Here with pride
I went to the gym today, intent on going for a hike because my form 18* says academics only and i'm not ballsy enough to defy it and go for a run, yet still want my aerobic work out. As i was going into the gym, i noticed this father and his two kids, one girl and one boy, both had to be younger than 12 and the girl no older than 7 or 8. She looked up at me as i came in in my blues and walked over to me quickly and said "Thank you for protecting our country!"
For a split second, i couldn't think of what to say. Internally i was just shocked. Who was I to be thanked? I've not done anything worthwhile in the defense of the nation yet, but she saw me as a hero. What?! My ingrained politeness took over and i smiled at her and thanked her, but her words are still echoing in my brain. I had forgotten the little kids i used to talk to back home who looked up to me. I had forgotten my little cousins who aren't so little now but grew up following my lead. I had forgotten the fact that I am here to learn to defend this great nation we call home and to help all others who ask, but the smile of a child brought it all back to me.
Maybe i'm a bit crazy, but it would make the atmosphere of this place a lot less gloomy if the wing hosted an "anti-cynicism day" once in a while and brought little kids from the elementary schools up here to remind us why the hell we chose to become masochists, to remind us of why we push through the physics and chemistry and aero and engineering and all our other hard classes, to remind us of the dreams we had before we came here.
Some people are able to remember why they are here without any help, but all my cynicism and anger i had been harboring was gone with one little girl's smile.
*on going bronchitis, it should be cleared up by the end of this week, God willing
For a split second, i couldn't think of what to say. Internally i was just shocked. Who was I to be thanked? I've not done anything worthwhile in the defense of the nation yet, but she saw me as a hero. What?! My ingrained politeness took over and i smiled at her and thanked her, but her words are still echoing in my brain. I had forgotten the little kids i used to talk to back home who looked up to me. I had forgotten my little cousins who aren't so little now but grew up following my lead. I had forgotten the fact that I am here to learn to defend this great nation we call home and to help all others who ask, but the smile of a child brought it all back to me.
Maybe i'm a bit crazy, but it would make the atmosphere of this place a lot less gloomy if the wing hosted an "anti-cynicism day" once in a while and brought little kids from the elementary schools up here to remind us why the hell we chose to become masochists, to remind us of why we push through the physics and chemistry and aero and engineering and all our other hard classes, to remind us of the dreams we had before we came here.
Some people are able to remember why they are here without any help, but all my cynicism and anger i had been harboring was gone with one little girl's smile.
*on going bronchitis, it should be cleared up by the end of this week, God willing