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Russell Flammia

     Hi Marilyn,  the main issue was that these refegees were going to be essentially slaves once they got to the US. The refugees were from Cuba and Haiti.  The 'guards' were part of a human smuggling group whose other gang members would control them once they got to the US. 

Mike Floyd

We are older than we think.  A few years ago Harriette and I rented a home in Highlands, North Carolina for Christmas with our daughter and son-in-law.  Highlands is in the mountains of North Carolina near the South Carolina, Georgia, and Tennessee borders and about 10 hours from our home in Urbanna, VA.  The home was in a gated community and on arriving we asked the gate guard for the key and directions to the house.  She explained that this was her first day on the job and would have to call her supervisor.  We both her speaking to her supervisor on the telephone “I have an elderly couple here”.  I told Harriette that is what a 10-hour drive will do to you.  Funny I don't feel elderly and I don't think Harriette and I look elderly, but apparently we have become elderly.

William Anderson

Russell, reference your experience in Highlands.  My Father who made it to almost 98 always warned me that "Getting Old is Hard Work".  I think I speak for all of us in that none of us have put in that hard work YET!

Marilyn Wolfe (Ruben)

Russell: Unfortunately, that is pretty common in the U.S.A. these days!  A friend of our extended family met two teenagers who were adopted from a country in the Far East, & their "Adoptive Parents" treated them like slaves instead of kids.  The two kids went back to the Adoption Agency & requested new parents.  By some stroke of luck, our Friend adopted the young lady & one of my Cousins adopted her brother. Both of them have since grown up, married, and have children of their own, who are now teenagers or adults. They all have good jobs, and the ending for this story is a happy one.  Otherwise, they would have been sent back to their home country!  Arizona Legislators have been talking about passing a Law against "Human Smuggling," but maybe they should Amend it to say children who are Adopted or put to work in the U.S.A. should not be made into Slaves!  Stories about this have appeared on the News from time to time!

Russell Flammia

Marilyn, I'm glad your story had a happy ending. Thank you for sharing.

Mike Floyd

Yesterday I share a story about being referred to as elderly.  Today Bobby Bayliss shared the message below.

Interesting read for our kids - and grandchildren too!

We were born in the 30-40-50-60s.  We grew up in the 50-60-70's.  We studied in the 60-70-80's.  We were dating in the 70-80-90's.  We got married and discovered the world in the 70-80-90's.  We venture into the 80-90.  We stabilize in the 2000s.  We got wiser in the 2010s.  And we are going firmly through and beyond 2020.

Turns out we've lived through EIGHT different decades...  TWO different centuries...  TWO different millennia...

We have gone from the telephone with an operator for long-distance calls to video calls to anywhere in the world.  We have gone from slides to YouTube, from vinyl records to online music, from handwritten letters to email and Whats App."  From live matches on the radio to black and white TV, and then to HD TV.  We went to the Video store and now we watch Netflix.  We got to know the first computers, punch cards, and diskettes and now we have gigabytes and megabytes in hand on our cell phones or IPad.

We wore shorts throughout our childhood and then long pants, oxfords, Bermuda shorts, etc.  We dodged infantile paralysis, meningitis, H1N1 flu, and Now COVID-19.  We rode skates, tricycles, invented cars, bicycles, mopeds, gasoline or diesel cars and now we ride hybrids or 100% electric.  Yes, we've been through a lot but what a great life we've had! 

They could describe us as “exennials”;  people who were born in that world of the fifties, who had an analog childhood and digital adulthood.  We're kind of “Yaseen-It-All”!  Our generation has literally lived through and witnessed more than any other in every dimension of life.  It is our generation that has literally adapted to “CHANGE”.

A big round of applause to all the members of a very special generation, which will be UNIQUE.

A precious and very true message that I received from a friend…

TIME DOES NOT STOP

Life is a task that we brought ourselves to do at home.

When you look...it's already six in the afternoon;  when you look...it's already Friday;  when one looks...the month is over, when one looks...the year is over;  when one looks...50, 60, and 70 years have passed!  When you look...we no longer know where our friends are.  When you look...we lost the love of our life and now, it's too late to go back.

SO…

Do not stop doing something you like due to lack of time.  Do not stop having someone by your side. Your children will soon not be yours and you will have to do something with that remaining time, where the only thing that we are going to miss will be the space that can only be enjoyed with the usual friends.

The time which, unfortunately, never returns...

*The day is today!*

*WE ARE NO LONGER AT AN AGE TO POSTPONE ANYTHING.*

Hopefully, you have time to read and then share this message...or else leave it for *Later* and you will see that you will never share it!

Always together.  Always united.  Always Brothers and Sisters. Always friends.

Pass it on to your best friends.  Don’t leave it for later.

Sally Kincannon (von Rumohr)

Thank you Mike and Bobby for sharing this extraordinary reflection on "aging."  There is no denying that this "era" in our lives is nostalgic, challenging and even frightening.  It helps to have each other to share the memories, the insights and the wisdom gained.  Once again I say "thank you" for having had each of you in my life at such important times.

Robert Wilson

Mike, thinking about being called "elderly", I had a similar experience about 15 years ago. Two friends and I were on the way to a football game one Saturday when we stopped at a Hardees for breakfast. I ordered a sausage biscuit and a coffee. When the employee asked for an amount I thought was too little and I questioned the bill, she advanced the paper tape so she could read it. Then she said outloud, "Sausage biscuit and SENIOR coffee, $1.76. It my first experience with senior pricing. At the time I was a little upset that she never asked to see my driver's license.

Linda Fiske (Wehrle)

Words to live by . Thank you for sharing. Am still trying new things and enjoying🐧🤗

Melvin Katz

Bobby's message reminds me that once after my returement from Pfizer Inc. in 2007 after a 40 year career, I was selected to be a Pfizer Ambassador. One of my friends related that "there are some older people in this Ambassador Program". I told him to look at his drivers license as he was 83 at the time.

Carlin Hudgins (Hanzas)

Mike I loved your comments and Bobby's lovely piece on aging. His words are so true!!

Carlin Hanzas

Anne Ferrell Smith (Lanier)

So very sad that a shooting has occurred at a Richmond high school graduation.  it is really hard to believe.  I long for the way things were when we were in high school . . . Anne Ferrell 

Marilyn Wolfe (Ruben)

Anne Ferrell - Me, too!  The News from Richmond just broke my heart!  First Charlottesville a few years ago,     & now this!  And Tee Jay Graduation was cancelled!!! I do NOT like this Era we are living in! Is ANY State safe now?

Marilyn Wolfe (Ruben)

Congratulations, Sidney & Lois!   Best of Luck at Your New Deli!

I hope you get LOTS of New Customers, as well as the Old Ones!

My Daughters, Granddaughter, & I Will Stop By on Our Next Visit to Richmond!

Carlin Hudgins (Hanzas)

Such wisdom in those hillbilly rules. I have tried to live by most them f them my whole life!! Thanks for sending them to us!!

Carlin Hanzas

Lucy Boettcher (York)

Sydney, Glad to hear that Padow's will be having their grand opening on this Thursday the 14th.  Unfortunately I will be leaving for NC that morning for 5 days, but when I get back I will be coming by.  Congratulations.  Tell everyone hi.

Mike Floyd

Congratulations Sydney and Eddie on your Grand Opening at the Hanover Sports Park.  Wishing you all the best.

Carlin Hudgins (Hanzas)

Sydney, Congrats on your new place. I always loved your Pork Barbecue sandwiches when I came to Richmond to visit my Mother years ago!! Much success in your new place.

Marilyn Wolfe (Ruben)

20 people on our list of family & friends are now living in the State of Israel!  We think about them every day & we hope they are safe in their homes & places of work.  We thank President Biden for taking the time to visit the State of Israel, even though his plans for a large peace-making meeting fell through.  It's good that at least the Leaders of 3 countries were able to communicate, even though the others were non-negotiable.  We are grieving the loss of so many precious lives, due to irrational & over-emotional reactionaries.  The 3,000- 6,000-year old  tensions between Israelis & their neighbors MUST END!

Russell Flammia

Yes Marilyn I can understand your concern about friends, relatives, and classmates living in Israel. The situation there is frightening. Being able to come to Israel's aide is a reason why we need to maintain a srtong military. It is disturbing to see the pro Hamas rallies on TV in the US.  What a crazy world we live in.

Marilyn Wolfe (Ruben)

Russell, the Palestinians in Israel are brainwashed & controlled by Hamas! Imagine not being able to think one's own thoughts or being able to express them, because a Dictator says otherwise!  I remember being able to express my opinion in most of my classes at Tee Jay!  - and the few where I was not allowed to do so!  Sadly, we are living in an age where Censorship is rampant - even in the U. S. A.!  That leads to Irrational Behavior & Violence as the end result, because nobody intervened earlier to stop them!  It's a repeat of 1939-44, so we need to get involved!  We are sending Donations to the Friends of the Israel Defense Force & Magen David Adom (The Red Cross in Hebrew)., to help the State of Israel!

Carlin Hudgins (Hanzas)

Thanks for your posts Marilyn and Russell' s post also!! I agree with everything you both have said. The whole thing is devastating!!

Mike Floyd

Thanks you Marilyn and Russell.  You are both right on target.  It is a scary time that we live in.  The protest and the support for Hamas in the U.S. and at the Universities is frightening.  

Russell Flammia

      Hi folks, Oct.25 marks the anniversary of Operation Urgent Furry, the U.S. invasion of Grenada and the rescue of over 100 American medical studnets. One of my former students, Ben, commanded a complany in the 82nd Airborne Division. His company found out where the dictator, Austin Hudson, was hiding. With an AC-130 gunship circling his home, Ben made the dictator an offer he couldn't refuse. Thus he was captured without a shot being fired.

     What also happend, the U.S. forces prevented a Russian Army build up on Grenada. Apparently the Russians had planned on using Grenada as a supply base to support communist guerilla foreces in revolutions in Central America. There was an entire warehouse of Russian military equipment on Grenada. 

    Ben, the former student, gave me a Russian military uniforn he acquired while there. I used it as a prop in my government class when discussing the president's military powers as commander in chief.

    Until that time, Grenada had no Thanksgiving Day. After all the smoke had cleared, Grenada deicided Oct 25,  would now be their Thanksgiving Day!

                                              Happy Thanksgiving Grenada!

Carlin Hudgins (Hanzas)

Thanks for the interesting story from your former student!!