Paphos People

My good friend in the USA sent me the following, which I thought I would share:

I TALKED TO A MAN TODAY . . .

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

He smiled wrily, looked away and said:

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

I need to know this generation will quit being a bunch of sissies . . . that they respect what they've been given . . . the unearned benefits that 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 listening .

"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 would throw 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, scarlet fever 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. 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 young Americans don't know sacrifice. They think sacrifice is not having coverage on their phone while they freely drive across the country. They 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 [to] 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 grand parents 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 soda 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.

What a load of rubbish, sorry garbage

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Dave

Been doing the rounds since about March

Here is the YouTube version

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L285CGfIT_4

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Dave
Moira And Dave

“I know that you believe you understand what you think I said, but I'm not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant.”

I actually found this quite moving. As it also applied to the UK. I was also a small child during the War and I also remember it being just as described.

I didn't claim it was new or original, only that my friend in the US sent it to me.

Never suggested you claimed it was new or original..just said when it had been around since March

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Dave
Moira And Dave

“I know that you believe you understand what you think I said, but I'm not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant.”

Just as was recounted by my grandparents and parents in the UK (a lot closer to the bombs than the USA was !).
Even I got caught up in the final throes of 'rationing coupons' ( but cushioned by a doting family, I had no understanding of it at that time ... I only remember the 'specials' ... banana, satsuma & pineapple at Christmas ).
This pandemic has given all of us the chance to re-consider 'our values' .... and I hope that the youngsters of today are clever enough to put their wishes/demands in good order, before it's too late for them.
With luck, they will have longer to live with their decisions.

Well I appreciate you posting it and don't think it's a load of rubbish. I think there is a lot in there that resonates with many people. Thank you!

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And the Oscar goes to........

'I think there is a lot in there that resonates with many people'.
Like what?

The Americans were least affected by WW2 than people in Europe.
They didnt get bombed, invaded or had minimal rations, their rations were what they couldn't import, they had plenty of other resources grain, wheat, meat etc.
Compered to a kid in Russia that yank kid had it very easy.
The USA didnt enter the war till over 2 years after everyone else, they were forced to enter by the Japanese, they didnt want to get involved in a war in Europe, they were going to let us Europeans get on with it, so who were the sissies then.
If we now did what they did back then in regard to viruses we be talking millions dead not thousands.
Yes kids today don't know they're born, why, because there parents have brought them up that way. blame them and then blame their parents 'his' generation who wanted the best for their kids and not have them suffer as much as they did.
This so called old man is talking rubbish, because he is a Hypocrite

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Dave

Despite what you consider as minimal involvement, the Americans lost 400,000+ men (2,800+ in the Normandy landings alone) with 600,000+ injured in WWII. Certainly others suffered more, but that really isn't the point. It is not some dick measuring contest to see who suffered most.

No, the point of your post is about the older generation claiming that they are a lot tougher than the younger generations of today. If that's not a dick measuring contest I don't know what is.
The same younger generations that are risking their lives in hospitals to help mainly your generation to survive.
If you want respect, show some respect!

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Dave

Sure we know and wasn't UK or USA.

I think the point isn't about measuring any body parts its simply that the current young men and women have been brought up as selfish and deserving individuals who believe they are due something.

Theres nurses of all ages working in hospitals, homes and catering all over the place so caring is caring.

But you know also the NHS or whatever the current name is. Is very similar to the Armed Forces. They all signed up to do the job whether saving or killing I really don't get all this extra adoration for a job signed up for.

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Straight talking, no Gimmicks.

Live your dreams.

Tanny your post is so awful

Yes these drs and nurses signed up to help the sick and dying as best as they could, have they ever voiced their concerns before...no!

Watching in their care thousands of people dying alone in horrible situations where these people could not breathe or their organs where failing them and still could not have a loved one near to them at their last moments !

Where is your empathy!
In such quantities of death in such a small space of time!
In such a huge fight for life that these drs and nurses give every day on covid wards

These drs and nurses are not dealing with death as they see on a normal day

These are extraordinary times of deaths happening in such a short space of time
Where these drs and nurses leave their jobs , faces bruised , exhausted and frightened for their own lives and the lives of their families

Your post is horrendous and callus to all who not only have survived the covid virus
But to all nurses and drs on the front line fighting this horrendous virus and disease to save the lives of others !

Are your grandchildren (if you have any) of the selfish and deserving generation, is that maybe because of the way that they have been brought up by your children and in turn are a product of the way that you brought them up?

Yes, there are nurses and doctors of all ages but the majority that are on the wards are 20-35.

They are nothing like the armed forces who sign up knowing that they will learn to kill and possibly be killed, soldiers cannot take death home with them to infect their own families, but they get plenty of extra adoration for doing their jobs.
Doctors and Nurses signed up to learn to save lives, they may know that there is a possibility that they might catch something that may kill them, but surely any one would have thought a lot less likely than being a soldier on the front line.
Just to put it into perspective, 405 UK personnel died in direct conflict in Afghanistan over a 9 year period.
There are over 300 UK health workers who have died directly due to Covid19 in less that 3 months.
They could walk away from that job any time that wanted, but as far I know none have. That is why they deserve extra adoration.
But not from you it seems.

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Dave

Tanny - You are obviously not from the real world,

I will keep this brief in case I get told off.

I have a daughter who is a sister in the NHS and has been put at risk many times, she has even been spat at by a patient who said they has Corona virus, did she sign up for that NO SHE DID NOT, she works 12 hour shifts in full PPE and it is stressful and hard work.

Your post is vile, it is okay to sit behind a keyboard and spout rubbish, repeat you comments face to face with the Drs & Nurses, and see what they say to you.