It's because I PUT myself in these situations. I keep my eyes open and jump into them. I cherish them.
Today I bought a half-pint of Ezra Brooks bourbon whiskey because I knew I had a ham radio net to check in on tonight. It's a fun group. Late in the net I like a drink or two of hillbilly bourbon. The good stuff. Expensive bourbon doesn't have the roughness in it I truly love.
Anyway I crammed it into my barn coat pocket and stopped off at Homeless Depot as I wanted to snag something.
On the way in I saw a daughter/father combination. The daughter was about my age. I'm seventy. Her father was walking with a cane and was actually pretty spry, all things considered. He was wearing an 82nd Airborne WW2 veteran ball cap.
His daughter offered him one of those electric carts and he gently refused. She started to tell him he should and then hearing all of this I ran my mouth.
"That man is a United States paratrooper," I said. "He's doing fine by himself and doesn't need one. Wait until he gets old." The man had to be at least 95 years old. He was certainly a survivor. He was also pretty spry.
The old coot gave me a wide-eyed look.
"Hey, Mac," I said. "You have more take-offs than landings, dontcha?"
He looked and thought a few seconds and said, "I never thought about it. You're right. I DO have more take-offs than landings."
"So do I." I replied. "How would you like a little drink of whiskey between us two soldiers?" I pulled the half pint out of my pocket, opened it and offered it to him.
The daughter started to say something but I cut her off short. I looked at the old man and said to him "You know, we could both get life sentences for this, you know." as I offered him the bottle.
He got wide-eyed. "LIFE sentences?" He said. "Young man you are a funny man. A life sentence at my age?"
He took the half pint and took a respectable snort and handed it back. "You need a cell mate if we get caught," I said and had a snort myself and put the jug back in my pocket.
MUCH to the daughter's credit she smirked and shook her head.
As I walked off she mouthed 'Thank you" She knew.
I looked at the old man winked and said, "Later, Mac." and walked off to take care of business.
I truly cherish moments like that. These were the giants I grew up walking on the shoulders of. I owe them.
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