QBall’s Tales

You Don’t Just Lose Someone Once

Posted on April 25, 2022 by qball45

. You don’t just lose someone once.You lose them when you close your eyes at night.And as you open them each morning. You lose them throughout the day.An unused coffee cup.An empty chair.A pair of boots no longer there. You lose them as the sun sets.And darkness closes in.You lose them as you wonder why.Staring […]

I talked with a man today, an 80+-year-old man. I asked him if there was anything I can get him while this Coronavirus scare was gripping America.

He simply smiled, looked away and said:

“Let me tell you what I need! I need to believe, at some point, this country my generation fought for… I need to believe this nation we handed safely to our children and their children…

I need to know this generation will quit being a bunch of sissies… that they respect what they’ve been given… that they’ve earned what others sacrificed for.”

I wasn’t sure where the conversation was going or if it was going anywhere at all. So, I sat there, quietly observing.

“You know, I was a little boy during WWII. Those were scary days. We didn’t know if we were going to be speaking English, German or Japanese at the end of the war. There was no certainty, no guarantees like Americans enjoy today.

And no home went without sacrifice or loss. Every house, up and down every street, had someone in harm’s way. Maybe their Daddy was a soldier, maybe their son was a sailor, maybe it was an uncle. Sometimes it was the whole damn family… fathers, sons, uncles…

Having someone, you love, sent off to war… it wasn’t less frightening than it is today. It was scary as Hell. If anything, it was more frightening. We didn’t have battlefront news. We didn’t have email or cellphones. You sent them away and you hoped… you prayed. You may not hear from them for months, if ever. Sometimes a mother was getting her son’s letters the same day Dad was comforting her over their child’s death.

And we sacrificed. You couldn’t buy things. Everything was rationed. You were only allowed so much milk per month, only so much bread, toilet paper. EVERYTHING was restricted for the war effort. And what you weren’t using, what you didn’t need, things you threw away, they were saved and sorted for the war effort. My generation was the original recycling movement in America.

And we had viruses back then… serious viruses. Things like polio, measles, and such. It was nothing to walk to school and pass a house or two that was quarantined. We didn’t shut down our schools. We didn’t shut down our cities. We carried on, without masks, without hand sanitizer. And do you know what? We persevered. We overcame. We didn’t attack our President, we came together. We rallied around the flag for the war. Thick or thin, we were in it to win. And we would lose more boys in an hour of combat than we lose in entire wars today.”

He slowly looked away again. Maybe I saw a small tear in the corner of his eye. Then he continued:

“Today’s kids don’t know sacrifice. They think sacrifice is not having coverage on their phone while they freely drive across the country. Today’s kids are selfish and spoiled. In my generation, we looked out for our elders. We helped out with single moms whose husbands were either at war or dead from war. Today’s kids rush the store, buying everything they can… no concern for anyone but themselves. It’s shameful the way Americans behave these days. None of them deserve the sacrifices their granddads made.

So, no I don’t need anything. I appreciate your offer but, I know I’ve been through worse things than this virus. But maybe I should be asking you, what can I do to help you? Do you have enough pop to get through this, enough steak? Will you be able to survive with 113 channels on your tv?”

I smiled, fighting back a tear of my own… now humbled by a man in his 80’s. All I could do was thank him for the history lesson, leave my number for emergency and leave with my ego firmly tucked in my rear.

I talked to a man today. A real man. An American man from an era long gone and forgotten. We will never understand the sacrifices. We will never fully earn their sacrifices. But we should work harder to learn about them… learn from them… to respect them.

Posted on March 16, 2022March 13, 2022 by qball45

Courtesy of Craig Dew Borrowed from my Facebook news feed

I Looked and I Read

Posted on March 15, 2022March 13, 2022 by qball45

I looked and I readI found them splendidNot one vicious wordTo make me offended The grammar was child-likeThe rhymes were quite plainI did not seeThe reason to complain The pictures are whimsicalThe characters uniqueA book for the youngI did not see the crime they speak A cat in a hatAn elephant of blueOne fish, two […]

I Remember A Man

Posted on March 14, 2022March 13, 2022 by qball45

I remember a man who said, “We need to close our borders.” I remember a man who said, “We need to bring our businesses home.” I remember a man who said, “We need to become less dependent on other countries to survive.” I remember a man who said, “We need to take care of America […]

Deer Management

Posted on March 13, 2022March 13, 2022 by qball45

Deer Management: An 8 pointer, 4 pointer and a button buck are standing by a field browsing on acorns. The 8 pointer says, ‘I’m happy with my 10 does, we’re really getting along.’ The 4 pointer says, ‘I’m happy as heck with my 5, they really take care of me!’ The Button buck says,‘My two […]

Rules For Sons

Posted on March 13, 2022 by qball45

Never shake a man’s hand sitting down. Don’t enter a pool by the stairs. The man at the BBQ Grill is the closest thing to a king. In a negotiation, never make the first offer. Request the late check-out. When entrusted with a secret, keep it. Hold your heroes to a higher standard. Return a […]

Why Did The Chicken Cross The Road?

Posted on August 9, 2021August 9, 2021 by qball45

DONALD TRUMP: I’ve been told by my many sources, good sources – they’re very good sources – that the chicken crossed the road. All the Fake News wants to do is write nasty things about the road, but it’s a really good road. It’s a beautiful road. Everyone knows how beautiful it is. JOE BIDEN: […]

The Call

Posted on August 4, 2021August 4, 2021 by qball45

“I realize that the call required Peter to walk on water while the other disciples stayed in the boat. The call required Joshua and Caleb to have faith, while everyone else had fear. The call led 3 Hebrew boys to endure the fire, because they refused to worship another God. What I’m trying to get […]

The Moment Is Now

Posted on March 16, 2021March 13, 2022 by qball45

I did not write this – It was shared by a friend on Facebook. I think that it is worth the read and your time. – QBall45 Barely the day started and… it’s already six in the evening.Barely arrived on Monday and it’s already Friday.… and the month is already over.… and the year is […]

Eating Out 2020 Style

Posted on October 10, 2020October 10, 2020 by qball45

This is how nonsensical this mask wearing is!! Lmfao!!! Wear your mask! This is hysterical l! 😂😂 I swear, it’s magical! “Let’s go out to eat, 2020 style… Arrive at restaurant, fish three month old single-use surgical mask out of car’s filthy cupholder (still slightly sticky from this morning’s 84oz diet Pepsi). Strap up with […]