Most of the individuals all of us meet whereas tenting find yourself being single serving associates. People that we work together with for a second in time, after which by no means cross paths once more. Sometimes, these single serving associates and a recreation of dominoes can change your life.
Greg, Greg Sr. and Uncle Larry pulled into the campground on Thursday as Loretta and I have been strolling the canine and got here previous their website. We stated hello to the brand new neighbors like we at all times do and talked a couple of minutes concerning the motive they have been on the town for a number of days. We exchanged all the identical pleasantries we at all times do, not anticipating the easy act of claiming hello to the brand new neighbors to have the affect it did on our lives that day.
Now I’m not going to inform you why they’re on the town, but. Because as necessary as that’s, it’s necessary to me that you just get to know Greg, which can assist you perceive the mission he’s on. We introduced the canine again to our website and allow them to end getting arrange on theirs, and parted methods.
Later that evening Loretta and I have been taking a stroll and got here previous Greg’s website the place we noticed Greg, Greg Sr., Uncle Larry and our different neighbor Corey sitting on the picnic desk enjoying a recreation of dominoes. I’ve by no means performed the sport earlier than however I at all times wished to study so we requested if we may watch them play and have been warmly welcomed to tug up a chair and hang around for the evening.
Dominoes
We spent the remainder of the evening studying learn how to play, seeing how nicely we picked up on the technique of the sport, and laughing as if we had all recognized one another endlessly. We sat and talked all evening, mixing classes on learn how to play the sport with the usual Where are you from and the place are you headed conversations that come together with RV Living. In speaking with Greg you may really feel the real curiosity within the dialog and the human connection, not simply the everyday trade of pleasantries in a brand new single serving social circle.
When sharing tales with Greg you may hear the thrill he has for assembly new individuals alongside his journey and also you come to grasp why he’s passionate that every single day is a present. He shared the story about his second in time that began him on this journey.
I’m not going to inform it, as a result of it isn’t my story to inform. Hearing his story pulled at our coronary heart strings and hit very near house for Loretta and I and we really feel blessed to have heard it and to have met Greg on such a private degree.
Loretta and I have been in a position to share a narrative with Greg and relate why what he’s doing is as necessary to us as it’s to him. Our story isn’t going to be shared right here both, possibly over a beer round a campfire one evening, however in all probability not.
It was late within the evening at this level and we have been all on the point of flip in for the evening, however earlier than parting methods Greg stated “Hey why don’t you guys come walk with me tomorrow”, and we couldn’t be happier that he did. Greg could have walked over 1700 miles by means of 25 main cities to assist unfold his message and heat the hearts of the individuals he meets alongside the way in which.
Hit The Bricks
Friday morning we jumped within the truck and drove out to Philadelphia to #WalkWithGreg. We met up on the Liberty Bell as our start line for the day and have been joined by an important group of people that have been additionally trying to assist Greg in mission and be part of the crew. We met up with Evan, Angelo, Chris, Elizabeth and Matt who have been all West Point Alumni. It was actually an honor to have spent a while with everybody we met that day.
We set out by means of town of concord on a day the place the temperature could be within the 90’s with 90% humidity, so Greg Sr and Uncle Larry following behind us with the truck and coolers filled with water was an absolute blessing. We have been solely in a position to push by means of 6 of Gregs 1700 miles with him earlier than the warmth lastly broke us. Greg didn’t get again to the campground till a number of hours after us as he, Elizabeth and Evan saved on pushing by means of the warmth and exhaustion.
Greg is on a mission to attempt to finish veteran suicide. Now I do know you might be considering that strolling throughout half the nation isn’t going to alter something. That act in it self in all probability received’t, however it’s the message that Greg is carrying with him that will.
You’ll see a person on a mission and in case you occur to be fortunate sufficient to cease and chat with him, or run into him at one among his talking engagements you’ll learn the way he’s making a distinction.
By now we have now all seen the 22 push up problem, which has completed an important deal to lift consciousness for this unlucky state of affairs the place our service members really feel a lot despair that they really feel suicide is the one reply. Greg has a brand new problem that’s altering the sport.
(If you want to Join the Walk, or make a donation to help Gregs efforts, Click Here)
Battle Buddy Challenge
The Battle Buddy Challenge is an easy one that each one of us can do for anybody we all know whether or not they’re a veteran or not. The Battle Buddy Challenge solely requires a little bit little bit of empathy. The similar empathy that we as a society appear to be dropping by dropping that human connection as a result of we have now lowered our interactions with family and friends to simply clicking the like button.
We all have that buddy, or member of the family that we all know could also be having a tricky time with issues in some unspecified time in the future of their life. The Battle Buddy Challenge is Greg difficult you to be human. Even if it isn’t somebody you might be shut too, decide up the cellphone and provides them a name. About something. It doesn’t should be concerning the “issue” they’re having. It doesn’t require you to have a level in psychology. It simply requires you to achieve out and say Hi.
Greg’s ardour for his problem is infectious. Just listening to him talk about it fills you with an brisk felling that you just received’t be capable to describe. It is one thing all of us can do, and will do. This previous yr ought to have been a lesson for us all that lacking that human connection has an impact on us.
Don’t ship a textual content or an e mail, decide up the cellphone and name.
Hear every others voices. Hear every others laughter. That actual connection has an impact on our feelings and the easy reality of understanding somebody was considering of you and wished to listen to your voice can change your day.
I used to listen to from my brother in regulation virtually day by day. I didn’t understand how necessary that was to me till it by no means occurred once more. The days main as much as his funeral have been very tough for me, not simply because I used to be going to one among my finest associates funerals, however as a result of I couldn’t even bear in mind what we talked about that final time he known as. I spent a number of days locked within the jail of my very own thoughts fighting that.
Make The Call
It wasn’t till we have been sitting with our household at his companies that it lastly dawned on me. We didn’t speak about something. The similar nothing we talked about virtually every single day. We talked about how the truck had a flat tire, and the way one among his daughters jumped her bike on the most important ramp ever, and the way my son was driving me loopy this week as a result of he’s identical to Me once we have been his age.
You see its the nothing that we speak about that connects us greater than the massive stuff typically. Just bullshittin along with your buddy. That human connection.
Jason was good at making the connection. He known as me 99% of the time. I by no means needed to name him, as a result of it was virtually a assure that my cellphone would ring in some unspecified time in the future and it could be him. It’s been 2 years since we hung up the cellphone for the final time and every single day I lengthy for the cellphone to ring along with his voice on the opposite facet of the decision. I typically marvel if issues would have been completely different if I had picked up the cellphone and known as him for a change. I’ll by no means know, and I’ll by no means be comfortable with that.
If you settle for Greg’s Battle Buddy Challenge, you might by no means should be in my footwear, or Gregs.
Make the decision.
Don’t overlook to say hello to your neighbors in your subsequent tenting journey, these single serving associates would possibly simply change your life.