The Cost

“Maybe,” he said hesitantly, “maybe there is a beast…What I mean is…maybe it’s only us.”

–William Golding, Lord of the Flies

There was only one catch and that was Catch-22, that specified that a concern for one’s own safety in the face of dangers that were real and immediate was the process of a rational mind. Orr was crazy and could be grounded. All he had to do was ask; and as soon as he did, he would no longer be crazy and would have to fly more missions. Orr would be crazy to fly more missions and sane if he didn’t, but if he was sane, he had to fly them.

–Joseph Heller, Catch-22

This is another photograph from the Travelling Wall. It is a collection of dog tags with the names of all of those who have died in the Global War on Terror.

It continues to grow.

Those Who Served

To all of those who served, serve, and gave the ultimate sacrifice thank you.

Military service is a calling, a family legacy, a path to an education, and much more to many different people. These are people who come from all walks of life and volunteer to serve their country. A service that claims lives, sometimes for policies they may not agree with. But they serve with honor and pride for a country they believe in. A country, that if it’s not filled with opportunities for everyone, is filled with hope.

As I hear about the 99% and watch reports about the ‘occupy’ movement with people for and against what they stand for, I know of one thing we can agree on: This is a nation of hope. A belief that we can make things better for ourselves and those that come after us runs strong here. Hope that ourselves and our country will have a positive impact on the world.

At least that’s what I hope we all have in common.

This is a photo from the Vietnam Travelling Wall. It is an organization that brings the Vietnam War Memorial to people around the United States.