I Big Pink Fuzzy Heart With Glittler LOVE Old Men

First, I want to apologize for the quality of these photos. But sometimes I have to be all incognito when I snap the shots cause if not, I look a like a total freako stalker.

But let me begin telling this story by saying that I absolutely love old men. Seriously, they are just the best. And nine times out of ten...they can tell the best stories in the world, if you just take the time to listen.

But the other evening I was out, in a hurry and consumed with my agenda, when I noticed this older gentleman who was a little confused. I passed by him in a hurry -- cause I was late...late...for a very important date, paying very little attention to his dilemma. As I passed I heard him tell an attendant that he left his wife in a wheelchair over by XYZ and then he went to the bathroom and got turned around and could now not find her. Let me pause for a moment to tell you we were in a VERY LARGE CITY...DOWNTOWN..and the sun was setting and it was COLD.

The attendant began to tell him in an annoyed voice, "Oh, you go right here and walk two blocks and then a left after the brick sign."
He listened intently but then asked her to repeat it once more. He kept reciting it over and over to himself. He shuffled three steps and stopped again to now ask this man how to get to XYZ where he left his wife in a wheelchair cause he had to had to go to the bathroom .

The man began to tell him an ENTIRELY different way to go..and then he walked off.

There he stood. More confused than ever and motionless. I looked at my cell phone to see the time and realized I was already late....very late...and I felt torn, but who could possibly walk away?
I walked over and before I could say a word..he began his story about how he had to go to the bathroom and left his wife at XYZ and could not find her.

I patted him on the shoulder, held out my arm for him to take and said I knew right were she was.

During our walk I realized he was a WWII vet and at 18 was drafted for his first day to be D-Day. He stayed overseas for 3 months until he was shot and taken to France for 2 days for surgery, then England, then home. And he felt guilty for leaving his friends. I squeezed his hand a little tighter as he held on to the nook of my elbow.

We were about half way there in what would have been a 2 minute walk for me, had he not been attached to my arm...but he stopped, breathed heavily and asked, "Are you sure you are going the right way? This seems really far?"

I told him I was taking him the long way cause I wanted to spend more time with him and gave him a wink. I have found that winks always make everyone feel better. Even Sarah Palin knows that.

So he grabbed my arm again, grinned and said, "Be careful girlie, I have a pacemaker."

As we walked around the corner there sat Velma. I bent down and told her she better keep an eye on her sweetheart cause I could tell he was trouble. She snickered and said, "Some days you could keep him honey!" And then he touched her shoulder.

I gave him a pat on the back goodbye and watched them head to their car.
What a blessing God sent my way. Even if it did make me 45 minutes late, I still had to make sure he got in the car okay and it started. I have become my mother!