Do We Have To Hear It Every Day?

I woke just now and reached for my TV remote but stopped.

I realized that I it's to early to start my day with finding out:

Who killed who...
Who hurt who...
Who hates who....
Who lied to who....
Who stole from who...

Or who just doesn't care anymore....

Use to be a old saying "Good news travels fast"

In today's world "Good news" doesn't stand a chance....

So... I'm just going to sit here in the dark and do the one thing I think may help...

I'm going to pray for peace...

Want to join me?

Johnny

They Should Not Be Forgotten

My Father-In-Law Julian and I took a few of my walking staffs to the Veteran's Home in Jennings a couple of years ago.

 We sat and talked with a Retired Navy Captain who had been on Guam in WW II as Julian had. Not sure of the month but he remembered it was in 1945.

I then met this Boatswains Mate who had sailed out of the East Coast on a Destroyer Escort. 

As we sat and talked he said 'I bet I could stand up and use this stick of yours which he proceeded to do much to the amazement of the lady who was the recreation coordinator.

Afterwards, she then shared that he was a good Painter even though he was blind....

It was then that I had to sit down, and only then realized why he was listening to a recording of a old story about a famous pirate of long ago when we had been introduced.

We talked and shared a few sea story's until it was obvious he needed to be alone to listen to his story.

Before I left, He asked if I was going to come back sometime. And I of course, said That's a promise I plan to keep.

He thanked me for the stick and said 'If nothing else I can use on these mean old Nurses who won't leave me alone'.

But he said it with a smile......

Looks like I need to make a few more sticks so I can go back and make some new 'Old Friends'

Johnny

Old Friends

You may go home to them....
Feeling their arms around you.....
You belong to them....
With your family is where you should be......

But we shared our times and adventures....
We did what had to be done...
And for a little while....
We were together, as one...

So, I'll let you go....
Back to where you should be ....
But when again, you come to visit......
You will stand at my edge and look out across at me...

You will think back and smile...
You will realize again....
I hold a small part of your heart....
And you are still a part of me....

Welcome back my old friend....
It's good to see you too...
No matter how long it's been.....
And always remember, I'll always be here for you....

Your friend.....The Sea.....

John C. Glass, United States Navy

I AM A VERY LITTLE MAN ON A VERY BIG WORLD

I walk around our society of today and I hate to say, I shake my head.

I am afraid that we have become a society that chooses to use the laws of our land to proclaim rights that allow us to put ourselves first regardless to what it does to others around us.

Yes, we, each and everyone of us have rights, some of them are:

To respect others who in turn respect me. Offering to them courtesies and admiration that they have shown commendable.

To not respect no one but ourselves. To shirk, ridicule, be-little and dis-regard the feelings of others for the betterment of ourselves and our own self-esteem.

To speak the truth and expect the same from others.

To lie, or twist what you know is true so that no matter what it does to others it will enable you to feel better about yourself or attain something you want.

To give freely, offering to others who are truly in need without hesitation.

To be selfish. Using everything given, attained, or offered to better your own wants and cravings.

To care. Thinking of those around and what your actions do to them.

To not care. To rush through life grabbing everything you can for yourself, forgetting the rights and feelings of others.

These are our rights. NO, THEY ARE NOT OUR RIGHTS, they are our choices. They are not written in stone nor on paper. They are what we have accepted as just. Which ones we pick to follow, can only be made by each of us...

Because down the road, our actions of today will affect our rewards later on in life.

Johnny

As I walked up, he reached out his hand.. Terry, Terry Benoit's the name... and you?

I had passed by as he stood on the side of the road, but had to go back.  I asked where he's played and he smiled and said "Right here... All my life,born and raised right here in Sulphur 62 years ago...I smiled and had to ask.... What month? "March" came the answer and I let him know he had me by 5 months... 

"So I asked him.... Who do you sing for.. His answer was "I sing for the Lord."" and that was when I noticed the small little cross that hung around his neck..

.The songs ranged from Elvis, to Cash, a couple of his own and even Ms. Tammy's D.I.V.O.R.C.E..... which he did looking down at the ground,,, maybe a little closer to home.... but he didn't say...

 We talked about what living in the south is like and how the people still use the qualities that they had been taught as children. Yes Sir, Good Morning, Opening the door for a woman, and treating each other the way you would want to be treated....  He got real quiet for a minute and just strummed his guitar.  Then he said without looking up.  "Ya know.. but things are changing. We're losing those things... What use to be important, doesn't seem to be that way anymore."  I had to agree, that I had seen it too.  

"But that's OK... I know that I'm still doing what I'm suppose to do.. so I'm pretty sure I'm going to a better place." he said.... and he went back to another song..

The fingers moved over the strings and it was obvious they had been there before.
                                                     
I asked about the names on the guitar? "Awww most of them just my friends.."



I gave him my card... and said I hoped maybe we have a cup of coffee sometime and share more stories....and I bought him breakfast.... then I headed on down the road... I looked back through my mirror and watched as he started another song which it was obvious who it was meant for because his head was bent back and looking up... 

Thank Ya Lord... for sharing him with me..