I've never posted about this specifically, but several months ago (last year) a friend of mine was killed serving in Afghanistan, a Marine. Even though our lives had been on very different paths since high school, being stuck in rural Japan while they honored him in my hometown was very difficult. By random chance, I had briefly talked to him from Japan to Afghanistan-- over Facebook chat only a few weeks prior. Here we are, two small-town Ohio guys in completely different parts of the world still able to have an instantaneous conversation. Having friends Skype me in to talk about it and remember him was very important, and now there's a Facebook group with over 1000 members honor him regularly. His wife and family post pictures of him regularly and on his Facebook wall.
Anyway, he was a spirited guy who believed you should never live with any regrets or fear, because to do so would be pointless.. you could miss something; a lot of people say stuff like this, he really lived it through and through-- never met anyone more thoughtful and caring on one end and fearless and brave at the same time. I'm told there were giant American flags draped down the main street of our town, and thousands gathered in the streets in his honor. I wasn't there... but through the miracle of technology I saw so much of it live as if I were. Not sure what the point of this was... I had lost two great-Grandparents in middle school and high school, but never someone I knew growing up. It changed my perspective on virtually everything.
Anyway, not sure the point of this-- I just admire this community a lot and wanted to share that story. Feel free to comment to respond with your own.
Anyway, he was a spirited guy who believed you should never live with any regrets or fear, because to do so would be pointless.. you could miss something; a lot of people say stuff like this, he really lived it through and through-- never met anyone more thoughtful and caring on one end and fearless and brave at the same time. I'm told there were giant American flags draped down the main street of our town, and thousands gathered in the streets in his honor. I wasn't there... but through the miracle of technology I saw so much of it live as if I were. Not sure what the point of this was... I had lost two great-Grandparents in middle school and high school, but never someone I knew growing up. It changed my perspective on virtually everything.
Anyway, not sure the point of this-- I just admire this community a lot and wanted to share that story. Feel free to comment to respond with your own.
