Steve Moyer, Nevada Daily Mail An Army Reserve Chinook helicopter crew at Camp Clark, Nevada. Members of the crew gave JROTC campers rides around Nevada, just one of the many activities made possible by volunteers who make the camp a success.

Some ideas are bad, some even stupid but there are also good ideas and even some that can change the world for the better. I recently came across one that stopped me in my tracks and made me smack my forehead in wonder. It's called the Gratitude Campaign and it's message is simple, thank those who are serving our country. I discovered the site because of a post on a blog I regularly read, The Anti-Idiotarian Rottweiler. It is a very conservative blog and the language can get a bit salty so I'm not going to link to it, much as I'd like to. This is a family paper after all.

It's a brilliant idea because of how they suggest you show your gratitude, with a simple gesture. For the story on how it came about go to http://www.gratitudecampaign.org/

Words are my business but there are occasions when words fail. When that happens it can be embarrassing to both parties. By using the gesture, right hand over the heart, slowly lowered until the palm is upward with the hand pointing toward the one one being thanked, you can avoid embarrassment or awkwardness.

It doesn't cost anything and it can be used for more than thanking armed forces personnel. If you see a fireman or a policeman it wouldn't hurt to recognize their service either. For that matter teachers, boy scouts or just a stranger on the street you see do something nice could be thanked as well.

At a time when gratitude seems out of fashion, or mere politeness obsolete this is something that could catch on and perhaps we might see a return to a more civil society. Couldn't hurt.