How to become the radio operator without wanting to.

I have told this story to Fave Dave over the phone. Afterwards, he sent me a picture of a bear in an open grassy field. If we’re lucky, he’ll do it in the comments. It’s funny after the story.

Story before the story.

Being that Guantanamo Bay Cuba was my first duty station. It’s called Barracks duty, which is just one step down from Embassy duty. OK, it’s a big step, but both are security, just one gets you Dress Blues, and then there’s Barracks duty.

Most of your job is keeping the base secure, but one week security, and one week training, so you always have work to do. Some of the training is really interesting, and you get to shoot stuff, and blow stuff up. Other times, it’s a class type setting, to teach you something technical. We had a class on how to operate, maintain, clean, and troubleshoot any potential problem that you may have with the radio. It was interesting enough, I paid attention, and learned a thing or three about the radio.

Story.

Fast forward, I’ve been transferred to the Fleet Marine Force, I will say Fleet now. In the Fleet, you go into the field more often, because our particular job was infantry, and infantry related weapons and usage of such.

We did an amphibious excercise, where we went on board a ship, and practiced “hitting the beach”, that’s a real thing. While on board the ship, so as to keep us somewhat busy, our jobs were not ship security, or running the engine room, we were waiting to assault the beachhead.

We had a class on, if you’ve guessed radio maintenance and troubleshooting, yes! I was not into it, I had already learned this stuff, and i wasn’t giving my full attention to the instructor, who is a Facebook friend and I won’t out him, but he noticed that I was watching the water, basically not paying attention. So he asked me to show him what I would do, if a certain scenario happened.

I took the radio, shifted it around, disconnected the “phone”, and wire, took a pencil, used the eraser to clean the contacts on both ends, reattached the line, and stood there all smart alecky and stuff.

Apparently I was soooooooo good at it, that it became my job to lug it around, along with all my other gear, and my weapon. Not that I couldn’t do it, I’m a big fella, but, who wants to do more than they absolutely have to.

So we start assaulting beach heads, we are in those amphibious armored personnel carriers, which is cool, until you find out that once you and you team are inside, they close it up air tight, then drive off the end of the ships mezzanine deck, which is level to the water, but not the ground obviously. So off the edge you go, drop about 30 feet down in the water, and hope all the seals held, so that you pop up out of the water again. It’s not so bad after the first time, but still.

Back to the beaches, we went out, boldly took our beach, then loaded back up in our carrier, and went and did it again. After the third time, I asked our platoon Sgt. Staff Sgt. “Mad Zack”, if u could leave the radio in the carrier the next assault, because we hadn’t used the thing and I’m lugging it back and forth, for no reason.

He said sure. We did another assault, but this time advanced inland, and set down for chow. After a bit, Staff Sgt. asks me where the radio was at, and I said back in the A.P.C., well we weren’t going to be using those anymore, and I had left a very expensive item on board, and I needed to go and find it.

No, I hadn’t gotten to eat, and no, I didn’t have to haul my gear around while looking for this thing, but walk around I did do, a lot.

These things have letters and numbers painted on the outside, but who really pays attention. The one thing going for me? I had a combination lock that I had put on, through the handle of the metal casing. So I could easily identify it, if I ….Could just……locate the damn thing.

I was North, South, East, and even more East, the ocean was West, so I didn’t have to go there. I found all kinds of A.P.C.s, talked to a bunch of different crew members, none of which I would have been able to identify in a lineup. Was pointed all over the place, and soon , I had to admit defeat, and carry myself back to my platoon, empty handed of course.

I hadn’t quite gotten back to my original position, and I heard trucks coming my way. Don’t ask me why, it’s not like I was in enemy territory or anything, but before the trucks reached me, I dive into the bush just off the roadside, and waited for the convoy to pass.

They did, and now I’ve just hidden from my ride back to base, from the middle of nowhere, without the radio, I’m screwed. I start to go towards the road, and as an afterthought, decided to go to where we were when we started to have chow.

As I approached the area, I could see my pack, and all my gear, just sitting in the middle of this field. It was bad enough I’d lost the radio, but to have to go back totally devoid of any gear, what a maroon!

I grabbed up my gear, saddled up, ad started toward the main road. This is 1983, no GPS, no cell phones, no UBER, nothin. I have no idea which way to even go, just not to the ocean. I’m walking on the opposite side of the road, so I can address any oncoming traffic, and after about 20 minutes, a jeep, with a very angry looking Mad Zack was pulling up to me.

Then, just for a second, but long enough for me to have seen it, surprise, generally surprised that I had my gear. He pulled up, didn’t say a word, I put my gear in the back seat, and looked out toward the passenger side of the Jeep, to avoid any conversation, obviously no radio, but, overall I didn’t get into trouble for that, didn’t even have to pay for the radio, it’s not like I had it stashed away on me somewhere

I think it was just let go, because they ran off and left me out there. I didn’t care, it all worked out in the end. But, they still made me carry the radio, cause I knew it so good!!! Be well.

 

Gordon Ramsay???

Not a lot of people know this about me. I can cook. Even though I don’t make it very presentable, and i do throw stuff together like goulash, a good way to delve out even portions without telling someone to cool it on the hamburger.

I learned how to make chicken and turkey in the oven, just like grandma or mom would have made. Nothing fancy, just cooked until done, then cut off what you can, then later, tear that sucker apart so I can have sandwiches for a day or two, this usually only applies to turkey, chicken is so small and defenseless, it doesn’t survive til the next meal, even if it’s just me eating. I love me some fowl.

I do watch all of the Gordon Ramsay shows that he does. Even the Master Chef Junior, man those kids got some mad skills in the kitchen.

Kitchen Nightmares, Hells Kitchen, Master Chef, and Hotel Hell. All good shows. My favorite part? Gordon. I like to call him Gordon Rameses, because of how he acts in the kitchen. He knows his stuff, and can afford to be slightly cocky.

I always watch the shows, not to learn new ways to make old food. I watch to see how the people deal with an onslaught of truth, and pressure to please. He’s not a monster. But, if you do a bad job, he has no qualms about letting you know.

I’m fascinated by his critiques, and the levels of disappointment or approval that people go through, I mean, it is just cooking, but some are good, and some are great, and every once in a while, just out of this world fantastic.

I think that I would like to do a season body Hells Kitchen. I could make it past the initial entrey to show him that I could boil water. After that, I’d just stay out of the way, until he finally got rid of me for basic ineptitude.

My whole deal would be so that he yelled at me. I know, sounds crazy, but I was in Marine Corps Bootcamp at the tender age of 18, scared is hardly the word. This would be a walk in the park. I would consider it an honor to be demeaned by Gordon Ramsay, and some of the stuff that comes out of his mouth, I would definitely have to keep from laughing, just too funny.

Gordon Ramsay, one of my favorite personalities on TV. Even if it was only an act, it’s a really good shoe! If you’re and older person, you get that. Be well.

Prickly Heat

It all started back in ’85, we were about to embark on a six month tour overseas. WestPac tour, because western Pacific, k?

January of ’84, I had just turned 21, and was now finally able to go out to the big boy bars in town. I had already spent a year in Guantanamo Bay, this was way before it was a detention facility, and even on base I could partake in the firey liquids, vodka being one of my favorites.

When I was stationed at Camp Horno, in Camp Pendleton, I quickly found out that if I wasn’t 21, no bars for me out in town, and on base, only beer at the E club, no hard liquor. When I did turn 21, I spent a few hours at the E club, reacquainting myself to Jack Daniels and his side kick Coca Cola.

Should I mention that I spent the night in the Head, cause it was closer to the porcelain bus, and the smooth concrete floor was cool and soothing, but firewatch kept asking if I was OK, and because I am as big as a side of beef, nobody was going to try and take me to my rack, and I wasn’t hurting nobody, so.

We had been overseas for a bit, and we had come to the Philippines, we were going to have to requalify on the rifle range, and we had some other cool training to do, like JEST school, jungle environment survival training, was the first time I’d eaten a large Komodo type lizard, tastes like chicken.

One week, we were going out in the field, (camping with guns, mortars, and grenades), nobody loves the field, well, not me anyway, because I don’t like my hands to be dirty, I’m not a germaphobe, just don’t like it, but when you know there ain’t nothing you can do, you just carry on.

We were spending a few days out there, the locals would come out and pick up any brass that we expended, so they could sell it and get some money, it was o e of the most miserable experiences I’ve ever had, and the only way I can describe it to you effectively, is to refer to Forrest Gump, when his unit is out on patrol for a month or so, and it just rains and rains and rains.

It was like that, so we were constantly wet. My friends, and some of my superiors, had fun telling me good luck in a war, because I was so big, that irresistible target was the sign I’d be wearing.

Funny thing about the locals, they’ve been to so many live fires, when something odd takes place, they’re the first ones to move. We were doing some small arms live fire, .45s, most of us hadn’t handled those yet, and there were all manner of live firing going on, including mortars, the 60s not the 81s. We were changing places, laughing at how bad we suck with a pistol, when we were damned deadly with our M16s.

Off in the distance, the locals are either high tailing back behind us, or dropping low in place, always while we were doing our thing, the mortars were doing theirs. Bloop………. Boom, Bloop………Boom. Well one time it was Blicccckkk, then locals DOI g their thing, then someone yelling “Short Round”, and everyone hit the deck. Blammo! Yeah it was closer than we’d have liked.

As everyone was recovering, I was pulling myself out of a hole that you really couldn’t call a foxhole, but I had molded myself to like the Fantastic Four’s very own Mr.Fantastic. Never heard about being a target in the future.

We spent most of those day soaked, except when you went into your tent, you took off most of you wet clothes, and tried to sleep as well as you could, putting on you mostly still wet uniform was the worst though, uggghhh.

We finish our excercises, and head back to hot showers, clean clothes, real chow, and a night on the town, where the exchange rate of dollars to Phillipino Pesos, was 18 pesos, to one dollar, and a Sam Miguel beer was like 3 pesos. We had to clean out 782 gear, (our camping gear), so we cleaned them in the showers, whilst cleaning our scuzzy butts.

As we were getting ready for the evening, I was horribly interrupted by a large swath of my back, being assaulted by what felt to me, as if someone had taken a large pad of very small cactus needles, and pressed them on my back simultaneously.

I wasn’t the only one to experience this, and soon, we had to find the Corpsman, our first look doctor, I can’t remember if it was Doc Ausband or not, but just as matter of factly stateing that it was prickly heat, like saying tomorrow is Sunday. I’d heard of it before, but I thought it was atmospheric, like the heat in Arizona, it’s a dry heat.

No, this ladies and gentlemen, is a nasty little fungus, that when you are constantly wet, will grow on you, and cause you grief and misery. What Doc? What is the cure, help, help, HELlllllP! Well, the only thing you can do, is keep on clean and dry clothes, and just try to stay dry.

I sweat like nobody’s business, sometimes for absolutely no reason at all. We are active duty Infantry Marines, our job makes us sweat, and I need no incentive, so my life is just peachy right now.

Powder, salve, anything that can make this stop? No, clean and dry, and nothing else you can do, oh, by the way, you will always have it, always. WHAT????? NO!!!!!!!!!? The good news though, it can’t be spread from person to person, so you are good there. WHAT????? NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!?

So there you have it, I picked up something that will never go away, and all I have to do is stay dry, and wear clean clothes forever! I will say, that it doesn’t get me as bad as it used to, every once in a while it shows up for no reason at all, kind of like a visit from an old friend you haven’t seen in a while, makes me a little teary eyed, literally. Be well.

 

 

 

 

 

Ron, why do you write so much?

The reason is simple.

GOD wants me to. How do I know? Did HE personally tell me with HIS voice, like HE did with Moses, and was there a burning bush?

First of all, no. Don’t be rediculous.

The fact of the matter is, a few times I was encouraged to write, but as a fan of TV, and movies, I never saw myself doing that for those venues, or any other for that matter.

I am a horrendous reader, I am slightly dislexic, and mostly with numbers, one main reason I HATE math, but, words get me too, and when you’ve read the same sentence 13 times to really understand the sentence, you kind of give up.

So being a creator of words was never going to happen. My mother told me when she read, she could imagine what the characters sounded like. I only hear my droning, monotone, slow reading voice, without emotional inflection. Boring, always has been.

So why now? I’ll tell you. Less than a year ago, I was not partaking of the Facebook, I would cyberstalk my friends of course, but not interact.

Then a tragedy struck. Not going in to it, but it indirectly, directly affected me. Since that time, I’ve increased my presence on the Facebook, and have shared stories about me, and some friends of mine, and even though it’s taken a while to get even what I would consider remotely proficient at typing on my phone, with my thumbs, I can write a story in under an hour. If it is a weird thought that strikes me a funny, I just put down a title, and the words just come out.

I do give my stories my own flavor, because even though I don’t read with any emotional attachment, I have pretty much always been able to tell a story, and have enough of my own humor put in, to keep it fun, while being as detailed and brief as possible.

Not that easy to do, but write it down? No, no, no, no,no. That isn’t my call. In July, my sister was watching a friend’s house for a month while they went out of town.

During that time, I would see people posting, scripture, chapter and verse, but no explanation as to what it meant. I had been given a Bible by a very good friend, and having had it stowed away, I knew I could find out these passages. After a bit, I realized at the tender age of 53, I’d never read the Bible, you know, like a book, from beginning to end. So I made a deal with myself only, to read 7 chapters a day, just not on Sunday, that’s a day of rest, but all the other days, 7 chapters.

It wasn’t long before I was putting my two cents in on what I had read. Putting some humor on it, and getting some encouragement from friends to keep going.

This all was taking place while my sister was away, and when I say super religious, I ain’t kidding. She is always asking if I want to go to her church. No I say, NO! She just keeps asking. Anyway, I went last Sunday, I’m going next Sunday, I don’t know if it’s my church home, but I do know it’s full of people I can call family, and mean it.

So, me just doing my thing, I help take care of our 85 year old father, and to hear him tell it, he would do just fine without us. I’d like to believe him, but I can’t, so here I am, nothing to do but bother my Facebook friends and family. Just the other day, I had made some off the wall comment, and a person who is very, very, close to me, said that I really needed to get a life. Now I know and love this person dearly, but it stuck with me, I know they were kidding around, I KNOW THIS, but it stuck there just the same. Then about a week later, start a blog, was the only constant thought I had. Even though I had no idea what to do, or how to do it, I asked the right people the right questions, and BOOM! I have a blog.

Now, wanting to be more productive around the house, and not spend all my time blogging. I have made small projects for me to accomplish daily, except on Sunday, day of rest.

My ideas come on the fly, everyday, sometimes several a day, but I have to be stingy, can’t make anyone pay me if I keep just giving it away.

Now, this is how I know that this is what GOD needs me to do. I map out my project for the next day, and have that in mind after I’ve read my 7 chapters, just started the book of St. Luke today, so I will finish the New Testament soon . Here lately, I’ve been waking up just after midnight, even if I had a very long and taxing day, I wake up, and can’t go back to bed until I’ve read my 7 chapters.

My politics aren’t really part of this blog for me, but when something bothers me, I’ma tell ya!

Meryl Streep, bothered me, not what she said, or to whom she was saying it, but where. After that, I posted that I don’t think I can watch movies or TV anymore, just can’t stand the thought of someone who is paid by people who like to watch them perform, alienating what could be half of their income, because they have a personal opinion. Yes, you have a right to say what you want, in these here United States of America, but, you are NOT exempt from any consequences, you take that risk.

Long story longer, I have all but given up on movies and tv, I still DVR Judge Judy cause I love her. Any British show or film, I can watch Cumberbatch do his Holmes. British political opinions haven’t mattered to me since forever. Everything else pretty much done with it. Also gives me time to write.

I had planned non cleaning the fridge, top to bottom, but, it seemed as if dad wanted to have conversation, and he doesn’t like to talk if I’m cleaning, he’s made that abundantly clear. So, I put it off. Even though I had a couple of story ideas squirreled away. I couldn’t make the time to do it.

The next day, I started that project, didn’t finish until the next day, but the last story I wrote, the one before this one, popped out of me quick and in a hurry like. GOD also doesn’t need me to promote my blog, I know this, because I had written a very touching look at the world, and sent it as a message to 11 of my Facebook friends and family. Because they keep stats on the blog, i noticed that even though almost everyone saw the message, no one clicked the link to the blog. O e person, no sooner than they received the message, jumped out of the group message, I know cause Facebook told me, player 1 has left the game!

Anyway, all I have to do is write, I don’t even have to worry about what, it just comes out, since I started the blog, I’ve been to church, I keep reading the Bible, I keep getting some pretty inspirational thoughts for story ideas, so yeah, it’s not me, I’m just the tool, shut up Joel!! Be well

 

My friend David!

I warned him, so here it is.

I have two Facebook friends named David, they are both Marine Corps buddies, but I’ve started to call one Fave Dave. Not because I find one better than the other, but our relationships were different from the start. I would think that we’re all at the same place now, but I converse with Fave Dave, on the phone, and through the Facebook. The other Dave, we exchange ideas through the Facebook, and he is a financial advisor, and a good one at that. I don’t have any money to manage, so we have little to talk about in that regard.

I had the opportunity to talk to Fave Dave on the phone this weekend, while the Falcons were destroying the Packers, and through Fave Dave, found out that the Falcons needed to win, so I went for the Falcons. That even though he thinks Tom Brady is a big ol’ pile of disgusting, that he wants the Patriots to win the Super Bowl, because then Pittsburgh and New England will have tied on the amount of wins in that game, and his brother and dad won’t have that over his head anymore.

Point of interest, at one point, Fave Dave was on the phone with me, on the computer looking at different posts, and watching the game, which by the way, even though he’s on Mountain Time, and I’m on Central Time, his football broadcast was a whole 7 seconds ahead of mine, and it was quite off-putting, he would say “touchdown”, and I’m looking at a huddle.

Anyway, so ladies, there is an example of a man who is able to multitask, albeit he is superhuman, still, he could do it. Why superhuman? I’m glad you asked. Besides the fact that in just 4 short years, Fave Dave will be a Master in the art of Kung Fu. A Master.

When he was 5, he decided that he was going to join the Marines, 5. I barely made that decision in the 2 hours I was at the recruiter. When we got to know each other a little better in the Corps, he told me one day, he was going to join the French Foreign Legion, now, he didn’t do a tour of duty with them, but he went there, and got through the initial screening, and spent enough time there to have gotten the history, and was scrutinized by a higher up, part of the discerning process, and was informed that he was the most forthcoming candidate, and a pleasure to question. A pleasure!

When Fave Dave arrived at our unit, he was basically a boot, and when you are a boot, you get messed with, it’s all part of getting to know each other, our friend Bill, saw Fave Dave, he was walking through the rec room, no hat on, of course, and Bill said that he had the roundest head he’d ever seen. Of course the6 became like best buds.

I can’t remember how it’s spelled but the Spanish word for ball, that’s what I would call Fave Dave. Later on, I would call him Pedro, in a really bad, and stereotypical Hispanic accent, that it came out sounding like Perro, and Fave Dave told me that was Spanish for dog. Later on, his official nickname was Petey, like the dog from little rascals. I did that.

In a sort of retaliation, I was taking a nap on my bunk, and was kind of a heavy sleeper, and Fave Dave, wrote a bad word on my forehead. When I eventually woke up to go to the bathroom, on my way out, stopping to wash my hands, I noticed the writing, and yelled WTF! Fave Dave was rolling and out loud laughing, no doubt whose handy work it was. He loves that story.

I have always live all things martial arts. Do you remember the show Kung Fu? Where Kwai Chang Caine was orphaned, and had to spend the remainder of his childhood training to be a Monk? I always thought it was so cool, that he ended up in the West, looking for relatives, and solving problems with a strong, but unkilling hand, rather than a gun. He was a boot though, he was never a Master, and my friend David, is only 4 years away. Superhuman. Be well.

 

 

Time PT.3

I know this is going to come off as preachy, and it is. Look, you don’t have to read it, but I have to write it. Since I’ve started reading the Bible, I’ve been compelled to write stories, my stories, and my weird thoughts. I’ve been doing it on Facebook, for my friends, but as time went by, I realized that even though Facebook was a good outlet, may not be the appropriate place to put my every thought. So, my blog.

When I decided to read the Bible, I said I would do it, 7 chapters a day, except on Sunday, because of the day of rest. Sometimes it works out that the 7th chapter ends on the completion of a book, most times no.

I’ve gotten I to a habit of trying to give my take on what book I’ve finished reading. I’ve found out through a couple of friends, that they enjoy, and sometimes see something that they hadn’t seen before, you know, from someone elses perspective. And my humor.

What has happened, or is happening to me is not a new experience, this has happened before, but I was younger, and I really wasn’t into giving up all the fun stuff that I wanted to do, instead of doing the stuff I needed to do.

I explained to my sister Kim, that when she had money to spend, she needed to look at the purchase through those words, do I want, or do I need. If you want, and can afford, go ahead, buy it. If you want, but don’t need, pass it up, keep the money for a need.

This can apply to anything in life, wants are desires, needs are necessary for existing. When you here the prayer, the LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want. It’s not saying that you shouldn’t want things, but that you won’t want things, because GOD is going to take care of your basic needs, because HE loves you, but, you have to start the relationship, HE already loves us enough to take care of us, but because, we can’t physically see or touch HIM, we have to go in on faith alone, believing the HE is to be there for us, and take care of our needs.

Since I’ve started this journey anew, I had to initiate the relationship, had to take the metaphorical steps toward HIM, to show my obedience. Never before have I done this, never before have I received so much back, for so little effort.

As time goes by, you will read some pretty funny stories, or stories that happened to me, and I just tell them funny, but, I’ll tell you this, never, has my faith in GOD been so strong, that I was comfortable telling people I was a Christian, now I blog about it.

In the next few weeks, or months, I will finish reading the Bible, and start to study it more in-depth. I’ve nothing better to do, and neither do you really, if you think about it. Be well.

3D Movies?

Ha! That’s a laugh, if you want to see a movie in 3D, go see a Play, that’s real 3D. I’m not talking just musicals either, I’m saying a story, actors, sets, live, right there in front of you. I like some musicals, I’m not a freak, but storytelling is the art that I prefer, obviously

3D is a marketing ploy, always has been. Sure it’s kinda cool, but, you have to wear glasses. I haven’t ever HAD to wear them, I do now just to read, and someday soon, probably all the time. When I first encountered 3D, it was the old version of The Wax Museum, good film, but not great. The glasses where flimsy cardboard, with one red, and one blue lens. Even today, if you take off the glasses, you see a blurry mess. It has something to do with how the brain makes the special images “stand out”, anyway it’s awkward, and I usually end up with a sore neck, from getting the glasses in the right angle to see it correctly.

The last 3D movie I saw was Avatar, and if you guys know me, the movie is actually secondary to the large soda, and the large refillable popcorn, that I will invariably have filled again, at least once. I had my experience with Ironman 3, totally ruined, because they said they weren’t selling the refillable popcorn size at that time. I say in the theater, without benefit of either soda, or popcorn, because I’m stubborn, but wanted to see the movie anyway, the longest almost 3 hours I’ve ever spent in my sanctum sanctorum.

So, back to 3D, they really need to develop the glasses, so they have optional viewing from the top of the glasses, because I’m watching the movie, while my hand and head a  own in the popcorn, shoveling and happily feeding from my trough of happiness.

Having to look up at the screen constantly to see the limited special effects, is quite discomforting, because I’m mainly here for the popcorn and soda. Kind of like throwing a party, just to have social interaction with your friends, you want to see your friends, the party is the reason you go there, not the reason why you are there.

Sure, I can have all the popcorn I want at home, but, it’s just not the same, ya know?

The best effects of the 3D that I have ever seen? Was during the previews just before Avatar, I think it was an actual play, that they filmed for motion picture theaters. At one point in the trailer, there was the throwing of white rose petals, and showed of the “snow”, was so realistic, that I actually did put my hand out, cliche yes, true? Also yes.

Any, to my point, even before the film was over, I had taken off the glasses, and watched the rest of the film in a blurry mess, my neck was sore, my eyes got tired, and the lack of enthusiasm for my soda and popcorn, was just appalling.

So, in conclusion, sure, make 3D movies better, visually, without aid of glasses, I’ll go. I would go more to plays, but they don’t allow popcorn. Support all the arts. Be well.

 

Time PT.2

Earlier today, I wrote about meeting my first born son. It really got me to thinking. Whoever you are, whatever endeavors you drive to achieve, whether you barely have enough to get by on, or so much excess, you need never worry about anything ever. If you are the religious sort, like me, or believe the Universe will provide, given you ask properly or whatever. We should all be able to agree, that the only thing that we truly share as conscious beings, is time.

Even I used to say that time was a man made concept, but in fact, even before devices that could show you the tick tick tick, of seconds wisping away right in front of your eyes, time has always existed. Like the bones of animals long gone and fossilized under the ground, we had no idea that they actually existed until we dug them up.

Question is, what is it that we are supposed to do with our time? In the earliest example, we had the basic needs, food, shelter, defense against harm or death. This was all there was to worry about. As time has passed, we have complicated our lives, through new and innovative ways, to make our lives simpler. It’s ironic, if you really think about it. Newer gadgets and technology to make life easier, have evolved into a complete nightmare on how to obtain these new and better ways to exist. Better jobs to afford the best housing and the newest things to make our lives easier, when some of these new things eliminate the need for some person to do a certain thing, freeing them up for what? A life less busy with things to make you a useful person, and without that certain thing to do, how do you afford the things, that you were so busy to have and keep? No job, no money, no way to even buy food, let alone a decent place to stay.

My point being, we all have a purpose, that basic need to survive, thrive and procreate. To keep going as long as humanly possible. But why? Why go to all the trouble if you just die anyway? Well, this is where GOD comes in, and I know I just lost some of you, but this is MY belief, right or wrong in your eyes, my personal experience and relationship with the LORD, is a personal choice that I didn’t take lightly, even questioned and fought over my 54 years of existence. Now I have an understanding of Who He Is, HE is our FATHER, just like your own flesh and blood father. HE is the reason for our existence, and the reason we struggle to be better.

If for no other reason, than to go to the place people call heaven, to live an existence of higher being, and to appreciate that existence for having struggled in this one.

Have you ever worked so hard, to afford the car of your dreams? When you do finally get it, you treasure that car, take care of it, make sure it’s always road worthy, because you worked so hard to obtain it. I for one have experienced some people fortunate enough to be given these types of gifts, without the benefit of earning it themselves, and they take for granted the gift, to the point of neglect, even abuse of the gift, that it has no more meaning, that used tissue paper.

Time, ladies and gentlemen, 8s the one gift we are given, from our FATHER, WHO art in heaven, hallowed be THY name.

We have time to earn a place with HIM, and however we get there, it won’t just be handed to use, lest we take the gift for granted, and it be unappreciated, and useless to us, what kind of afterlife would it be if we all didn’t deserve to be there.

I used to waste my time, watching TV and movies, all useless in the greater scheme of things, fortunately for me, my gift of time wasn’t all wasted on useless pursuits, I’m not saying don’t do what you love to do, but what is the eventual goal of that pursuit? I believe, that if it’s not earning a place in the hereafter with the HOLY FATHER, it’s really just a waste…… Of time. Be well.

Time

For more years than I really care to admit, January 21st has been my favorite day of the year. You see, I was born on this day, 1963. That is a great feeling, having a whole day, just about you. I do have to admit though, 25 years ago it changed somewhat, you see, my very first child, Cameron, was born also.

It’s not that I wasn’t aware that it was my birthday, but my wife at the time, was huge with a baby inside of her, and the doctors thought maybe she was running a tad late for delivery. So they scheduled her for the labor inducing procedure, and that was early in the day on the 20th with the worry and excitement of the new arrival it just hadn’t dawned on me.

This is a medical procedure, but, it is different for everyone, so after initial inducing, it was all, hurry up and wait. I was familiar with this, being a military veteran, because you did that alot.

Enough hours went by, and she had dialated enough, that they decided to get this baby out! After waiting so long, nervousness was gone, just excitement of meeting your first child, now I’m only speaking from a dads perspective, I didn’t have to pass a human through a space designed for something more on a smaller scale.

So I’m all decked out in bootie coverings for my shoes, and some sort of sterile gown, and watching and waiting for the new life. I was the most amazing thing I had personally witnessed. Cameron was a big baby, not record breaking, but my lenght at birth was 21 inches, can’t remember how much I weighed at birth, but I grew to be 6’3″, and for various food reasons, I’ve come close, but never breached 300lbs. Cameron was 9lbs 14oz, and 23″, almost 2 whole feet.

If you’ve ever looked at a puppy, and they had really big paws, that usually means huge dog in the future. Not knowing if that translates to people as well, I decided that I would definitely want him to be a friend.

So, he started making the journey, but just couldn’t get through, and trust me, the doctor tried, for a while, it was at THAT time that I had noticed it was 20 minutes til midnight, and the thoughts of having a child for my birthday started swirling around in my head. Internally, I was rooting for Cameron to hold his ground, kinda selfish I know, but it was cool thinking about.

After even using the forceps, Cameron just wouldn’t budge. The decision for C-section was made, and at that time I knew we were going to forever share the same day! Never ever thinking of how it would or could detract from another persons special day. He’s never said so, but after 25 years, I think he’s kind of over it.

Everything went well, he was healthy, and literally, quite a handful. Now I know, babies can’t see all that well, they have never had to use their eyes, but after everything was over, and mom was in her room recooperting as best you can after a very long day, they brought him to me, to hold for the very first time, it was still dark in the early hours of the A.M., and the lights of the room were off, the door to the room was open, and I was sitting I was sitting in a comfy chair. They placed him in my arms, he wasn’t squint, or crying, just swaddled and quiet, and very much awake.

I held him, cradled in my arms, marvelling at what I helped create. He looked up at me, and I KNOW that this was only my mind making this assumption, but he was looking straight into my eyes, and he had this look on his face that you may have seen, like if someone fixed themselves a snack, and you saunter in and grab it up and start eating? Either that, or he was thinking man what an ugly mom I have. I just seemed to be being judged by a human being just hours old, just me I guess.

That little baby was so good, never did he give us any grief, he would only cry, just enough, and not loudly at all, to let us know if he needed food, or changing. Just a wonderful experience all around. So much so, that when his little brother came to us, were like, “Yeah, we got this.”, but as you may know, not every person is the same, and that is a whole other story! Happy Birthday Cameron, and to everyone else, Be well.

 

 

My friend Jay

This is a good human interest type story, you may find humorous.

After my marriage was in the last stages of existence, but before the divorce, I started a relationship with a woman, who I won’t name for her privacy, but if you know me, you’ll know who I’m speaking of.

The relationship was great, tumultuous at times, and conflict spattered, it didn’t work out in the end, but, I did meet her family, and her younger brother, interestingly enough, they were born in the same year, she in January, he in December. I’m no math genius, but even I see it’s doable, even though I’ve never personally seen it.

Anyway, we became kind of friendly during my relationship with his sister. He lived in Austin, and we stayed at his house a couple of times, he is a great host. So, eventually the relationship ended. Fast forward 11 years, I had just been put on the open job market, I have no useful skill, my opportunity for gainful employment were slim, and to be honest, I was depressed.

I was fairly new to the whole Facebook experience, and so, through this, the old girlfriend found me, saw I was in a bind, and suggested that I come stay with her, and help her get her house in order, while looking for a job.

Initially I thought, no. But it wasn’t relationship, it friend helping friend. She had also moved to Austin a few years earlier, so I had to go there, and my ex-wife and children lived there as well, so it made so much sense, that even I had no excuse not to go.

I had been staying with my sister and two of her kids, and one grandchild, sleeping on the couch, and had sold my car, just to help with groceries, so I had no transportation, luckily for me, my youngest niece was dating a guy, who I new through a friendship that I had gotten from being “Ron the Video Guy”, thanks to the family Simmons, he was visiting my niece and was attending the University of Texas in Austin at that time, so I bummed a ride, and was a resident of Austin!

Fast forward just a little bit, and yeah, we started up again, it didn’t take long, but she made me pack up, and she literally dropped me off at her brothers house, Jay was a friend, and roomate to her brother, and through some conversation with her, found out that she and Jay bad also dated.

Imagine now, I had tentatively been working with Billy, her brother as his helper, he is a Mr. Fix It, and has a maintenance company, he is his own boss, but very good at what he does, I’m not mechanically inclined, at all, but as a favor, he took me on, and at the time, I was living with his sister, and it would help her out as well.

Billy wasn’t home at the time, but Jay was, and he helped me bring my things into the room I would eventually be calling home for the next 3 years. We didn’t talk much, so there was no deep heart to heart, and not long after, Billy and I discussed the situation, and he agreed that fair rent would be $300.00 a month. It worked, not very long after that, I got a really good job working at Xerox, delivering important documents to various State agencies for Texas.

Fast forwarding about a year, cause guys don’t talk like girls do, but Jay and I started talking about the similarities in our relationships with this woman, and yeah, we weren’t the main problem, but neither here nor there. Jay is mechanical, and also very much an outdoorsman, me not so much.

I had been a Rifleman in a Marine Corps infantry unit, and had to train out in the field, alot. Camping reminds of that way too much for me to really enjoy it. Hunting and fishing has appeal, but only because it’s a skill that comes in handy, if the world as we know it ends, and you can feed yourself, and I like to eat, alot!

So, we had very little in common at first, but after more conversation, we were both born in ’63, me January 21st, he September 23rd. He had worked at an IHOP, my first ever real job was at an IHOP. He worked pizza delivery, I worked pizza delivery. Point being, people are more similar than they know, until they know, ya know?

We became good friends, I like to think anyway, even if we had dated the same woman, just goes to show how similar we really are. Be well