One of the biggest thrills to me when I was in the Navy was each day when the American flag was lifted into the air.  I would feel free and happy knowing that I was always able to think the way I wanted in the land where I was given to live.

            So when I got married years later and Linda and I moved to Florida we both decided that we wanted a flag in our front yard.  For the past forty years or so each day I have been able to go into our front yard and raise the flag.  We have a ring of flowers around the pole and it is visible from four streets that have a lot of traffic.  

            All of that just so I can share this story:

            Many times during the raising people driving by will wave or honk their horn or shout a thank you.  Sort of makes it worthwhile, doesn't it?  Once a truck driver stopped his truck (blocking traffic), got out, and stood at attention with his hand over his heart while the flag went up.  Nobody honked at him.  I thought that maybe there would never be a better flag tribute than that. 

            But there was.

            Last week I went out as I always do to raise the flag.  Across the street there were a dozen or so children about middle school age waiting for the school bus.  Some had parents with them. When the flag started up I glanced over to see all of the children standing in a row at attention, each one with a hand over the heart.  The parents were standing behind them the same way.  Then when the flag reached the top of the pole one girl stepped out and began to say in a loud voice:

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the

United States of America,

And to the republic for which it stands

One nation UNDER GOD indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

            

             Then all of the ones waiting for the bus began to applause. I stepped back, threw them a kiss, and applauded them back. I wiped away my tears and went back into my house, proud that I am an American and proud of the families who are still teaching their children not to forget God.

See you again soon!

           

            

John

           One of the finest things about visiting Kentucky in the summer is each morning J.T. arrives at my house promptly at eight AM and we go off to the local Dairy Queen for breakfast. There we meet the great number of guys I call the Liars Club.  They are mostly farmers coming in from an already full day’s work.  Some are retired workers who now enjoy riding their motorcycles.  And then there are some who just arrive.  I don’t know what they do otherwise.  But all seem happy about something.  They enjoy playing tricks on each other and laughing about it.  Then as time goes by they have a tendency to seriously try to settle world problems.  Politics are a lot of fun.  Nobody agrees with anybody.  Religion rarely comes up because I am certain there would be a fight involved if it did.

            Jerry is one everyone seems to like.  He works for the local high school and does something there for their athletics.  I don’t know what. He comes in all dressed up for work and I don’t know why about that either.  He never goes to work until mid morning.  I sort of envy his job, whatever it is.  Jerry is one of those nice guys who probably has been educated beyond his intelligence and seems to understand math better that most of the others.  So once a week he explains to everyone all about the lottery.  He makes it sound good so after a short period of time he talks most of us into trying our luck.  We all know the odds are against us but it is hard to say no to Jerry.  After he collects our money he leaves to buy the tickets.  We all agree to share the winnings, mostly because that gives us something to talk about after Jerry leaves.  You know.  What are you going to do with the money if we win? Each one .has his own private wants that he is excited to talk about.  As for me I told them that I would pay it on my bills as far as it would go.  One man (I can’t tell you his name) told us he planned to get himself a new wife.  Several talked about new cars or motorcycles or new houses.  One farmer said he would get a new tractor because he was tired of plowing behind his tired old mule. One of the women who worked there said that she would buy the Dairy Queen and fire that son of a bitch she worked for now.

            And then there was John.  He usually just sits and listens to all the stuff everybody else talks about but says very little.  But he had contributed his bet and the winning that week was sixty million dollars.  All of us wanted to know what John was going to do with his money.  You could tell John was thinking.  Jerry had told him that if we won that after taxes and all we would get somewhere around two million apiece.  John scratched his head a bit and then smiled and said, “That is more money than I make in a week!  Why I know just what I am going to do.  First I am going to pay off the entire debt for our church.  Then I am going to get the bills paid for that teenage girl here who just broke her neck over near Canmer.  Then I am going to get Amy (his wife) that dress she wanted last Christmas that we couldn't afford.  Then I think I will send Rocky’s (his neighbor) two boys to college.  They are both really smart but ‘ol Rocky ain’t got the money to send them.”

            All of a sudden everybody stopped talking.  And we all started thinking.  We had all talked about the things we could get for ourselves.  John just wanted to do for others.  And you know the best part.  John had worked hard all of his life without ever really earning much.  His wife saw that he ate well but other than that, John never had anything.  And if the truth were known he was probably the happiest man in the liars club. 

            I hope he wins.  I think I may give him mine.  Or not.

            

JACK

Jack was probably my best friend growing up in Madisonville, Kentucky.  We played in the woods with the snakes and lizards, were in Boy Scouts together, played sports together, and yeah, we got in trouble together.  Then off to college and all the parts of later life so we don’t see much of each other anymore.  That’s a pity, too.  We have a lot of stories to tell now that we would rather not have told back then.  But we still sort of keep in touch.  We send Christmas cards and call on the phone maybe twice a year, but our lives took an alternate route.  He became a bigwig with Alcoa Aluminum while I never amounted to anything.  I think we both expected that, though. 

            Jack retired at an early age after a very successful work life.  He bought himself an island off the coast of Michigan and Canada and built a house on it.  When he first was there he told me that his wife always went with him and stayed until it got too cold. Then she returned to their place in the Carolinas, leaving him there.  It was just him and the bears I was told. I asked him what he did up there and he informed me that he was very happy there and that every day he could go swimming.  I shivered when he told me that.  When he told me the water temperature I about fainted.  He kept calling me and inviting me up.  I seriously thought about it until I remembered the cold water.  We swam a lot as kids but I never remembered chipping ice to do it.  I guess I could go up there, sit in front of the fire and read or watch him swim out of the window, but I have no desire to get into that kind of water.   

            The last time he called he had quite a story to tell.  I know it is true because Jack doesn’t lie. So I thought I would share it here.  He knows I am writing about it but he may not realize that it is on a blog. And here it is, just like he told it to me.  If you know me you may think at this point that I am usually willing to embellish things that I write. I plan to send him a copy and I almost know what he will say:  “That is not at all what happened.  And after I told him word for word exactly what happened.”  Well, Jack, my take on the story might be even better.  Who knows?

            It was a cold, dark day. (How’s that for a start?)  Jack had just put his wife on the plane to back home.  Jack stopped by the local town grocery store, picked up food needs and anything else he could think of, and started back to the island home.  He had chosen one of his smaller boats for this quick trip because it would be easier for one person to handle when being alone. The trip to the island was not particularly a long one so he was able to sit back and simply enjoy the ride.  As he neared the island he was noticing the beautiful views of the area.  Off in a distance he admired another island quite a distance from his.  He thought about what he knew about that island.  It was probably inhabited by early Indians.  But he wasn’t really sure because he had never seen anyone coming from there.  Maybe nobody lived there.  But it surely was a pretty island.  As he was about to reach his dock a sudden wind came up.  Jack’s boat turned sideways and banged into the dock. The floating dock pitched and caused the boat to flip.  Jack tried to jump to the dock but the boat surged away causing him to drop into the freezing water.  That was when he hit his head on the edge of the dock, causing him to pass out. 

            Some time went by and Jack came to, wondering what had happened.  The first thing he noticed was that the water was now pink.  He felt his head and could feel the blood flow.  Jack’s first thought now was, “I’m going to die.  I am in the water and I do not have the strength to get out. And anyway, I am going to bleed to death.  That is if I don’t freeze to death first.” His thoughts turned to his head hurting, which may have been worse that the cold water.  It was almost at the point where one gives up completely when he saw what he thought was a dream.  He looked up out of the water to see a man in a canoe.  The man looked sort of like what he thought the Indians from the next island might look like but he couldn’t be sure because he had never seen anyone from there.  But this was not a time to be choosey.  The angle man looked down at him and whispered, “Do you need help?”  Jack thought about just explaining to him that he was just out for a swim but decided that he had better be nice.  Jack raised his hand and the man took it, pulling him out of the water as Jack’s boat went scooting out away from the dock. The helper had managed to get on the dock without letting go of Jack’s arm and finished pulling him on to the dock.  Jack could still not walk so the man carried him into his house.  It was a small man carrying a large man but somehow the helper seemed to be all right with it.  When they were in the house the man quickly found towels that he used to stop Jack’s bleeding.  Then he wrapped him in some blankets and placed him near the fireplace.  He built a fire and when he was certain Jack would be all right he started out.  Jack tried to stop him.  He told him he wanted to pay him for his deed.  The man just smiled, turned and left.  Jack was too exhausted to argue so he simply shut his eyes and slept.

            It was some time before Jack awoke.  Although he was moving at a snail’s pace he wandered over to the window and looked out, hoping to see the one who had helped him so. There was no sign of him.  He looked out at the lake and still no sign.  His helper had vanished.  He then wondered what had happened to his boat with all of his foods in it. He turned and the first thing he noticed was the food he had bought along with all the other stuff was neatly placed on the kitchen table.  He also remembered that his head was still hurting.  So as he walked over to see if he could find at least an aspirin he glanced out of the window.  His boat was correctly tied to the dock with all the boat parts put in place on the shed.  Who was this man?  Where did he come from?  Why didn’t he want pay for what he had done? 

            Jack says that he thinks these questions will never be answered.  I told him that I thought it was an angel.  He said that I might be right because he has once gone to a church but couldn’t remember when.  He did say he thought it may have been a Baptist church, though. 

            If you have read this entire story you probably have wondered if Jack ever went over to that other island.  Well he definitely has.  Several times, and he says that nobody seems to live there at all.  He still searches for that unknown man who probably saved his life.  I think I might go visit him now.  It seems to be a safer place than I thought.  And by the way: I didn’t make this up.  I am usually a liar but this time it is the truth.