[This is a true story or at least that's what my Mom told me.]
"Do unto others that you would have done to yourself…"
There is about 8 Jillion different ways to say that last quote. I myself tend to like " Treat others how you want to be treated". You hear it a lot ,well I used to, but even seldom ever see it practiced. More often than not you hear people mention Karma and hoping to see Karma in action.
Well as you all know my Mother has taught me almost all of my philoskifies. She did teach me the "Golden Rule" when I was young. I took it as what it was and never really thought much into it. I mean Karma tends to be visible as in if you let someone in during traffic, someone else let's you in when you need it and when you cut someone off, you get cut off yourself later. The world has turned pretty much into a dog-eat-dog world but I did see people try to live by the rule. As the years went by I saw it less and less. The Golden rule however is about bestowing upon others what you would like bestowed upon yourself, like mercy or compassion. How can you expect mercy or compassion if you yourself would never give it?
You often even hear of people taking advantage of position over people who have pissed them off in life or treated them unfairly. It seems completely first nature to worry about yourself rather than worry about others. To put the "shoe" on and proceed to do to others what has been done to you and then some! Who would not do that? I think most people would take advantage just to have the final word.
I'm not really sure how the topic came up on the day that Mother told me this story but she was telling me about my Fathers character.
While my Dad was in the Marines he had a Master Gunnery Sergeant that had it out for him. According to legend he's the reason Dad retired, he would rather be "out" than to deal with this guy.
This man I guess made my Fathers life a living hell, pickin on him and such. I seem to recall that time with my Dad being really cranky and irritable. I remember Mom talking to him trying to calm and soothe Dad after work. Eventually Dad hit 21 years and called it a day.
Well after he got out my Dad went to a police department ,worked hard and was rewarded with a Gold Detectives badge and the perks that go along with it. By that time Dad had forgotten all about the mean, nasty ole' Master Gunny.
Being specialized in his police field, Dad often taught classes at the police academy to new cadets. One time Dad went to the academy to instruct a brand new class. While walking down the hall he rounded the corned and came face to face with a cadet from the class.
Standing staring at each other the cadet was obviously older. The cadet began to give my Father the greeting of the day while still looking at my Father. I guess they recognized each other at the same time…
The cadet was none other than the Master Gunny…
The Master gunny looked Dad over, unbelieving what he was seeing, here was the man that he had rained hell on, someone whom he thought he would never see again let alone in the deserts of New Mexico. As he looked Dad over his eyes drifted down to the gold shield that was hanging around his neck and saw that the tides had turned and the shoe was definitely on the other foot.
Dad stood there looking at the Master Gunny knowing that the shoe was on the other foot. Knowing that now the tide had changed. Knowing that he could extract revenge on the man that led to him leaving his beloved Marine Corps.
And with the Master Gunny standing before him with his mouth hanging open, staring at my father, Dad stuck his hand out and received his brother Marine with open arms…
Dad had done the impossible, the unheard of...he let it go. He had every ounce of capability to treat the guy however he wanted but he didn't, He treated him how he should, treated him how he wanted to be treated.
My mother is very proud of my Father for what happen that day. She knew he was an honorable man but yet again he proved it and I agree. Many people would have taken revenge.
Dad had chosen to not take vengeance and instead was rewarded with one of the closest friends he has ever had.
These days lots of things happen to me. I'm told there's a reason and I am also sure its written in the bible but its just worded cooler. There's a T.v show my son and I watch that once had a character say...
"When we ask for strength, they send us hard times to make us stronger..."
And every time I'm wronged I think of the story of my father and the Master Gunny then I let it go for I know how I would like to be treated. When I was young I fully believed the Marines were the new Knights, living by a code of honor and my Father being one of their Elite proved it once again.
Just food for thought in these modern times where people only think of themselves
(By the way Dad, I know this may not be the way it happened and I know this because in this version I made you taller...word is bond...)
-B
