5/29/2011
Wandering downtown St. Louis on a Memorial day weekend has been something else. I started the day with a plan to snap a variety of pictures to capture the spirit of St. Louis. Each block I strolled through had eye catching architecture and unique statues. Families were out enjoying the sun and I was enjoying watching the families. I didn’t expect to stumble upon a four day rib roast with live music. Being a vegetarian, I skipped the ribs obviously but, I did take the opportunity to have some tasty fries and a refreshing slushy.
While at the festival, I wandered through different areas. I enjoyed perusing the different booths but stayed away from the cigarette tents. I made my way through a wave of people and soon enough, I found myself inside a courthouse type of building. They even had the stone statues gaurding the outside. When I stepped foot inside I quickly realized it was a memorial. It was fitting that I wander into a memorial on memorial day. It certainly made me pause. For a minute I sat to think about the sacrifices others have made so that I could enjoy freedom. There were so many items on display which really emphasized the meaning of the day. They even had an area already set up on the take down of Bin Laden.
We are so very lucky to live in America. We enjoy freedoms that others only dream about. Sometimes we forget just how blessed we are to live in this country. We take for granted our standard of living. We don’t realize that we flush the toilet with water that is fit for drinking while in some countries people walk seven miles to extract dirty water from a broken well. We don’t see the poor students that are jailed for speaking out against their governments. We don’t value the public school system because it’s free. But, none of these items are free. There are faces to the people that have given their very existence for this country. It was their sacrifices that make our country strong. So, it is important for us to slow down and take a moment to honor them. We must not forget the things that make our nation great. 
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