I had a first-time experience tonight that I thought I'd share. I went to a funeral home visitation for a man who died at age 84. I had not seen him for around 5-6 years. I knew him only as an acquaintance, but I liked him a lot. He was a quiet kind of guy who carried himself with an air of strong character and never tried to dominate a conversation. Until I read his obituary, I had not known about his military background. He had served in WW II and was in the Battle of Leyte in Guam. At the visitation, there was a Marine with a rifle standing at attention at the head of his casket. It was a moving sight. Before I was done paying my respects, there had been a change of guard, and another Marine was guarding the casket. As I walked by him, I did not look up. I looked straight ahead as I said, God bless you and your fellow Marines. He did not flinch or speak. He just stared straight ahead, ever vigilant, ever disciplined. I had a good feeling inside. Just seeing that Marine standing there made me feel comfortable and safe.
as comforting a feeling as they are for you, imagine if you were unfortunate enough to find yourself playing for the other team... nice story, thanks!
Sid, I just came across this. Thanks for the motivating words and my condolences for the loss of your friend.