rondog
06-18-2012, 01:07
I've started doing volunteer work as a photographer for an outfit that does community service work for low-income neighborhoods, to help folks that are elderly, disabled, fixed-income, or otherwise just unable to keep up their yards and houses. Just light cleanup/fixup stuff.
I was on a project this weekend at one of the houses, and the volunteer group there had a member that was obviously in his 80's, and he was helping to paint this lady's house.
The B-17 "Aluminum Overcast" was also in town this weekend at a local airport, for ground display, walk-throughs, and rides. As I was leaving this house where this older gent was working at, I saw the B-17 in the air and flying our direction. I hollered at the gent, "hey, when was the last time you saw a B-17 flying?" His eyes lit up and got big, so I pointed at the big bird in the sky.
He hurried out from under the tree so he could see it, and the look on his face was priceless! His wife came over too, and he told her what it was. She said "is that the kind of plane so-and-so always talks about?" And he replied "yes, he was shot down in one of those in the war."
Man, just that brief conversation and the look on his face and in his eyes made my day! He thanked me for pointing out to him, and we both remarked about what a shame it is that there's so few planes like that left flying.
It was a very cool moment, even if it only lasted a minute. I could just see his mind racing back to another time and place, long ago and far away......and then it was over and he went back to work painting.
I was on a project this weekend at one of the houses, and the volunteer group there had a member that was obviously in his 80's, and he was helping to paint this lady's house.
The B-17 "Aluminum Overcast" was also in town this weekend at a local airport, for ground display, walk-throughs, and rides. As I was leaving this house where this older gent was working at, I saw the B-17 in the air and flying our direction. I hollered at the gent, "hey, when was the last time you saw a B-17 flying?" His eyes lit up and got big, so I pointed at the big bird in the sky.
He hurried out from under the tree so he could see it, and the look on his face was priceless! His wife came over too, and he told her what it was. She said "is that the kind of plane so-and-so always talks about?" And he replied "yes, he was shot down in one of those in the war."
Man, just that brief conversation and the look on his face and in his eyes made my day! He thanked me for pointing out to him, and we both remarked about what a shame it is that there's so few planes like that left flying.
It was a very cool moment, even if it only lasted a minute. I could just see his mind racing back to another time and place, long ago and far away......and then it was over and he went back to work painting.