Thursday, November 27, 2008

The Black Hearted Fiend……..

That’s what one of my favorite computer games refers to me as. Most people prefer the sweet title of "Prince Among Men” Of course if you have read my blog entries for the last few weeks you might tend to agree with my current title.

It’s time to let you in on a little secret.

I am a softie. No one would know unless you saw me watching one of my favorite shows on TV. Extreme Makeover Home Edition is the culprit. These guys pick a family who has endured some sort of tragedy and they rebuild or completely demolish and replaces the families house. And they do an amazing job. The episode that sticks out in my mind is the family in Tennessee.

The father is a firefighter and the mom was home one night with the two kids while dad was at work protecting others. A tornado rips through and erases their house. Mom jumped on the kids to protect them in the basement. They all lived, but mom is a paraplegic and confined to a wheelchair as a result. A horrible story to be sure and I am tearing up as I type this.

These guys swoop in inside a huge RV, grab the family and send them to Disney world for a week. Then over 500 volunteers rebuild a new house for them. And I mean a palace. Every item you can imagine to help a wheelchair bound person. Electric lifts, kitchen based on wheelchair height,  plasma TV’s , hot tubs,  the whole enchilada. The family is off recovering at Disney and the work on their house goes on 24/7.

When the family comes home and sees the mansion they have been given and the love the whole community has poured out, the tears begin. If you are a cynical asshole like me and this doesn’t change or at least touch you, you should just go for a swim in the ocean and not come back.

The sponsors, Sears, Home Depot, ABC TV, and thousands of others are the real heroes. Wifey and I are looking at getting a big flat screen TV. Even if it cost $50.00 more at Sears we will buy it there. The Home Depot gets our business as well.

Watch an episode. I dare you. CMT shows the re-runs and ABC does the current season.

It will change your life…..