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Patriotism And A Man They Called Jeff
9-19-01
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No smart ass comments and nothing clever in this one - just a short
story... |
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I live and work in Wausau WI and, generally speaking, off-and-on, have
been here since the spring 1983. Wausau has its share of small town
problems but there is one that is unique for a small midwest town: It
seems that a group of Hmong people were originally sponsored by American
families and brought here from Laos to live the American life. Over time
other family members followed and were sponsored by the newly transplanted
local Hmong families - some of which, as time went on, were on welfare.
Well after about 20+ years a large percentage of them are on welfare now
and it has caused a lot of local problems and racial tension. Sixty
Minutes actually came to Wausau a couple of years ago and did a story on
the racial issues and economic problems that have resulted.
I do not have much experience with the Hmong people and do not know any
except for an employee that I hired by the name of Va Thao. Va had a
bachelors degree and came highly recommended to us from the local Hmong
Association where he once worked as a teen crisis counselor among other
things. He worked Internet technical support and was a System
Administrator (computer geek stuff!) for us and did a great job -
customers loved him. When we sold our Internet division he was one of the
people let go as his job was no longer here - a victim of a corporate
buyout. I was sad to see him and the others go but I have seen him a few
times since and he is apparently doing well and working for one of our old
competitors here in town.
I had the chance to meet another Hmong person last week and is was a truly
uplifting experience. I was on a sales call at a potential clients office
talking with the owner, Dave, at his front desk when one of HIS customers
came in: A man they called Jeff. It was obvious that they all knew him
well and all said "Hi Jeff" and they all made the usual "hello" small
talk. He was a Hmong man perhaps 45-50 years old, about 5'2" high and
spoke very good but still broken English. The receptionist knew him well
and helped him with some sort of a billing issue as near as I could tell.
Jeff was mild mannered as he talked but soon came alive with huge
expressions, humor and patriotism that I have not seen from most people I
know. As they were finishing up Jeff looked at Dave and I and started the
following conversation:
Jeff: What you think about the towers? The towers in New
York?
Dave & I: It's awful, just awful...
Jeff: (shaking his head) They can't do that! No. They can't
do that! Is no way they can do that!
Dave: They did do it and it's horrible!
Jeff: Don worry Dave, everything be ok, this all be over
soon.
Dave: So you think this will be over soon Jeff?
Jeff: (said with 100% confidence) - Oh yeah - No problem
Dave! NO problem!
(Dave and I smiled at his confident assurance as he just lit up came
alive)
Jeff: Oh, I not a smart guy, but military - they very smart
- they have bombs and weapons - and very smart - you know - they
just go over there and win. I from Laos - you know - you know -
I fly south to north in like hour 20 minute - is very small country.
You fly to Minneapolis in like 45 minute from here! Very quick!
It small country, SMALL country over there - we just go there and
we just win! No problem!
Dave: I hope you're right - we have to do something soon.
Jeff: I hear they call up reserve. You know how that work?
How that work?
Me: No - I have no idea how they call up people now.
(Dave offers a few sentences about the Vietnam lottery and what his number
was - how it worked then)
Jeff: They call people by social security number like? Like
they call my number and I have to go? (He is excited about the possibility - NOT
dreading it) How does it work? I don know - (Dave and I shake our heads - we are
not really sure how it works). Like maybe they call Dave number
and Dave chicken! (he is joking Dave with a big smile on his face)
and he not want to go - yeah?! You know like Dave say "no, no" -
(laughing) "I don want to go". (laughing) But they call me - I go
- They call my number, (big proud smile - but serious) I go - don't
worry Dave - I go fight - I go fight for you Dave! (laughing - jokingly patting him on
the arm to make feel better about being such a chicken) I go fight and we just
win. (more seriously) We just go over and we win.
(Dave and I still laughing from his joke about Dave chickening out)
Jeff: You know, I don care, I don care, if you Chinese, Japanese,
White, Black, whatever - we all Americans, you know, we ALL Americans
- and we ALL (big "coming together" gesture with his arms) go fight
- we win - you know? We win. We just go and win. Is easy. We Americans
- we can do it! We just go and win - We always win.
Someone in Dave's office said that Dave had a phone call or something and
we all had to break up and shake hands and such. I told Jeff it was nice
to meet him even though I never did introduce myself to him. I'm sure he
has no idea who I am - just another guy in Dave's office that participated
in a small conversation one day. But I remember Jeff - I will remember
him for a very long time. Never before have I seen someone so excited and
confident - so sure of America, how we can come together and what we can
do. It was inspiring. I walked out of that office and took a huge, deep
breath and felt really very good for the first time in about a week.
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