfather was raising his flag in the front of his house.
But there I was, with my grandfather, standing up together. I had a weeks worth of a beard, the official contractor look, and we were both wearing our "Inn and Out" hamburger t-shirts. We didn't plan it...
Standing up together as "In and Out" burger Veterans... ;o)
