perspective

I just finished watching HBO's Band of Brothers.

I'm 22-years-old, and what have I contributed to my country? If anything, my country has given me everything: school, a job, a future. But how did that happen? Because of what those men did.

my grandfather on the right, 17-years-old

I'm sitting here typing this, tears running down my cheeks. My grandfather fought in WW2, but in the Pacific. (Yes, I know about that HBO show, too. It's next on the list, if I can make it through it.)

I never heard him talk about the war, and I never will, as he died a few years ago. But I am so proud to have a grandfather who fought in that war that was absolutely devastating to so many parts of the world.

My mother and I went to see Battleship when I was in college. In the movie, the aliens or whatever cause the ships to lose power, and everything that runs electrically is shut down. So they call upon veterans to run an older ship.

When my mom and I were watching, we both started crying - that would've been Pappaw. He would've done the same thing - gone to fight for his country without even a second thought.

It's amazing what these men did for our country, and it's even more amazing what that they were able to come home and live semi normal lives. My grandfather raised two amazing daughters and a wonderful son. My family is so blessed by him still today.

As I think about that time, I think what it would have been like to live with heroes. Live with heroes coming back from a dark, dark place. Marry heroes. Have a hero as a father (not that my dad isn't). I can't imagine having those people be my age, living around me - going to college with me, being my lawyer, working as a cab driver. Those men deserved so much more, but they were simply happy with life.

I need to be happy with life. I'm upset because I'm alone in Colorado Springs, working at a good job with a meal plan, sitting on my couch my parents gave me, watching a big TV and HBO.

Boy, how TV can change a girl's life. I need to get my head in the game and realize that damn, I've got it good.

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On a lighter note, here are a few other things that happened this week.

Reign: I'm starting to lose interest. I started a while ago, and now it's reached a peak. I can't handle it anymore, so I think I'm probably going to stop watching. Maybe I'll watch to the end of the season. Maybe.

Veronica Mars: THE MOVIE WAS PERFECT. Everything I could've ever wanted. *Spoilers: Thank goodness Logan and Veronica ended up together. And Logan in uniform??? Also everything I could've ever wanted. Although I will say, if Veronica chose Logan, then I chose Piz. Come to me, my little sunshine.

Insurgent: Finished. Loved it. It was a little slow whenever they were breaking into Erudite, or at least Tris was, betraying Tobias. I was so nervous Tobias was never going to forgive Tris - thank goodness she did. Now I'm excited for Allegiant to finally come in the mail so I can figure out what's going on outside the fence. (Let's also hope the movie is good. It's up for next week!)

The Last Days of California: I'm reading a new fiction book by a Mississippian named Mary Muller. It's a new take on the coming-of-age novel. I'm only about 30 pages in, but the writing is spectacular and I'm enjoying it already. It's definitely not like my YA books, so while it's half the length of those books, it may take me just as long to read it. It makes me think more, and I stop and reread paragraphs a lot. It's amazing how authors can make you question so much.

I haven't watched many things as spectacular as Band of Brothers, and I think only The Patriot has made me cry as much. But I think it's mostly because of the undying passion men have for freedom and their country. As cliché as it sounds, I am so utterly proud to be an American.