June 26, 2005

Happy 83rd Birthday Shorty Healy

Well I worked my tail off last week. I’m so mentally exhausted. I had a few ideas saved up for today but have decided to put them on the back burner for a few days until I get some time to rest up. I had intended to replace those with some story about how Grandpa has taught me so much.

A little background on this. I live in the sticks. The kind of place where. If you don’t waive when you meet people on the road they will be upset with you. Grandpa is a WWII vet of the 251st Station Hospital. He served in the Philippines, Marshall Islands, and New Guinea. I had intended to write some kind of story about how hard he worked me and how much his teaching means to me as a gift for his birthday. However events of the day gave me a thought that maybe the following story is just as good.

Today my son and I left to go to Grandpa’s birthday party. We got about two miles up the road and there was a lone woman walking north carrying a stick and a small sack. I had a minute or two where I was not sure if I should turn back or not. I make it a point to try and help people by giving rides when I can because I know just how it feels to be walking and have people in king cab pickups drive right on by and never give you a second look. Not even offer you a place in the bed of the truck. Usually I get turned down but sometimes I end up helping out and have never regretted even one single ride I have given.

So I turned around and sure enough this poor woman had been walking since 6:30 in the morning. She had a lapse in judgement and went with some “friends�. Somewhere along the line she had decided that these people were so bad she had to get away even if she had to walk. Her phone had gone dead on her and she was just about in tears telling me how exhausted and hot she was. She also told me she had been praying to God for quite a ways hoping that someone, anyone would give her a ride. So when I asked she readily accepted.

Turns out she lives quite a distance from where we were and it was quite out of my way. So I took the time and got her well over half way home. I dropped her at Hardee’s and gave her a twenty-dollar bill. I told her to take her time and get some food and rest until she felt able to continue on her journey home. Kristal (I’m really not sure how she spells her name) was very grateful and gave me a big hug and a kiss on the cheek as I left her there and continued on my way. Yes I was still able to make the party in time. I’m sure I will get that $20 and my time back tenfold. I left her my phone number at work and told her if she needs to talk just give me a call. Again with tears streaming she thanked me over and over.

Some times rewards are very slow in coming. I have faith that all these 50 to 60 hour weeks will pay off. I also have faith that for helping this lost woman I will be rewarded. I also have faith that this exercise in blogging, while the rewards may not be apparent to me now, will at least teach me a few things. There may be days when it seems like there is every reason to quit. Just like my job. It’s tough and there were times when I thought I should just throw in the towel.

It is the same with my support for the war as it stands now. There will be days when it seems we have fouled the whole thing up. There will be days when it may seem that we need to pack it up and go home. But I really believe that in the long run. And it may be quite a long run. The values that we as Americans hold so dear will win out over all the mistakes we make. We are all being tested to see if we still really hold those values. In the long run it will be quite obvious that we were right to hang in there. But the rest of the world is watching us to see if we really mean it. So hang on people, we may not see it now but I have every reason to think it may work out.

I’ll leave you with a few questions.

I wonder how many Christians will pass Kristal on the road today and “tsk tsk� as they speed by on their way to wherever they are going? I hope that at least one other person will help her, Christian or not.

I wonder how many of the 1700+ brave man and women who have given their lives for this conflict were Democrats.

I wonder how many times I will read the words “leftard� and “Bushbrain� this week. Probably many.

I wonder how many times one of our soldiers this week will make a mistake and alienate an Iraqi for life. I hope it’s very few.

I wonder how many times one of our soldiers this week will demonstrate the values I just described above and win a life long friend of the American people. I hope many, many times.

I’ll be pretty scarce most of the week but will try and come up with a little post for WTW so tune in and….

All of you have a good one.

See Dubya thanks for the advice. I’m not sure what I’ll fall into while blogging but your advice is appreciated.