Here in the United States we are celebrating Memorial Day weekend. (Memorial Day is always the last Monday in May.) This is a holiday to recognize those who have died in the service of the U.S. military.
This brings to mind so many thoughts and images--some heroic, some intriguing, some unsettling. In the U.S.'s rich history of military conflicts, one can picture battles on sea, land, and air stretching our country's existence. From swords to drone missiles; from battlefields to urban warfare.
Along with the weaponry and settings were the social eras in which these wars took place. 75 years ago, my 17-year-old self may have tried to sign up early for the draft to fight in WWII. 17-year-old Brandon in the late nineties? Well, I had little interest in going off to boot camp--despite my grandfather and great-uncles all being veterans.
What happened?
Did patriotism decline in the country? Did war (and/or the reasons for partaking) change? Or was it simply the end of the draft?
When I reflect on Memorial Day--and having now listened to a handful of war-related history podcasts--I appreciate more than ever the degree of suffering and hardships in warfare. I put myself into the trenches of WWI or a battlefield from the U.S. Civil War. To kill or be killed. To see so many on the wrong end of that exchange. To perhaps be on that wrong end myself. To have no choice in the matter.
One particularly troubling account I heard was from WWI. Germany (and I believe most involved nations at the time) mandated their young men all join their army. Desertion meant death--even if fleeing an onslaught. So when it was your troop's turn to charge, you all climbed out of your trench and faced the rain of gunfire. One British soldier, writing to his wife one night from his trench, knew he'd be charging the next day. He poured his heart onto the page, saying he may never have the chance to write again. He was correct.
As an American, I'm grateful I had the choice at 18 whether or not to participate in the military. Today, I'm grateful wars aren't the "meat-grinding," body-counting sagas they used to be.
But this is just my American perspective. Some parts of the world haven't seen war in decades or longer. Some places suffer perpetual conflict. Meanwhile, the U.S. spends way, way. way more money on military than any other country. With all this, I'd be curious to hear from non-Americans.
People from other countries, what are your thoughts, opinions, and perspectives on military activity and warfare? Does your country have a "Memorial Day" of your own? Or, if you're an American from another region of the country than myself (Minnesota) or are of a different generation, I'd love to hear your thoughts as well.
Not everyone can be a soldier. We need teachers, too.
How about teaching English?
Remember a couple of weeks back when I shared about my growing career ambitions? Well, one of you responded by offering me a job. It was my old boss, Navid, the man who managed all us teachers at our English-learning school in China. He wrote:
Hi Brandon!
Good to hear from you again!
I would like to invite you once again to come to TPR to teach. Now the school has 20 branches including in cities like Zhongshan and Dongguan. If you're interested, write me your phone number and let me know a range of time that I can call you to give you the latest info regarding salaries and our new teaching methods using interactive smart boards.
Speak to you soon!
-Navid
I responded back saying thank you, but also that it isn't the career move I am looking for at the moment. So, I offered the next best thing: to share this opportunity with all of you. To this, Navid replied:
Yes, we are in need of teachers as we have increased the number of our branches and franchise schools.
Navid sent along some photos of their new schools:
If you or anyone you know is interested in (or has questions about) teaching English at TPR English school in southern China, let me know in the comments below.
Hopefully as years go by, travels overseas will increasingly be for exploration or working abroad--and less so for tours of duty.
make it a memorable week,
-Brandon