I gave up giving titles to these stupid things... Because it would take too long for a perfectionist like me to figure out the perfect title. Ain't nothing wrong with doing things well, but sometimes I just want to not care so much. Like now. One of the best feelings that I could possibly experience follows a long workout. I don't mean to come off like some jersey shore meathead, so let me try to explain myself. When your body is pushed passed a certain limit, endorphins are released. The effects have been likened to drugs. Common knowledge, right? I worked for 10 hours today. Hauling lumber, hanging drywall, installing a ceiling. Then I went to the gym afterwards. Unfortunately, there were cute girls there so I had to lift extra hard. An hour later I was in my truck, windows down, listening to the Avett Brother. In in that moment I would have died happy. I think life can be like that. Sometimes the highest of highs come after the lowest of lows. After we have been tested, stretched, and refined maybe we wake up truly content? And I don't believe there are any shortcuts or synthetic blends of refinement that taste like candy.

Funny how the people that send young men off to die in wars are the ones that would never go to war themselves. "When the rich wage war, it's the poor who die." That's just the way the cookie crumbles.

Does that mean the soldier's life is less valuable than the politician's? Does the rich man have a higher purpose or a more noble calling than the one who dies on the battlefield?

I enjoy reading the stories about medal of honor recipients. More medals have been awarded for jumping on grenades to save teammates than any other single act. Although there are few instances that soldiers have survived, it is almost a guaranteed death.

"Although only he could have escaped the blast, Petty Officer Monsoor chose instead to protect his teammates. Instantly and without regard for his own safety, he threw himself onto the grenade to absorb the force of the explosion with his body, saving the lives of his two teammates. By his undaunted courage, fighting spirit, and unwavering devotion to duty in the face of certain death, Petty Officer Monsoor gallantly gave his life for his country, thereby reflecting great credit upon himself and upholding the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service." CMOHS.org

In order to give up your life you have to love something or someone else more than yourself. The problem is that people love themselves too damn much. We don't know what love is because we don't know what sacrifice is. We say things like "I love the TV," and "I love ice cream." Did you know that the United States has the highest divorce rate in the world? These are not unrelated.

I don't mind rich people. And I don't have a problem with rich people that are cowards. What I do have a problem with is rich cowards who believe that the military is for the "lesser" people. Not in a hundred churches or cathedrals would you find someone jumping on a grenade to save their friends. It shouldn't be like that.

I love Jesus Christ with all my soul. And if I thought my local church came close to reflecting the life and love of Jesus, I might not have enlisted. But I think there is more to see and more to learn than I have been taught. I would love to think that I would jump on a grenade to save my friends. That I have that kind of selfless bravery.

"It's only after we've lost everything, that we are free to do anything" Fight Club