I made an old lady cry. In a good way!

[KyndCulture]

What an adventure I had on my walk today.


I was coming out of the market and there was a maybe 75 yr old woman out there with a basket of silk flowers. She stopped me and asked me if I could donate to the VFW auxiliary. I asked her if her husband was a vet, she said yes, and her son and her grandson is in Iraq.... I reached into my pocket, pulled a fiver that I really couldn't afford to donate and placed it into her bucket and looked her square in the eye and said:

"Ma'am, bless you for all that you have sacrificed in your life, and please thank your husband, son and grandson for me for fighting for the freedom to allow me to take a walk in the sunshine every morning."

She had tears running down her cheeks.

And in 2 minutes walking home so did I!

What a great day!

Fuck those yellow ribbons. I just supported the troops the way it should be done everyday by thanking them!!!

[BrklynLiberal]

1. kudos

I know that you are a wonderful person....Indra agrees.
:hug: :loveya: :yourock: :applause: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce:

[Coexist]

2. What a nice story to start the weekend with

thank you.

[BOSSHOG]

3. Thank You

As a member of the VFW I appreciate your donation very much. I don't like those yellow ribbons but my sister in law gave me one that says: Got Freedom? Thank a Vet. I put it on the refrigerator in the garage. Nice gesture.

[lastliberalintexas]

33. I'm surprised you're a member, Boss

My grandfather told them to go to hell after the 2002 election cycle (esp over the Cleland/Chambliss debacle). They've never gotten another cent from us since.

I very politely tell the older gentlement who sell the poppies exactly why I will not purchase one. Maybe one day they'll do something about that group becoming an arm of the RNC.

[BOSSHOG]

37. You are right

but I am a Veteran of Foreign Wars and I am about 15-20 years younger then the current power hierarchy. I'm patient and one day I will "do something" about that arm of ours.

Thanks for the post and go ahead and buy a Poppy, you'll be funding my coup.

[lastliberalintexas]

39. LOL- I'll do it and look at it that way!

But that money better be spent just on your campaigns! :)

[BOSSHOG]

40. I agree with your grandfather

They piss me off so bad sometimes I can't see straight but I figure I will more effectively change them from the inside. Right now, I'm just a young whippersnapper but hopefully I can change their direction. I don't think the organization should dapple in politics anyway, except when it comes to vets right and that's hardly political.

Thanks for your two cents and offer your Grandfather a crisp salute from a young (52 year old) swabbie.

[lastliberalintexas]

46. Thanks Boss

My grandfather would have appreciated it, but he died in 2004. He had a very good life, though, so no sorrow there.

He was in the Army Air Corps stationed in the South Pacific, and much of his time was spent as the official photographer of various missions. We still have his amazing photos, as well as some of the silk maps that they used. Some of the paintings on the aircraft were just amazing, both in the talent used to create them and the, ahem, subject matter shown in such great detail. :) My other grandfather was a Marine in the South Pacific as well. They were both wonderful men, true blue patriots and Dems to the end. Unfortunately, neither would talk much about their time in hell, so I don't know as much as I'd like about their service.

It chaps me to no end to hear these pansy ass chickenhaks pieces of sh*t who are in power talking about how little Dems support the military, when it is republicans who gut the very benefits needed by the servicemen and women. Republicans only support the military contractors, and couldn't care less about our military men and women requiring food stamps and AFDC just to make ends meet.

Thanks for your service (and the kind words!). :patriot:

[BOSSHOG]

49. 2004 was a tough year in our household

My father (a WWII Navy Vet) and my father in law (A WWII Army Vet who landed on Omaha Beach on D-Day both died in 2004. My father on Tax Day (15 April), I think he would have liked that, and my father in law on Christmas Morning.

I think I'll step outside tonight after the sun goes down and salute them and your grandfather and all vets. I think that trumps a magnet any day.

[nini]

4. I will never forget when a Filipina nurse thanked my dad for his service

This was a few months before he died and while he was in the hospital this nurse found out my dad had served in WWII in the Phillipines and Guam. She took his hand, looked him in the eyes and thanked him for his sacrifices. She saw her grandpa murdered and remembered the hell of that time. My dad teared up as we all did. It was a beautiful moment and it meant so much to him.

Thank you for thanking her husband and recognizing her family. It meant the world to her - I'm sure of it. :thumbsup:

[KyndCulture]

6. I could feel the joy from what I said.

I guess I'm just thinking, everytime we see a military family, in whatever setting. Just say thank you.

[vickitulsa]

31. "...Just say thank you."

I totally agree. I've been a strong supporter of Vietnam vets -- and through them came to appreciate all vets and active duty military -- for most of my adult life. My first years on the Internet I joined Nam vet groups just to voice my affection and support and help in any way I can.

I can assure you that the one thing which seems to touch most of them is to hear a fellow citizen simply say "Thank you." And for the family of servicemembers, it's even more appreciated to hear a thank-you, in a way, because they rarely EVER hear it. Families of those who serve sacrifice more than most of us would ever dream of doing. They have to be there for their loved ones through all the horrors they experience, before, during, and after service in combat or POW experiences or whatever. They lose loved ones who are war casualties in every way, including the PTSD sufferers and many who end up committing suicide because they cannot end the nightmares and memories of war horrors they've seen.

One vet's wife I know real well had fought the VA along with her husband, a Vietnam vet, trying to get his illness -- something called "tropical sprue" certified as "service-related" so he could collect VA Disability. He couldn't work ... in fact, he was dying, at age 41, from this disease he brought home from Nam. Still the VA rejected him again and again and insisted his illness was NOT service-related.

FINALLY, a letter came in the mail one day and my friend Lynn was elated as she saw the VA had at last APPROVED her husband for service-related Disability. She had come home from work that day, picked up the mail at the post office and drove home, eager to tell Jim the great news.

When she went in the house, she found her husband in his bed -- dead.

People have NO IDEA how much the families endure, and how little they are thanked. Most remember the troops only, not their families.

GOODONYAMATE, to KyndCulture, for your kind deed. (I love your name too.) :)

[KyndCulture]

60. Wow. that story touched my heart.

Despite the venom in this thread I am going to make it a regular part of my day to thank a vets family when I see them. It's just a little thing but it means so much.

[Branjor]

63. That's strange....

I had a Filipina neighbor - also a nurse. I told her once that my father had served in the Philippines during WW II and she absolutely recoiled in revulsion.

So I never mentioned it again.

[Minnesota Libra]

5. KyndCulture, please be assured..............

...I an many many other DUers are SO VERY PROUD OF YOU!!!!:patriot: You did good!!!!:grouphug:

[KyndCulture]

7. Thanks ML, it sure made my day!!

And we really need to make this an everyday event, whenever we see a military family. Just say thank you.

[Robbie Michaels]

8. Bravo

:applause:

[lavenderdiva]

9. Thank you, KyndCulture

for sharing a wonderful story. You made my day! (and that woman's too, I suspect!) :hi:

[KyndCulture]

10. such a simple thing.

A thank you.

[KyndCulture]

11. Can you guys K n R this?

In all our stress over the murderers in the White House, maybe it's a good day to remind us all to stop and say a simple thank you to a military family this weekend, because it means more than any stupid magnet.

[KingFlorez]

12. Done

[lavenderdiva]

15. done!

I'm sorry, I forgot to do that before, when I replied the first time to your thread. It should be on the Greatest page, and we should all be reminded just how far a few kind words go to make someone's day! Thank you again-

[KyndCulture]

17. Ain't that the truth? A kind word. A thank you...

goes SO very far.

[KyndCulture]

13. kick

for our vets.

:kick:

[w8liftinglady]

14. bless you.

as a mom who has seen her son ravaged inside by the war,I thank you deeply.Please let all these boys(and girls) coming home know we DO appreciate their service,even if we do not support this war.Thank you again.

[KyndCulture]

16. My son is 18.... I fear for him every single day.

He's a gifted musician and a song writer, he graduates next year and dreams of music school.


What else can I do? I want my son's dreams to come true. I thank the vets who have come before but he is not "scheduled" for any lying, dying and killing.

[w8liftinglady]

30. neither are my other two boys...

these bastards have had enough of our collective sons' blood.let them send their own.

[spuddonna]

18. Nicely done!

You have a beautiful heart and soul, KyndCulture!
Good job!! :hug:

[redqueen]

19. Oh bless you for doing this, and sharing it here!

K&R!

:thumbsup:

[KyndCulture]

20. They are all around us.. Just stop this weekend...

Military families are all around us.. Just stop and say THANK YOU this weekend. It's the best thing anybody can do for them right now. Until we can bring them home.

[Name removed]

21. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[KyndCulture]

22. You got a problem thanking our troops?

And/OR their families???


That's pretty fucked up.

[Name removed]

24. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[LostinVA]

26. Leverage for what?

[KyndCulture]

35. If you got something to say. SAY IT.

I'm pissed now.


I had a moment with a freaking grandmother today. I really don't care if she was collecting money for daisies in her yard... For a split second we had a heartfelt moment. No matter what I believe or what she believes.

Don't shit on me for giving her money. It was SO not about that. It was about connecting with another woman. I felt hers and she felt mine. period.

You need to check yourself on hate, seriously. This woman and me weren't about hating war or anything... we were about appreciating another human being today.

[npincus]

61. KyndCulture, don't let the(few) jerks here get you down

There is always someone ready at DU to hand out the negativity-- it's discouraging.

What you said was great- you are "kynd"-- and the old woman obviously needed or wanted to hear it. Imagine how she must feel. The world should have more kindness and more people like you.

[KyndCulture]

65. She slept with a bit more love in her heart...

and so did I, despite this negative energy on DU.

[lastliberalintexas]

32. It was probably that you donated to the VFW,

an organization that has turned into little more than a right wing campaign machine. The VFW was complicit in the attacks against Max Cleland by supporting that chickenhawk piece of shit Saxby Chambliss, and from then on lost any support from me and my family. My grandfather (a WWII vet) attempted to resign his membership or whatever it's called over their shameful treatment of Cleland.

There are plenty of other organizations that you can donate to without worrying if your money is actually paying for a campaign commercial against a Dem. Disabled Vets of America is a good one, if I remember correctly. Maybe someone else has a list of orgs that actually help the vets and troops, rather than simply pushing the right wing agenda.

[Divernan]

50. Here on DU, it's not necessary to say that someone is F***d up

simply because they disagree with you. He/she didn't use any obscenities as you have. I noticed that your later posted rant about people hating you was locked.

I always make a donation for the little red poppies, and take time to talk to the elderly veterans, and ask them about their service, and tell them where members of my family served, and thank them for their sacrifices. No problem with your need to tell everyone about it - but you seem to explode into obscenities ("freaking grandmother". . ."fucked up". .. "don't shit on me") quite quickly.

[Pacifist Patriot]

55. Actually, I'm surprised not to see more of it. I got a dose of it...

when I described a situation in which I thanked a returning vet during a peace march. I was really taken aback that thanking a young man for serving in the military would be a source of derision at DU. The two people who chided me were not tombstoned but I am pleased to say they got their hides chapped by a few others here.

I applaud what the OP did.

[rman]

62. Thankful yes, but for "fighting for freedom in Iraq" -

because (through no fault of their own) that's not what they are doing over there.

[KyndCulture]

23. kick

[roguevalley]

25. awwww. you are so sweet and good. that woman won't forget you.

neither will I.

:hug:

[AtomicKitten]

27. Sometimes we forget what we are fighting for

with fists clenched and fighting words always ready on the tip of our tongue.

Thanks for bringing us back to the source.

[LostinVA]

28. What happened with your kitty?

[KyndCulture]

36. Check the pets thread.

[nashville_brook]

29. thank you!

thank you for sharing. what a special moment.

[jbnow]

34. Thank you for that (eom)

[stepnw1f]

38. I Donated Yesterday

Same thing... WWII Vet collecting donations. GOP supports the military? Hah... what a fucking joke!

[ComerPerro]

41. You should have pushed her away, and said, "Hey, lady,

look at my car! I have FIVE ribbons on it! How many do you have? Just two? That's what I thought. You couldn't understand what its like to support the troops as much as I do!"

:sarcasm: and channeling a freeper

[AndyA]

42. KyndCulture, you did a good thing today.

You probably made that lady's day, and you knew in your heart it was a good thing.

Don't let anyone else rain on your parade, you can't possibly please everyone. No matter what you do, SOMEONE will object to it.

You are what being an American is all about - I'm proud of you!

Have a great weekend! :thumbsup:

[grottieyottie]

43. The more

WAR is a racket. It always has been. Liberty and democracy is wonderful - when it fits into America's interests. When it doesn't?

It is possibly the oldest, easily the most profitable, surely the most vicious. It is the only one international in scope. It is the only one in which the profits are reckoned in dollars and the losses in lives.

A racket is best described, I believe, as something that is not what it seems to the majority of the people. Only a small "inside" group knows what it is about. It is conducted for the benefit of the very few, at the expense of the very many. Out of war a few people make huge fortunes.

http://lexrex.com/enlightened/articles/warisaracket.htm

Britain did agree to give up the rights to and royalties on innovations such as radar, antibiotics, jet aircraft and nuclear research to the US as part of "reverse lend-lease".

http://money.guardian.co.uk/news_/story/0,,1768039,00.html

[az chela]

44. What a beautiful story!!!!

You have a big heart and are a very caring person.We need more people like you

[KyndCulture]

45. personally I didn't care what the money was for,

It was a woman to woman moment and it was precious and I am sick of all the awful things that have been said to me about it.

[B Calm]

47. Nice story..

Been even nicer if you added something about the monster occupying the White House..

[KyndCulture]

48. She knew... in her eyes talking about her grandson. She knew.

[driver8]

51. I did not see the posts criticizing KyndCulture but my question is, "why"?

KyndCulture did a very nice thing, made another person feel good and she felt pretty damned good about it herself.

Why can't people just accept that for what it is? A simple gesture between people who care. There was no political agenda behind it, no malice in any way...just two people being decent and respecting one another.

Why does everything have to get so blown out of proportion around here? Can't people be nice to people without a hidden agenda?? Why is there so much cynicism?

Good for you, KyndCulture...good for you. Your story is a nice one and made my day.

[Divernan]

53. Some remain upset with the VFW's treatment of Clelland & mentioned it

There was no malice involved; no one except KC used obscene language. DU is not a mutual admiration society, and I personally care about what happened to Max Clelland and I understand and accept that some at DU reserve the right to remind others that an organization of vets turned against one of their own.

[driver8]

54. I am a veteran and I hate what was done to Max Clelland...

but KyndCulture had nothing to do with.

Why can't people read a post and go on their "merry way"? Why does everything have to be an issue? Like I said, I didn't see the other posts as they were deleted but as I understood the OP it wasn't about the money. It was about one person saying something nice to another person; one person feeling good about helping another person feel good.

There is a time and a place to comment on issues...not every post has to turn into a sounding board.

[LostinVA]

56. KC had a right to use "obscene" language

She was personally attacked, which was against DU rules. No, we aren't a "mutual admiration society," but we should be a respectful society.

KC reacted, she was not the one who started the disrespect.

[KyndCulture]

58. Thanks Lost.

Guess I popped my cherry hehe... GD made me cry. Honestly I didn't know I did anything wrong. I thought making that ladies day and saying thank you were a good thing. Silly me. Didn't know I was supposed to be a cynical bitch to a 75 yr old woman that had NOTHING to do with the Max Cleland thing.

Her grandson might die any day now.... why wouldn't anyone here say thank you to her????? Guess I don't belong on DU. I'll go back to the Randi Rhodes board where at least people aren't so hateful.

[Divernan]

67. Quote me how she was "personally attacked".

Quote me where anyone said anything "hateful". Someone posted a smiley face icon gagging. Cynical, yes; personal attack, no; hateful, no. In a later post, the same poster said something to the effect, well OK, talk about it, but don't use it for leverage. Cryptic yes; personal attack, no; hateful, no.

We all have different levels of sensitivity to criticism. If the icon and the word "leverage" hurt KC's feelings, that's her subjective response. She asked to have the posts deleted, OK. But at the same time her obscene language displayed a much higher level of hostility than the deleted poster ever displayed. I don't agree that "kind" ever means telling someone they're "fucked up". I've never said that to another DU poster. How many of you have? THAT kind of post should be deleted as a personal attack. Like I wrote elsewhere in this thread, I've done exactly the same thing KC did with regard to VFW & the poppies and connecting with elderly vets. What caught my eye about this thread and prompted my comments were over the top, obscene responses to two innocuous posts. It's about freedom of speech, basically, and the right to one's own opinions. Let's keep the level of discourse elevated and save the obscenities for describing the Bush adminstration - not attacking a DUer who disagrees with us.

[KyndCulture]

69. Hey we all got an opinion... it's just

that some people should not express them in a PM.

K? we good?


it's done and over.

[troubleinwinter]

52. Just today...

I came across some old (nealy a year ago) interchanges between KyndCulture, myself and some others. Kynd is an appropriate name. Kynd showed kindness, support and deep caring during a rough time around the 'sphere.

To you, Kynd! :toast: :hug:

[KyndCulture]

57. THANK YOU!

I was feeling really upset all afternoon and night and avoided DU.

Then I remembered that I've met some genuine friends here who helped me out when I needed it most.

oh and for my obscene language, some people deserve it for making me cry yesterday.

[KyndCulture]

59. Kick

[Sleepless In NY]

64. kick

[KyndCulture]

66. To everyone that took a moment out of your day to PM me...

I don't need your hate. This was a personal experience I had and I shared it... and I am proud of what I did. You made me cry yesterday but I'm done with that. I'm proud of myself.

Maybe you all should find someone to thank today, for something, anything.

Because you need some love and light in your life. Hate is poison.

[rememberearth]

68. We're all human

Its like what I told a relative who bashed the troops."They're human, we are all human, a life is a life no matter what uniform they dawn."

[B Calm]

70. Speaking as a vet , I thank you

[rememberearth]

71. I appreciate that.

Its true though. In war and especially on the internet we have a tendency to be desensitized and dehumanize others. We are all human, why not look at others humanely.

[KyndCulture]

72. I'm happy about what I did.

In my heart, in the quiet, I know I did the right thing.


And I will do it again and again.

[rememberearth]

73. what you did was humane.

I for one commend you on it. We are all in pain, what you did helped to ease her pain on many levels, and is one of the most compassionate things you can do for someone.:hug:

[Progressive4Life]

74. What you did was sweet

Chin up! :)