This Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words

I have a picture of this German soldier in my cubicle at

work. I look at it everyday. I can tell this was taken during World War II either in Europe or on the Eastern Front in Russia. I know nothing about this soldier other than the fact that his face tells a story. What was he thinking when the photographer took this picture? Was he advancing or retreating? Was he thinking about his family back home? Was he thinking about his wife or his girlfriend? Was he thinking about his kids? Was he thinking of the things he had seen in war? Was he thinking of the horrible things he had done in war? Was he secretly hoping that the war would end so he could go home to his family? I wonder everyday whether or not this soldier survived the war. What happened to him? I will probably never know the answer to that question but I have to wonder. I feel so sad for this soldier when I see his face of despair. He had probably been fighting for years and was just trying to stay alive. I keep this picture in my work cubicle to remind me how lucky I am to be alive and living in a free country. I keep this picture in my cubicle to remind me on a daily basis that I need to be grateful for everything in my life every second of every day.