Rosie

The best part about Facebook is being able to hook up with friends, past and present. Among my friends are those from several places I’ve lived, several jobs I’ve held, and go as far back as my military days.

Friends come in all shapes and sizes. There are those who left a lot of tracks and those that left only a few, but the one thing they have in common is that for a time they added something to my life.

One of my Facebook friends is from my very first duty assignment in the Air Force. It was a small shop, maybe 15 people. We handled survival equipment, life vests, life rafts and parachutes. We also did a little upholstery work. In that group, there was only 1 woman -- Rosie.

Military humor is unique. While high school humor was very guttural, military humor is even more so. And nothing is sacred; not your mother, your wife, your religion or political viewpoints and especially any insecurities you might have. So Rosie put up with more than a few crass remarks, but she didn’t seem to mind; in fact, she could zing you right back without hesitation.

Rosie was Chicano, the name used then for Mexican Americans. She, and a handful of others, introduced me to the Mexican culture and the people in general. They were friendly, hardworking and giving people. She would bring breakfast burritos made with eggs and chorizo. She could make them plain or spicy, and they were so good.

In her own way, Rosie “adopted” most of us guys. There was no moping around the barracks if you were homesick and you most definitely did not go hungry. She had me to her house for dinner with her family and she was even a witness at my first marriage.

My Facebook friend from back then told me that Rosie died a couple of years ago. The world has lost some of its brightness and absolutely a big chunk of its goodness.