Posted by Bay and Silent Job at user-v3qs4ef.dialup.mindspring.com on September 16, 2001 at 22:01:44:
The experiences of this week have move both my wife and me. I consider myself a pretty patriotic person, and I've been struggling to find ways to make an appreciable difference in this situation in any way I can. We've given money and will soon be giving blood, but we both wanted to find a more personal way to make a contribution. We finally hit on a few ideas that we hope made a difference around our community today, and I'd like to share them with you in hope that others might be inspired to do something similar for your own communities.
First, I was quite happy to encounter a member of our armed forces, an army sergeant, at Golden Corral after church today. Immediately, I went over to him and thanked him profusely for the contributions he and his brethren have, are, and will soon be making on behalf of our great country. He was moved nearly to the point of tears and was quick to express his resolve to do whatever was necessary to ensure the safety of our country and to avenge those who had suffered, and promised to take our well-wishes back to the men in his unit. I was deeply affected by his humility, dedication, and resolve.
After leaving Golden Corral, my wife and I drove to Krispy Kreme and purchased two dozen doughnuts, which we delivered to a local fire station, again expressing our deepest gratitude for the sacrifices these fine men make on behalf of our community and nation. There was only one furefighter on duty at the station when we stopped in, but he seemed quite surprised and genuinely thankful for our gesture.
Later in the afternoon, we went to the local grocery and purchased 5 BIG bags of chips and two packages of cookies from the deli. We then went to Burger King and placed an order for 50 cheeseburgers. We delivered these to our city police departent in time for dinner. The window attendant spoke of the recent tradgedy with large tears in her eyes, comparing it only to Pearl Harbor and the assassination of President Kennedy, both of which she'd experienced in her lifetime. It was a very powerful experience.
Our local folks in uniform make sacrifices for our communities and country every day, and receive little in the way of thanks for the jobs they do. More often than not, their only rewards are low pay, derisive comments from the general public, and the small satisfaction they receive for rendering service to the common good. These men and women are or first line of defense when disasters such as those last week befall us, and they often pay for the sacrifices they make in their own blood. I urge you all to take time out this week to express your gratitude to these fine Americans in whatever way you can. They deserve more thanks than we can ever possibly give.
God bless the United States of America, and all those who put their lives on the line to protect and defend her every day. You all are truly appreciated.
B&SJ-