It is my intention to start posting daily again. I went through an illness that refused to stay down. I finally, after weeks, went to the doctor. Good news is my blood pressure, cholesterol, and whatever else they checked is great. Bad news is I had a sinus infection. I say had because I finished off my antibiotics and it appears to be gone. Of course I'm coming down with something else now, but hopefully it will just run its course and be done instead of hanging on for a month. It is that time of the year again when we all think about that December holiday. Of course I'm referring to Pearl Harbor day. I know that December also gives us Christmas, but I think Pearl Harbor day loses out to the bigger holidays on either side of it. I was fortunate enough to visit Hawaii, and while there I went to see the USS Arizona in Pearl Harbor and Diamond Had, where the casualties were buried en mass. It was a very solemn experience and also surreal at the same time. The surreal part is the fact that so many Japanese tourists visit these landmarks. I wonder why, not enough to ask though. I know they did have some casualties at the site, but I kind of think it is because of what the attack brought. It is hard to say if we would have gotten into the war otherwise, or if we would have dropped the bombs if it wasn't for Pearl Harbor. Regardless, we did enter the war immediately after this attack and we did drop two nuclear bombs at the end of the war. Many people died in this war on all sides including a great number of civilians. The face of the world was changed in so many ways. We are approaching a point in time when Pearl Harbor and the rest of the war will only be history. The survivors are reaching the end of their natural lives. History is starting to shift. People are making movies that show the war in a negative light and fewer people are able to stand up and say, "Hey I was there and that isn't what happened." I know I missed posting this before December 7th, but take the time to honor the lives from this day anyway.
Monday, December 8, 2008
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4 comments:
Good post, Nick. It made me miss my Dad~ He always made sure we knew and understood our history and how it impacted our lives today. He was there for the end of WW II and his brother was at Pearl Harbor and I have a great deal of other family that experienced our *history* firsthand. A great deal of them are gone and it is an end of an era. My youngest son(13 yo) can't understand why "Aunt Margaret" hates the Japanese... but I can because I know who she lost and I hear the heartbreak in her voice and I know she was *there* when it wasn't history- it was life- and that just gives you a completely different perspective.
@Pam,
Thanks for commenting. I always felt history is best taught by those who lived it. In my life I've been fortunate to meet some people who have taught me some amazing things about WWII.
I honestly disliked most of the history classes I took because the people teaching them weren't all that interested, but one of my college classes that included WWII was taught by a man who served in the war. He was able to tell about what his experiences were in the things we studied and loved what he taught. Much more engaging.
Hey Nick. I'm glad you are posting daily. I've been reading your blog recently and as someone who wants to plant a church one day, I feel like I can learn a lot from your experiences as a youth pastor. Keep it up because I'm interested. God Bless.
Ryan B,
Thanks for the comment and encouragement.
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