Civilian vs Marine

The highlights from Days Gone By

You take a warm shower to help you wake up.
He goes days or weeks without running water.

You put on your anti war/don't support the troops shirt, and go meet up with your friends.
He still fights for your right to wear that shirt.

You walk down the beach, staring at all the pretty girls.
He walks the streets, searching for insurgents and terrorists.

You complain about how hot it is.
He wears his heavy gear, not daring to take off his helmet to wipe his brow.

You are angry because your class ran 5 minutes over.
He is told he will be held an extra 2 months. He does as he is told.

You call your girlfriend and set a date for that night.
He waits for the mail to see if there is a letter from home.

You hug and kiss your girlfriend, like you do everyday.
He holds his letter close and smells his love's perfume.

You criticize your government, and say that war never solves anything.
He sees the innocent tortured and killed by their own government and remembers why he is fighting.

You see only what the media wants you to see.
He sees the bodies lying around him.

You sit there and judge him, saying the world is a worse place because of men like him.
If only there were more men like him.

~Author unknown