Honoring Those Who Really Serve Our Country

For this little story, the author is unknown. A belated Veteran's Day thought:

The Sack Lunches

I put my carry-on in the luggage compartment and sat down in my assigned seat. It was going to be a long flight. 'I'm glad I have a good book to read. Perhaps I will get a short nap,' I thought.

Just before take-off, a line of soldiers came down the aisle and filled all the vacant seats, totally surrounding me. I decided to start a conversation. 'Where are you headed?' I asked the soldier seated nearest to me. 'Petawawa. We'll be there for two weeks for special training, and then we're being deployed to Afghanistan.'

After flying for about an hour, an announcement was made that sack lunches were available for five dollars. It would be several hours before we reached the east, and I quickly decided a lunch would help pass the time...

As I reached for my wallet, I overheard a soldier ask his buddy if he planned to buy lunch. 'No, that seems like a lot of money for just a sack lunch. Probably wouldn't be worth five bucks. I'll wait till we get to base.' His friend agreed.

I looked around at the other soldiers. None were buying lunch. I walked to the back of the plane and handed the flight attendant a fifty dollar bill. 'Take a lunch to all those soldiers.' She grabbed my arms and squeezed tightly. Her eyes wet with tears, she thanked me. 'My son was a soldier in Iraq; it's almost like you are doing it for him.'

Picking up ten sacks, she headed up the aisle to where the soldiers were seated. She stopped at my seat and asked, 'Which do you like best - beef or chicken?' 'Chicken,' I replied, wondering why she asked. She turned and went to the front of plane, returning a minute later with a dinner plate from first class. 'This is your thanks...'

After we finished eating, I went again to the back of the plane, heading for the rest room. A man stopped me. 'I saw what you did. I want to be part of it. Here, take this.' He handed me twenty-five dollars.

Soon after I returned to my seat, I saw the Flight Captain coming down the aisle, looking at the aisle numbers as he walked, I hoped he was not looking for me, but noticed he was looking at the numbers only on my side of the plane. When he got to my row he stopped, smiled, held out his hand, and said, 'I want to shake your hand.'

Quickly unfastening my seatbelt I stood and took the Captain's hand. With a booming voice he said, 'I was a soldier and I was a military pilot. Once, someone bought me a lunch. It was an act of kindness I never forgot.' I was embarrassed when applause was heard from all of the passengers.

Later I walked to the front of the plane so I could stretch my legs. A man who was seated about six rows in front of me reached out his hand, wanting to shake mine. He left another twenty-five dollars in my palm.

When we landed I gathered my belongings and started to deplane. Waiting just inside the airplane door was a man who stopped me, put something in my shirt pocket, turned, and walked away without saying a word. Another twenty-five dollars!

Upon entering the terminal, I saw the soldiers gathering for their trip to the base. I walked over to them and handed them seventy-five dollars. 'It will take you some time to reach the base. It will be about time for a sandwich. God Bless You.'

Ten young men left that flight feeling the love and respect of their fellow travelers. As I walked briskly to my car, I whispered a prayer for their safe return. These soldiers were giving their all for our country. I could only give them a couple of meals. It seemed so little...

A veteran is someone who, at one point in his life, wrote a blank check made payable to 'The United States of America' for an amount of 'up to and including my life.'

That is Honor, and there are way too many people in this country who no longer understand it.

November: National Alzheimer's Disease Month

Excerpted from the Senior Living Network (Fresno)2009 Fashion Show Luncheon Fundraiser Program--- National Alzheimer's Disease Month is an annual, national observance that was established by President Ronald Reagan in 1983. The observance began as a way to increase public awareness and Federal research funding with the goal of finding treatments and cure for Alzheimer's disease

I just found this poem to be very moving:

SHE MISSES HIM
by Tim Johnson

She shaves his face, she combs his hair,
She helps him find his rockin'chair.
She cooks his meals, she wipes his mouth
And the window that he's lookin' out.

She reads him books, she speaks his hame
Oh, every day is much the same.
She sights that sigh from deep within.
The one that says she misses him.

She misses his gentle touch.
And the way he used to make her laugh.
She misses the man he was
In all those old photographs.
So strong, so kind, so sweet, so smart.
The man who stole her very heart...
She misses him.

His children come on Saturday.
There at his feet his grandkids play.
It's sad they don't know him at all,
He's just the one they call Grandpa.

The take out his trash, they mow his lawn,
Things he can't do since he's been gone.
She's grateful that they're pitchin' in.
And like everyone, she misses him.

And yes, they're still together after all these years
But sometimes you can almost feel
The sadness in her tears
The man who stole her very heart, she misses him.

...Senior Living Network (Fresno) raises funds and community awareness through education about Alzheimer's Disease and other dementias. The proceeds this year will benefit: Alzheimer's Foundation of Central California, UCSF-Fresno Alzheimer's & Memory Center, Valley Caregiver Resource Center-OASIS

Oral Health Care for Seniors & the Aging Mouth

Poverty & Culture

I did not write this and do not know who the author is. This is taken from the Sept 2009 "Poverello News", the newsletter for Poverello House located in downtown Fresno.

Culture: the totality of socially transmitted behavior patterns, arts, beliefs, institutions, and all other products of human work and thought...the predominating attitudes and behavior that characterize the functioning of a group or organization---The Free Dictionary

Culture is a word that has many meanings, just two of which are cited above. Culture is something that is deeply ingrained in people. While many grow up and lose their religion, consciously change their habits, or strive to be different than their parents, they are often nevertheless haunted by the "socially transmitted behavior patterns" and the "predominating attitudes and behavior" that defined their childhoods. Yet, people are generally unable to see the profound effect culture plays in their lives. Seldom does anyone examine his or her cultural assumptions unless forced to by crisis.

Culturally transmitted attitudes toward poverty are also deeply ingrained and not prone to change, and there can be little doubt that poverty is one of the major issues that has shaped history. "Solutions" to poverty have been hypothesized and tired with varying rates of success and failure, often with tragic results. Whole nations have been convulsed, and millions have been uprooted or exterminated, in the quest to eliminate poverty.

Our own country has had an ongoing struggle to define and address the problem of poverty. In colonial and post-revolutionary times, treatment of the impoverished was harsh, based largely on the English Poor Laws, and dictated by the need for communities to survive. Unless disabled, anyone not making a working contribution to the commonweal was compelled to do so by shaming, physical punishment, or exile. In the nineteenth century, the flowering of the great charity movement in the US and Britain sought to treat the poor with the compassion and practical ways of helping. A national shift of populations to urban centers and mass immigration brought about a new, large-scale poverty. The Salvation Army, St Vincent de Paul society, the Rescue Mission movement, and various Jewish social services were among the many charities born out of concern for the urban poor.

The twentieth century brought about a seismic shift in attitudes toward helping the poor. Prior to this time, poverty was viewed as a cultural issue. That is, the poor were seen as victims of the "culture of poverty", a subculture within the larger culture. This subculture was believed to have different values and many vices, and the methods for ameliorating poverty entailed not only tangible aid, but also teaching poor individuals to assimilate the virtues of the larger society: hard work , thrift, sobriety, moderation, and Judeo-Christian morality.

The shift in the twentieth century was from culture to economics. Poverty came to be viewed as the result of economic inequities and class stratification that was oppressive, rather than a outgrowth of deep running cultural attitudes that predisposed people to destitution. Intervention, therefore, was to become a simple case of giving money or goods to the poor in the form of various welfare programs.

In many cases, class oppression undoubtedly took place. However, the new economic reformers tended to throw the cultural baby out with the bathwater. It is true that some people are so ruined that the will perish if a charity or government agency doesn't take care of them materially. Two examples of this would be someone who is homeless, disconnected, and severely mentally ill, or a child who is taken away from an abusive situation.

However, there are others who are capable of change, and need to be encouraged to embrace a different culture, one that supports virtue rather than dysfunction. Many today think of this as patronizing, saying that all cultures are equally valid. Common sense disputes this notion: can one say with a straight face that a neighborhood riddled with drug dealing, frightened families, rampant murder and widespread child abuse is "healthy"? Is it not obvious that a child who grows up in such an environment and absorbs its dysfunctions will be seriously hampered in pursuing meaning and happiness in his/her life?

Poverello House operates its services on many levels to accommodate many realities. We have a charitable, custodial function for people who will probably always be poor and homeless. Recognizing that these folks will continue to exist, we provide shelter, food, clothing, medical and shower services with no stringent requirements.

At another level, we also recognize that many can change if they alter their cultural presuppositions, such as learning to save money rather than impulse spending, or steadily working instead of relying on welfare or unemployment benefits. Our Village of Hope has minimum requirements for staying, and gently encourages, the occupants to give up damaging habits and find ways to provide for themselves.

Finally, the utter devastation of drug addiction requires a forceful approach. Our Resident Program seeks to replace the addiction culture's destructive values with the spiritual, positive values of the culture of recovery.

Although Poverello began as the charitable impulse of one man, it has grown into a mission that is truly multifaceted. Poverello is well known for feeding people; fewer realize that, in our small way, we are attempting cultural change.

Form Letter From my State Representative

I'm so disappointed. I took the time to write my local representative and I still got a very generic form letter. This could have been referring to any other bill as the language is so vague and generalized. Here is what his aides sent out, boilerplate email(they couldn't even merge my name in the note???):

Dear Constituent:
Thank you for your recent correspondence regarding SCA 21 and ACA 24. It is important for all elected officials to hear from their respective constituents regarding matters of concern.

I believe, as you do, that California is a great state which needs to be maintained in such a manner. As we move forward, you can be assured that I will take your concerns into consideration.

Once again, I appreciate your time and effort in contacting my office. Please do not hesitate to call my district office at (559) 445-5532 if I may be of further assistance to you on any state related issue.

Sincerely,

Juan Arambula
Member of the Assembly
Thirty-First District

Here is my original email:

-----Original Message-----
From: treva@cal.berkeley.edu
Date sent: 08/03/2009 11:47 pm

I am writing to express my opposition to SCA 21 & ACA 24, which would cause irreparable harm to California's world-class public university system. First of all, I really hope I don't just get some templated email form as a reply. Secondly, I bleed Blue & Gold, I attended undergrad at CAL and grad school at UCLA. I am a productive, tax-paying individual, who actively contributes to the well-being of my community. I had the best education that public funds can buy. I think the UC system should remain relatively free and autonomous of the legislature and it's tendency to do whatever is politically expedient. The so-called legislative take-over of UC is a misguided and over-reaching proposal under the false guise of reform. That's why I'm joining a broad coalition of concerned Californians -- Democrats, Republicans, and Independents -- to oppose this plan. For 140 years, the current system of governance has served UC, its faculty, its graduates, and all Californians well. The University of California has an unparalleled record of success. Why should we put that at risk with an unproven, untested, undefined legislative take-over? The University of California must remain true to its mission, which is firmly and historically rooted in its independence. We should not take lightly any attempt to weaken UC's ability to compete and succeed and, in turn, weaken California's future. Fiat Lux ! Thank you, and I urge you to oppose SCA 21 and ACA 24.

Central San Joaquin Valley-centric videos on YouTube

Ok, last Christmas I got one of those Flip video cameras as a gift. Kind of like the “point & shoot” equivalent between SLR cameras and auto-everything cameras. Easy to use and not too many bells & whistles to confuse someone else that you’d hand the camera to for an impromptu photo or video. For a newbie like me to upload/download stuff to different websites, their very direct and simple instructions makes it very easy to share stuff with everyone. So my YouTube “channel” is Yayvalley. That means go to www.Youtube.com/yayvalley and you’ll be able to view what I’ve got posted up on there. Pretty mundane things like my kids’ concerts and activities and of course, since I’m a dentist, I’ve included in some of my pleased patients (hey, do you think I’d put “Ms Grumpy-grouchy” in there?). So I hope you like my slice of life. Please feel free to comment on here, or on the video itself on the website.

Kids and Cell Phones:Discuss Amongst Yourselves!

Ok, this essay has been prompted by the fact that my 11 yr old daughter just recently lost the cell phone she was supposed to "share" with her 14 year old brother. The phone is supposed to be mainly for communication with us, her parents, regarding schedule changes for after-school rehearsals, pickup needed school project items, etc. You know, "important" relevant stuff. We are on a family plan that currently only shares voice minutes...but wait! The kids are all into texting now a days, and that can really run up a phone bill fast! And given that you are usually locked into your current plan for at least a year to two years, those extra data minutes can add alot of zeroes onto your bill.

So what's a parent to do? Well for starters, the phone is not for recreational use. At least, not when it's in the kid's possession:
1. Just Say NO! No texting to friends via cell phone, especially when they're just hanging out in the same room or playground, or have just finished talking on the phone.
2. Set a number to limit the # of text messages sent/received and voice minutes. Check the account on-line and have your child graph it...good practical application of math.
3. Use parental controls to set time limits, time of day usage, or block certain numbers. One cellular service provider, www.kajeet.com makes it very easy to do this. Check to see if your wireless company gives you access to the same features.
4. Your child cannot give out their phone number to their friends without your approval. Only relatives or recognized extended family members will make the cut. This will help to keep teasing/harassing/bullying opportunities to a minimum. If someone calls or texts them, and it was not prearranged, your child will lose cell phone privileges accordingly. Your child, however, may initiate calls
5. Give them the oldest cell phone in the family. They should not have the latest, most expensive phone with all the bells & whistles. They don't deserve it! You deserve the souped-up version. Good for us parents is that an older phone simply won't do as much, and kids are less likely to be tempted to do the latest and greatest thing on the Web with it.
6. Use a pre-paid phone or phone cards, or have your child pay a small fee to help defray the cost of the cellular service...once some of their money is involved, your child will quickly learn ways to "save".

What do you think is the best way to moderate cell phone usage by your children?