Watch Out For Granny!

     We are on the waning days of our vacation, but I just have to share a quick story that was told to me during our travels.  We were in the beautiful city of Cody, Wyoming and had the good fortune to see old friends that we hadn't been in touch with for quite awhile.
     Doug was giving us a rendition of quite an interesting episode in his mother's life.  She is 76 years old and a retired school teacher.  She had mentored a young woman who had tried for years to gain acceptance to the Naval Academy.  Well, the young lady finally made it and after completing her stint at the Academy, she really wanted Doug's mother to be there for her at the graduation ceremonies.
     So this feisty 76-year-old buys her airline ticket and flies across country, with several stops at different airports.  At each layover, she has to go through a security line, and each time she gets pulled out of the line and her bags are searched and she is wanded.  She finally reaches her destination and basks in the accomplishment of her former student.
     On her return flight home, she is once again singled out, and pulled out of line, bags searched, wanded, etc.  Not being shy and reserved, she finally gets considerably irritated and not just a little curious as to why she seems to be a favorite target of the TSA.  So she asks the latest of the government employees who is instructed to search her bags, "Tell me, young woman, I seem to be doing something that is marking me as a person of interest.  Can you tell me what that might be?"

     I am actually surprised that the employee told her the truth.  "It's simple, ma'am.  You're wearing an American flag lapel pin.  If you would consent to remove the pin, you would go unnoticed."  Well, let me tell you, that was the wrong thing to say to this senior citizen.
     Doug recounted the indignation with which his mother received this bit of news.  "I am a red-blooded, patriotic American, and I will NEVER compromise my pride in my country."  Apparently, that was just the beginning of her diatribe!  And it's not as if we needed proof that "patriot" is a dirty word, right?  So I just thought you would be interested in hearing first hand, what your government thinks of you.  It's a shameful day in America when proclaiming love of country makes you a potential risk.

2 Timothy 2:2   "And what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also."