Stop Clapping

As I approached my local Wawa this morning, there was a guy ahead of me. He reached the door first and held it open for someone coming out. The person leaving the Wawa was a soldier. “Thank you,” the soldier said as he walked through the held open door.

“Thank you,” the man replied with an exaggerated game show host voice.

This needs to stop. Now. This overindulgent fawning of men and women in uniform that has overcome this country since 2001 is ridiculous. Moreover, it is an embarrassment.

I am not in the military. If I was, I would go out of my way to not appear in public while wearing my uniform because sometimes, I want to just be left alone. America has made it pretty clear that our uniformed men and women have lost that freedom.

After a cross-country flight, my mind is focused on getting out of the airport and to my destination. Every soldier I’ve seen on my flights had to stand, smile, and wave to acknowledge the standing ovation they received as they walk from the gate and through the terminal. This faux patriotism has turned American citizens into paparazzi.

Please, can we let these people breathe? They’re just like you and me. Like us, they don’t want to always be reminded of work. And like us, sometimes they want to just be left alone. They can’t tell you that, though, because then it will show up on the news and the internet and pretty soon will be a big deal.

If you want to thank them, let them have moments of peace. Help make sure they’ll have jobs, incomes, and healthcare when they leave the military. Don’t stand and clap; it’s just annoying.