My plans for yesterday were simple: I’d wallow in all the build-up to the State of the Union speech, watch the speech and responses, and go to bed.

Around 8:30 AM, however, I had a telephone call from the woman at RSVP. A veteran missed the Veterans Administration van to Hot Springs, South Dakota. He had an afternoon appointment to evaluate the next steps to deal with a broken left knee – ow! – and would I be available to take him there?

It was a “no brainer”. This Desert Shield veteran had a serious injury, not some routine check up he could reschedule with no particular consequences, and he turned out to be someone I knew because I worked for decades with members of his family at the hose factory. I know his mother and father, several aunts and uncles, some cousins. Of course I’d drive him to the VA in South Dakota! Gladly!

The trip was uneventful. We got to the clinic ahead of schedule, and that gave him a slight advantage in that they took him in for his evaluation before schedule, a bit of serendipity since the injured knee, in a brace, still gave him some discomfort when we rode over bumps. As you can imagine, the best part of his day would be when we finally got back home and he could better control the discomfort and pain of the knee.

Good luck with the surgery on that knee later this week, Norman!

Six hours and forty-five minutes of my time given to help this man. Though I wanted to wallow in the State of the Union speech hubbub at the start of the day, a telephone call reminded me some things are more important to do.