July 24, 2026 - Good Morning! It’s Friday, July 24.
On this day, in 1998, the movie “Saving Private Ryan” premiered. I went to the theater to see it that very first day, maybe you did too. That was a long time ago, before the advent of all the streaming services like Hulu and Netflix. Before we did most of our movie watching from our living room sofas. A time when folks “went” to the movies all the time. Seems like lately there’s something of a resurgence of movie going. And that’s a good thing. There’s nothing quite like the experience of sitting with a crowd of strangers in a darkened theater and experiencing the laughs and the tears... together.
That day in the summer of 1998 I was transported to that day in 1944. D-Day. The first 15 minutes of “Saving Private Ryan” are among the most harrowing scenes in film history. I watched the soldiers land on Omaha Beach, and the director, Steven Spielberg, made it seem like I was there, amid the guns and explosions, the sand and the blood. When the movie ended I remained in my seat as the credits rolled, just soaking in the experience. As the lights finally came up, I realized that there were just two people left in the theater - me and an elderly gentleman. He was seated just to my left, one row back. He looked old enough to have lived through what I had just witnessed. I turned around and said, “Did you serve?”. It startled him. Before I spoke I don’t think he even realized I was there. He slowly met my eyes, his eyes red with emotion, and replied, “I did”. I rose, reached out my hand, and thanked him for his service.
It’s been 28 years since that moment. The old soldier is most certainly in heaven now, as are almost all of those from “the greatest generation”. We remember them. We thank them. We honor them.
Meet you back here on Monday,
David
cindertex50@yahoo.com
