American Readers,
(Many subscribers are non-American/abroad so this email is for my American readers.)
Today’s email is coming at you from my phone while en route to my next travel location, from somewhere in the heart of the Baltic.
It’s short, sweet, simple in design because I’m on the road, and in honor of Memorial Day.
This is a picture from my run this morning. You are starring at one of the six remaining Roman amphitheaters with all sides intact, built in 27BC and located in Pula, Croatia.
After this, I had coffee with a Croatian shop keeper. He said, “you are American.” I said, “Yes.” He said, “I wish I was that free.”
I can say now after seeing this many countries- I’m beginning to understand. We looked at eachother, we understood, then we sipped our coffee and continued to talk of the world.
The more I travel, the more I understand my place in this life, and I feel more responsible, and I feel more grateful.
Today’s message is simple.
This picture, this conversation with someone abroad, this run alongside history is possible because soldiers died to make choices possible for me. This is possible because there are soldiers living in such a way that they are willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for you.
While you are enjoying the long weekend, remember that your freedom was bought first with the blood of those who fell, second with the sacrifice of those who are living yet willing to give even their last breath for you, and third by those who survived them to remember.
Life is not experienced equally, and amongst the complex reasons this is true, one of them is because a soldier died so you could live.
On this Monday, may we be thankful.
Support the troops. Remember the fallen.
I’ll see you sometime soon with a new blog post.