A lesson in masculinity: Once when I was a little kid, my mom, dad, and I were waiting in line at the Kentucky Fried Chicken in Hannibal, MO. There was a guy at the counter, probably half-drunk, berating and cursing at the restaurant staff in a loud voice. After a couple minutes of this, my dad went up to the guy and told him, "you need to calm down, mister, and quit talking to these people like that." The guy turned to my dad and replied that it was none of his business and what was he going to do about it, anyway. At that point, my father momentarily transformed into Clint Eastwood, staring the dude straight in the eye and saying, "let's go outside and find out." I looked at my mom in surprise and asked if dad was really going to fight this fellow. Mom just kinda shrugged. The guy was caught completely off-guard and mumbled some stuff but quit with all the yelling and cursing. Dad got back in line with us, like nothing at all had happened. Now, my dad is not some tough guy. He's not a fighter. For all I know, that dude might have cleaned his clock. Dad never went looking for trouble. But he doesn't back down, and he stands up for what he thinks is right. My mom is the same way. They're children of the Great Depression and WWII. Their lives haven't always been easy, but they take things in stride. Despite the hardships they've faced, they've retained their goodness and moral compass. They're just good people. They're strong people. I believe they're good people BECAUSE they are strong people. The world needs more like them.