The Gifted Underachiever

My life so far

Firecrackers!

If there was one thing we looked forward to during the Christmas holidays second only to Santa’s arrival was firecrackers. I don’t remember going to the big tents set up outside of town. In those days firecrackers were sold at the corner stores – even the Mowata Store. My Dad loved firecrackers almost as much as us kids. He would do exactly what Mom told us not to: light the […]

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Chasing the Sunset

When she told me to come in the bedroom and sit down I knew exactly what she was going to say because she had told me the same thing seven years ealier.  “We’re pregnant!” Pregnant. Surprise! Not really a surprise. I was 45 years old, we already had three children; we knew how you catch it, and she had been exposed. Anyway, she was a devout Catholic playing Russian roulette […]

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Saturday Afternoon Rasslin’

Dad worked every Saturday. Sometimes it was half a day; others it was until 4pm. But every Saturday he would come home with a bundle under his arm. He went to the meat market to get something to cook on Sunday, but he also always had the same two items: ground meat for hamburgers that night and a couple of pounds of calf brains. I’d watch him grind up crackers […]

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Swamphog down

It was always dangerous when John and I were together. The real problem was that we were always together. When anyone saw the two of us they knew something was up. And they were usually right. That’s because we had imaginations that would run pretty wild, and we did our best to bring our imaginings to life. Our motto was “what would happen if we (fill in the blank.)” What […]

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Ronnie, my brother

Standing on the sidewalk in Fairhope, Alabama. No, we didn’t coordinate outfits; we just ended up looking like this. Maybe twins do have ESP. It’s so hard to say goodbye to my brother from another mother. Ronnie may have lost his battle with cancer, but he won so big in life. His beautiful bride of 32 years is my wife’s sister. Maxie’s heart is bigger than Georgia, only matched by […]

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