BC1969
Banned
Hi, I would like to tell you a story about morals, I had read a post about somebody that had helped somebody less fortunate than them, and it triggered a long forgotten memory.
36 years or so ago when I was 8 or 9 years old, it was thanksgiving day, and the whole family, extended and all were at the house, mom had cooked up a huge turkey and a couple hams, and well my dad really loved his turkey he got once a year, and would just about stab anybody that tried to get any.
Well back before that while being raised, I was always taught to respect others, and be especially kind to those that are less fortunate than me, and by no means were we rich, just comfortable middle class, well having those morals, there was an old abandoned greenhouse complex near where we lived and me and my friends hung out there doing what boys do, well there was this patch of woods out back and one day while looking for treasure with one of dads old BFOs, I came across this old military green tent, being the curious type I asked is anybody in there, well out pops this bewildered old man, looking scared and frail, and I started talking to him, since I love to talk, I'll skip most of the details, otherwise I would have to type out a novel
SO for the next few weeks I would talk to him daily, learned he had been in WW2 and korea, looking back on it, I guess he was shellshocked, and just could not get his life back together again after the wars. I learned he begged for food, or went near town and held a sign saying will work for food, as I learned that did not always go so well for him, well fast forward two months to thanksgiving day, when everybody was talking in the family room I cut that huge turkey in half and wrapped it and a bunch of mashed taters and fixings up and snuck out the back door, and went to the woods, I tapped on the tent and told victor that I had something for him, and before he even came out he said I SMELL TURKEY!!!, yeah well so, that was the first time in my life that I had ever seen a grown man cry, and still be happy at the same time, being so young I thought I had upset him at first, well anyway, after a few hours I returned home to find my father as red in the face with anger as a traverse city cherry.
He immediately demanded to know where "his" turkey was, since it was obvious it was not in the house anywhere, so I told him, that I knew of a homeless man, that never had anything to eat, and I did not want him to go hungry on a day when we are supposed to GIVE thanks for what we have, well I should add that my father was a raging alcoholic, and by that time he was exceptionally drunk, well I think that day I got the worst whipping I had ever got, and I got them alot, but so did every kid in the 70's heh.
Well that day came and went. The next day after the booze had long wore off, my father came to my room, and for the second time in my life I had witnessed a grown man cry, and my father was a tough as nails drill sergeant in the marine corps, back then the gravity of seeing him cry, did not really matter to me as much as it does as an adult, that was also the first time in my life my father told me he loved me, and that he was damned proud of me, well then he told me to come outside to his garage with him, me and my 3 older brothers were never really allowed in there, since you know boys break things, he wanted to show me something, he opened the door in I went and what do you know, there in a corner, sat victor on dads old military cot, wrapped up in a zillion blankets, and eating a turkey drumstick, and drinking some nice hot coffee.
After that I was always dads right hand man, and to me, thats the greatest treasure I had ever found.
Mike
36 years or so ago when I was 8 or 9 years old, it was thanksgiving day, and the whole family, extended and all were at the house, mom had cooked up a huge turkey and a couple hams, and well my dad really loved his turkey he got once a year, and would just about stab anybody that tried to get any.
Well back before that while being raised, I was always taught to respect others, and be especially kind to those that are less fortunate than me, and by no means were we rich, just comfortable middle class, well having those morals, there was an old abandoned greenhouse complex near where we lived and me and my friends hung out there doing what boys do, well there was this patch of woods out back and one day while looking for treasure with one of dads old BFOs, I came across this old military green tent, being the curious type I asked is anybody in there, well out pops this bewildered old man, looking scared and frail, and I started talking to him, since I love to talk, I'll skip most of the details, otherwise I would have to type out a novel
SO for the next few weeks I would talk to him daily, learned he had been in WW2 and korea, looking back on it, I guess he was shellshocked, and just could not get his life back together again after the wars. I learned he begged for food, or went near town and held a sign saying will work for food, as I learned that did not always go so well for him, well fast forward two months to thanksgiving day, when everybody was talking in the family room I cut that huge turkey in half and wrapped it and a bunch of mashed taters and fixings up and snuck out the back door, and went to the woods, I tapped on the tent and told victor that I had something for him, and before he even came out he said I SMELL TURKEY!!!, yeah well so, that was the first time in my life that I had ever seen a grown man cry, and still be happy at the same time, being so young I thought I had upset him at first, well anyway, after a few hours I returned home to find my father as red in the face with anger as a traverse city cherry.
He immediately demanded to know where "his" turkey was, since it was obvious it was not in the house anywhere, so I told him, that I knew of a homeless man, that never had anything to eat, and I did not want him to go hungry on a day when we are supposed to GIVE thanks for what we have, well I should add that my father was a raging alcoholic, and by that time he was exceptionally drunk, well I think that day I got the worst whipping I had ever got, and I got them alot, but so did every kid in the 70's heh.
Well that day came and went. The next day after the booze had long wore off, my father came to my room, and for the second time in my life I had witnessed a grown man cry, and my father was a tough as nails drill sergeant in the marine corps, back then the gravity of seeing him cry, did not really matter to me as much as it does as an adult, that was also the first time in my life my father told me he loved me, and that he was damned proud of me, well then he told me to come outside to his garage with him, me and my 3 older brothers were never really allowed in there, since you know boys break things, he wanted to show me something, he opened the door in I went and what do you know, there in a corner, sat victor on dads old military cot, wrapped up in a zillion blankets, and eating a turkey drumstick, and drinking some nice hot coffee.
After that I was always dads right hand man, and to me, thats the greatest treasure I had ever found.
Mike
