FReeper Canteen ~ Guest Military Chaplain ~ October 24 2004

chaplaincare.navy.mil ^ | LT Brian J. C. Haley, CHC, USNR

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

For the freedom you enjoyed yesterday...
Thank the Veterans who served in
The United States Armed Forces.

Looking forward to tomorrow's freedom?
Support The United States Armed Forces Today!

	"A CHEERFUL HEART IS GOOD MEDICINE." (Proverbs 17:22) Which came first the chicken or the egg? We may never know the answer to this question, but when it comes to living a fulfilled life, the joy proceeds the good feelings. As a matter of fact, the joy is the antidote to the woes of life. Humor is great medicine. Humor helps us to see the big picture. It provides us with a new context by which to view our situation. It gives us a different vantage point which we can use to reevaluate life. Humor gives us reasons to feel good! My prayer today is that we find humor in all of life.

LT Brian J. C. Haley, CHC, USNR

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

Dear God:
I ask that no Airman, Coast Guardsman,
Marine, Sailor, Soldier or National Guardsman
Feel alone or forgotten.
Please guide the people of Free Republic to
The FR Canteen Post Office
So they can e-mail a service man or woman today.
AMEN

[HopeandGlory]

Good morning Troops, Veterans and Canteeners . . . God Bless this Holy Day.

[Soaring Feather]

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

Click on the pic and I'll guide you
to the start of today's
Guest Military Chaplain Service


Please stop in and say a prayer of protection for the military. Prayers from all denominations are needed.

                                          


CLICK HERE for Troop Prayer Thread 10

Thank You TEXOKIE

Sunday Liberty starts after the Guest Military Chaplain's Service!

FR CANTEEN MISSION STATEMENT
Showing support and boosting the morale of
our military and our allies military
and the family members of the above.
Honoring those who have served before.
CLICK HERE TO FIND LATEST THREAD.

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

FYI : Look in upper right corner of "My Comments" page.
Set it for "Brief" instead of Full.
You only will get title of thread and who pinged you.
No graphics will load.

[vrwcagent0498]

Mmmmmmmmmm, doughnuts!!!!!!

Love dunking them into coffee. (yummy!)

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

From the men in the Military and the Canteen

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

To every service man or woman reading this thread.
Thank You for your service to our country.
No matter where you are stationed,
No matter what your job description
Know that we are are proud of each and everyone of you.

To our military readers, we remain steadfast in keeping the Canteen doors open.
The FR Canteen is Free Republics longest running daily thread specifically designed
to provide entertainment and morale support for the military.
The doors have been open since Oct 7 2001,
the day of the start of the war in Afghanistan.
We are indebted to you for your sacrifices for our Freedom.

FR CANTEEN MISSION STATEMENT
Showing support and boosting the morale of
our military and our allies military
and the family members of the above.
Honoring those who have served before.
CLICK HERE TO FIND LATEST THREAD.

You will stay right where you are on the thread.
Please take a moment and Thank a Service Man or Woman.
Just Click on the graphic to send an e-mail.

[Soaring Feather]

THE CAB RIDE

Twenty years ago, I drove a cab for a living.

When I arrived at 2:30 a.m., the building was dark except for a
single light in a ground floor window. Under these circumstances,
many drivers would just honk once or twice, wait a minute, then
drive away.

But, I had seen too many impoverished people who depended on taxis
as their only means of transportation. Unless a situation smelled
of danger, I always went to the door. This passenger might be
someone who needs my assistance, I reasoned to myself.

So I walked to the door and knocked "Just a minute", answered a
frail, elderly voice.

I could hear something being dragged across the floor.

After a long pause, the door opened. A small woman in her 80's
stood before me. She was wearing a print dress and a pillbox hat
with a veil pinned on it, like somebody out of a 1940s movie.

By her side was a small nylon suitcase. The apartment looked as if
no one had lived in it for years. All the furniture was covered
with sheets.

There were no clocks on the walls, no knickknacks or utensils on the
counters.In the corner was a cardboard box filled with photos and
glassware.

"Would you carry my bag out to the car?" she said. I took the
suitcase to the cab, then returned to assist the woman.

She took my arm and we walked slowly toward the curb. She kept
thanking me for my kindness.

"It's nothing," I told her. "I just try to treat my passengers the
way I would want my mother treated."

"Oh, you're such a good boy," she said.

When we got in the cab, she gave me an address, then asked, "Could
you drive through downtown?"

"It's not the shortest way," I answered quickly.

"Oh, I don't mind," she said. "I'm in no hurry. I'm on my way to a
hospice."

I looked in the rearview mirror. Her eyes were glistening.

"I don't have any family left," she continued. "The doctor says I
don't have very long."

I quietly reached over and shut off the meter. "What route would
you like me to take?" I asked.

For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me
the building where she had once worked as an elevator operator. We
drove through the neighborhood where she and her husband had lived
when they were newlyweds. She had me pull up in front of a
furniture warehouse that had once been a ballroom where she had gone
dancing as a girl.

Sometimes she'd ask me to slow in front of a particular building or
corner and would sit staring into the darkness, saying nothing.

As the first hint of sun was creasing the horizon, she suddenly
said, "I'm tired. Let's go now."

We drove in silence to the address she had given me.

It was a low building, like a small convalescent home, with a
driveway that passed under a portico. Two orderlies came out to the
cab as soon as we pulled up. They were solicitous and intent,
watching her every move. They must have been expecting her. I
opened the trunk and took the small suitcase to the door. The woman
was already seated in a wheelchair.

"How much do I owe you?" she asked, reaching into her purse.

"Nothing," I said.

"You have to make a living," she answered.

"There are other passengers," I responded.

Almost without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug. She held onto
me tightly.

"You gave an old woman a little moment of joy," she said.

"Thank you."

I squeezed her hand, then walked into the dim morning light. Behind
me, a door shut. It was the sound of the closing of a life.

I didn't pick up any more passengers that shift. I drove aimlessly
lost in thought. For the rest of that day, I could hardly talk.

What if that woman had gotten an angry driver, or one who was
impatient to end his shift?

What if I had refused to take the run, or had honked once, then
driven away?

On a quick review, I don't think that I have done anything more
important in my life.

We're conditioned to think that our lives revolve around great
moments.

But great moments often catch us unaware---beautifully wrapped in
what others may consider a small one.

PEOPLE MAY NOT REMEMBER EXACTLY WHAT YOU DID, OR WHAT YOU SAID, BUT
THEY WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER HOW YOU MADE THEM FEEL.

You won't get any big surprise in 10 days if you send it to ten
people. But, you might help make the world a little kinder and more
compassionate by sending it on.

Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we are here we
might as well dance. Every morning when I open my eyes, I tell
myself that it is special. Every day, every minute, every breath
truly is a gift from GOD!

---

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

"Mmmmmmmmmm, doughnuts!!!!!!"

LOL!!

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

You know I used to drive a cab in LA, Hollywood to be exact, for several years.

In Chicago briefly.

And in the Antelope Valley of CA

This story reminds me of several stories.

Perhaps after Nov 2 comes and goes I'll tell you some.

Thank You

[windchime]

Bump!

[HiJinx]

You know how much we'd love to hear them.

Ofttimes stories such as that are assumed to be untrue, or a made up from a collection of such vignettes...much as Jesus' parables from the New Testament.

I believe the true stories are just as touching, and carry as much if not more meaning in them.

[StarCMC]

Thank you for the thread Tonk! HUGS!!

[StarCMC]

Sox beat the Cards 11-9. Ah well, tomorrow is another day! LOL!!

See you birds in a few hours -- after church, etc.

HUGS all around!

[HiJinx]

Hi, T!!

I'm a day late and a dollar short...Piper lives right here with us. We have an apartment attached to the house; my son, his wife, and Piper all live here while he's going to school and getting ready to find his niche in life.

[HiJinx]

Good night...sleep well.

Kick that cough!!!

[Kathy in Alaska]

Sleep well, you and Jacob W. Thanks for all you do.

[fritzz]

Twenty years ago, I drove a cab for a living.

Thank you.

[MeekOneGOP]

Mornin', everybody ! Happy Sunday! TGIS!

Have a cup while you Freep !

For those who prefer hot chocolate.....