The Good Ole Days!

While chatting with a chum of mine recently, he complained that the “Good Ole Days” were gone forever. He recalled how his parents and grandparents talked about those halcyon days of yesteryear, and wondered what became of those affable days and how things got so bad.

I pointed out that those bygone days were not so agreeable as he was led to believe. After all, those days were filled with World Wars 1 and 2, the Holocaust, the first atomic weapons used against human beings, the Great Depression, the Korean War, Viet Nam, and the festive days of McCarthyism and the “House Subcommittee on Un-American Activities”. In the south, National Guard troops were ordered to escort a couple of young black students to university in Alabama while their governor proclaimed loudly: “Segregation today, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever!” Those days of yore were filled with race riots, the Bay of Pigs fiasco, church bombings in Selma Alabama, assassinations of our brightest hopes and a host of troubles too numerous to catalogue.

My companion said I misunderstood his meaning. His sentiment was that things were different when his parents and grandparents were young. As he explained his view of the “good ole days”, he waxed nostalgic for the greater spirit of community found in small towns and villages all over the country. He noted that people looked after one another, cared about their neighbors, visited over backyard fences, kept an eye on each other’s kids, lent a helping hand without being asked, and were generally more selfless in giving.

When I stared back at him with a look of bewilderment in my eyes, he asked why I appeared puzzled.

I guess I do not understand,” I replied. “Because so far as I am able to discern, these are the best ‘good ole days’ mankind has ever known. Right now, right here, today.”

There has never been a more exciting time in human history to be alive. And moreover, these ‘good ole days’ are better than anything that came before.

Sure, the very definition of community has changed. Once we visited over the backyard fence, but today the entire planet has become our neighborhood. I chat with folks in Canada, Australia, Britain, Russia, and other nations around the globe. This is an age of communication that has transformed our planet into one immense community. Our backyard fence now runs high speed data and enables us to connect with people in every nation on this planet!

Perhaps the reason we do not sense that spirit of community today is because we seldom hear the tales of people working together for the greater good of their neighbors.

Consider that our major media fixates on bad news. Broadcasters will report the murders, rapes, car crashes, destruction caused by violent storms, earthquakes, floods, tsunamis, famines, plagues and the progress of various wars around the globe. Seldom do they report tales of people helping people, looking out for one another, taking care of one another, and the countless acts of selfless heroism that abound in our world today. Those things simply do not get much press. But they are all around us, if we care to look. The sheer number of such tales is virtually limitless, while the mantra of major media is "If it bleeds, it leads."

Jimmy Carter is regarded a failure as President of the United States. But he found his calling when he dedicated his life to the "Habitat for Humanity" project. You will still find Carter, who is getting quite elderly, out there building houses with his own two hands. Thousands of volunteers in the community lend a hand and pitch in to help. Those volunteers come from all over America, building houses for those who can never afford one. But it started with one man's idea. There are others who donate cash and materials to support Habitat for Humanity, but their praises are rarely sung.

Another former President, George Herbert Walker Bush, held forth his vision of “A Thousand Points of Light” to promote volunteerism. This has resulted in the creation of the Points of Light Foundation. Anyone wishing to volunteer to help others in their own community may visit their website http://www.pointsoflight.org and simply input their zip code or state to see what opportunities exist to make a difference in the lives of folks in their own community.

When the World Trade Center was struck by terrorists, men and women came running out of those buildings in shock, many of them injured. They were met by average citizens of New York City who helped them get away from those buildings and direct them to paramedics ready to help with life saving first aid. While the injured flooded into the streets of Manhattan, hundreds of fire fighters and policemen ran into the flaming buildings. One might argue they were simply doing their job. Not one of them took a look at the destruction hanging above their heads and quit their job that morning. They ran into those buildings. Why? Because they wanted to help others, to look after their neighbors, and save as many lives as possible. As a result, many of them lost their own lives.

Most Americans have never heard of William Rodriguez, but he is typical of the Spirit of Community that makes this nation so great.

Rodriguez is a native of Puerto Rico who became a citizen of the United States. He made his home in New Jersey and was a maintenance worker at the World Trade Center for 19 years at the time of the attacks of September 11th, 2001.

Rodriguez personally rescued 15 people from the North Tower and delivered them to safety. He had the only master keys for the building and led firemen and rescue workers up stairwells in the North Tower, unlocking doors as they ascended. His help resulted in hundreds of people being rescued from the stricken building. Moreover, he went back into that building not once, but three more times to help save fellow human beings.

It is believed that Rodriguez was the last living person to leave the North Tower as it collapsed around him. He survived by taking refuge underneath a fire truck as the debris came crashing down around him. After being extricated from beneath the rubble, he was treated at the scene for the injuries he received while helping save so many others.

You’d think the man would simply go home after that, having made a significant contribution to the welfare of others. Not so with William Rodriguez. He remained at the World Trade Center site and pitched in as a volunteer to rescue others that might yet be saved. Survivors will carry the memory of what Rodriguez did for them on that fateful day, and bear immense gratitude for his courageous action. None of this was his job, but his sense of duty as a citizen of the community.

In the aftermath of 911 donations of money, food, clothing, and offers of help came from citizens all across America, from sea to shining sea. Fire fighters and rescue workers flooded into New York from distant cities in an outpouring of compassion and concern. Many who came were civilians with two hands to help and hearts filled with sorrow.

The only flight allowed in the air on that day or those that followed, aside from Air Force One and military fighter jets, was a Leer jet from Denver Colorado carrying badly needed blood donated by the citizens of that city. Nothing else could fly, as the entire national air fleet was grounded, except that one civilian plane loaded with donated blood. It landed in New York bringing the gift of life freely given by hundreds of Coloradoans. The donation centers in Denver were overwhelmed by the number of people that came pouring through their doors to give this precious gift of life. They gave blood so that people the donors never met, and didn’t know, could be saved. This same scene was repeated in cities and towns all over the United States.

Denis Leary, comic and television star of the hit series "Rescue Me" created the “Leary Firefighter Foundation in 2000” to support the families of 6 Worchester, firefighters who lost their lives in a warehouse arson fire. After 9/11, his foundation endowed “The Leary Firefighters' Fund for New York's Bravest”, which directed support to 343 families of firefighters who died in the line of duty in the Twin Towers. The foundation has worked to support firefighters with the latest in safety equipment and technology to back them up in their dangerous work.

More recently the foundation provided the NYFD a state-of-the-art Mobile Command Center that serves as the departments HQ for large scale operations. It first saw service at the Republican National Convention in New York City.

A portion of the profits from the television series “Rescue Me” are used as the foundation continues to provide additional equipment and support for the New York City fire department.

Everyone knows the singer Cher, and many folks reading this may have an album or two of hers in their collection. Few know how she uses her celebrity to help others.

Shocked at the failure of our government to provide for victims of Hurricane Katrina, she mobilized an extraordinary effort to send gifts of money and goods to help citizens of New Orleans following the destruction of that city.

Since then, Cher has put her fame and fortune to work on behalf of our soldiers in Iraq! She regularly visits with soldiers in VA hospitals like Walter Reed, and feels a deep compassion for the catastrophic injuries our young men and women have suffered in the service of our nation. Of particular concern were the terrible head and brain injuries suffered by our troops in combat.

In the wee hours of Memorial Day, 2006, Cher phoned the Washington Journal as it aired on C-SPAN to voice her concern for our troops. She spoke with Steve Scully and didn’t give her name, but her famous voice was readily identified by Scully.

"Is this Cher?" he asked.

"Yeah," she answered. "I know that I am an entertainer and from Hollywood and should have no conscience, but I am an American and I just cannot bear these people for another moment."

The people Cher could not bear were those who proclaim their support for our troops, but do nothing of substance to actually support them. She saw an opportunity for folks to provide substantial support for our troops and challenged viewers to join her in the challenge.

Cher wasn’t seeking notoriety for herself, but using her celebrity to bring attention to a cause that moved her heart. The spirit of compassion was clearly evident in her voice as she spoke about the need to help our soldiers in Baghdad and Afghanistan.

Her cause is “Operation Helmet”. There are helmet pads that upgrade helmets of combat troops to help prevent catastrophic trauma to the head and mitigate brain injury, particularly in proximity to explosive devices that result in concussion damage. The added protection is invaluable to our men and women in combat, and she believed everyone in service of our nation should have them.

She appeared on CNN with Dr. Bob Meaders to promote Operation Helmet. Together, they have donated nearly 7,000 helmet liners to troops serving in both Iraq and Afghanistan. These helmet pads only cost $71 dollars, and they save lives. The cushions have been adopted by the US Army for all their soldiers and the Marine Corps is considering them as well.

Operation Helmet is a nonprofit foundation created by Dr. Meaders, a former U.S. Navy doctor who was asked by his grandson serving in the Marines to research these liners. His goal is to see that all branches of the military use these devices to the benefit of all our young folks in combat.

Cher contacted Meaders and donated $25,000 to the organization to help supply these life saving helmet pads for the troops currently serving overseas. In addition, Cher joined Meaders on June 14 to testify before the House Armed Services Committee on the effectiveness of the helmet pads, and to prevail upon lawmakers to make them standard issue for every person serving their nation in combat.

For more on Operation Helmet, visit http://operation-helmet.org/

Sean Penn also went to New Orleans and worked together with local folks using swamp boats (flat bottom, thus ideal for the flooded streets of N.O.) to rescue people stranded by the floods that followed Hurricane Katrina. While critics claim Penn did this for publicity for himself, lives were indeed saved by his efforts. Penn has often given time and energy to help others, so the critics may have another agenda. The bottom line is that Penn didn’t sit on his laurels, but did something to help others.

The outrage of a young CNN broadcaster was plainly evident as Anderson Cooper reported from the devastated city for days following the hurricane. He went beyond his role as reporter to help rescue stranded citizens. His focus on Charity hospital was likely the stimulus for their eventual rescue.

For that matter, the dedication of nurses, orderlies, and volunteers at Charity hospital was astonishing. They refused to leave their patients behind to seek safety. Going far beyond the call of duty, they cared for their patients until help arrived, many days later than it should have come. They transfused their own blood to patients in need, gave each other IV of saline to keep hydrated, and since there was no power they pumped respirators by hand for day after increasingly hopeless day. One might assert that they were merely doing their job, nothing more. Yet, none of them quit either.

These are the stories you may hear about on major media. CNN will cover celebrities who step forward to help out. They will report on Bill Gates creating a massive aids project for Africa, or we might hear about Mel Gibson donating 10 million dollars to help children, using their celebrity status to advance their cause. What they do tends to draw recognition. The average American, like William Rodriguez, is the type of story we seldom hear reported.

Everyday heroes don’t receive such attention or recognition. Seldom do we hear the stories of food pantries around the nation, working to feed the hungry of America. We do not hear about volunteers all over the country who donate time to deliver hot food through the “Meals on Wheels Project” to handicapped and elderly folks in every community. None of the media outlets in the Denver area reported about the motorists who stopped to help a motorcyclist struck by lightening on the Boulder Turnpike. Only briefly mentioned was the story about a man who lost his life in a Colorado river as he attempted to save two children that had been swept away by white water rapids. Seldom reported are thousands of cases in which average Americans intervened to stop a crime in progress, or who got involved when a neighbor was abusing their child. We just do not hear about simple acts of selflessness and caring by citizens in our own communities, but they are all around us. Simply put, we rarely hear about the everyday heroes in our midst.

Alex Scott was only 4 years of age when she decided to do something about cancer. She was going to defeat it. A cancer victim herself, she wanted to eradicate childhood cancer for all kids everywhere. She decided to sell lemonade at her lemonade stand in an effort to raise 1 million dollars!

Her first attempt raised 2,000 dollars. Not a bad start. She provided inspiration that affected others. Alex's classmates at Penn Wynne Elementary School had already raised 7,000 dollars by June 12th of this year.

Today there are lemonade stands in all 50 states, selling lemonade to fight cancer across the United States. The movement has caught on in Canada, Australia and France. It was estimated that some 1,000 lemonade stands were raising money and more will be coming along as the movement spreads. All this good was generated by one little girl named Alex Scott!

At the time of his death at age 13, Matttie Stepanek had accomplished more than most folks in an entire lifetime.

Mattie had a rare form of muscular dystrophy called mitochondrial myopathy. Making matters worse, he also suffered a disease of the autonomic nervous system called dysautonomia, which affects such automatic systems as digestion, heart rate, body temperature regulation and blood oxygenation.

Mattie was only 3 years of age when he started writing poetry to express his feelings over the death of his brother Jamie. He explained how he overcame his anger, sadness and fear and learned how to cope with his personal loss.

He once told friends at a camp for kids with Muscular Dystrophy that he had 3 wishes, and before his life ended, he accomplished all three.

The first was to write a book of poetry. By age 11, Mattie became a New York Times bestselling author when his book Heartsongs was published by Hyperion Books. Before his death, he published 4 more books that are uplifting and inspirational to all that read them.

His second wish was to meet Jimmy Carter, the former President of the United States, who was his hero. That wish was also fulfilled, and Mattie struck up a great friendship with Jimmy Carter.

At the funeral mass for Mattie, Carter delivered his eulogy saying:

"When I ran for governor many years ago I estimated I shook 600,000 hands, and when I was president I visited all 50 states, and since I left office my wife and I have traveled to more than 120 nations. I've known kings and queens, presidents and prime ministers, but the most extraordinary person I have ever known in my life is Mattie Stepanek."

Mattie’s third wish was to appear on the Oprah Winfrey television program and he accomplished that as well.

Mattie passed away shortly before his 14th birthday, but his power to inspire and uplift spirits continues even now. His website carries his legacy of giving though he has left this world. http://www.mattieonline.com

Can you see where this is heading?

These ARE the good ole days, beloved friend.

I see folks every day helping their neighbors. I have witnessed how half a dozen men will run to the aid of a motorist stuck in snow and push them out. What about the neighbor who learns that someone on the block has taken seriously ill, and drops by to offer assistance? How often do we hear about someone getting lost in a mountain wilderness and the rush of volunteers who turn out to help in the search?

We rarely hear about the neighbor who will confront a suspicious person seen lurking around their neighbor’s property. Yet, those simple acts of concern and caring happen every day in every community in America. People do watch out for their neighbors. As noted earlier, it just doesn’t get much press.

Just the other day, I neglected to turn off the interior lights in my car. My neighbor came over from next door to bang on the outside wall to let me know. Simple stuff, but helpful. The sort of stuff you won’t see on CNN, those simple acts of kindness and concern among neighbors are there, if we look for them.

While I can offer literally thousands of examples, if not hundreds of thousands, the point is quite clear.

I do not believe there has ever been a better ‘good ole days’ than the ones we enjoy right now, today, all over America. People do tend to help one another, regardless of race, creed or color. They help their neighbors. From such a simple act as plowing their neighbor's walks with their snow blower in winter to standing between a woman and an abusive man, people do tend to get involved.

Personally, I do not like to boast of what little deeds of kindness I may do. Seldom do I pass a stranded motorist without stopping to see if they need help. Often, I will allow them to use my cell phone to call family or friends for assistance. Once, on my way to Colorado Springs, I happened on an accident. It wasn't serious, but I stopped to let the driver use my cellular to call for help and to call family and let them know she was uninjured and safe.

On a trip to Canada, we saw an accident in Salt Lake City. My buddy and I ran to the scene along to render first aid. Those people were really in bad shape, but we kept them talking until the paramedics arrived. A merchant ran over with ice, towels and bandages. He didn’t ask for anything, and I never learned his name. But it was his way of helping, and he did so by the spirit of compassion for people he didn’t know. By the time the ambulance arrived, we were prepared with our assessment of their injuries and current condition. Not a big deal, but what little we were able to do to help strangers in a time of need.

These things are ordinary common things that happen all the time. Average people do this sort of thing every single day of every passing year.

No, the ‘good ole days’ aren't a thing of the past. There have never been a better ‘good ole days’ than those we enjoy today.

We just don't hear about them, and perhaps we shouldn't. Those selfless acts of gentle courage and quiet compassion speak for themselves.

I believe the sense of community may be more difficult to define, but I believe that there is more "looking out for one another", more acts of compassion, more acts of caring, than any other time in human history.

Whether it be the outpouring of money to help those stricken by the devastating Tsunami in Indonesia, or the local grocer who donates food from his store to help the community stricken by a tornado, to the frequently maligned Walmart Corporation that donated truckloads of fresh water and other goods to New Orleans after hurricane Katrina, the spirit of community is constantly acting for the welfare of all and the good of all.

The world has become a huge community where we can extend our hands in friendship and help to people in distant lands. We now can recognize that community can include our immediate neighborhood, our town or city, our state, our nation and our world.

My bottom line is a simple one. These are the best ole days there ever were.

Each of us can make a difference. Start by getting to know your neighbors. Host a block party. Throw a street social. When they go on vacation, let them know you will watch over their property.

Is there a need in your own block? Maybe someone who simply craves companionship? Why not spend time visiting with them? Play a guitar? Why not visit a retirement home and play a tune or two for people that seldom have access to entertainment?

That's how these things start. And they grow.

Each of us is responsible to make stuff happen. When we give, it is given back to us in greater measure. We owe it to ourselves to do what we are able for others.

We make the best ole days happen right now, today, in our own neighborhood, all around the world.

The world we wish to live in tomorrow is built on the foundation of the community we create today. It is up to us, each and every one.