You never know when the chance to make a difference for someone else will come.
Keep your eyes open , life is in front of every step we take.....

The story has been around since 08.

If you have gone back and read the story you might have noticed "Petawawa".......that's a military base in Canada. Canadian airlines charge $5 for a "bag lunch" or "snak" and Canadian soldiers don't get reimbursed for their out of pocket expenses.

This is a updated version...the line about a "blank cheque" used to read "to their country" when I first saw it.

How am I being a turd? I don't think it is true and just pointed it out. There are plenty of people out there doing great things for the troops for us to read about, no need to have these fake "feel good" stories.

If this story is true or false you're still being a "downer" on it. Yes, I've seen random acts of kindness bestowed on those who serve.

I think, in some form, the story is true.

If you see a person in Uniform, step up to them and thank them for their service. It means a lot.

I work at a National Guard Base. When I am at lunch with some of our folks in Uniform, I would say not a month goes by that some stranger does not stop by to shake their hands, thank them for theior service, offer to buy their meal etc. It happens frequently.

Not as easy to do something nice for the older generation. I just brought in a small truck for a state inspection. Elderly gentleman driving the truck, and Silver Star license plates on it. I went up and told the service writer NOT to charge the customer, I would pay for the inspection. When I finished I walked up and handed the gentleman the keys. He reached for his wallet and I told him to have a nice day, it was on me, his money was no good today. He kinda wanted to argue with me, so I held out my hand, thanked him for his service and told him to have a nice day. I know I didn't offend him, but I watched his eyes soften as he just smiled and walked out. I don't think the old vets expect to get too much respect from a greasy hippy.

well this former 'Hippy' thanks you Rick..
and who knows..
in his younger days..
he was one too..
so true or not..
make a difference..
start your own story..

Rika

So have I. Feel free to email the story to everyone you know.

I, too, suspect this is a fictional story. Checked Snope.com, nothing definitive but some suspicious factoids - pilot is unlikely to leave the cockpit during a post 9/11 flight, Petatawawa is a Canadian military base, most airlines don't take cash any more, etc.

The sentiment is great, but it is sort of like an Aesop's Fable story. If you have respect for the truth, you do have to be aware of the difference between an inspirational but invented fable and an actual factual account.

http://www.catalogs.com/info/bestof/...bie_downer.jpg

To explain my view a little more -

I get irritated when politicians make up fake stories to win votes. I don't permit my children to lie to me. I don't feed false stories to my friends, and my friends wouldn't appreciate it if I did. Passing around made-up stories is something I associate with tittering kids in the playground. So I always find it puzzling that, in this forum of presumed adults, some people post fabrications masquerading as true stories, and get all indignant when they're called on it.

I suppose that tall tales and fables have always been around, from Aesop to Mark Twain, but I think that they were always acknowledged to be fictional. Today I see the line between truth and falsehood getting too blurry, and this lack of accountability, and disrespect for the truth bothers me.

I also don't like the implication that fabrications are "okay" if they reflect popular sentiments, but not okay if they reflect unpopular views. That sounds like propaganda to me.

Fictional or not, the purpose of the story is to inspire good people to do good things for others.
Some people go about their daily routine looking for opportunities to make someone else feel better about themselves and their lives even if it's as simple as sharing a smile.
Some people go about their daily routine looking for a way to make someone else feel bad in an attempt to make them feel better about themselves.
This latter someone isn't you, so don't be offended, just smile. ;)

Might be, but there have been multiple posts in this thread that cite the same sentiment, given and received, first person.

Me? Happened twice on the receiving end, many times in the giving end.

If you have ever had young men and women in your command, sent them into odd places, you get a sense of them, what they want.

A meal, a few bucks, a hand shake? A little something, you know, for the effort?

Yes.

They know where they are going, where they have been.

The only prayer i ever learned in the infantry was a simple one.

"Yea though i walk through the shadow of the valley of death, i shall fear no evil. For i am the baddest motherfker in the valley."

It is far more impressive when others discover your good qualities without your help.

I read this after I posted it. It didn't make sense on this board, is not relevant, and I tried to delete it unsuccessfully. There is really no way for others to discover one's good qualities on an internet board.

Best,
Tom

Who were you even talking to?

That's part of the point. It was not directed at anyone in particular and was very ambiguous. It played out a lot better in my head than on the screen, and has now faded from in my head as well.

Oh well!
Tom

I did this at the Burger king at the intersection of RT100, and I-44 outside of Washington Missouri a few years ago. I think they were all National Guardsmen. There were about 10 of them, and they tried to argue, but I won out. They got to keep that meal voucher for something else that day. With my meal included, it was probably one of the best $100 bills I've ever spent.

You know the Vets with the little plastic poppies willing to take donations? If you stuff a $20 in the donation can, you get one hell of a handshake, and a huge Thank You with a tear in his eye. That one damned near made ME cry.

i was in a resturant near NAS Lemoore having lunch when 3 navy "sailors"? (it's an air base i don't know what they were)...stopped in to eat.
As i left, i told the waitress to add their lunches to my bill.
I never let them know who paid for their lunch, it's just a very small thanks for their job keeping me safe.