Tuesday, May 25, 2010

It's Time

Terry and I went to the Roanoke Symphony Orchestra's closing concert on Saturday. A tribute to Woodstock, the orchestra performed with Jeans and Cadillacs, a cover band from Canada. The music was wonderful and reminded me that Woodstock and the decades on either side formed the soundtrack of my life.

I haven't seen as much tie-dye, bell bottoms, love beads, head bands, and Birkies in one place in decades. It was wonderful.

The best moment, however, was unscripted. The leader of the cover band set up one song by saying this was an anthem of families waiting for vets to come home. He asked the crowd to give a round of applause to all Vietnam vets in the audience. We stood and cheered for five minutes. Unscripted, spontaneous.

We didn't thank our war fighters when they came home. It's past time, but it's never too late. Thank a veteran from any war or peacetime today. You'll feel better for doing so. (End of political comment.)