My son hopped into the car today with all manner of Marine Corps merchandise. He had a book cover, a large poster and a pencil, all covered in Armed Services logos. I was a little surprised and asked him what he learned about the Marine Corps. Here's what I learned:
- Marines carry guns and get to set off fireworks.
- Marines blow up buildings.
- And, my personal favorite, Marines get to help Santa Claus with his toys.
I explained to my son that Marines were very brave men and women who fought for their country and that they had to fight in wars and many unpleasant things in addition to blowing stuff up, setting off fireworks and filling in for Santa's elves. I dare say the recruitment techniques for the under-7 set have gotten a bit skewed. Is there really recruiting for the under-7 set? I'm not ready for that yet. Not even close.
I'm hoping the USMC was in Cleveland to spread the word about their great program for getting toys to less fortunate kids. If not give me a heads up, I'll start pushing for the Draft again, and see how low we can get the age lowered to. Have you seen any of the neat new video games out there the the Military helped develop to speed up training?
Posted by: papadale | October 22, 2008 at 07:45 PM
When asked what her daddy does, Aleita's first response is, "He takes people to jail." If you inquire further, she will say, "he sprays them with pepper spray and makes their eyes burn." If you continue to discuss it, you will eventually get her to tell you that he is actually a policeman. I guess you have to hit the highlights first of what really grabs their attention, and then perhaps the other stuff will trickle down.
Posted by: Becky | October 23, 2008 at 11:45 AM
A marine?
Um, my kids are older and I'm so not ready either.
Posted by: Leanne | October 23, 2008 at 05:55 PM
I wish there was a division to help Santa out. Maybe delivering toys worldwide on a regular basis is the answer.
Posted by: Keli | October 24, 2008 at 02:22 PM