Can't see the forest for the trees

This post will be a bit of a departure from the norm. Not that I have followed any discernible pattern of posting, mind you, but I had to think about this one a bit before I put it in writing.

One of the greatest things about the hobby of ham radio, in my opinion, is the diversity. I don't think it's possible to find another hobby or pursuit where borders, cultures, backgrounds, nationalities, and beliefs mean as little as they do in ham radio. Where else can you find Americans so eager to talk to other folks from communist countries? Where else can you find a place where one's descent is so meaningless?

Or one's abilities?

Sometimes it takes a special event to drive that point home, or to remind one not to take for granted the great hobby that we have. I had one of those moments at the Catawba Valley Hamfest a couple of weekends ago. As I was meandering through the aisles, thinking only about my shopping list, an older gentleman in a wheelchair was making his way amongst the throng of people. I noticed that he was having a time because, and this pissed me off, very few people were bothering to move out of his way and some even traded aggravated looks because he took up a little more space than others. One fellow in particular became particularly agitated when the man in the wheelchair accidentally bumped into him. The man he bumped into told him to "watch it".

I wanted to wring the guy's neck, but what would that solve? So, I went on, mumbling to myself about how inconsiderate we've all become.

By the time I made it through the tailgaters, I'd forgotten about that scene, but as I decided to walk back through and take another look at a couple of booths, I saw the man in the wheelchair parked off to the side. I made up my mind to say something to him, but then I thought, am I only doing it to make myself feel better? I came to the conclusion that, yes, that probably was the case, so I decided not to. As luck would have it, he spoke to me as I passed.

What did he say? He said, "Great turnout, huh?".

I didn't know what to say at first. Here was a fellow that had obviously been treated poorly because of his handicap, and yet he was upbeat and willing to strike up a conversation. I made a point of speaking to him at length, before I ran out of things to say, but I couldn't resist telling him that I'd witnessed the rude man and made some comment to the effect that people can be idiots. He laughed and just brushed it off.

On the way home, I began thinking about a coworker of mine that lost two of his three children in separate car accidents. They weren't small children either, they were both in their late teens. I've often thought, "How does he face each day and not be just bitter as hell?". I don't know how he does it, but he does.

So how does all of this relate to ham radio, aside from the fact that I saw the man in the wheelchair at a hamfest? It makes me stop and wonder about the person on the other end of the QSO. What have they faced in life? When I'm all worried about whether or not I can swing buying a new radio, they may be trying to forget something tragic.

Take a moment to have a ragchew, offer to help someone that's asking for help - even if the question has been posted on a bulletin board two dozen times. You never know who might be on the other end.

73's.