Disclaimer: This post is not about political views or anything of the like. It is simply about the human condition, human nature, and the like. Please do not make it out to be anything other than what it is intended to be.
Sometimes something happens that just makes you profoundly grateful for what you have, even if it isn’t much. It is easy to get caught up in life and forget that things could be worse.
This morning a group of illegals was discovered out at the flight line. Ironically, they were in the process of buying Mountain Dew at the vending machine outside one of the buildings. Some of the civilians out there came upon them and called the MPs. They came out, cuffed the group, and took them off. It turns out that they got lost crossing the border and inadvertently wound up on post. Apparently, this is quite common on post, as Mexico is just outside the borders of post. Typically, they come in over the mountains and through the canyons and frequently end up on post, an admittedly big logistical error.
The group of guys were caught by a few of the civilians out there and not once did they try to run. That tells me that they have honor and integrity. They sat and waited patiently for the MPs, knowing what was in store for them. Corey sent me a pic of the group of guys and it tugged at my heart strings.
Forget the politics and think about the human beings beyond their illegal status. Stop a second and think about what kind of life you have to have that would motivate you to leave everything you have ever known behind. What kind of life would make you run, generally with not much more than the clothes on your back, knowing you could be caught and arrested at any moment? How bad must things be at home that running like that seems like a better option?
I can’t even imagine it. I have lived in lean times; that is sometimes a part of Army life. You definitely don’t join the Army for the wealth. I have lived in dark times, sometimes very dark times. I have lived with fear and with sadness, sometimes to the point of almost being overwhelming. But even during my absolute worst times, it has never been so bad that I could imagine having no other choice but to leave everything I have ever known and run. I can’t imagine the fear, the desperation, the helplessness that these people must feel.
I have always had options, choices. I may not have much, but I have enough. More than enough. I have food. I have a warm and comfortable home. I have my family, my friends. I have money coming in through Corey. I am able to go to school. I may be fighting a long-term health issue, but I have medical care and I am alive and fighting. I am so unbelievably lucky.
My heart breaks for these men, and others like them. I don’t know them and I never will. But my heart cries for any person that has to live without hope.
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