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The life of working retail on Black Friday.

“Yes, the price on the sign is the final price and no we don’t have any more in the back.” It would be impossible to count how many times that line will be said to costumers throughout today, Black Friday. Black Friday is known for huge lines, early mornings and chaos. This is because it is officially the kick off to the holiday shopping season and everyone wants to get the best prices early on. If you are one of the ones going out to shop for the holidays on Black Friday, there are a few things that you should remember. First, the long line you’re waiting in thinking to yourself the cashier is slow, really is not slow. You are just in a hurry, so please be patient. The cashier is going as fast as he/she can through the large amount of merchandise. The shirt you thought would be really cute for one of your family members that you found in aisle five or a certain area of the store, but then you decide against it, should not be put in the middle of aisle nine or any other area of the store. It has a special place in the store and someone else may be looking for the size that you chose to put down in the random spot.  So please be respectful. Placing the item back where it belongs makes the process easier for both the sale associate and the next shopper. The lady next to you that took the last Life Size Barbie you wanted for your niece also has a niece that would enjoy that toy. So be kind and find another toy instead of arguing. The holiday season is about being merry and bright! You could also go check out another store to see if they have the Life Size Barbie, or shop online. When you are searching everywhere for the watch your son wanted and find an employee that is trying to help four additional costumers at the time, wait your turn. Be grateful when you get some help. Once you have all your purchases at the checkout counter, ask for a gift receipt, so when something does not fit it can be returned fast and easy. Be smart and be prepared for when that person needs to exchange a gift. Today, Black Friday, is a day filled with deals and savings, and can be a lot of fun. When out and about, please remember that the employee you may be frustrated with is giving up spending their holiday with family to help you save an extra buck! Have a great day of shopping, mind your manners and get those deals! EndFragment

baby feet

One Year Later and Still Giving Thanks

I wrote a blog a year ago giving thanks for how God made it possible for my newborn granddaughter to see.  Many of you expressed your support for Madelyn.  I thought it was fitting to give an update on how Madelyn is doing. Madelyn was born on July 15, 2014 with bilateral cataracts.  Because the cataracts were so dense and were located in the center of her eyes, she couldn’t see anything.  When she was only a few weeks old, she went through two surgeries--one on each eye to remove the defective lenses.  She’s been wearing contact lenses ever since. Those were difficult days, but we saw the hand of God again and again.  First, He placed us with a loving and kindhearted surgeon.  Then He directed us to a longtime friend who was not only a physician, but his specialty was a perfect fit for taking care of Madelyn’s eyes.  We were truly blessed! Madelyn is now almost a year and a half old.  If you didn’t already know, you really couldn’t tell that she suffers any kind of vision deficit.  In early October, we took Madelyn to see the fireworks at Oglebayfest.  She literally grinned from ear to ear as she watched.  From time to time, she looked over at me as if to say, “Do you see what I see, Pappy?”  It was a reminder to me of how far she’s come in just a year’s time. 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StartFragment EndFragment In the meantime, I give thanks. Psalm 136:1 says:  “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.”  Be sure to remember all that God has done in your own life this year--big and small--and then give Him thanks! EndFragment

Giving Back to the Friendly City

Giving back to the community in which we both work and live is extremely important to the Bordas & Bordas family. After all, what good is success and prosperity if we don’t share it with those around us? Listed below are just a few of the many recent philanthropic sponsorships we are honored to be a part of. If you’ve set foot in our Wheeling location, you’ve probably seen at least one of our three office dogs sitting by the front door welcoming our clients. We are die-hard animals lovers here and we do what we can to protect them. That being said, the sponsorship of an event that strives to end animal cruelty was a natural fit for Bordas & Bordas. Auggie’s 5k Run and Walk is presented annually by the Ohio Valley Runners’ and Walkers’ Club and benefits the Ohio County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (OCSPCA). The 5k is held each year in October and garners a lot of love and support for our furry family members. Bordas & Bordas is proud to support the Wheeling YMCA and the Light of the Valley Award luncheon that was held in August. This year, former Central Catholic High School Principal Dr. Joe Vigletta was honored with the Patron of Youth award for his leadership and decades of dedication to the school and its students. Proceeds from the luncheon will provide financial assistance for YMCA programs and memberships to the less fortunate youth in our community. Firm Managing Partner Jamie Bordas serves as President of the YMCA Board of Directors. Debbie Green, a native of Benwood, W.Va., was diagnosed with and lost a courageous battle to leukemia at a very young age. Now, some 43 years since her untimely passing, tragedy has turned to triumph as Debbie’s memory lives on in the annual Debbie Green 5k Run/Walk. Every year, participants race along the streets of Wheeling in support of children battling leukemia. Bordas & Bordas is a longtime supporter of the Debbie Green 5k Run/Walk and contributed to the cause again this year. Bordas & Bordas sponsored the Wheeling YWCA’s  “Over the Edge” to raise money for the organization and help further the mission of eliminating racism, empowering women and promoting peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all.  “Over the Edge” participants were required to raise at least $1,000 in pledges for a chance to take a 126-foot “walk” down the face of the Stone Center in Downtown Wheeling. The programs of the YWCA Wheeling assist more than 5,300 women and children each year. The Firm is honored to be involved with such exceptional groups and events. We will continue to reach out to community partners who are passionate about making a difference. As always, we encourage everyone to support these very worthy causes. EndFragment

Commercials Are Paid Ads, Not the Gospel Truth

I’m sure you have all seen the TV commercials about pounds of rotten food stuck in your “gut” that only the brand of probiotics they are selling can cure and give you that flat stomach and skinny body you yearn for. Anyone who has taken an anatomy class knows that pounds of rotten food do not stay in the intestines for a long period of time. Although food does technically “rot” in your intestines by a process known as fermentation, it feeds the good bacterial that is necessary to keep us heathy and destroys the bad bacteria that makes us sick. Depending upon your metabolism, everything eaten passes through the intestinal tract somewhere between 24 and 70 hours.  Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but if you have a big stomach, there is no quick fix. While probiotics can help with the good bacteria in your intestinal tract and relieve bloating, diet and exercise are the only remedies to get rid of stomach fat. If you tend to bloat, there are many things you can do to help with that. Changing your diet can help. Here are some tips to avoid bloating. http://www.webmd.com/diet/10-flat-belly-tips. My favorite ads are the wrinkle creams that will magically make all your wrinkles disappear with continued use. Apply the cream to your face daily and in six weeks “poof” no more wrinkles. I know these ads are alluring, and I’m not saying they don’t do anything for your skin, but there is no magic bullet that takes away wrinkles. If you start moisturizing young enough, it’s possible to stave off the effects of aging a little longer, but using at least a 30 SPF sunscreen every day will help the most in keeping deep wrinkles at bay. So, my advice is moisturize, moisturize, moisturize and then top it off with a healthy dollop of sunscreen. Just don’t feel you need to spend a small fortune on expensive products. Before you are pulled in by the many commercials that are on TV and start ordering items from the number or website the TV station gives you, take a minute to research what you want to buy no matter what it is. Compare ingredients before you waste your money on products that don’t work or will work just as well in a much more inexpensive form. You will be surprised that many of the expensive products have the same ingredients as their less expensive counterparts. EndFragment

Santa

The Importance of Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday and I never thought the day got the attention it deserves due to the rush and anticipation of Christmas. It seems that the retailers go right from Halloween to Christmas. I was shocked to see Christmas trees and Christmas décor being displayed in stores when I was shopping for my Halloween candy. For me, Thanksgiving is that one special day to quiet myself and truly reflect on all the blessings that have been bestowed upon me -- my precious children, my family, friends, our good health, employment, and a warm/cozy home to return to at the end of every day.  Like many of us, some of the traditions and the number of loved ones around our Thanksgiving table have changed/waned over the years due to the loss of precious family members, but even though their absence is felt, I am so very thankful to have had them in my life for as long as I did. And, the new faces that gather around our table for the Thanksgiving feast are a welcome addition and an opportunity for new traditions to be shaped. I believe it is very important to remember that although holidays may be a time for celebration and gathering of family friends for many of us, they can be a time of sadness, depression and loneliness for many. As we approach the holiday season, please keep these people in your hearts and minds; let your actions and words be kind, have patience and be generous. Happy Thanksgiving, all! EndFragment

Empty Road

NO, NO, NO THEY CAN’T KILL BO!!!

I admit it.  I am a Days of Our Lives junkie.  It’s my guilty pleasure.  A mindless escape from reality.  My way relax and reset at the end of the day.  While my “Days” obsession has ebbed and waned over the years, it’s been in full force recently as new writers took over and returned Days to the old Days, bringing back old favorites such as Bo, Steve a/k/a “Patch” and Shawn Douglas and reuniting the super-couples of “Bo and Hope” and “Steve and Kayla”.  I don’t know about my fellow resident Days junkie (AHEM . . .Corey Pietranton), but if the current story line that is setting Bo up to die of a brain tumor isn’t just a publicity stunt to increase ratings (and it is garnering huge publicity and ratings), I may just be done with Days once and for all. There can be no Days for me without “Bo and Hope”.  They are what got me hooked and why I always end up going back when I’ve taken a “Days break”.   I was in sixth or seventh grade when I really became hooked on Days.  That year at our end of the year school picnic someone (not sure who or why) hooked up an old TV in the shelter to watch Days because it was going to be a “can’t miss” episode.  Although I don’t remember the specific episode, I know it involved Bo and Hope.  I’m thinking it was part of the storyline where he rescued her from her wedding to the evil Larry and they escaped on the back of his motorcycle.  Regardless, for a bunch of girls in their pre- to early-teens, it was the ultimate in romance.  My Days obsession started that summer.  At 1 p.m. every day, no matter what we were doing, my friends and I gathered in front of the TV at someone’s house to watch Days.  Once school started again in the fall, our Days watching was limited to sick days and holidays; but, as someone recently commented, it’s never hard to pick back up on Days characters and storylines even if you haven’t watched it in years. I’ve stopped watching Days many times over the years.  Hope dropped in a vat of acid and presumed dead.  Done.  But I came back.  When Marlena was possessed and turned into a demon.  Done.  But I came back.  “Alien” children arriving in Salem in a pod.  Done.  But I came back.   A bunch of supposedly dead characters coming back after being held captive on an island. Done.  But I came back.  Years may have passed, but eventually I always came back.  Usually, all that would have to happen is for me to turn Days when I had the rare day off from work and find a storyline involving Bo and Hope, Jack and Jennifer (before they killed Jack yet again) or Sami and whomever she maybe with at that time.  Once I saw these characters back on the screen, I would just have to see what happens and start recording it again.  Other characters may come and go and I could care less.  These core characters, however, would always suck me back in. ><xml><o:DocumentProperties><o:Revision>0</o:Revision><o:TotalTime>0</o:TotalTime><o:Pages>1</o:Pages><o:Words>539</o:Words><o:Characters>3076</o:Characters><o:Company>Wheelhouse Creative</o:Company><o:Lines>25</o:Lines><o:Paragraphs>7</o:Paragraphs><o:CharactersWithSpaces>3608</o:CharactersWithSpaces><o:Version>14.0</o:Version></o:DocumentProperties><o:OfficeDocumentSettings><o:AllowPNG/></o:OfficeDocumentSettings></xml><! 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StartFragment EndFragment It may all be over now for good if the current Bo dying of a brain tumor storyline plays out and they actually kill off Bo.  Days’ executive producer recently announced that any character killed after November 1 would be dead for good without a potential for an eventual resurrection from the dead through a kidnapping or amnesia storyline or some other bizarre reason for being “presumed dead”.  I’m sorry, but you just can’t reunite Bo and Hope for a few weeks only to kill Bo forever.  Bo and Hope were the reason I started watching Days.  Bo and Hope are what kept bringing me back.  I can’t speak for my fellow Days’ junkie (AHEM…Corey), but without the possibility of Bo and Hope, my Day’s days just may be over and I will be looking for a new mindless, guilty pleasure. EndFragment

Hidden Treasures in Maryland

I recently had the pleasure of spending a relaxing weekend in Cumberland, MD, a place I have driven by more times than I can count over the years, hurriedly en route to the east coast beaches. Little did I know how much this little city had to offer. The Rocky Gap Casino Resort is a lovely retreat overlooking manmade, Lake Habeeb. The dam was built by the Army Corps of Engineers in 1970, and Rocky Gap State Park formally opened on July 17, 1974. The lake offers three public beach areas with outdoor seating/fire pits, boating (no gasoline powered engines), swimming, canoeing/kayaking, and fishing. Unfortunately, due to cool temperatures and high winds, we did not get to delight in the outdoor amenities the resort has to offer, however, the scenery was breathtaking. Only a few miles away we found Canal Place in downtown Cumberland, which is rich with history and quaint little shops, restaurants and a Cheris Wine Store (which is right up my alley). Here, you can take a ride on the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad, explore the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park, or bike and hike on the Great Allegheny Passage Trail. Saturday evening, I had my first ride on a real vintage diesel locomotive. It was one of the “Saturday Night Specials”, which was a three-hour murder mystery evening excursion performed by Random Acts: The Murder Mystery Company. Although you have the option to dine on the train ride, we opted for old fashioned pizza at a local eatery beforehand and chose to sit in the “party car” where there is parlor seating (claiming to be the most comfortable seating on the train), where one can partake in their favorite alcoholic beverages. There, I opted for a wonderful bottle of wine from the Cheris Wineries, all-the-while enjoying the show, participating in a conga line and meeting some really nice/fun people. All in all, it was a very enjoyable get away! EndFragment

backyard

Wild and Wonderful West Virginia On Full Display at the West Virginia State Museum

On a recent visit to Charleston, my family and I had the great pleasure of visiting the West Virginia State Museum, located at the Capitol Complex.  Now, as a life-long West Virginian, I am fairly embarrassed to admit that I had never visited the Museum in all of my 42 years on this planet. In fact, I wasn’t even all that aware of the museum.  Fortunately for me, however, I have a wife who grew up in the area, has a life-long passion for West Virginia history and wanted to expose our children to the rich cultural underpinnings of the great state in which they live.  And I have to say that I cannot think of any better place to learn about West Virginia and all it has to offer. To say I was highly impressed with the state museum would be a gross understatement. I’ve always been a big fan of museums and like to try and visit at least one each time I visit a big city. I have been to the Smithsonian museums, the Museum of Natural History and the Guggenheim in New York City and a host of other museums throughout the country, and I would put our state museum up there with any of them.  The 2009 renovations have catapulted the West Virginia State Museum into the ranks of one of the nicest and most interesting museums I have ever had the pleasure of exploring.  From the rich geological underpinnings of our little part of the globe, to the history of America’s wars and the American labor movement, the state museum offers something for everyone with ties to West Virginia. The interactive features of the state museum offer a rich, tactile experience that stays with you long after you’ve left. The design and layout of the museum offer diverse education about West Virginia’s community, identity and character as it relates to the topography, citizens and culture of our state.  The museum contains something called the Showpath, which is an indoor, dynamic walking tour that helps bring West Virginia history to life through recreations of pivotal events and places in the state’s past.  Featuring first-person accounts, artifacts, elaborate sets and even a walk through a coal mine, the Showpath is one of the museum’s most vibrant features.  But the tour hardly ends there. As packed as the Showpath is with artifacts and other interactive features, it is also Buttressed by “Discovery” and “Connection” rooms that allow visitors to go much deeper in their learning about the topics featured on the Showpath. The Museum also features a gallery of changing exhibits in the lobby that features popular West Virginia topics. I’d be willing to bet that even the most knowledgeable scholars regarding West Virginia history will find something new to learn and experience at the state museum. For myself, who has spent essentially my entire life in the Wheeling area, I was fascinated to learn things about Wheeling, a city prominently featured in the museum, that I had never heard before.  Beyond that, the museum does a fantastic job of educating visitors about all the reasons we fondly refer to West Virginia as “Wild and Wonderful”.  Walking the Showpath and exploring the other parts of the museum made me very proud to be a West Virginian, and we can’t wait to return. I would urge anyone looking for something to do next time you’re in Charleston to put the state museum at the top of your list.  But carve out plenty of time. The West Virginia Culture center advises it will take up to 26 hours to read ever display and watch every documentary in the museum.  And if you’re at all like me, once you get a taste of what the museum has to offer, you’ll find yourself wanting to stay all day. EndFragment

mother

WISH YOU COULD PROTECT THEM EVERY MINUTE OF EVERY DAY… FOREIGN OBJECT IN HER EAR – SAY WHAT?

Child number four.  She’s is the most adorable little 6-year-old gal you could ever meet and she keeps us on our toes. Why in the world would anyone put an object in their ear or nose? Generally, this is seen more from a child of a younger age, but my youngest daughter has hyperactivity disorder, which essentially affects her ability to manage her impulse control.  There are some times when this condition can be challenging and we recently faced one of those challenges. Now that all is said and done that all is well, I reflect to find a few chuckles in the situation. Shauney had been complaining that her ear was bothering her intermittently over two days and confessed that she had put something in it.  Somehow she could not remember when or what, though. It was Tuesday, Oct. 27, and my husband decided he was going to take Shauney to Med Express.  I received the call from him explaining something bright green was in her right ear. The bad news was they couldn’t get it out.  So, off to the local emergency room.  I hopped in my car to meet up with them. When I walked in, I couldn’t tell if Shauney was fearful because she knew “the talk” was coming from me about putting things in her ears, and believe me, talks like this have happened numerous times…I am pretty sure she knew I was not very happy.  Or maybe the apprehension of what was coming next in the emergency department may have gotten the better of her. After attempting to remove this object to no avail, an ENT was contacted.  It was decided that Shauney would keep the object in her ear for the night and we would consult with the specialist in the morning for probable surgical removal. The next day, yep – outpatient surgery.  She was already the second child he had seen that very morning with a foreign object in the ear! While at the hospital, Shauney had been seen several times, registered here and registered there.  We answered the same questions over and over again, and patience was wearing thin.  She has no problem letting anyone know when she is getting tired and bored with the same thing. After all, she is a girl on the go.  It was apparent that she was becoming a bit frustrated with the people, all the questions, and the lectures that almost everyone decided they had to instill upon her over and over again. And then the comedy show began. Outpatient surgery registration.  Her middle name is Rose.  R-o-s-e.  She spelled the name and then finishes by saying, “It’s a silent ‘E’.” Other questions were posed to my daughter and jokingly the woman asked her if she worked? The response.  “Yes, I do.  I work at Bordas & Bordas.  I only type for them sometimes though.”  My daughter’s face was stone serious and the woman didn’t quite know how to respond. Fast forward…she was now donning her hospital gown, wait, wait, and wait some more. She sang the entire soundtrack from the “ Frozen” movie and talked in her not so quiet voice for the next four hours until it was time for her procedure.  She even chuckled at one point as if to challenge the anesthesia because she said there is no way it can just make her sleep.  After all, it was daylight!  Want to bet? About 35 minutes later, I was called back to the recovery room because my little angel was waking up.  She was bright eyed and bushy tailed, and just wanted out so she could get to McDonald’s. Of course the question that plagued us all was what in the world did she put in there to begin with?  So, after being assured my sweet pea was doing just fine, I asked the question. The recovery nurse, with somewhat of a grim look on her face and trying very hard to hold back her own smile, handed me a denture cup and proceeded to tell me to take a look.  They found and removed THREE OBJECTS.  Two teeny beads and a plastic earring back.  It’s a wonder the child could even hear. Praise God there was no damage affecting her hearing.  As Shauney viewed the treasures in the cup, she very nonchalantly says, “Oh yeah, that’s right. I did put those in my ear at Nanny’s ( Grandma’s) house.”  She never could tell us why, though. This brings me to some thoughts about how you can do everything you know possible to teach your children and offer guidance about choices and try to keep them out of harm’s way, but there is no failsafe secret.  When you are a parent raising a child that has additional health and/or mental conditions – there are special needs of so many kinds out there - those choices are not always able to be thought through by your little one. 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StartFragment EndFragment Thankfully, our situation turned out the way it did, but to all the parents out there in similar circumstances, I know it’s tough at times, so hang in there.  The fact that we cannot wrap them in bubble wrap is the reality.  May all your little ones be safe when you are right there and when you are not. EndFragment

nurses hero

What’s So Bad About Gray Hair

When I decided some years ago to stop coloring my hair and let my gray shine through, people were aghast!  I thought it was a great idea – I didn’t have to spend a fortune at the hairdresser or spend a significant amount of time coloring my hair myself.  How did the idea that gray hair was bad ever get started? I did some research and discovered that people have colored their hair for one reason or another for thousands of years.  That being said, in the 1950’s only about 7 percent of women colored their hair.  In that era the stigma was that women who colored their hair were of poor moral character, if you get what I mean!  In 1955 history was changed when the Clairol ad came out stating:  “Does she or doesn’t she? Only her hairdresser knows for sure.”  The next Clairol enticement for hair coloring was:  “If I have only one life . . . let me live it as a blonde.”  The last knockout punch was the Clairol jingle that is now firmly entrenched in history:  “Is it true blondes have more fun?”  As a side note, the woman who wrote all of these slogans was Shirley Polykoff who was one of only five women in history ever inducted into the Advertising Hall of Fame! Consider this ad that was printed in 1943: WOW!  So that’s how it all got started – makers of hair dye – specifically Clairol!  It’s amazing what we can be convinced of. There has now been a reversal of the idea that gray hair is unattractive.  The new trend is to have “Granny” hair!  Young women are stripping the color from their hair and dyeing it all sorts of stunning silver shades!  Check out this website to see some of the gorgeous gray haired young ladies. It’s actually nice to know that gray hair isn’t just for old geezers like me!! EndFragment

Hot Dogs Are Not Sandwiches

Are you one of the millions of Americans who think that the hotdog is a sandwich? If you answered yes to this question, well, I have bad news for you. You are wrong, and clearly cannot be trusted. Look people, let’s just make this easy and use the logic of calling something what it really is. I’ll begin by making a list of items and you let me know what they all have in common. · Ham sandwich · Grilled cheese sandwich · Tuna fish sandwich · Peanut butter and jelly sandwich Hopefully you can see that here in America, when something is a sandwich, we call it as such. You wouldn’t ask someone to grab you a hotdog sandwich, would you? I didn’t think so. If that is not good enough, let us hear what the good people who define things for a living have to say on the matter. Sandwich noun 1. An item of food consisting of two pieces of bread with meat, cheese, or other filling between them, eaten as a light meal. Are we now so brazen as to call the dictionary a liar? Just because something may resemble another item, does not make it so. Furthermore, the word sandwich as a verb has an important relevance in this discussion. Being sandwiched between something means to be caught between opposite and opposing forces. Similar to how meat and cheese is sandwiched between opposite and opposing pieces of bread. When you alter that meat-bread relationship, whether it be by hinging the bread or wrapping it, you completely change the dynamic and thus the fundamental nature of what “sandwichness” is. Finally, if all of that evidence is not enough to change your mind, over the weekend the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council stated in an official press release that “a hotdog is not a sandwich.” Common sense and decency has prevailed. EndFragment

A Tribute to Our Veterans

I have never had the privilege of wearing the uniform of the United States military.  I’ve never been to war; never had to pack a bag, kiss my wife and children good-bye, and head off to another side of the world to defend my country.  I’ve never faced an enemy determined to kill me, nor have I held a friend as the life drained out of his body on the field of battle.  I can’t begin to understand the pain of a parent whose child is killed in action, or the confused anguish of a toddler whose father will never come home. I know nothing of war.  What I do know is that today, nearly 100 years and 10 wars after the end of the War to End All Wars, our nation owes our veterans a debt we will never be able to repay. A few weeks ago, I had the honor of listening to Lt. George Bridgeman talk about some of his experiences as the pilot of a B-24 bomber during WWII.  In less than one year, Lt. Bridgeman went from a simple enlisted man who had never been up in an airplane to the pilot in command of a four engine, 5,000 horsepower aircraft with a crew of seven men.  He flew 35 missions through thick anti-aircraft fire, German fighter planes and cabin temperatures that reached 30 below zero.  He was 18 years old at the time.  As I listened to Lt. Bridgeman, now 90 years old, I thought of my father, who also served two and a half years in China, Burma and India during WWII as a member of the “Flying Tigers” of the Army Air Corps.  I also thought of my uncle, Manuel “Junior” Artimez, who was wounded in battle in Europe, and dealt with the pain of that injury for the rest of his life.  Like so many others from our area, these men, who were barely more than boys when they enlisted, left their homes and their families for years at a time for one purpose:  to defend their country.  The sacrifices they made, and the sacrifices made by the 21 million other veterans throughout the United States, are simply beyond my comprehension.  I can’t imagine living every minute of every day knowing that somewhere just over that next hill, somewhere just down the road, is an enemy soldier waiting to kill me.  Melodramatic?  Not for a veteran.  For a veteran, that was LIFE. Our veterans have defended our freedom 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.  They ask precious little in return, save perhaps for the gratitude of those who enjoy the freedom they have fought and died to protect.  Today, many of us will go out of our way to say “thank you” to a veteran.  It seems to me that simply speaking the words is not enough.  President John F. Kennedy once said, “As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter the words, but to live by them.”  To live those words means to treat our veterans with dignity, respect, and admiration, not only on Veterans Day or Memorial Day, but on every single day of the year.  We can start by making sure our veterans are properly cared for once they leave the service.  It is a national shame that there are still veterans in our country who are homeless or without access to affordable medical care. The price of freedom is high, but it is a price our veterans were willing to pay.  Whether on the beaches of Normandy, the jungles of Vietnam or the mountains of Afghanistan, the call to defend our nation has never gone unanswered.  We all know how much we owe the men and women who have served our country.  We understand the enormous debt that can never be repaid.  At the very least, we must ensure that the gratitude and respect of our nation will last forever. To all area veterans and their families:  Thank you from the bottom of my heart. EndFragment

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