Somber Weather for a Somber Day

Somehow 52 deg. F and raining seems appropriate for today.  Memorial Day, a day for remembrance of those who gave their lives to defend the freedoms that are so often taken for granted.

I am truly grateful for all those who have died defending America's Constitution and the freedoms it grants.  Oddly enough, having grown up in the gap years between the Vietnam War and the first Gulf War, my childhood was remarkably devoid of knowing anyone personally who died in war.  Some people mock Ronald Reagan's acting ability, but who else could have sold the whole "Star Wars Defense Strategy" bluff so well that the Soviet Union went bankrupt, ending the Cold War without ending the world in a nuclear war.

Mine is a remarkable generation for its small size, too young to be a Baby-Boomer, too old to be Generation-X.  There weren't even enough of us to bother giving us a label.  The ladies who produced the baby-boom generation were hitting menopause at the same time that their daughters were discovering the convenience of birth control pills and unfortunately legal abortions.  The men who fought in World War II and Korea were still around.  They walked and rode in parades downtown observing Memorial Day, but they didn't talk about their experiences and their fellow soldiers who died.  They spared my generation the gory details while making it clear that Memorial Day must be observed.  So as long as you are capable of remembering anything for more than five minutes, please pause to remember those who gave their lives.  Only those with Alzheimers, dementia, or amnesia are off the hook.