Front Lines NOTEBOOK iNerlinP Sewing Seeds Of Comfort, Dignity Robert A. Sklar Editor I magine being a seriously wounded soldier forced to wear only a hospital gown because he no longer could maneuver into ordi- nary clothing. A coalition of caring Americans imagined just that and decided to respond. Sew Much Comfort for the Troops h, a unique service operating in 18 U.S. regions and through a European chapter in Germany. This resourceful national nonprofit is committed to providing custom- styled adaptive clothing for soldiers who may have prostheses, braces, casts, burn sites, gunshot or shrapnel wounds, or missing limbs. There is no charge for such a gift of dignity, comfort and rela- tive independence. The intent is to help these veterans physically and emotionally. Recovery time for some can stretch months or years. The survival rate among service members wounded in combat is above 90 percent. With better body armor and medical improvements, more soldiers are surviving what once would have been fatal wounds. Volunteer sewers convert shirts, shorts, pants, undergarments and swimwear by splitting side seams and installing Velco fabric fasteners. This allows ease for medical exams and physical therapy. "The group does fabulous work;' says volunteer caller Rhea Brody of Bloomfield Hills. Since November, Brody has helped solicit new clothes, volunteer sewers, fabric and thread. She also welcomes gifts of money to defray the cost of shipping the group's re-purposed wear- ables to military hospitals. The Detroit Pistons donated 250 shirts, which veteran-patients eagerly wore instead of hospital gowns. Sew Much Comfort /Michigan leader Patricia Quintero of Hazel Park has run sew-ins at Haberman's Fabrics in Oakland County; women bring in portable sewing machines to re-adapt clothing. The Michigan chapter has about 100 volunteers. Last year, it shipped almost 10,000 garments to military hospitals stateside and overseas. The work is meticulous. For example, sewers make apparel that fits over a fixator, a 36-inch metal halo that goes around an injured limb. They re-sew full-length access pants, basketball-style athletic shorts and adaptive shirts to cover upper-body injuries. Garments for men and women are designed with input from medical personnel and the wounded recipients. Each recipient receives a patriotic note of gratitude. - Rhea Brody "I felt our wounded soldiers should not be forgotten',' said Brody, a congre- gant at Shaarey Zedek in Oakland County. "Any help they get to make their life more comfortable with easily accessible clothes so they can dress themselves is so worthwhile' She's moved by the cause. "These brave souls have suffered horrific bodily injuries:' she said. "They need love and encouragement." ri "I felt our woun ded soldiers should not be fo rgotten." Sew Much Comfort's Web address is: www.sewmuchcomfortorg. To volunteer time or to contribute money or materials, contact Rhea Brody at (248) 540- 4832 or via e-mail rhebob@comcast.net. This Week www.JNOnline.us Celebrations! Find weekly listings of births, !Dina' mitzvah, engagements, weddings and anniversaries online as well as past sim- chahs all online. They are all bundled under each week's publication date. Just visit JNonline.us and click on Lifecycles on the left. Latest From Israel Want the most current news from Israel? Check our streaming news from Ynetnews.com for continu- ous updates and longer news, opinion and feature stories. And look at the center of our Homepage for an Israel story that changes twice daily. Just visit JNonline.us and click on a scrolling story on the left. JBlog Talk Is Cheap W hen we are young, we are barraged by sounds; and it is in this way that we learn to speak. That, of course, is one very good reason not to talk baby talk to a baby — so many speech problems can be imprinted that way. But what of the import of talk in our lives. It must be great consid- ering all the expressions related to talking that our language yields. There are types of people who are known by their talk. Consider the big talker, the boaster. He might also be described as being all talk. It is also possible for such a person to be able to talk one's arm (or ear or leg) off because he is able to go on at great length with no pause. This person is not to be confused wit the one who can just talk away, being able to pass time in conver- Sy Manello sation with ease. Editorial Do you know folks who talk at you? They do Assistant not want a response and, therefore, often dis- courage listening. (Is that why many teens tune us out?) Often, though, we run into a speaker who likes to make talk; he's just passing time and not always with something of merit. If you encounter someone who is having or causing a problem, you may wish to have a talk with him; such words of caution may have a desired effect. However, the true recalcitrant may be tempted to talk 8 July 26 2007 back, which leads to more trouble. (The only place a talk back is posi- tive is after certain play performances when the audience is asked to share with the director, writer or actors.) If you find yourself talking down to someone, you are being patronizing, and that is not to be encouraged. If you try, however, to talk down might be an effort to silence someone by talking louder than he or she. The posi- tive side of talking down would be directions given to aid a pilot in distress. Depending on your gull- ibility, you may find that someone will talk you into something; be wary! This may encourage you to talk out the problem and (Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll) save yourself from being talked out of your money or time or opinion. It is usually beneficial to talk over something; that would help clarify understanding. If you hear something being talked up, it is being praised; but be sure you are not being taken in by a smooth talker. My parting word of advice: If you have nothing to say, don't say it, unlike so many talkers out there. Li "The time has come," the Walrus said, "to talk of many things... )) Arnie Goldman shares his thoughts about the Iraq war, little mitzvahs and more. Jeff Klein offers his Metro Perspectives on everything from dating to friendship. Only at JNonline.us. Just click on JBlog on the menu on the left. Results from last week's poll: Do you agree with Israel's recent offer to release 250 Palestinian prisoners? Yes 48% No 51% This week's poll question: Do you have any apprehension about the Pope's decision to allow the Latin Mass to return, given the deicide concern? Visit the JNonline.us homepage to cast your vote.