Fall

At 32, I turned over a new leaf and joined the Navy. I thought it was an opportunity to get an education. It turned out to be false promises. They kept you so busy working that school was not an option. I was frustrated by that and became an angry little grouch. I met some terrific people and learned that you bond with them very much like you would your family. It's hard to describe how you may not like someone as a person, but you would watch their back in dangerous situations. Everyone watches out for each other. The people that you do like..they become like a brother or sister to you.

While I was overseas, I came to appreciate my son Trey. I saved up all the time to buy him special things that probably don't matter to him now. At the time though, his eyes would sparkle when he got a great gift. Trey became my motivation. I nearly remarried a great gal named Sonoko at that time too. It didn't work out because I wouldn't move back to Japan and she wouldn't come to the states.

After my Navy days were complete, I moved back to Texas. I worked for about a year as a powdercoater and 9/11 happened. Shortly thereafter, I bought a house and moved to Illinois. I worked various jobs and struggled but I was happy. There I honed my computer skills and my friend Al, who opened my eyes to all the possibilities of computers. We brainstormed and came up with projects and made them happen. I had found my calling.

Dad's health began to falter after a few years and he asked me to move back to Texas. I came back and began installing floors again and doing general construction jobs. My knees were shot from my racing days and it was tough on my body. By now I was over 40 and I was constantly in some kind of pain. Dad's health continued to worsen and it became a requirement to stay home and take care of him. Trey and his girlfriend Wendi came to live with me for about 8 months and it brought me back to understanding how tough things are when you are young. He moved back to his mother's and began school, he should be graduating soon.

My Mom sold her house and moved here also to help with Dad. They remarried which surprised the heck out of me. Now Mom's health isn't great either. My only income is little jobs I can muster locally or fixing computers for people. If something happens to a relative, Mom drops everything and runs to their aid. She possesses a skill in that regard...I'm glad she's able to do that. It also places Dad's care squarely on my shoulders. My sister is here now and she helps a lot too. When a break is needed we take turns and step up for each other. Dad trusts me and my judgement so he normally wants me around when things get rough, and things are very rough right now.

My life has been shaped by the people around me and the attitudes they display. Financially, I'm not a big success..but I've becaome a pretty decent guy over the years. The things that really count...like love, truth and happiness...I have that in spades!

This is a rather condensed version of my life but I hope my friends and family will know me and understand me a little better now. Winter is coming and I'm dreading it.