The One Thing

Laughter, songs, and dance create emotional connection; they remind us of the one thing that truly matters when we are searching for comfort, celebration, inspiration or healing: We are not alone.
—  Brené Brown
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On This Day In:
2017	Never Give Up
2016	Which Generation Are We?
	Congratulations, Kyle!
2015	Centered
2014	Economic Trinity
2013	At Both Ends
2012	Holding Allowance
2011	The Power Of Good

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Lest We Forget Those Still In Harm’s Way

The above is a little video clip I found on YouTube.  Below are the lyrics, and after them, some notes I’ve included explaining some of the terms in the song…
“Merry Christmas From Afghanistan” – Sung by “Fisher“
Merry Christmas from Afghanistan,
Oh man, it’s that time of year,
And the birth of Jesus
Doesn’t seem to please
The terrorists
Down here;
I’d like to take a moment
For you folks at home
To make it clear;
Merry Christmas from
The Eastern Hemisphere.
Merry Christmas from Afghanistan,
Way back in the USA,
You’ve got mistletoe
And falling snow,
We’ve got sandstorms and grenades
But what the hell,
It’s just as well
We celebrate it
Anyway,
Merry Christmas from
5,000 miles away.
And I remember
Many Decembers,
Sitting ’round that tree,
And now I’m in some outer cordon
Sitting ’round an IED,
I’ve traded yams and roasted ham
For a chicken noodle MRE,
Merry Christmas from
Out here in the middle east.
Merry Christmas from Afghanistan,
From our AO to yours,
I’ll be watching illegal DVDs
And defecating out of doors,
Put my pedal to the metal man,
I’ll settle for that medal
Of honor when I win the war,
Single-handedly
From a armored drivers door.
And Yuletide salutations
From our vacation
In the sand,
From this E-3 Lance Coolie
And up the whole chain of command
Between Al Qaeda,
Al Jazeera,
Mujahadeen,
And the Taliban,
It’s a very merry Christmas in Afghanistan.
From south Montana,
To northwest Indiana,
To the shores of North Caroline,
From NYC to LA’s beaches
And down the Mason-Dixon Line,
It’s that season
Where we’re freezing,
But all in all,
We’re doing fine,
So merry Christmas from Afghanistan tonight.
It’s that season
That we’re freezing,
But all in all,
We’re doing fine,
So Merry Christmas
Down the Final Protection Line!
Notes:
AO – Area of Operation
E-3 Lance Coolie – Enlisted Rank 3, Lance Corporal; the lowest enlisted Non-Commissioned Officer rank, someone given all of the menial “leadership” tasks
Final Protection Line – an assigned line of concentrated fire when there is the possibility of being overrun by an enemy force.  Overlapping lines create maximum effective killing zones for defense.
IED – Improvised Explosive Device
Medal of Honor – the Congressional Medal of Honor is the highest military award given to a service person who demonstrates courage above and beyond the call of duty in a combat situation.  Unfortunately, it is normally awarded posthumously.
MRE – Meal (Ready to Eat)
Outer Cordon – the far outer barrier of a secured area which may be marked by tape (civilian) or by concertina wire (military); in olden days, a moat or ditch around the outer wall of a castle.
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