As much as I resist change, I have now come to terms with the fact that the new-fangled electronic Internet is a useful invention.
The Internet has changed history, and improved the lives of millions – maybe billions – of people around the globe. It has created a wealth of knowledge and information never before thought possible. It has fueled economies, transformed cultures, and fostered globalization to a degree not heretofore seen. It has caused international borders to change. The Internet has created advantages for humankind in the fields of healthcare, finance, commerce, government and education. In short, the Internet has altered the world we live in.
I personally like it for the jokes.
Almost every day, friends and acquaintances send me jokes via email. I don’t even have to go looking for them. I just open my email account, and there they are.
They’re usually good for a few giggles during my workday, unless I’m too busy, in which case I save them ‘til night or the weekend to read.
Most of the time, these “E-Jokes” – a word I just made up – are forwarded by a friend who received it from a friend who received it from a friend, etcetera, and on and on and on. I figure, the more people who have forwarded it, the funnier it must be.
I hardly ever forward E-Jokes. Instead, I save them in a “special place” so that, someday, I can share them with the readers of this column. Sooner or later, I figure, there will come a week when I have just enough time to WRITE a column, but not enough time to include anything CLEVER or WITTY… unless, of course, I have a stash of E-Jokes just waiting in the “special place” to be transformed into a newspaper column.
That week is now! So you’re in luck. Instead of me trying to dream up something clever or witty – which usually has about a 2% success rate – this week, I have some E-Jokes which are 100% guaranteed, because they were forwarded over and over and over!
So, without further delay, I am pleased to present, direct from the Electronic Internet:
----------
You can say what you want about the South,
but you never hear of anyone retiring and moving North...
----------
TEN GREAT TRUTHS THAT LITTLE CHILDREN HAVE LEARNED:
1) No matter how hard you try, you can't baptize cats.
2) When your mom is mad at your dad, don't let her brush your hair.
3) If your sister hits you, don't hit her back. They always catch the second person.
4) Never ask your 3-year old brother to hold a tomato.
5) You can't trust dogs to watch your food.
6) Don't sneeze when someone is cutting your hair.
7) Never hold a dust-buster and a cat at the same time.
8) You can't hide a piece of broccoli in a glass of milk.
9) Don't wear polka-dot underwear under white shorts.
10) The best place to be when you're sad is Grandpa's lap.
----------
IN HONOR OF USC’S NEXT OPPONENT:
The young man from Tennessee came running into the store and said to his buddy, "Bubba, somebody just stole your pickup truck from the parking lot!"
Bubba replied, "Did you see who it was?
"The young man answered, "I couldn't tell, but I got the license number."
----------
THE FOUR STAGES OF LIFE:
1 -- You believe in Santa Claus.
2 -- You don't believe in Santa Claus.
3 -- You are Santa Claus.
4 -- You look like Santa Claus.
---------
MORE TENNESSEE JOKES
Did you hear about the Tennessee man who passed away and left his entire estate in trust for his beloved widow?
She can't touch it til she's fourteen.
Where was the toothbrush invented?
Tennessee. If it was invented anywhere else it would have been called a teethbrush.
A new law recently passed in Tennessee:
When a couple gets divorced, they're still brother and sister.
----------
SUCCESS:
At age 4 success is . . . not peeing in your pants.
At age 12 success is . . . having friends.
At age 17 success is . . having a driver's license.
At age 35 success is . . having money.
At age 50 success is . . . having money.
At age 70 success is . .. . having a drivers license.
At age 75 success is . . . having friends.
At age 80 success is . . . not peeing in your pants.
---------
GREAT TRUTHS ABOUT GROWING OLD
1) Growing old is mandatory; growing up is optional.
2) Forget the health food. I need all the preservatives I can get.
3) When you fall down, you wonder what else you can do while you're down there.
4) You're getting old when you get the same sensation from a rocking chair that you once got from a roller coaster.
5) It's frustrating when you know all the answers but nobody bothers to ask you the questions.
6) Time may be a great healer, but it's a lousy beautician.
7) Wisdom comes with age, but sometimes age comes alone.
----------
While working at a pizza parlor I observed a man ordering a small pizza
to go. He appeared to be alone and the cook asked him if he would like
it cut into 4 pieces or 6. He thought about it for some time before
responding. “Just cut it into 4 pieces; I don't think I'm hungry enough
to eat 6.”
And he gets to vote!
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Choosing our President – McCain and Obama
In just a few weeks, America will vote. This will be an historic election: a barrier will be broken in 2008. We will either elect an African-American or a female to one of the top-two offices, President and Vice-President.
So as promised, I am writing this week about politics, which I mostly do NOT write about in this column, because it’s sort of my job, and who wants to write about their job?!
When I DO write about politics, I always start with a disclaimer: I am a sometimes-Republican. Today, however, I am trying to wear a non-partisan hat. I’m not endorsing either candidate, but I’m trying to present my own unbiased analysis of both.
Back in January, before the South Carolina Presidential Primaries, I wrote about the process of choosing our next President when there were still more than a dozen candidates – six or eight for each party. I took an unusual approach: I didn’t endorse any candidate, but tried to give good, solid reasons to vote for each -- reasons that each might make a good President. (Frankly, I wanted to try a positive approach in contrast to the negativity which the news media usually injects into political campaigns.)
Here are my comments about John McCain and Barack Obama from eight months ago, long before we knew either once would secure their party’s nomination:
John McCain: I believe John McCain is a good and decent man, proven in the service of his country as a POW during the Vietnam War. He has solid and successful experience in government, and has shown himself to be a consensus builder. He’s battle-tested, and we probably know everything there is to know about him, so we’re unlikely to run into any surprises. McCain would be a solid President during a time of war, and one who truly understands the sacrifices faced by our military families.
Barack Obama: Barack Obama appears to be a very nice guy who is smart, capable and likeable. At a time that most Americans appear to be ready for a major change in their government, Obama represents that attitude - not only because he speaks of change, but also because his election as the first African-American president would embody the most significant change in many, many decades. Obama is perhaps uniquely qualified to be the individual who pioneers this final frontier toward unifying a nation divided by race since its inception.
Eight months later, I stand by my comments about both candidates. I believe they’re both good people who mean well.
Both candidates also espouse notions of change and reform, and both appear to be agents of change. For better or worse, change would seem to be coming in the next four years.
There are, however, differences between the two. Their philosophies of government and positions on key issues are different, reflective of the American population as a whole. And perhaps this is the year that the American population will make some major decisions about the direction our nation will move for the future. Perhaps, our majority will decide, that after 232 years, some of the ideas on which the nation was founded are obsolete. Perhaps the majority will redefine America.
So I would like to offer four thought-provoking issues, to help guide the decision-making processes of anyone who may be undecided about his or her choice of our next President. These, as I see it, are the major issues which we currently face as a nation:
1. The Economy. The recently exposed financial crisis, along with last week’s government bailout, has many Americans concerned for their futures. While both candidates voted for the bailout, their approaches to long-term solutions differ. McCain is more likely to offer the type of tax cuts seen during the Reagan years as a means of stimulating the economy, and is not likely to constrain the freedom of businesses to prosper. Obama is more likely to offer continuing governmental solutions and tighter regulation of the corporations currently blamed for the crisis. He is more likely to quickly offer needed assistance to those families suffering from the crisis.
Neither of these approaches is right or wrong. Some Americans prefer one approach, and some prefer the other. Traditionally, our nation has embraced free enterprise… but tradition is the past. The future may, indeed, hold something else for us.
2. The War on Terror. Homeland defense continues to be a concern for all Americans. John McCain’s military background suggests he will be a capable Commander-in-Chief, and his support of the surge in Iraq is now hailed as the right approach. Barack Obama’s election might signal to the rest of the world that America is changing, perhaps lessening the hatred they seem to have for our nation and our ideals. Perhaps Obama’s strength would be in diplomacy, turning former enemies into future allies.
3. Energy. Gas prices anger millions of Americans every day. If he were on the ballot, I’m pretty sure T. Boone Pickens would be elected. He’s not, but he has alerted most Americans of the need to stop shipping oil profits overseas to nations which are not necessarily friendly to us. Both McCain and Obama have shifted their positions toward expanding America’s energy sources, with McCain now favoring off-shore drilling, and Obama having recently joined him. It is my guess that Obama would be somewhat more deferential to the environmental lobby, therefore slower to fully explore all new energy options. Again, the degree of deference given to environmental protection when we are facing an energy crisis is a matter on which many, many Americans simply disagree.
4. Globalization. To me, this emerging issue is the most important one facing us as we choose the next leader of the free world. It is clear that the world is changing. We now have a global economy, and live in an age of instant global information. The next four years will see the world moving increasingly toward globalization, which will impact virtually every other issue facing our nation. The person we elect as our next President will help determine how America fits into a new global society… indeed, whether we try to exist inside walls, or lay down a welcome mat for all. Both McCain and Obama have wide ranges of experiences on the world-wide stage. We would do well to examine those experiences, and to look within ourselves to determine the course we want for our nation.
I cannot predict the outcome, but I am predicting an all-time record-breaking voter turn-out for the November 4th Presidential Election: more people going to the polls to vote than ever before. I’m just trying to do my small part to make sure they know what they’re doing when they get there.
So as promised, I am writing this week about politics, which I mostly do NOT write about in this column, because it’s sort of my job, and who wants to write about their job?!
When I DO write about politics, I always start with a disclaimer: I am a sometimes-Republican. Today, however, I am trying to wear a non-partisan hat. I’m not endorsing either candidate, but I’m trying to present my own unbiased analysis of both.
Back in January, before the South Carolina Presidential Primaries, I wrote about the process of choosing our next President when there were still more than a dozen candidates – six or eight for each party. I took an unusual approach: I didn’t endorse any candidate, but tried to give good, solid reasons to vote for each -- reasons that each might make a good President. (Frankly, I wanted to try a positive approach in contrast to the negativity which the news media usually injects into political campaigns.)
Here are my comments about John McCain and Barack Obama from eight months ago, long before we knew either once would secure their party’s nomination:
John McCain: I believe John McCain is a good and decent man, proven in the service of his country as a POW during the Vietnam War. He has solid and successful experience in government, and has shown himself to be a consensus builder. He’s battle-tested, and we probably know everything there is to know about him, so we’re unlikely to run into any surprises. McCain would be a solid President during a time of war, and one who truly understands the sacrifices faced by our military families.
Barack Obama: Barack Obama appears to be a very nice guy who is smart, capable and likeable. At a time that most Americans appear to be ready for a major change in their government, Obama represents that attitude - not only because he speaks of change, but also because his election as the first African-American president would embody the most significant change in many, many decades. Obama is perhaps uniquely qualified to be the individual who pioneers this final frontier toward unifying a nation divided by race since its inception.
Eight months later, I stand by my comments about both candidates. I believe they’re both good people who mean well.
Both candidates also espouse notions of change and reform, and both appear to be agents of change. For better or worse, change would seem to be coming in the next four years.
There are, however, differences between the two. Their philosophies of government and positions on key issues are different, reflective of the American population as a whole. And perhaps this is the year that the American population will make some major decisions about the direction our nation will move for the future. Perhaps, our majority will decide, that after 232 years, some of the ideas on which the nation was founded are obsolete. Perhaps the majority will redefine America.
So I would like to offer four thought-provoking issues, to help guide the decision-making processes of anyone who may be undecided about his or her choice of our next President. These, as I see it, are the major issues which we currently face as a nation:
1. The Economy. The recently exposed financial crisis, along with last week’s government bailout, has many Americans concerned for their futures. While both candidates voted for the bailout, their approaches to long-term solutions differ. McCain is more likely to offer the type of tax cuts seen during the Reagan years as a means of stimulating the economy, and is not likely to constrain the freedom of businesses to prosper. Obama is more likely to offer continuing governmental solutions and tighter regulation of the corporations currently blamed for the crisis. He is more likely to quickly offer needed assistance to those families suffering from the crisis.
Neither of these approaches is right or wrong. Some Americans prefer one approach, and some prefer the other. Traditionally, our nation has embraced free enterprise… but tradition is the past. The future may, indeed, hold something else for us.
2. The War on Terror. Homeland defense continues to be a concern for all Americans. John McCain’s military background suggests he will be a capable Commander-in-Chief, and his support of the surge in Iraq is now hailed as the right approach. Barack Obama’s election might signal to the rest of the world that America is changing, perhaps lessening the hatred they seem to have for our nation and our ideals. Perhaps Obama’s strength would be in diplomacy, turning former enemies into future allies.
3. Energy. Gas prices anger millions of Americans every day. If he were on the ballot, I’m pretty sure T. Boone Pickens would be elected. He’s not, but he has alerted most Americans of the need to stop shipping oil profits overseas to nations which are not necessarily friendly to us. Both McCain and Obama have shifted their positions toward expanding America’s energy sources, with McCain now favoring off-shore drilling, and Obama having recently joined him. It is my guess that Obama would be somewhat more deferential to the environmental lobby, therefore slower to fully explore all new energy options. Again, the degree of deference given to environmental protection when we are facing an energy crisis is a matter on which many, many Americans simply disagree.
4. Globalization. To me, this emerging issue is the most important one facing us as we choose the next leader of the free world. It is clear that the world is changing. We now have a global economy, and live in an age of instant global information. The next four years will see the world moving increasingly toward globalization, which will impact virtually every other issue facing our nation. The person we elect as our next President will help determine how America fits into a new global society… indeed, whether we try to exist inside walls, or lay down a welcome mat for all. Both McCain and Obama have wide ranges of experiences on the world-wide stage. We would do well to examine those experiences, and to look within ourselves to determine the course we want for our nation.
I cannot predict the outcome, but I am predicting an all-time record-breaking voter turn-out for the November 4th Presidential Election: more people going to the polls to vote than ever before. I’m just trying to do my small part to make sure they know what they’re doing when they get there.
Monday, October 6, 2008
Happy Birthday to Me! (sort of)
WOW! I almost let this momentous occasion slip by me!
Today, October 7th, 2008, it turns out, is an important anniversary date for me: It's my 20,000th day!
You know... of being alive! Since I was borned!
Don't believe me? Okay. You do the math. I was born Dec. 22, 1953... which was pre-zactly 20,000 days ago!!!
How do I know this?
If you're thinking to yourself, "Wow! Rod really has too much time on his hands!"... well, no, that's not it at all. Somebody sent me a website a which back that calculates the number of days, minutes, or seconds -- as well as weeks or months -- from any day in history to any other day. I discovered that I had been alive for 19,900-plus days, so I looked ahead to see when I would cross the 20,000 mark. October 7th was the lucky day.
And I don't feel a day over 15,000!!!
Today, October 7th, 2008, it turns out, is an important anniversary date for me: It's my 20,000th day!
You know... of being alive! Since I was borned!
Don't believe me? Okay. You do the math. I was born Dec. 22, 1953... which was pre-zactly 20,000 days ago!!!
How do I know this?
If you're thinking to yourself, "Wow! Rod really has too much time on his hands!"... well, no, that's not it at all. Somebody sent me a website a which back that calculates the number of days, minutes, or seconds -- as well as weeks or months -- from any day in history to any other day. I discovered that I had been alive for 19,900-plus days, so I looked ahead to see when I would cross the 20,000 mark. October 7th was the lucky day.
And I don't feel a day over 15,000!!!
Friday, October 3, 2008
Where Did the Test Pattern Go?
I stayed up late a few nights ago… well past my bedtime. It was a weekend night, and I knew I could sleep late. So I was puttering around, doing a little work, checking the fridge every 30 minutes in search of something else to snack on, and watching a little TV. Mostly channel surfing.
Shortly after 2:00 am, I noticed that I was still watching TV, and a question occurred to me: Whatever happened to the National Anthem and that always preceded the Test Pattern when stations signed off for the night?
It didn’t take me long to realize what happened to the song about Jose Canusi and the Full Color Electronic Test Pattern: Stations don’t sign off any more!!! They stay on all night long!
It bummed me out a little. In my younger days, I took great satisfaction in being up for “the end of our broadcast day!” It meant I had outlasted most of the rest of the world. Also, it was a good feeling to get a dose of patriotism before heading off to bed. Seeing the jets flying in formation gave me the feeling that the nation was secure for the night. (And, if that didn’t do it, hearing the John Wayne narration over “America” in the background definitely sent you off to bed feeling secure.)
But things change. The Star Spangled Banner and the Test Pattern have faded into the past, I realized, which set me to wondering what other little tidbits of life have simply faded away.
“Fill’er up” is a phrase that comes to mind. That’s what we used to say when we pulled in to a “filling station” or “service station”, which are what we called the places we went to get gasoline.
There are three reasons we don’t hear “fill’er up” any more: (1) Most folks can’t afford to fill up their car with gas; (2) If you can afford it, there probably isn’t enough gas available; and (3) There isn’t anybody to say “fill’er up” to! We’ve been pumping our own gas for 20 or 30 years now!
Interestingly, we still use the term “crank the car”, although we haven’t actually used “cranks” for six or eight decades!
We also use the term “dial the phone”, but I haven’t seen a phone with a dial in long time.
All sort of dials seem to pretty much be a thing of the past. Once upon a time, a dial controlled your phone, your radio and your TV. But dials seem to have been replaced by buttons and all sorts of “digital” paraphernalia.
We once heard an excited “Don’t touch that dial!” before most every commercial break on TV. Now it would be “Don’t push that remote button!”…. if they even tried, which they don’t, because they know we’re all going to be channel surfing during the break, just because we can!
Here’s something I haven’t seen in a long time: using your arm to make a turn signal, instead of the blinker. The last time I saw it was 20 years ago when I had to roll down my window to turn because my blinker was on the blink.
And another thing: When I was a kid, we were taught to “roll’ the toothpaste tube when it was near empty to get all the toothpaste out. I think the tubes are made out of a different material now, because you can’t roll them up like we used to.
Antennas up on the roof are over, and I’m sure nobody misses them. Still, they dominated our skyline for half a century, and it’s another piece of Americana that you’ll have to go to India to see.
Nobody misses party lines, either. Or the old-style, operator-assisted long-distance phone calls: station-to-station, person-to-person, or collect. (Long distance was a forbidden word in the 1960’s Shealy household. It was WAY expensive… strictly for emergencies… because what if you accidentally talked too long?!!!)
I do, however, miss the “nicknames” which were assigned to telephone exchanges. I grew up in the “Elgin” exchange, which was Lexington -- Elgin 9-9553, to be exact -- but could also make calls to the “Alpine” exchange, which was Columbia, without it being – “ohhh, no-o-o-o – the dreaded LONG DISTANCE!!!!
It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a Polaroid “instant” camera. I guess they’ve been replaced by digital cameras. But they ruled for about half a century. Instant photos. The wonder of it… almost like magic!
Don’t even get me started on record players. Or records, for that matter: LPs and 45 RPMs. You remember… Vinyl! (If you asked a kid today if he has any 45’s, he might say “yes”… but he would be referring to pistols.)
We all know that records gave way to eight-tracks, which bit the dust when cassette tapes came along, which fell by the wayside when CDs showed up… which is about when I lost track.
It’s a shame today’s youngsters will never know the utter joy of playing a 45 on the wrong speed. Play it slow, on 33, and the singing was low, slow, and almost monster-like. Play it on 78, and every singer became one of the chipmunks. What a hoot!!!
Yes, the times they are a changing… and a lot of “stuff” changing along with it.
I could go on and on if I had time… but I need to wrap up now. (I want to try churn some ice cream to drop by the dime store before I go to the drive-in movies tonight.)
I’ll be back next week. Don’t touch that dial!
Shortly after 2:00 am, I noticed that I was still watching TV, and a question occurred to me: Whatever happened to the National Anthem and that always preceded the Test Pattern when stations signed off for the night?
It didn’t take me long to realize what happened to the song about Jose Canusi and the Full Color Electronic Test Pattern: Stations don’t sign off any more!!! They stay on all night long!
It bummed me out a little. In my younger days, I took great satisfaction in being up for “the end of our broadcast day!” It meant I had outlasted most of the rest of the world. Also, it was a good feeling to get a dose of patriotism before heading off to bed. Seeing the jets flying in formation gave me the feeling that the nation was secure for the night. (And, if that didn’t do it, hearing the John Wayne narration over “America” in the background definitely sent you off to bed feeling secure.)
But things change. The Star Spangled Banner and the Test Pattern have faded into the past, I realized, which set me to wondering what other little tidbits of life have simply faded away.
“Fill’er up” is a phrase that comes to mind. That’s what we used to say when we pulled in to a “filling station” or “service station”, which are what we called the places we went to get gasoline.
There are three reasons we don’t hear “fill’er up” any more: (1) Most folks can’t afford to fill up their car with gas; (2) If you can afford it, there probably isn’t enough gas available; and (3) There isn’t anybody to say “fill’er up” to! We’ve been pumping our own gas for 20 or 30 years now!
Interestingly, we still use the term “crank the car”, although we haven’t actually used “cranks” for six or eight decades!
We also use the term “dial the phone”, but I haven’t seen a phone with a dial in long time.
All sort of dials seem to pretty much be a thing of the past. Once upon a time, a dial controlled your phone, your radio and your TV. But dials seem to have been replaced by buttons and all sorts of “digital” paraphernalia.
We once heard an excited “Don’t touch that dial!” before most every commercial break on TV. Now it would be “Don’t push that remote button!”…. if they even tried, which they don’t, because they know we’re all going to be channel surfing during the break, just because we can!
Here’s something I haven’t seen in a long time: using your arm to make a turn signal, instead of the blinker. The last time I saw it was 20 years ago when I had to roll down my window to turn because my blinker was on the blink.
And another thing: When I was a kid, we were taught to “roll’ the toothpaste tube when it was near empty to get all the toothpaste out. I think the tubes are made out of a different material now, because you can’t roll them up like we used to.
Antennas up on the roof are over, and I’m sure nobody misses them. Still, they dominated our skyline for half a century, and it’s another piece of Americana that you’ll have to go to India to see.
Nobody misses party lines, either. Or the old-style, operator-assisted long-distance phone calls: station-to-station, person-to-person, or collect. (Long distance was a forbidden word in the 1960’s Shealy household. It was WAY expensive… strictly for emergencies… because what if you accidentally talked too long?!!!)
I do, however, miss the “nicknames” which were assigned to telephone exchanges. I grew up in the “Elgin” exchange, which was Lexington -- Elgin 9-9553, to be exact -- but could also make calls to the “Alpine” exchange, which was Columbia, without it being – “ohhh, no-o-o-o – the dreaded LONG DISTANCE!!!!
It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a Polaroid “instant” camera. I guess they’ve been replaced by digital cameras. But they ruled for about half a century. Instant photos. The wonder of it… almost like magic!
Don’t even get me started on record players. Or records, for that matter: LPs and 45 RPMs. You remember… Vinyl! (If you asked a kid today if he has any 45’s, he might say “yes”… but he would be referring to pistols.)
We all know that records gave way to eight-tracks, which bit the dust when cassette tapes came along, which fell by the wayside when CDs showed up… which is about when I lost track.
It’s a shame today’s youngsters will never know the utter joy of playing a 45 on the wrong speed. Play it slow, on 33, and the singing was low, slow, and almost monster-like. Play it on 78, and every singer became one of the chipmunks. What a hoot!!!
Yes, the times they are a changing… and a lot of “stuff” changing along with it.
I could go on and on if I had time… but I need to wrap up now. (I want to try churn some ice cream to drop by the dime store before I go to the drive-in movies tonight.)
I’ll be back next week. Don’t touch that dial!
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Nine Years Old
As I was nostalging about “the old days” recently, I decided that nine-years-old is the absolutely most perfect age of all.
When you’re nine years old, you can already read. When you’re nine, you can ride a bike. When you’re nine, you can play ball, and be a cub scout, and even try to build a tree house.
But you’re too young to have any real responsibilities.You haven’t reached “double-digits” yet. You’re not a teen-ager… not an adolescent. When you’re nine, you’re just a kid… but you’re the oldest kid you can be. (That’s not really true. I know some people who are, like, 54-years old, and they’re still pretty much kids… but that’s another story.)
I was dusting off the cobwebs the other day, and thinking back to when I turned nine years old. The year was 1962. (If you do the math, that means I’m now 54-years old.)
There was school… but it was not complicated. I got up every morning at 7:15, ate cereal, and walked out to catch the bus. Since I was one of the last stops on the bus route, all the seats were usually taken by the time I got on… so I stood up during the 10 minute ride to Lexington Elementary School… and it never occurred to me that I should have a seat.
When I arrived at school, I found my assigned desk, put my books onto the little shelf under the seat, pulled out some paper and started drawing pictures or doodling. I pretty much kept drawing all day long, unless we were told to do something that required writing.
I listened to whatever the teacher was saying most of the day, because ADD hadn’t been invented yet.
Although I was perfectly content half-listening to the teacher and drawing or doodling all day, there were two very bright spots in the school day: lunch and recess… especially recess!!!
At lunchtime we marched in line through the sandy parking lot to the lunch room… unless it was raining, in which case we marched in line through the entire building to reach the lunchroom… including walking by the sixth, seventh, and eighth grader’s classrooms, which was both thrilling and intimidating for a third grader.
At recess, the world opened up. Hundreds of kids descended on the out-of-doors. The younger kids stayed in the area of the sand-filled bus parking lot; but the older kids went down the hill to the playground bounded by the branch. When you’re nine, you can fit well into either group… the young kids or the old kids.
The highlight of recess, nearly every day, was seeing someone walking back into school soaking wet from trying to jump across the branch. Someone always tried. After all, we were admonished daily to “stay away from the branch” by our teachers, so how could we resist.
At the end of the day, the announcement came on the school loudspeaker: “Town children are now excused!”… and I knew there were only 10 or 15 more minutes before the bus-riders would be excused, too.
After another bus ride home – sometimes seated, sometimes not – I arrived at home and my real life began.
First, I would always help myself to another bowl of cereal. (You may have noticed that the highlight of lunch in elementary school is the march to the lunchroom, not the delicacies served when you got there.)
With my cereal prepared, I would find myself a seat on the floor in front of our one-channel, black and white TV and settle in for an hour or two of slapstick comedy: The Little Rascals, The Three Stooges, and lots and lots of cartoons. When you’re nine, you really enjoy cartoons.
The one channel our TV picked up was WIS-TV in Columbia, which means I tuned in to watch Jolly Jim and Chief Silly Horse, or later, Mr. Knozit. Once, my cub scout troop even made a trip to visit the studio, and we were ON the show!!!
After the cartoons were over, I headed outside…. either to my bike, to ride the neighborhood… or else to the woods at the edge of the backyard, to continue the construction of my fort. Some days it was both….the bike ride and the fort… just because that’s where my buddies and I ended up after riding bikes aimlessly for an hour.
About dark-thirty, it was always time to come in for supper. When you’re nine, you don’t think about where the food for that supper came from, you just enjoy it. Similarly, after supper was the bath – not a shower, a bath – once again with no thought of where the water for the bath came from.
Actually, when you’re nine, you don’t really think much about where anything comes from. Or about what the future holds, beyond maybe the next day… as in, “what are the consequences if I don’t do my homework?”
When you’re nine, you mostly don’t have a worry in the world. It’s the best age to be.
When you’re nine years old, you can already read. When you’re nine, you can ride a bike. When you’re nine, you can play ball, and be a cub scout, and even try to build a tree house.
But you’re too young to have any real responsibilities.You haven’t reached “double-digits” yet. You’re not a teen-ager… not an adolescent. When you’re nine, you’re just a kid… but you’re the oldest kid you can be. (That’s not really true. I know some people who are, like, 54-years old, and they’re still pretty much kids… but that’s another story.)
I was dusting off the cobwebs the other day, and thinking back to when I turned nine years old. The year was 1962. (If you do the math, that means I’m now 54-years old.)
There was school… but it was not complicated. I got up every morning at 7:15, ate cereal, and walked out to catch the bus. Since I was one of the last stops on the bus route, all the seats were usually taken by the time I got on… so I stood up during the 10 minute ride to Lexington Elementary School… and it never occurred to me that I should have a seat.
When I arrived at school, I found my assigned desk, put my books onto the little shelf under the seat, pulled out some paper and started drawing pictures or doodling. I pretty much kept drawing all day long, unless we were told to do something that required writing.
I listened to whatever the teacher was saying most of the day, because ADD hadn’t been invented yet.
Although I was perfectly content half-listening to the teacher and drawing or doodling all day, there were two very bright spots in the school day: lunch and recess… especially recess!!!
At lunchtime we marched in line through the sandy parking lot to the lunch room… unless it was raining, in which case we marched in line through the entire building to reach the lunchroom… including walking by the sixth, seventh, and eighth grader’s classrooms, which was both thrilling and intimidating for a third grader.
At recess, the world opened up. Hundreds of kids descended on the out-of-doors. The younger kids stayed in the area of the sand-filled bus parking lot; but the older kids went down the hill to the playground bounded by the branch. When you’re nine, you can fit well into either group… the young kids or the old kids.
The highlight of recess, nearly every day, was seeing someone walking back into school soaking wet from trying to jump across the branch. Someone always tried. After all, we were admonished daily to “stay away from the branch” by our teachers, so how could we resist.
At the end of the day, the announcement came on the school loudspeaker: “Town children are now excused!”… and I knew there were only 10 or 15 more minutes before the bus-riders would be excused, too.
After another bus ride home – sometimes seated, sometimes not – I arrived at home and my real life began.
First, I would always help myself to another bowl of cereal. (You may have noticed that the highlight of lunch in elementary school is the march to the lunchroom, not the delicacies served when you got there.)
With my cereal prepared, I would find myself a seat on the floor in front of our one-channel, black and white TV and settle in for an hour or two of slapstick comedy: The Little Rascals, The Three Stooges, and lots and lots of cartoons. When you’re nine, you really enjoy cartoons.
The one channel our TV picked up was WIS-TV in Columbia, which means I tuned in to watch Jolly Jim and Chief Silly Horse, or later, Mr. Knozit. Once, my cub scout troop even made a trip to visit the studio, and we were ON the show!!!
After the cartoons were over, I headed outside…. either to my bike, to ride the neighborhood… or else to the woods at the edge of the backyard, to continue the construction of my fort. Some days it was both….the bike ride and the fort… just because that’s where my buddies and I ended up after riding bikes aimlessly for an hour.
About dark-thirty, it was always time to come in for supper. When you’re nine, you don’t think about where the food for that supper came from, you just enjoy it. Similarly, after supper was the bath – not a shower, a bath – once again with no thought of where the water for the bath came from.
Actually, when you’re nine, you don’t really think much about where anything comes from. Or about what the future holds, beyond maybe the next day… as in, “what are the consequences if I don’t do my homework?”
When you’re nine, you mostly don’t have a worry in the world. It’s the best age to be.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Just a Few More Weeks to E-Day!
As promised, I’m going to break from the non-political tradition I try to maintain in this column to write a few words about the coming presidential election.
Normally, I stay away from politics here, in order to avoid any conflicts of interest, since I am occasionally involved in ongoing state and local political campaigns. (Also, it’s boring to me. I would much rather write about weight-loss contests; or new words I’ve invented; or my plan to have football, Frisbee, “horse”, and NASCAR added as events in the Olympics to make it fair for the American team; or how, as a youngster, I learned to water-ski behind a Buick because we didn’t own a boat.)
From time to time, however, I do weigh in politically, but always try to offer a disclaimer to let readers know of any potential conflicts which might exist.
Back in January, prior to our state’s presidential primaries, I spent a couple of weeks writing only positive things about each of the Democratic and Republican candidates running. I took the position that each of the candidates had certain merits, but those merits were often overshadowed by the mainstream media’s fixation on covering the controversial, the negative, and the process itself.
I am going to take the same approach to writing about Obama and McCain: putting on my bi-partisan hat to attempt to find good, solid reasons voters might have for choosing either of these gentlemen.
This week, however, I want to spend a few paragraphs simply making sure YOU and your neighbors participate, regardless of whom you might prefer.
While interest in the 2008 election seems to be at an all-time high – fueled largely by the fact that this WILL be an historic election, with either the election of an African-American President or a female Vice-President – there will still be MILLIONS of people eligible to participate who will not vote.
The first step is making sure you are registered to vote.
In order to vote, you must be registered at least 30 days in advance. That means by Saturday, October 4th.
If you have moved recently, you should re-register at your new address. If you have moved to from one county to another, you will not be able to vote unless you have re-registered. If you have moved INSIDE the same county but not re-registered, you should be allowed to vote for president, but it will be a hassle, and you will not be allowed to vote for local offices. So… even if you have just moved a few blocks, you should play it safe and re-register. And... make sure everyone else in your household has registered.
Anyone who will be 18 years old by Nov. 4th can register NOW in order to vote in the 2008 election.
You can register to vote by visiting your county voter registration board and completing an application, or by visiting the S.C. State Election Commission website – www.scvotes.org -- and downloading the mail-in voter registration application, completing it, and mailing it to your county board of voter registration. (The registration form can also be used to update your address and make other changes to your voter registration information.) If you mail an application, your local registration board will mail you a voter registration card before Election Day.
The second step is…. actually voting!!!
I’m going to let you in on a little secret: you don’t have to wait until Nov. 4th to cast your vote.
Under current state law, almost anyone can vote in advance by absentee ballot. You can go to your voter registration office, where you will be allowed to complete and return an application and then vote on the spot… or you can request an application by mail, and never have to leave your home.
The law allows you to vote in advance if you: 1) will be working on election day; or, 2) are over 65; or, 3) will be out of the county on election day. (NOTE: You don’t need to be out of the county ALL DAY; nor do you need to be working all day… just any part of the day.) If you will be working, and simply prefer not to leave work in order to vote, you’re eligible to vote by absentee ballot.
Here’s a little piece of trivia: Do you know who changed the law to allow all working people and senior citizens the right to vote by absentee ballot?
If you said Lt. Governor Andre Bauer, you were right! But long before he became Lt. Governor. When he was first elected to the House of Representatives in Nov., 1996, he observed people standing in line to vote, sometimes for several hours, and others who went back to work without voting because they could not afford to miss that much work. The following day, as his first legislative action – even before he was sworn in to office – he drafted the proposal that would eventually become law, and arranged to have it filed as his first piece of legislation. Since that time, the number of people voting by absentee ballot has increased in every election cycle. (BOLD DISCLAIMER: I should mention, by the way, that the Lt. Governor is one of those candidates in whose campaign I am occasionally involved… just like I was mentioning at the beginning of the column!)
Anyway, I encourage you to take advantage of your right to vote by absentee ballot so you will not end up in a long line on Election Day… unless, of course, you enjoy long lines. They do tend to remind us of Disney World, don’t they? And I always end up seeing lots of people I haven’t seen in a while!
So, in review: Step One, make sure you’re registered; and, Step Two, make sure you vote… in advance if it makes a difference.
I’ll be back soon to talk about Step Three: Making Your Choice!
Normally, I stay away from politics here, in order to avoid any conflicts of interest, since I am occasionally involved in ongoing state and local political campaigns. (Also, it’s boring to me. I would much rather write about weight-loss contests; or new words I’ve invented; or my plan to have football, Frisbee, “horse”, and NASCAR added as events in the Olympics to make it fair for the American team; or how, as a youngster, I learned to water-ski behind a Buick because we didn’t own a boat.)
From time to time, however, I do weigh in politically, but always try to offer a disclaimer to let readers know of any potential conflicts which might exist.
Back in January, prior to our state’s presidential primaries, I spent a couple of weeks writing only positive things about each of the Democratic and Republican candidates running. I took the position that each of the candidates had certain merits, but those merits were often overshadowed by the mainstream media’s fixation on covering the controversial, the negative, and the process itself.
I am going to take the same approach to writing about Obama and McCain: putting on my bi-partisan hat to attempt to find good, solid reasons voters might have for choosing either of these gentlemen.
This week, however, I want to spend a few paragraphs simply making sure YOU and your neighbors participate, regardless of whom you might prefer.
While interest in the 2008 election seems to be at an all-time high – fueled largely by the fact that this WILL be an historic election, with either the election of an African-American President or a female Vice-President – there will still be MILLIONS of people eligible to participate who will not vote.
The first step is making sure you are registered to vote.
In order to vote, you must be registered at least 30 days in advance. That means by Saturday, October 4th.
If you have moved recently, you should re-register at your new address. If you have moved to from one county to another, you will not be able to vote unless you have re-registered. If you have moved INSIDE the same county but not re-registered, you should be allowed to vote for president, but it will be a hassle, and you will not be allowed to vote for local offices. So… even if you have just moved a few blocks, you should play it safe and re-register. And... make sure everyone else in your household has registered.
Anyone who will be 18 years old by Nov. 4th can register NOW in order to vote in the 2008 election.
You can register to vote by visiting your county voter registration board and completing an application, or by visiting the S.C. State Election Commission website – www.scvotes.org -- and downloading the mail-in voter registration application, completing it, and mailing it to your county board of voter registration. (The registration form can also be used to update your address and make other changes to your voter registration information.) If you mail an application, your local registration board will mail you a voter registration card before Election Day.
The second step is…. actually voting!!!
I’m going to let you in on a little secret: you don’t have to wait until Nov. 4th to cast your vote.
Under current state law, almost anyone can vote in advance by absentee ballot. You can go to your voter registration office, where you will be allowed to complete and return an application and then vote on the spot… or you can request an application by mail, and never have to leave your home.
The law allows you to vote in advance if you: 1) will be working on election day; or, 2) are over 65; or, 3) will be out of the county on election day. (NOTE: You don’t need to be out of the county ALL DAY; nor do you need to be working all day… just any part of the day.) If you will be working, and simply prefer not to leave work in order to vote, you’re eligible to vote by absentee ballot.
Here’s a little piece of trivia: Do you know who changed the law to allow all working people and senior citizens the right to vote by absentee ballot?
If you said Lt. Governor Andre Bauer, you were right! But long before he became Lt. Governor. When he was first elected to the House of Representatives in Nov., 1996, he observed people standing in line to vote, sometimes for several hours, and others who went back to work without voting because they could not afford to miss that much work. The following day, as his first legislative action – even before he was sworn in to office – he drafted the proposal that would eventually become law, and arranged to have it filed as his first piece of legislation. Since that time, the number of people voting by absentee ballot has increased in every election cycle. (BOLD DISCLAIMER: I should mention, by the way, that the Lt. Governor is one of those candidates in whose campaign I am occasionally involved… just like I was mentioning at the beginning of the column!)
Anyway, I encourage you to take advantage of your right to vote by absentee ballot so you will not end up in a long line on Election Day… unless, of course, you enjoy long lines. They do tend to remind us of Disney World, don’t they? And I always end up seeing lots of people I haven’t seen in a while!
So, in review: Step One, make sure you’re registered; and, Step Two, make sure you vote… in advance if it makes a difference.
I’ll be back soon to talk about Step Three: Making Your Choice!
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Housecleaning Hodge-podge
House-Cleaning Hodge-podge
As promised last week, I will be writing about the Presidential candidates later this month… putting on my non-partisan hat, and trying to give good, solid reasons for voting for either of the two, just as I did back when there were a dozen candidates in January before the primaries.
This week, however, before I turn my attention to the weighty business of choosing the next leader of the free world, I have a little housecleaning
to attend to
to take care of
to deal with.
(I was trying to get rid of the dangling participle… but I’m giving up. You’ll have to just deal with it.)
Just a few things on my mind I want to mention…
First, I want to pause to acknowledge the anniversary we observe this week: It’s been seven years since the 9/11 attacks changed our world.
Most of us lived through that dark day by watching news reports that left deep and lasting impressions… impressions that inflamed our patriot spirit.
On that day, President Bush said, “Terrorists attacks can shake the foundations of our biggest buildings, but they cannot touch the foundation of America. These acts shatter steel, but they cannot dent the steel of American resolve.”
Passage of time dampens those memories. But it’s important that we all maintain the knowledge that the battle started on that day continues, and will continue for many years to come. We cannot allow ourselves to be lulled into false complacency. America is engaged in a war we didn’t start, but must finish. And, that’s why -- in addition to honoring the heroes of 9/11 – it’s good that we observe the occasion each year and refresh our memory of that dark day.
Now on to a less weighty matter – or more, depending on your point of view…
The Weight Loss Olympics is over: We have a winner… and it is not ME.
Regular readers of this column know that 15 Fat Guys started a competition back in July – a seven week weight-loss competition. We each put $100 American dollars into a pot with the winner taking all.
And the winner was Northeast Columbia resident Don Gowrys, Store Manager of Michaels Arts and Crafts on Harbison Boulevard. Don initially weighed-in at 381.2 pounds, but lost a whopping 40 pounds in seven weeks!!! He says he did it with a simple balanced diet and exercise… but I’m suspicious. (Incidentally, he beat Yours Truly by 29 pounds!)
Honorable mention in the weight loss extravaganza went to Robert Wessinger and Rod Lorick, each of whom lost 25 pounds during the 49 day contest period.
The rest of us were mostly in the teens. We didn’t set any records, but we still ended up 10 or 15 pounds lighter than we started.
Next item –
This newspaper is planning to bring back an old feature: community columnists – the locals who contribute a few paragraphs each week or so about goings-on in your own neighborhoods or social circles.
We’re currently looking for the folks to fill those slots, and you might be one of them. If you’re interested in a new hobby – writing your own short column about the people you know every week or so – shoot me an email, and I’ll pass it on. My personal email is: RodShealy@aol.com
As promised a few weeks ago, I want to update you on my own medical condition.
In July, you may know, I was diagnosed with a cancerous brain tumor, which turned out to be a recurrence of melanoma from 25 years earlier. Surgery in early August was successful in removing the tumor, leaving no further indications of the cancer. While there is a very real possibility of a future recurrence, my doctors have now advised against any therapy -- chemo or radiation -- at this time, opting instead for a program of monitoring, with an MRI scheduled every two months. This way, the doctors believe they will be able to catch any future growths early and “zap” them at that time. So, the bottom line is this: I’m doing GREAT! I’m back at work – although only 8 to 10 hours a day – and feeling stronger every day. And, once again, I am deeply appreciative of all the cards, letters, calls and emails of support, and the many, many prayers that, I am certain, resulted in this very good news. I thank you.
One last thing, which I found recently on the Electronic Internet:
Can you read this?
fi yuo cna raed tihs, yuo hvae a sgtrane mnid too. Cna yuo raed tihs? Olny 55 plepoe out of 100 can. i cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno't mtaetr in waht oerdr the ltteres in a wrod are, the olny iproamtnt tihng is taht the frsit and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it whotuit a pboerlm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Azanmig huh? yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt!
Taht’s all fro nwo. I’ll be bcak nxet weke!
As promised last week, I will be writing about the Presidential candidates later this month… putting on my non-partisan hat, and trying to give good, solid reasons for voting for either of the two, just as I did back when there were a dozen candidates in January before the primaries.
This week, however, before I turn my attention to the weighty business of choosing the next leader of the free world, I have a little housecleaning
to attend to
to take care of
to deal with.
(I was trying to get rid of the dangling participle… but I’m giving up. You’ll have to just deal with it.)
Just a few things on my mind I want to mention…
First, I want to pause to acknowledge the anniversary we observe this week: It’s been seven years since the 9/11 attacks changed our world.
Most of us lived through that dark day by watching news reports that left deep and lasting impressions… impressions that inflamed our patriot spirit.
On that day, President Bush said, “Terrorists attacks can shake the foundations of our biggest buildings, but they cannot touch the foundation of America. These acts shatter steel, but they cannot dent the steel of American resolve.”
Passage of time dampens those memories. But it’s important that we all maintain the knowledge that the battle started on that day continues, and will continue for many years to come. We cannot allow ourselves to be lulled into false complacency. America is engaged in a war we didn’t start, but must finish. And, that’s why -- in addition to honoring the heroes of 9/11 – it’s good that we observe the occasion each year and refresh our memory of that dark day.
Now on to a less weighty matter – or more, depending on your point of view…
The Weight Loss Olympics is over: We have a winner… and it is not ME.
Regular readers of this column know that 15 Fat Guys started a competition back in July – a seven week weight-loss competition. We each put $100 American dollars into a pot with the winner taking all.
And the winner was Northeast Columbia resident Don Gowrys, Store Manager of Michaels Arts and Crafts on Harbison Boulevard. Don initially weighed-in at 381.2 pounds, but lost a whopping 40 pounds in seven weeks!!! He says he did it with a simple balanced diet and exercise… but I’m suspicious. (Incidentally, he beat Yours Truly by 29 pounds!)
Honorable mention in the weight loss extravaganza went to Robert Wessinger and Rod Lorick, each of whom lost 25 pounds during the 49 day contest period.
The rest of us were mostly in the teens. We didn’t set any records, but we still ended up 10 or 15 pounds lighter than we started.
Next item –
This newspaper is planning to bring back an old feature: community columnists – the locals who contribute a few paragraphs each week or so about goings-on in your own neighborhoods or social circles.
We’re currently looking for the folks to fill those slots, and you might be one of them. If you’re interested in a new hobby – writing your own short column about the people you know every week or so – shoot me an email, and I’ll pass it on. My personal email is: RodShealy@aol.com
As promised a few weeks ago, I want to update you on my own medical condition.
In July, you may know, I was diagnosed with a cancerous brain tumor, which turned out to be a recurrence of melanoma from 25 years earlier. Surgery in early August was successful in removing the tumor, leaving no further indications of the cancer. While there is a very real possibility of a future recurrence, my doctors have now advised against any therapy -- chemo or radiation -- at this time, opting instead for a program of monitoring, with an MRI scheduled every two months. This way, the doctors believe they will be able to catch any future growths early and “zap” them at that time. So, the bottom line is this: I’m doing GREAT! I’m back at work – although only 8 to 10 hours a day – and feeling stronger every day. And, once again, I am deeply appreciative of all the cards, letters, calls and emails of support, and the many, many prayers that, I am certain, resulted in this very good news. I thank you.
One last thing, which I found recently on the Electronic Internet:
Can you read this?
fi yuo cna raed tihs, yuo hvae a sgtrane mnid too. Cna yuo raed tihs? Olny 55 plepoe out of 100 can. i cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno't mtaetr in waht oerdr the ltteres in a wrod are, the olny iproamtnt tihng is taht the frsit and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it whotuit a pboerlm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Azanmig huh? yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt!
Taht’s all fro nwo. I’ll be bcak nxet weke!
Monday, September 1, 2008
Choosing our President – Part Two
This week, I’m writing about politics, which I normally do NOT write about in this column. So let me start with a disclaimer: I am a sometimes-Republican.
Being a sometimes-Republican is very convenient. It’s a win-win. Because I am a sometimes-Republican --as opposed to an all-the-time Republican -- they (the Republicans) don’t have to always accept responsibility for anything I may say or do… which they appreciate, I’m sure… and I don’t have to own-up to everything THEY do… which is increasingly convenient for ME!
When I last wrote about the process of choosing our next President, it was way back in January, in the weeks before the South Carolina Presidential Primaries.
At that time, you may recall, there were still more than a dozen candidates – six or eight for each party – and I took an unusual approach to writing about them. I tried to give good, solid reasons to vote for each -- reasons that each might make a good President -- as opposed to the negativity which most media-types tend to inject into political campaigns. (If you missed those columns in January, you can, of course, still find them on my blog: www.doingthefirst.blogspot.com)
Now it’s time to take another look at the 2008 Presidential Election.
We are now two months away from the November 4th election. The next nine weeks will be an exciting time in American history.
The primaries have come and gone, we’ve made it to the National Conventions, and both parties have officially chosen their slates.
We now know for sure that 2008 will be an historic election: a barrier will be broken. America will either elect an African-American or a female to one of the top-two offices, President and Vice-President.
Both campaigns kick off their dash to the finish line with their National Conventions: week-long TV productions which allow them to say anything they want to about themselves or their opponents.
National conventions weren’t always just big shows. Just three decades ago, they were actually un-scripted events, designed to choose the party nominee. Delegates were free to vote for the candidate of their choice, and we actually did not know who the nominee would be until the votes were cast at the convention.
During the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s, however, most states started holding primary elections, to let voters give delegates instructions on casting their votes at the conventions. Nowadays, thanks to that string of primaries, the nominee has been decided long before the convention gets here, and the entire event is used to promote the nominee, rather than to determine the nominee.
Twice, I served as one of those delegates. The second time, in 1988, I was there with instructions from the voters to cast my vote for George H. W. Bush. The first time, in 1984, we were there to nominate Ronald Reagan for a second term, so there was no other Republican candidate. “There”, incidentally, was Dallas in 1984, and New Orleans in 1988.
(At the 1984 convention, I also served as a member of the national Rules Committee, a position I used to stop a rules change which would have decreased the voting strength of all Southern states… but that’s a whole ‘nother story. I also, those days, was the chairman of the STATE rules committee of the GOP, a position I used to create our state’s Presidential Primary as a permanent fixture. But that’s a ‘nother ‘nother story. And, it was back before I became a sometimes-Republican.)
My biggest and best memory from those two conventions was this: On the final night of the Reagan convention, Ray Charles closed the evening with his version of “America”… with about 20,000 Republicans singing back-up…to this day, one of the highlight moments of my life. It was a great show. Even back in 1988, the National Parties had already started turning the conventions into Bigtime TV Productions.
There were other great memories, also. The conventions were always week-long opportunities to develop lasting friendships with a hundred or so fellow Palmetto-Staters… which is always a good thing. But, at the end of the day, they are mostly just well-produced shows: a four-night TV commercial.
Still, they’re probably a better source of information about the candidates, the parties, and the issues than our other leading sources of information: paid 30-second ads, the nightly news, and the internet.
I’m not sure many voters care about the two candidates’ records or real positions on the issues. Also, I suspect most voters have already determined how they will vote this year.
Still, during the next few weeks, I’m going through the same exercise I tried back in January. I’m going to try to give you good solid reasons to vote for BOTH tickets. I’m going to try to say good things about both candidates and their running mates, just as I did when there were more than a dozen candidates in the race.
I am predicting an all-time record-breaking voter turn-out for the November 4th Presidential Election: more people going to the polls to vote than ever before. I just want to do my small part to make sure they know what they’re doing when they get there. Stay tuned.
Being a sometimes-Republican is very convenient. It’s a win-win. Because I am a sometimes-Republican --as opposed to an all-the-time Republican -- they (the Republicans) don’t have to always accept responsibility for anything I may say or do… which they appreciate, I’m sure… and I don’t have to own-up to everything THEY do… which is increasingly convenient for ME!
When I last wrote about the process of choosing our next President, it was way back in January, in the weeks before the South Carolina Presidential Primaries.
At that time, you may recall, there were still more than a dozen candidates – six or eight for each party – and I took an unusual approach to writing about them. I tried to give good, solid reasons to vote for each -- reasons that each might make a good President -- as opposed to the negativity which most media-types tend to inject into political campaigns. (If you missed those columns in January, you can, of course, still find them on my blog: www.doingthefirst.blogspot.com)
Now it’s time to take another look at the 2008 Presidential Election.
We are now two months away from the November 4th election. The next nine weeks will be an exciting time in American history.
The primaries have come and gone, we’ve made it to the National Conventions, and both parties have officially chosen their slates.
We now know for sure that 2008 will be an historic election: a barrier will be broken. America will either elect an African-American or a female to one of the top-two offices, President and Vice-President.
Both campaigns kick off their dash to the finish line with their National Conventions: week-long TV productions which allow them to say anything they want to about themselves or their opponents.
National conventions weren’t always just big shows. Just three decades ago, they were actually un-scripted events, designed to choose the party nominee. Delegates were free to vote for the candidate of their choice, and we actually did not know who the nominee would be until the votes were cast at the convention.
During the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s, however, most states started holding primary elections, to let voters give delegates instructions on casting their votes at the conventions. Nowadays, thanks to that string of primaries, the nominee has been decided long before the convention gets here, and the entire event is used to promote the nominee, rather than to determine the nominee.
Twice, I served as one of those delegates. The second time, in 1988, I was there with instructions from the voters to cast my vote for George H. W. Bush. The first time, in 1984, we were there to nominate Ronald Reagan for a second term, so there was no other Republican candidate. “There”, incidentally, was Dallas in 1984, and New Orleans in 1988.
(At the 1984 convention, I also served as a member of the national Rules Committee, a position I used to stop a rules change which would have decreased the voting strength of all Southern states… but that’s a whole ‘nother story. I also, those days, was the chairman of the STATE rules committee of the GOP, a position I used to create our state’s Presidential Primary as a permanent fixture. But that’s a ‘nother ‘nother story. And, it was back before I became a sometimes-Republican.)
My biggest and best memory from those two conventions was this: On the final night of the Reagan convention, Ray Charles closed the evening with his version of “America”… with about 20,000 Republicans singing back-up…to this day, one of the highlight moments of my life. It was a great show. Even back in 1988, the National Parties had already started turning the conventions into Bigtime TV Productions.
There were other great memories, also. The conventions were always week-long opportunities to develop lasting friendships with a hundred or so fellow Palmetto-Staters… which is always a good thing. But, at the end of the day, they are mostly just well-produced shows: a four-night TV commercial.
Still, they’re probably a better source of information about the candidates, the parties, and the issues than our other leading sources of information: paid 30-second ads, the nightly news, and the internet.
I’m not sure many voters care about the two candidates’ records or real positions on the issues. Also, I suspect most voters have already determined how they will vote this year.
Still, during the next few weeks, I’m going through the same exercise I tried back in January. I’m going to try to give you good solid reasons to vote for BOTH tickets. I’m going to try to say good things about both candidates and their running mates, just as I did when there were more than a dozen candidates in the race.
I am predicting an all-time record-breaking voter turn-out for the November 4th Presidential Election: more people going to the polls to vote than ever before. I just want to do my small part to make sure they know what they’re doing when they get there. Stay tuned.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
The Weight Loss Olympics
Just when you thought you were going to have withdrawals from having NO Olympics after watching the competitions on TV for seventeen straight days, we’ve got a little surprise for you: The Weight Loss Olympics are still going strong. And the Closing Ceremonies are set for Tuesday, Sept. 2nd!!
When we last checked in on the Weight Loss Olympics, we actually were calling it by a completely different name -- The Next Great Almost Annual Weight Loss Challenge Invitational Competition – which is awkward and hard to remember, so, being swept up in Olympics Fever like everyone else, we changed the name.
Actually, we’re just 14 fat guys – plus our mascot – trying to win the pot of $1,500 by losing more weight than any other competitors.
It was way back on July 15th that our Band of Big Bellied Brothers kicked off our seven week contest with an official weigh-in, and a lot of boasting and self-promotion. We heard more bragging from this group of Fat Guys BEFORE the competition than we’ve heard from Michael Phelps AFTER winning eight gold medals. If you could believe all the hype we heard that day, you would expect that the group, by now, had collectively lost enough weight to shift the equilibrium of the earth, and slightly knock the equator off its course.
But it probably hasn’t happened that way.
For my part, I have a doctor’s excuse. Plus, being on steroids for three weeks in the middle of the Weight Loss Olympics does not help you drop poundage.
But the other 14 contestants… well, that’s a different story. Actually, it’s fourteen different stories… most of them with great excuses at the end.
While we won’t know for sure until the final weigh-in on Sept. 2nd – the highlight of the Closing Ceremonies – here are some of my personal predictions of the “Leastest Losers”!
Jim Miles – Former S.C. Secretary of State, weighed in at 234.2 at the Opening Ceremonies. Jim has great intentions, but no will-power. Five minutes after the initial weigh-in, he was into the ice cream, setting a new Olympic speed record for quickest “fall off the wagon” start. No chance.
Barry Walker – Irmo Councilman, better known as “Fat Back”, the proprietor of Mac’s on Main, registered a 327.2 at the initial weigh-in. Theoretically, Fat Back should be a contender to Medal in the weigh loss event. But he switched coaches in the middle of the games, and now the Gold appears to be out of his reach.
Bruce Holland – the only lawyer in the group, and therefore the one holding the cash -- weighed in at 238.2. He started off strong in the competition, but let’s just say he “dropped the baton” along the ways. Chance of winning: Nill. Still, he’s the guy holding the cash, so please keep your eyes on him for us.
Lewis Gossett weighed in at a hefty 247.6. The former director of SC LLR, and now director of some sort of hifalutin’ big deal business group, Lewis was considered to be a possible medalist… until the game actually started. That’s when we realized he could never “stick his landing”. He’s out.
Kirk Luther – The defending goal medalist weighing in at 236.2. The reigning champ is the Business Manager and partner in this very newspaper, but was Not Necessarily Expected to Win Again. Still, real champions know how to rise to the occasion even when they appear to be out of the running. Plus, Kirk knows how to drink a bottle of Mineral Oil the night before the final weigh-in. Prediction: Not Necessarily out of the running.
Terry Campbell is an Insurance Executive Extraordinaire who should have been able to calculate his 0% odds of winning. He weighed in at 241.6. Could he have been a contender? Doubtful. But all hope flew out the window when he blew his strategy by confusing MORE EXERCISE with MORE FOOD. It’s a lot like being in the diving competition, and leading off with a “cannonball”.
John Wentzell’s initial weigh-in was a measly 209.4. He has as much business in this contest as Saudi Arabia has entering the Winter Olympics. No chance.
Joe Kennedy started out at 217.8, because he was already down 20 pounds from an earlier weight loss effort. That’s a lot like entering the swimming competition wearing Army Boots. Not gonna happen!
Rod Shealy, Jr. weighed in at 217.6 to start. Junior has joined his dad – me -- in this contest for the third year in row. Like Joe, RJ he seems to have trouble when it comes to calculating the math in a weight-loss contest. If this were a Marathon, RJ would have given out of steam after the first mile of the 26 mile race.
Robert Wessinger started at 251.0, and should have been a contender. But, let’s just he “tripped over several of the hurdles” along the way. When the final weigh-in comes, this current Real Estate guy will still have a little bit of DoNut belly left over from his career as a Lexington County Deputy.
Rod Lorick , of the Cayce-West Columbia News, weighed in at 312.2 to start. He’s a well known golfer who asserts himself to be the Greatest Living Athlete in Cayce-West Columbia. But he also asserts himself to be the winner of this contest. I don’t think so! In fact, Rod’s routine during the Weight-Loss Olympics have inspired a whole new event: Synchronized Buffet Line!
Shirley Towne – Our Mascot, who the guys all fell in love with. As the only female in the contest, we’re withholding the information we share on the others. Let’s just call her healthy… and BY FAR the prettiest person in this contest. But… not a medalist! A lot like the archery contestant who shot the wrong target!
Mike Andrews, the Tune-Up King from Bob Andrews Motors, tipped the scales at 282.4, making him one of the statistical favorites for this competition. But, once again, Andrews got off to a false start. Plus, he splashed his dive entry, swam into the wrong lane, got a little trigger happy on the shooting range, sank his kayak, and tipped the pole vault bar as he was going under it! Additionally, Andrews is known to have the will-power of a gnat, and suffers from the delusion that he still looks like he looked 20 years ago, which -- face it -- wasn’t that great even then, unless there was lots of alcohol involved. Best guess: Mike is well-prepared to start his NEXT weight-loss contest… after actually GAINING weight during this one!!!
Which brings us to the odds-on favorite for the Gold -- Northeast Columbia resident Don Gowrys, better known as the Store Manager of Michaels Arts and Crafts, who initially weighed-in at a whopping 381.2, and has reportedly stuck to a rigorous training schedule during the games. Can he do it? Remember, it’s a marathon, not a sprint… so watch out for leg-cramps in the last few miles! Our prediction: Going for the Gold.
We’ll let you know how it turns out.
When we last checked in on the Weight Loss Olympics, we actually were calling it by a completely different name -- The Next Great Almost Annual Weight Loss Challenge Invitational Competition – which is awkward and hard to remember, so, being swept up in Olympics Fever like everyone else, we changed the name.
Actually, we’re just 14 fat guys – plus our mascot – trying to win the pot of $1,500 by losing more weight than any other competitors.
It was way back on July 15th that our Band of Big Bellied Brothers kicked off our seven week contest with an official weigh-in, and a lot of boasting and self-promotion. We heard more bragging from this group of Fat Guys BEFORE the competition than we’ve heard from Michael Phelps AFTER winning eight gold medals. If you could believe all the hype we heard that day, you would expect that the group, by now, had collectively lost enough weight to shift the equilibrium of the earth, and slightly knock the equator off its course.
But it probably hasn’t happened that way.
For my part, I have a doctor’s excuse. Plus, being on steroids for three weeks in the middle of the Weight Loss Olympics does not help you drop poundage.
But the other 14 contestants… well, that’s a different story. Actually, it’s fourteen different stories… most of them with great excuses at the end.
While we won’t know for sure until the final weigh-in on Sept. 2nd – the highlight of the Closing Ceremonies – here are some of my personal predictions of the “Leastest Losers”!
Jim Miles – Former S.C. Secretary of State, weighed in at 234.2 at the Opening Ceremonies. Jim has great intentions, but no will-power. Five minutes after the initial weigh-in, he was into the ice cream, setting a new Olympic speed record for quickest “fall off the wagon” start. No chance.
Barry Walker – Irmo Councilman, better known as “Fat Back”, the proprietor of Mac’s on Main, registered a 327.2 at the initial weigh-in. Theoretically, Fat Back should be a contender to Medal in the weigh loss event. But he switched coaches in the middle of the games, and now the Gold appears to be out of his reach.
Bruce Holland – the only lawyer in the group, and therefore the one holding the cash -- weighed in at 238.2. He started off strong in the competition, but let’s just say he “dropped the baton” along the ways. Chance of winning: Nill. Still, he’s the guy holding the cash, so please keep your eyes on him for us.
Lewis Gossett weighed in at a hefty 247.6. The former director of SC LLR, and now director of some sort of hifalutin’ big deal business group, Lewis was considered to be a possible medalist… until the game actually started. That’s when we realized he could never “stick his landing”. He’s out.
Kirk Luther – The defending goal medalist weighing in at 236.2. The reigning champ is the Business Manager and partner in this very newspaper, but was Not Necessarily Expected to Win Again. Still, real champions know how to rise to the occasion even when they appear to be out of the running. Plus, Kirk knows how to drink a bottle of Mineral Oil the night before the final weigh-in. Prediction: Not Necessarily out of the running.
Terry Campbell is an Insurance Executive Extraordinaire who should have been able to calculate his 0% odds of winning. He weighed in at 241.6. Could he have been a contender? Doubtful. But all hope flew out the window when he blew his strategy by confusing MORE EXERCISE with MORE FOOD. It’s a lot like being in the diving competition, and leading off with a “cannonball”.
John Wentzell’s initial weigh-in was a measly 209.4. He has as much business in this contest as Saudi Arabia has entering the Winter Olympics. No chance.
Joe Kennedy started out at 217.8, because he was already down 20 pounds from an earlier weight loss effort. That’s a lot like entering the swimming competition wearing Army Boots. Not gonna happen!
Rod Shealy, Jr. weighed in at 217.6 to start. Junior has joined his dad – me -- in this contest for the third year in row. Like Joe, RJ he seems to have trouble when it comes to calculating the math in a weight-loss contest. If this were a Marathon, RJ would have given out of steam after the first mile of the 26 mile race.
Robert Wessinger started at 251.0, and should have been a contender. But, let’s just he “tripped over several of the hurdles” along the way. When the final weigh-in comes, this current Real Estate guy will still have a little bit of DoNut belly left over from his career as a Lexington County Deputy.
Rod Lorick , of the Cayce-West Columbia News, weighed in at 312.2 to start. He’s a well known golfer who asserts himself to be the Greatest Living Athlete in Cayce-West Columbia. But he also asserts himself to be the winner of this contest. I don’t think so! In fact, Rod’s routine during the Weight-Loss Olympics have inspired a whole new event: Synchronized Buffet Line!
Shirley Towne – Our Mascot, who the guys all fell in love with. As the only female in the contest, we’re withholding the information we share on the others. Let’s just call her healthy… and BY FAR the prettiest person in this contest. But… not a medalist! A lot like the archery contestant who shot the wrong target!
Mike Andrews, the Tune-Up King from Bob Andrews Motors, tipped the scales at 282.4, making him one of the statistical favorites for this competition. But, once again, Andrews got off to a false start. Plus, he splashed his dive entry, swam into the wrong lane, got a little trigger happy on the shooting range, sank his kayak, and tipped the pole vault bar as he was going under it! Additionally, Andrews is known to have the will-power of a gnat, and suffers from the delusion that he still looks like he looked 20 years ago, which -- face it -- wasn’t that great even then, unless there was lots of alcohol involved. Best guess: Mike is well-prepared to start his NEXT weight-loss contest… after actually GAINING weight during this one!!!
Which brings us to the odds-on favorite for the Gold -- Northeast Columbia resident Don Gowrys, better known as the Store Manager of Michaels Arts and Crafts, who initially weighed-in at a whopping 381.2, and has reportedly stuck to a rigorous training schedule during the games. Can he do it? Remember, it’s a marathon, not a sprint… so watch out for leg-cramps in the last few miles! Our prediction: Going for the Gold.
We’ll let you know how it turns out.
Monday, August 18, 2008
I have some other things to write about
For the last couple of weeks, I’ve written here about my medical condition. But I’ve decided I have some other things I want to write about.
Every four years, at about this time of year, we witness some major events: the Olympics, and the National Conventions leading to the November presidential election.
All year long, I’ve been looking forward so writing about these events, and sharing my personal, insider’s look as a former participant.
Okay, I was never actually IN the Olympics – mostly just watched it on TV, like everybody else… (Note: If they had ever added “horse” as one basketball events, as they rightfully should have, I’m certain I could have been a contender.) -- but I wanted to write about it anyway. Also, I actually WAS a delegate to a couple of National Conventions.
Anyway, I plan to get back to writing about these things starting next week, because we can wrap up the medical stuff today.
So let me start by bringing you up to date my recent surgery.
Two weeks ago, I told you that I had been diagnosed with a cancerous brain tumor. Last week, when I wrote this column, I was preparing for surgery, but had no real indication of the outcome.
Well, that’s not totally true. I did have SOME indication, because of the sheer number of friends, acquaintances and total strangers who were praying for me.
The prayers worked, along with the skilled hands of Dr. Sunil Patel, Chief of Neurosurgery at MUSC. The news during and since the surgery has been very, very good.
During the surgery, Dr. Patel was able to extract the tumor without any damage to surrounding tissue, and was able to remove all indications of cancer. The tumor revealed that the cancer was metastasic melanoma, likely a recurrence of an earlier melanoma 25 years ago. Normally, this would be bad news, but a post-op MRI revealed no sign of additional cancer… which is good news. Moreover, the team at MUSC has offered even better news: that the recommended therapy to prevent further recurrence can be limited to a very targeted, “mild” therapy, rather than the harsher, unpleasant therapies that had been predicted.
Of course, it’s still cancer, and anything can happen. It is in the hands of the Lord. But as for now, it appears that the Lord wants me on this earth a while longer. The surgery, and every indication since then, has been very good news.
So, that’s the brief report from my surgery and the week since.
However, I know that’s not the stuff you readers really want to know. So I’m going to give you the answers to YOUR questions now, too.
A reader asked me this question: “Did you lose all your hair?”
The answer is “no” I did not lose all my hair. In fact, I didn’t lose any hair during the surgery that I can tell.
(A reader didn’t really ask that. I’m pretending somebody asked these questions, like all columnists do… even “Dear Abby”.)
Another reader asks: Will you lose your hair during your therapy?
The answer is “yes”… but it really won’t make a big difference, cause there's not a lot of hair to lose.
A smart-aleck reader asks: “Have you ever done this therapy before, because you sure are missing a lot of hair?”
I will not dignify that fake question with a response.
Next reader: “Do you have a scar where the surgery was?”
Yes, with metal staples. Gnarly!
Reader: “Are you on drugs?”
I was, but I kicked the habit. They were very good drugs, starting with steroids before the surgery, and some very impressive painkillers afterwards. But, there were side effects… like waking up at 3:30 am and phoning total strangers in Bangladesh. So, I decided I really wasn’t in pain any more.
Yet another reader: “How’s your brain? Can you spell and do numbers now?”
The original symptoms, which led to the discovery of the cancer, were that I was getting numbers and letters confused. Those symptoms are completely gone… although the “over 50” thing has been steadily taking its toll on my spelling, numbers, remembering, etc. for a few years now.
A reader’s question: “Did you retain your same level of comedic wittiness?”
Unfortunately, yes.
Another reader, another question: “How does this effect your weight loss competition?”
Apparently, it made the other contestants virtually give up... based on the reports I have gotten that they’ve basically quit losing weight altogether… but with two weeks to go, anything can happen.
Reader: “Does your head hurt?”
Actually, no. Strangely, no pain at all. But, of course, the first few days, I was medicated.
Reader: “Are you back at work yet?”
No. Doctor’s orders. No work until Thursday. However, he did clear me to use my cell-phone and laptop… which is pretty much what I do if I’m “at work”.
Reader: “Anybody you want to thank?”
Everybody I want to thank! We don’t have that kind of time or space. But “thanks” to everybody who wrote, called, cared, and most of all prayed.
Now that I’ve answered all the questions you really wanted to know, next week I’m going to get back to writing some of the other stuff I want to write. I’ll still keep you posted on any medical developments which might occur on my blog: doingthefirst.blogspot.com
Enjoy the rest of the Olympics, albeit without my expert, inside commentary. See you next week.
Every four years, at about this time of year, we witness some major events: the Olympics, and the National Conventions leading to the November presidential election.
All year long, I’ve been looking forward so writing about these events, and sharing my personal, insider’s look as a former participant.
Okay, I was never actually IN the Olympics – mostly just watched it on TV, like everybody else… (Note: If they had ever added “horse” as one basketball events, as they rightfully should have, I’m certain I could have been a contender.) -- but I wanted to write about it anyway. Also, I actually WAS a delegate to a couple of National Conventions.
Anyway, I plan to get back to writing about these things starting next week, because we can wrap up the medical stuff today.
So let me start by bringing you up to date my recent surgery.
Two weeks ago, I told you that I had been diagnosed with a cancerous brain tumor. Last week, when I wrote this column, I was preparing for surgery, but had no real indication of the outcome.
Well, that’s not totally true. I did have SOME indication, because of the sheer number of friends, acquaintances and total strangers who were praying for me.
The prayers worked, along with the skilled hands of Dr. Sunil Patel, Chief of Neurosurgery at MUSC. The news during and since the surgery has been very, very good.
During the surgery, Dr. Patel was able to extract the tumor without any damage to surrounding tissue, and was able to remove all indications of cancer. The tumor revealed that the cancer was metastasic melanoma, likely a recurrence of an earlier melanoma 25 years ago. Normally, this would be bad news, but a post-op MRI revealed no sign of additional cancer… which is good news. Moreover, the team at MUSC has offered even better news: that the recommended therapy to prevent further recurrence can be limited to a very targeted, “mild” therapy, rather than the harsher, unpleasant therapies that had been predicted.
Of course, it’s still cancer, and anything can happen. It is in the hands of the Lord. But as for now, it appears that the Lord wants me on this earth a while longer. The surgery, and every indication since then, has been very good news.
So, that’s the brief report from my surgery and the week since.
However, I know that’s not the stuff you readers really want to know. So I’m going to give you the answers to YOUR questions now, too.
A reader asked me this question: “Did you lose all your hair?”
The answer is “no” I did not lose all my hair. In fact, I didn’t lose any hair during the surgery that I can tell.
(A reader didn’t really ask that. I’m pretending somebody asked these questions, like all columnists do… even “Dear Abby”.)
Another reader asks: Will you lose your hair during your therapy?
The answer is “yes”… but it really won’t make a big difference, cause there's not a lot of hair to lose.
A smart-aleck reader asks: “Have you ever done this therapy before, because you sure are missing a lot of hair?”
I will not dignify that fake question with a response.
Next reader: “Do you have a scar where the surgery was?”
Yes, with metal staples. Gnarly!
Reader: “Are you on drugs?”
I was, but I kicked the habit. They were very good drugs, starting with steroids before the surgery, and some very impressive painkillers afterwards. But, there were side effects… like waking up at 3:30 am and phoning total strangers in Bangladesh. So, I decided I really wasn’t in pain any more.
Yet another reader: “How’s your brain? Can you spell and do numbers now?”
The original symptoms, which led to the discovery of the cancer, were that I was getting numbers and letters confused. Those symptoms are completely gone… although the “over 50” thing has been steadily taking its toll on my spelling, numbers, remembering, etc. for a few years now.
A reader’s question: “Did you retain your same level of comedic wittiness?”
Unfortunately, yes.
Another reader, another question: “How does this effect your weight loss competition?”
Apparently, it made the other contestants virtually give up... based on the reports I have gotten that they’ve basically quit losing weight altogether… but with two weeks to go, anything can happen.
Reader: “Does your head hurt?”
Actually, no. Strangely, no pain at all. But, of course, the first few days, I was medicated.
Reader: “Are you back at work yet?”
No. Doctor’s orders. No work until Thursday. However, he did clear me to use my cell-phone and laptop… which is pretty much what I do if I’m “at work”.
Reader: “Anybody you want to thank?”
Everybody I want to thank! We don’t have that kind of time or space. But “thanks” to everybody who wrote, called, cared, and most of all prayed.
Now that I’ve answered all the questions you really wanted to know, next week I’m going to get back to writing some of the other stuff I want to write. I’ll still keep you posted on any medical developments which might occur on my blog: doingthefirst.blogspot.com
Enjoy the rest of the Olympics, albeit without my expert, inside commentary. See you next week.
A special thank you...
I have been overwhelmed by the continued prayers and support I've received in the last two weeks from so many, many friends and aquaintances, as we as the kindness of strangers who have let me know they are praying for me. I am deeply grateful.
I know those prayers have been answered, as every day has brought better and better news.
While nothing is for certain, in now appears that for some reason, God wants me to remain on this Earth for a while... an outcome that didn't seem likely a few weeks ago.
To each and every person who has taken the time to write, call, visit, or pray, I thank your for your friendship.
Rod
I know those prayers have been answered, as every day has brought better and better news.
While nothing is for certain, in now appears that for some reason, God wants me to remain on this Earth for a while... an outcome that didn't seem likely a few weeks ago.
To each and every person who has taken the time to write, call, visit, or pray, I thank your for your friendship.
Rod
Monday, August 11, 2008
Random Thoughts from the Luckiest Man on Earth…
Last week, you may know, I reported in this column that I have been diagnosed with a cancerous brain tumor, and promised to keep you informed of my progress. Since that time, not much has changed…. EXCEPT that I will be undergoing surgery to have the tumor removed. In fact, by the time you read this column, the surgery will have already happened, and you will likely already know the initial outcome.
I can tell you that my doctors have given me great optimism going into the procedure. With cancer, though, we rarely have any long-term assurances.
When I reported this news last week, I explained a few of the reasons I feel like the luckiest man on earth. If you missed it, I hope you can visit my internet blog: www.doingthefirst.blogspot.com to read last week’s column entitled “The Luckiest Man On Earth” -- so you can better understand the pure joy I have experienced during the last week… AND so you will understand why I’m able to attempt a little levity on this subject.
This could be either the most difficult column I’ve ever written… or the easiest!!! Because we publish WEEKLY newspapers, our deadlines come a few days earlier than daily newspapers… which means I am writing this a few hours BEFORE my surgery, but you will be reading it AFTERWARDS! How ironic is that? It’s quite the conundrum.
Okay. I’ve decided. I chose the EASIEST. Go figure.
So here’s what I’m going to do. One of my favorite types of columns I have written over the years is a little something I like to call “Isolated Thoughts”… just a random collection of whatever happens to be on my mind that particular day. I’m going to do exactly that: just report to you some random thoughts that happen to be floating though my mind in these hours before surgery to remove the tumor from my brain. So here goes:
-- I am the luckiest man in the world. And this has been one of the best weeks of my life. I am blessed with friendship and love.
-- A few days before I found out about this cancer, I joined 14 of my friends in a “Weight Loss contest”. Each of us kicked $100 American Buckos into the pot, and the biggest loser after 7 weeks wins the money. One wag emailed me and said, “Man, you’ll do anything to win a contest, won’t you.” Now that’s funny, I don’t care who you are.
-- I’m actually trying for my second T-Shirt. When I was diagnosed with melanoma in the early 80’s, I was given a 30 percent chance of survival.
-- As I was riding from Columbia to Charleston on I-26 Sunday to prepare for the Monday operation, I couldn’t help but think of the time back in 1996 when I water-skiied from Columbia to Charleston. And all of a sudden, I received a call from my good friend Joe Agnew, who skiied along with my brother Shawn and me. So we made a date to do it again a year from now, in August 2009.
-- Everyone I have talked to has agreed that I don’t seem very worried about this upcoming procedure. That’s because I’m not worried. Not even a little bit. If God’s will is for me to survive, I will, and if not, I won’t. So why worry. Just go with the flow, and submit to God’s will. What could be better? Also, though, I’m not afraid of death, because I know that death is simply the beginning of the life that really matters. Too many of us know that, but for some reason seem afraid anyway. I think it’s just because we tend to fear change. Now, I can relate to fearing change. Like being forced to switch over from Windows XP to Vista. I fear Vista a lot more than I fear death.
-- I have just decided that this will have to be a two-week column. First of all, I might not be able to write a column for next week, depending on my condition. Secondly, there are simply too many random thoughts flooding through my mind right now to include them all in one week. It would take too much space, so I have made the command decision to write two-weeks’ worth of columns now, and save one for next week.
-- Since this occurred during Dog Days – the slow part of summer when nothing much seems to happen in the news – a handful of daily newspapers used the news of my condition to fill up news space: “Political Consultant battles brain tumor” or something of the sort. While it was nice of them to mention, as usual they got it wrong. I’m not battling a tumor. I’m just kind of laying back watching other people battle the tumor… LOTS of people… doctoring, praying, dashing about taking care of things for me. I’m just staying out of their way.
-- Have I mentioned the steroids? Wow! Those things are GREAT. Since the tumor was pressing up against my brain and affecting my communication, my friend and doctor, Oscar Lovelace, gave me steroids to control the swelling. Turns out, they also turn you into a Super Man. I’ve been averaging about 3 or 4 hours sleep per night, lots of energy, and thinking clearer than ever. Now I understand what all the fuss is about with the pro athletes.
-- Steroids will also make your feet and ankles blow up to approximately the size of a Beaufort County waller-mellon!
-- Oh! Most important of all: In case I forget later in the week: Happy Birthday, Mom. I love you. (And I’m not just printing this to save from having to spend 50-cents on a birthday card, like most- years!)
-- This is really weird. You’re going to know the results before you read this – maybe before I do. Like the people on the west coast voting for President after the winner has already been declared by the exit polls from the west coast.
-- My son, Ross, has a blog which he updates more frequently than I do, so he agreed to keep it updated with any news or medical developments which might occur on behalf of my family or myself.. If you want to know the results – maybe before I do – you can visit his blog at: Please visit www.scbarbecue.blogspot.com/
-- (This is off topic, but am I the only voter worried that since we turned ALL of the nation’s voting machines over to the computers, that the computer geeks of the world are probably going to be able to tamper with the results, and change the winners?)
-- If I get a break, I hope to use it to catch up on reading old emails. I have several hundred emails “saved as new” until I can get around to reading them. A lot of them are jokes -- those annoying “forward” emails…. Which don’t bother me at all. I love them. It lets me know somebody cared enough about me to include me on their list. I’ll read them when I can. Keep sending them. (Also, a lot of them are business. I try to get to them first…. But sometimes it takes me a week or more to get around to solving a certain problem.)
-- Prayer chains: “When you feel that little prayer wheel turning, you will know that little prayer wheel’s burning.” I think that’s how the song goes. I tell you I have been FEELING those prayers churning this week, and for that, I am grateful.
There’s more, lots more, to say… but I had to just make notes for next week’s column, and maybe a week or two after than. Just too much to say. And WAY too many blessings. Again, just to start, you’d need to read my column from last week: You can find my column online at: www.doingthefirst.blogspot.com/
Ok, I gotta go get some surgery now…in a couple of hours. I’m the Luckiest Man on Earth, because I have so many friends, so many blessings, and so many total strangers who have prayed for me this week – I just got an email from a prayer group in Canada -- and brought me so much closer to the Lord. You have made this one of the most pleasant times of my life, and given me the ability talk to you honestly, openly, and even jokingly about a surgery that I suppose should cause me to be nervous. But I’m simply not nervous. Not even a little bit. So I’m just going to slide on down to MUSC go find out what He has planned for me.
I thank you for making me feel like the Luckiest Man on Earth.
- - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
You can read all past columns on Rod’s Blog at: www.doingthefirst.blogspot.com Your emails are also welcome on any topic of interest. Email Rod personally at: RodShealy@aol.com
.
I can tell you that my doctors have given me great optimism going into the procedure. With cancer, though, we rarely have any long-term assurances.
When I reported this news last week, I explained a few of the reasons I feel like the luckiest man on earth. If you missed it, I hope you can visit my internet blog: www.doingthefirst.blogspot.com to read last week’s column entitled “The Luckiest Man On Earth” -- so you can better understand the pure joy I have experienced during the last week… AND so you will understand why I’m able to attempt a little levity on this subject.
This could be either the most difficult column I’ve ever written… or the easiest!!! Because we publish WEEKLY newspapers, our deadlines come a few days earlier than daily newspapers… which means I am writing this a few hours BEFORE my surgery, but you will be reading it AFTERWARDS! How ironic is that? It’s quite the conundrum.
Okay. I’ve decided. I chose the EASIEST. Go figure.
So here’s what I’m going to do. One of my favorite types of columns I have written over the years is a little something I like to call “Isolated Thoughts”… just a random collection of whatever happens to be on my mind that particular day. I’m going to do exactly that: just report to you some random thoughts that happen to be floating though my mind in these hours before surgery to remove the tumor from my brain. So here goes:
-- I am the luckiest man in the world. And this has been one of the best weeks of my life. I am blessed with friendship and love.
-- A few days before I found out about this cancer, I joined 14 of my friends in a “Weight Loss contest”. Each of us kicked $100 American Buckos into the pot, and the biggest loser after 7 weeks wins the money. One wag emailed me and said, “Man, you’ll do anything to win a contest, won’t you.” Now that’s funny, I don’t care who you are.
-- I’m actually trying for my second T-Shirt. When I was diagnosed with melanoma in the early 80’s, I was given a 30 percent chance of survival.
-- As I was riding from Columbia to Charleston on I-26 Sunday to prepare for the Monday operation, I couldn’t help but think of the time back in 1996 when I water-skiied from Columbia to Charleston. And all of a sudden, I received a call from my good friend Joe Agnew, who skiied along with my brother Shawn and me. So we made a date to do it again a year from now, in August 2009.
-- Everyone I have talked to has agreed that I don’t seem very worried about this upcoming procedure. That’s because I’m not worried. Not even a little bit. If God’s will is for me to survive, I will, and if not, I won’t. So why worry. Just go with the flow, and submit to God’s will. What could be better? Also, though, I’m not afraid of death, because I know that death is simply the beginning of the life that really matters. Too many of us know that, but for some reason seem afraid anyway. I think it’s just because we tend to fear change. Now, I can relate to fearing change. Like being forced to switch over from Windows XP to Vista. I fear Vista a lot more than I fear death.
-- I have just decided that this will have to be a two-week column. First of all, I might not be able to write a column for next week, depending on my condition. Secondly, there are simply too many random thoughts flooding through my mind right now to include them all in one week. It would take too much space, so I have made the command decision to write two-weeks’ worth of columns now, and save one for next week.
-- Since this occurred during Dog Days – the slow part of summer when nothing much seems to happen in the news – a handful of daily newspapers used the news of my condition to fill up news space: “Political Consultant battles brain tumor” or something of the sort. While it was nice of them to mention, as usual they got it wrong. I’m not battling a tumor. I’m just kind of laying back watching other people battle the tumor… LOTS of people… doctoring, praying, dashing about taking care of things for me. I’m just staying out of their way.
-- Have I mentioned the steroids? Wow! Those things are GREAT. Since the tumor was pressing up against my brain and affecting my communication, my friend and doctor, Oscar Lovelace, gave me steroids to control the swelling. Turns out, they also turn you into a Super Man. I’ve been averaging about 3 or 4 hours sleep per night, lots of energy, and thinking clearer than ever. Now I understand what all the fuss is about with the pro athletes.
-- Steroids will also make your feet and ankles blow up to approximately the size of a Beaufort County waller-mellon!
-- Oh! Most important of all: In case I forget later in the week: Happy Birthday, Mom. I love you. (And I’m not just printing this to save from having to spend 50-cents on a birthday card, like most- years!)
-- This is really weird. You’re going to know the results before you read this – maybe before I do. Like the people on the west coast voting for President after the winner has already been declared by the exit polls from the west coast.
-- My son, Ross, has a blog which he updates more frequently than I do, so he agreed to keep it updated with any news or medical developments which might occur on behalf of my family or myself.. If you want to know the results – maybe before I do – you can visit his blog at: Please visit www.scbarbecue.blogspot.com/
-- (This is off topic, but am I the only voter worried that since we turned ALL of the nation’s voting machines over to the computers, that the computer geeks of the world are probably going to be able to tamper with the results, and change the winners?)
-- If I get a break, I hope to use it to catch up on reading old emails. I have several hundred emails “saved as new” until I can get around to reading them. A lot of them are jokes -- those annoying “forward” emails…. Which don’t bother me at all. I love them. It lets me know somebody cared enough about me to include me on their list. I’ll read them when I can. Keep sending them. (Also, a lot of them are business. I try to get to them first…. But sometimes it takes me a week or more to get around to solving a certain problem.)
-- Prayer chains: “When you feel that little prayer wheel turning, you will know that little prayer wheel’s burning.” I think that’s how the song goes. I tell you I have been FEELING those prayers churning this week, and for that, I am grateful.
There’s more, lots more, to say… but I had to just make notes for next week’s column, and maybe a week or two after than. Just too much to say. And WAY too many blessings. Again, just to start, you’d need to read my column from last week: You can find my column online at: www.doingthefirst.blogspot.com/
Ok, I gotta go get some surgery now…in a couple of hours. I’m the Luckiest Man on Earth, because I have so many friends, so many blessings, and so many total strangers who have prayed for me this week – I just got an email from a prayer group in Canada -- and brought me so much closer to the Lord. You have made this one of the most pleasant times of my life, and given me the ability talk to you honestly, openly, and even jokingly about a surgery that I suppose should cause me to be nervous. But I’m simply not nervous. Not even a little bit. So I’m just going to slide on down to MUSC go find out what He has planned for me.
I thank you for making me feel like the Luckiest Man on Earth.
- - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
You can read all past columns on Rod’s Blog at: www.doingthefirst.blogspot.com Your emails are also welcome on any topic of interest. Email Rod personally at: RodShealy@aol.com
.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Note from Rod:
"I'm truly touched by the outpouring of support in the last 24 hours. In order to keep you updated, I've asked my son Ross, who has a blog which is updated more frequently than mine is, to post any medical updates on behalf of myself and my family. Please visit http://scbarbecue.blogspot.com/
Thanks, Rod
Thanks, Rod
Monday, August 4, 2008
The Luckiest Man on Earth!
In these columns, I vary from topic to topic, but most of the time, I try to bring a little humor and happiness into the lives of readers. (Unfortunately, that’s usually result of my unintentionally typographical errors or misspellings.)
My friends and associates know that I’m what’s called “laid back”. Non-conventional. (Some would call it “goofy”). I wear funny-looking Hawaiian shirts. I’ve always valued friends WAY more than money… (which works out well for me since I don’t HAVE any money.) And I enjoy my sense of humor… even when nobody else does.
Taken all together, it makes writing these columns each week one of my favorite pastimes. But this week is VERY special… a column about how truly blessed I am. I feel like the luckiest man on earth.
I actually have proof. Three times in my life, I’ve escaped “near death” experiences. At age four, I fell out of a car traveling down the busiest street in my hometown of Lexington (U.S. 1) with speeding cars zooming around me in the dark of night. I escaped with a hospital stay, a permanent bump on the noggin’, and a picture in the local newspaper of “the little boy whose head was bandaged like a mummy”.
Then, in the fifth grade, I suffered a double-ruptured appendix which kept me hospitalized for nearly a month. Had my mom and dad waited two hours ‘til daybreak to take me to the hospital rather than leaving their beds in the dead of night, I would not have survived, doctors told us.
In 1983, I was diagnosed with a serious form of cancer – melanoma – and given a 30% chance of survival. Yet, 25 years later, I’m still kicking.
(I should probably add in the high school football injury that ruined my left knee, ended my sports career – one of the reasons you won’t be seeing me in the Olympics this month – but kept me out of Viet Nam. In 1971, that seemed a lot like luck to me.)
And then, just a few days ago, when I went to see my close friend, Dr. Oscar Lovelace, for something that seemed no more serious that a headache, I sensed his concern. We had worked together for over a year on his campaign for Governor, and I had somewhat learned to read his heart. A saw the great concern and compassion that I had often seen in his eyes before, especially when I told him of my previous melanoma. Within hours he had the results from an MRI, telling me “the news is not what we hoped for”.
Now before I go any further, let me assure you, my friends and readers, that I am optimistic that I will be writing his column for many years to come. And I hope that’s what the Good Lord has planned for me also. (Right now, I’m really hoping the Lord enjoys my off-the-wall style of humor that I sometimes slip into the weekly columns. If not… no offense, Lord… and forgive me for my bad sense of humor.)
As a political consultant and a newspaper publisher, I’m familiar with “spin”… but there’s not really much way to spin this:
A few days ago, tests revealed I have a cancerous brain tumor.
Along with Dr. Lovelace, Dr. William Butler, my previous oncologist from SC Oncology Center, confirmed the cancer, and this week, I will be visiting a specialist at MUSC to help determine what, if any course of action, can be taken.
I don’t know how other people would react to such news. But in the days since, I have been completely overcome with one central thought: I truly feel like the luckiest man in the world! I can’t even begin to count my blessings.
Obviously, I’m lucky to have a friend like Oscar, who has helped me think very clearly about my medical condition, and spent countless hours to shepherd me through tests that might normally take weeks in only days, even hours.
I also think of my friend Jerry Fowler, who during his last years allowed me to share his weekly journey with cancer with the readers of my newspapers. His courageous, positive approach of sharing his battle as a way to help others is now a blessing for me, allowing me the insight to follow his lead, and talk openly with you, similarly, I hope, in a way to benefit others. Without Jerry, it would never have occurred to me. Now, however, I am calmed by this very act of sharing with you.
But my greatest blessings are the friends and family, with which I have been blessed. At the top of the list are the Mom and Dad who brought me into this world and gave me the most loving and supporting family environment a person could have. And, most importantly, they took me to Sunday School and church every week from the youngest age I could remember, giving me a foundation of faith which has never allowed for a single solitary second a doubt that I would end up anywhere but Heaven. And, that, right now, is a very nice thought: It takes the only real issue off the table! They took me to church, I grew up believing I would live in eternity, and no other thought has ever crossed my mind.
I’m lucky to have an entire family that makes me nothing but proud. My sons, Rod, Jr. who makes me proud every day when he follows almost exactly in my footsteps, and Ross, who makes me proud when he chooses his own path, are both perfect to me. I don’t tell my wife Pat nearly often enough how happy I am to have her in my life, and she forgives me. My step-daughter, Amy, has filled my life with joy. My first wife, Becky, gave me the sons I cherish, and did it without the help she deserved, and managed to turn them into the special young men they became.
I have brothers, sisters, in-laws, aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews and ex-relatives all of whom return the love that I have for them… topped off with two wonderful grandchildren who love their “Rod-Boy”. I cannot even recall a truly cross word spoken between any two members of my family. And, to a person, they overlook my flaws, my controversies, my occasional “black sheep” tendencies… and accept me for who I am. A lucky man.
And I have some of the most wonderful, trustworthy friends and associates you can imagine. Starting with my long-time business associates who somehow find a way to make my businesses succeed: Kirk, Kelley, Annette, Vi, Keith and many others; and my loyal and trusting clients: Jim, Andre, Henry, Richard, Catherine, Randy… the list is too long, the riches of friendship too plentiful.
In the hours since the suspicions slipped out that “something might be wrong with Rod” (or I should say “wronger than usual with Rod”), I have felt like the Jimmy Stewart character in “It’s a Wonderful Life”. Friends have poured out of the woodwork.
And as rumors started that there may be a serious problem, that I could be out of my businesses for a few weeks, that I might need to fly away for special treatment, that my insurance might not cover the bill, that I need friends to step in and help with some of my day to day responsibilities, offers to help solve any and every problem have some how found their way to me.
I’m not ashamed to tell you that I have wept many times in the last few days… Never once out of fear or concern for my life or my health… but many times out of the joy of knowing what wonderful friends I have. And, just like the movie, that to me is worth all the money in the world.
I learned two things from the blessing of Jerry Fowler’s recent experience.
First, I would have never thought of writing about this. But, if I’m able, I certainly plan to follow that lead. I’m not sure what I will write, but I will share this experience in my own way. (And I should warn you that I’m pretty sure I will attempt to mix in some humor… I just can’t help it!)
Second, near the end of Jerry’s journey in May, I learned that it’s okay to say a prayer in my own newspaper if I want to, which I did. And that, too, I will do, starting now:
“Lord, I thank you for the life you have given me, for the many friends and blessings you have showered upon me, and for making me truly feel like the luckiest man in the world. Watch over and care for all these people, your blessings to me. And, as for me, I pray only that you make me an instrument of your will. I know its not really about this life, it’s the next one… and while I sure do LIKE this one -- and would like to stay in it a while longer -- I also know I’ve had more than my share of goodness. So I’m not going to worry about myself, and just pray that you use me however you have planned for me, and I’m sure everything will work out fine. In your Sons name. Amen.”
If the Lord is willing, I’ll give you an update and let you know more next week, and every week until he says not. And I expect I can improve on the prayers I may occasionally publish… because I plan to be practicing a lot.
My friends and associates know that I’m what’s called “laid back”. Non-conventional. (Some would call it “goofy”). I wear funny-looking Hawaiian shirts. I’ve always valued friends WAY more than money… (which works out well for me since I don’t HAVE any money.) And I enjoy my sense of humor… even when nobody else does.
Taken all together, it makes writing these columns each week one of my favorite pastimes. But this week is VERY special… a column about how truly blessed I am. I feel like the luckiest man on earth.
I actually have proof. Three times in my life, I’ve escaped “near death” experiences. At age four, I fell out of a car traveling down the busiest street in my hometown of Lexington (U.S. 1) with speeding cars zooming around me in the dark of night. I escaped with a hospital stay, a permanent bump on the noggin’, and a picture in the local newspaper of “the little boy whose head was bandaged like a mummy”.
Then, in the fifth grade, I suffered a double-ruptured appendix which kept me hospitalized for nearly a month. Had my mom and dad waited two hours ‘til daybreak to take me to the hospital rather than leaving their beds in the dead of night, I would not have survived, doctors told us.
In 1983, I was diagnosed with a serious form of cancer – melanoma – and given a 30% chance of survival. Yet, 25 years later, I’m still kicking.
(I should probably add in the high school football injury that ruined my left knee, ended my sports career – one of the reasons you won’t be seeing me in the Olympics this month – but kept me out of Viet Nam. In 1971, that seemed a lot like luck to me.)
And then, just a few days ago, when I went to see my close friend, Dr. Oscar Lovelace, for something that seemed no more serious that a headache, I sensed his concern. We had worked together for over a year on his campaign for Governor, and I had somewhat learned to read his heart. A saw the great concern and compassion that I had often seen in his eyes before, especially when I told him of my previous melanoma. Within hours he had the results from an MRI, telling me “the news is not what we hoped for”.
Now before I go any further, let me assure you, my friends and readers, that I am optimistic that I will be writing his column for many years to come. And I hope that’s what the Good Lord has planned for me also. (Right now, I’m really hoping the Lord enjoys my off-the-wall style of humor that I sometimes slip into the weekly columns. If not… no offense, Lord… and forgive me for my bad sense of humor.)
As a political consultant and a newspaper publisher, I’m familiar with “spin”… but there’s not really much way to spin this:
A few days ago, tests revealed I have a cancerous brain tumor.
Along with Dr. Lovelace, Dr. William Butler, my previous oncologist from SC Oncology Center, confirmed the cancer, and this week, I will be visiting a specialist at MUSC to help determine what, if any course of action, can be taken.
I don’t know how other people would react to such news. But in the days since, I have been completely overcome with one central thought: I truly feel like the luckiest man in the world! I can’t even begin to count my blessings.
Obviously, I’m lucky to have a friend like Oscar, who has helped me think very clearly about my medical condition, and spent countless hours to shepherd me through tests that might normally take weeks in only days, even hours.
I also think of my friend Jerry Fowler, who during his last years allowed me to share his weekly journey with cancer with the readers of my newspapers. His courageous, positive approach of sharing his battle as a way to help others is now a blessing for me, allowing me the insight to follow his lead, and talk openly with you, similarly, I hope, in a way to benefit others. Without Jerry, it would never have occurred to me. Now, however, I am calmed by this very act of sharing with you.
But my greatest blessings are the friends and family, with which I have been blessed. At the top of the list are the Mom and Dad who brought me into this world and gave me the most loving and supporting family environment a person could have. And, most importantly, they took me to Sunday School and church every week from the youngest age I could remember, giving me a foundation of faith which has never allowed for a single solitary second a doubt that I would end up anywhere but Heaven. And, that, right now, is a very nice thought: It takes the only real issue off the table! They took me to church, I grew up believing I would live in eternity, and no other thought has ever crossed my mind.
I’m lucky to have an entire family that makes me nothing but proud. My sons, Rod, Jr. who makes me proud every day when he follows almost exactly in my footsteps, and Ross, who makes me proud when he chooses his own path, are both perfect to me. I don’t tell my wife Pat nearly often enough how happy I am to have her in my life, and she forgives me. My step-daughter, Amy, has filled my life with joy. My first wife, Becky, gave me the sons I cherish, and did it without the help she deserved, and managed to turn them into the special young men they became.
I have brothers, sisters, in-laws, aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews and ex-relatives all of whom return the love that I have for them… topped off with two wonderful grandchildren who love their “Rod-Boy”. I cannot even recall a truly cross word spoken between any two members of my family. And, to a person, they overlook my flaws, my controversies, my occasional “black sheep” tendencies… and accept me for who I am. A lucky man.
And I have some of the most wonderful, trustworthy friends and associates you can imagine. Starting with my long-time business associates who somehow find a way to make my businesses succeed: Kirk, Kelley, Annette, Vi, Keith and many others; and my loyal and trusting clients: Jim, Andre, Henry, Richard, Catherine, Randy… the list is too long, the riches of friendship too plentiful.
In the hours since the suspicions slipped out that “something might be wrong with Rod” (or I should say “wronger than usual with Rod”), I have felt like the Jimmy Stewart character in “It’s a Wonderful Life”. Friends have poured out of the woodwork.
And as rumors started that there may be a serious problem, that I could be out of my businesses for a few weeks, that I might need to fly away for special treatment, that my insurance might not cover the bill, that I need friends to step in and help with some of my day to day responsibilities, offers to help solve any and every problem have some how found their way to me.
I’m not ashamed to tell you that I have wept many times in the last few days… Never once out of fear or concern for my life or my health… but many times out of the joy of knowing what wonderful friends I have. And, just like the movie, that to me is worth all the money in the world.
I learned two things from the blessing of Jerry Fowler’s recent experience.
First, I would have never thought of writing about this. But, if I’m able, I certainly plan to follow that lead. I’m not sure what I will write, but I will share this experience in my own way. (And I should warn you that I’m pretty sure I will attempt to mix in some humor… I just can’t help it!)
Second, near the end of Jerry’s journey in May, I learned that it’s okay to say a prayer in my own newspaper if I want to, which I did. And that, too, I will do, starting now:
“Lord, I thank you for the life you have given me, for the many friends and blessings you have showered upon me, and for making me truly feel like the luckiest man in the world. Watch over and care for all these people, your blessings to me. And, as for me, I pray only that you make me an instrument of your will. I know its not really about this life, it’s the next one… and while I sure do LIKE this one -- and would like to stay in it a while longer -- I also know I’ve had more than my share of goodness. So I’m not going to worry about myself, and just pray that you use me however you have planned for me, and I’m sure everything will work out fine. In your Sons name. Amen.”
If the Lord is willing, I’ll give you an update and let you know more next week, and every week until he says not. And I expect I can improve on the prayers I may occasionally publish… because I plan to be practicing a lot.
Sunday, August 3, 2008
My Mom and Dad
This weekend, a column I wrote about my mom and dad years ago came to mind. It was long before there was any such thing as a "blog". So I decided to find and re-publish it here, even though it was written many years ago.
In addition to celebrating Father's Day this weekend, the Shealys will be observing another occasion: the 50th Wedding Anniversary of our parents, Ryan and Elsie Shealy.
Ryan and Elsie Shealy -- who we usually refer to as "Mom & Dad" -- have been fairly well-known here in the local community… he with a political career which began in the 1950s and lasted into the 90s, and she with a successful career that led her to travel the nation as a motivational speaker. They are not only well-known, but well-liked and well-respected (leading to the obvious question which you, the reader, are probably struggling with in your mind right now: "So what happened to YOU?"
But that's a whole 'nother story.) As the second-born of their five children, I am understandably proud of my folks on this occasion. But as a newspaper writer I have an additional reaction: Hey, this is a GREAT story!
The truth is, I got both my political and my newspaper roots from my parents. Many times I've told the story of Dad's first run for the State House of Representatives in 1954, when I was first exposed to political campaigns. Since Mom attended all the political stump meetings to support Dad, and I was only six months old at the time, they came up with the very creative idea of putting "Vote for Pop" sign on my diapers, making me a political advertisement, of sorts. At six-months-old, I was cute…and Dad won the race!
It was my first experience in political campaigns. My newspaper roots probably took hold even before that. While they were still a struggling young couple, Dad worked three jobs to help put himself through college. One of those jobs was newspaper carrier. And when I was born in December 1953, Dad went out and collected his delivery route a little early to scrape together enough money to get me out of the hospital. I figure that episode was my earliest involvement in the newspaper industry.
That's when MY story began, but the Ryan and Elsie story started long before that. Growing up at the site of the still-under-construction Lake Murray, Elsie Porth was the youngest of five children in her family, and the first to go to college. She graduated from Columbia College and immediately took a job teaching high school.
Ryan, on the other hand, grew up plowing behind a mule to help support his family, his adoptive father having died when he was very young. He quit Batesburg-Leesville High School to get a job at the Charleston Naval Yard, later enlisting in the Navy during World War II.
Returning from the war, he decided to return to high school to prepare for college. It was there that Ryan met Elsie… his high school math teacher. But when the teacher and student began to date, the school administration was not amused. Elsie gained her soon-to-be husband, but lost her teaching job! She quickly found another teaching job, but the early years continued to be a struggle for the young couple as he completed his education.
In addition to his other jobs, he found that he could earn $25 to $100 per fight as a boxer, a talent he had discovered in the Navy. So once or twice a month, they would drive to various cities around the Southeast to engage in the sport of Professional Boxing. He ended his career after 33 pro fights with a record of 22 and 11.
In the early fifties, a sales manager for an encyclopedia company wanted to hire Ryan as a door-to-door salesman. Learning that Elsie was a teacher, he invited her to come along to the training class. Reluctantly, she attended but sat in the back of the room so she could slip out the door and leave. But something she heard in the class caught her attention! The sales manager mentioned a program which guaranteed earnings whether you sold any encyclopedias or not…just for showing books to 50 people!
Knowing she had several dozen aunts and uncles, she took the job selling World Book Encyclopedia. Now its 50 years and five children later. Things have changed. The couple which had to scrape together money to get their first son out of the hospital is now able to afford to take the entire family on a 50th Anniversary Cruise to the Bahamas… and pay for everyone!!!
The job Elsie took with World Book turned it into a career. When she retired several years ago, she was one of the top five officers in the organization: Senior Vice President for Sales for the North American continent. She was a sought-after motivational speaker, and in the late 1980's was selected as the South Carolina Mother of the Year.
After retiring from World Book, she spent five years speaking to various groups and organizations around the nation and in several other countries.
Ryan left newspaper delivery and pro boxing in favor of politics, serving 12 years in the S.C. House, leaving office for 12 years, then serving 12 years in the S.C. Senate. During his recent Senate years, he was best known for his unsuccessful one-man crusade to bring a lottery to South Carolina, and his successful efforts to block various tax increases. (Long forgotten are the earlier efforts during the 1950's and 60's, which led to the creation of such institutions as the Columbia Metropolitan Airport, Lexington Medical Center, Riverbanks Zoo, and Midlands Technical College.)
If I sound like a proud son… well, I am. But, of course, this is a newspaper column, not an Anniversary Card (although it may save me the 50 cents I would otherwise spend on a card).
And since it is a column, not a card, I thought I would tell you a few of my personal favorite highlights from Ryan and Elsie's First 50 Years:
We lost on Family Feud… TWICE! During the 80's our family appeared not once, but twice, on the TV game show. We were really not very good, but apparently the producers enjoyed watching the way we lost, so they flew us back out to California to watch us lose again!
In 1959, Dad waterskiied from Columbia to Charleston… while Mom was out of town. I was five at the time. He told me not to tell Mom. Guess he didn't realize it was going to be printed in every newspaper in the state!
A few years later our family -- three kids at the time -- took a two day adventure down the river from Columbia to Charleston in a cabin cruiser. We got lost in the rice fields, and ended up ten miles from the river. Nowadays, I think about it every time I see "African Queen."
In addition to Family Feud, Dad also once appeared on "The Price is Right." He won some furniture. The whole family was in New York City at the time. Being about seven years old, I was a lot more impressed with (A) the Auto-Mat (B) sitting in the audience for "Concentration," and realizing that there were APPLAUSE signs telling the audience when to clap!
Mom likes to talk, and she's really good at it. Her company asked her to be the keynote speaker at her own retirement program. It was at some really big theatre in Atlanta. They had Zig Ziglar to speak before her, and singer Lee Greenwood to close the program after her speech. She's a really good talker.
In 1965 our family took a vacation by car to California… right through the desert. The day before we left, Dad bought a new car for the trip… well, new to us, anyway. It was a three-seater station wagon with the fold-down door in the back. We folded down the back and stacked the luggage on it. Then I rode in the back seat while Mom and Dad rode in the front and my two sisters rode in the middle. It was hot going through the desert. It wasn't until a few days after we returned from the two week trip that I discovered this car had something I had never seen before… air conditioning. (The front and middle seats had it for the whole trip… but the cool air never made it to me with the back open. I didn't have a clue!)
At a campaign speech in Pelion in 1956, Dad did something which had never been done by a Southern politician before: He publicly denounced the Ku Klux Klan.
It made headlines. It cost him votes. He knew it was not a politically wise thing to do. But he knew it was the right thing to do. And so he did it.
That was the principle which guided him through four decades of politics. He didn't really worry about what people said or what newspapers wrote. He just always tried to do the right thing.
I happen to know that is also the principle that guided Mom and Dad through the 50 years of marriage, and 48 years of being parents. And that, more than anything else, is why I am immensely proud of them.
Happy Anniversary, Mom and Dad.
(Note from Rod: This column was original written in 1997... probably before I had even heard of "The Internet"... but I wanted this long forgotten column to be available on my blog. We lost Dad to cancer in March, 2001. Mom is the same great mom she's been for my entire life. I was blessed with the two best parents I could imagine.)
Happy 50th, Mom and Dad (reprinted from June, 1997)
In addition to celebrating Father's Day this weekend, the Shealys will be observing another occasion: the 50th Wedding Anniversary of our parents, Ryan and Elsie Shealy.
Ryan and Elsie Shealy -- who we usually refer to as "Mom & Dad" -- have been fairly well-known here in the local community… he with a political career which began in the 1950s and lasted into the 90s, and she with a successful career that led her to travel the nation as a motivational speaker. They are not only well-known, but well-liked and well-respected (leading to the obvious question which you, the reader, are probably struggling with in your mind right now: "So what happened to YOU?"
But that's a whole 'nother story.) As the second-born of their five children, I am understandably proud of my folks on this occasion. But as a newspaper writer I have an additional reaction: Hey, this is a GREAT story!
The truth is, I got both my political and my newspaper roots from my parents. Many times I've told the story of Dad's first run for the State House of Representatives in 1954, when I was first exposed to political campaigns. Since Mom attended all the political stump meetings to support Dad, and I was only six months old at the time, they came up with the very creative idea of putting "Vote for Pop" sign on my diapers, making me a political advertisement, of sorts. At six-months-old, I was cute…and Dad won the race!
It was my first experience in political campaigns. My newspaper roots probably took hold even before that. While they were still a struggling young couple, Dad worked three jobs to help put himself through college. One of those jobs was newspaper carrier. And when I was born in December 1953, Dad went out and collected his delivery route a little early to scrape together enough money to get me out of the hospital. I figure that episode was my earliest involvement in the newspaper industry.
That's when MY story began, but the Ryan and Elsie story started long before that. Growing up at the site of the still-under-construction Lake Murray, Elsie Porth was the youngest of five children in her family, and the first to go to college. She graduated from Columbia College and immediately took a job teaching high school.
Ryan, on the other hand, grew up plowing behind a mule to help support his family, his adoptive father having died when he was very young. He quit Batesburg-Leesville High School to get a job at the Charleston Naval Yard, later enlisting in the Navy during World War II.
Returning from the war, he decided to return to high school to prepare for college. It was there that Ryan met Elsie… his high school math teacher. But when the teacher and student began to date, the school administration was not amused. Elsie gained her soon-to-be husband, but lost her teaching job! She quickly found another teaching job, but the early years continued to be a struggle for the young couple as he completed his education.
In addition to his other jobs, he found that he could earn $25 to $100 per fight as a boxer, a talent he had discovered in the Navy. So once or twice a month, they would drive to various cities around the Southeast to engage in the sport of Professional Boxing. He ended his career after 33 pro fights with a record of 22 and 11.
In the early fifties, a sales manager for an encyclopedia company wanted to hire Ryan as a door-to-door salesman. Learning that Elsie was a teacher, he invited her to come along to the training class. Reluctantly, she attended but sat in the back of the room so she could slip out the door and leave. But something she heard in the class caught her attention! The sales manager mentioned a program which guaranteed earnings whether you sold any encyclopedias or not…just for showing books to 50 people!
Knowing she had several dozen aunts and uncles, she took the job selling World Book Encyclopedia. Now its 50 years and five children later. Things have changed. The couple which had to scrape together money to get their first son out of the hospital is now able to afford to take the entire family on a 50th Anniversary Cruise to the Bahamas… and pay for everyone!!!
The job Elsie took with World Book turned it into a career. When she retired several years ago, she was one of the top five officers in the organization: Senior Vice President for Sales for the North American continent. She was a sought-after motivational speaker, and in the late 1980's was selected as the South Carolina Mother of the Year.
After retiring from World Book, she spent five years speaking to various groups and organizations around the nation and in several other countries.
Ryan left newspaper delivery and pro boxing in favor of politics, serving 12 years in the S.C. House, leaving office for 12 years, then serving 12 years in the S.C. Senate. During his recent Senate years, he was best known for his unsuccessful one-man crusade to bring a lottery to South Carolina, and his successful efforts to block various tax increases. (Long forgotten are the earlier efforts during the 1950's and 60's, which led to the creation of such institutions as the Columbia Metropolitan Airport, Lexington Medical Center, Riverbanks Zoo, and Midlands Technical College.)
If I sound like a proud son… well, I am. But, of course, this is a newspaper column, not an Anniversary Card (although it may save me the 50 cents I would otherwise spend on a card).
And since it is a column, not a card, I thought I would tell you a few of my personal favorite highlights from Ryan and Elsie's First 50 Years:
We lost on Family Feud… TWICE! During the 80's our family appeared not once, but twice, on the TV game show. We were really not very good, but apparently the producers enjoyed watching the way we lost, so they flew us back out to California to watch us lose again!
In 1959, Dad waterskiied from Columbia to Charleston… while Mom was out of town. I was five at the time. He told me not to tell Mom. Guess he didn't realize it was going to be printed in every newspaper in the state!
A few years later our family -- three kids at the time -- took a two day adventure down the river from Columbia to Charleston in a cabin cruiser. We got lost in the rice fields, and ended up ten miles from the river. Nowadays, I think about it every time I see "African Queen."
In addition to Family Feud, Dad also once appeared on "The Price is Right." He won some furniture. The whole family was in New York City at the time. Being about seven years old, I was a lot more impressed with (A) the Auto-Mat (B) sitting in the audience for "Concentration," and realizing that there were APPLAUSE signs telling the audience when to clap!
Mom likes to talk, and she's really good at it. Her company asked her to be the keynote speaker at her own retirement program. It was at some really big theatre in Atlanta. They had Zig Ziglar to speak before her, and singer Lee Greenwood to close the program after her speech. She's a really good talker.
In 1965 our family took a vacation by car to California… right through the desert. The day before we left, Dad bought a new car for the trip… well, new to us, anyway. It was a three-seater station wagon with the fold-down door in the back. We folded down the back and stacked the luggage on it. Then I rode in the back seat while Mom and Dad rode in the front and my two sisters rode in the middle. It was hot going through the desert. It wasn't until a few days after we returned from the two week trip that I discovered this car had something I had never seen before… air conditioning. (The front and middle seats had it for the whole trip… but the cool air never made it to me with the back open. I didn't have a clue!)
At a campaign speech in Pelion in 1956, Dad did something which had never been done by a Southern politician before: He publicly denounced the Ku Klux Klan.
It made headlines. It cost him votes. He knew it was not a politically wise thing to do. But he knew it was the right thing to do. And so he did it.
That was the principle which guided him through four decades of politics. He didn't really worry about what people said or what newspapers wrote. He just always tried to do the right thing.
I happen to know that is also the principle that guided Mom and Dad through the 50 years of marriage, and 48 years of being parents. And that, more than anything else, is why I am immensely proud of them.
Happy Anniversary, Mom and Dad.
(Note from Rod: This column was original written in 1997... probably before I had even heard of "The Internet"... but I wanted this long forgotten column to be available on my blog. We lost Dad to cancer in March, 2001. Mom is the same great mom she's been for my entire life. I was blessed with the two best parents I could imagine.)
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