VB Pride

When Josh woke me up Sunday night (what can I say...I go to bed embarrassingly early) to tell me that Osama bin Laden had been killed, I knew it was significant, but it's full magnitude did not hit me until the next morning...I was half asleep after all.  When I woke up the next morning, though, I knew this was a BIG deal.  For one, I remember first learning about the Taliban and a very scary man named bin Laden when I was in my high school sociology class and being aware even then that the man would likely do something very terrible one day.  And of course, I remember September 11th vividly (I was watching TV in my college apartment as the first plane hit).  I remember the fear of that day, the agony of watching so many people suffering, but also the overwhelming sense of patriotism and unity.
Today, as I drove to work, I was flooded with those same emotions of patriotism and pride.  As I checked Facebook, most of my News Feed was taken up with USA pride or thank goodness for Bin Laden's demise themed messages (some not so PG and quite clever actually).  The radio stations were all talking about the big news and my favorite country station was even playing the Toby Keith song with my favorite lyric..."we'll put a boot in your ass; it's the American way."

But the thing that really made my heart (and clearly many more in this neck of the woods) burst with pride was the announcement that the Seals that ultimately got Bin Laden were based right here out of Virginia Beach!  I have lived here my entire life (well, except for my college years) and admittedly, am sometimes ambivalent about our large armed forces community...I blame it on one too many incidents of being hit on (and even stalked once!) by young, creepy Navy guys when I was in high school.  But as I have gotten older, I have realized just how much these men, and  their families, sacrifice to keep me and you safe...especially on that fateful night.
So, thank you VB Seals (and anyone else involved) for a job well done!  I'm eternally grateful and proud.