I finally have gotten my money’s worth out of cable this week.  I spend a lot of money on the service, but hate the thought of spending a majority of my retirement years in front of the “boob tube.”   I enjoy watching sports, so during my working years most of my time spent viewing was focused on basketball, baseball, and football.  Since I was in the television business for many years, a set or two was always on, whether someone was watching or not.  Morning news provided background noise if I wasn’t in position to monitor the stories and weather of importance.   Television screens surrounded me at the office, and when I’d get home, the news and game shows kept me entertained, as dinner was being prepared.  If we went out to eat, I usually tried to position myself near a T.V. screen.  Then, the “small screen” became a factor in filling my down time.  Television has always provided a sense of comfort, like a babbling brook in the quiet of the woods.  It is a friend, ready for my attention whenever I needed it.

Obviously, my viewing habits have changed with the extra time on my hands in retirement.  I would like to think that at least half of my time is now spent watching educational programming.  Documentaries such as the Ken Burns Vietnam War series give me a sense of history, when I’m not traveling.  I don’t necessarily watch travel documentaries, but find myself studying the areas where we have plans to visit in the future.  I’m not sure I want to make my bucket list any longer, but want to make sure that I make the most of where we do go. I’m surprised to discover a deep curiosity about war history, starting with our recent visit to Normandy, France.  Interestingly enough, it was not on my list of things to see in France, but turned out to be one of my favorite side-trips.

I’m not a proponent of war, but rather find it perplexing.  It’s a product of greed and ego, and unfortunately will always be a part of life.  I was fortunate to avoid the Vietnam war as a young man, having been raised in an upper middle class family that did not want me to serve.  My father and grandfathers felt that they had sacrificed enough for all of us, and urged me to “not even think of enlisting.”  I also had a student deferment and a high draft number, so I never really came close to being “called-up.”  Plus, as child, I was not fond of even toy guns or fist-fights, deferring to my tom-boy sister.  I did not like the idea of going back to the buzz-cut that was fashionable in grade school, and not fond of perceived military formality.  There was not a single incentive for me to join the ranks.  However, I’m more than aware that there were many others who fought that war against their will, but did not have the economic and educational privileges that I enjoyed.  I was a “Lucky Man!”  (See Post #267).

I do remember the draft lottery on July 1, 1970 and my number of 232.  I was with many of my close high school friends, as we took a break from a “friendly” football game and listened to the radio broadcast. (See Post #93).  I never got involved in the politics of the war, although a friend’s older brother was a Purdue campus officer for the S.D.S., so I was aware of the dissent.  We did not organize protests in high school or college, and vaguely remember the television news coverage.  I kept myself well insulated from the reality of the situation.  Some of my former high school classmates received draft letters, but they were mostly older kids.  There were some members of my graduating class that were killed in service, while several others were proudly accepted by the Naval Academy and West Point, but I never once expected to go to Vietnam.  I’m not sure I would travel there today, given the opportunity.  I also can’t remember a single conversation about the war, outside of the draft broadcast, with friends or family, and have never talked directly with anyone who served.

As I continue to watch the Ken Burns documentary, certainly the subject of my posts for the next week or so, I’m trying to grasp just how naive I was about the the Vietnam War.  It’s obvious that most Americans were kept in the dark about the “true story.”  I’m about to revisit the late 1960’s, the years when the war would have directly affected my life, but I’m sure I remained disengaged with the situation.  Sadly, I was not paying attention when I should have, because thousands of my contemporaries were dying while I was having a good time.  It’s embarrassing to admit such ignorance, but government misinformation did not encourage my attention.  I would like to think that we were the “good guys,” and were doing the right thing, but when it comes to war “we’re not the top species on the planet because we’re nice!”  There are no winners in war, only losers, and I’m seeing that reality throughout this impactful series. To be continued……