Saturday, September 13, 2008

Seggie

My son Max and I just returned from standing along the funeral route of local boy, Corporal Mike Seggie. Seggie was killed on September 3 in an insurgent attack while on patrol in Afghanistan. He was 21 years old. Seggie was one of three Canadian soldiers that died in that particular attack bringing the total number of Canadian casualties to 97. As I stood next to my 20 year old son with heads bowed, I reflected. In a perfect world Seggie wouldn't be in that box. In a perfect world Mike Seggie might be sitting next to my son in a lecture hall at University of Winnipeg, perhaps mustering the courage to ask that pretty brunette two rows up for a date. In a perfect world Max and Seggie would be discussing Saturday night shenanigans over coffee or beers. In a perfect world Seggie would be hanging out in my basement and chomping down food from my refrigerator as all of Max's buddies do. In a perfect world there would be no reason for war and dear young Seggie would be at home with his parents. It's not a perfect world but men and women like young Corporal Seggie have paid with their lives in the pursuit of perfection. Thanks be to Seggie.
I need to process. I need to go for a run.

No comments: