Veteran's Day didn't get a lot of fanfare in Animalia. Oh, it did get several mentions, but they didn't make a big event out of it. There was a small exposition about the history of American warfare at the convention center. Honestly, it was more like the Memorial Day exhibitions, including discounts for double-dosing veterans. Though this time, Daniel Richardson wasn't showing off his war memorabilia, namely because he already sold a lot of it back on Memorial Day.
It was a pretty quiet day for Daniel, actually. He did go give a few lectures about his wartime experiences and hanged out with some of the other veterans, but he was feeling more introspective today. Just thinking about how World War II had ended so many years ago and how much as changed since then really made Daniel think about his position in time and what his future would hold.
Daniel ended up staying rather late that night. He had been typing on his computer for quite a long time. Like many people of his generation, Daniel found his modern tech rather baffling at time. But he could at least understand how to use Word Processor. And he had written several pages by that point.
Daniel was so busy writing, he didn't noticed someone walking up behind him. Then he heard a yawn and someone asking, "Danny, are you coming to bed?" Daniel paused and turned around. Mandy was still his girlfriend for the last few months. She probably would have eagerly married him, but Daniel was a bit more old-fashioned. He wanted to know Mandy for at least a year before he could seriously put thought into marrying her. But still, the German Shepherd was not bad company, especially in the nightie she was wearing that showed off her curvy body.
"Sorry, Mandy. I've just been doing as much writing as I can while I'm still motivated," said Daniel, rubbing his forehead. He didn't realized how tired he was becoming until now.
"What are you working on so much, anyways?" asked Mandy, looking over Daniel's shoulder.
"My memoir," said Daniel.
"You're what?" asked Mandy.
"It's like an autobiography," said Daniel, "I haven't really arranged it into anything yet. I'm just focusing on writing down as much as I can remember."
"What for?" asked Mandy, "Are you wanting to publish a book?"
"It's more than that," said Daniel, "You know I'm over a hundred years old, right?"
"You're not that old now," said Mandy, massaging the Golden Retriever's broad muscular shoulders.
"Not physically, no. But I'm still chronologically over a hundred. And considering society's advances in medicine, and what might be coming later, I'll probably live up to two hundred years," said Daniel.
Mandy paused her massaging and asked, "What's your point about that?"
"Well, asides from becoming the oldest man in the world, I'm just worried how much I'll be able to remember. The brain can only hold so many memories. I'm a little worried how much I'll forget about my earlier life. There's not many people left who lived through WW2 and even fewer who actually fought in it," said Daniel, "There's an old saying: 'those who fail to learn from history or doomed to repeat it'. And that is a history I don't want to see repeated."
"So you're trying to keep your memories alive," said Mandy.
"I have to, so that those who aren't here to remember won't have lost their lives in vain," said Daniel.
"Danny, you don't have to keep such a great weight on your shoulders," said Mandy as she resumed massaging them, "You've done plenty for your country and the world. If anyone has earned a chance for a second life, it's you. You don't need to spend it thinking about your old life. I don't think you're in danger of forgetting it anytime soon."
Daniel gave a sigh, partially out of how good Mandy's hands felt. That girl really knew how to relax her muscles. "I'm not going to become obsessed with this," said Daniel, "But I would like to get this completed, and even published."
"I'm sure it'll become a bestseller," said Mandy, "But I think it's time for you to call it a night and come to bed."
"Just a little bit more," said Daniel.
"Oh, wird der große Hund nicht ins Bett kommen?" asked Mandy in a coy voice. She had learned to speak German pretty quickly for an uplifted dog. Probably because she was a German Shepherd. She used her German a lot during their roleplaying, either being a sweet little milkmaid or a Nazi interrogator. Most often the latter.
Daniel chuckled and said, "You know I can't resist when you talk like that."
"Have to make sure my big dog has some fun before bed," said Mandy. She waked towards the bedroom, sashaying her hips and wagging her tail in a way that made her rear more noticeable.
Needing no more prompting, Daniel saved his progress and turned off his computer. He yawned a bit as he stood up. He was getting rather tired. But this old soldier had enough energy for a little fun before bed.