Hey, what you did is pretty cool. Thanks.

I had a lovely dinner last night with an old friend who had just returned from Afghanistan. Upon returning from war, after kissing his wife and baby at the airport, my buddy Armando bought an ultra-fancy cell phone and filled it with Star Wars ring tones.

So here I am sharing sweet potato fries with him and listening to sound bytes of Hans Solo, and just days before he was surrounded by God knows what. I can only imagine. I can only imagine because we don't talk about Afghan weather, the sights, or marvel over souvenirs. There was no excited anticipation over all his stories of the things he had witnessed. I mean, it wasn't a holiday in St. Tropez. He does mention the food, saying it was pretty good after you got over the initial digestive problems that inevitably wreaked havoc on your stomach.

The conversation turns to my sister-in-law and her husband, who just finished hiking the Appalachian trail. They hiked from Georgia to Maine, I believe the technical term is a bazillion miles. They were hard on their bodies, worked happily to achieve this dream, and encountered way too many insects than I would care to think about. They have a blog filled with beautiful scenery, many followers that hang on every update, and inspiring stories to share to many willing ears.

As we are sitting in the restaurant last night, it occurred to me how different the reactions are to these two stories. One man, a new father, in a war zone for a year. Another, a married couple hiking for six months. Both elected these paths, both now home after some time away from loved ones. But Armando's has no fanfare, no happy photos, no blog followers. He just quietly rejoined life, content to compare cell phone apps and watch the Cowboys in a pre-season game.

I feel a twinge of injustice, feeling he should get as much hoopla. Maybe even... a bit guilty at how much fervor I myself have chatted about the hikers and how many people have asked me about their journey. Don't get me wrong, I am so proud of those nature-loving nuts. I think my point is, I didn't want a less beautiful and exotic journey to go without recognition. What do the kids say these days? I want to give Armando a"shout out", if you will. And tell him he makes Hans Solo look like a sissy.

At the restaurant his wife happily chats next to me, his parents coo over the baby, the men stare at the Dallas game on the flat screen. War is a long way away, I suppose, and I stare at my salad suddenly overwhelmed with gratefulness. I have a grandfather, dad, brother-in-law, husband, cousin and many more who have served this country and I am infinitely grateful. Every day they are a hero to me. I thank God for their safe return. And I guess I just wanted to take a minute to remind everyone to put your focus into perspective. Just to take a moment to thank them, to be a bit excited they serve our country. It's kind of a big deal.