A friend 6-23-08
I was just heading to Telly's restaurant in Epping for lunch with a friend. I met two men on the way. One was about 30-35 the other was about 50-55. They were taking two thirty packs of bud out of their car. I thought I recognized one as a friend that I meant to talk with but was unable to get a hold of. It turned out not to be my friend but since I stopped and looked like a fool any way I started talking with them. It was sad, the older gentle man was disabled from a recent job injury. He was on work man's comp for about 6 months so far and the way he was walking he will most likely be on it for ever. The other was a college graduate working for minimum wage. They were just friends that found drinking beer early in the day a solution to their problems. I stood and talked with these men for over an hour in the parking area. Their sad stories made me realize with all I got going on I am lucky. These men were both Veterans caught in lives hard times with no hope for a out. I told them about VA service and government help. They told me that they had done that and were shuffled off in to the what ever with out help. I offered them any help that I could but they were to depressed. They asked if I wanted to drink a beer with them but I told them I was meeting a friend at Telly's. They thanked me for stopping and caring enough to try to help them.
I have not been able to stop thinking about these gentle men that are Veterans caught in life's little jokes. I hope my talk at least showed them that some people do care about them. I did not tell them that my stop was a mistake. I just let them believe that I stopped to be a friend.
Peter Macdonald Sgt USMC Semper Fi