Jr. highers and aging sailors
We staffers had a dry run for City Challenge this weekend when 15 Jr-Highers from Bellevile, PA came out to visit us for the weekend. They arrived with a burst of youthful energy on Friday evening, and by Saturday morning I was already feeling like an old man. Seeing them and their outlook on life was enjoyable, and on Saturday, I got to take them to the nursing home to visit people there.
I was especially touched by one of the old men as he discussed his service in WWII. He had a picture of his ship hanging on the wall across from his bed. He said that looking at it made him so very happy and yet so very sad. The tear on his cheek made it clear that he was not merely describing emotions he had heard about elsewhere. He compared his life to that of King David, and there certainly were similarities; beginning with the loss of a young son, which led him to quote David; saying "He cannot come to me, but I will go to him". He told us of his time in the Pacific theatre and the friends he lost there. He told us of the years he worked as a stonecutter, and he smiled as he told us about the stonecutting progress. I hope to see him again sometime.