“Thank you for your service.” That is something I hear quite often. When I go to a school to talk to a welding class about the boilermaker trade, or when I am addressing a class of apprentices, I tell them how I got to where I am today. How I joined the U.S. Army after high school as a welder and became a Boilermaker when I got out. Sometimes people thank me for my service because they noticed the Veteran license plates on my truck.

I must say, I’m not entirely comfortable with it. I didn’t join the Army after high school to be anyone’s hero. There were multiple reasons I joined. I didn’t care much for school, so I had no desire to go to college. My Grandfather was a WWII veteran and I grew up believing that serving one’s country was a duty. Mostly, I had no clue what to do with my life and it was a job that promised adventure and the opportunity to learn a skill that would enable me to find a decent job should I decide I wanted to do something else after my enlistment was up.

“Thank you for your service.” I do appreciate the gratitude. But, I still find it uncomfortable. I think mostly because of the perceived lack of sincerity. It is as though the person saying it is saying it because they feel obligated to, not because it is something they’ve given any thought to and are saying because they mean it. It seems to have become the phrase of the times, similar to telling a stranger “Have a Merry Christmas!” during the holiday season.

If you truly want to thank me for my service, here is what you can do – Honor those things that I swore to defend when I enlisted. The things so many have given their lives for. Through your actions, show me that you appreciate the time I spent in the service. I am sure others who served, or are currently serving, will agree.

Educate yourself about the freedoms you enjoy by living in this country. Citizens of many countries around the world don’t enjoy a fraction of the freedoms we do. Don’t take the freedoms you have for granted.

Don’t condemn those who choose to exercise their rights, especially the right of free speech. Speaking out against something you believe to be wrong, whether it is an elected official, or a policy, or a law, or any number of things, is far more patriotic than blindly waving the flag and following the crowd. Don’t tolerate the suppression  of another’s rights, the service men and women you are inclined to thank, are serving to protect those rights.

VOTE! Don’t just go to the polls or send in an absentee ballot voted on party lines, educate yourself about the candidates and the issues and make informed, intelligent decisions.

Numerous people have thanked me for my service, then have gone on to explain how they had thought about joining the Armed Forces but, for whatever reason, they didn’t and now they wish they had. Now is the time for you to serve your country. You don’t have to enlist – just participate in our democracy. Democracy is not a spectator sport, get involved. Pledge to dedicate some time, maybe as little as thirty minutes to an hour a day to become an informed citizen by seeking out factual information.

Get a voter information pamphlet from the Secretary of State’s office and read the summaries and actual language of the issues which will be on the ballot. Read the arguments for and against the different issues then think about where you stand. Think about why you support or oppose an issue. Make an informed decision based on facts. Beware of making decisions based on the emotional reactions that are triggered by the information to be found on social media, TV, radio, etc.. That information is mostly paid for by special interests and is designed to stir up your emotions so you will disregard facts. Ask yourself what those paying for the ad have to gain from you voting the way they tell you to.

When it comes to candidates running for election, ignore the finger pointing. So many campaigns spend vast amounts of their time and money pointing out how their opponents have not solved the problems we face, but they never offer solutions to those problems. Pledge to write a letter to each candidate and insist they explain how they plan to make things better. Ask them to explain their positions on issues that are important to you.

After the election is over, regardless of who won, pledge to call, email, or write to your elected representatives on a regular basis. Remember they work for you, hold them accountable. Let them know your position on the issues they are dealing with. They can not represent your interests if you don’t let them know what your interests are.

Be honest with yourself and decide what issues are really the most important to you. Remember, the issues being promoted by the special interest groups are designed to stir up emotions. They are not necessarily going to be the issues which will have the most impact on your life. Is whomever the barista at Starbucks is in love with going to impact your life more than access to health care for you and your family?

If this is asking too much, then I think “Thank you for your service”  has more to do with making yourself feel good than it does with gratitude. You don’t need to waste your breath, or my time, by thanking me.