Military grace

We took the kids to a local air force base recently for their annual air show. To say that they loved it would be a gross understatement. They were in heaven! It didn’t hurt that parking was a decent distance from the actual event and the shuttle busses were school buses. That may well have been one of my daughter’s favorite parts.

That morning, when I got the kids out of bed, they were straggling a bit. Not cooperating on the getting dressed process.  I reminded them that we were going to see airplanes today and their eyes lit up! Down the stairs, clothing on, breakfast eaten, teeth brushed… let’s go!

I’m not really a sir and ma’am kind of person. This is not to say that I don’t believe in showing respect for those around us, it’s just that I tend to take a less conservative approach. I firmly believe in opening doors for those with full hands, I just don’t care about the gender of that person. I do, however, believe that you follow someone else’s rules when you are on their turf. Given that we were on THEIR base, ma’am and sir seemed like a good idea. I even got the kids to say “Good morning Ma’am” and “good morning sir” to the soldiers who greeted them. You should have seen the smiles on the soldiers’ faces. Priceless.

The weather was perfection. True and utter perfection. Warm enough to feel comfortable in a tank top but cool enough to not sweat. A perfect breeze. I’m not sure why, but a windy day at an air show just feels right. Like a slight wind at the beach.  It just fits.

We walked through helicopters and planes. We looked at the cockpits and sat in the seats. We drove fire trucks and posed in front of race cars. We munched on popcorn and French fries, sipped fresh lemonade. It was awesome.

At various times throughout the day, there were general announcements. Some were related to upcoming events, directing visitors to a certain location. Others were more like advertizing and I couldn’t help but smile at the “hoo-rah” tone. It’s not something that I have much exposure to on a regular basis.

What I did notice, however, was the sense of honor. The discipline. It was fascinating. It’s not hard to imagine that the military draws people in. Provides them with a sense of purpose. Makes them stand taller.  It is such a stark contrast to the life I live, where order is terribly hard to find.

And I, for one, am grateful for these people. They protect us, keep us safe. They deserve to be called ma’am and sir. After all, they risk their lives for us every day.  Isn’t that one basic way to show our appreciation? Don’t they deserve it, at the very least?