urbanfairy

the other day i met a soldier. i've never met a soldier before, and I'm so glad i did. it was my cousins party and i got chatting to a man laughing with the kids singing karaoke. we later got talking outside where it was cooler and less crowded and i asked the usual question 'what do you do?'

i felt an overwhelming concern for this man, and i wont deny, intrigue.  concern for him, imagining the things, terrible, horrific things he must have seen and endured whilst 'just doing his job' as he put it. understandably theres aspects of his profession he never talks about, even to his wife.

like i said, i'm so glad i met this man. not only did he seem a loving husband and father (lovely wife too!), but it brought it home to me the harsh reality, an imagined snippet of what soldiers must face. it is quite sad that often its hard to begin to comprehend what an individual persons life involves, until you meet someone in that position; although i'm always aware of this fact, having occasionally faced ignorance, even ridicule being a mother of a child with a disability. quite often, its not until you meet someone, talk to them, that you gain some understanding about that person and their life.  i'm forever the pacifist, but also very grateful to all the men and woman who have fought and carrying on fighting, so we, and our children have freedom.