ChrisNobody
04-12-2016, 08:23 AM
"Happy Birthday!" Often, this is a trite phrase used by people who don't give a shit about the person they say it to, but say it because they want to keep up the appearance of caring. In fact, this is probably most often the case. Happy Birthday! is really a nearly sacred phrase that should be reserved for the closest of friends and family. They are not really congratulating the recipient on the accumulation of annual dates, but are showing that they value that person, their time and all that they bring. We should say it to those who truly enrich our lives.
For the recipient of birthday well wishes, there is too often a tendency to over-think the event and to dwell on things that are irrelevant. Most often, this takes the form of the individual judging their relative ‘worth’ and trying to ascertain what they have ‘done with their lives’ across the span of those birthdays. This can either be depressing or self-serving. Instead, they should spend their time contemplating the people who have given them birthday wishes, and separate them into two piles: those who said the trite phrase and those who really mean it. Then, they should work to spend their time and surround themselves with those who truly mean it.
MCSO has been on this earth for nearly half a century. I have known him for all but a few of those years. He need not worry about the things that many people over-think. He has done quite a bit over the greater than two score years. His life hasn’t been an accumulation of time; rather, it has been a testament to service. He has served his family, namely myself. I owe completing college to him. I owe my love of firearms (and most of the firearms that I have owned in my life to him). He has served his friends. He is extraordinarily generous. I know that he has supported families through tough financial times. He has provided support and advice to an untold number of men who have decided to go into law enforcement. He has served his country. While he is not a ‘flag waving patriot’ who attends political rallies, wears shirts with trite political slogans emblazoned on the front, and tears up every time Lee Greenwood is played, he has served his locality and his country in meaningful ways. He has served in Law Enforcement for nearly two decades. He has worked high risk details and developed hard charging teams who really do keep us safe from the ‘bad people’ out there (and there are some really bad people out there). He has served his tribe, freely sharing his knowledge of shootings and post-shooting from the LE perspective.
MCSO is a successful Warrior in all aspects. His name isn’t in papers. It is unlikely that there will ever be a book written about him. Nevertheless, he has done more with the years that he has been given than many do with their entire lives. He is an unbelievable Mentor, Friend, Brother, Father, Teacher and Leader.
So, it is with the utmost happiness and respect that I say to my brother:
Happy Birthday Toad!
For the recipient of birthday well wishes, there is too often a tendency to over-think the event and to dwell on things that are irrelevant. Most often, this takes the form of the individual judging their relative ‘worth’ and trying to ascertain what they have ‘done with their lives’ across the span of those birthdays. This can either be depressing or self-serving. Instead, they should spend their time contemplating the people who have given them birthday wishes, and separate them into two piles: those who said the trite phrase and those who really mean it. Then, they should work to spend their time and surround themselves with those who truly mean it.
MCSO has been on this earth for nearly half a century. I have known him for all but a few of those years. He need not worry about the things that many people over-think. He has done quite a bit over the greater than two score years. His life hasn’t been an accumulation of time; rather, it has been a testament to service. He has served his family, namely myself. I owe completing college to him. I owe my love of firearms (and most of the firearms that I have owned in my life to him). He has served his friends. He is extraordinarily generous. I know that he has supported families through tough financial times. He has provided support and advice to an untold number of men who have decided to go into law enforcement. He has served his country. While he is not a ‘flag waving patriot’ who attends political rallies, wears shirts with trite political slogans emblazoned on the front, and tears up every time Lee Greenwood is played, he has served his locality and his country in meaningful ways. He has served in Law Enforcement for nearly two decades. He has worked high risk details and developed hard charging teams who really do keep us safe from the ‘bad people’ out there (and there are some really bad people out there). He has served his tribe, freely sharing his knowledge of shootings and post-shooting from the LE perspective.
MCSO is a successful Warrior in all aspects. His name isn’t in papers. It is unlikely that there will ever be a book written about him. Nevertheless, he has done more with the years that he has been given than many do with their entire lives. He is an unbelievable Mentor, Friend, Brother, Father, Teacher and Leader.
So, it is with the utmost happiness and respect that I say to my brother:
Happy Birthday Toad!