Hard Day?

Today was a hard day. Sophties are so green right now...I just keep reminding myself it’s job security. Didn’t have things ready, second chances, still not ready. L4Ls are broken, or left at home, or they forgot to charge it. Chaos. Then got caught behind a bus that stopped, I kid you not, every hundred yards for about six miles.  Errands and so forth just tedious....

Then I met Jim King.  But I didn’t meet him until after I’d passed him standing on the right corner of the driveway from Publix as I turned right onto Martin Downs to go to the post office. After I got stuck in school zone flashing lights for three miles stretch on 714. After I had time to consider what his sign said: “My family needs a little help” and after I realized he was missing a leg, standing there in the 4:00 Palm City sun, not a cloud in the sky. Instead of turning into my neighborhood, I circled back up to Publix. He was still there, standing tall and straight in his pale cargo shorts, white tee-shirt, faded ball cap down to his glasses. I parked in the shade by the CVS because of the eggs. 

I greeted him as I approached and asked how he was doing, he needed a chair and an umbrella. He agreed. He had a nice face and warm smile. I asked about what kind of help his family needed. We talked about his service in the Marines, how his wife could no longer work, he has only a small 40% pension, the two of them travel to Tallahassee for medical visits so really, he said, it’s mostly just needing gas money. I gave him what I could.

We chatted about how teachers and veterans seem to be so very necessary in our communities and yet we are disregarded on so many levels. Told him I wanted to encourage him that many of my students will be able to vote this year and they know what’s going on and they are not having it. He said he hoped they could bring about the change we all need just to be able to make ends meet and plan for the future. His service predates 911 so he’s not eligible for the Wounded Warrior. They’ve tried all the avenues they can find, said his wife has been real good about sending off for everything that comes up offering services or financial help.

Told him twice in the course of our ten minutes in that blazing sun that I appreciated his service. Stretched out my hand and introduced myself and that’s when he told me his name is Jim King, but people call him “Gunny.”  He said he’d be back in a couple of weeks maybe at that location, maybe at another. Generally people in this area, he said, seem to be kind and generous for which he is grateful. Such a calm, warm, centered person.

If you see a veteran standing at attention in the blazing hot sun for hours on end, you know they’re for real. Be kind. If I see him again I plan to hit him up for some stories. First introductions seemed a little unthoughtful to ask too many questions.

On the way home I realized my day wasn’t all that bad. I work with pretty good people and kids who are maybe a little green but every day they’re exposed to stories that hopefully open their eyes to the world around them, learn to take more and more responsibility for their own lives and cultivate attention to being helpful to those who could use some kindness and appreciation.

While we’re here, we may as well look out for each other.