WC N FAVS USN Retired NVR EXPIRED's blog: "News, you can learn a lot about me in here."

Now I know this is a chain letter and I do not normally share these things. But this one hits home for me as it discribes the night me and my Wife met very well. I hope you all enjoy it as much as I do and remember, our friends make us strong but being a true friend makes you strongest of all.

Enjoy the story:

 

Let's see if you send it back. We all know or knew someone like this!!

One day, when I was a freshman in high school, I saw a kid from my class was walking home from school. His name was Kyle.

It looked like he was carrying all of his books. I thought to myself, 'Why would anyone bring home all his books on a Friday?

He must really be a nerd.'

I had quite a weekend planned (parties and a football game with my friends tomorrow afternoon), so I shrugged my shoulders and went on.

As I was walking, I saw a bunch of kids running toward him. They ran at him, knocking all his books out of his arms and tripping him so he landed in the dirt.

His glasses went flying, and I saw them land in the grass about ten feet from him... He looked up and I saw this terrible sadness in his eyes

My heart went out to him. So, I jogged over to him as he crawled around looking for his glasses, and I saw a tear in his eye.

As I handed him his glasses, I said, 'Those guys are jerks.'They really should get lives. ' He looked at me and said, 'Hey thanks!'

There was a big smile on his face.

It was one of those smiles that showed real gratitude. I helped him pick up his books, and asked him where he lived.

As it turned out, he lived near me, so I asked him why I had never seen him before.. He said he had gone to private school before now.

I would have never hung out with a private school kid before. We talked all the way home, and I carried some of his books.

He turned out to be a pretty cool kid. I asked him if he wanted to play a little football with my friends

He said yes. We hung out all weekend and the more I got to know Kyle, the more I liked him, and my friends thought the same of him.

Monday morning came, and there was Kyle with the huge stack of books again. I stopped him and said, 'Boy, you are gonna really build some serious muscles with this pile of books everyday!

' He just laughed and handed me half the books.

Over the next four years, Kyle and I became best friends... When we were seniors we began to think about college. Kyle decided on Georgetown and I was going to Duke. I knew that we would always be friends, that the miles would never be a problem.

He was going to be a doctor and I was going for business on a football scholarship.. Kyle was valedictorian of our class.

I teased him all the time about being a nerd. He had to prepare a speech for graduation.

I was so glad it wasn't me having to get up there and speak.

Graduation day, I saw Kyle. He looked great. He was one of those guys that really found himself during high school. He filled out and actually looked good in glasses. He had more dates than I had and all the girls loved him.. Boy, sometimes I was jealous! Today was one of those days.

I could see that he was nervous about his speech. So, I smacked him on the back and said, 'Hey, big guy, you'll be great!' He looked at me with one of those looks (the really grateful one) and smiled. ' Thanks,' he said.

As he started his speech, he cleared his throat, and began 'Graduation is a time to thank those who helped you make it through those tough years.

Your parents, your teachers, your siblings, maybe a coach...but mostly your friends.... I am here to tell all of you that being a friend to someone is the best gift you can give them.

I am going to tell you a story.' I just looked at my friend with disbelief as he told the first day we met.

He had planned to kill himself over the weekend. He talked of how he had cleaned out his locker so his Mom wouldn't have to do it later and was carrying his stuff home. He looked hard at me and gave me a little smile. 'Thankfully, I was saved. My friend saved me from doing the unspeakable..'

I heard the gasp go through the crowd as this handsome, popular boy told us all about his weakest moment. I saw his Mom and dad looking at me and smiling that same grateful smile.

Not until that moment did I realize it's depth.. Never underestimate the power of your actions.. With one small gesture you can change a person's life. For better or for worse.

God puts us all in each others lives to impact one another in some way. Look for God in others.

You now have two choices, you can :

1) Pass this on to your friends or

2) Delete it and act like it

didn't touch your heart.

As you can see, I took choice number 1. 'Friends are angels who lift us to our feet when our wings have trouble remembering how to fly.' There is no beginning or end.. Yesterday is history.

Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift.

It's National Friendship Week. Show your friends how much you care. Send this to everyone you consider a FRIEND.

If it comes back to you, then you'll know you have a circle of friends.

Greetings and Salutations!!

 

       I have located finally a reputable grower of organically grown Bhut Jolokia Peppers!!! Yay!! I want to invite everyone to visit his website so they may learn a bit about the Bhut Jolokia which is by the way the new World Record Holder in the Guinness Book of World Records as "The Hottest Pepper on Earth". So Please pay the website a visit and learn a little more about me my learning a little more about my Favorite Pepper:D Here is the website address:

 

http://thehottestpepper.com

Please check it out because he has a great deal of useful information on these peppers as well as great tips on organic gardening.:D

 

Have a great day;

Nate

 

 

 

Well I am Back Finally:D

 

   As most ppl know I am in a new Duty Station now and finally got settled in to the house and got it stocked up and ready for my Family to move into. It is a relief to be done with that part of this transition.

   What some of you may not understand is that the new job I am in requires a whole new level of concentration because I am out of my field of work now for the most part. I am not forecastiong the weather in this duty. I am in a combat unit now. What this means is that the training I am undergoing right now requires 110% of my focus and concentration in order for me to learn what I need to in order to return alive each time I deploy.

    What this means is that I may not be as chatty or interactive as I was when I was in Hawaii. Please do not take it personal or think I am ignoring you or that I just don't care anymore because I always have and I always will. My Fubar Family and friends are just that, You are my Family and you are my Friends, which means I feel comfortable airing this out to all of you because I know you all will understand and accept the fact that I will be on as much as I am able, but it probably won't be as often as I was before when my Life was'nt on the line.

 

I hope everyone understands and I love you all with all my heart and soul;

Nathaniel

 

To all of my Wonderful Friends and Family;

 

Well I have not had a clue how to set my relationship status as long as I have been on here. Well I finally figured it out. Thankfully because I have always hated that it said private. Granted I have never hidden that fact because I have lots of proud pics of my Wife and kids on here, but ya'll should not have to ask. Thank you all for your understanding the past year and to those who have asked. All my thanks to all of you.

 

Sincerely;

Nathaniel.

Ya'll know I do not forward or repost a lot. But this one hits home so hard because it reminds me of my Oldest Son so Much. Please read it all the way through, You do not have to forward it or repost it or anything else. I just ask that you at least read it through. So Very Sincerely; Nathaniel Two Choices What would you do? .... you make the choice. Don't look for a punch line, there isn't one. Read it anyway. My question is: Would you have made the same choice? At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves children with learning disabilities, the father of one of the students delivered a speech that would never be forgotten by all who attended. After extolling the school and its dedicated staff, he offered a question: 'When not interfered with by outside influences, everything nature does, is done with perfection. Yet my son, Shay, cannot learn things as other children do. He cannot understand things as other children do. Where is the natural order of things in my son?' The audience was stilled by the query. The father continued. 'I believe that when a child like Shay, who was mentally and physically disabled comes into the world, an opportunity to realize true human nature presents itself, and it comes in the way other people treat that child.' Then he told the following story: Shay and I had walked past a park where some boys Shay knew were playing baseball. Shay asked, 'Do you think they'll let me play?' I knew that most of the boys would not want someone like Shay on their team, but as a father I also understood that if my son were allowed to play, it would give him a much needed sense of belonging and some confidence to be accepted by others in spite of his handicaps. I approached one of the boys on the field and asked (not expecting much) if Shay could play. The boy looked around for guidance and said, 'We're losing by six runs and the game is in the eighth inning. I guess he can be on our team and we'll try to put him in to bat in the ninth inning.' Shay struggled over to the team's bench and, with a broad smile, put on a team shirt. I watched with a small tear in my eye and warmth in my heart. The boys saw my joy at my son being accepted. In the bottom of the e ighth inning, Shay's team scored a few runs but was still behind by three. In the top of the ninth inning, Shay put on a glove and played in the right field. Even though no hits came his way, he was obviously ecstatic just to be in the game and on the field, grinning from ear to ear as I waved to him from the stands. In the bottom of the ninth inning, Shay's team scored again. Now, with two outs and the bases loaded, the potential winning run was on base and Shay was scheduled to be next at bat. At this juncture, do they let Shay bat and give away their chance to win the game? Surprisingly, Shay was given the bat. Everyone knew that a hit was all but impossible because Shay didn't even know how to hold the bat properly, much less connect with the ball. However, as Shay stepped up to the plate, the pitcher, recognizing that the other team was putting winning aside for this moment in Shay's life, moved in a few steps to lob the ball in softly so Shay could at least make contact. The first pitch came and Shay swung clumsily and missed. The pitcher again took a few steps forward to toss the ball softly towards Shay. As the pitch came in, Shay swung at the ball and hit a slow ground ball right back to the pitcher. The game would now be over. The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and could have easily thrown the ball to the first baseman. Shay would have been out and that would have been the end of the game. Instead, the pitcher threw the ball right over the first baseman's head, out of reach of all team mates. Everyone from the stands and both teams started yelling, 'Shay, run to first! Run to first!' Never in his life had Shay ever run that far, but he made it to first base. He scampered down the baseline, wide-eyed and startled. Everyone yelled, 'Run to second, run to second!' Catching his breath, Shay awkwardly ran towards second, gleaming and struggling to make it to the base. By the time Shay rounded towards second base, the right fielder had the ball . the smallest guy on their team who now had his first chance to be the hero for his team. He could have thrown the ball to the second baseman for the tag, but he understood the pitcher's intentions so he, too, intentionally threw the ball high and far over the third baseman's head. Shay ran toward third base deliriously as the runners ahead of him circled the bases toward home. All were screaming, 'Shay, Shay, Shay, all the Way Shay' Shay reached third base because the opposing shortstop ran to help him by turning him in the direction of third base, and shouted, 'Run to third! Shay, run to third!' As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams, and the spectators, were on their feet screaming, 'Shay, run home! Run home!' Shay r an to home, stepped on the plate, and was cheered as the hero who hit the grand slam and won the game for his team. 'That day', said the father softly with tears now rolling down his face, 'the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of true love and humanity into this world'. Shay didn't make it to another summer. He died that winter, having never forgotten being the hero and making me so happy, and coming home and seeing his Mother tearfully embrace her little hero of the day! AND NOW A LITTLE FOOT NOTE TO THIS STORY: We all send thousands of jokes through the e-mail without a second thought, but when it comes to sending messages about life choices, people hesitate. The crude, vulgar, and often obscene pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion about decency is too often suppressed in our schools and workplaces. If you're thinking about forwarding this message, chances are that you're probably sorting out the people in your address book who aren't the 'appropriate' ones to receive this type of message Well, the person who sent you this believes that we all can make a difference. We all have thousands of opportunities every single day to help realize the 'natural order of things.' So many seemingly trivial interactions between two people present us with a choice: Do we pass along a little spark of love and humanity or do we pass up those opportunities and leave the world a little bit colder in the process? A wise man once said every society is judged by how it treats it's least fortunate amongst them. You now have two choices: 1. Delete 2. Forward May your day, be a Shay Day.

There is nothing in this world that can explain the feelings and emotions that overcome me when I listen to this song. Most of you who will read this have come to know and understand me. I appreciate the time that all of you have taken to get to know me. So here are the lyrics to a very special song to me: There was a time some time ago When every sunrise meant a sunny day, oh a sunny day But now when the morning light shines in It only disturbs the dreamland where I lay, oh where I lay I used to thank the lord when I'd wake For life and love and the golden sky above me But now I pray the stars will go on shinin', you see in my dreams you love me Daybreak is a joyful time Just listen to the songbird harmonies, oh the harmonies But I wish the dawn would never come I wish there was silence in the trees, oh the trees If only I could stay asleep, at least I could pretend you're thinkin' of me 'Cause nighttime is the one time I am happy, you see in my dreams We climb and climb and at the top we fly Let the world go on below us, we are lost in time And I don't know really what it means All I know is that you love me, in my dreams I keep hopin' one day I'll awaken, and somehow she'll be lying by my side And as I wonder if the dawn is really breakin' She touches me and suddenly I'm alive We climb and climb and at the top we fly Let the world go on below us, we are lost in time And I don't know really what it means All I know is that you love me, in my dreams We climb and at the top we fly Let the world go on below us, we are lost in time And I don't know really what it means All I know is that you love me, in my dreams Oho only, in my dreams. Sincerely; Nathaniel

Wow, Today was a very powerful day for me. My Ex-Step Father is in town visiting. He is my little Brothers Father and the only Father I had growing up. He and my Mother parted ways when I was 12. Today he took me and my Brother out to Turtle Bay resort to play a round of Golf. We played the Fazio course and it was incredible. Best course I have ever played in my short time playing the game. I just started in 2006. We had the best bonding experience that we have ever had together, just us three boys. When we got to the 18th hole, he literally floored me when he turned and looked at me and my Brother and said " You know, I am so very Proud of you two boys, you have done so well and it makes me very proud". I am 35 years old and this is the very first time that he has ever told me that he was proud of me. I don't think he is aware of the impact that statement had on me and how much it meant to hear him say that. I am going to sleep now, and I have a PEZ dispenser smile on my face. I love ya'll and I simply had to share this with everyone. Have a wonderful Night my Friends. Nathaniel Little Bro, Please don't show this to Dad okay. I want to tell him myself.