19th Jan - Wonder Factory Visit for Little Peter

[Phoenix]

My reflection: With under 24 hours notice I heeded a callout and was suddenly going to my first official 'Troop' in my own armour as a member of the Star Wars 501st Legion Redback Garrison yesterday (Thursday). Darth Vader, multiple Stormtroopers, 2 Imperial Commanders, and Queen Amidala visited the Royal Brisbane Chidren's Hospital to see terminally ill kids and brighten their day. It was very difficult to see children attached to machines, with shaved heads, with cables entering all over their bodies, pulling support machines along with them - these kids should rightfully be living the full life every child should be able to live. The only comfort comes in their reaction to seeing life-size Star Wars action figures coming to visit them. Thank goodness for the Stormtrooper helmet, as it wasn't only sweat trying to leak from my face.

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I can't tell you how proud I am to be among you people. This is exactly the type of reason I wanted to join. And thanks Kev for still being there at the end; you may not have known it but I wasn't 'emotionally' ready to leave.

A dialogue highlight, as I pointed a round mirror up high out to Cav:
Moxxxie: "I know how to kill Cav now..."
Phoenix: "How's that?"
Moxxxie: "Put a mirror at the bottom of a swimming pool."

Taking the day off my business hasn't had too adverse an effect, and the truth is I'd do it all over again just to see one of those kids smile.

And who the heck, in a crowded elevator full of troops and hospital staff, made that immature fart-noise in the elevator???