[CaptBob's brief return to the Forum]....
I work with a guy who happens to be an admiral in the Naval Reserve. He told me an MRE story that happened to him when he was on active duty in Mombasa, Kenya several years ago.
He, and many others, were in Mombasa during the tense times of the bombings. Their group was told that they were being targeted by terrorists and that their activities would have to be curtailed somewhat. Rather than drive around the city in military vehicles, they hired ordinary cars with local drivers. He had his own driver and vehicle at his disposal.
After several days with this local man, my friend noticed that the man was sleeping in the car and hardly ever went home. Wanting to do something nice for him, my friend gave him some MREs. The driver was very appreciative. A few days later, my friend noticed the MREs still unopened in the car and realized that he had to show the man how to open them and how they worked. Now, the driver was even more appreciative. My friend told him to these MREs home and spend time with his family for the weekend.
The next Monday, the driver came to my friend with a very sad expression on his face. What was wrong? Apparently, he had taken his cache of MREs home and showed his neighbors how the chemical heater worked on the food. The neighbors instantly accused the driver of practicing some kind of black magic and the driver was summarily banished from his neighborhood.
My friend felt guilty for causing this man so much trouble that he gave him several gifts and comfort items for his home. The driver returned to work the next day, again with his head hung low. Apparently, the man's wife had accused the man of spending his hard-earned money on extravagances rather than on basic necessities of their home.
Looks like you can't win for losin', as they say.
