This One's For Natalie

It is unfortunate that we have not written in many moons but, for several reasons, this is an ideal day for our return to the "blogosphere." Many changes have taken place in Chuckonia since we last blogged to you, and we want you to understand the new vantage point from which we write.
After the internship at Tennessee's Capitol of which our long-time readers and patriots are aware, I spent another year at the University of Memphis which offered me a job and a graduate assistantship. After a semester of serving the University full-time, followed by a full-time semester of grad school, the Capitol came calling once again. This time, for a less limited engagement. Soon after my fourth summer as a Governor's School counselor, I interviewed for and was offered a job in the office of Tennessee's current Senate Majority Leader. (Though I interned for the Senate Majority Leader in 2006, Mark Norris took on that position after Ron Ramsey's ascension to Speaker of the Senate.) I am grateful to Senator Norris and am enjoying my new life on the Hill. Destiny has swung me like a pendulum, having spent five years 100 miles west of my hometown and now 100 east of home for a new venture. While I sit at the bottom of the ladder (technically, I'm a secretary), I have a view of what's going on in Nashville as if I were already on the roof. This new role will inspire many of our writings and ramblings in Chuckonia, though I will rarely speak of actual occurrences in the office (must consider confidentiality and conflicts of interest here). The fun, again, has begun.
However, tonight, I want to pause and address the simple honor and opportunity of my new course of service in life. Aside from the expressions of my convictions and craziness set forth in this blog, I have sought as many available opportunities as possible in my life to serve others, particularly in the political/governmental realm. If a heavily-involved pursuit has no benefit for others, I see little value in it. Therefore, I am proud of what I am doing now, as I can help people in my native West Tennessee with their issues of concern and in their pursuit of help from the government when necessary. The opportunity to serve in such a capacity is precious. If I had lived in another time, I might not be so fortunate. At my age, I could have been drafted and shipped overseas to serve in a capacity that, though honorable, would not be of my choosing. That very fact has been on my mind a lot lately. One of my new co-workers on the Hill, Natalie (who counters with intelligence, kindness, and professionalism what I over-exude in flamboyance, informality, and eccentricity), is not only a dedicated public servant but also a devoted army wife. Her husband is an Army Captain, currently serving in Iraq. Knowing them has reminded me, beyond the normal increased appreciation for those serving in the military, that Josh's willingness to serve is a virtue beyond measure. His service makes mine and Natalie's and thousands of other civil servants' possible. Whether in the offices of government here at home or on the battlefield far away, we are all working to make the lives of Americans better. The difference is that Josh's choice makes my ability to choose my venue of service possible. So, here in Chuckonia, we don't just want you to thank a soldier on Veterans Day. Thank them for their willingness to serve. That not only creates the difference between a draft-based military and a volunteer military, it exhibits the difference between a nation that remains free and one that remains free because it wants to. I want to, and I am proud and grateful beyond words, that men and women like Captain Josh West agree with me and are making it happen.
God bless our country, our military, and those who stand by both. Natalie, this one's for you.