I wish you could meet “JBW”

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Today’s Blog Post


I wish you could meet “JBW”

I would like you to meet “JBW”.

He was born when the First World War was just beginning. He lived the terrible 20s and the dirty 30s. Then he came into the Second World War at about 30 years of age.

Yesterday he walked up to me as I was in the Peterborough Square demonstrating my Tatting and Wood Carving. He stood beside my chair and fumbled for his keys as he stood behind his walker.

His hand held out his set of keys. On the keys was a round, shiny key fob with the inscription “JBW”. Then he said, “It is sterling silver”, as he grinned at me.

His right ear is gone. An apparent scar over that side of his head with a small hole in the middle shows what must have happened. It was blown off or burned off in some terrible way.

My guess is that he is a second World War Vet.

He had stopped to talk with me before… but yesterday it was longer. He is always alone… with his steady walker and doing fairly well for an older man.

I asked him yesterday, “How old are you?”

He grinned and said, “I turned 100 years old not long ago”, and seemed happy that I asked.

Not a lot of people speak to him. Yesterday he was free of the older lady that walks with him at times. She is older than me by about 20 years – and is his daughter.

My opening statement that he was born just before the WW I – is right on. A little boy when his dad and others went off to a war that no one wanted. Then as a young man – he went himself to another war.

As he stood speaking with me in his quiet voice, I was amazed that I was having the honour to be in the presence of such greatness. It was like having the King from another era stop to grace my table with his interest.

I reflected deeply on “JBW”.

As a Pastor I would have never met this gentleman. But as a regular artist and craftsman I have come to know many men like him.

I am glad that I no longer have to be stuck in an office any more, stuck listening to complaints and pains that I could do nothing about, stuck worrying if what I said or did would affect the offerings next weekend.

As I looked at “JBW” I realized that I am free today… free to be me… and so is “JBW”.

I hope I am like him when I get old too.

As he walked away I realized that I only have 34 years to go to catch up to where “JBW” is now.

Hmmm…. How will I live these next few years with that thought in mind?

~ Murray Lincoln ~
http://www.murraylincoln.com/