I hate travel

This morning I left my hotel in ATL at 8:15 AM EST. I arrived at ONT airport at 7:15 PM PST. For those counting, that's one long day for a trip that was supposed to take 6 hours. I've been to San Antonio (unscheduled) to refuel while we waited for a storm to pass Dallas, I've missed three flights and one party with my wife, eaten three bags of pretzels, one double cheeseburger, rerouted once, and had my bags delivered to an airport 40 miles from where I ended up. Oh, and one of my carry-ons either stayed on the plane and went to Kansas City or is floating around the Dallas-Ft. Worth airport. I've chalked it up as lost. Good times.

Earlier today, in an airport, we had to walk through a whole company of Army soldiers as they were waiting for their flights home for Thanksgiving. I almost started crying by the time we had waded through hundreds of them, all dressed in their desert camos. They were just so young, and I never thought I would ever be that guy saying "they looked like kids!" One of them was reading a comic book for cats' sake. I wonder if any of them realized that this might be their last time home.

I know they all signed up for it, and I guess that is the strength of a volunteer military: everyone knows what they're in for. But I felt like if even one of them dies overseas, then we've all done something wrong. Don't misunderstand me: Evil must be stopped. But why does it have to be our people who die? Can't it just be the other guys'? Can't the airport in Baghdad be full of Iraqis who want to die? Or the airport in Darfur? Or Karthoum? Can't anyone else die besides my countrymen?

Yes, theirs is the greatest sacrifice of all. And they have willingly given their efforts, time, and the rights to their free will so that I can be free. I absolutely support our troops. I'm just scared that they might have to give their lives to something they don't understand, that I don't understand, and that the people they are killing don't understand.

What should we do? Beats me. I saw some people in an airport and got sad. That's the best I can do right now: try to empathize. And pray like crazy that the redemptive power of love overwhelms this world we live in.