It is the 11th of November

The 11th of November is an important day- partly because it’s a good friend’s birthday- but also because it’s Veterans Day. For me, the meaning of this day is one of those things that seem too big and amazing to contemplate- sorry, wrong word: it’s too big to imagine. I can contemplate on the sacrifice men and women give all day, I can stand in awe of it. But to think about all the people in history, at the beginning of America to this point, who have answered the call of freedom’s duty, is the point where I am too amazed to be able to imagine it. It’s the Grand Canyon of bravery and patriotism; you can paint it, take a picture of it or talk about it, but no imitation is comparable to when you are actually there.

So, before I go on, talking about my own stuff, I just wanted to say thank you to all the veterans. Simply saying ‘thank you’ in return for what you’ve done seems small, and it is too small, but I mean it with all my heart and with every sacrifice that’s been made in my thoughts. So, it isn’t just a simple thanks, but a thankfulness from one of the millions of lives you’ve touched, a mere echo of your own achievements. God bless you.

Now, the rest of this post will be related to the first part, because of what this day means. As I’ve said, Veterans, Marines, Sailors, Generals, NCIS and just about all of those numerous military-related things give me a sense of awe similar to the Grand Canyon. They are heroes of a kind that I can only admire and attempt to capture in my own small ways. And My Civil War stories are one of those attempts- unfortunately, I think I’ve only managed to get a picture of the Grand Canyon with an old cell phone camera that’s been run over.

There’s a comradeship, a friendship, a strength and bravery, a- well, if we’re talking only about America- there’s something American about it that you can recognize, though sometimes in different forms, that’s distinctive and wonderful. It’s simple, rough, determined and steadfast.

And that’s what I tried to capture, allowing my characters to be fascinated- mesmerized- by it. I basically tried to capture what I appreciate myself. I can only pray I managed it.

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