Category Archives: Family

High Pockets, Haymakers and Flash

 

I hope you enjoy this trip down memory lane. You will see why I say The Sweetheart is a good sport. Be blessed!

After 43 years of wedded bliss, The Sweetheart has always, always preferred me before himself. He has been a gentleman and yet, at the same time, assumed the masculine role of Helper, Handyman and Hero all at the same time.

Except for one day in particular that stands out to me.

The year was 1982.

The place? That is a story in itself.

In high school, The Sweetheart was not known by the title I have bestowed upon him. That would have been weird. He had several names in his Joe Cool days such as,

  • High Pockets (six-foot-two-152-pounds-soaking-wet-all-legs)

  • Haymaker. This was his CB handle. Back-in-the-day we didn’t have cell phones, texting, Facebook, twitter or Instagram. Say what?! A CB (Citizens Band radio) was the coolest thing around for a country boy. “Breaker, breaker, 1-9, this is Haymaker, anybody on?” The Haymaker handle came from the fact that this good-lookin’ guy could heave bales of hay over his head like they were empty cardboard boxes. (Be still my beating heart!)

  • Flash. Yeah. Flash. This High Pocket Haymaker was a pretty good photographer. Again, we are going back in time for some of you…before the digital age, before you could take 1,000 pictures on your cellphone and not worry about how much it would cost. We had something called film that DID cost and we had also had flashbulbs on less expensive cameras and flash attachments on his professional cameras. They didn’t come with a flash, that was something you purchased extra. Hence, the nickname.

Flash spent much of his high school days with the journalism and yearbook staff. He was the resident photographer at many, many events. He landed a job at a photo finishing lab known for their same-day-turn-around. This was a major big deal in the late 1970’s folks. Take your film into the store and come back and pick it up later that day. Huge.

High Pocket Haymaker Flash gets married and decided to open his own photo finishing lab in a neighboring town.

Big dreams, no money, big dreams.

High Pocket Haymaker Flash has a Cute, Adorable and Very Young Wife who delights in helping him in his adventures and most every day you would find them developing film and handing out pictures to happy customers.

The first couple of weeks after the grand opening, Flash and his Cute, Adorable and Very Young Wife were driving their orders back to his former employers’ store for developing while awaiting the arrival of a piece of equipment. The Cute, Adorable and Very Young Wife was designated most days to make the 30 minute drive.

Now, Flash had a car that fit his name perfectly. For his graduation present, his parents had bought him a brand new Camaro, firethorn red in color. Super cool. (I just happen to have a picture of it in his driveway.)

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Flash, being the loving young newlywed husband that he was, gave the car to his Cute, Adorable and Very Young Wife and bought himself a truck.

His Cute, Adorable and Very Young Wife hated the truck.

She didn’t dislike it because it was a stick-shift. Her first car was a stick and Flash had taught her how to drive it when she was only 16. She wasn’t fond of the truck because it just wasn’t cute. But the car went fast. The car was red. The car turned heads and she was Cute, Adorable and Very Young.

We should pause here and catch up the reader to the fact that Flash and his Cute, Adorable and Very Young Wife were married almost two years when they were blessed with a Blond-Hair-Blue-Eyed-Boy-Wonder that turned their world upside down in a very good way. The super cool Camaro would soon be replaced with something more practical but, for now, they still enjoyed feeling young and invincible. And the Blond-Hair-Blue-Eyed-Boy-Wonder was staying with my good friend, The-World’s-Best-Babysitter.

high pockets

So back to the first two weeks of owning the new business…Flash has the order all ready to take north and his Cute, Adorable and Very Young Wife is all set to jump in her super cool car and start the journey. But Flash decides she should take his truck, for reasons that this writer, who has aged many years since then, cannot remember. Still, he was insistent and even though she protested because she detested driving the truck, and hadn’t learned how to pout and get her way, grabbed the keys and jumped in the little Nissan.

Heading down the four-lane highway in the town where they had their business, Flash’s Cute, Adorable and Very Young Wife had not gone far when an elderly lady in a tank pulls out in front of her. There was no time, people, no time at all to even think of finding a way out. All she remembers is a loud crash and pain. Lots of pain.

The Cute, Adorable and Very Young Wife jumps out of the truck because she thought it was on fire (just the radiator ma’am) and takes two steps before she collapses in the arms of the leader of the Hells Angels, her knight-in-shining-armor and the only soul on the highway who stopped to help. He picks her up and sets her back inside the truck telling her to wait for the ambulance. (I am not making this up!)

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Well, that shouldn’t take long. Where does this accident take place you ask? Directly in front of the town hospital; and even then, all of those years ago, someone brighter than me and you decided that sending an ambulance to their front yard made more sense than the policeman just pulling in the driveway with the injured. Go figure.

In the Emergency Room all is a blur. There is blood everywhere but we deduce that it is all from a lost front tooth that met hard with the steering wheel. The doctor was convinced both legs were broken from the impact and they were preparing for x-rays. The nurse wanted to call Flash to come but the Cute, Adorable and Very Young Wife knew he couldn’t leave the lab. There were no other employees at the time, Flash was all alone. Yet, the nurse insisted because she thought the injuries were severe enough that someone should be there. She dialed the number but handed the phone to the Cute, Adorable and Very Young Wife and the conversation went something like this:

Flash: Photo Finish, how may I help you?

Cute, Adorable and Very Young Wife: I’ve been in an accident and haven’t made it to the lab yet. Can you come?

Flash: I don’t have time for jokes, I’m very busy. Where are you and why aren’t you there?

Cute, Adorable and Very Young Wife: I said I’ve had a wreck! I’m at the hospital now and they want you to come!

Flash: Listen, I’m glad you think we have time for humor but I am swamped now get going and call me when you are ready to head back.

Cute, Adorable and Very Young Wife: But Flash, I’m really hurt, they think I’ve broken both my legs!

This is when my opinion of the nursing profession soars and I envision one of my children with an RN and many other credentials after their birth name. She takes over and grabs the phone from me:

Nursing Professional with Domineering Personality: Mr. Flash? This is the hospital ER department. Your Cute, Adorable and Very Young Wife has been in a terrible accident. We are preparing for x-rays on her legs immediately. I strongly suggest you get in your car right now and GET HERE. Did I make myself clear?

Flash: On my way.

Flash does come to the rescue of his Cute, Adorable and Very Young Wife. Her legs, fortunately, were not broken, only badly bruised and traumatized. The next stop was the dentist’s office, after hours, to deaden the root of the lost tooth. The driver of the other car, who was in her late 80’s btw, was not injured, thankfully, and was very concerned about the Cute, Adorable and Very Young Wife.

The moral of the story?

We disagree on that, the two of us.

Flash and his Cute, Adorable and Very Young Wife learned many things that fateful day.

Flash lost his beloved little truck and his Cute, Adorable and Very Young Wife talked him into a new family car.

His Cute, Adorable and Very Young Wife is reminded of that painful day every time she looks in the mirror at the new tooth that just doesn’t seem to belong.

Flash continued to shoot weddings and Little League teams before he made his way into the world of air traffic control. But the most important thing is that he now wears the title of Hero and has never missed a chance to rescue his damsel-in-distress since that unforgettable day all of those years ago.

p.s. His Cute, Adorable and Very Young Wife had a CB handle too! I was his Sunshine. Of course!
So, Happy Birthday, Flash! You’ve worn many titles since then including The Sweetheart but now you relish your most earned and beloved title of Poppy to your half dozen grands. We may have changed a bit since those glory days of our youth but we are still together, celebrating life and being thankful for the blessings of our God.

 

“I just hate Christmas, don’t you?”

I just hate Christmas, don't you?She was in the ladies room. The Cracker Barrel ladies room. Dolly Parton’s I’ll Be Home With Bells On was blaring from the speakers overhead. Washing her hands and trying to get the dust off her coat, without looking up, she said,

“I just hate Christmas, don’t you?”

My heart just sunk. This 70-something attractive woman was hurting badly. Reaching out as best I could, I stood in a busy bathroom and listened to her story:

“My husband died in 1998, I lost a son five years ago and then in November I lost my best friend, my miniature dachshund, Dottie Sue.” This little companion was the love of her life and constant friend and traveling buddy.

She talked on and on about how hard Christmas is when you are alone, how you wish it would just go away and didn’t I feel the same? “How am I going to get through it?”

We kept getting interrupted and moved around and out of the way but I continued listening, consoling, encouraging and reminding her of the wonderful memories she had of those she loved. I was so touched by her pain that I had tears in my eyes as well.

My phone was ringing from my purse, I was meeting up with someone to transfer a precious package, I answered it once and we continued talking and then it rang again. This time, although my call was less than ten seconds, she squeezed my arm, said, “Thank you” and took off. I tried to follow her but the crowd coming in prevented me from grabbing her and by the time I reached the dining room I didn’t see a sign of my hurting friend, nor in the parking lot.

What did it all mean? Why would the Lord send someone to me that I couldn’t help? And what else could I have said, before she bolted, that would have made a difference in her hurting heart?

I felt such failure, defeat and disappointment that day. I have pondered it ever since and I guess if anything, it has taught me a great lesson.

Christmas brings memories for everyone but they are not always happy ones. So what can we do in gatherings of friends and family? What do we say when someone is sad, lonely, missing a loved one or even a pet that is no longer by their side?

We just listen.

Someone who will sit and listen to those who are hurting is a rare thing. Most of the time people are too busy or they just don’t know what to say and avoid the uncomfortable. But the one with the broken heart may just want to share about their loss or their feelings, just as my friend in the ladies room wanted to talk about Dottie Sue. She knew I couldn’t fix it, she knew I couldn’t bring back her tiny friend and she knew I couldn’t make her pain go away.

But maybe, just maybe, in some small way, she was a little cheered up because she was able to share about the one she loved and missed so much this Christmas season. Her eyes would light up when she would tell me of her best friend’s puppy-like antics, even though Dottie Sue was 17 years old. She was even smiling a little while recalling the good times she had with the dog, her son and her husband. (Remember, the furry friend had only passed away three weeks ago.)

If you do nothing else at your holiday gatherings, seek out the one who is in the corner, watching the festivities. Or the one who is biting their lip to keep the tears from flowing. Perhaps it is the one who you know has suffered much this past year but is trying hard to not show it and “spoil” the day for everyone else. Go give them a hug, a squeeze on the hand, an “I love you”, and maybe even sit down beside them and ask, “How are you doing?”

There may be tears, but you have allowed them to share and you have shown you care. And the tears are healing balm to a hurting soul! If they don’t want to talk about it, respect that too and don’t push. Some people will not want to become emotional in public and some are just private. But many will appreciate you not ignoring their pain at this normally happy time.

“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” Psalm 34:18.

You are the hands and feet of Jesus at Christmas, the most wonderful, and to some the most stressful, time of the year. He reminds us that He didn’t stay a baby but He gave His life on a tree for all of us, redeeming all who would take on His name. It is then our responsibility, our mission, to reach out, to love, to comfort, encourage. Remind them of the hope beyond this “veil of tears” and that one day Jesus will wipe ALL of those tears away and we will be reunited with those we miss so much.

So, what would Jesus do?

Jesus would listen. Jesus would love those that say they hate Christmas…and they really don’t hate it, they are just hurting. Don’t ignore their hurt and don’t ignore them just because you don’t feel you can say the right things. Just be there, just listen and just love like Jesus.


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The Daniel Fast Devotional

So, what did you expect?

Back in the day, my inlaws had a great place in the Ocala, Florida area. The entire family loved it there, right on a canal for boating and fishing, plus it was not too far from Disney World. There was great shopping and restaurants nearby, not to mention The Mighty Ocean.

But the best part?

It was FREE.

One summer, my mother, grandmother, younger brother and the only one of My Three Sons to grace the planet at the time, Kyle, decided to take advantage of the free vacation spot. The Sweetheart couldn’t get off work (or could he???) but graciously said we could go without him. Hmmm…little did I know that we would look back later and wonder who really had a vacation.

Heading  south, we made pretty good time considering our diverse party. It was a great week, the weather was fantastic and we just relaxed.

The decision was made to spend one full day at the ocean. 
So, this group of Indiana rednecks piled in the car and in no time we were claiming our spot on the beach. Kyle had a great time building sand castles and the rest of us enjoyed the sunshine.

Until the tide came in.

Being the newcomers we had no clue about tides and oceans or the rules of the beach. We had pulled our car up to our spot just like everyone else had done. This was the 80’s; obviously things have changed!

What we didn’t notice was that the other sun worshippers had MOVED their vehicles an hour or two earlier in anticipation of the changing tide. But the Hoosiers had not gotten the memo. Suddenly, a man came running over with excitement in his voice and yelling, “Why haven’t you moved that *&^%$#@! car?”

Blond and totally oblivious at the time, I didn’t realize that the wheels of our car were half-buried in the sand. Panic set in as we all jumped to our feet but that Buick was going nowhere, no way, and no how.

Our knight-in-shining-armor, who I assumed was there to save us, just kept shaking his head as if we were idiots. Okay, okay, we weren’t the smartest sand lovers on the beach. Finally, he hollered to a few guys around us for help and just like a scene from Beach Blanket Bingo, we were surrounded by muscle in no time. They heaved and pushed and rocked the car back and forth as it spun in the sand but she wasn’t budging!

Exasperated, our hero looked at me and said, “So, what did you expect?”

A valuable lesson was learned that day and even a beloved  Sunday School story came to mind that went along with our scenario. You can’t build anything on a sandy foundation. It sinks. Period. You will always need someone to come bail you out. Maybe it’s because the tide is coming in or because your sand castle is collapsing, but that house will just not withstand the storms of life.

Because you need a sure thing. You need a solid foundation.

In this world of uncertainty we must be established in what we believe! It is imperative that we KNOW Jesus Christ, not just know about Him. All of the Sunday School stories in the world will not do us any good if we have not been filled with His spirit. They are just stories until you know Him.

Look at what Jesus said here in the book of Matthew. I don’t normally use The Message version but this is so good, (don’t skip it! It really is good!)

“These words I speak to you are not incidental additions to your life, homeowner improvements to your standard of living. They are foundational words, words to build a life on. If you work these words into your life, you are like a smart carpenter who built his house on solid rock. Rain poured down, the river flooded, a tornado hit—but nothing moved that house. It was fixed to the rock.

But if you just use my words in Bible studies and don’t work them into your life, you are like a stupid carpenter who built his house on the sandy beach. When a storm rolled in and the waves came up, it collapsed like a house of cards.” Matthew 7:24-27

Stupid carpenter on the sandy beach. That was me that day because there was no plan, no thought that if you park next to the ocean you are going to have problems!

Today, at 99% of the beaches in the Sunshine State, you must park in the PARKING LOT; surely that rule/law came about the day after we left the ocean behind. I am a trendsetter like that! Mercifully, Frankie Avalon and his beach buddies saved the day and rocked the car right out of the sand…eventually.

Thankfully, I do not have to worry about that happening to me again. Nor do I worry about the spiritual house I am building. It is fixed on the Rock, Christ Jesus, and nothing can sink it or tear it down. These are homeowner improvements to my life! My house will not get washed away when troubles come.

so what did you expect

What do you expect when storms come your way? They will come, friend, they will come for sure. But we do not have to be afraid when we are built on the solid foundation, Jesus Christ.

What are you building on?

For the kingdom