Brothers in Arms

Semper Fi

The Corporal and I are part of the Thin Blue Line.  The Semper Fi is for him.  Always a Marine.  He is "one of the men next to me".

Hope and Gratitude...

Nina Lee Walker and her Daddy

Like my brother, Mike, I have watched The Shawshank Redemption many times over.  This movie was nominated for seven Academy Awards but won none. 

I watched it again the other night, and two related parts came through my brain like a freight train. 

Andy writes in a letter to still imprisoned Red, "Remember Red, hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies". 

Later in freedom, Red is riding in the bus enroute to find Andy.  His voice narrates his thoughts, "I hope I can make it across the border.  I hope to see my friend and shake his hand.  I hope the Pacific is as blue as it has been in my dreams.........I hope".

I am working hard on having Hope in my life right now.  Hope is what keeps me going when I really want to quit and curl up in a the fetal position in my bed.  Hope is my belief that positive outcomes are ahead.  Hope is an endeavor and a choice.  I Hope.

Gratitude.  I was sitting in a Quiznos eating a salad today.  Many times when I am in my cop uniform, "well meaning" people come up to me and start a long diatribe about how they are sure that public servants, especially cops, don't get enough thanks and only are disparaged in person and in the media.....blah.....blah.....blah.  I smile politely and thank them for their words barely able to keep from displaying my ambivalence and resentment for disturbing my meal with such self-serving tripe.

Today, a young man walked by my table on his way out the door.  He was probably about 22 years of age casually but well dressed with a conservative hair cut.  This young man barely paused, looked me square in the eye, and said, "Thank you".   He was quickly out the door before I could choke out a surprised reply.

I am grateful to this young man.  He gave me the a gift of a hope renewed.......I hope.

New Red Friend

C Dub

Grim

Pretty Grim

One of the bicycles I remember most was a hand me down not wanted by a daughter of friends of my parent's.  It was a girl's cruiser bike painted black with pink rims, handlebars and such.  I found that riding it was much like wearing armour as no one wanted to mess with a kid that would ride such a bike.

I don't remember what happened to that bike but two wheeled companions have always been very important to me.  To not own a bike is something I can't ever imagine happening.  I hope there are bikes in Heaven.

So ten years ago, I finally found a two wheeled motorized friend.  It was a start down a very dangerous road.  Not a physically dangerous one.  The thing is one can have the same cathartic experience on the motorized two wheel friend as one has on the non-motorized one.  A fat belly will follow if one is not careful.

Now, I can't imagine not having a two wheeled motorized friend.  Welcome new friend.