I know what I did and why I did it, and I'm quite aware of what was promised, what was received, and what my expectations were and should reasonably be. I've found for the most part someone's expression of gratitude fits their perception of what they should say and not what they have determined in any objective manner to be what they believe I want to hear.
Rare is the person who bothered to ask what I thought of the whole experience, or what I believe should be said and done either for veterans or active duty personnel. For most, I and the veterans around me are seemingly lumped in their minds as an amorphous shadow on which they project their concepts and viewpoint.
So the response varies. To the good meaning and the clueless, I'm polite. To the schemers and the users, contemptuous. The hypocrites earn rebuke. And for those who understand and recognize the realities, no words are necessary, for by their actions and beliefs they've communicated all that need be conveyed.
How refreshing it is, though, to occasionally bump into those who can be influenced, who want to understand and who will fight for all military personnel, active, reserve, and veteran. The honest appreciation of those well-wisher's potential is the greatest gift we can give to us all.
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