MS Walk for the third time

The beginning was quite strange. Two years ago, browsing through various blogs I noticed one, written by Anna, young Polish girl  fighting with Multiple Sclerosis...

Source: http://annablack.blox.pl/html

The girl was young and slender, but she fought like a war-hardened warrior (and the fight continues).
Until then, I imagined Multiple Sclerosis is some kind of sclerosis. And sclerosis is some old-age ailment - memory loss, fragility of blood vessels, brain stroke, etc. So great was my shock to learn, that it attacks mostly young people, mostly young women, just like one I mentioned at the beginning.
This knowledge brought another sad reflection on poor condition of human existence and my inability to solve all problems of this world.

It would have stayed like this forever if not..  few days later, on the announcements board in my library, I noticed a leaflet about MS Walk. It could not have been a pure coincidence. It was time to ACT!
I looked at MS Walk web page and registered for the event. My stories about it are here and here. My walk, below...

Last year I was looking forward for this event, my account of it is here and here. I collected over $700 for this honorable cause. Thank you my sponsors from around the world. My last steps looked like this...
This year I will match every dollar donated to my appeal with 1 złoty of my personal donation to Anna, who has to fight not only with the cruel disease, but also with very serious limitation of Polish health system.

A soldier who did not exist

ANZAC Day is coming closer. In supermarkets one can meet the forerunners - old gentlemen ih a poppy in a buttonhole and and tray with memorial badges. Such as this one..

- Are you a war veteran? - I asked politely. The gentlemen nodded with a smile.
- From which war? - I tried to judge his age - maybe Korean?
- No, from the big one, the Second World War?
- The Second World War? Wow!
- You do not believe me? Here is my photo - he pulled out a yellowing book and showed a photo of young man in a slouch hat.
- Where did you fight? Africa, Europe?
- No, closer to home - Papua New Gwinea, East Timor.
- Kokoda Trail?
- No. I served in a special unit, something like today's SAS. We were dropped behind enemy lines and our task was to kill Japanese commanders.
- You lived in a jungle and hunted enemy commanders?
- Yes, full 6 years.
- Unbelievable. I suppose you wrote a book about it.
- No. We made oath not to disclose any details for the rest of our lives.
- But after some 50 years all records are usually disclosed..
- There are no records. All was destroyed after the war. At the very beginning we were told, that there will be no promotions and we will not receive any war medals. In fact we were told, that we are not expected to survive.
- But you survived.
- I am the only one. Wal, I mean Wally, Wallace is my name. - we exchanged a handshake.
- Certainly you will be in the parade on Thursday.
- No. I have nobody to walk with.
Questions, questions crossed my mind. I stepped back and tried to gather my thoughts. When I looked back Wally disappeared. Was it real? Was I day dreaming? I reached into my pocket and found a badge with the slouch hat. So he was here.