“Should I use my free time to volunteer for a cause that touches me?”
Simply asking “Is this telling a good story?” makes the decision making process easier on the big questions in life. You’ve probably been looking for a way to tell a better story with the big picture. If you are like me, you’ve been thinking about the Storyline process and asking if you are telling a good story with your life. I think that it is amazing how the “media” chooses our “heroes” these days… Michael Jackson & the like! Let’s give Shifty his own Memorial Service, online, in our own quiet way. No wall to wall back to back 24×7 news coverage. Just knowing that there are still some who remember what we did and who still care is enough to make an old man very happy.” His eyes were filling up as he said it, and mine are brimming up now as I write this. When Shifty came forward, I got up out of the seat and told him I wanted him to have it, that I’d take his in coach. I sent the flight attendant back to get him and said that I wanted to switch seats. I helped Shifty get onto the plane and then realized he was back in Coach while I was in First Class. I asked Shifty if he was on his way back from France, and he said “Yes… And it’s real sad because, these days, so few of the guys are left, and those that are, lots of them can’t make the trip.” My heart was in my throat and I didn’t know what to say. I was standing with a genuine war hero, and then I realized that it was June, just after the anniversary of D-Day. I told him “Yes, I know exactly where Normandy is, and I know what D-Day was.”Īt that point he said “I also made a second jump into Holland, into Arnhem. Do you know where Normandy is?” At this point my heart stopped. Quietly and humbly, he said “Well, I guess I signed up in 1941 or so, and was in until sometime in 1945 …” at which point my heart skipped.Īt that point, again, very humbly, he said “I made the 5 training Jumps at Toccoa, and then jumped into Normandy. I thanked him for his service, then asked him when he served, and how many jumps he made. He said quietly that he had been in the 101st. Making conversation, I asked him if he d been in the 101st Airborne or if his son was serving. I offered to help, assured him that he was at the right gate, and noticed the “Screaming Eagle,” the symbol of The 101st Airborne, on his hat. I just saw an elderly gentleman having Trouble reading his ticket. I met Shifty in the Philadelphia airport several years ago. His character appears in all 10 Episodes, and Shifty himself is interviewed in several of them. If you’ve seen Band of Brothers on HBO or the History Channel, you know Shifty.
Shifty volunteered for the airborne in WWII and served with Easy Company of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, part of the 101st Airborne Infantry. Don’t let your story get hijacked by society and our obsession with celebrity.įor my money, Shifty told a great story with his life. It is a great story about a regular bunch of guys who sacrificed everything to conquer an evil force. Band of Brothers isn’t about a group of celebrities. But that doesn’t mean his story is any less meaningful. Chuck Yeager makes a great point, when Shifty died, there was no fanfare like we saw when Michael Jackson died. He fought with the 101 st Airborne division in WWII. If you’ve seen Band of Brothers (probably my favorite mini-series), you know about him. Some of the best stories I’ve seen in movies or read about grabbed me because of the struggle of a character who wanted something and overcame obstacles to get it. And meaningful stories are always good stories. Living a meaningful life that is pleasing to God is the point. He isn’t suggesting that we all have to be rock stars to tell good stories with our lives. Don’t misunderstand what Donald Miller is saying. I came across this article today and it highlights one of the things we discussed when finishing up the Storyline series.
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