Today I was driving down the road and I noticed in my rearview mirror a Mercedes SUV riding the ass of a minivan with a handicap permit in its window. Now perhaps I am more attentive then the average person, but I can spot a permit hanging in the window of the car in front of me and behind me. The driver of the minivan was going ridiculously slow I agree, but there was no need to ride his ass, as there were only three of us in these two long lanes. To give the benefit of a doubt to the SUV driver I put some distance between us so he could pass in my lane, he did not take the opportunity.
Regardless of my 9km over the speed limit rule, we all ended up at the same red light. As the light changed to green I held back to see just who this minivan driver was and also to do a visual check to see if they appeared to need medical assistance, he was driving ridiculously slow. It was a wee old man who appeared small in his drivers seat, but his eyes and wits I determined were about him enough to be driving.
Time to check the other side of this situation, I held back letting the minivan go pass and enabling me the opportunity to check out the driver of the SUV. Now I have to say I like mercedes drivers they tend to be cautious, respectful and sometimes they even smile at you (not something I have ever seen a BMW driver do) so I hoped to see something to justify this guys behavior. I saw nothing, just an angry middle aged suit. Then my eye caught something on the minivan...a Veterans License Plate.
I do not know the specific criteria to getting one of these plates, but I am guessing it means you have seen a war up close and personal at one time in your life. Maybe you lost some friends in that war, maybe you saw your friends die in that war, maybe you lost a part of yourself in that war. Maybe you signed up and never had to go to war, but you signed up and agreed that if a war came to be, you would go. I do not know, but I do know that if you see a Veteran you owe it to them to show respect, always, in every manner possible. If you're in your car that means giving them a bit more room, letting them in when they signal a bit too late, letting them drive as slow as they damn well please on this Friday afternoon, it means extending consideration in a more obvious manner and whether they can hear you or not you should say thanks to them.
I think more about these things more as November 11th comes closer. I cannot say for certain what wars were worth fighting, and as Remembrance Day draws near, now is not the time to discuss it. Now is the time to pay respect to these men and woman. Nobody is asking for us to cheer about war, but do take the time to reflect on what is sacrificed during times of war.
If I could ask for something out of this event I would ask that people be aware and respectful of those who have the Veterans Plate. Afterall were all going to end up at the same red light.
