The day before Veterans Day this year I witnessed a beautiful thing. I witnessed the value of showing appreciation and saying thank you to a person, and what it can do.

I was speaking to a homeless veteran who had traveled to the Auburn Valley Barber Shop for a free veterans haircut. His face was lit up. He was very thankful. He told me that this worked out great because he had a job interview in a few days. And then he walked away, to go back home or a shelter, I suppose.

I, at that point, felt thankful for living in an area that can help out others.

I wanted to scream out loud that a little store had gotten it right, and that the big chain stores that offer glamour and the illusion of community building had it all wrong.

Would McDonald’s go bankrupt if they gave out free cheeseburgers one day a year?

Could Wally World spin out of control and crash because they offered a paid day to its veteran employees? I don’t think so.

I’m proud to see a fellow neighbor take on the role to help out. A free veterans haircut day may not mean much in the course of the universe, but it means something to us who are here and now.

Thank you, Randolph Simon, for committing your barbershop to helping out. I served in the military for almost a decade, and even though I know you are not a veteran, I say to you, “thank you for your service.”

– Tito Alfredo Medina, Algona resident, Navy veteran