Dr. NoSleep

He leans in a little more against my car, lightly kicking his foot against the tire.

See, a lot of people like to think they know about sacrifice.

They wave flags during the 4th of July, put some greeting card slogan on their Facebook or whatever about respecting those who serve.

They'll bring some poor veteran up on one of those talk shows and treat him like a little kid, asking about what it was like when they were in combat or what boot camp was like, kiddy stuff like that.

But the cop takes off his hat and he squats down so he's looking directly into the car.

I think the most respectful thing folks can do is not talk about it.

Excuse me, officer?

You know what I mean.

Ask anyone who's ever been in the Army, the Marines, the Air Force, and almost all of them will tell you that they don't want to talk about it.

They don't want someone prying at them for every little detail, interrogating them over something that, that hell, they'll never understand unless they were there too.

You don't ask a doctor how many patients he's lost or a fireman how many bodies he's pulled out of a burning car.

It's pretty disrespectful, don't you think?

I, uh, I guess so.

The officer gives this low, knowing chuckle.

The kind you'd do when you knew something someone else didn't.

Yeah?

Well, of course you do, since your cousin's serving.

But you wouldn't believe how many people don't.

Always asking the same old stupid questions over and over.

And all those folks want to do is just leave it in the past.