Friday Reflections

Mumbai The City of Dreams

 

Magnificent Mumbai By Mohan the Mouse from Dharavi, the slum featured in the movie The Slumdog Millionaire. 
click on the bottom right hand icon to get full screen view  

Point to Ponder: 

Where do I begin

To tell the story of how magnificent a city can be…the city that consists of seven islands on an Arabian Sea..it’s majestic architecture of colonial era (Gothic, Victorian, Art Deco, Indo Saracenic) and modern high rises are as stunning as they can be..Huge diversity of culture and religions is something you will be happy to  see…..

And watching Trash turning into Treasure (Billion $$ Industries) in the slum called Dharavi will convince you how many more Slumdog Millionaires will be……

 

Story Line: Welcome to Mumbai, called The City of Dreams that is rated 12th amongst The 50 best cities in the world for 2024 by TimeOut magazine and it is one of the most cosmopolitan, vibrant, tourists attractions in the world.  

 

We start our tour at The Gateway of India, the monument built to commemorate the landing of George V for his coronation as the Emperor of India in 1911. It is located on the waterfront overlooking the Arabian Sea. The majestic Taj Mahal hotel, built in 1901 by Tata is to the left of this monument. 

The drive around the neighboring areas of Colaba, Fort and Churchgate will make you wonder If you are in Europe instead of India. Those marvelous colonial era buildings are still shining.  

 

The stop at fabulous CSMT railway station (oka Victoria Terminus) followed by view of Churchgate Station in night lights brings up one interesting fact. Did you know that the construction of Mumbai-Pune railway line (Second in India and the longest at the time) in 1863 was managed by Alice Tredwell, the first woman to do be involved in railway construction in India?

 

After strolling through Mumbai at night, the next morning opens in Malbar Hill, the birth place of Rudyard Kipling, the author of world famous The Jungle Book and the poem If. 

 

After nice view of Marine Drive waterfront and home cooked meal, we resume our tour to visit various places of worship in Mumbai starting with exquisite Jain Derasar with beautiful marble structures and paintings, followed by a famous Masjid/Durgah-Haji Ali. It contains the tomb of Pir Haji Ali Shah Bukhari a Sufi saint and a wealthy merchant from Uzbekistan and a love story behind it. 

 

Next we move to Pali Hills on another island of Mumbai and visit Mount Saint Mary Church, the original statue of Virgin Mary was brought during Portuguese occupation in 16th century. Portuguese in Mumbai? Yes, they owned the territory from the years 1534 to 1611 and named the place ‘Bom Bhaia’ which means  ‘good bay’ in Portuguese. It’s British who changed it to Bombay when they received it as dowry for Portuguese princess marriage to British Royal. 

 

After passing by a temple, few churches and masjid, we stop over in Khotachiwadi, a Portuguese colony. Nice small chapel and colorful homes and then a short stop over in Dhobi Ghat, the huge open-air laundry. A place constructed in 1890 that has received Guinness Book of World Records entry under ‘most people hand-washing clothes at a single location. 

 

Next we visit an 18th century Hindu temple dedicated to 'Goddess Mumbadevi'. The original inhabitants of the region, the ‘Koli’ fisherman, greatly respected Goddess (Devi) Mumba and named the temple Mumbadevi. Got a clue where name Mumbai came from? 😊

 

After another nostalgic (for me) tour around Fort, Churchgate and Colaba enjoying once again some marvelous colonial era buildings including my school, we pay a visit to Knesset Eliyahoo an orthodox Jewish Synagogue. 

 

You must be wondering “ So many things to see and do?” Well we are not done yet, some more exciting places coming up. 

 

What follows is shoppers and eaters paradise; Bustling markets of all kinds of goods ; clothes, jewelry, fruits, spices, household items… and Khaua Gali ( Eaters Lane), one of the many delicious street food places in Mumbai.  

 

Mumbai is only second to Miami in the number of Art Deco architecture buildings in the world. View of Eros theater and few along Marine drive was nostalgic. What followed was an evening show and fine dining at superb Chinese Restaurant. Chinese food is the most popular foreign food in India and throughout our trip to various parts of India, we saw Chinese items section in many roadside or city Indian restaurants menus as well. However we preferred the Chinese version of Chinese food. 😊

 

Finally! Clue to Why Mumbai is called City of Dreams. People from all over India come to Mumbai in search of a better life, to make their impact on the world and many are rewarded  for hardwork, innovation and entrepreneurial spirit. From nowhere in the list 20 years ago, Mumbai has risen to become Asia's city with the most billionaires at 92 and It also ranks third in the entire world behind New York and London for number of billionaires. It’s 21st on the list of wealthiest cities in the world. In spite of its many slums and huge income gaps, it is seen as a city that will reward anyone who has ambition and is willing to work hard.  People living below poverty line has dropped significantly and a lot more will happen with the resourcefulness, optimism and momentum that is in the air.  

 

For example Dharavi, the slum featured in the movie Slumdog Millionaire is the largest slum in India and third largest and most dense in the world, with the population of 1 million people in a small area with population density of 869,000 people per square miles. But it has 69 percent literacy and there are 4 different main industries ( Recycling, Clothing, Leather, Pottery), 15,000 single-room factories producing $1 billion in revenue by converting Trash into Treasure. You may notice that it is self sufficient in most of daily needs and also appreciate that nothing goes to waste is their motto. 

 

You will be surprised to see that The Last Stop in our tour is the first place we had visited, The Gateway of India, the place George V had entered India as its Emperor in 1911. The Gateway is also the monument from where the last British troops left (got away) India in 1948 when India declared its independence. 

 

Two years ago India surpassed Britain as 5th largest economy in the world and a year ago India took leadership of G20 and hosted the annual summit of world leaders. 

 

Special Note: Thanks for your patience and interest in taking this tour that was conducted over 20 days during three visits in two year period. There was never a dull moment in our stays in Mumbai. 

 

Not Covered in this tour: Mesmerizing Beaches, awesome High-rises, Dabbawala ( Tiffin Guys) and Elephanta Caves. ( saved for future trip) 

 

 

Fascinating facts, history of places featured in this video are in this article. 

Guarantee that for some it will bring back sweet memories, for others it will be entertaining and educational and many wanting to purchase tickets to Mumbai. And for All,  the great appreciation for what India has become and how it continues to progress.

As The Year Winds Down

Point to Ponder: “The older we get, the more clear it becomes that loving and being loved are the only really important things in life.” 

Wish You and Family a Very Happy Holiday Season. ❤️🌅🌲🙏🏼

 

Story Line: Yesterday Once More. 2023 turned out to be the special year - Rewinding the life tape: reconnecting with friends from childhood years in India; many after 5 decades. Also spending time with people (Philippines and India) who introduced me to my penfriend and now life partner; In Singapore spending time with friends we met at Stanford in the early 80s; in Manila, staying with a person we developed close friendships during my expatriate assignment with Raytheon in Philippines (1980-1983) and many celebrations and ovepouring of love in Malaysia by former work colleagues at Intel during my two work periods ( 1984-1986 and 1997-2015). Returning home was great joy seeing our children’s family: especially grandsons; and reconnecting work colleagues and bosses from LSI Logic, Fairchild and Intel. 

 

Reflection:  2023 has been nostalgic from the point of view of reconnecting with associations developed in this life’s Journey. 

 

There is one common theme from all these interactions: Work relationships were over a long time ago when I left those institutions but the friendships and relationships of heart that developed during those years has stayed on forever. Details of the projects we worked on are forgotten but the memories and a strong emotional bond we developed has stayed on. So here I end with a Point to Ponder:

 

“The older we get, the more clear it becomes that loving and being loved are the only really important things in life.”

 

Photo: Jaisalmer, India by Luisa Go Shah. 

All grown-ups were once children... but only few of them remember it.

More we travel, more we share “The Little Prince” with people  

Point to Ponder: Grown-ups never understand anything by themselves, and it is tiresome for children to be always and forever explaining things to them” ― Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Little Prince

 

Story Line: The Little Prince
At first glance one may assume that “The Little Prince” is a book for children. After all the cast of characters are: a Pilot, a boy named “The Little Prince”, a Fox, a Snake and a Rose. But in reality few stories are as widely read and as universally cherished by children and adults alike as “The Little Prince”. In my belief it is a story even more valuable for adults and it is easy one hour reading time.

Here are a few teasers from the book*:
The narrator begins with a discussion on the nature of grown-ups and their inability to perceive, especially relating to important things. The narrator becomes a pilot, and, one day, his plane crashes in the Sahara, far from civilization. In the middle of the desert, the narrator is unexpectedly greeted by a young boy who is nicknamed as "the little prince".

Over the course of eight days stranded in the desert, while the narrator attempts to repair his plane, the little prince recounts the story of his life.

The prince begins by describing life on his tiny home planet: in effect, a house-sized asteroid known as "B 612" on Earth.

The prince has since visited six other planets, each of which was inhabited by a single, irrational, narrow-minded adult, each meant to critique an element of society. They include:
• A king with no subjects, who only issues orders that can be followed, such as commanding the sun to set at sunset.
• A narcissistic man who only wants the praise which comes from admiration and being the most-admirable person on his otherwise uninhabited planet.
• A drunkard who drinks to forget the shame of drinking.
• A businessman who is blind to the beauty of the stars and instead endlessly counts and catalogs them in order to "own" them all
• A lamplighter on a planet so small, a full day lasts a minute. He wastes his life blindly following orders to extinguish and relight the lamppost every 30 seconds to correspond with his planet's day and night.
• An elderly geographer who has never been anywhere, or seen any of the things he records, providing a caricature of specialization in the contemporary world.
It is the geographer who tells the prince that the prince next visit the planet Earth.

The visit to Earth begins with a deeply pessimistic appraisal of humanity. The six absurd people the prince encountered earlier comprise, according to the narrator, just about the entire adult world on earth. Below are some sample dialogues before you dwell into the fascinating, deeply philosophical and meaningful story for life and relationships.

“People where you live," the little prince said, "grow five thousand roses in one garden... yet they don't find what they're looking for...And yet what they're looking for could be found in a single rose, or a little water..."

“Where are the people?” resumed the little prince at last. “It’s a little lonely in the desert…” “It is lonely when you’re among people, too,” said the snake.” 

“Grown-ups love figures... When you tell them you've made a new friend they never ask you any questions about essential matters. They never say to you "What does his voice sound like? What games does he love best? Does he collect butterflies? "Instead they demand "How old is he? How much does he weigh? How much money does his father make? "Only from these figures do they think they have learned anything about him.”

“Men have no more time to understand anything. They buy things all ready-made at the shops. But there is no shop anywhere where one can buy friendship, and so men have no friends any more. If you want a friend, tame me...” said Fox.

Reflection: In the modern times where elementary school teachers have to remind the parents to slow down and let kids be kids, In the corporate orientation classes for the fresh graduates when the presenter tells them “Welcome to the ‘Real World’”, For people needing coaching in “Emotional Intelligence, The Little Prince will enlighten and open the eyes about what the real “Real World” is like. As the narrator says to the little prince “Men occupy little space on Earth”

The analysis of the book in Encyclopedia Britannica sums it up well: The Little Prince draws unflattering portraits of grown-ups as being hopelessly narrow-minded. In contrast, children come to wisdom through open-mindedness and a willingness to explore the world around them and within themselves. The main theme of the fable is expressed in the secret that the fox tells the little prince: “It is only with the heart that one can see rightly: what is essential is invisible to the eye.”

*Source for the Story Line Teasers: Wikipedia.

Cover Photo from The Little Prince in my book collection. Motion Picture has since been released. If any further interest beyond this reflection, then Recommend to read the book first before watching the video.

 

Thanks to Saeed Malik for introducing me to “The Little Prince” in the year 1988

Getting Out of Your Comfort Zone

Point to Ponder: The more you experience life, the more wisdom you gain and the more meaningful your life becomes.

 

Reflection: 

I came across this superb article (The Physics of Quest) while researching in internet about the movie “Eat, Pray, Love” in which Liz (Julia Roberts), having gone through major changes in her life,  decides to get out of her comfort zone and embark on the journey of self discovery to Italy, India and Bali, Indonesia. 

 

I could also relate with our own journey; the one my wife and I started a year ago as Twilight Explorers; experiencing different cultures, getting to know more people and contribute positively in whichever way possible for us. 

 

Whichever stage you are in life; contemplating changes in career, relationships or in other aspects of life, this article will provide great points to ponder and ideas for action. Highly Recommend. 

 

Story Line: The Physics of Quest: A Truth-Seeking Journey. by Hanna Abdelwahab Source: Wittenborg University of Applied Sciences. 

 

A paragraph from article as an appetite before you venture into the entire article ( link at the bottom of paragraph)

 

In a memoir called "Eat, Pray, Love" (most of us remember the movie which starred Julia Roberts), the author, Elizabeth Gilbert, talked about the "physics of the quest", which goes something like this: "If you are brave enough to leave behind everything familiar and comforting (which can be anything from your house to your bitter old resentments) and set out on a truth-seeking journey (either externally or internally), and if you are truly willing to regard everything that happens to you on that journey as a clue, and if you accept everyone you meet along the way as a teacher, and if you are prepared - most of all - to face (and forgive) some very difficult realities about yourself … then the truth will not be withheld from you."

 

full article in the below link

 

The Physics of Quest

 

Your Reflection? 

At 99-We remember all the times we shared together.

Points to Ponder: In many ways, old age can be a great blessing because the whole experience of life is behind you. - Candi Brim-Bagley

 

Story Line: There has not been a dull moment in our first 51 days in India. Majestic monuments, historic sites, deserts, forests and vast ocean; beautiful churches, mosques, temples; vibrant cities; watching lions, tigers, leopards within 10 feet of us and other wild animals in their natural environments /forests and noticing incredible energy and enthusiasm of people have been the source of great joy. But the greatest thing has been meeting friends and family members from my childhood days, four of family members ages 91 to 99. 

 

But today’s story is focused mostly on one person; 99 years old Smt. Siddhida A. Trivedi. At the age of 27 she joined Shree Manav Sevak Sangh, a Non-Profit Organization in the field of welfare activities for the Orphan Children and less Privileged Women & Senior Citizen. It’s Mission is to shape and impact the lives of orphaned, abandoned, destitute, Helpless Children and Women. And they have positively impacted thousands of lives. 

 

Many decades ago she was appointed as President and Trustee, the honor she holds until today. She was actively involved in the organization but few years ago Alzheimer took it’s toll. 

 

The reason for this reflection is what happened in the meeting with her last week. 

During our 90 minutes interaction, she asked same questions several times and when I answered, she will recollect other people or events associated with it. But few seconds/minute later, she forgot and asked same question again. But something very surprising happened twice: 

 

When I told her about an organization that is involved in education and empowerment of poor children in Assam, she patiently listened, was very curious and asked many follow up questions about the activities there. The conversation took place for several minutes with continuity of thought process; no memory lapses. At the end I saw happiness on her face. 

 

And when we were leaving, I told her how many orphaned children and women have better life because of her efforts for 70 years, I noticed tears in her eyes. 

For a person who couldn’t remember most of things we discussed seconds ago, had not forgotten things related to noble cause she had dedicated her life. 

I left the place heavy hearted. 

 

Reflection: During my childhood years my family used to visit Bombay during summer vacation. She was always very kind and arrange many sightseeing trips and family events for us. But events that have impacted me most and shaped approach in life is following. 

 

Her husband was a senior executive in India’s largest corporation. Many times while we were at their place, they would get invited to exclusive clubs or homes of their friends ( personal invitations not company events). 

 

We, coming from different upbringing, wore clothes that were not to the standards people wore in those type of places. Plus I wore only rubber slippers; no shoes. 

What I remember is that she would inform her friends that she was bringing us ( her summer guests) at those events, never embarrassed to introduce us to Who’s Who of society and engaged us in conversations with them. 

 

Those experiences shaped my life in two ways: treat every person with dignity irrespective of background or external gadgets and they also gave me a lot of confidence to talk to anyone in any position/place by being Who I am. 

 

How fortunate I am to have been able to meet my aunt, Smt. Siddhidaben after decades and express my gratitude to her. 

 

More about her organization. 
https://www.shreemanavsevasangh.org/

Travel Tips-Don’t Leave Home Without These Things

 

Point to Ponder: Things don’t go wrong during most travels but in case they do, what level of risk can you afford in a foreign place?

 

Story Line: While traveling, Don’t leave home without these three things. 

1. A small box of first aid kit and some essential medicines in case of emergency. It has rescued me once in a small town in Japan and got me through the night until I found help next morning but my box has helped more of fellow travelers. 
2. A printed copy of essential documents like passport, tickets, visa, medical related and itinerary. Know of two friends whose bag, purse were stolen during travel and passports, credit cards were lost. One had printed copy of documents and the other didn’t. What followed were Stories of Triumph vs Tragedy. 
3. Travel Insurance: it has come to rescue many times for us: during volcanic eruption in Bali, when my partner got injured and six of us were stranded for 15 days in Helsinki and one more time when I had to cancel a trip to Turkey. We have also witnessed first hand what happened to visitors who didn’t have insurance and stranded in Bali, also one family who couldn’t travel to Malaysia out of Fiji because of forests fires smoke over Indonesia. 

 

Reflection:  In the year 2003 My work colleague, and I were traveling to Asia for business. Our first stop was South Korea. While there, he noticed that I was carrying a box of first aid kit which also contained many different kinds of medicines. He looked at me and said “ You are a sickly man; carrying many medicines”  I told him that I carried them for precautions, in case of emergency and needed it only once through all my travels. But many a times they have been useful to fellow travelers. I emphasized that he should understand as a teacher of Prevention and Think Different type classes. 

 

Unfortunately he didn’t give up and kept making fun of me on the trip until…One day we visited Suzhou in China, and he dined at a place famous for dumplings. 

 

Next morning we were scheduled to leave for Singapore. At 1:00AM, the phone in my room kept ringing while I was fast asleep. Annoyed I picked up and there was a very weak, more or less crying voice, “Do you have that Cipro? When I asked the reason he said “ I am very sick; I have high temperature and diarrhea. We need to travel tomorrow morning plus if I have a fever they will put me in Quarantine in Singapore” I asked him “Do you have a prescription for Cipro? He begged to give him medicines. I said “OK I have some non-prescription medicines that will help you with fever and stomach upset. Once we get to Singapore you visit Doctor” 

 

Well, the rescue passage the “Sickly man” always carried helped him get to Singapore”

That afternoon, He returned from Doctor’s office with four different prescription medicines. But the ordeal had not yet ended. 

 

At midnight I got a call from him “Anand I am feeling giddy. I am very giddy” 

Pardon my poor English, I said, but what does giddy mean? Stop making fun of me, he replied. “I am feeling terrible” 

Further inquiry revealed that he had taken all those medicines without food. 

To our misfortune the hotel didn’t have midnight food service but the receptionist was kind enough to go to kitchen and made some warm food and drinks for him. 

 

Next time we were traveling, I noticed that he was carrying one white box with him. Just to be a gentleman, I did not ask him what was inside. Seems he was Thinking Different. 😊

 

Here are two short videos with humor for Travel Tips. 

 

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/6F3HYW5epUo?feature=share

 

https://twilightexplorers.com/danger-how-to-prepare-and-stay-healthy-while-traveling/ 😊

 

Here are two short videos with humor for Travel Tips. 

 

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/6F3HYW5epUo?feature=share

 

https://twilightexplorers.com/danger-how-to-prepare-and-stay-healthy-while-traveling/

Take Only Memories, Leave Only Footprints.

Point to Ponder: The relationships with companies are purely business and temporary; but the value you deliver, the relationships with people and learning experiences are lifelong. - Pravin R Shah 

Storyline: This week I came across two interesting stories:  One young man got laid off from a large corporation. In his note he talked about positive memories of the year with the company. Many notes from friends and colleagues recounted fond memories with him. Next day a former colleague sent him a photo of a nice motivational note he had written a month ago on one conference-room board. It was still there.

The other story I heard was about the person who retired after 39 years with an organization. The person left all items (SWAG: Plaques, Mugs, Clothing..) that were given to her in various company recognitions and celebrations. The person left without saying goodbye to many longtime colleagues displaying an attitude “I have nothing to do with this organization.”

This brought back memories of my days in the corporate world, and hence this reflection…

Reflection: Very early in my career I had come to the conclusion that the relationships with your company/your employer are purely business and nothing personal. No matter what claims are being made about lifetime benefits, good corporate citizenship, the best place to work on the planet Earth etc; The bottom line is- its business, and all seemingly attractive, tempting things are only in the context of what serves the business interest. (Another story for some another reflection)

Since then I’ve considered every relationship with my employer/ company as a business. With the mindset that someone is entrusting me and paying me to deliver certain results in terms of products or services, my duty is to deliver best possible solutions. This mentality served me very well in entire 40 years career.(1975-2015)

But the valuable benefits of those business dealings were a lot more than just business results or what I got paid for it.

Many talented, wonderful people around the world became lifelong friends. Dealing with so many different industries, companies and countries resulted in many learning experiences that enhanced the understanding of different technologies, cultures and history. And the significant positive impact of our work was acknowledged and appreciated in many ways by the organizations and people we served at that time and even now (many years later).

(Shhhhh…And I have treasured every memory; notes from people, coffee mugs, pictures, paper weights, jackets, recognitions for delivering outstanding results.)

Take only Memories, Leave only Footprints.

 

 

 

How will you measure your life?

Point to Ponder: 

Be the Reason Someone Believes in Good People

Story Line: Yours

Reflection: How will you measure your life?

 Happy Martin Luther King’s Day 

 

The Power of Belief

Preah Ko-Cambodia 3/28/2016

 

Point to Ponder: “You’ve got to dance like there’s nobody watching, love like you’ll never be hurt, sing like there’s nobody listening and live like it’s heaven on earth.” William Purkey

 

Story Line: Certain events, people and images we encounter stay with us for a lifetime. I would like to share this unforgettable scene during a visit to Cambodia in 2016. 

My wife and I were visiting ancient temple in the outskirts of Siem Reap. We noticed this little kid fully engrossed in dancing in tune with what seemed to be one of Michael Jackson’s songs. 

Only after a few minutes of enjoying his dance, my wife pointed out that he didn’t have any music playing device. He had an ear plug with long wire not connected. 

 

Reflection: That little kid was living up to the real message in point to ponder: Be in the present, love what you do and be free of anyone’s expectations or judgements. 

 

Wish You the Year full of Dancing, Singing, loving and Working on things you enjoy and creating your own beautiful story. 

The Fourth Quarter of Life-John Helin

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Points to Ponder: I feel like my whole life was training ground for today and I am figuring out that in the fourth quarter of my life I want to finish strong. I really want to finish strong and this is what I want to do--John Helin

Credits for the video: John Helin, Kingston Media, ourmissionourveterans.org

Story Line: 2022 was a year of major changes in our lives. During this year of transition, I met many fine individuals. Through these interactions with people in various professions, cultures and countries- I heard some remarkable life stories. This end of the year reflection is dedicated to a remarkable person, John Helin. His life story is an inspiring one of transformation and selfless service. John dedicates his personal time and business resources to aid homeless veterans in locating and moving donated furniture into their new homes. I was fortunate to see first hand the effect John's work has on the homeless veterans he serves- from veterans recovering from drug addiction to a little five year old girl squealing with delight when seeing her new home for the first time and exclaiming in awe, "I love this house," John's selfless work has positively impaced hundreds of lives.

I can personally attest that John has made a big impact on our lives as well. I felt compelled to share coveage of his story from CNBC about John Helin

The following description about John is from the original central peninsula video. 

"The 4th Quarter of Life is an amazing story of transformation. At the age of 12, John Helin became addicted to drugs and alcohol. For 25 years John continued to fight these demons until one day he attended a service at Central Peninsula Church and made a commitment to straighten his life out. During this journey, John connected with their veterans ministry which helps homeless veterans throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. As an owner and operator of a moving company, John came up with a perfect solution to how he could make a huge difference in the lives of veterans.

Many of John's clients had high end furniture that they no longer needed and they would give the furniture to him which included complete bedroom, living room, and dining room sets. John in turn would deliver and setup the furniture for previously homeless veterans when they were able access stable housing through community based organizations.

When John gets a call that a veteran has accessed housing, he immediately puts a plan in place to fully furnish the apartment. Today, John has provided beautiful furniture and an amazing gift to hundreds of veterans. John says, "I'm in the 4th quarter of life and I want to finish strong." 

Reflection: What has impressed me more about John is that he not only spends his resources to pick up and deliver furniture for previously homeless veterans but he also spends time listening to their stories. He takes time to share his own story of struggle and transformation which have made a significant impact on the lives of many people. While he is determined to finish strong in the fourth quarter of his life, he is helping others- many of them young veterans- to improve the early quarter of their lives. We feel incredibly fortunate to have met John and to be able to share his work and story with you. What I've learned from John is that no matter what may have occured in the past, you have the power right now to make a positive change for the future. 

 

If you like to help here is more information  https://ourmissionourveterans.org/

Happy New Year to All