“Hey Mister, what’s that badge you have on?” the boy asked.
“It says who I am,” the elderly man replied.
“Like a name tag?” the boy prodded. “But, I don’t see any writing on it.”
“More than a name tag. A lot more, and it doesn’t need any words for those that understand its meaning.”
“Well it’s kind of pretty, anyway,” the boy observed.
“Yes I guess it is, but even if it wasn’t a shiny one it would be just as important,” the old timer responded.
“Can I have it?” the precocious child asked.
“You might be able to earn it some day,” the man said with a bit of a smile. “But only if you’re good enough.”
The child thought about it for a moment and then said, “I think I will be good enough.”
“That’s the attitude,” the man replied. “You stick with that, and it just might be yours someday.”
—————-
Padre
Nice read Padre. Years after my grandfather passed on, I discovered a box of medals he had earned in WW1. He never spoke of them and rarely of his time in France. He was Army infantry and served in the trenches. He was gassed twice, wounded twice, and affected by that war until his dying day.
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Nice one Padre, well done.
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