I couldn't come up with a "fitting" word...

Today was a pretty nice day. A week of nearly steady cloud wringing came to an end. The spare sump pump was unplugged. The sun struggled and managed to pop out for a bit. (Near Lake Erie, we get a lot of gray skies this time of year.) I solved most of the New York Times crossword puzzle...Saturdays are toughies! Got a great book at a garage sale for 25 cents and found a nearly new keyboard to replace the one onto which I spilled water and had my desktop doing things Bill Gates never could imagine. In the past 11 years, very few events have had a continuing pull on my attention: The Twin Towers, 2 Tsunamis and Sandy Storm. So much damage and so many lives lost/affected in such a short amount of time. When mass tragedy strikes, Americans pull together...without any prompting whatsoever. They just do it! It's who we are. Income, political persuasion, ethnicity, team loyalty, schooling, etc., matter not. People merely grab anything that will help and take it to those who lost out. There are no introductions and no prejudices. There are no language barriers. The eyes tell the stories. The eyes display the loss. They eyes convey the need. In turmoil, there are the sufferers and the bringers. No borders. Just helpers. Life must go on. It will. It always does. I could quickly fill several pages, but don't need to. You know of what I speak. At one time in your lives, you needed and received, no matter how small or large. At one time in your lives, you gave, no matter how small or large. Possessions were/are not always exchanged. Times such as this tells us why God invented hugs.........yep, 'nuff said there, eh? All that in mind, I caught a portion of the ABC news on my local affiliate. That particular segment centered on the New York Marathon's cancellation. Mayor Bloomberg, in my opinion, made the correct call. Few, if any, residents were involved in the running. They were busy in their own races against shock of loss, wet, hunger, cold, missing family and all that accompanies tragedy. Yet, the camera happened to focus on what appeared to be a nice looking blond lady that I guessed might have been in her early thirties. Her words were very close to, "We're upset, we're extremely mad that the race was called off. We traveled many miles, brought families and reserved hotel rooms." She was upset and vehement in her delivery of those words. (Here's where I couldn't come up with a "fitting word" to describe her audacity). In lieu of that, I will stifle the urge to introduce her neck to my knuckles. One wonders what could be done to satisfy this obviously self-entitled ------, ------, ------, ------. Even if the race COULD have been, the entrants would all have to run over, around and through the rubble. Did she consider that? I have to stop here, as I could go on for pages, but don't need to. All I can suggest is that she sue God and may she hope to never experience what she was so put out by. God bless America.

Archived Obituary---Goodbye, Old Friend.....

There won’t be any flowers or a casket at this funeral. The lone pall-bearer will be a tow-truck driver. Interment will be at B & O Auto Parts. Certain organs might be salvageable and will be legally sold, not donated. The “Old Gray Mare” didn’t have a heart, per se, but did she EVER have compassion!!!

She passed on Thursday, June 3rd, 1999 at 4:30 PM. Born in Berea’s First Congregational United Church of Christ, she was the first motorized child of the outreach program called Church Street Ministries.

For eleven years, she worked out of this very small church, doing what even the largest organizations do not---DELIVERING food, clothing, furniture, appliances, beds, holiday packages and many other items to the needy throughout Cuyahoga County and, on occasion, outside the county.

The “Old Gray Mare”, since 1988, delivered more that 500,000 pounds of goods to those who had no means of transportation---natural disasters, fire victims, refugees, those displaced from abuse, recovering addicts and alcoholics, mentally and physically challenged, homeless people trying to resurrect their lives, the many good folks caring for their abandoned grand-children, homes for single parents and a ton of others.

During her 11 years, she serviced more than 9,000 people. She also chauffeured many hundreds of kids to work camps across the country where they learned to interact with people of different cultures, colors, religions and ethnic backgrounds. The “Old Gray Mare” was a traveling classroom wherein people of all ages both volunteers and court appointed community service men and women could learn the ABC’s of St. Matthew, chapter 25, verse 35---feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit the sick.

She did all this and so much more but at 4:30 on Thursday, June 3rd, 1999, she drove the last of 130,674 compassionate miles. She physically and mechanically ran out of gas. Sure, there will be another van to support the mission of this tiny church and it will continue so long as there are those who need help---and the generous people, churches and organizations who helped purchase and maintain her. We’ll definitely miss “The Old Gray Mare”. May she “rust” in peace.