I was in the grocery store this weekend and while I was at the check out counter, I saw a 20 something male with a RCAF (Royal Canadian Air Force) T-Shirt. He had his back to me and as he turned around, I made eye contact with him.
"Is your father in the Forces?" I asked
He was a little confused until I motioned to his T-Shirt.
"Ah, No. It's just a shirt" he replied
And maybe to him, it simply WAS just a shirt. But to me, that shirt represented a belief system, and a way of life that was decorated by blood as the cost.
"You mean that it's just a T-shirt to YOU" I said.
It took everything I had in me to pull back on myself to not verbally pounce on him because to me, it wasn't JUST a T-Shirt. -It was a way of life; a belief system to me and to the many men and women whom that shirt represented.
As I walked away, I realized how powerful language was.
To him, it was just a T-Shirt. But I'm thankful that to the men and women who defend and peace keep for Canada, that it means infinitely more than that...
You got me again Chuck. While quickly checking my fb and emails before I leave for work, your blog caught my eye...again...made me want to take a moment to read it again...made me think about things...again.
ReplyDeleteAnd now I'm late...again :)
Love this one. Thank you.
Jane