We are the Big Bang Theory

You know I thought about our lives when we were younger and in junior high and high school and how confusing it was. I had a crush on several girls who I never thought they would even look my way let alone like me so I never spoke to them much. I even had a girl that took to the first athletic banquet and I didn't even kiss her. When I did finally get a girlfriend and I was going steady with her, it seemed to be on again off again. So I have come to the conclusion just so that y’all understand perfectly what I’m talking about, the writers of the Big Bang Theory have stolen our lives and put them on television. Now I’m asking you aren’t you upset that we’re not getting any credit for our confused early years of life?
I’m just saying that’s why I love the Big Bang Theory, because it mirrors a lot of the stupid things that happened in my life when I was a kid and who doesn’t love laughing about all the embarrassing moments that happened in their lives. All kidding aside I would I just got through watching a Big Bang Theory that reminded me so much of my life as a teenager. If you haven’t watched the Big Bang Theory you ought to give it a try. It’s now going to be on Monday nights instead of Thursday night’s so don’t for get to program your DVR’s to record it if you’re watching dancing with the stars.

THE MEMPHIS PARK COMMISSIOn

The Memphis Park Commission was one of the best I had ever seen. Each community had its own park and they were landscaped and built with baseball fields and pavilions with bathrooms.  I have lived in a few cities but none of them seem to have the recreational facilities and parks that Memphis had when I was growing up. We seem to have taken that for granted when we were kids.  Memphis, Tennessee was designed for families and communities.  Even in those days that took quite a bit of doing by our city fathers because some of these lands could have been used for commercial projects, apartment buildings are other moneymaking ventures that the city could have undertaken. I’m sure there were businessmen that had begged and pleaded at times to get these properties but in our day the city held fast and they became parks, nature trails and recreation facilities for our youth and the use of the city elders.  Again, I wish to take my hat off to those early developers of Memphis, thank you for giving us the sense of community that these Parks and recreation facilities gave us thank you.  We even had softball tournaments and various other things that the park commission set up for us in the summertime at these Parks.  I’m sure this took its toll on the city budget but as long as I’ve frequented those parks, they always had park commissioners in the summer and organized activities for the kids.  They even opened up the gymnasium at Airways Junior High School to act as a community center for us in the summertime.

I remember that very well because my parents ran a concession stand out the back of Airways Junior High School. They opened up a small room that opened to the outside, and put tables to block off the entrance to that room from the outside and sold cokes, potato chips, popcorn, candy bars and many other items for at least three or four summers that I can remember for the Airways Athletic Boosters Club.  Now I don’t want you to think that it was only my parents or that I think that it was only my parents because it wasn’t, the organization of the Airways Junior High School Boosters Athletic Association was run by almost every parent that was a member of the PTA as well and it did more for the school than just the athletic teams and the band. It gave the school money that it badly needed to give us the education that we got there.  I think we all took for granted everything that we had at Airways, but you know there were a lot of hardworking people and most of those were our parents that made our community as strong as it was.  They looked after us, they worked hard to see that we had the things that we needed to make our communities a home. They did things that parents don’t do today for all of us.  The selflessness of the parents that were in the PTA at Charjean, Bethel Grove and Cherokee Elementary Schools gave us things that no other schools in Memphis had and it was all because of their love for us and our community that made it so strong. When Airways opened and we all got together as one community that love and hard work that our parents put in for those elementary schools continued with this junior high school and our community.  The strongest leaders of the PTAS from those three communities and schools now banded together to make one of the most wonderful and outstanding experiences of my life and I’m sure years too.  This 7th, 8th and 9th grade school that we had was something that the kids do not experience today because of this new development of something called a middle school. 

Personally, I think it was to get rid of all of the extra costs of having sports and athletics and music and bands and these type things.  Our parents would not have stood for this in our day they would have fought tooth and nail for us to have the things that we had in our junior high school.  My father not only worked extremely hard for the Airways Junior High Boosters Club, but he also worked extremely hard with the coaches’ and the Fairview Junior High School Boosters Club when they parked cars every year for the Midsouth Fair and any other thing that needed a helping hand at Fairview.  Fairview made so much money that the Board of Education tried to take the money away from Fairview and give it to other schools as well. My father and other parents that worked to help park these cars for Fairview Junior High School were extremely angry and went to the Board of Education and fought extremely hard to keep this from happening, however they did not win the fight but did come up with a compromise that allowed the Board of Education to share some of the money with the rest of the Memphis City schools but because of the work of my father and other parents, the largest portion stayed at Fairview Junior High School.  My parents continued to work in both of these junior high schools even after both my brother and I had gone on to high school. They took their personal time to help the children of parents that they did not even know.  I don’t think that many of you know that the people that ran the concession stands and parked the cars and worked so that we could have so many things, were my parents.

  There were others that did this too. There were the Bouchers, the Millers and so many others that it’s hard for me to remember them all, so if your parents were not mentioned, please, by all means, mention them. I do not mean to slight them in any way. I just have no recollections of their names as I’m sure you would not remember my parents, but I am sure that you remember the men and women that ran the concession stands during the ball games and the special events that we had at Airways.  Again, thank you for allowing me to come into your life with the memories of my very little life. Your friend always, Keith House 

I just went to the Channel 13 Facebook page and I saw the old Channel 13 building pictured on it and, of course, it brought back a memory.  Richard and Angelo Lindsey and I went to a wrestling match in that building when we were still probably somewhere around 10 to 12 years old.  All of the original cast of characters, Toejoe Yamamoto, the bag lady, Jackie Fargo and the whole cast of characters were there.  Lance Russell and Dave Brown were hosting the wrestling matches in those days.  This was sometime way before the days of Jerry the King Lawler when they had such names as Haystack Calhoun, Gorgeous George and many others. I laugh sometimes so hard I cried at the antics of the bag lady beating the wrestlers with her purse or bag.  It was good clean fun and I loved it.

It was even more thrilling when they added a broadcast of the live Saturday morning wrestling match.  It was even greater to go inside the studio and see what it took to put on this Saturday show.  I’ve been gone so long, I did not even know that the station had changed its affiliate. It just doesn’t seem right to me for it not to be ABC and it shouldn’t Fox and not to hear that famous voice sounding out the call letters of the station like bells ringing “WHBQ”.

Channel 13 did some very incredible original programming for kids back in our day.  With none of the special effects that they would have access to today they were still great programs, but I guess we just weren’t used to all the special effects that they use today at the television stations so we didn’t know any better.  Some of the special programming was done for Christmas and other shows were just put on in the mornings for kids and I remember they tried to have something special on Saturday mornings for kids, not like the other channels in Memphis.  So I really just want to take my hat off and say a warm thank you from the bottom of my heart for the memories that WHBQ Channel 13 ABC gave me when I was a young man.

I don’t want to belittle Channel 3 WREC, the CBS affiliate in Memphis because they brought us the early movie which introduced me to a wide world of the old movies, some of them classics, some of them great and some of them downright bad.  But through this small station in Memphis, Tennessee, I gained a love for movies that I still have today. Any one that comes into my house today will understand that love because in my study there are more than 150 pictures and autographs hanging on the wall of old movie stars and television stars.  I have autographs from such greats as Dale Evans, Roddy McDowell, Keye Luke, Roland Winters, Annette Funicello, Angela Lansbury, Don Knotts, Sally Field and many many others.

Last but not least Channel Five, WMC-TV Channel 5, the NBC affiliate, this is the channel that introduced me to Walt Disney.  If you said nothing else at all about Channel 5, that would be enough to this proud Memphis boy. You see, Channel Five was probably as involved in our communities as any of the television stations in Memphis. Their sports coverage of local teams in schools was as good as any and their coverage of the Memphis State Tigers was bar none the best.

Hate

You know it seems to me that it’s so much wasted energy to be mean to people.  I have always tried my entire life to be kind.  I know it’s easier to learn to be hateful but it takes more time and energy to be hateful.  The golden rule doesn’t mean that you wait to see how people will treat you before you treat them with kindness.  I believe that a kind word will take you further in this life and the next than saying something terrible to anyone.  And I’ve always been of the opinion that if you try to be nice and it’s not well received then turn around and walk away.  Yes, I’ve had my feelings hurt many times when I’ve said a kind word and got the opposite reply back.  I must tell you that you will get more kindness from people if you start off being kind yourself.  If you want to fight, believe me there are people out there that will oblige you.  I’ve always liked the saying “I’m a lover not a fighter”, but I must tell you I am neither, I guess I’m somewhere in between.  I have stood my ground many a time when someone was hitting me in the face with their fists and not defending myself. It will usually end the same way, they give up and go away. I don’t advise this method of taking care of hateful people because I can tell you it’s very painful.  Luckily I have found new strategies to keep me out of those troubles.  I’ve found it’s just not worth the trouble and effort to be a hateful human being and if I have to be that miserable to hate everyone else I would have no reason to go on living. 

Yes, I’m struggling right now with some depression from losing my job but there is good news on that front too. I started at the end of July at Walmart.  All of you who have given me words of comfort and prayed for me and given me information, you don’t know how much it has helped me.  My outlook on life has never changed. I have always thought that friendship was something you sought after love from someone and is something that you cherish and the only true thing worth fighting for in your life is your family.  I love my God and I don’t mean religion. My Savior died for me and anyone else who will ask me to follow them, I just can’t see following people that say they are the right one and only religion when there seems to be so much corruption within every religion.  That doesn’t mean, however, that I don’t believe in assembling with others even if it in a in a particular religion because just as it is in every aspect of life, there is good and there is evil.  Evil gets more of the press, and gossip because it’s more sensational than good.  If you don’t believe me, pick up any newspaper in our great country and try and find good news. I will bet you that over 90% of any major newspaper and any cable or network news you can find is all over 90% bad news.  I have gotten to the point that I just don’t want all of that negativity in my life. 

You see, I’m one of those 1960s flower children that learned the greatest word in the human language is love and John Lennon had it almost right when he sang about “all you need is love” but I would add a good and sincere prayer to God is all you need.  I have found out also that people that will pray for you sincerely can work miracles.  When my prayers were combined with others, no matter whom or what we’re praying for, it will work. Sometimes it may take a little while to actually see the miracle of God’s handiwork, or what we pray for isn’t exactly what he has in mind, but remember he knows more of what’s best for us than we do and those prayers are always answered.  So to those of you who prayed for me, thank you from the bottom of my heart and I want to know that I love you not because of what you have done for me this time, but because you were always there and I was just too stupid or blind to see all the friends that I really do have.  I can’t help but tell you again how much you mean to me and thank you every single one of you whether you prayed for me are not, whether you even like me are not, it makes absolutely no difference to me, you were part of me, you all are part of me and you’ll always be part of me.  I remember two brothers, both of them older than me and I believe what I heard is that they have both passed away and I am so sorry to hear that even though I was the recipient of a broken nose and many black eyes from both of them.  I can hold no anger or animosity toward them because they are part of who I am.  I truly believe that somewhere within them they cared enough about me to be angry at me for whatever reason it was.  They were not the only ones that ever struck me in anger and I guess I did rub some people the wrong way, but to anyone and everyone who I have ever hurt or made angry, you have my sincere apologies.  I just had to get this off my chest because I’ve had my share of bad news this year and I’m feeling a little down and I needed to reaffirm my heart that I can’t let bad news turn me into someone I am not.

A man’s first car is almost a sacred thing to him, even though he probably got rid of it when it started the cost too much money, but his love for it never dies until he does.  I remember a 1963 olive green Chevrolet Impala SS Super Sports, two door with a 327 high performance engine.  It’s too bad though that anyone who knows me knows my first car was really a Chevrolet Impala four door, 283 engine with an automatic transmission, but it was olive green in color. It was passed down from my father, then my brother to me. I always wanted to have another one to call my own and I tease my wife that if I ever win the lottery, I would buy one to fix up and restore.  I guess I also would have to find a red 1970 Volkswagen Beetle with four on the floor and fix it up as well. Those were the two cars that were my first cars and meant the most to me.  I remember I used to clean the ‘63 up so much that I thought I was going to wear out the paint and the seat covers.

 

I will always remember the first accessory I bought for that 1963 Chevrolet, even though it was stolen shortly after I bought it in the parking lot at Tech High School. It was a Radio Shack eight track stereo tape player.  I know a lot of you also remember every accessory and piece you added to your first car. These are the memories that make a lifetime worthwhile.  I know guys that drove total pieces of junk, however I bet most of them would trade in a brand new Cadillac for one just like what they had.  It’s almost a bond as strong as his marriage, but not quite.  I know that many of you can remember the day you traded it in and cannot figure out why you ever did it. I know that I didn’t get much for my ’63, but I did get a little red 1970 VW Bug. It was the absolute best fun driving car I have ever owned.

I not only fell in love with that 1970 VW Bug, but I also fell in love for the first time in my life with a young lady in that little red Volkswagen Bug.  Sometimes you just have to dream of what used to be to be thankful for what you have today.  That eight track tape player was the worst piece of junk that was ever made but I loved it dearly. I remember the first eight track tape I purchased was Helen Reddy and, it’s funny, I can’t remember any of the others that I had, but I had several before they were all stolen.  Today I use my IPhone to stream 1960’s music through my surround sound system in my BMW and it doesn’t give me any problems at all. It doesn’t eat tapes for lunch, it just streams music that I love and brings back many memories of the past.  Those two cars are long gone, but when I hear Seals and Croft or good old Beach Boys songs, I feel like I’m driving that 1963 Chevrolet Impala or my VW bug once again with my best girl Ursula by my side.  If you had your first car back, who would you want sitting in the seat beside you enjoying those old time memories.  Second star to the right and straight on till morning.

Men are from mars

There has been a misconception in this world and that is that one must tear down someone else to feel important.  Too many times people step on others on their way to the top.  This does not have to be; it is not and never has been that one person is better than the other.  We are all different and every single one of us has their strengths and their weaknesses.  Those who prey on others’ weaknesses are scum.  I have always been a champion for those who are not strong or too old or too young to care for themselves.  I have seen it happen over the years.  I have seen a good cause become something less than what it should be.  I can’t figure out why and it tends to aggravate me greatly.

I have a daughter and two granddaughters and one grandson, so I want you to understand that I want the same opportunity, compensation and rights for the ladies in my family as I do my grandson.  The thing I want to talk about today is what I perceive to be the wrong that the feminist movement has done to young boys and men.  Ladies, you are as good as men; you are as smart as men and in your own way, you are as strong as men ever thought about being.  But there are differences and these differences do not change the fact that women are equal and necessary citizens of the world.  I also want you to know that I deplore abuse of any kind to any person for any reason!  Rape is a crime not just against females. It also happens to men and boys and no matter what gender it happens to, it is a crime not only against that person, it is a crime against humanity itself!

The de-masculinization of the male population is uncalled for.  The feminist movement should have never been meant to take away anything from the male of the species; on the contrary the partnership between men and women has always strengthened our society.  But it seems that even a boy in elementary school is molded into what the female image of a boy is supposed to be.  Girls are said to be more mature at a younger age and I question this hypothesis, because it seems to me that that is only true depending on how you judge what maturity is.  In saying that I don’t want to take anything away from the young ladies, in their own way they are more mature but judged in a different light, they are no more mature than their young male counterparts.  When elementary school teachers teach, they teach to reach the females in the classroom easier than the males. This is because most of them are female and there’s nothing wrong with that.  However, I would like to point out that when a young man is approached from a male intellectual vantage point and taught with a male perspective, they do extremely well.

When young boys are roughhousing and fighting, it’s not just something bad to be punished for, even though I deplore violence and always have, it is a part of a learning process for young men and it develops a masculine outlook on life.  When boys were made to suppress their rambunctiousness and their foolishness that is typically male, it is stifling a part of a man that has learned to be strong and forceful.  I know that these traits carried too far can be dangerous and can cause problems later on in life.  I also know that aggression against anyone is wrong.  I would however like someone to explain to me why the most beautiful young women are attracted to the bad boys.  I need to know why it is the female of our species is attracted to dangerous young men.  I think I have finally found out why, at least in my own mind.  It is because the female equates the bad boy image to strength, which is not necessarily true, but one might think that the bad boy would be able to protect and care for her better than the class nerd, which has been proven to be false. 

I felt like I’d never fit in because I had gotten mixed signals my entire life from the females that were around me.  Ladies want their men to be sweet and kind but at the same time they want them to be strong, ruthless and vicious if necessary.  Women want their men to dress nicely and look good in a suit and tie, but will turn their heads when the muscular biker dude walks by and, even if it’s inside, they sigh just a little.  The teachers preach and browbeat and punish our young men for being what they consider unruly and aggressive.  But you can see the young girls whispering to each other about the young man that was just sent to the principal’s office because what little girl doesn’t like a rebel.  I know what you ladies that I went to school with are saying. I never liked the bad boys, OK, then let me ask you this. Which young men did you pay more attention to, was it the one that sat in class and did his homework quietly and did everything his parents and teachers asked him to do?

The feminist movement has always pronounced that men and women are alike.  I don’t think I even have to protest that statement because most of us know for a fact that men and women are different and always have been and always will be.  We’re not just different in physical and medical ways, we’re different in mentality as well as the perception of a male is totally different of that of female.  As an example; a husband comes home with a birthday present for his wife, he gives it to her and he sees that there is disappointment on her face so he asks her why?  She explains that she had been giving him hints about what she wanted for the last four weeks.  Most women would take into account that men just don’t listen to them and I’m here to tell you that that’s not true.  I know that most women think that hinting, beating around the bush, or suggesting something is enough to make a man understand what they’re saying and men’s brains to not work that way. We are direct and to the point. We don’t beat around the bush or hint to one of our buddies, we tell them point blank good, bad, or otherwise. We say that in the fewest words possible, even sometimes just a grunt. 

When next you talk to your husband and he’s busy doing something, I want you to try this. Say something to him point blank, in as few words as possible and I do mean as few words as possible and see what his reaction is.  Then I want you to beat around the bush and hint something and take a long time to say something that should only take three or four words to say.  Now, I want you to look at is his reaction to the short to the point statement and then how long it takes for him to completely zone away from you with your long rambling sentence that is hinting something.  The point I’m trying to make is men will lose interest in even a short conversation when it is not direct and to the point, it’s the way our minds work.  This seems to get worse as we get older and I apologize to every female in my life that I have done this to but, believe me, it’s not my fault, it’s the way men are wired.  We are different than women who don’t like direct and to the point. It seems to hurt their feelings if you don’t go around the world and sneak up on the subject from behind.  I don’t want you to get me wrong. I don’t want to change that in the ladies in my life, it’s part of who they are.  I ask you, why do you have to change your boys and men to fit better in this scenario for you, remember it’s who they are and who they were and who they will be in the future.

Women can be as physically strong as men but not in the same way and that may not be a statement that fits every woman in the world but it does, however, pertain to most.  There is a physical difference that makes women stronger in the lower half of their body than in the upper half.  It is absolutely the opposite way with men, the upper half of their body is stronger.

The one thing that really a annoys me is this notion of equal pay for equal work.  I am 58 years old and every job I have ever done I have started out making less than any of my counterparts, no matter what gender on a job.  I do know however they are talking about a man and a woman that both have 10 years doing the exact same job making an unequal rate of pay.  I have known many men doing the same jobs, with the same amount of experience, that do not make the same rate of pay. Now you can’t call that gender discrimination.  I don’t want you to think that I personally think that that scenario is right but both of those men negotiated what they get in compensation for their respective jobs.

So I want you to think about the fact that you want all your little boys to be good little boys but you want your men to have that mystique of foreboding. If you still want to argue whether it’s true or not, just look at what the Vampire Diaries or Twilight have made since their inception.  I don’t know how an equal balance of both good and evil makes one a better man, but I’m convince that women like us better that way. I also ask you why it is that young women marry the bad boys, and within a few years divorce them and look for the good boys they ignored while still in school.

If women held all the important jobs in the world and men were only relegated to the menial tasks, do you really think that these men would have any self-esteem, do you really think you want a man that is weak and totally dependent on the women in his life.  I don’t think so.

We need strong masculine man and we need women that can take charge and get the job done, but we also need them to be our loving husbands and wives.  So I beg of you, don’t overdo the feminist movement to the point that men are no longer feeling needed and wanted and masculine. I don’t think you’ll like the outcome.

Just to set the record straight, I am for total equality for women and always have been.  I just want you to know that I am also for the total equality of men as well.

                    The day that Disneyland fell silent and paid homage

I know that we adult Disney nerds realized exactly how privileged we are to be able to go to a place like Walt Disney World and Disneyland.  There are so many people in this world and even in our country that cannot afford the extravagance of going to a Disney park.  There are a lot of people right now suffering through the ravages of war; there are children that have lost their parents and parents that have lost their children.  We have enjoyed an extremely long peace within the borders of our country where many others have not.  The peace that I speak of was broken on September 11, 2001. Our country had been attacked viciously and unprovoked.  Those that gave their lives that day will always be remembered just as those that died on December 7, 1941 in Honolulu, Hawaii. 

We were in Los Angeles staying with an actor friend, Daniel Roebuck, and he knocked on our door that morning waking us up and telling us that we had to come downstairs to see this. There had been a major disaster.  What I saw was unbelievable. The horror that went through my mind was extremely intense.  We had planned that day to go to the real Hollywood movie studios because some of them gave guided tours of their studios but, of course, none of the studios were open. Even Disneyland was on lockdown.  Later we had heard that all of the Disney Parks worldwide had been shut down and evacuated.  This was only the second time in history that Disneyland had been closed due to a national tragedy.  The first was when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. We went the next day to Disneyland and there was extreme security. Every car was checked thoroughly and we were only allowed to park in the faraway parking lot.  Even in the opening show, they gave homage to those that lost their lives the day before and had announced that there would be a national time for mourning on this day and it would be observed throughout the parks and it was. We were in Disney’s California at the studio limousine ride when the announcement came over that it was time for the memorial to be observed. Every cast member, every single person stepped out onto the street and bowed their head in silence.  You could’ve heard a pin drop. The music was turned off and no one was saying a word. Children were as quiet as they could be even though it was a very special time at Disneyland.

I hope we never see a moment like that again.  It inspired me that everyone was still and quiet and paying homage to those that had died.  Everyone there at Disneyland had stopped their day to say a prayer and remember.  So I ask you to just take a moment out of your day to stop and pay respect to those that are no longer with us because of this cowardly attack on September 11 2001 and, if by chance you have another moment, I would beg of you to please remember all of our fallen heroes that gave their last measure of devotion so that we could have the freedom to be able to share these wonderful magical Walt Disney Parks we love so dear.

Just a personal side note, our plane was the fifth plane to take off from LAX after September 11, 2001,   and we felt very safe because the many soldiers on leave had been recalled and flew with us on our way back to Atlanta.

          God bless all the soldiers and their loved ones that keep us safe and thank you.

PPS Disease

 Brenda B., a childhood friend and lovely person, reminded me of the horrible devastating disease that affects men more than women.  Most men that have this disease are afflicted with it from birth.  There are many symptoms that maybe noticed early in a man’s life but cannot be detected with accuracy until middle age or later in a man’s aging process.  The older he gets the more one can detect the symptoms because they become extremely obvious to everyone around him.  It seems to cost billions of dollars every year to treat the effects on the men that are afflicted with this problem.  It seems to take its toll on the spouses of these men more than anyone else.  Women tend to need counseling to help them cope with the disease that has afflicted there husbands.  I myself have had my wife continually complaining if I don’t take the necessary steps to keep this disease in check.  I know that you men that are afflicted with it have tried your best to take your medicine and do the things that it takes to keep yourself from allowing this disease to overtake your life.  There is no cure that we know about at this point in time and there does not seem to be any cure predicted in the near future.  I know there has been research done, but it only seems to treat the symptoms and not the cure.  Some doctors say that fresh air and activities are a way of curbing the ravages of this devastation that afflicts us men.

 Let me tell you what I do to keep it in check.  I read and I write my silly little stories so that when my memory finally is taken over completely, like ravages so many of us, so that I remember how it used to be.  I love to go to the Disney Parks and walk around and look at others that are showing the same symptoms that I have.  I sit and watch Mickey Mouse cartoons for hours and maybe a couple of Donald Duck marathons just so that the Doctor can’t complain.  If you are afflicted with the Peter Pan Syndrome, I beg you, I plead with you to indulge in the strong medicine available today, and go and listen to the Disney Nerds Pod Casts. It only takes 1 hour at a time to control this disease for at least one week.  The Peter Pan Syndrome has affected me for much too long. I need to go to Walt Disney World so that I can rehabilitate myself because, you see, I don’t want to grow up.  First star to the right and straight on till morning.

Before my mother passed away I had found a magic in my life that seemed to radiate from me.  But when she passed away in 1984 of breast cancer at 52 years of age I lost that magic.  I had loved all things movies, and especially Disney movies, so I dove headfirst into an overindulgence of everything Disney because it was one of the most magical times of my life to sit and watch a Mickey Mouse cartoon or see Pollyanna.  I especially liked the music that went along with everything Disney, from the amusement Parks to the animation and even to Disney movies.  I had thought the magic had gone out of my life forever, but I was wrong. I met one of the most wonderful musicians or should I say magicians, because everything he and his brother did was magical.  They wrote music that got you through your work day with pleasure.  Goodness gracious, they even wrote a song that helped children take their medicine.  And who do you think made being a chimney sweep sound like the greatest job in the world.

 We went to a Disneyanna Convention at Walt Disney World and I so much wanted to meet Richard Sherman, yes that’s right, one of the musical writing team of Richard and Robert Sherman, the Sherman Brothers, who wrote almost every one of the Disney songs that you remember as a child.  I was so hoping he was as good a human being as I dreamed he would be.  Remember that a dream is a wish your heart makes and dreams do come true. Richard Sherman was not only a good person, he was a wonderful man. He seemed almost delighted to meet us and, believe me, I’ve met plenty of older movie stars and famous people in my time and they don’t all think very much about meeting you.  Let me tell you, meeting Richard Sherman was like meeting a beloved uncle you haven’t seen in years. As we introduced ourselves he was shocked and surprised when I told him I was married to this lovely lady named Ursula. He immediately stopped the introductions and I don’t remember how long he said they had been married but he said I am married to an Ursula too.  So you see, we had a special bonding moment as much as one can with a total stranger, but let me tell you if you’ve ever met Richard Sherman you know what I’m about to say is the absolute truth. Richard Sherman has never met a stranger in his life. His love for people shines about him wherever he goes and God bless him wherever that life may take him.  We were lucky enough to have met Richard Sherman in 1997 and then again in 2000.

I don’t remember, I don’t think it was at this show where we met Robert Sherman but it was also another show that Haley Mills was appearing at and we walked around and rushed around trying to get upstairs to where we could meet her and they closed the line off just as I got there.  I’ve always been extremely understanding of exactly how much time and effort a star puts into meeting and greeting their fans at this kind of a show, so I did not raise a fuss. I just understood and watched her from a distance but you know I would not have brought it up if that would have been the end of the story.  Lo and behold, a couple of years later she was scheduled to come to a Knoxville, Tennessee,  so Ursula and I secured the proper days off so that we could go and meet her.  As life plays horrible tricks on all of us that meeting was not to be, you see her wonderful father, the actor John Mills had just passed away.  He too had been in a wonderful Disney movie, The Swiss Family Robinson. My heart was broken again and this time not just for missing out on meeting Haley Mills but because the world had lost another great man, God give him rest in peace, John Mills. 

We thought maybe there would be a slight possibility that she might be there the next year. My prayers were answered. She was there the next year and my wife and I carried her a bouquet of pink roses.  She was astonished and did not know how to react to someone bringing her roses and she was so delighted with that and, after we had paid for our autographs, she gave us another one free.  It’s not necessarily the magic of Disney that rekindled the spark the magic, but it was more like the people behind Disney that brought back the magic in my life.  So if you’ve ever wondered why my BMW has Mickey Mouse seat covers, steering we’ll cover and floor mats, this might give you just a little insight as to why.  I have met at least 100 or more Disney alumni and I’m here to tell you that I do not remember any of them being less than gracious and taking loving care to give us the autographs that we wanted.  They usually give up their time unselfishly especially when there is a child present.  I truly believe that the legacy that Walt Disney himself left behind is not the magic of the movies, it’s not the magic of theme Parks, what it is, is the love that he had for his creations and those that helped him create it.  They all, the Disney alumni, take great pains to show this love to all of us and I personally wish to thank them for helping me regain that childish love of magic and zest for life that they all seem to have.  God has always brought me back from the brink of despair and depression in some of the most marvelous ways and using some of the most marvelous people that have ever come into my life.  Thank you my Lord and thank you to all of those that have been a part of my life. 

Field Trip To Shiloh

I just got back from a quick trip to Pickwick Dam near Pittsburg Landing, Savannah, Tennessee and Shiloh National Battlefield Park.  It brought back the memories of a field trip that we took from Charjean Elementary School.  It was the longest field trip that I can remember. We started before daylight and there had to be at least four buses or more that came to pick us up and I remember we did not get back until way after nightfall.  That’s right, we went to the National Battlefield, depending on where you were born, it was referred to as the Battle of Pittsburg Landing or it was named after a church near where the battle started, this church had a Jewish name that meant “ place of peace “which was Shiloh. 

We stopped a few times along the way to see some of the important sites leading up to the Shiloh National Battlefield.  The one I remember the most was a small stone church, I believe it was a Presbyterian church, and the ladies of the Presbyterian Church Historical Society invited us all off the bus and told us of the story of this simple little stone church that was used for a hospital for both sides of the conflict at various times as the battles raged around this Presbyterian church.  They also showed us the damage that was done by musket balls in the building itself and one large dent that was caused by a cannonball.  I’m not sure but I think they gave every one of us a small cup of lemonade and a cookie and sent us on our way.  It was a long and tedious bus ride so we greatly appreciated these ladies of the church giving us a rest and a touch of refreshment.  I really don’t remember what we did about food on this long trip but I’m sure we ate somewhere at some time are other, but I guess that’s not really important to my story so we’ll continue with our trip. 

The bus finally pulled into the Shiloh National Battlefield and the teachers all got off the buses and met with some Park Rangers. The teachers got back on board and had some color badges that we put on, and each bus had its own designated color. Now if I remember correctly we were the blue bus.  A lot of this is sketchy in my memory so forgive me if I’m wrong but what transpired after that was some of us went in to see a movie about the Battle of Shiloh there was a lot of recreation from clubs and organizations that recreate the major battles of the Civil War. I’m not sure how the girls felt about it but us boys really enjoyed the film about the battle of Shiloh and it showed us history to enlighten us all why the battle took place.  The north was trying to take over a major intersection of south to north and east to west from a railroad junction that was in Corinth Mississippi to stop the supplies and soldiers of the confederacy from getting to the battlefields of the Civil War.  In other buses Park Rangers boarded and then narrated the trip around the battlefields.  They showed us the Hornets’ Nest where the union soldiers stopped and could not be pushed any further away.

The confederate soldiers named it the Hornets’ Nest because it could not be penetrated and the union soldiers were stinging them like hornets that would be protecting their nest.  We also saw the bloody pond where a lot of soldiers went to try and tend to their wounds but died and bled out in the pond causing it to be named the bloody pond. There were a lot of other battle sites around.  One of the most strategic points was at Pittsburg Landing where union soldiers landed to reinforce and tried to take back the land that they had lost in the early morning hours.  I will make a long story short. Eventually the union soldiers were victorious and pushed back the confederate soldiers.  Grant’s forces only numbered about 30,000 but with fresh reinforcements they inflicted heavy casualties on the 40,000 confederate soldiers that were battle weary and worn out.  By the end of this battle it was known as the bloodiest battle in American history in its time. The casualties numbered more than 23,000. 

Time takes its toll on us as we go through life and we pay dearly some times. I have no complaints for I have been blessed more than most. Time and life have given me my memories that were worth it at every turn. That’s not to say that I haven't suffered or experienced loss or pain, because I have and I know more is to come, but I have no regrets.  I have my health problems just as everyone has. I have noticed that my health is getting worse as the years go by and I hope that God allows me to live for a long time yet. I have more to see and do. If not, don't mourn me, celebrate me, I have loved every breath I have taken and every step I have walked. The things I have seen, the places I have gone, the women I have loved and those that loved me back are more than any person could have dreamed about coming true. I have a loving family and friends that keep me happy. What more could any man have asked for. My wife of 32 years is an angel that God made especially for me and she deserved better than me. So I'm not going to complain about the small things in my life that are inconvenient, because I have seen what hell is like and I'm living in Heaven, so what could I complain about that would be worth complaining about.  

I knew that I had to reunite with my very first love and 2^nd cousin Wendy. She was a big part of who I am and why I’m married to the lady I’m married to now.  I was so apprehensive of even bringing up the subject but my wife was the one that actually brought up the idea of a reunion so we tried to set a date for the Labor Day weekend at my cousin Jean’s house. I had just started a new job and wasn’t sure whether or not I could get the time off and, low and behold, I didn’t even have to ask for the time off, it was already scheduled that way.  Now I ask you, is that not fate or what?  I could only hope that Ursula and Wendy would get along. I thought that the odds were against it but I had faith in my girls. They are as intelligent as they are beautiful and they also have pretty good taste in men.  Ha Ha!  The whole way there I had no clue what to talk about or what not to talk about with my wife.  I hadn’t kept any secrets from her. She knew the extent of how I felt about Wendy and I also hadn’t kept any secrets from Wendy about how much I love my wife.  I kind of felt like I was caught between a rock and a hard place. I so much wanted Wendy to like Ursula and I wanted Ursula to like my cousin Jean (Wendy’s mom) and her husband Jack, and my (2^nd) cousin Wendy. I had never met Jean before because she had moved to the West Coast while I was still a small child.  I find it almost unbelievable that I had never met Wendy and her brother when we were young kids as often as we were over at my aunt Lucille’s and Uncle Luther’s house. It has to be fate that we never met unitl we were in our late teens as if it was meant to be a much larger relationship in our life. I am a champion of fate or that things happen for a reason, so you see if everything had not worked as God had intended, I would not have the wonderful relationship that I now have with Wendy and I may not have found my wife Ursula.  And we may not have had this wonderful reunion that we had this Labor Day weekend. 

I enjoyed myself as much as I ever had in my life. We watched hummingbirds and cardinals and doves at the bird feeder and also watched as several deer were feeding on the back lawn and one of the fawn’s nursing for a very long time. It was simply magic and I guess that would be how to describe the whole weekend. It was simply magic, my wife and my very special cousin seemed to get along marvelously or maybe it was just the calm before the storm and I just haven’t felt their wrath yet but I really don’t think so. We talked about family and the old times and argued about whether it was 1974 or 1975 that Wendy and I met. I must admit I’ve never been that great with dates so I will bow to her recollection rather than mine because she seems to be a little better with dates.  We ate two wonderful meals that Jack and Jean had lovingly prepared. Jean was not feeling like herself because she has had hip problems and is going for an operation soon.  I pray that all goes well and that we will all be back together soon because I love and miss my family dearly.  My Aunt Lucille, Jean’s mother and Wendy’s grandmother, was my rock and my confidant when I needed her most when I was young. I loved her and my gentle giant of a man, my uncle Luther, very, very much.  It was almost like going home at my cousin Jean’s house and, of course, all of my aunt Lucille’s girls were always so very kind to me (maybe it was my curly hair and my blue eyes) and I am so appreciative to all of them forever.

During that summer romance oh so many years ago, my cousin Wendy and I had taken a picture standing in front of my little red VW Beetle and I had to recreate that picture at our reunion standing in front of my blue BMW.  I was so proud of being with my W’s then and now. You can’t believe how I felt back then and and how I feel now.  Oh, maybe I should enlighten you on what I mean by my W’s. I drove a little car back then, a vW and now I drive a bmW and my Women were by side each time, Wendy and my Wife. All of you people reading this could ask why I would do such a thing as to introduce my wife to my first love. Well, it was exactly what it should have been and more than I hoped it would be when they met and I guess the answer you seek is something so hard to describe that you would just had to have been there.  I will always have an extra special place in my heart for my lovely cousin Wendy, but I will go home with and love, cherish and honor my loving wife Ursula.  Thank you so much girls for making it so very special for me.  

P. S. Wendy is as pretty as I remember!