Day Twenty Four

Dear Readers,
      Just this past Sunday, Raina and I had dinner with another couple we have known for many years, Josh and Marci.  It is a friendship born many years ago, when Josh and I were basically in childcare together at a church in Bellflower.  Then I met Raina at 11 and we became part of the same group of friends.  Then Josh met Marci in college.  Josh and I don't get to catch up too often these days.  We are just two very busy people. The one thing I can say about our friendship is that no matter how long it has been, we can talk and hang out like we had just seen each other the previous day.  I am very appreciative of the friendship we have, and count myself fortunate to have the friendship that has grown between the four of us now.
      For dinner we had sushi at Kabuki in Huntington Beach.  I love that place and don't get to eat there as much as I would like.  I had a great time and amongst the conversation, Josh told me about his most recent trip to the local library.  One thing you have to know about Josh and I is that we both have an appreciation for history.  Especially World War II.  Josh and Marci recently took a trip to Europe and were fortunate enough to visit Normandy in France.  If you don't know the significance, it is where D-Day happened.  Where the Allied Powers made their initial invasion to overtake Germany.  Josh could have brought back any number of gimmicky souvenirs, but instead brought back a rock from the actual beaches of Normandy.  Part of it may have to do with the fact that Josh is half Jewish, but it was still a much more significant than any souvenir he could have probably brought back.  I thought it was one of the coolest ideas and display it with pride.  It is the idea that I have a piece of history sitting in our living room.  Back to the point of my story.  Josh recently found a huge collection of World War II documentaries available at the library.  Free.  That kind of stuff is awesome to me.  If Raina would let me, I would sit and watch the History Channel documentaries all day.  National Geographic, Discovery, even PBS are awesome channels for history shows.  I don't know why, but I have an infatuation with WWII history.  I read books, watch movies and spend hours upon hours in museums.  It fascinates me.  Part of me wishes I could have lived it.  Josh wants to have an all day WWII documentary marathon.  I told him to just let me know the day and I will be there.  Grab some snacks, order a pizza and enjoy history bliss.  Don't think that I am joking, he was serious as a heart attack and so am I right now.  There is just so many amazing stories during that period and so little time to learn them all.  It was a period of time where people had strong convictions and believed in something.  A patriotic pride that drove them to live and die for their country and it started with strong leadership.  Something we lack in this day and age.  That is a blog for another day.  Too much to talk about and too little time to sit in front of the computer and figure out how to express my thoughts.  Go visit a museum.
          “One day my grandson said to me, grandpa were you a hero in the war? And i said to him no I'm not a hero, but I have served in a company full of them.”
                                               ― Major Dick Winters - 101st Airborne

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