Veteran's Day

Hello all!
Ok Ok Ok..
So I am a day late, but being a VETERAN, I hope you can forgive me. I AM a US veteran, in that I served in the United States Army as a reservist. Even though I qualify for NOTHING (only did 6 months training and then was an IRR soldier for a few years), technically, unless you serve a full year of ACTIVE duty, you are not considered a veteran as far as claiming anything. I was rejected at the VA even though I sure did get shin splints from the ceaseless marching we did in training, and then 4 months later, I received a letter saying, yes, we must care for any medical condition you sustained while in training or on active duty regardless of....

Whatever.. The point is that I am a veteran and these are my particular feelings on Veterans Day; or at least how we in CraceysWorld see the holiday..

I grew up in NY and was raised to be inclusive of those different cultures and holidays around me. I remember having off from school not only on 'major' holidays, but also all the Jewish holidays and secondary holidays as well.  Imagine my utter and total surprise when I moved to Atlanta Ga. that the kids had to go to school on Veteran's DAY!!?? I was shocked and appalled. I kind of got it that they did not 'celebrate' ANY Jewish holiday; I mean I guess I got it, and it was not my intention to reinvent the way they live or anything. Not to mention that I understood very early into my move that the Northern states were just way more advanced in their ways and thinking than the South. (that is for another day believe you me; I have PLENTY to say about their way of life and thinking) But Veteran's Day? Really? Did they not lose sons and fathers in both World Wars?! Aren't there like a billion retired vets living in the South and if so where was their disgust that the school system, an agency that functions wholly through our government at some point in the money train, was totally disrespectful in the rest of the countries celebration of our vets!?

Well, I was disgusted and I did what any resident of Craceys World should do. I interjected MY way of life fully and without apology into THIS world; (a trait I have exercised and perfected from since I was a wee lass) I refused to send my daughter to school on Veteran's day. I was questioned; of course, by the Oh so tyrannical truancy department of her school (both junior and high school) and they were adamant that she needed a note to excuse her absence. I say tyrannical because on many occasion, I received a note home chastising me; the parent who makes the decisions in MY child's life, that with 4 absences, Ciarin was becoming an attendance issue. (ok, that also will be another story to be told later)
To remedy this and to have Ciarin's attendance rightfully explained and to keep myself from having to interject a little humility to yet another school official in Georgia, I would send Ciarin to school the day after EVERY Labor Day with this note;

To Whom it may concern,
Please excuse my daughter, Ciarin from school yesterday. It was; perhaps due to an oversight on your entire state's part you were not aware, Veteran's Day and being that her mom is actually a US Veteran, I thought that perhaps with the rest of the country, or at least with our hometown of NY, where they do appreciate and celebrate Veteran's, that she would not be able to make it yesterday. Schools are supposed to be closed, except her in the BIBLE belt, it seems that this too escaped your notice.
Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns regarding this matter. Of course, there should be none, since the above prose spelled it out for you.

Sincerely, Stacey Thompson

I never did receive a call or concern about her absence on this particular day, but I must say, for whatever goal it did NOT achieve, this act of defiance on my part was worth it, if only for the glee and effusive pride my daughter would have when she got to stay home on this day because 'my mommy is a veteran.'

Happy Veteran's Day everyone to all the Veterans recognized or not!!   Thank you sincerely for your service and sacrifices!

~Stacey Thompson