"I always thought it strange that the people who were there to protect us killed and wounded us for doing the right thing!" -Isam

"You're not going to smoke, are you?" I asked, with a little snicker.

"Why did you ask me that?" The driver replied, in an Eastern European accent I couldn't quite place.

"Because of the sign on your dash board." I Retorted.

"Oh!" He said with a sparkle in his eye.  "No.  I won't smoke. Smoking isn't good for you.  Neither is marijuana." He continued.

I listened quietly at his change in our conversation, sensing the light tone was about to shift.

"Before I came to this country I was a policeman in Bosnia.  We found a three-hundred-acre marijuana field and burned it.  It made the international peace keeping force so mad they began to shell us!"

The shelling killed two of his fellow police officers.  He was wounded an still has at least three pieces of shrapnel in right leg and at least one in his back.

"I always thought it strange that the people who were there to protect us killed and wounded us for doing the right thing!  I guess they just couldn't live without their drugs."  He said.

When we arrived at the hotel, I watched as Isam got out and walked around to the side of the long white van and slid my door open.  I watched the way he moved because of his revelation.  But, I also marveled at the man himself.

As he slid the door to his left, he said, "I love it here!  I've been in this country since two thousand.  I was lucky to be able to come to this beautiful city.  Most people here seem to try to do the right thing.  But, when I see laws changing in some places to let bad things become legal I worry.  I don't want this place to become like my old country.  I am thankful to be here."

I got out of the van and thanked him for his service.  He smiled as he limped away.

"Have a happy Thanksgiving!"  He called after me.

"Happy Thanksgiving!" I replied back, realizing that I too have a lot to be thankful for.  After all, I've never had people shooting missiles at me as I was doing the right thing.

Still, I've sometimes found it hard to do the right thing on occasion.  But, Isam's life story reminded me that doing the right thing is important even when it's dangerous and puts lives in seemingly in peril.  Living a life based on principle has never been more important.