Ground Zero

There's something about having a moment. One in which peripherals are narrowed, and the sound of the city is off, but the sound of mind on. A moment of remembrance, thought, and a story being told at light speed. This moment, is a direct reflection of my entire continuing existence, as well as my children's. This moment, is the "Ground Zero" 9-11 Memorial site.

Though, as I look into the hollowed ground of what has been, the world stood still. Although the pigeons run free while cameras are being held high for that everlasting iconic photo, I hardly notice. Because as I stand there, I realize that what occurred right here in this very spot, became the most pivotal moment of my life. A young high school boy, latched to his desk in disbelief, has no idea how this day in history class will shape him as a soldier, a man, husband, and father.

This brings me to my point. Veterans tend to be prideful and filled with camaraderie. Some may say they have suppressed emotional responses to things, leading them to disconnect, fearing of unfound compassion, and in many cases, self-inflicting death. Over the years, I have noticed the number of men I served with dramatically dropped. The "Thank you for your service" gestures wilt in decay and the helping hand for veterans walk away from the general public and into the hands of veterans themselves. The viewing of the Ground Zero site and a hard audit of America's current state of patriotism and I came to understand that there is a huge need for reconnecting our veterans with society. Those taking photos at the site who are not veterans, wouldn't feel it the way a veteran does.

So lets's start with a few ways we can rekindle our veteran pride-based America. Below, I will share with you, 4 ways you can help with that.

1. Include veterans with your hiring initiative - By increasing your veteran candidate intake, you discover an array of skills within the veteran community that will contribute to the success of your company, but also engender new perspective leaders. At Leaf Home , they have a fully functioning veteran community and a team dedicated to finding new veteran talent.
2. Volunteer for a non-profit geared towards a mission that supports those vets. This offers that disconnecting helping hand that America once had with their veterans. There's also a sense fulfillment when you make a difference, and they feel it as well. You can do this by checking out a few organizations such as Changing Cadence Foundation , Victory Bridge Foundation , Grunt Style Foundation , and VETS2INDUSTRY .
3. Simply show your appreciation. Veterans may say they don’t enjoy hearing it, but in many cases it’s what they really needed to hear.
4. Love your country, that's it. It's as easy as loving where you live. If you do that, it spreads to others you work, live, or associate with. like kindness, sharing your love for your country is infectious. It may not seem like it, but it goes a long way over time.?

Now, I know this is a short article and what may seem like a general read, but it's the message within. Veterans are not only the most diverse group of people in this country, but the foundation of our existence as they protect us both foreign and domestically. It may be time for prideful restoration, and that's exactly how I felt at Ground Zero, restored. Let's help other veterans and our hero civilian partnership, become "restored."