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"My son is on his second tour. I haven't seen him since he made Sergeant. It's been about one month since I spoke with him. He'll be home for a one month leave in February or March," Walters said of his son, Sgt. Justin Walters of the 164th Armored Division.

The Kalkaska Eagles brightened a few lives on Jan. 18, when they donated eight computers to area seniors at the Kalkaska Senior Center. The Eagles explained that earlier last year, the Kalkaska Eagles were notified by the Grayling Computer Club that the Silicon Alley Recyclers had in storage several CPUs and desktops available that needed to be reconditioned and may be of use to individuals. The Kalkaska Eagles, Aerie 4496 found just the right place to donate these computers to. The Kalkaska Senior Center posted a request and the Eagles selected eight seniors that were in need of the computers.

"The Eagles wanted the seniors to become more involved with computers. The seniors can not give these to their family members, they are to keep them for themselves to get online and correspond with their family. We made a sign up sheet and interested seniors signed up. They had these computers, they wanted them to be put to good use, they didn't want them to be just shoved into a closet," Karen Korson, a member of the Commission on Aging, said.

Communication is a huge thing in any person's life. It can mean the difference between happiness and despair. For those that find it hard to communicate by phone, writing, or in person, a computer could be a God-send. The ability to reach anyone anywhere in the world will open up avenues of possibilities that were not present before the internet. Technology can be overwhelming, but today's internet technology is so user friendly and easy to understand, anyone can be surfing the net in no time.

The feeling of having a way to communicate with loved ones and a way to seek out new friends is reassuring when compared to the feelings of being alone. With the Kalkaska Senior Center and the Commission on Aging always on their side, the area's seniors are never truly alone, and this donation of computers and the technology to talk with far away family and friends, or just chat with neighbors next door, will go a long way in reinforcing the fact that no one is ever truly alone.

From its beginnings as a way for scientists around the globe to communicate, to what it has grown today, the internet is an amazing tool. The fact that such a thing exists, and can be harnessed and brought into the average family's home is nothing less than amazing. Soon, these seniors will discover the wonder of the World Wide Web.

The Eagles will be donating more computers in a few weeks to a few more seniors.

The Kalkaska Eagles wish to thank both the Silicon Valley Recyclers for their generous donation and the Grayling Computer Club for their updating and reprogramming of the donated computers.

For more information on this program, or if you wish to help, please contact the Kalkaska County Commission on Aging at 231-258-5030