I’d like to start this week’s message with a well-seasoned observation:

Whether we like it or not, in some ways we are affected by our affiliations with other people. Our affiliations tend to set our standards for the quality of our lives. Depending on our peer group, we can both rise and fall to the standards of the company that we keep.  Part of being a Rotarian is to assume the responsibility of living up to a certain ideal. Rotary is a service organization that asks its members to give of themselves. It’s also an organization that helps us to be better human beings. The Rotary standards are impeccable.

The Vietnam war started in 1955 and it was over in 1975. Many of us grew up during those turbulent years.   I was born in 1959 and grew up during that era. I graduated from high school in 1977. The Vietnam War was going on for virtually all of my childhood.

Back then, the draft was in the news every day. There were protests to the draft; there was the burning of draft cards. Young men moved to Canada to avoid the draft. Unlike World War II, the Vietnam War lacked public support and there seemed to be no directive from the United States to actually win the war. The country was unsure of its purpose. It seemed like such a waste of young lives. Our country was in turmoil.

I’d like to share a story about a woman named Lilly who found her way into the fitness center on Tuesday. Lily came in with a guest pass that our staff had left at a local doctor’s office.  At first, everything seemed to be normal. I did notice however that she was dressed a little unusual. When I looked around, I also noticed that she parked a small personal shopping cart on the side wall in the lobby. It was loaded with what looked like to be all of her belongings.  As I continued to talk with her, I realized that Lily was suffering from some mental issues. She told me that she was sleeping on the campus at Princeton University. That all changed when the campus police had a removal order issued for her to leave.