Why Today is a Great Day

Veterans Day? I am not much of a blogger – in fact, counting this blog, I have written one blog.

That being said, I could not pass up the opportunity to blog about Veterans Day. It’s a different sort of holiday for me, one that I never paid much attention to growing up. It seemed like almost everyone I knew had served in some capacity or another. Veterans Day was just another holiday in which everyone participated. To that end, I never thought twice when I graduated high school and headed off to serve. Of course while I was in the Army, almost everyone I knew either had served or was still serving.  Veterans Day was just another day.

But Veterans Day is not just another day – it is a great day!

I have come to realize how rare military service is.  Hardly anyone I know now has served.  I recognize more fully the commitment and impact of all who served in any capacity for any duration in any branch.  We, the veterans, are a shrinking minority.  In some ways that is good as there are no great wars as there were with the Greatest Generation.  For this and many other reasons, the opportunity to serve is smaller than ever before.  In other ways it is a little sad, because for me, the greatest lessons in life were learned while serving.

I appreciate the thankfulness for my service, but I am equally as thankful that I was allowed to serve.

My service has paved my path and, in no small way, my venture into talent management and education.  There is within me a drive, a desire to pass along my great life lessons to as many people as possible.  People often ask me why I am always in a good mood or why I do not seem to stress.  My time in the military is definitely a major contributor to both.  Regardless of how long and hard my day is today, today I will have food to eat, hot food at that, food of my choosing, and most assuredly more food than I need.  Tonight I will sleep, in a bed no less, most likely my own bed, indoors, protected from the elements.

How can today not be a great day!

No matter what pressure the boss, the organization, the customers, or the family throw at me today, today the decisions I make will not be about life or death.  Today, the mistakes I make, invariably there will be some, will not cost someone his/her life.  How can I not remain calm, how could I ever consider an irate boss or customer to be stressful?  My deepest desires are to pass these lessons on to others.

The great irony of my lessons is that they are not true everywhere in the world.  They are only possible for us here in America because of my fellow veterans who have served before me, with me, and since me.  These are the men and women who make every day a great day.  So to my brothers and sisters in arms – thank you and God bless.

Happy Veterans Day!

Post by: Wayne Townsend, FLVS Executive Director of Talent Management