Veterans Day

Before there was a Veteran's Day, there was Armitice Day. This occasion was the day of the signing of the treaty to end World War 1, on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month of 1918. The day was changed in the US to Veterans Day after World War II and remains as it was created, a time for reflection on the sacrifices of our ancestors

My maternal grandfather emigrated from Germany around 1912, changed his name and joined the American Army to go fight against the Kaiser. He returned from that war to Boise, Idaho where he married a young woman from Soda Springs, Idaho, and become the Postmater of Boise. She was as strong minded and willed as he as she spent some of the younger years working as a cook in lumber camps.

One of their daughters, a young socialite, fell in love with and married a year later (1943) a young Army Air Corp officer stationed at Mountain Home Army Air Force Base. The officer, my father, served from 1940 to 1964, transfering to the new Air Force on its inception after World War II. They had three children, and one son, me, who served in the Air Force during the Vietnam War era, 1969-1973.

Let us give thanks to all veterans over our country's history and let us hope and pray we'll need fewer in the future and fewer still who will be injured, disabled or killed.

Being Naive

I am naive. I've been naive all my life. Often stupiditly naive and occasionally innocently naive, but still naive. I still am and will probably always be somewhat naive. Less than in my youth for obvious reasonsIt's who I am and will be. The reality of how I see the world.

I have been so naive I sometimes forget where I am and what possible risks I have found or put myself. This was and still is true when I do street photography. I love to walk around and take pictures of the ordinary, or what I call walking around images, and occasionally find I have lost track of the world around me.

I have also often, but less often now, when meeting people of all descriptions and walk of life. I remember a time a homeless person was walking down the other side of the street yelling at the world and people. He suddenly walked across traffic to the plaza were I was standing still yelling. People anywhere near him were scattering.

When he saw he everyone leaving he approached me who was just watching the whole event. He kept yelling untill he got about 5 feet from me and stopped. After a short while he stopped yelling and I asked, "What's your name?" He suddenly froze, he face blank. I asked, "How can I talk to you if I don't know your name?"

He remained still and quiet, just looking at me, without knowing what to say. I have no idea what he was thinking but when the police arrived and walked up to him, he gently put his hands behind him to be handcuffed and walked with them, calmly and quietly. He looked back once to see I was still there watching.

It occurred to me all he wanted was someone to talk to and when he found that person, he didn't know what to do or say. I didn't see him as a threat. I didn't see any real risk, and could have easily avoided anything if he had. I just thought he deserved a chance. Yeah, naive.

I often wonder what happened to him. Did he get the help he needed. Did he find someome to talk with. And more importantly did he find a friend. That's all he wanted, we just didn't see it. And I doubt we helped. Yeah, naive of me too.

Halloween

Update November 1st.--Well, between 7 and 9 pm I had all of 3 trick-or-treaters, all small kids from the apartment complex where I currently live. Last year I had none and about half a dozen the year before. And now I have a really big bowl of snack-size candy bars. Hmmm...., far too many calories and sugar for me.

Original Post.--I hate halloween. I don't know why I do and I've tried to overcome it but it's always there, the desire to hide halloween night by covering the bell with a big pillow so I can't hear it and going to bed with everything dark. Not matter how much I've tried to enjoy the halloween parties, I just don't get interested let alone excited.

I've often wondered if it's because I can't remember one Halloween we celebrated as a family. I just can't remember one. I don't remember any school parties. I don't remember ever going out to trick or treat. It's a big blank what we did that night. So I have no childhood connection to make it a happy holiday.

It's also since leaving home I don't really like parties. I'm one of those who lingers in the corner in quiet conversations until I can leave. I don't seek attention, and in fact hate it. I don't like be anywhere near anyone who's the "life of the party" as I've found those people often irritating.

Ok, I'm not a fun person. Blame it on my Dysthymia and being someone comfortable being alone (and yes, we're normal too). It's who I am. Even these days, when I out and find all the socialization tiring, I want to say, "Can I go home now?" and mean it. And then leave. And I don't like people invading my privacy, like with Halloween.

Such are some people. We're all normal, just different. Not any better or worse, just ourselves.