Originally published in The Newnan Times-Herald, read here.
In every home my wife and I have lived in, the dining room somehow became my office. In our current home, the dining room windows face the street near the end of our cul-de-sac. You will almost always find me working there before the sun rises on Saturday mornings.
For what felt like years, every Saturday just before sunrise, a man and his dog would pass by.
As a U.S. Army Veteran, I can usually spot another soldier quickly. Sometimes it is the haircut. Sometimes it is how they stand, walk, talk, or simply how they carry themselves. Every Saturday when I saw him pass by the house, I thought the same thing.
Soldier.
No doubt in my mind.
In retrospect, I have no idea why it took me so long to walk outside and introduce myself. It seems that is true for many of us. We wave from driveways, smile at mailboxes, and somehow convince ourselves there will always be another opportunity.
Then one Saturday felt different.
I felt compelled to go outside and simply say hello.
Walking toward the street, we made eye contact.
“Good morning!” I shouted.
I was greeted with a smile and a strong soldier’s handshake.
Turns out, I was right.
Retired Colonel.
B-52 Bomber Pilot.
Both of us served during Desert Shield and Desert Storm.
And let’s not forget the dog.
His name is Bomber. 🙂
After a few minutes of shared stories, smiles, and encouraging words, just before you feel the pull toward the end of the conversation, he says to me, “Hey, before we leave, let me pray for you.” He placed his hand on my shoulder and mine on his, right there in the middle of the street with the sun peaking over the horizon, and two soldiers prayed.
Time would pass, and we would have dinner with our wives, play golf together, exchange texts, and catch up at a neighborhood cookout. I also asked him to be a beta reader for my now-published book Wake Up to Die Again.
Thankfully, he accepted.
Chapter after chapter, we sat together, discussing stories, ideas, and life itself with honesty and transparency.
Eventually, the final chapter arrived.
The last comments were spoken.
The last notes were reviewed.
The final thoughts were shared.
As he folded his notebook and prepared to leave, he began sharing the impact he believed the book would have on others.
Then, in true Air Force B-52 pilot fashion, he dropped a bomb on me.
“Scott, when your book is published, I’m going to be the first person who buys a case of books to help get this message out.”
And so it was.
The first case arrived.
And it is his.
It was also exciting to take my picture with Norm holding the book where he prayed for me, and where, some time later, I took the sunrise photo that became the cover of my book.
What is a neighbor? Is it simply about proximity?
I don’t think so.
Sometimes a neighbor is simply someone willing to walk across a street.
And sometimes they become much more.
What kind of neighbor are you?
Until next time, I’ll leave you with that.
