George Simpson is my name.  I live in Altoona, Pennsylvania.  I live by myself.  I am fifty years old but feel more like twenty.  :)

I am a doer.  I'm always doing things for others.  Never mind me:  I'd rather do good for other people than for myself (although, once in a while, a treat is good for me!).  It's my passion, my calling in life.

Whenever I hear about a homeless Veteran on the streets, I do my best to find him, and I give him a blanket to keep warm or a warm cup of coffee.  I also invite him to my house or give him some money so he can get himself a decent meal instead of digging out of trash bins.  I'm sorry, but that isn't right, and that's no way to live, especially if you have served your country!

I also babysit some of my neighbor's kids so they can have some time for themselves.  Some of the kids are quite disobedient, but I give them lots of love and support.  Seems that a lot of the kids I watch don't have a father figure; they need that in their lives.  They're also angry about life's circumstances, but I tell them that life isn't all that bad.  They need to learn to look for the good in life and count the many blessings that God has given to them.

In addition to that, I work one Saturday a month at our local church, distributing food to the poor of our community.  It's called Angel Food, and our church has done this now for quite a number of years.  I always get such satisfaction in knowing that we are making a difference in our community.  While doing Angel Food, I pray for others, and some of the stories can break your heart, they're so tragic.

I may be big to a lot of people (and I am:  I weigh well over 500 pounds), but even that's never stopped me from helping others.  People have given me the nickname of "Big George".  When they see me, they can see why.  I'm not exactly small here, folks.  Even with my girth, I am surprisingly healthy:  no diabetes, no high blood pressure.  I'm just big.  I take after my late daddy.  Daddy died because he got a cut on his finger and he got a nasty flesh eating infection, and it killed him.  He was sixty five.  I miss him.  He died almost two years ago.

Daddy was a big doer in the community.  I guess I take after him.  He taught me to help others and to thank God for the many blessings he's given. 

I just thank God I still have my mamma.  My sweet, caring mamma.  She lives in a retirement community, where she has many friends.  I visit mamma every week (Fridays, in the afternoon) and I take her to her doctor's appointments or grocery shopping.  I can tell she still misses her husband, so this is why I do this, so she can get away from the retirement home for a few hours.

Life for me is very good, but I hate it when people talk about me behind their backs or stare.  I can't help that I am big; it's how God made me.  Everyone can't be skinny; God made me this way for a reason.  Sometimes I don't like it (very hard finding clothes that fit or trying to get into a skinny seat on an airplane, among other "hazards"), but I've learned to watch what I eat and know that my size is a part of my genetic makeup because as I said, I take after my late daddy.  He was big, so I inherited his size.

I have three brothers:  William, Clyde, and J. Allen (John Allen).  They're all younger than me, but none of them do what I do.  They're all wrapped up in their own little worlds and care only for themselves.  I'm the one who does everything (not that I don't mind it).  It would be nice if they offered to help me with mamma or with helping with Angel Food or distributing blankets and food to the homeless Veterans:  maybe then they'd learn what compassion and love is truly about.

Well, today is blanket-distribution day for my Veteran friends, so I'd best get ready and go.  I will write in here again another day; until later, this is "Big" George Simpson saying so long!  May God bless you always!  He certainly has blessed me in so many ways!

~George.  :)

*to be continued.*