Late October 2013

I learned that if you wanted some spending money you need a job.  I hadn’t really worked before that summer, aside from chores, housework, etc.  But that summer I worked for Mrs. Terry Bryant doing yard work and I baby sat a kid in the neighborhood.  Mrs. Terry treated me like an adult, which I was feeling very much like.  And the neighborhood kid called me Mr. Wes, which made me feel authoritative.  And I got paid for both jobs, which made me feel rich (not really, but $20 can go a long way for a 15 year-old).

I learned that UD (Uncle Dennis) can see into the future.  I remember walking thru the house one day and someone commenting about my height or my 125 lb. physique and I said that I was going to grow up to look like Grandpa, meaning Grandpa Cole who was roughly 6’ tall and 165 lbs. soaking wet.  But ole UD, as soon as “Grandpa” came out of my mouth immediately rebutted with “Yeah, Pops!” (Take the over on one & the under on the other).  UD, hilarious! And painfully accurate today.

I learned that teaching VBS was way more fun than just attending (not that attending isn’t fun).  I was part of the group responsible for 2^nd graders.  It was a learning experience for me, but a lot of the excitement of it was the company of the other “helper”, i.e., females.  We spent a lot of the after-hours (and the week before actual VBS which I suppose would be “before” hours) playing capture the flag.  The awesome thing about this was this church was 10 times larger than any church I had ever attended with a lot of places to run, a lot of places to hide, and a lot of kids my age.  And I’m sure we made positive impressions on some 2^nd graders too.

October 2013

           

Twenty years.  That’s what has passed by since I “grew up” so to speak.  I gained independence.  I gained knowledge.  I learned important life lessons.  This is some of what I figured out during the summer of 1993.  I dedicate these next posts to my cousin, Corrie.

I learned how to make a tough decision.  You see, I was given the opportunity to spend the summer in Atlanta.  The only catch was that in order to go I would have to quit baseball mid-season.  This being the sport I had played all my life.  The sport I had excelled at.  The sport I loved.  It would also mean not spending the summer with my friends.  But the decision was mine to make.  So, off the Atlanta I went to stay with my aunt, uncle, and cousins.  The possibilities of what could happen in Georgia outweighed the historical knowledge of what would happen in Bolivar.

 One of the first things I learned was that cable TV was awesome.  At home we still had the standard 3, 5, 7, 13 and sometimes 24 if you held your foot just right.  But, we were missing out on so much.  Up until then I had only heard my friends talking about ESPN.  Now I got to see it.  I could watch Fraggle Rock in the mornings and MTV.  Music Television.  Back when there was actual music on that channel.  Music videos by the Spin Doctors, U2, PM Dawn, and Guns & Roses.  I’ve still never heard “November Rain” when I haven’t thought about sitting in the living room in Georgia, eating cereal, and being absolutely mesmerized by Slash.  That summer helped mold my love for all music genres.  All thanks to Corrie and cable TV.