Freedoms

I love riding bikes.  I love the feeling that a bike can elicit.  I come home after work grab a bike off the wall and hit the street, the trails or both.  I've got the tools of the trade, I'm fortunate to have a "quiver".  I have a bike to suit my fancy, and even though I have a plethora, I always want more.  N+1 is life.

Yesterday was 11.11.11.  Pretty cool.  But.  More importantly it was Veteran's Day.  A day to honor the people who serve/served our country (that means you and me).  There are these people out there that took an oath to protect us, with their lives if necessary.  I ask myself why?  Why would someone do this?  What type of person does this?  And, why would they do it for me?  I made a choice to not serve my country, but I respect the choices our men and women in the military have made...for me.  To protect me, to give me my freedoms.  At any cost.

This takes a different breed of person.  A breed above all else.  It goes against everything we are taught.  Stay away from danger, be safe, don't do that you will get hurt, but yet these people run into the heart of danger without self, but with purpose.  They have been doing it for years and years, and we the non-militarized society reap the benefits. 

I take it for granted that I can come home, jump on my bike and go anywhere I want.  I can dress the way I like, I can say what I want, I can own land, I am free.  I can never say "Thank You" enough for the freedoms that I enjoy.  This great country was built on the backs of our military, our government came from the military, our expansion came from the military, our safety comes from the military.

To those that came before and those that will follow,
Thank You.

Freedom is not Free