Ode to the woods. That's how I feel each and every time I have the privilege of visiting
the woods. See this ivy? It is like the veteran of the woods. No matter the conditions, snow,
ice, wind, cold or rain, this ivy survives. I also like the moss and fungi of the forest.
Quietly they survive producing their best colors and shapes. How many millions and millions of
acres of these plants exist, and human eyes have never seen them. They are what they are,
true to their nature, seen or unseen. Which brings me back to the veterans in our midst.
They have served with honor and they have given off themselves. They have paid their dues.
Sometimes they come back from their wars, all mangled and disoriented, never to behold again.
They did what was asked of them. Beneath that seemingly tough exterior is a human being with
feelings. A man or woman with dignity and pride. I get angry when I hear off remarks like,
why don't they get a job? They should find some of the street to beg. Why don't they just go
somewhere else, not in my neighborhood. My tax money is paying for them. If you don't want to give,
then don't. But don't give for the sake of bragging. Just say, look at me and what I'm doing for them,
or him or her. Be thankful that you have your money to massage and give you comfort. But try not to
make these men and women victims of your generosity. I cannot speak for everyone, of course, but it
pisses me off when anyone does anything for others, just for bragging rights. Just as I am
offended when anyone is judged as liabilities because of their handicap, hearing, eyesight,
or some of the physical disability. God bless you and your perfect life.
But I'm getting off track. I'm way too sensitive for my own good.
How to stop light a little town in southern Virginia, and not far from a veteran's hospital,
there is sometimes a man with a simple sign. It just says veteran. I give one I can because it is
my honor to honor him. Then one day I saw him elsewhere, not at the stop light, but at another
corner with a man in a wheelchair. The veteran was sharing the money he had collected with his friend,
sharing what he had with his friend. Our fate is sealed. No one is getting out of here alive.
We are fast approaching the inevitable. Like these four creations, as beautiful as they are,
we too must one day fade away and make our transition. And you know something? We can't take it with us.
