..fothcoming. For the first time in a while I feel like I have a lot to say.
7:29 PM. Alison and I had a great night, playing, wrestling on the floor, reading books, and taking a bath. I put her in bed and she said “Daddy, Love you.” When you hear that the first time from your precious girl…it’s an inexplicable feeling…
Now she’s in bed, sleeping. A cold premium is open on the coffee table. Twins are up 7-0 in the 3rd inning over Detroit. ”Come Alive” by Train is playing on Pandora. It’s been a good night…
Just got back from Washington DC, with the Southwest Minnesota Honor Flight. See: http://www.freedomveteransmemorial.org/honorflight.aspx
It was an amazing, exhausting trip. Around 110 veterans and 50 guardians flew on the 2 day trip. We had big groups of people to send us off in sioux falls, and to welcome us in Washington DC, and again to welcome us back in Sioux Falls. Hundreds of people. Active duty military, families, and groups of kids. Cheering these guys and thanking them for their service. It was incredible — apparently quite a few guys were choked up. And that’s not something you see from an 85 year old farmer from MN very often. It was a whirlwind trip — on Friday we saw the Air Force Memorial, Iwo Jima Memorial, Arlington Cemetary and the changing of the guard at the tomb of the unknown solider. On Saturday we spent 2 hours at the WWII memorial. We took a bunch of pictures of the group. There were tons of people there shaking the veterans hands, welcoming them to the memorial built for them. The most incredible were the groups of kids…I think that really touched the vets the most. We saw the Lincoln memorial, Korean war memorial, Vietnam war memorial, Navy Memorial, and the Air and Space museum that housed the enola gay (the plane that dropped the bomb on Hiroshima), the concorde, a space shuttle, and the SR-71 blackbird, along with tons of other planes. Then onto the plane and home. Our plane was late, and our last day was a 22 hour marathon by the time we got to bed around 2 AM. Way too much for these guys — but it will certainly be a great memory for them (I hope). I got to spend some time with my Grandpa — but spent most of my time working. Loading and unloading wheelchairs, food, water, medical equipment and the veterans themselves. I pushed vets around the memorials in wheelchairs. I helped one guy with his nebulizer machine (and finding 110V outlets at an outdoor memorial took some searching…). The vets were so humble and thankful. I was humbled and honored to be able to do this for them. 2 days of work is a small price to pay…
Here’s some pics I took:
You can also see a bunch more here:
http://www.dglobe.com/event/group/group/Honor%20Flight/
http://www.us104.net/index.php/gallery/v/SW+MN+Honor+Flight/?q=gallery
In other news….on the way down to Worthington, I was flipping radio stations. I heard a guy on a Christian station, talking about ways to control the chaos of everyday life. He said something that kind of hit home for me. He said there are 3 components of living a more grounded, faithful, less chaotic life. The first was to “ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life”. He said he made a commitment to not hurry. He drove in the right hand lane for a full year. He made it a point to get places early. The result of doing this meant he was less stressed — so he took more time to talk to people and actually listen to what they had to say. He actually listened when he asked “How are you”. He took time to call people and just catch up. The second component was to lower your expectations, meaning you don’t have to get everything done. If the bathroom waits one more day to be cleaned…so what. Prioritize. Listening to a friend, playing with your kids, or spending time with your wife is more important than organizing your kitchen. The third component was to learn to say NO, gracefully. People will understand that you can’t be everywhere, all the time.
I’m really trying to take this to heart. If I decide to do something, I’m going to take the time to do it and do it right….not hurry through it. Life is too short to forget what you did that day. I spent 2 days with these vets that could tell me what they were doing the day Pearl Harbor was bombed and it felt like yesterday to them. They’ll tell you that life will pass you by if you let it…stop and enjoy the good stuff. Don’t let the chaos consume you. I’m determined to do just that….
That was an awesome and touching entry Lance. I too find myself more fulfilled when I take the time to serve others and to give back. Making that kind of thing a habit can be challenging and tough and to let go of some selfish behaviors is not easy. It definitely wasn’t and still isn’t for me as the days pass me by. But when I look back and think about what has been accomplished, much like you have here, I think to myself “Can life get any better than the smile that comes from taking a moment to acknowledge and tend to another human being?” And every time the answer is always “Not until the next opportunity to do the same thing comes along.”