And --- it's Labor Day! This year does just keep on passing doesn't it? I assume we are supposed to be celebrating the accomplishments of the American Worker today. And we are supposed to be recognizing the improvements in treatment of workers brought on by Labor Unions. I admit that the Labor Unions have had their important roles in the the improvement in pay and creating better and safer working conditions in the past. I'm not sure that they are effective in today's society. I've been a union member in the past when I worked for Whirlpool. I was going to college and trying to raise a family at the time. I thought the wages were pretty good but the union was always pushing for more. I worked at Whirlpool for six years and I think we went out on strike three times. Once we were out for three months while the union and the company haggled over a ten cent raise. So, while we were arguing over a $4.00 raise per week, we were losing $250.00 a week. (And back then, $250.00 a week was really good money.) Anyway, I could never see the benefit; but then, I was just trying to have money to take care of my family  while I got my degree and could move on to something better. It all worked out though and I got my degree and became a 2nd Lieutentant in the Air Force. And as they say; "the rest is history." I stayed in the Air Force until 2001 and retired as a Colonel.

Speaking of the Air Force, Ms. Kate and I are having lunch today with a fellow that worked for me years ago, and his wife. The man worked for me almost 30 years ago when I was the Security Police commander at Pope AFB in Fayetteville, NC. I have had maybe three dozen of my former personnel look me up on Facebook and make contact with me because they thought I was a really good commander. I feel very honored by that. We often never know what kind of lasting impression we make on people with who we cross paths during the journey through our lives. I've certainly never set out to be anyone's lasting memory but rather simply treat people the way I would want to be treated and do the best I could for them and their families. I took the responsibility being a unit commander very seriously. I guess I always figured that if they knew I was working to support them and their families, they could spend their time concentrating on the mission at hand instead of worrying about their family. Ms. Kate was a critical part of that equation too. She was always the the rock that stood beside me and was concerned about the people in our units. Many a troop has seen Ms. Kate at midnight out with me checking on my personnel while they were on security posts and duty. She was there when I was congratulating people on promotion, She was there when I visited troops or their wives in the hospital. When we sent troops off on deployments in the middle of the night or when we welcomed them back home, she was there. She's made more cookies and sweet rolls to take out to the folks on post than a bakery. While the husbands were deployed overseas, Ms. Kate was always available to tthe "left-behind" wives. My success as a unit commander came in large part beecause of Ms. Kate, and I think that is why we are fondly remembered. We represented what it meant to be an Air Force family.

So, I better get myself ready to meet and greet this day. I hope your day is full of blessings and love. Continue to pray for all of the folks that are struggling in the Texas/Louisiana areas from the flooding. And also pray for the folks up in Montana  that are being driven out of their homes because of forest fire.

Have a blessed day. Peace