A "Decoration Day" tribute, to those who know no better!

I guess that the first thing we need to establish here is the fact that I'm very stubborn, and really not all that "keen" to change, which I'm sure would come as no great surprise to those who know me the best, but seriously, I wish that "Memorial Day" would go back to being just plain old "Decoration Day", like it was when I was a kid, wherein we had to dodge direct assaults from man-eating dinosaurs on our way to school each morning, not to mention walking uphill five miles (both ways) through snow-drifts approximately thirty-seven feet deep. Wait a minute! Don't yell at me yet! I AM a Veteran, as was my family before me and the family that I actually helped to bring into this world! I'm proud of all of it, and I'm proud that all of you take the time to recognize the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines who have given the "Ultimate" sacrifice (their lives), in order to keep you safe and in a position to "delete" me when I say things that you don't agree with. My point is that "Decoration Day" is a time to honor ALL of our fallen heroes, whether they had ever served in the military or not! Every single one of you have heroes in your life that have little or no association with the military, and today is the time to honor THEM for the many contributions that they made in YOUR life! Seriously! If you have a set of grand-parents, or perhaps a great uncle "Lou", who not only fed you very well when you came to visit, but also gave you advice on matters of "life", such as teaching you exactly which fishing lures would work the best under the conditions you were facing at the time, or even proving to you the exact capabilities of a U.S. Army "Jeep", you probably have a grave to honor! Personally, I didn't have a great uncle named "Lou", at least to my knowledge, but I DID have an uncle Laverne, (yes, a Veteran), and an aunt Iris. I also had an uncle Richard, ( also a Veteran), and an aunt Mabel. I remember as well my grandma Delimont, who took the time to read the Bible to me every time we got together, and as my way of giving her assurance that I was a believer, I would glue popsicle sticks into a configuration that would at least vaguely resemble a "Cross". I never knew my "grandpa" Delimont, as he died at a very early age, even when my dad was still very young, but I know that he too was a "Veteran". Dad went on to start his own business. Talk about heroes! My late grandpa "Guy" Burgess and his wife , (my grandma) Irma, were also "heroes" to me, what with their "common sense" attitudes about life in general. I would like to think that at least part of the reason I'm such a "bull-headed prick" is because of the standards my grandpa Guy instilled in me when I was very young! Hero? YES! The point I'm trying to make is that "Memorial Day", otherwise known as "Decoration Day", has little to do with us Veterans. Granted, the larger majority of us did not give our lives for our country, else we wouldn't be able to post messages on facebook, but we have our OWN day, wherein we drink way too much beer and remember the "fallen"! It's called "Veterans Day. It used to be called "Armistice Day", and it occurs each year on November 11th! We use this day as a chance to "vent " our feelings and drink large quantities of alcoholic beverages. We like it this way. This is "Our" day. Now give the good people who actually raised us their day back! Happy Decoration Day, my Friends!