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<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff><SPAN
class=453034804-09022007>Tim,</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff><SPAN class=453034804-09022007>Good story.
Compassion could save mankind.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff><SPAN
class=453034804-09022007>Mark</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><A href="mailto:bau@moscow.com"></A><IMG height=86
alt="baukunst\architecture Union" hspace=0 src="cid:453034804@09022007-0223"
width=112 border=0> <BR><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: agency fb"><FONT
size=3>mark r. seman, architect</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: agency fb">
v=928.925.7617</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: agency fb">
f=928.776.9107</SPAN><BR></FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE>
<DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader dir=ltr align=left><FONT face=Tahoma
size=2>-----Original Message-----<BR><B>From:</B>
vision2020-bounces@moscow.com [mailto:vision2020-bounces@moscow.com]<B>On
Behalf Of </B>TIM RIGSBY<BR><B>Sent:</B> Thursday, February 08, 2007 4:54
PM<BR><B>To:</B> vision2020@moscow.com<BR><B>Subject:</B> [Vision2020] For
those that do good things.<BR><BR></FONT></DIV>One day, when I was a freshman
in high school,<BR><BR>I saw a kid from my class was walking home from
school.<BR><BR>His name was Kyle.<BR><BR>It looked like he was carrying all of
his books.<BR><BR>I thought to myself, "Why would anyone bring home all his
books on a Friday?<BR><BR>He must really be a nerd."<BR><BR>I had quite a
weekend planned (parties and a football game with my friends tomorrow
afternoon), so I shrugged my shoulders and went on.<BR><BR>As I was walking, I
saw a bunch of kids running toward him.<BR><BR>They ran at him, knocking all
his books out of his arms and tripping him so he landed in the
dirt.<BR><BR>His glasses went flying, and I saw them land in the grass about
ten feet from him<BR><BR>He looked up and I saw this terrible sadness in his
eyes<BR><BR>My heart went out to him. So, I jogged over to him as he crawled
around looking for his glasses, and I saw a tear in his eye.<BR><BR>As I
handed him his glasses, I said, "Those guys are jerks. "<BR><BR>They really
should get lives.<BR><BR>" He looked at me and said, "Hey
thanks!"<BR><BR>There was a big smile on his face.<BR><BR>It was one of those
smiles that showed real gratitude.<BR><BR>I helped him pick up his books, and
asked him where he lived.<BR><BR>As it turned out, he lived near me, so I
asked him why I had never seen him before.<BR><BR>He said he ha d gone to
private school before now.<BR><BR>I would have never hung out with a private
school kid before.<BR><BR>We talked all the way home, and I carried some of
his books.<BR><BR>He turned out to be a pretty cool kid.<BR><BR>I asked him if
he wanted to play a little football with my friends<BR><BR>He said
yes.<BR><BR>We hung out all weekend and the more I got to know Kyle, the more
I liked him, and my friends thought the same of him.<BR><BR>Monday morning
came, and there was Kyle with the huge stack of books again.<BR><BR>I stopped
him and said, "Boy, you are gonna really build some serious muscles with this
pile of books everyday!<BR><BR>" He just laughed and handed me half the
books.<BR><BR>Over the next four years, Kyle and I became best
friends.<BR><BR>When we were seniors we began to think about
college.<BR><BR>Kyle decided on Georgetown and I was going to Duke.<BR><BR>I
knew that we would always be friends, that the miles would never be a
problem.<BR><BR>He was going to be a doctor and I was going for business on a
football scholarship.<BR><BR>Kyle was valedictorian of our class.<BR><BR>I
teased him all the time about being a nerd.<BR><BR>He had to prepare a speech
for graduation.<BR><BR>I was so glad it wasn't me having to get up there and
speak<BR><BR>Graduation day, I saw Kyle.<BR><BR>He looked great.<BR><BR>He was
one of those guys that really found himself during high school.<BR><BR>He
filled out and actually looked good in glasses.<BR><BR>He had more dates than
I had and all the girls loved him.<BR><BR>Boy, sometimes I was
jealous!<BR>Today was one of those days.<BR><BR>I could see that he was
nervous about his speech.<BR><BR>So, I smacked him on the back and said, "Hey,
big guy, you'll be gre at!"<BR><BR>He looked at me with one of those looks
(the really grateful one) and smiled<BR><BR>" Thanks," he said.<BR><BR>As he
started his speech, he cleared his throat, and began<BR><BR>"Graduation is a
time to thank those who helped you make it through those tough
years.<BR><BR>Your parents, your teachers, your siblings, maybe a coach...but
mostly your friends...<BR><BR>I am here to tell all of you that being a friend
to someone is the best gift you can give them.<BR><BR>I am going to tell you a
story."<BR><BR>I just looked at my friend with disbelief as he told the story
of the first day we met.<BR><BR>He had planned to kill himself over the
weekend.<BR><BR>He talked of how he had cleaned out his locker so his Mom
wouldn't have to do it later and was carrying his stuff home.<BR><BR>He looked
hard at me and gave me a little smile.<BR><BR>"Thankfully, I was
saved.<BR><BR>My friend saved me from doing the unspeakable."<BR><BR>I heard
the gasp go through the crowd as this handsome, popular boy told us all about
his weakest moment.<BR><BR>I saw his Mom and dad looking at me and smiling
that same grateful smile.<BR><BR>Not until that moment did I realize it's
depth.<BR><BR>Never underestimate the power of your actions.<BR><BR>With one
small gesture you can change a person's life.<BR><BR>For better or for
worse.<BR>" 'Politics is the art of controlling your environment.' That is one of the key things I learned in these years, and I learned it the hard way. Anybody who thinks that 'it doesn't matter who's President' has never been Drafted and sent off to fight and die in a vicious, stupid War on the other side of the World -- or been beaten and gassed by Police for trespassing on public property -- or been hounded by the IRS for purely political reasons -- or locked up in the Cook County Jail with a broken nose and no phone access and twelve perverts wanting to stomp your ass in the shower. That is when it matters who is President or Governor or Police Chief. That is when you will wish you had voted." - Hunter S. Thompson
***** Original material contained herein is Copyright 2006, Timothy J Rigsby.
Do not copy, forward, excerpt, or reproduce outside the Vision 2020 forum
without the express written permission of the author.*****<BR><BR>
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