Catherine

Vietnam

“Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.”
~Leo Buscaglia

Many of us remember the Vietnam War (Vietnam “Conflict” as it once was called). I certainly do, but at the time it was a war that we watched at night while eating dinner in the family room.

The TV was always turned off if we were eating dinner at the dining room table. That time was reserved for family discussions. My parents did not object to us having spirited discussions during dinner in the dining room, but we were not going to have them with the TV blaring in the background.

I don’t remember our conversations about Vietnam, but I feel certain we had them.

After high school, my boyfriend and I went to different colleges. The war was still going on at that time, and former classmates were enlisting in the military, some were drafted, and a few went to Canada or so I was told much later. There were those who came home wounded for life, while others came home in body bags.

My boyfriend enrolled in the Army ROTC program, but he was never called for active duty because of injuries he received after four years of college football. He went to law school, instead. Still, the war raged on.

Years later, I met the man who I thought I would marry. He had fought in Vietnam. We talked about the war and his tours of duty. What become apparent, as time went by, was that he was not a well man. He became violent and abusive; jealous and possessive; confrontational and frightening. We never married.

Fast forward … (which has nothing to do with Vietnam)

What I have discovered on this latest journey of my life is the kindness of strangers and people with good hearts and souls … those who look beyond the flaws and extend hands of friendship. I pray that I can give back an ounce of what they have given to me.

Hot Air Balloons and Skydiving

Many years ago, we held annual hot air balloon races right here in River City. The balloon races were included in an annual event called Scout World. I would get up at 5 a.m., drive to the air base, park outside the runway fence, and watch the balloons as they filled up with hot air. They looked like colorful mushrooms popping up in the distance. What a sight to see!

These big beauties would glide over the crowd as some of us would get into our cars to follow them. Sometimes they would fly so low that it was possible to have a very brief conversation with the people in the baskets. Watching them dot the sky all bright and colorful was breathtaking.

There were balloonists who would fly their balloons at other times, too. Their goal was to follow the river, but sometimes they got off track. You could hear them sailing overhead, their balloons making a big whooshing sound, and if you got outside quick enough you could wave and say “good morning” as they passed overhead.

Not being a daring gal, going for a hot air balloon ride is probably the most daring thing I would ever do … well, next to flying commercial again.

Now that I think about it, there was one daring thing I did ages ago when my boyfriend (at the time) was into skydiving. No, I did not jump out of an airplane, but I did go up with the team in a small airplane. The pilot tucked me in under what would have been part of the control panel and a second seat (these small airplanes were stripped down on the inside).

Being right by the door, I nearly fainted when it was opened because there was nothing there but the wide open spaces. I was tightly strapped in and clinging to whatever I could get my hands on, which I think was the pilot’s knee.

Each skydiver stood in the doorway to make his jump, and that was when something unexpected happened. As each skydiver was ready to leap into the air, each one gave me a kiss on his way out.

Back on the ground, I was literally lifted out of the airplane because my legs were shaking so badly I couldn’t walk. That was my first and last time going for a ride in a small airplane.

What I remember most about that day was how beautiful it was outside. Not a cloud in the sky perfect weather day; jeans and a red pullover sweater weather day; hair pulled back with a ribbon weather day; and, it was perfectly sealed with unexpected kisses.

Do You Have a Moral Compass?

The Wiktionary says a moral compass is: “An inner sense which distinguishes what is right from what is wrong, functioning as a guide (like the needle of a compass) for morally appropriate behavior.”

I think of a moral compass as a person’s conscience.

Just as people get lost in the woods or on a trip when their compass fails to lead them in the right direction, we as human beings get lost along the way when our moral compass gets stuck.

When this happens we have a decision to make. Do we keep marching on in a direction that will take us to the edge of a cliff where me might fall off? Or, is it better to turn around and follow the path back to where we began on that particular journey.

What would you do?

As an imperfect and flawed individual, I find it disheartening, and, quite honestly, rather unbelievable to witness what I am seeing these days.

Maybe it’s best to just leave it at that – for now.