ms f gets all patriotic.

i'm slowly making my way through all of my thoughts on traveling. and what better way to show my american-ness (though maybe a day late), than to bring you my thoughts on the soldiers i saw at the airport.
___

As I’ve been traveling over the past year or so, particularly when I travel through LAX, I notice an abundance of men and women in uniform—camouflage fatigues, to be exact. last friday was no exception—there were at least 8 army men/women boarding my flight—singled out by their cammo uniforms and/or backpacks.

One group of 6 privates (? They were all pretty young and talking about basic training) swarmed the seating near me in St. Louis. I had made myself comfy with my copy of Drown and my mac book, and was not moving. They surrounded me on both sides and I did my best to focus on my book.

I eavesdropped without intending to really.

Most of the conversation I didn’t really get, as it was peppered with “thirteen hundred”’s in reference to the time, and an abundance of “bravos” “whiskeys” and other call signs that meant nothing to my privately educated ears. Their conversation, and presence, however, made me pause to think. The following snippet though, caused me to laugh (not so discreetly, as I was cramped between the three 20-somethings having this conversation).

“What religion did you list on your dog tags?”

“LDS. I figured if anything were to happen, it’s how I was raised…”

“I put Jedi.”

“I don’t think you can check that.”

“Just check other, and list Jedi Knight.”

This preceded a conversation between the army privates about what would happen when you died if you had listed Jedi Knight as your religion. Like, would your body be burned on a pyre like that of Darth Vader/Anakin Skywalker? PLEASE tell me I did not just ruin star wars for you. If I did, then we probably shouldn’t even be friends. You’ve had 24 years to see Return of the Jedi.

i don't know many (any?) people who are currently in the service, and so i was sort of intrigued by what they would be talking about. i found it mildly curious that they talked about death so freely and easily, and secretly wondered, did that guy REALLY list Jedi Knight as his religion? i suppose when you volunteer to risk your life to defend your country, it's best done with humor.

As I sat there, waiting to board my plane, i thought about my views of patriotism, and my overall lack of it. not that i don't like america--i do, i just think we could use some of the self-reflection that i ask my students to do at the end of each marking period:

• what did i do this marking period that i was proud of?
  
• what skills do i still need to work on?
  
• how can ms. f help me work on these skills?

maybe america doesn't need ms. f to guide their skill building, but you get the idea. regardless, i found myself in awe of the soldiers on my flight, who seemed so excited about the assignments they were getting in these big manila folders. they compared placements: some were learning arabic, others were disappointed that they were not. i wondered how many of them would end up in Iraq. but regardless of my feelings about our nation's image and current international entanglements, in that moment in the airport, i felt a surge of gratitude for the armed forces. perhaps it was a warm up for the 4th of july (with all the illegal fireworks that my parents' neighbors were setting off until midnight).

or maybe it's my inability to resist appreciation for a group of guys with muscles and crew cuts who address an older man as “sir” when answering questions in an airport waiting room.