I met a man, well, a boy really…. Okay – I will guess that
judgment comes based on how old you are – but he had already been to war… yet,
my own son wasn’t much younger than him. So for this essay – I will call him a
man.
I have a feeling that war makes you that way. It makes you a
man… maybe even earlier than you would care to have happen.
Anyways this man had a rather hard shell. He seemed to be
quite defensive, and maybe, just a little callous. And with most men that had
been to war, and with most men sitting around the campfire, the stories are
tough. They are dangerous, and they carry a lot of truth to them. As we sat
around this fire, and all the men took turns sharing their stories – I couldn’t
help but feel that his had some extra significance to it. Maybe a little but more
of the angle that he mattered. That he was the key character in the story he
was telling. Maybe, forgive the word, some self importance to it.
As the evening drew to a close I found myself drawn to this
particular man, and so I headed his way to get to know him better. I struck up
a casual conversation, essentially leading to – and what plans do you have for
this holiday? To which, he said…. None.
Gulp
None
This brave young warrior who had stepped up for the country
I live in, who had answered the call, and left everything behind…. No plans.
Alone. No one to hang out with.
To which I said – I have an extra room, how would you like
to come with my family. I knew, of course, that such a brave man would probably
get flustered and say no. So imagine my surprise when he said – I can be ready in
15 ma’am,
And that is how I had an extra man coming for the holiday! Because
I already feed a family that eats like the starved… adding one more was not a
problem when it came to food. The problem was – would he like our laid back
style of life in the country for the holiday – when he was used to a bustling
military base?
Turns out – he did. As we all hiked our property, rode
horses, and did some target shooting, this young man’s story came out. He became
more willing to talk, and as he became the center of our attentions he began to
realize his life did have significance. We let him talk as he wanted,
participate as he wanted, and yes – put him to work just like the rest of the
gang. He also made a mean Sweet tea.
I was surprised with this young gentleman. Based on the
first impression, I could not have realized what an enjoyable person he was,
what a sweet spirit he had, and what a fun happy person was hiding under that
veneer.
I guess that saying – “Don’t judge a book by its Cover” is
for real.
