Opinion

Dateline Merced, California

Saturday, September 22, 2007

This week Ann and I spent a couple of days in San Jose with the "Adopt A Chaplain" principals helping pack boxes to send to our servicemen overseas. Actually the boxes we sent go to Military Chaplains who in turn hand out the items, free, to men and women laying their lives on the line for our country and the way of life we love. I've written of the Adopt A Chaplain organization's good work in the past and this was a chance to get a little hands-on exposure to those doing the good work. We had occasion to celebrate with the group as they packed box number 9000 which all present autographed and sent with prayers to whoever might receive it.

To date Ann and her friends at Willow Ridge have made more than 2,700 ribbon crosses to be sent in the spirit of Christian love, a reminder that our men and women in the military are remembered and appreciated. So it was that Ann was well known to the Adopt A Chaplain volunteers. Even though none had ever met we were treated as old friends, put up in the guest house of Gary and Jan who lend their spacious garage for the packing operation. Their home dates back to 1890 or so and is what remains of a huge estate overlooking San Jose.

The grounds are beautifully landscaped with plants indigenous to California, eucalyptus, grapes, citrus trees, figs (fresh figs, just off the tree, to die for!) walnuts, almonds, pecans, persimmon, peaches and more. Deer wander through the grounds; squirrels harvest most of the nuts and a few chickens produce fresh eggs.

The boxes they pack are the cubic foot ones that the Post Office furnishes that one can stuff chock full and send flat rate $8.95 to an APO. Over a hundred Chaplains have contact and each is sent a full(!) box each week either with requested items or cookies, toiletries, candy, Ann's ribbon crosses, notes from school kids, any item to let them know they aren't forgotten, all donated, all sent with donated postage. It is a massive but heartwarming undertaking.

Included in each is a postcard for the chaplain to acknowledge that he received the box, a space to request special items and a space for comments. Lately the comments have been of the variety that states, "It is great to know that someone cares!" "We watch the discouraging news from Washington and wonder why then we received your box and we know once again that our sacrifice here in Iran (or Afghanistan, Kuwait, at sea or wherever) is worth it. God bless you for caring."

 

The reason for our trip west was to attend a 70th birthday party for a great friend Jim Glidden. Typically well done, his family and friends honored him for a life well lived as a farmer, college professor, administrator and all-around good guy. Our son, Don, and family drove up from the L.A. area and we also celebrated our youngest grand child, Jonathan's first birthday.

Ann and I lived in Merced in the early 1970s while I taught pilots to fly Air Force tankers. Merced is located in the center of the San Joaquin valley, one of the most diverse and productive agriculture areas in the world. Reportedly Merced County produces a greater annual value from agriculture than the State of Nebraska.

The place has changed considerably through the intervening 33 years When we lived here the town of 20,000 population reminded me of home. My next-door neighbor raised rice, some 800 acres of it, and the fellow down the cul de sac raised white corn for Frito Lay. Even our home had been built in an almond orchard and we had 11 trees to harvest each year so the place exuded rural which I loved. No more, now the population is over 80,000 and the feeling is of a lively larger diverse city. Presently 63 percent of the population is Hispanic and 17 percent Asian so white guys like me are a definite minority. I love it, though, because that means a diverse array of exciting ethnic themed restaurants.

The area has problems of limited water, sounds familiar, and most object to exporting "their" water to the L.A. basin. The housing finance industry crisis has hit hard and one finds many fairly new abandoned houses marked by dried up landscaping. The prevailing weather complaint is of drought. I'd never before heard prayers for a "severe winter" which means lots of rain -- no snow here!

I also took advantage of the trip to drag my old pickup out here so Jim can install an independent front suspension, disc brakes all around and engine mounts for a more modern engine. Eventually I will have to drive out to fetch the upgraded product but there is little hurry, I haven't driven it for over 15 years anyway. California is the home of a wonderful hotrod culture and I intend to import a bit of that back to Nebraska.

That is the way I see it.

Respond to this story

Posting a comment requires free registration: