“ Daddy Read Me A Story “ Chapter 55”

Last year, as I was losing my ability to speak, my daughter realized she might miss out on learning who her dad is. Before ALS, I'd shared some stories and fatherly advice, and yes, some might have been a little oniony.  However, once you peel back the layers, the truth is there.  On top of that, I am sure with every family, any event will be told differently by everyone involved. Laura and I have heard many versions of stories from our children.

She also has her own memories of who I am, but she wanted to know me more. So with a little research she found Storyworth.com. This site allows my family to ask questions or use prompted questions for me to answer. This gives me time to write them out and add pictures too. Once all the questions are answered, they offer a service to print it all into books. Then later, on they can always hear stories from me.

Although I have shared a lot in my blog, most posts are ALS related. I thought I would share some of the questions from the website that you can have to know me a little better.

What were your favorite toys as a child?

To be honest I don’t remember having many toys. One toy I do remember having as a child was an Evil Knevel toy with the motorcycle that when you wind it up and it took off down the long hall. As a teen, I had remote control cars we used to race at the local hobby shop. But other than that, I was mostly on the streets hanging out until the street lights came on.

If there is one thing you can pass on to your future grandchildren, what would you like them to know? Either about you, or about life?

• Enjoy being a child.

• You are a member of an incredible family, we love hard and will do anything for each other.

• Santa Claus is real and if you don’t believe you don’t receive.

• Grandpa is a Cowboy fan so you have to be as well.

• Lastly, always give back,. Be apart of your community. Be aware of your surroundings so you know what’s needed. I love you and you are my favorite grandchild.

How did you get your first job?

My very first job was delivering newspapers by hand. I was 11 years old. Everyday, the newspapers would be delivered to my apartment. I would pack 100 pounds on my back and deliver to my customers up many flights of stairs and hills both ways through the snow. During the week, I had to be done by 5 PM, and on Sundays by noon. The newspaper office was down the street from where I live and that is where I applied. So before you tell me how tired you are or ask for money, ask yourself, "what were you doing at 11 and what is a newspaper?

Have you pulled any great pranks?

At work one year over the Christmas holidays I wrapped up two coworkers desks including the trash cans with wrapping paper . Since it was a work computer we even made sure it had the proper classification labels too. My boss thought it was so funny he wanted me to do the same for the Colonel so I did. When the Colonel saw his desk he loved it but wanted a little revenge. So I told him I had an idea.

For my bosses office while he was away I got others to help blow up about a 1000 balloons and we fill his office floor to ceiling. When he came back to work balloons were everywhere and it took him hours to pop them and pieces were found for weeks.

What's a food or food combination that you love, which most other people dislike?

Ketchup and mayo for my French fries, Brussels sprouts, oysters, etc. I actually like most foods, but what I don’t like is a shorter list: chitlins (never could get it in my mouth), black eyed peas (when I was little I was made to eat them by the sitter), Jellied eel (tried it in England... nasty, cold and crunchy), pear jelly beans (yuck, I’d rather eat bean boozed beans), and menudo (I’ll eat it all but the tripe)

What is one of the strangest things you've ever eaten?

Dog meat in Korea, Gelled Eel in England, Iguana in Panama, Alligator in Mississippi, and Poi in Hawaii.

What was it like learning to drive?

When I was 17, my dad taught me how to drive his truck. Dad had a Ford stick shift pickup truck. Today I have a Ford Ranger, anti theft pickup. Anti theft because nobody knows how to drive stick. We would go down to the park where there was a large parking lot to practice. Shortly after my dad teaching me, I went to get my drivers test, passing it the first time. I did not own my first car until I was 18. it was a brown Honda Civic and I paid $50.00 for it.

What famous or important people have you encountered in real life?

If you mean more famous than me... In 1996, while stationed at Ft. Hood, TX, Laura and I met then Governor George W. Bush who became the 43rd President at my Sergeant Audie Murphy Club induction ceremony. Laura was pregnant at the time with Dominique, and while we were speaking with him, he rubbed her belly. Rumors have it that he tells the same story about me.

I hope you got to learn a little more about me and learn that I am more than ALS. We are all an accumulation of the stories from our past. The book and my blog will allow me to tell my stories to my family in the future, I pray you have the opportunity to share yours.

Love and blessings.