Random thoughts…

The Grey Haired Brigade

They like to refer to us as Senior Citizens, old fogies, geezers, and in some cases dinosaurs. Some of us are “Baby Boomers” getting ready to retire. Others have been retired for some time. We walk a little slower these days and our eyes and hearing are not what they once were. We have worked hard, raised our children, worshiped our God and grown old together. Yes, we are the ones some refer to as being ‘over the hill’, and that is probably true. But before writing us off completely, there are a few things that need to be taken into consideration.

In school we studied English, history, math, and science which enabled us to lead America into the technological age. Most of us remember what outhouses were, many of us with firsthand experience. We remember the days of telephone party-lines, 25 cent gasoline, and milk and ice being delivered to our homes. For those of you who don’t know what an icebox is, today they are electric powered and referred to as refrigerators. A few even remember when cars were started with a crank or a button on the floor. Yes, we lived in those days.

We are probably considered old fashioned and out-dated by many. But there are a few things you need to remember before completely writing us off. We won World War II, fought in Korea and Viet Nam . We can quote The Pledge of Allegiance, and know where to place our hand while doing so.

We wore the uniform of our country with pride and lost many friends on the battlefield. We didn’t fight for the Socialist States of America, we fought for the “Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave.”

We wore different uniforms but carried the same flag. We know the words to the Star Spangled Banner, America ,and America the Beautiful by heart, and you may even see some tears running down our cheeks as we sing. We have lived what many of you have only read about in history books and we feel no obligation to apologize to anyone for America.

Yes, we are old and slow these days but rest assured, we have at least one good fight left in us. We have loved this country, fought for it, and died for it, and now we are going to save it. It is our country and nobody is going to take it away from us.

We took oaths to defend America against all enemies, foreign and domestic, and that is an oath we plan to keep. There are those who want to destroy this land we love but, like our founders, there is no way we are going to remain silent.

It was mostly the young people of this nation who elected Obama and the Democratic Congress. You fell for the “Hope and Change” BS which in reality was nothing but “Hype and Lies.” You have tasted socialism and seen evil face to face, and have found you don’t like it after all. You make a lot of noise, but most are all too interested in their careers or “Climbing the Social Ladder” to be involved in such mundane things as patriotism and voting. Many of those who fell for the “Great Lie” in 2008 are now having buyer’s remorse. With all the education we gave you, you didn’t have sense enough to see through the lies and instead drank the ‘Cool-Aid.’ Now you’re paying the price and complaining about it. No jobs, lost mortgages, higher taxes, and less freedom. This is what you voted for then and that is what you got. We entrusted you with the Torch of Liberty and you traded it for a paycheck and a fancy house.

Well, don’t worry youngsters, the Grey-Haired Brigade is here, and in 2016 we took back our nation. We may drive a little slower than you would like but we get where we’re going, and in 2016 we went to the polls by the millions. This land does not belong to the man that was in the White House nor to the likes of Nancy Pelosi, John McCain or Harry Reid. It belongs to “We the People” and “We the People” plan to reclaim our land and our freedom. We hope this time you will do a better job of preserving it and passing it along to our grandchildren.

So the next time you have the chance to say the Pledge of Allegiance, Stand up, put your hand over your heart, honor our country, and thank God for the old geezers of “The Grey-Haired Brigade.”

And a little humor…

Comments

Random thoughts… — 16 Comments

  1. Well stated. Older and seasoned does not make people useless, not by a long shot. If the young only took the time to ask and listen to the replies of them, we would all be better off.

    Unless it comes to computer / technology stuff. The young got us there, lol.

    And THANKS and HAPPY ANNIVERSARY for The Gun Blog Black List.

  2. Ah, yes, the car – credit card – and condo. Cheaper to lease than buy.

  3. Hey Old NFO;

    There is truth for that gray haired brigade comment although a lot of the old geezers voted for the PIAP*. I donno on the financial planning thing…the car does look good, lol

  4. My grandparents didn’t have an icebox: they stored fresh milk (from the cows in the barn) in the creek below the farmhouse. No electricity, no running water. I pumped water from the well, used the outhouse, and occasionally a chamber pot during winter weather. Kerosene lanterns and two wood stoves were for light, heat and cooking. My kids at least learned what those things were like, and to appreciate what we have now. And you bet we’d fight to keep the progress this country has made.

  5. So the next time you have the chance to say the Pledge of Allegiance…

    Plan ahead. Learn the words now so you won’t have to mumble and be embarrassed later.

    I’ll presume that not knowing the words to the Pledge of Allegiance would embarrass and humiliate you, but perhaps not.

  6. I count myself as one of the gray haired brigade (do we get a unit patch?).

    I must compliment you on your oratory style. You, sir, can string some words together that have heart. I am not so talented so I stick to the short form:

    “I may not be as good as I once was, but I’m as good once as I always was.”

  7. My grandparents had an outhouse, and chamber pots at night. No icebox, but a hand pump in the kitchen sink. Party lines, yes, (ours was 4682) and our first private line (2-1677). Milk delivery, but not ice.

  8. Many of us grey haired types know MORE than the first verse of “The Star Spangled Banner”, “America”, and to “America the Beautiful”.

    My first car had a button on the floor to hit the high beams up and down. I thought that was cool!

    We grey haired folks have learned the value of being financially responsible, of having no bills except the monthly heat/light/groceries/phone. Speaking of which, many of us have a phone someplace in the house…hard-wired in.

    And, we have learned how to get even, and be sneaky, not just to get mad. Because we might not move as fast as we used to, and we might need glasses to read the fine print on stuff, but the brain still works just fine!! We learned a while ago how to work smarter. Probably because we learned a very long time ago how to work. That was, most likely, what pissed off the former resident in the WH. We asked questions, and wanted to make up our own minds, not be told what and how to think. We were willing to work, not just get a hand-out.

  9. Hey, I resemble that remark.

    Though I will say that, having spent my life trailing the Baby Boom (born in 1961) I have to say that most of the idiocy you lay on younger generations, I saw our co-generationalists pull first.

    I remember milk in glass bottles, with the cream on top (just barely). I remember cars without air conditioning…in fact I remember crossing the Great American Desert in one (I was nine). I remember thinking Troll Dolls were bug ugly the first time they were popular. I actually have shopped in a Tandy Leather: same (original) company as Radio Schlock and same orginal purpose (providing materials for hobbyists).

  10. Once upon a time, we’d been given two “deuce and a half” trucks for an exercise. I sent one of my troops out to move them around back, so we could load them. He came back with “Sgt B. I can’t move those trucks, I can’t find the keys, and I can’t drive a stick shift.” Called my team together, and told them “Walk around them, kick the tires, pretend that you’re going to buy them. I’ll be back in 20 minutes.”

    Came back, and asked the question “Does anybody here think they can drive these things?”

    In the back of the formation, a little tiny hand came up. I parted the gaggle, like Moses parting the Red Sea. The owner of the hand, a tiny little E-3, with short blonde hair, big blue eyes, cute as a button, standing all of 5-foot nothing, was standing at attention.

    I said “Wolfe, you think you can drive these trucks?”

    She said “Sgt. B, I grew up on a farm, I can drive any f**kin’ thing that’s got wheels on it!”

    And she could! And after 6 months, so could everyone else on my team. I told them “When these things go out, one of you will be sitting side-saddle with Wolfe. You’d better pay attention, because you’ll be driving it back.”

    Saw her drive one from our unit, to the back gate at Offutt, from a dead stop to 5th gear, without ever touching the clutch! Hell, I can’t even do that!!!!

    • Great comment, Spook!
      Dad (farm raised) told me that he was one of the few in basic flight school(1940’s)that knew how to drive a truck…

  11. CSP- I got you by 10 years… sigh… And I remember that too!

    Grog- I know! 🙂

    RS- ROTFLMAO… NEVER underestimate a country girl…