A "Thank You" 70 Years in the Making

I woke up this morning to find an internet article about the 237th anniversary of the founding of the United States Marine Corps.  Last year on this date, I was privileged to be at the Marines' official ceremony at the Iwo Jima Memorial adjacent to Arlington National Cemetery across from DC.  My brother had just arrived at his new post that day in the California desert after completing training.  One year ago - tempus fugit.  With the whirlwind of patriotism these past few weeks, in the wake of a storm that united a nation, and in the midst of electing arguably the most powerful politician in the world, I am reminded that these strong realizations of American values, of freedom, of choice, of love of country, were hard won through the efforts of millions of brave citizens who fought and continue to fight for the preservation of all that they cherish, of all that we cherish.  Today I am sitting in one of the world's prettiest cities, about to spend the afternoon with friends on a leisurely stroll, and the hardest decision I'll have to make today is what type of wine to pair with dinner.  Today my brother is sitting in a trench halfway around the world fighting not only for my freedom, but for those of a people he's never met.  Every moment - every walk, every truck ride, every meal, every night's sleep, every decision, every breath - every moment could be his last, and knowing that is a terror I will never be able to understand.  

Male students here have compulsory military service after high school, and when I explained that my brother had volunteered to serve, it was beyond their grasp.  The idea of love of country means something so different here, so incompatible with ours.  Many of the students criticize American involvement in foreign affairs, acting as the world's police, getting into situations where many feel we do not belong.  At the German conversation course Tuesday afternoon, that point was further emphasized.  The instructor prompted a discussion on the elections, and, by extension, the United States.  Words cannot describe how awkward it was to sit and hear others from all over the world discuss American policy and politics, and, often in a negative light, I might add.  The instructor ended the discussion by a submission wholly opposite to what the class had voiced.  He thanked the United States.  He said that had the United States not entered World War II, it may well have been that the Nazis retained their influence and that his childhood would have been quite different, quite more oppressive than as it was.  He also mentioned the Marshall Plan, in which the U.S. invested billions and billions of dollars to rebuild European economies, the benefits of which he saw directly.  There were three of us Americans at the course, and he thanked our grandfathers for their service (this region of Austria was governed by the U.S. Army for ten years after the war), and I thought that was a really nice gesture.  Our country's made lots of mistakes in its past, and yes, we are involved in issues all over the world, but I think that our reason for intervening is based in a fundamental desire to give all people the opportunities in life that we enjoy.  Ours is not a perfect society, not by a long shot, but we value what we have more than anything else, and for so many throughout the world, their governments give no reason for their people to feel the same way.  For however you feel, I believe that wherever the United States goes, it fights the good fight - a fight for justice and freedom, a fight to better lives and to make people happy.  

Seeing that Marine Corps article really brought back some feelings of homesickness, especially towards my brother.  He's out in the middle of nowhere Afghanistan, and I don't think he's received any of my letters.  I keep replaying our last conversation in my head, nearly every day.  Out of my parents and I, I was the last to speak with him on the phone.  I remember talking about the most superficial things, and then, when we had both run out of things to say, I remember just holding the phone to my ear, neither of us saying a single word for nearly five minutes - I didn't want to say goodbye.  He finally broke the silence by saying he had to go, and I tried so damned hard to say "see ya later" and explain just how proud of him I was without crying, but it was just too difficult.  And that was it - the next day he shipped out, and later that night, I left for Austria.  Tomorrow is Veterans' Day back in the States, and I've never appreciated the commitment of our troops more than I do today.  Despite our faults, I'm pretty darn proud of being an American.

On the school front, I'm still (still) [still] giving my introductory lesson.  For fun, my advising teacher and I figured out just how much longer I'd have to do my intro lesson - third week of January.  At this rate, I think I'll only need to plan 3 lessons for the entire year!  Crazy.  The teachers are really warming up to me now, and they're starting to speak German with me in their offices, which I'm really happy about.  I'm still having some difficulty with it, but I'm able to express myself, even if its using only elementary terms.  One teacher actually asked me (more like begged, really) to bring her a box of Raisin Bran from the U.S. after Christmas - random, but okay!  The students greet me in the hallways now, and even though I don't know any of their names, it's a very welcoming gesture.  I actually had a conversation with one student on my way to the conversation course - we spoke in German, and he used the formal "Sie," which was pretty amusing.  The teachers don't allow me to tell the students that I understand German - they're quite adamant that my position is to teach English, and that's what I am getting paid to do.  It's great when the students say something about me under their breath, and I give them "the look."  Right then and there, they turn as red as an apple, and they're learning that they can't say much that I wouldn't understand - its empowering!  When I enter a classroom, students stand, and I'm addressed as "Herr Schmalz," and sometimes [incorrectly] "Herr Professor."  I can get used to this.  ;-)

Last night many of us gathered in a friend's apartment to share drinks and play games - great fun!  It's a relatively nice, warm day today, and a few of the girls and I will walk along a tree-lined footpath south of the city through farmland, past the house used as the Von Trapp home in the film.  The weather's taken a turn for the better, as this week will remain in the 50s during the day - very, very welcome!