So yesterday afternoon I'm stopped at one of our town's few traffic lights and a guy I know pulls up next to me and motions to roll down the window.

This guys an M-14 era Marine like me. He's in his usual full veteran's gear. He shouts over to me that there's a Marine Corps tartan kilt I can buy on line from Sgt. Grit's website.

Not a good time to explain things to him, but I thank him. Then I start pondering....is this some sort of spiritual message that its time to buy that Leatherneck tartan kilt? My cold war service was sooooo minimal I've hesitated to buy the kilt because then I'd have to wear it.

But dang, here's a guy practically telling me to buy one...he won't wear it but he knows I will. It would give him pleasure, particularly for our Veteran's Day parades.

Then I remember, less than two weeks ago I was at my little brother's grave at Ft. Rosecran's. He was a Staff Sgt. and a Drill Instructor with many years of service before he died. If I can honor my dead father and uncle with RAF and Army tartan kilts can't I honor my own brother's USMC service too? Then I remember I live in Navajo Codetalker country. There are two Code Talker museums just down the road...and of course Navajo country is lousy with Navajo Marines.

Then I wonder if this is just the voice of addiction?....my "inner kilt junkie" giving me an excuse to buy yet another kilt....

So, I slept on it.

This morning I ordered a Leatherneck tartan from Kathy Lare...#53... Who better to have sew it up than a Marine wife and mother?

At least I can be a patriotic kilt junkie.

Ron