R_W_B
Senior Member
Well I read every post on the Moment of Reflection thread. It was an excellent thread and enjoyed reading it but there were so many and diverse replies, there was nothing I could add. But it did remind me of a somewhat similar (but different) occurance at my local dealer about 5 months ago. And not wanting to hi-jack robermv32's thread, I decided to post this same title the 2nd. So here it is.
I had gone down to the Harley shop about noon on Sunday for parts (they are only open from about noon to 4 pm on Sundays). When I got there were two guys ahead of me at the parts counter and only one guy working the counter. So I figured a wait since I have been there before and it doesn't always move real fast. Well one of the ones waiting was this old guy sitting on a stool. He was weathered and his skin looked like leather. He had a bandana on his head and was dressed like a biker. He kinda kept looking at me and I noticed he had a bit of a smile on his face. He made a couple of small talk initiations and I began to see that he wanted to talk. So I figured what the heck I got to wait here anyhow might as well talk to the old feller. Well he just kinda talked about anything and then slowly it got around to some health problems he had.
Come to find out he was a Korean War Veteran and he was 81 yrs old. I was amazed, I hope I look that good if I live that long. He is still able to ride his Harley now, but the past few yrs he had a rough time of it. He had cancer and the only family he had was his daughter and when the Vet hospital started him on Chemo he got so weak he had to check into the hospital permanently. He was supposed to have 6 Chemo treatments but the 5th one almost killed him and they had to stop the chemo. He said he laid there in that hospital bed so weak he could not even roll over in bed.
He said well God I am either going to die here or I am going to get out of here one or the other. So he asked the nurse what it would take for him to be let out of the hospital. She told him he would have to be able to dress himself, go to the bathroom by himself and walk a hundred yards. It took him 4 months but little by little he did it. He first just got to the point where he could roll over in bed. Then after about 4 weeks he got to where he could sit up in bed, then he worked on getting out of bed etc until he finally completed every test and they let him out.
And now he walks around just like you and me at 81 yrs old. He said the cancer could come back anytime, he has to be tested every so often. But he said at his age what the heck, he can't really complain. He said he has made his peace with his maker and he just likes to talk to people until he passes over for good. I felt in awe of him. It was him that gave me something rather than me taking the time to 'listen' to him.
He was rough looking but so friendly and I had such a warm feeling talking to him. When the counter guy finally finished with the first guy he said who's next. I said this guy here (pointing at the old guy), but the old guy looked at us both and said 'oh I'm not here to buy anything, I just wanted to talk to someone, I'm just an old man and I need to be going anyhow.' He got up and shook my hand and walked out.
As I began to tell the counter man what part I needed I had such a feeling like I had just talked to a brother in Christ. A very genuine brother that I had the honor of giving him someone to talk too. I am so glad that our country gave him a hospital bed. From what I read of it the Korean war was the most hideous to me for various reasons. But I will never forget that old Vet and the way I felt as he left.
I had gone down to the Harley shop about noon on Sunday for parts (they are only open from about noon to 4 pm on Sundays). When I got there were two guys ahead of me at the parts counter and only one guy working the counter. So I figured a wait since I have been there before and it doesn't always move real fast. Well one of the ones waiting was this old guy sitting on a stool. He was weathered and his skin looked like leather. He had a bandana on his head and was dressed like a biker. He kinda kept looking at me and I noticed he had a bit of a smile on his face. He made a couple of small talk initiations and I began to see that he wanted to talk. So I figured what the heck I got to wait here anyhow might as well talk to the old feller. Well he just kinda talked about anything and then slowly it got around to some health problems he had.
Come to find out he was a Korean War Veteran and he was 81 yrs old. I was amazed, I hope I look that good if I live that long. He is still able to ride his Harley now, but the past few yrs he had a rough time of it. He had cancer and the only family he had was his daughter and when the Vet hospital started him on Chemo he got so weak he had to check into the hospital permanently. He was supposed to have 6 Chemo treatments but the 5th one almost killed him and they had to stop the chemo. He said he laid there in that hospital bed so weak he could not even roll over in bed.
He said well God I am either going to die here or I am going to get out of here one or the other. So he asked the nurse what it would take for him to be let out of the hospital. She told him he would have to be able to dress himself, go to the bathroom by himself and walk a hundred yards. It took him 4 months but little by little he did it. He first just got to the point where he could roll over in bed. Then after about 4 weeks he got to where he could sit up in bed, then he worked on getting out of bed etc until he finally completed every test and they let him out.
And now he walks around just like you and me at 81 yrs old. He said the cancer could come back anytime, he has to be tested every so often. But he said at his age what the heck, he can't really complain. He said he has made his peace with his maker and he just likes to talk to people until he passes over for good. I felt in awe of him. It was him that gave me something rather than me taking the time to 'listen' to him.
He was rough looking but so friendly and I had such a warm feeling talking to him. When the counter guy finally finished with the first guy he said who's next. I said this guy here (pointing at the old guy), but the old guy looked at us both and said 'oh I'm not here to buy anything, I just wanted to talk to someone, I'm just an old man and I need to be going anyhow.' He got up and shook my hand and walked out.
As I began to tell the counter man what part I needed I had such a feeling like I had just talked to a brother in Christ. A very genuine brother that I had the honor of giving him someone to talk too. I am so glad that our country gave him a hospital bed. From what I read of it the Korean war was the most hideous to me for various reasons. But I will never forget that old Vet and the way I felt as he left.