A friend 6-23-08

[sgtusmc]

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