Your Parents Ask You To Go To The Store And You Don't.

He Does Exactly As He Is Told Even If It Put's His Life In Danger.

You Roll Your Eyes As A Baby Cries.

He Gets A Letter With Pictures Of His New Child.

And Wonders If They Will Ever Meet.

You  complain about how hot it is.

He  wears his heavy gear,

not daring to take off his  helmet to wipe his brow.

You  go out to lunch,

and complain because the

 restaurant got your order wrong.

He  doesn't get to eat today. 

Your cell phone is in your pocket.

He  clutches the cross

hanging on his chain next to  his dog tags.

You  walk down the beach

staring at all the pretty  girls.

He  patrols the streets, searching

for insurgents and  terrorists.  

You  criticize your government and say

that war never  solves anything

He  sees the innocent tortured and killed by their own  people.

You  see only what the media wants you to see.

He  sees the broken bodies lying around him.

You  hear the jokes about the war,

and make fun of men  like him.

He  hears the gunfire, bombs and screams of the  wounded.

and remembers why he is fighting.  

Your  maid makes your bed and washes your  clothes.

He  wears the same things for weeks,

but makes sure  his weapons are clean.

He  knows he may not 

see some of his buddies  again.

You  call your girlfriend and set a date for tonight.

He  waits for the mail to see if there is a letter  from home.

You  hug and kiss your girlfriend, like you do  every day.

He  holds his letter close and smells his love's  perfume.