Thursday, February 12, 2009

Life in Color

This morning's swim workout was a good one. It really got the blood moving and working the muscles--especially my lungs. Nothing like a day of sprinting and kicking with fins to work the muscles (the good news it makes me feel fast).

Warm up: 200 free

600 free at 80%
100 free sprint with fins (1:09) whoohoo
5 minutes rest
100 free sprint with fins (1:09 again)
200 easy
2x200 hard
200 easy
2x100 hard
200 easy kick
100 cool down.

Total Yards 2100.

As I was driving to the pool this morning I actually paid attention to the lyrics of song by Jamey Johnson called "In Color" One verse really hit home with me:

This one here was taken overseasI
n the middle of hell in nineteen forty-three
In the winter time you can almost see my breath
That was my tail gunner ole’ Johnny McGeeHe was a high school teacher from New Orleans
And he had my back right through the day we left

And if it looks like we were scared to death
Like a couple of kids just trying to save each other
You should have seen it in color
A picture’s worth a thousand words
But you can’t see what those shades of gray keep covered
You should have seen it in color

The reason this hit home was for two reasons. 1) Many years ago I was in a grocery store were the older gentleman bagging my groceries was a Navy vet from WWII who had survived Pearl Harbor and other battles in the Pacific. There was some dumbass teenager in there mocking him because the older man was so slow. That man lived a more full life than that pimply kid every will. So I had to have a few polite (well not so polite) words with the little punk. Don't disparage anyone as old, or crippled, etc because you just never know what kind of life they have lived. 2) As my unit prepares to deploy again to the middle east, it dawned on my how my memories of my two years over there have somewhat faded. They are still with me, but it more like looking at a black and white photography than the HD Picture that I had lived.

Just something to think about!!

7 comments:

CoachLiz said...

Whoa, whoa, whoa!!!

Your unit is deploying...and that means you are deploying with them?

Am I reading this right or did I miss something?

Kelly said...

That stupid kid. He probably spends his afternoons playing video games, whereas that old man probably spent the same years working hard and training for the military.

Lesser is More said...

Well stated. Respect is one trait that seems to be fading from society or so it seems. Its a shame too, because without it, people don't appreciate squat.

Rainmaker said...

Glad you put him in his place.

As Liz said - does that mean you're deploying as well?

Also, I ran past the spot in your picture from a few days ago, this morning. I thunk about ya.

IronLinae, PhD said...

When are you leaving?

kodiacbear said...

Hey I'm back but your leaving--isn't this always the case..your post has me near tears as I see this everyday..it sucks and I am so glad you spoke up--we do need to remind them

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