Over a cup of coffee

Most fulfilling and enjoyable is talking and sharing laughter with a close friend over a cup of coffee.  Might even add a warm cinnamon roll just to spice things up.  About mid-week, one of my fellow Marines and I carved the time out to do just this.

Our individual and mutual intelligence spike during these exchanges, which would come to a surprise to our brides.  Erudite on countless topics, our conversation led to pithy comments and observations.  These, in turn, provide the wellspring for irrefutable and certain solutions to the myriad problems we choose to tackle.  Uncommonly wise, well beyond what passersby may judge by our appearance, we see with crystalline clarity not only the ills besetting out country, but the remedies.  Ah, if only others would listen to us.

Being Marines, the matters are of the highest importance: national security, leadership, individual responsibility, ethics, integrity, politics, sports, physical fitness, vacations, public education, national economy, public engagement, tennis, grandchildren, and our brides.  In each and every case, our considered views are based on expert analysis.

Another sip of coffee, another condemnation of weak willed and unprincipled politicians, another bite of a cinnamon roll.  More laughter.

You surely get the picture.

Shifting to the serious, we two have between us 57 years of active duty in our beloved Corps, served protecting our country, while our families endured the military lifestyle.  This service established within us certain values, values we see under assault across the world and nation.  We both entered public education after retiring from active duty, certainly not for the money, but for the opportunity to help shape students.  We both departed public education, profoundly disappointed in both the failed union centric culture and the prevalent lack of expecting individual student responsibility evident in far too many parents.  We believe in our nation and the wisdom of serving it.  We understand there are evil people in the world who want to destroy our country from the outside, also recognizing there are those intent on its destruction from within.  We are disgusted by the reprehensible actions by the majority of elected officials.  Tolerant, though we actively resist those activists who demand we accept and embrace their views.  Memories of lost Marines are shared with reverence.  We also believe in the vast greatness of our nation and its people.  Terrific Marines with whom we had the privilege of serving are recalled.  The honor of commanding Marines is oft cited as the greatest achievement, other than our families.  We discuss at length the diminishing acceptance of individual responsibility for ones own well being, citing that education, hard work, and sacrifice will produce a better life.

Of course, not all topics are serious.

We comment about and look at attractive women.  We enjoy a good baseball game, plus a beer and a frankfurter at the ball park.  We prank each other, teasing about our idiosyncrasies.  We celebrate being men.  We drive pick-up trucks.  We like early rock and roll music.  We discuss good reads, which frequently involve military history.  We work out each and every day, committed to physical fitness.  Did you hear the one about....?  More laughter.

Another sip of coffee.  Dang, the cinnamon roll is all gone.

As the interlude comes to a close, time spent with a good friend over a cup of coffee produces a warm smile, slap on the back, and strong handshake.