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This column is a little different from previous ones, but may contain the most important life lesson, yet. The world has changed a lot in recent years and even more so in recent months. We deal with world conflicts, terrorism, global warming, financial crises, and other forms of gloom and doom around every corner. 
So, sometimes it's so important, it's so special to glimpse the good, the positive, the pride, the future. There are silver linings behind all these clouds we're being inundated with.
It was a recent observation of over 500 young men graduating from Marine boot camp that assured me - everything will be okay. It was the symmetry, the precision, the discipline, the camaraderie, and the pride so evident in the faces and in the actions of these men that leaves an indelible impression. Yes, boys can become men in 13 short weeks. Remember the messy room, with clothes strewn about, bed unmade, them using the "sniff test" to ascertain if that piece of clothing was "fit" to wear? After 13 weeks, I observed a young man who spent what grandma considered an inordinate amount of time carefully folding a white tee shirt that probably would not have even passed the "sniff test"; 
a young man who carefully enclosed his white uniform hat in plastic and entrusted it to "grandma" with a cautionary, "Don't let anything happen to that hat". And further instructions on how to hold and protect it, a young man who carefully and almost religiously hung (on coat hangars, no less) each uniform item and then so very carefully enclosed all of them in a garment bag. Such care!
I listened as he told me how he kept track of each letter he received in boot camp, who it was from and how many times each person wrote. I chuckled as I recalled receiving a letter with 5 "forever" stamps on it because he thought it would get to me faster if it had more stamps. (It doesn't quite work that way, son!) He told about his religion courses and how he signed up to be a prayer leader. A certificate among his possessions did confirm this. He showed me his dog tags and explained how he also wore another chain with a small silver cross that he had blessed. Yes, the military tends to make us all a little more religious. I was proud of him. 
He talked about the watch he bought that had the Marine Corp insignia on it. It was expensive, he said, $200. That was a lot of money.
Then he said how his paycheck wasn't very big. He donated $25 from his paycheck to the Multiple Sclerosis Association (his mother has MS) and another $25 to the
Susan G. Komen Foundation for breast cancer research (his grandmother has breast cancer). I was even more proud of him.
He was anxious to get home - to see his friends, to see more family, to go duck, goose, and pheasant hunting, but he was also concerned that people would want to take him out to eat, prepare special meals, etc. His fear was that he would be out of shape when he reported back to base after his leave. For the flight home, his dad carried his garment bag, grandma carried his duffle bag and the white uniform hat, and he threw a 50 pound sea bag across his back and another one, equally heavy, he carried in his hand. Walking past the crowd of travelers at the luggage carousel, a very large suitcase toppled next to the new Marine. With 100 pounds of luggage in tow, he stopped, picked up the bag and turned it over to the somewhat embarrassed traveler. When she thanked 
him, he said, "No problem, ma'am". Walking straight, tall, and strong he continued to his destination.
There is a whole generation of young men and women who have their heads screwed on straight and are learning to lead us in the right direction. Frankly, I'm tired of the gloom and doom, the pessimists and the naysayers. After the experience of the past week, I think we are in good hands and everything's going to be okay if we just let it.
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