Backie Juice "Our Lord's Corner" (August Edition)

           I remember as a child suffering from numerous and quite painful earaches. Ear aches was my tribulation during that time. Never knew such pain could exist. When it came in the middle of the night it was a nightmare. The house would be in a flurry as I woke my brothers and my sister and my parents. It was the late fifties and early sixties and my father being a country boy had his home remedies.

          One of those was taking hand rolling tobacco, placing it in one of his red handkerchiefs, balling it up and soaking it in a coffee cup of warm water. Then he would place my head sideways on the table and pour the liquid in. Instant warmth and the earache began to subside.

          The miracle was in turning my head down and letting the liquid backie juice out. It got very warm just shy of hot and more times than not I would near fall asleep right there on the kitchen table, as peace would settle over me.

          Today we all face different forms of tribulation whether it is in our daily dealing with people or business. We find ourselves needing stomach meds or Tylenol we all will find ourselves in need of relief from the everyday angst of life. Mine comes from the following verse.

John 16:33

King James Version (KJV)

³³ These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

          With a smile I think of this verse much like my daddy’s home remedy. Warmth washes over me as I think of the peace I receive and am reminded of backie juice.

Semper Fidelis (August Edition)

           Yes always faithful describes staff sergeant Kyle Sheidy of the United States Marines. I sat down with Kyle and his wife Ashley in a small Zerns restaurant. Always faithful to family, always faithful to community and always faithful to country is how I see Kyle as he begins the story as to why he joined the Marines.

            Kyle explained to me that at an early age he did not want to be a burden on his parents. He got a job while in school and took care of his own lunch money and when he began to think about his future he didn’t just want to get by. He wanted to be successful. He ruled out college again because he didn’t want to burden his mother and father with the expense and thus the Marines because he pictured it the hardest thing he could do.

            He joined the marines in the year of 2003 with a delayed entry. In the summer of 2004 he went active duty on an engineer’s job guaranty. Deployment came early in 2005 when he found himself in Iraq. As with so many who deploy, he found himself leaving a wife pregnant with their first child behind.

            While in Iraq he with his engineer battalion built forward operating bases and quarters for troops. He described his most memorable build and his greatest sense of accomplishment came from a U.S. Army tank battalion that was 6 months without quarters and a shower.

            When the build was accomplished he described the company commander as crying when he finally stepped into air-conditioning for the first time. The emotion wasn’t limited to the company commander.

            He completed a second tour in Iraq in 2007.  After 4 years a marine he found himself not able to promote beyond corporal and took on a new job within the corp in logistics where he presently works.

            After 10 years in the marines he was prepared to separate and go to work in a civilian capacity with DOD. This was until he was offered an assignment which will now take his family and himself to Okinawa, Japan for 3 years. He now sees himself on a career tract verbalizing that he will have 14 years in the Marines at completion of this contract.

            His wife Ashley and he met while both working at a local eatery in Boyertown and while both were in high school. They have two children, the oldest a son, Andrew is 8 and their daughter Taylor is 5. They have been married 8 years.

            On a personal note I remember Kyle as a young boy within my BSA venturing program. And now as I sit across from him I look up to a man and admire him as I think to myself..Semper Fidelis!