I worked as a bouncer when I was in college and the first Gulf War happened.

We were an hour from Camp Lejune and all the near by bases.

My boss would always tell us to cut the military guys some slack.

College towns are full of very pretty co-eds and it attracts a lot of military dudes.

of course, that's a recipe for a lot of jealousy.

Almost every weekend, we'd brace ourselves for the trouble makers. We'd ban them permanantly but there are always new ones...

after a few months of it, I got tired of it and almost quit...

I went to my boss and he asked moi why.

The first thing that came out of my mouth was:
"I hate the **** military guys...they suck!"

He stared at me a few minutes and asked what I was doing after work. It was pretty late so I told him I was just going to go home and chill...he asked me if I was hungry and would like to join him for a bite at his house, which I'd never been...

I said, sure, never passing up on free food...

I went to his house and while we were eating...he got up and came back with a box. It was a very nice lacy kinda box. Not the type a dude would use...anyways...

he opened it up and showed me his family. His father was in 'Nam. His uncle was in 'Nam.

neither of them made it back...I said something to the effect that that was a stupid war...

he acquiesced...then, he said this to me which I remember from time to time:

" don't log everything and everyone into one group. We are all different..."

with that, he showed me more photos of his dad, a lot of them with him on his dad's back or his dad holding him or his sister or both. Or his dad kissing his mom.

the photos really spoke to me...they were beautiful photos...in almost everyone of those photos, his dad was in his uniform...

he asked me if I still wanted to quit...

I told him I think about it...

I went back to work the next week...and I was more tolerant of the trouble makers...

still not sure why I am writing this...just that the memory came back to me...

OK, I'll shut up now...LOL