Nick's People
Poor Nick Coleman. He had a column due that he knew was going to run on Christmas Day. It had to be a meaningful one. It had to show that he cared. It had to matter. But after Kate Stanley's mash note to a recently deceased homeless man had appeared in last Sunday's Star Tribune, he had to wonder how could he expect to compete? She spoke of loving and even hugging, yes hugging, her homeless hunk. Nothing that Nick wrote could match that.
But Nick's a cagey veteran columnist. And the old pros always have a trick or two up their sleeves. Nick pulled one of his out with his Christmas column.
Take one World War II veteran. Better yet a veteran who was a POW and had survived the Baatan Death March. Add the obligatory homeless angle. In this case the homeless getting a free hair cut. Mix well and serve when warm and mushy.
In a small room, with hair trimmings piling up on the floor, an 83-year-old World War II prisoner of war was still getting even: Cutting hair -- as he does every Wednesday -- to give thanks for tender mercies.
That's right. It was the story of the elderly veteran volunteering to cut hair for the homeless. It was a perfect storm of schmaltzy sentimentality. And Nick ran with that baby like Onterrio Smith ran with the football last Saturday.
Another one of 'Nick's People'. He wishes they all could be 'Nick's People'. He truly does. If he is guilty of anything, maybe it's caring too much. He's Nick Coleman.
No comments:
Post a Comment