Unexpected Reward of Paying it Forward

Recently, I had the pleasure of meeting a homeless veteran who served 35 years with the US Marines. Over the course of a week I fed him whenever I saw him while he waited to get into an accommodation.

Today, after a while, I saw him again and he surprised me with an early birthday present. I turn 51 on the 1st of July. He caught me off guard. He also seemed to be settled, doing well and happy because thankfully for him, he received his pension. He'd also eaten which I was happy about.

This came as a total surprise because I only mentioned my birthday once when we discussed our ages. The act of kindness by him touched me and gave me a sense of appreciation for more than what was given to me.

Karma is real.

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Diotrephes · 70-79, M

The American government doesn't give a damn about its veterans.

Madmonk · M

@Diotrephes not one squirt of piss. The bureaucracy is good at making jobs for itself though

Sapio · 51-55, M

@Diotrephes there definitely needs to be more done for those who served and sacrificed themselves for our freedom.

Madmonk · M

@Sapio I feel my time in was wasted

KunsanVeteran · M

@Sapio Amen!

Diotrephes · 70-79, M

@Sapio

there definitely needs to be more done for those who served and sacrificed themselves for our freedom.

In American history, only a few troops have actually sacrificed themselves for our freedom. The last time it happened was during the Civil War.

I was in the Vietnam War and it sure as hell wasn't about fighting for Americans' freedom. Jim Crow was alive and well and Blacks didn't have freedom in America but they were bleeding and dying in a country on the other side of the world for a BS reason. It was that way in WWI, WWII, Korea, and all of the other wars.