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Tuesday, June 01, 2004
Walking through life.....
My early years in elementary school were marked with long miles of walking. It seemed that everywhere I needed to go, I walked. Living in Rocky Ridge, if I couldn't walk to where I needed, I didn't go. Even as a young child it was nothing to walk a couple of miles to see a friend. I remember the last house we lived in, on a hill, I had to walk close to two miles to school and home every day. No ordinary walk, but one that I really enjoyed. It was a walk through the woods. Down the hills and across paths that most people didn't ever know about. I don't think my parents would have labeled me as a child that longed to stay indoors.
When we moved to Vestavia, I walked two miles daily to go to school there. It was there that I took a personal challenge to walk at a fast pace every day. I learned to walk fast, with long strides, even with my short legs. I learned to create power and couldn't stand to go slow. I soon learned to take pride in my ability to move quickly and get anywhere I needed. No friend was to far for me to visit. This thought process followed me all of my life. That may lead to my understanding of my like of my job. My career involves so much walking and observing, I just seemed a natural fit. To this day, I am always on my feet, always walking, always in long, swift, powerful strides.
Posted at 08:06 pm by AnotherMan
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Sunday, May 30, 2004
The day my parents gave me my first car, what a great day as a young man that was. I had no idea that I was going to get one. I had just turned 16 when mom and dad took me for a ride. We stopped at in front of a house in Edgewood and got out of our car. We walked over to a car when they shocked me and told me that the care we were looking at was mine. I never expected it, I had no clue. They had done the unexpected. As much as I hated to show emotion in front of my dad, I couldn't fight back the emotion of such happiness and shock that I started to cry. It was an old light blue Dodge Coronet. It was an old car, but it was in great shape and it was mine. I was so afraid to drive it. It was the beginning of my freedom.
I was excited to take it to school the next day. I now had a way to get to school and to take my friends with me. I'll never forget when I told Robin Adams that I had a new car. She asked me what I had and I told her a Coronet. We were at school and I asked her if she would like a ride the next day. She said yes, I knew I was king. The next morning I was overly excited as I drove around the block and pulled up in her driveway. She stepped out the door and I can almost remember the look of shock on her face. I didn't know what was wrong, but it didn't matter to me, I was on top of the world.
She opened the door, sat down, and looked over at me, saying, "I thought you said you said a Corvette". I quickly replied "No, a Coronet, a Dodge Coronet". It was my first of many disappointments with women.
Could they have been right in the movies, that the car makes the man?
To heck with the women, I loved my car !
Posted at 08:27 pm by AnotherMan
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Saturday, May 29, 2004
She was so small, the light of my life. I was a young father, very much loving my daughters. Krista was my first and I loved doing little things for her to make her smile. I remember one day, when we were in our first home, Krista was not home and I started to set up the den in our house to surprise her. She loved her toy animals. She had so many of them, all with names, all that she loved as her friends. I took her animals and placed them all around the room, all in positions of importance, all looking at the door. I knew that when she came home she would be surprised.
I waited and waited for her to come home. She finally arrived, stepped through the door, and when she saw all of her animals arranged in the room, with me in the middle, all I can remember her saying, with such excitement and delight, was "Daddy". She was smiling and laughing. She was excited to see her friends all around her. I hugged her and was overwhelmed with unconditional love. The best type of love known. The type of love I always hope to have with her.
Posted at 08:37 pm by AnotherMan
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Friday, May 28, 2004
Bedtime....a time to share
My favorite time of each day. The time my children go to bed. A time that is special for us. As each child goes to bed, it is my time to be with them and share thoughts and feelings of life and love. I enjoy the time alone, the time given us.
We talk small talk, we talk of life, we talk of things to learn and people to love.
Time to talk of conquests, time to talk of fears.
Time to talk of silly things, time to play math games.
It is my time, my time to let them know that I will always be here for them and to let them know that I love them.
It is time that will never be taken from me.
"I love you, Daddy will always love you, forever and ever." |
Posted at 08:49 pm by AnotherMan
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We were at the old Providence Hospital on Springhill Avenue in Mobile, February 1984. Suzy was in labor and I was lost. Our first child was soon to be here. I didn't know what to expect, I didn't know what I was to do. I was helpless. After being admitted we were given a "birthing room". A room that was private, more relaxed and separate from everyone else. The days of being in operating rooms had long gone. It was a long event and wait for us. All I can remember is the waiting, waiting, the long waiting. I do remember that as the time passed, the contractions began to become stronger, the time coming closer.
When it finally came time for what the nurse determined to be close enough, I was ushered out of the room and told to put on hospital greens. The doctor was called in. I remember the television hanging from the wall towards the top of the room, and MASH was the show that was playing. The doctor arrived and Suzy was so close. She would have a contraction, we would all give her our attention and support, hoping to encourage her. Then we would all stop and watch MASH, in between the contractions. This repeated itself several times. After several repeated attempts as delivery, the doctor made the decision to move Suzy to the operating room to take Krista from her. He was afraid that the long time in delivery was creating a strain on both mother and child. The nurses wheeled Suzy to the emergency room, and were readying for the operation. Suzy had another contraction, just as they were preparing everything, when the miracle happened. Everyone took their places, the doctor and nurses all around, when Krista arrived in our lives.
Though I was lost, in shock and so amazed, the most wonderful event ever witnessed had just happened before me. The nurses wrapped Krista and took her to the other side of the room, and began to clean her. One of them called me over and held her out to me, offering her to me. I held her. I cradled her up against my chest. The emotions were so strong, so overwhelming, my daughter was here. Emotions I had never felt, so powerful. I knew at that time I would never let her go. The nurses asked to take her back, I refused. I didn't want to let go of her.
I knew then, at that time, both the joy and fear of life. Life so tiny, so helpless, so loved. Krista.
Posted at 08:45 pm by AnotherMan
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Thursday, May 27, 2004
Krista....crisis and home
We were at home one day in our first home. Krista and myself, playing and having fun. In the middle of the den, was Leigh Ann's high chair. As Krista stood, the shelf of the high chair was just above eye level for her. As usual with a young child, temptation to explore had overcome her. I remember seeing her walk up to the high chair, reaching up for the shelf of the chair and pulling on it. Then it happened, the unforeseen, the unknown. She leaned back and the chair fell forward. As she fell to the ground, she never let go of the shelf on the chair and pulled it over on her, the shelf hitting her just above the eyes, striking her directly on the forehead.
I jumped and ran at the same time she began to cry out of both fear and shock. When I got to her, I panicked, the shelf having cut her head. Blood was on her forehead and the area around it was starting to swell. As the skin started to swell, it actually looked like a dent in her skull. I was so afraid it had creased her skull, I didn't know what to do. I had not way to go anywhere, I had no one to call. Holding her, so afraid my baby was hurt, I almost called 911. I quickly placed a towel on her head to keep the swelling down and to stop the bleeding. It started to look better and I knew then it was just a bruise with swelling.
It scared me, the feeling of being helpless to take care of her. I didn't know what to do, and I could not stand to see her hurt. I never want anything to happen to her. At that short moment in time, she was the love of my life, all that I was. I felt her fear and was more hurt than she was.
She turned out well, just a bruise. A large bruise on her forehead. A large bruise to my pride, pride in being able to protect the ones that I love.
Posted at 08:43 pm by AnotherMan
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