Farewell Mrs. Reagan --

Farewell Mrs. Reagan –

As news swirls on the tickers of debates and fanfare of presidential hopefuls, former First Lady Nancy Reagan was interned today in Simi Valley, California. 

I was born the year that President Reagan was sworn in as President, and remember the glamorous Reagan’s well.  Throughout my life I have had an interest in politics and celebrities too; Mrs. Reagan was both.

Over the last few days the nation and the world have had time to remember Mrs. Reagan’s life, from starlet to First Lady.  As usual with these roles there are those that have political views that may not have aligned with Mrs. Reagan’s, and for those of my generation I urge you to consider how closely your views aligned with that of your Grandmother’s.  The fact is political views and opinions are not always supposed to match up.  We loved our grandmother’s – period. 

Mrs. Reagan devoted her life to public service, lending her time and name to many causes over the years.  She proved that she could take a stand and help expand research in fields of study concerning: Cancer, Drug Abuse, Alzheimer’s and Stem Cell Research as well as many others.   Her stance was necessary, appropriate and brought about change. 

The death of the former First Lady has reminded me of the loss of both my grandmothers – they were both definitely fans of Nancy.  As that generation rapidly leaves us, it is impossible for us not to see the mark they have made.   Ladies of a generation that stood in the shadow of their husbands, led, guided and directed their daughters to do otherwise.  They’re buttoned up style again and again makes its way back to the runway.  Their duty to serve the community hopefully sparked our own need to be involved. They’re spin, they’re style, and they’re hair-dos – gone, but not forgotten.   When I think of Mrs. Reagan and the ladies in my own family of that generation I think of grace, poise, kindness and dignity. God bless them. 

Farewell Nancy Reagan, you will be missed.  You made the world a better place.

My Pal, My Friend

Long ago in his shaky penmanship, my Papaw ended a note to me by saying: “thank you for being my pal and my friend - I love you, Papaw.”  I still have that.  It was like handing me a million dollars, and over the years that became the way he addressed me in notes like that one.  I have been fortunate enough to have had wonderful friends over the years and smart enough not to take the responsibility of being a friend too lightly.  I believe good friends teach one how to be a better friend…that was one of the many things my Papaw taught me.  Lately he has been on mind.  As I sift through my tangled mind thinking of him these ramblings come forth.   

This resurge of pride comes at such a good time for me.  My old friend beckons from another world beneath another sky.  I'm not surprised. 

 Thoughts...

 Over these last few weeks I have felt the joy of being among an old friend, although he has long since gone away.  My pal who often took me fishing and wandering through old grave yards, the man who taught me so much and now I still learn from him.  How did you do it Papaw?  How did you make it so far without giving up or throwing in the towel, I ask?

And before the words are out of my mouth I realize you did this for me.  For Granny, Dad and Mom, for Shannon and all the others – it was for us that you stood so tall and fought on foreign soil.  It was for our gain that you turned over soil and trapped all those years ago.  Constantly you tried to improve for me and you didn’t even know I would come.  How could I have deserved all you gave me, all the simple little things you did for me. 

But I did come.  After your 51st year I came into this world to bare my father’s name and yours.  I wonder if you knew the ground we would cover?  Keep finding me old friend, I still need you.  And when the road before me becomes less than the road I have behind me I will come to you again.  Under the same moon and stars and sun I walk this world you gave me.  Although now the moon and stars and sun don’t seem quite as bright since you have gone. 

You will never die so long as I live my friend.  

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words



A picture is worth a thousand words.

Sunday afternoon I was looking through some old photos that my mom sent me a year or so ago.  Some friends and I enjoyed all the different hairstyles, furniture and clothes that were present at different times in my family’s life.  These were family photos, so of course they pulled the heart strings too.  Lots of smiles were on display, occasions gone by but not forgotten and people gone too.  That happens.  The deeper I got into this box the more memories popped in and out of my mind and as luck would have it, I found one of my favorite pictures.  It was taken by my Uncle Gar of me and my Aunt Ami.  I had on my favorite hoodie that my Auntie had brought me from Alaska and I was walking just a little bit a head of Ami and she was looking down at me.   There is no telling what kind of story or adventure I was cooking up!

You see, when I was a kid I was pretty rowdy.  I guess I can be a little rowdy these days too if the occasion arises.  And around the time I was turning three my Mom and Dad were tossing around ideas of good babysitters; you know someone with a tall fence, a good leash, some old toys and very few breakables.  Mom was going back to work and it seemed like the time that I would be able to embrace the outside world with more ease.  They had some options when causally my Aunt Ami suggested that she and my Uncle could look after me while my parents were at work.  That was just it, no questions asked, what a great idea.  But, Ami and Gar didn’t have a high fence, they didn’t have a leash, they didn’t have old toys and they had a lot of breakables. 

My uncle was good with jokes, he always had a good line to drop, and was good with slapstick antics.  I loved that, I just can’t tell you how much.  He made his own weights to fish with and his own lures, he had a workshop that was full of cool stuff to look at and tinker with.  Gar had a Duck named Little Squirt, in a pin in their back yard and every day we would let him out and he would walk through the yard and look around.  They had an old container that caught rain water and Little Squirt liked to get in that and wash off - I can’t believe that I just thought this was all so normal.  But that’s just it, it wasn’t, it was better than anything normal would be.   

My aunt had a green thumb.  She grew African violets, she had a good variety of colors of them and they were beautiful.  She grew amaryllis’ which she displayed when they bloomed, and she had beautiful roses too.    She taught me a lot about plants.  Ami also taught me a lot of fun rhymes and riddles, she read stories to me, made me special snacks, she even put smiley faces in my pancakes. 

Between the two of them they had their work cut out for them, but they didn’t seem to mind.  They bought me my own shopping cart to take to the grocery with them and to Wal-Mart, and of course usually what I put in it came home with us.  Gar encouraged me to start eating bread by telling me at Dairy Queen:  “If you can eat two hamburgers boy, you can eat the buns now.”  Gar noticed that I loved to draw so he bought canvases and got out paints and encouraged me to paint and be creative.  In fact, the day he took that picture we were going to paint while the fall leaves were on display.  I went to coffee break with Gar and tagged along on all his stops throughout Dawson Springs every day and we went fishing a lot too. 

Ami and I sang songs together, especially at Christmas time.  She let me help her with all her flowers too.  We would have long conversations about things that I didn’t understand and she laughed at all my jokes.  She always let me help her cook and never asked if I wanted to help clean up and she gave me lots of hugs.  The more I think about it, I wouldn’t mind to go back to their house for the day right now.  Sooner or later I’d find the candy bar jar, maybe ask her to put on her mood ring that she had in a drawer to see what color it changed too.  I’d probably help Gar let Little Squirt out and help her clean out the bird bath and put some more water in.  The little things that we did were like big things, any help I offered was met with big smiles and little did I know I was learning so much from them. 

My Aunt use to describe people that she really admired for being generous by saying that they:  “had a heart as big as all outdoors.”  I can remember always thinking…”Now that’s big!”  I’d like to say that about them, because they truly did have hearts as big as all outdoors.   No question about that. 

Over the years the kids in my family have all benefitted from their love.  Their doors were open to their nieces and nephews long before I ever entered this world.  They didn’t have children but I guess they had all of us.  Ami made lots of sandwiches over those years and there would be no counting how many jokes Gar pulled.  I just hope they knew what a huge impact they were making on our lives.

 I’m so glad that I found that picture and this time I am going to find a frame for it, so I don’t misplace it again.  Things like that need to be out where you can see them.  So - a picture really is worth a thousand words and then some.  I just proved that.

See and be Seen...

How do you see yourself?

Most of the time I can give a healthy answer when I ask myself that question. There are those days, once in a blue moon, that I might be down for some reason, but for the most part I have positive thoughts about myself and my life.

Over the Christmas holiday as always I headed home to spend time with my family. It is my favorite time of year, Christmas! I can be sure that all my family will be around my small home town one day or another. Friends that I don't get to see so often are always in Dawson Springs as well, visiting their families, so I get to connect with them too...what a bonus!

This year much like many others I had a great time with my Mom and Dad, my Sister and Brother-in-Law and of course my Niece and Nephew. I caught myself trying to memorize the moments I was enjoying them so much. You know what I mean? I knew that all to soon I would hop on a plane and head 900 miles away and it would be a while before we would all get to be together again. I also spent a lot of time with my Great Aunt Aminell and my Papaw and other members of the family, but couldn't help thinking about those that were gone...and there it is, as always. The ever present thing in my life...wait for it! My stories. And the excuses for my stories, the stories that my good friends hear and say..." I have heard that one Storms, tell another one!" And I realized this year why I have so many stories to tell, and why I can't get them out of my head or my conversations.

I know so many neat people and for one reason or another I connected with them. I grew up in a small town in western Kentucky and there was not a lot of hustle and bustle there and plenty of time for a stroll through the yard to see what flowers are blooming. Time to sit a spell on the porch and watch the birds, and always time to talk.

Talk, talk, talk.

Well if you know me you know I like to do that. I guess you could say I have been seen with many older folks over the years and have been compared to an old man once or twice. I guess that's okay. The truth is old people tell stories and I love them. So yes, I have been in "See and be Seen" situations! And guess what? I got the skinny!

So how do I see myself...as a Storyteller! That's it a Storyteller!

Today that is...who knows how I will see myself tomorrow.