Why do they do it?

Throughout history, some people have done extraordinary, unselfish things. Why did they do them? Some examples: David killed a giant with a stone. Moses led his people out of Egypt into the promised land. Jesus died for all mankind. Joan of Ark died trying to save France. Free people formed an underground railroad to save slaves. Hundreds of people risked their lives trying to save others from the Nazis. Gandhi put himself in harms way for India. Audey Murphy fought huge numbers of the enemy to save his fellow soldiers. Mother Theresa sacrificed much for those in need. Again, why do they do it?

We all reap the benefits of the actions of those selfless human beings. In many cases without even being aware of it. Our lives are safer and richer because of thankless, heroic deeds done every day, many of which are unknown to us. Few of those heroes receive any reward other than the knowledge they did it. For some reason they must feel that we are worth the effort.

I doubt that I will ever realize the true depth of their motivation, as hard as I try. The actual why of it is known only to them. We can only guess. Meanwhile, I try to act in a way that shows I appreciate what they've done, carry on their legacy of courage and pursue the good. That's my thought for the day. Hopefully, if the time comes I will act in a way that is deserving of what they've done.

The last about the mean old grumpy guy

Busy, busy, busy. That's what this time of year is. If it's not a birthday, it's a graduation or a wedding or a new baby. A downright exciting time in history but it's been keeping me away from the blog a lot.

The old. mean guy told me the rest of his story while we were standing there and I thought I'd pass it along. All those years ago, when all the neighborhood kids thought he'd kill us if he caught us, things were not exactly as they seemed. He worked a lot and the family kept to themselves alright, but when I'd get an opportunity to talk with them they were mostly like everyone else to me. But, I was always just a touch nervous about those rumors. You know what I mean. If you hear something enough you start to wonder if there is some truth to it all. That wasn't the case though. This is what he told me the other day when I asked him if he was really that mean.

He and his kids spent so much time in the yard and house all the time because they were caring for his wife. She had terminal cancer, or rather a deadly type of leukemia. the doctors had given her all the treatment available at the time and pretty much sent her home to die. The mean old guy and his kids decided they'd do what they could to help her with whatever time she had left. For his part, the mean old guy worked an extra job to pay for some alternative treatments they learned about to make her more comfortable. They were very expensive and they had no insurance. The kids came home right after school and did the housework and cooking as well as helped her with her flowers and little lady like things she enjoyed. They did it because they loved their mom, not because they were slaves. The mean old guy planted a huge garden because he'd heard that natural foods were more healthy and had some curative qualities too. All this watching after his wife went on for a long time. The doctors had given her 6 months to live and she made it almost 25 years. Even after the kids grew up and moved away the mean old guy kept caring for her. She eventually passed away quickly and comfortably from some form of pneumonia. He said all in all they had a good life and he was still happy because of it.

Sometimes mean, old, grumpy guys have another side to them I guess. People aren't always what they appear to be at our first impression. Do you know anyone like that? I wish you a fine day................Joe

Cancer and people

Today is one of the days I've set aside for those people and their families involved with cancer and other critical diseases. If you haven't been affected by one of them I would be surprised. Sometimes the pain is so great that we avoid talking about it. That's a shame. Admitting the pain and difficulties involved is part of the healing process.

One of my heroes is a guy that had inoperable brain cancer. His way of dealing with it was buying a sailboat and sailing around the world and visit as many tropical islands as he could. living off the local food and fauna. I haven't heard from him since. he was so grateful he found out in time to go off and realize his dream. Another is a guy diagnosed with advanced pancreatic cancer. He was an active, grab life by the horns type of guy, surfer, sky diver, avid skier, mountain climber and hiker all his life. After his initial diagnosis and treatments he stopped by to visit. Full of stories and jokes it took him almost two hours to tell me what was going on. Then he took off his hat and showed me his bald head. His long, flowing, curly, blond, surfer locks were gone. He grinned and said it was beginning to grow back. I felt immediate sadness. He dispelled a lot of it by explaining what he intended to do. During his treatment he saved up a lot of the pain medication and he also had a stash of "medicinal" stuff of some kind. He was leaving that day to go on a long vacation by train across the United States. Stopping spontaneously wherever he wished and ski, climb a mountain, surf or whatever tripped his trigger at that moment. I haven't heard from him either. Another acquaintance had ALS and rode across the old Route 66 with a bunch of car guys in a caravan of Corvettes. Another dream come true. A minister with the same situation lived a year as Jesus did. Doing without many common amenities. We all have our own opinion of what is important.

I've visited many other every day heroes too. Most have overcome what ever they faced and gone on to many more years of life. Others didn't fare so well and I've held their hand while they slipped away. We all have our way of handling such matters. I do know this; Friends and family can make all the difference when it comes to comfort and support. It's a good thing to remember. For them, and us don't you think?...............Joe