Band Family Grows

MARK, JACQI, AND JULIA

As many of you know I have three sons, Jeremy, Jason, and William (Billy). Each one of my sons spent their time in the North Pulaski Band program in Jacksonville, AR. So as you can imagine my wife and I were very involved in the band program for many years, 12 years to be more precise. We loved working with the band and supporting our boys and the rest of the band. We took trips all over this state and extended our travels as far as Washington DC. One of the great things about being involved with the NPHS band program was that for those 12 years we had the same great band directors, Ms Kohler and Ms Dismuke. Ms K directed the middle school band and assisted in the high school and Ms D assisted in the middle school band and directed the high school. Another great thing about being a band parent was working with these kids and developing life long friendships.

One of those friendships that Shelley and I have developed is our friendship with the Haines family. Mark and I worked on the band trailer and any other maintenance that was needed for the band concession stand. Jacqi and Shelley managed the concession stand and kept the kids fed when we were at competitions and before major events for the band. Our friendship has developed to the point that our families spend Thanksgiving together each year. Mark and Jacqi's children refer to us as mommy Shelley and daddy Dale and we love those girls like our own. When Megan became pregnant Mark broke the news to me by telling me I was going to be a grandpa again. On Monday Megan gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, Julia. We couldn't wait to see and hold Julia and we got our chance on Friday night. We love being a part of this family and having them be a part of ours. As our families grow so does the love between our two families. What started out as hard working band parents turned into a friendship that will last a lifetime!

Frustrated

What do you do when you try to help someone that needs help but they keep sabotaging themselves? I mean you know they need help, everyone around them knows they need help, they even know they need help, but they keep throwing a "monkey wrench" in the help you're trying to get them. Day in and day out I help veteran with various issues. Example; I have a veteran that tells me he hasn't received his medication that he is supposed to receive each month. Well the first time you order the medication that the veteran needs and explain to him that all he needs to do is as soon as he receives his meds he can go ahead an order his next refill, which will be suspended until it is time for him to receive them. Then the next month rolls around and it's the same picture all over again, and what do I do, I order his meds and again explain to him the process. I am his enabler, thanks mom.

Another example is an alcoholic. You know, everyone else knows, and even he knows that he has a problem. You convince him that he needs to seek help so he goes through the processes to get the help he needs until he gets to that last step. The doctor ask him if he has a problem and he says no. What's the doctor to do he can't force the program on him, because he has to want the help bad enough to follow through with getting the help he needs. Some see the light and eventually get the help they need some refuse and face the consequences they have in store. Which, in my father's case, was a very early grave at 47.

When you see your loved ones suffer through things and you try to get them help but they refuse, it rips your heart out. What do you do? Well, I'll tell you, when it comes to love ones especially, you fight! With everything that is within you, you fight and you pray! I believe that God answers prayer in one of three ways, (Yes), (No), or (Wait). Paul tells us to pray without ceasing and that is what you do and that is what I will do!

I feel a little bit better now thanks for listening!!

More Monster Pics

PaPaw and Landry at Monster Trucks 09

Landry and Dallas having fun at Monster Truck 09

A grand ol' time was had by Dallas, Landry, Daddy, Uncle Billy, Uncle Michael, and PaPaw!!

The Big Non-Event

I wonder sometimes how weather-persons manage to keep their jobs. For several days they had been predicting that we would get blasted with ice and snow all the way through Wednesday night with the greatest accumulation coming during the wee morning hours of Wednesday. I fully expected to wake up this morning only to be able to roll over and and go back to sleep because the roads were to bad to get to work. Didn't happen, I'm at work and because of the weather that the northern/southern parts of the state did get, we won't have a lot to do. I plan on playing catch-up! I can hear Maxwell Smart saying, "missed me by that much!" Oh well maybe next time we will have a beautiful snow fall!

If the weather persons call for it should I believe them, that is the question! We have employees that live less the 30 miles from that couldn't get in. We have had massive wrecks on the freeways just minutes from downtown LR, but the roads here are dry. I lived 15 miles further north I probably would not have been able to get out of my driveway today. Weather in central AR is very strange year round.

I was glad to see from my blogs I read that most of my friends have kept save and that is what counts!

Great fun with Dallas and Landry at Monster Trucks 2009!!

Weekend and More

First off let me apologize for not getting back to you sooner. It was a busy weekend and I never managed to get to a computer.

Anyway, the weekend was a blast starting off with the monster trucks. OMG my grandsons had a great time watching the trucks and the motorcycles. The youngest set with his daddy in the beginning and then ended up with PaPaw. Dallas acted like an old pro at monster trucks and was trying to tell his younger brother all about them. The funny part about the night was also disturbing. About half way through the night PaPaw slipped to the vendor store and bought his grandsons some checkered flags and a couple of monster trucks. Well anyway, I brought the flags back to the boys and they started waving them around and having a good ol time. Landry the youngest was sitting with his father at this time who was setting next to this toothless, (well not totally toothless, she did have about 4 in the front but it looked like one was going fast), redneck woman that kept asking my 3 year old grandson if she could borrow his flag as she was taking it out of his hand. The first time she did it we were so shocked that we just let it go, but after the second time she did it I had my son send Landry down to me. It amazes me how bold some people are these days. The second time she just sort of grabbed the flag and then asked if she could borrow it again, unbelievable! Well we still had a great time and Uncle Michael made sure the boys stayed awake on the way home by loading them up with cotton candy! It was a great night out with the boys!

Saturday was a trip to the cell phone store and $500 later the wife and I walk out with those new iPhone gizmos. I love mine but they still haven't created a way that they can send or receive pics. The only way I get pics in my phone is email them to my yahoo account. They say the a patch for doing this process is on the way soon. I hope! Saturday night Shelly and I watched the boys so my son and his wife could go to the bank Christmas party, yep that's what I thought, a little late for a Christmas party.

Sunday was birthday party for Dallas. He turned 5 on the 20th so we took the first weekend available at the Party Zone. It was a lot of fun, this place has go-carts, mini-golf, lazer tag, bumper cars, bowling, and loads of other games all under one roof. We ate pizza and cake and away we went to play. The children were too young to do the go-carts alone so a PaPaw had to ride with one grandson while Daddy road with the other. Landry was a hoot as we went around the track I told him to wave at Mimi and mom when we would pass by them and he would wave all the way around the track. The boys and my grand-daughter were grinning from ear to ear. I could go on and on about the fun we had but I'm sure you get the picture. I was especially glad that my grand-daughters were there for the party to have fun as well. I am also glad that Aunt Marcy and Uncle Michael stuck around for the party before they headed back to Alabama.

Monday hit and all the fun went away and it was back to work, uck!!

Monster Trucks

Well the day finally got here, it's Monster Truck Day!! Each year the monster trucks come to Little Rock and for the last three years I have taken my grandson Dallas to see the trucks. It just so happens that the trucks come around his birthday so this is PaPaw's birthday gift to Dallas. This year Dallas's brother Landry is coming along and I can't wait to see the expressions on his face when he sees and hears those big trucks. My son Jason (daddy) has told me that for the last couple of weeks the boys have been asking him if it's time to go to the monster trucks. This is going to be a great time! Next trip will be to the rodeo and then it is the grand-daughters turn with PaPaw! Skylar loves horses so she will be in hog heaven! I'll try to post some pics from the monster truck adventure!

Veteran Differences

As I told you in the beginning I have a special place in my heart for our countries veterans. As a Patient Representative in a VA Medical Center I have the opportunity on a daily basis to interact with a wide variety of veterans. I have come to know what I suspected all along that there are great differences in the veterans we serve based on the era they served. Now let me preface this by saying this is just an opinion of one man and I know that not everyone will agree with what I have to say. This is just a mear observation and a perception that I have of our veterans. I don't mean any harm by this because I truly do respect and love our veterans and believe they all deserve a great gratitude of thanks from all Americans.

Lets start with the WWII veteran. This veteran served his country because it was just what you did. Many WWII veterans chose to serve because there was a war on and their country needed them. They didn't question the war or their responsibility to serve, they just served because it was the right thing to do. So they left their farms and other jobs and headed overseas to take the fight to the Japanese and Germans. When the war was won they came back home, rolled up their sleeves and went back to work. They didn't feel then and many don't feel now that this country owes them anything. They were humbled by the celebration of their return and you won't hear many of them talk about their war experiences unless you ask. They never have been boastful and almost seem embarrassed when you stop to thank them for serving their country so honorably.

The Korean war veteran is much like the WWII veteran in the fact that they joined to serve because that was your obligation to the country. When the war was over they too came back and went to work. However, the country had began to change. There wasn't the same welcome home celebration that the WWII veterans received. Oh there may have been some small town welcome home parades for the local veterans but nothing like the WWII veterans received. I believe too that this was a beginning of distrust towards the government for our country as a whole. This country had never lost a war and in effect this war was more of a tie. Hence, we still have communist North Korea and a somewhat democratic South Korea.

This brings us to the Vietnam veteran. These veterans were either drafted or joined to avoid being drafted into the Marines or Army and many, as you know, burned their draft cards and fled the country to avoid serving. This was a very unpopular war when our country was struggling to find it's own identity. Many wanted peace not war and the government did a poor job of explaining why we were there in the first place. When these veterans returned it was a horrible reception. When they stepped off the plane it was to people yelling obscenities at them, calling the veterans "baby killers" and spitting on them. the country had lost it's respect for the veterans that served. Now many of these veterans have grown bitter and cold towards this country and have totally lost faith of the government that they had felt, with just cause , failed them. These veterans feel the government owes them and they want what is owed to them. These veterans are very demanding and many of them walk around with a huge chip on their shoulder and many of them have turned to substance abuse in order to cope with the pain that they feel. We as a country have let this veteran down and in a effort to not let any other veterans down, we as a country, have done everything we could to try to make the return veterans of today feel loved and appreciated. This is some cases have just poured salt in the wounds of the Vietnam veteran. We can't go back and correct our mistakes but we can darn sure make sure it doesn't happen again.

Now, a large part of my time in the military was served during peace-time conditions, thank God! I did however fall into the next group of veterans known as Desert veterans, as did my son. When the Desert veterans returned the nation was so determined to get it right this time that it was like the WWII veterans return all over. This group of veterans have learned, from the past mistakes, how to work the system so to speak. They are just as demanding mainly because they usually know what benefits they are eligible for and they want those benefits NOW.

Finally, we have our current veterans. These young veterans are returning to a similar situation that the previous desert veterans returned to. They too can be demanding and in some cases feel that once they are out of their service commitment they are forgotten about. They appear almost to be in a panic about how things are supposed to work for them. Initially I don't believe their exit briefings were thorough enough however, that has changed. The OEF/OIF veterans carry the highest priority in the health care system and groups have been formed to specifically assist them with their transitions.

As I look back at what I have said there may have been some rambling but like I said in the beginning it's just one mans opinion. Each day as I serve this variety of veterans I have one thought in mind and that is how honored I am to have the opportunity to serve such a fine group of men and women. And what an honor to be counted among those that have gone before me in service to their country.

"There only two that have been willing to die for you, Jesus Christ and the American Veteran. One died to save your soul and one died to save your freedom!"

If given the opportunity thank a veteran today, I thank every veteran that enters my door regardless of when they served.

Significant Dates

On my way into work this morning the radio station that I was listening to was talking about significant dates in history. This of course, was driven by the inauguration of the first black president in American history. The callers were calling in with all kinds of dates. So I started to think about specific dates that I could remember. The specific dates that I could recalled were few. I remembered December 7, 1941 (Pearl Harbor), October 1962 (Cuban Missile Crisis), November 22, 1963 (Assassination of JFK), and September 11, 2001 (Terrorist's Attack). Now before anybody starts throwing things at my blog, these are just the dates that immediately came to my mind. Now I can tell you that there are many more events that happened in American history that I recall but specific date I'm not too sure. Oh I could recall events and google them to find the specific dates, like when man landed on the moon (July 20, 1969), but to recall the specific date was a little tougher. Today's date, I believe, will go down as a specific significant date in American history. How about you, what specific dates do you recall from American history?

Here we are again!

Well getting started was the easy part, keeping it going might prove to be a little tougher. I really want to have a blog that will be updated daily but this weekend without the internet has already caused me to stumble out of the blocks.

As I said in my previous I have three sons, the youngest of which is a professional actor. He has just finished the season doing "Smoke on the Mountain" in Branson. Notice I said just finished which means he is currently out of work. When he made the choice to pursue a professional acting career I knew it would be a hard row to hoe, but he's facing it like a real champ. I actually think it has been harder on mom and dad then it has been for him to some degree. Anyway, he is closing the chapter in Branson and hoping for a bigger and better opportunity with his next company.

This leads me to this thought.......when do parents stop worrying about their children? When do you stop trying to correct or fix every mistake they make and let them find out on their own? With the older sons it was probably around the time that they found someone else to look out after them. For the youngest I'm not sure I will ever let go completely. Hey I'm nearly 52 years old and my mother still calls me her baby as do my older siblings. As far as letting go completely I think we have a hard time doing that because we desire for our children to have a better life, to not go through the same aches and pains that you went through. We don't want to see them hurt no matter how old they get. When my son's was having a tough time with his actistic director, I wanted to give her a piece of my mind but I bit my tongue and let him handle the situation as he saw fit. As tough as it is we have to let them grow, through mistakes, ups, and downs. Through it all I know we can set back and see the fine young men our sons have become.

One day one of my older sons was thanking his mother and I for what we had done for him. He asked me, "dad what can I ever do to repay you for all that you have done for me?" I simply told him to strive to be even a better dad for my grandchildren and just be there, it's as simple as that, just be there. Our children grow so quickly, and then they are gone with lives of their own. I have told my sons, "charish every moment that you have with your family and alway make them you number one priority and you can't go wrong." You know, they haven't let me down and I don't think they ever will when it comes to their children. Until tomorrow, I hope!

Here Goes!

Welcome to anyone that might be interested in what I have to say. I guess the best place to start would be to tell you all a little about myself.



First off I grew up in a very small community in North Central Texas by the name of Electra, TX.. I married my high school sweetheart (still married) and join the USAF in 1976 (retired in 1996). I have three sons and four (they're the best!) grandchildren. I am currently working on my second retirement at the VAMC in Little Rock.



Growing up in a small town I have a tendency to have small town values and conservative opinions. However, with 20 years of military I also have a tendency from time to time to put a liberal twist on some of those conservative opinions. I love God, family, and friends in that order. I have a very soft spot in my heart for this countries veterans. I come from a veteran rich family dating back as far as the civil war right on up to the current war. I believe our countries great asset are the men and women that serve her in the military. I am a sports enthusiast. I referee football, I play golf and I love to hunt and fish. You will find that my favorite college teams are teams located in Arkansas (especially the Razorbacks) and my favorite professional teams are the Dallas Cowboys and the Texas Rangers, both of which have been a big disappointment lately.



Anyway, that's the brief version of who I am. I will try to make daily post and hope that you will join me in the adventure. As I learn more about how to work this blog I will add links and various other items. The two blog sites that got me started in this stuff are the site of a very dear friend of mine, and Buck whom I met through her site. So be sure to visit Lou at her site as well at http://www.bagwag.blogspot.com/ and Buck at http://www.exileinportales.blogspot.com/ .



PS. I will be away from a computer this weekend so my next post will probably have to wait until Monday, but be sure to check it out then.