I would like to share an important and true story about one of the most inspiring people in American history. An elderly man by the name of Ed would take a walk on a beach near his home every Friday when most people were heading home for the night. He would walk out to the end of the pier and bring a bucket of shrimp with him. Standing out on the end of the pier, Ed would be alone with just his thoughts and bucket of shrimp. It was almost like he had the world to himself.
Every Friday night that Ed stood alone on the pier, thousands of seagulls, smelling the shrimp, would come squawking down to him. Ed would take the shrimp from his bucket and toss it to the birds. As he fed the seagulls, he would say “Thank you” to every seagull who accepted shrimp from him with a smile on his face.
Even though Ed would run out of shrimp in a couple of minutes, he would stand alone by that pier long after. Eventually, after what would seem like hours to an outsider, Ed would make his way back home.
All the people who saw Ed do his Friday night routine said he was crazy. Ed looked like any other “weird” old man, with his head in the clouds as he fed shrimp to seagulls. After all, old people do strange things all the time.
But old Ed’s full name was actually Eddie Rickenbacker. Eddie Rickenbacker founded the Eastern Air Lines air travel company. He was a race car driver before he joined American military forces in World War I. Then he became a war hero. Rickenbacker served in both World War I and World War II. He became America’s first “ace” during World War I, where he was a pilot. In World War II, he served as a military adviser and flew with the combat pilots to go on military missions.
On one of Rickenbacker’s military assignments, his plane crashed in the Pacific, bringing down him along with seven (7) more of his crew. By some miracle, everyone survived the crash. That did not mean everything was all fine and well, however. This was the event that led the incredible legacy of Eddie Rickenbacker to go down in history as one of the greatest.
After their plane crashed in the Pacific, Rickenbacker and his crew held onto a life raft to stay afloat. They floated on the raft for days, under the blistering sun. They had food and water only for eight (8) days. When their food and water ran out, they were forced to go hungry and thirsty. To Eddie and his crew on the raft, it seemed like all hope was lost. Out on land, everyone thought Rickenbacker and his men died out in the Pacific.
They tried to nap to pass the time. One day, when they were trying to nap, Rickenbacker suddenly felt a seagull land on the top of his cap. Ed sat extremely still. As soon as the seagull made a noise on top of his hat, Rickenbacker grabbed the bird by its neck and wrung its neck to kill it. He and his crew ate the seagull together. It was their first meal in days. Then he used the seagull’s intestines to use as bait to catch fish. Rickenbacker and his crew were then able to catch fish to eat and also to use as more bait.
Eddie Rickenbacker and his crew were finally rescued after 24 days of drifting in the sea. Rickenbacker lived for many years after his adventure in the Pacific. Yet he never forgot that seagull who died to let him and his men live. He never stopped feeling grateful to that bird. So out on the beach every Friday night, Ed would feed the seagulls because they had fed him and his men in their most desperate of times.
And now you know another story about the trials and sacrifices that our Veterans endured for our great country’s freedom. The moral of this story is that, even when people do things that seem nonsensical or ridiculous, you never know if there is a good reason behind it. But another thing to take away from this story is that you have got to be careful with old guys. You just never know what they have done during their lifetime!
DISCLAIMER
You find yourself in this situation, it’s advisable to seek legal representation from a qualified attorney, like those at the Law Office of Kevin Seaver, who can advocate for your rights and guide you through the complex process of a DCF investigation.
Remember that the ultimate goal of DCF is to ensure the safety and well-being of children while supporting families in crisis.
Please note that this article does not create an Attorney-Client relationship between our law firm and the reader and is provided for informational purposes only. Information in this article does not apply to all readers.
Readers should not rely on this information as legal advice and should seek specific counsel from the attorney based on personal circumstances. Thank you.
Kevin Patrick Seaver is a Massachusetts DCF Defense Lawyer who represents parents against false child abuse allegations.
Massachusetts DCF Defense Lawyer Kevin Seaver has been successfully fighting false child abuse allegations since 1991.
