CONGRATULATIONS TO SOME REAL PATRIOTS

       CONGRATULATIONS

Congratulations to my writer friend "Scarlatti" and to the citizens of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. She and all of them are real Heroes - Real Patriots. 

One year ago this week (June 12 - June 19) a huge flood hit their city. TEN SQUARE MILES were inundated. Thousands lost their homes and businesses.

Scarlatti was washed out of her historic family home; watched its walls collapse inward under the water pressure. 

One day she was living an active, productive life. Two days later she was removing her precious belongings by canoe.

She saved small animals and pets and united with her neighbors in life-saving, sanity-saving measures. She began living in her car, in an empty office, in someone's spare bedroom, and finally in a tin-can of a trailer with vermin and bad water.

Immediately after the initial shock wore off, the rebuilding began.The total task was huge, but the federal government was nearly invisible. It was busy bailing out greedy people living in safe and dry parts of our country.

Local church members and other citizen volunteers contributed free rehabilitation of the homes, including Scarlatti's. Not only did they rebuild her family home for free, they helped inspire her and the others to become overcomers of this natural catastrophe.

One year to the date of the flood, Scarlatti moved back into her refurbished home.

But what about the economic impact? Was there a bailout in Cedar Rapids? Maybe so, but the real recovery was self-directed.

Scarlatti never quit her parttime job as a realtor (Deborah Lebeda.) She and others approached their work with a purpose of helping the flooded homeless. Their income was down, of course, but they remained gainfully employed. They were useful, helpful.

Scarlatti and the citizens of Cedar Rapids, Iowa are real heroes and definitely are patriots.

They probably do not want to be recognized as such. Certainly the mainstream news media doesn't care about them. However, for every one of them, ten of us have been touched and inspired. Our entire country, not just Cedar Rapids, is a better place because of them

With Respect & Gratitude,
                Tom
       http://aronbestsellers.com