Something Good ...

“I am only one, but I am one. I can't do everything, but I can do something. The something I ought to do, I can do. And by the grace of God, I will.” ~Everett Hale (and me, too)

Hello to everyone, today. I still haven't received any more memories or a story to share from you guys. That's okay, I'll wait you out. I still believe in you. I'll believe in you until you believe in yourselves again. Take note, for a new blog, we're starting to get a good following on Memoirs! The number of followers is going up almost daily and so are the people who receive the blog by a feed.

Until I do start to hear from you, you'll have to be satisfied with my ramblings, my poetry, my thoughts and feelings. I hope I don't bore you to tears. When I was trying to decide what to write for today, I thought about this poem. I wrote it several years ago, but it's timely -- and it makes me think of you vets:

When I Finally Close My Eyes
by CJ Heck

When I close
my eyes
for the last time,
I want to have lived,
really lived.
I want to know
I've tasted
the smorgasbord
of life
relishing the good
and spitting
the bad back out,
knowing at least
I tried it.
When I'm done
here on earth,
I won't have to
wonder if
someone caught
the kiss I threw,
I'll know.
I don't want
to leave here
with my heart
as empty
as my pockets
have been
so I've opened
my heart
to love
and I live
each day
as though it
were my last.
I want to know,
without a doubt,
that I've left
something of me
behind,
something
that's good,
not regret
for never making
a difference.
When I close
my eyes
for the very
last time,
I would like
someone
to remember
I was here.


This poem is my wish. You men have already made a difference. You will be remembered for something so big and so good -- change. It's something that will be in history books and learned from, forever. Controversial, yes, but that's how change happens. You can be proud. You did nothing wrong. You did what Americans are expected to do -- protect and serve and honor their country by doing what's right. The Vietnam Era changed how vets are now treated. You did that ...

God Bless You and God Bless America.