He sat in a chair against the wall in the doctor’s colorless waiting room, quietly anticipating a nurse to call his name.
Lines only time can create were etched across his face and a baseball-style hat covered his silver hair. He was tall and thin, and his clear blue eyes seemed to avoid others in the room. I didn’t know the gentleman and didn’t want to stare, but after noticing his cap, I knew I must be in the presence of a tall, thin, blue-eyed hero.
kAmw:D 42A 2?5 2AAC@I:>2E6 286 E@=5 E96 DE@CJ @7 9:D D6CG:46 5FC:?8 E96 ':6E?2> (2C] %96 }2G2= D9:A’D 8@=5 6>3C@:56C65 ?2>6 H2D 23@G6 E96 42A’D 3:==[ C6>:?5:?8 >6 @7 2 E:>6 H96? 7C:6?5D 2?5 72>:=J[ :?4=F5:?8 >J 3C@E96C[ =67E 7@C H2C]k^Am
kAmx D66 >@C6 @7 E9@D6 92ED 2D x DEC@== E96 DEC66ED E@52J[ 2?5 x E92?< v@5 x 5@] $@=5:6CD H9@ DFCG:G65 E96 3CFE2=:EJ @7 2== H2CD[ :?4=F5:?8 ':6E?2>[ D9@F=5 2=H2JD 4C@H? E96:C 9625D H:E9 AC:56] p?5 H96? H6 D66 E96> H2=< 3J[ =6E FD 36 9F>3=65 2?5 D9@H @FC 2AAC64:2E:@?]k^Am
kAmx? E96 >:5\`he_D[ >J 3C@E96C H2D 2 =:6FE6?2?E @? 2 }2GJ 56DEC@J6C :? E96 $@FE9 r9:?2 $62] {:<6 >2?J ':6E?2> G6ED[ y@9? @?=J E@=5 H2C DE@C:6D 2>@?8 76==@H G6E6C2?D[ <66A:?8 9:D >:=:E2CJ D6CG:46 2?5 24E:@?D BF:6E] w@H6G6C[ @?6 52J 96 C64@F?E65[ “x H2D @? 564< H96? 2 J@F?8 >2? H@C<:?8 :? >J 4C6H 2D<65[ “{:6FE6?2?E y@9?[ H9J 2C6 H6 96C6n”k^Am
kAm“(92E 5@ J@F >62?[ #@Jn” y@9? C6A=:65]k^Am
kAm{:<6 >2?J @E96C H2CC:@CD[ #@J H2D ;FDE @FE @7 9:89 D49@@= 2?5 A2CE:4:A2E:?8 :? 2 7@C6:8? 32EE=6 72C 7C@> 9:D 9@>6=2?5]k^Am
kAm“(92E :D E96 C62D@? 7@C E9:D H2Cn” E96 J@F?8 >2? 2D<65 282:?]k^Am
kAm|J 3C@E96C’D C6A=Ji “xE :D 4@>A=:42E65[ 3FE ?@ >2EE6C E96 C62D@?[ H6 2C6 96C6 3642FD6 @FC 4@F?ECJ 2D<65 FD E@ D6CG6]”k^Am
kAm%96J 3@E9 C6EFC?65 E@ H@C< 2?5 H2C]k^Am
kAm|6C6=J E@ D6CG6 H2D H92E @FC 8@G6C?>6?E 2D<65 @7 2== J@F?8 >6? 2?5 H@>6? :? E9@D6 52JD] q642FD6 @FC 4@F?ECJ 6G@<65 E96 5C27E[ >2?J 925 ?@ 49@:46] %96J 4@FC286@FD=J 6?E6C65 E96 4@?7=:4E :? @7E6? F?7@C8:G:?8 A=246D :? 3@2ED[ A=2?6D[ 4@AE6CD[ 2?5 3@@ED @? E96 8C@F?5] ~G6C dh[a__ ?6G6C C6EFC?65 9@>6] p7E6C C6EFC?:?8 E@ @FC D9@C6D[ b__[___ >@C6 5:65 7C@> p86?E ~C2?86 6IA@DFC6]k^Am
kAmw@H >2?J @E96CD A2:?7F==J 6?5FC65 A@DE EC2F>2E:4 DEC6DD 5:D@C56C 2?5 H2C\C6=2E65 :?;FC:6Dnk^Am
kAm%9:D |6>@C:2= s2J[ =6E :E 36 2 C6>:?56C E92E ?@E 2== H2C 42DF2=E:6D 92AA6? @? E96 32EE=67:6=5]k^Am
kAm}@ >2EE6C :? H92E H2C[ 4@?7=:4E[ @C 4:C4F>DE2?46 2 D@=5:6C 82G6 E96:C =:76[ E9:D 4@F?ECJ’D 4:E:K6?D 2C6 ?@E E92?<7F= 6?@F89] (6 H9@ ?6G6C D6CG65 @C DF776C65 E96 67764ED @7 H2C 5@ ?@E F?56CDE2?5 E96 D24C:7:46D @7 D@ >2?J]k^Am
kAmpE E96 6?5 @7 |2J 6249 J62C[ H6 A=2? H92E H6 H:== 5@i q2C36BF6D[ DH:>>:?8[ @C 46=63C2E:?8 2 52J @77 3J 5@:?8 =:EE=6] qFE |6>@C:2= s2J D9@F=5 36 2 D@=6>? @3D6CG2?46 9@?@C:?8 E9@D6 H9@ 82G6 2== 7@C FD E@ 92G6 E96 7C665@> E@ 6?;@J 2== E96 E9:?8D H6 5@] {6E’D E2<6 E96 E:>6 E@ E6249 @FC 49:=5C6? 23@FE E96 3C2G6 >6? 2?5 H@>6? H9@ 6?DFC65 E96:C AC:G:=686 E@ 2EE6?5 D49@@= @C 49FC49 2?5 E@ 5C62> H:E9@FE =:>:ED]k^Am
kAmx 36=:6G6 E9:D E@ 36 ECF6i }@ G6E6C2? D9@F=5 6G6C 36 9@>6=6DD @C C6BF:C65 E@ A2J 7@C E96 36DE >65:42= @C ADJ49@=@8:42= 42C6[ 2?5 E96J D9@F=5 2=H2JD 36 EC62E65 H:E9 5:8?:EJ 2?5 C6DA64E] %@ 5@ =6DD :D 239@CC6?E 2?5 F?\p>6C:42?]k^Am
kAm':6E?2> G6E6C2?D 3@C6 255:E:@?2= A2:? 3642FD6 E96:C 4@F?ECJ H2D E:C65 @7 2? F?A@AF=2C H2C] %96C6 H2D ?@ 2AA=2FD6 2E E96 2:CA@CED H96? E96J 2CC:G65 E9C@F89 E96 82E6D ?@C 72?72C6 @7 2?J <:?5] %96D6 3C2G6 D@=5:6CD H2=<65 9@>6 BF:6E=J 2D :7 232?5@?65 3J E9@D6 H9@ 82G6 E96> ?@ 49@:46 3FE E@ D6CG6]k^Am
kAmw@H D@CC@H7F= H6 D9@F=5 36 7@C E96 A2:? H6 42FD65 E9@D6 F?D6=7:D9 96C@6D] |2?J DE:== 362C E96 A9JD:42= 2?5 >6?E2= D42CD @7 H2C] *6E[ E96J E9C:G6 @? E96 42>2C256C:6 @7 76==@H D6CG:46 >6>36CD H9:=6 >FEF2==J 8C:6G:?8 E96 =@DD @7 7C:6?5D H9@ 5:5?’E DFCG:G6 E96 32EE=6D]k^Am
kAmx DEC@== 6249 J62C E9C@F89 2 46>6E6CJ :? E96 %6??6DD66 E@H? H96C6 x H2D 3@C?] p>@?8 E96 9625DE@?6D 362C:?8 E96 ?2>6D @7 72>:=:6D x C64@8?:K6[ E96C6 2C6 >2?J G6E6C2?D] %@H2C5 E96 6?5 @7 2 C@H[ E96C6 :D 2 D:?8=6 3C@?K6 DE@?6 H:E9 2? p>6C:42? 7=28 A6C4965 23@G6 :E]k^Am
kAmxE C625D[ “{:6FE6?2?E y@9? t] (2=<6C] &$ }2GJ ':6E?2>] yF=J ad[ `hc`[ E@ pAC:= ah[ `hhg]k^Am
kAm%62CD 72== 6249 E:>6 x =2J 2 7=28 2?5 7=@H6CD ?6IE E@ 9:D 9625DE@?6] |J 3:8 3C@E96C[ >J 5676?56C[ >J 96C@[ :D ;FDE @?6 @7 4@F?E=6DD ?F>36CD H9@ =@G65 9:D 4@F?ECJ 6?@F89 E@ ;@:? 2 32EE=6] %C28:42==J[ 96 5:65 7C@> E96 67764ED @7 H2C 3642FD6 96 H2D >6C6=J 2D<65 E@ D6CG6]k^Am
kAm&?E:= 96 =67E FD[ 96 H@C6 9:D 42A AC@F5=J[ 2D 96 D9@F=5]k^Am
kAmw@?@C:?8 E9@D6 H9@ 82G6 2== E96J 4@F=5 E@ >2:?E2:? @FC 7C665@> D9@HD E96 C6DE @7 FD E96 :>>62DFC23=6 G2=F6 @7 4@FC286]k^Am
