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| During a local campaign, I met our supporters, Ernie and his wife. A loving, kind and generous couple who reaches out to the poor and the underprivileged, teaching them many things and educating them in the college of their choice. Their door is always open to the neighborhood children, who flock to the couple like the story in the Pied Piper.
One trial and tribulation during the campaign was the day Ernie went out to his tractor to prepare it for use that season. He was checking the engine, and had left it unknowingly in neutral. When the engine fired, the tractors wheels began moving, and 70 year old Ernie couldn't stop it. The tractor knocked him down, and started its trek up his leg, to his back and was heading toward his head, when he heard the voice of his deceased mother tell him "Turn your head to the right, HURRY!" which he did immediately, holding his head with his free hand to keep it to the far right. The tractor came to his head, and skidded on his arm and a portion of his ear, and on across away from his body. He was free from the monster vehicle, but his knee was damaged severely, and he could not get up. His wife looked out the window and saw the driverless tractor making its way across the yard. She knew there was obviously something terribley wrong with Ernie, and running outside, she saw the situation, ran back into the house, and dialed 911... The ambulance came and took Ernie to the local hospital. He survived the ordeal, and though there was talk of surgery on his leg, it never occurred. He now credits his survival with his mother's voice, warning him to turn his head to the right. Despite the terrible damage to his leg, it healed so well that he doesn't have a limp as was expected. While visiting Ernie in the hospital after the accident, looking over the bruises, scratches and skid marks on his arms, ear, and knee, Ernie told me the above story. He said he heard it as clear as he was hearing me. And it was his mother's voice. This couple are a wonderfully inspiring couple. They have taken in many, many underprivileged children, and have educated them through college. They now have a 17 year old, with a GPA of 3.85 living with them, and he too is preparing for college. Ernie is well into his 70's and yet one would never know it. His wife recently purchased for him a computer, and he is having a great time learning this 'new' medium. |
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