Floods, Ft Wayne, Cousins, Sand and Pizza

My brothers were not worth much to me, and this is where cousins come in. Cousins are the sisters and brothers you never had. My cousin, Rich, and I used to have a great time together. We were 4 years apart, so it took us later in our teens to get close. Then we would call each other up, "Wanna cop a pizza?" at any hour of the night and off we went.

We did a few cemetery raids, that means we walked among the buried and communicated when we could. We caught a few drive-in movies, across from the cemetery.

And lately, watching the floods around the states, I am reminded of the night we got together and drove out to a truck site where sandbags were being filled and loaded onto a truck. We put on big boots and jumped in to help however we could.

Fort Wayne, Indiana has the nickname, "Three Rivers," with "Three Rivers Festivals" and so on; because it is surrounded by three rivers, making Ft. Wayne quite a hub of commerce in its day. And also ripe for floods. Flooding of at least one of the rivers happens almost every year, at least it did when I lived there some 30 years ago.

So, Rich and I filled bags, loaded trucks, occasionally lost each other, and I found myself headed towards the river's ready to overflow edge, next to a small house. Very hard to see in the darkness where the river ended and land began. I just kept tossing the bags. Now, mind you, I can't swim, nope, not a lick. But when you are young, full of energy, full of the desire to help others as Rich and I always were, well---nothing to worry about.

I had to keep wiping sweat from my eyes, when I saw a person near me. It was a little old lady, thin as a rail, in a thin summer nightgown, she looked in my eyes. If the moonlight hadn't hit just right, I never could have seen her. Her squeaky voice was a whisper even when she shouted, "Thank-you so much, young man." (WOOT)

Well, we finished up at dawn, drove home for a big breakfast from our ever-cooking Aunt Vi, and we both were dog-tired, wet, and feeling like a million bucks. Yes sir, cousins are a gift. I miss my spontaneous calls for adventure and I hold them close to my heart.

Cousins are the best! And if YOU every feel the urge for an adventure into helping others, just call your nearest Red Cross, the volunteers there are incredible people who save lives every day. Now, if you want to cop a pizza, text your cuz.