Just an average guy, screaming into the void, hoping for an echo in return.

Kudos to President Biden for a warm, heartfelt Columbus Day Congratulations message. I grew up with incredible friends of Italian descent and treasure those relationships to this day. Their parents and extended families treated us Hispanic kids in the neighborhood like their own and I learned many lessons on loyalty and family from them. Italian-Americans have been a part of our great experiment literally since the beginning and I'm thankful for their contributions to our Nation.   "Congratulazioni e felice giorno di Colombo."  President Biden's official proclamation: https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2024/10/11/a-proclamation-on-columbus-day-2024/

When I introduce myself in a friendly social setting I tend to say I'm a recovering people-pleaser. It's my icebreaker. Bear with a little Saturday morning oversharing. I promise there's a point at the end. Other than a mild teenage rebellion stage, for most of my life I did what was expected of me. From my childhood to the day I left the service, I generally toed the line; and to be honest, was greatly rewarded for it. I lived to help others, even if it came at my expense. I saw it as honorable. As noble. Sacrifice for others = selfless and good. Sacrifice for myself = selfish and bad. And since I had done it since childhood, I didn't know or want to know any other way. But since retiring from the military four years ago, I began doing deep self-reflection. With the guidance of great friends and mentors, I went from "we" to "me." This post was inspired by Bruce Thompson, . He wrote an amazing post yesterday about how he lives his life and i