| - Profile -+- Notes -+-Archives-+- E-Mail -+-Diaryland-+- Fotolog -+- Latest - |
|
Honey is Sweet In a letter - 2010-01-13 I'm grateful for: a rental car and the ability to drive it; not having to cope with snow; knowing that Hashem will get me/us through, even when it feels least possible. A very, very good friend of mine just questioned me in an email as to how S1 could want to join the army, and wouldn't it be better if the world leaders would just sit down for a marathon chess tournament, winner take all? In writing to answer her, I realized that some of this is stuff I've wished I could say to many, many people over the years. I'm sure I can tweak it, but for now here is my best answer - Yes, S1 wants to go into the army. It's the Israeli army. Here in Israel, the army is a somewhat different matter, as it is a very real-to-us job, defending the country from people who want to kill us. Both boys and girls join the IDF, not only Israelis, but also people from overseas, because they view the job of defending Israel as that important. As S1 put it, he wants to be a 'shield for Israel.' S2's unit is guarding a section of the border with Jordan, near Jericho. S1 wants to be doing the same thing, but will probably end up repairing tanks or something like that (they offered him a job as a mechanic). The difference being that S2 was drafted, and S1 is joining as an adult volunteer. It's not quite the same thing as going far away to possibly die in a foreign country. S2 comes home every other weekend or so, and we have bombs going off around us relatively close. It *would* be nice if everyone could just play nice, but here, we have two choices, to defend ourselves or to be killed. I am very proud of all of my kids who have done their part to keep the bad people and their bombs as far away from us as is possible. I'm proud of D3 who is determined to go into combat unit, rather than settle for a desk job. Most people in the U.S. have the luxury of feeling safe in their homes - there are people who want to kill all Americans, but they are unlikely to be successful, or to show up in your neighbourhood of Texas. Or in my old neighbourhood in Vermont, for that matter. That makes the whole soldier/war thing feel somewhat optional, like why can't everyone just be reasonable, like we are? I don't have an answer for that question, but I do know that the complacency of people who live in non-war zones and the not understanding of the need/value of soldiers and armies is a luxury that we don't have here. I apologize if I sound like I am lecturing you, that is the furthest thing from my mind. I guess I'm trying to explain how the world view is different and why. I think I'm answering in my mind all of my friends in the U.S., U.K. and Europe who just don't seem to 'get' why we feel/think the way we do. *** So, like I said, it needs tweaking. But, I think it is pretty fair. And I have to run to bring D3 to the orthodontist. I'm listening to The Beach Boys: Gd Only Knows 3 bleats so far:: Yesterdays : Tomorrows ::
~~~Last Five Entries~~~ |
