Falling Behind

I never dreamed that when I started this blog that it would be so difficult to actually sit and write. But the reality of it is that I write so much on my job, and that the job has been so consuming, it’s difficult to find time or desire to sit at the keyboard and update my many readers (well, OK, so I probably don’t have any readers, but can’t a guy dream?).

This past Saturday my mother celebrated her 79^th birthday. It was a fun evening as my sister Barb, her son Danny (and a buddy, Collin) drove in from Philadelphia (OK, New Jersey, but don’t hold that against them) to join in the festivities. My brother Jim, his wife Cindy, daughters Caitlyn and Carissa, joined my daughter Lyndsay, her boyfriend Jonathan, and Cathy and I for dinner on the south side at Trios.

My mom was born to John and Minnie Leister on August 23, 1929 in Pittsburgh, PA, merely two months prior to Black Tuesday, the great stock market crash that signaled the start of the Great Depression. Like any other kid raised by depression era parents, I was taught to be cognizant of turning off the light when I left the room (“When not in use, turn off the juice!”), getting in and out of the refrigerator in minimal time (“Don’t let the cold air out!”) and just learning to care for your possessions, as once they were broken, there was little chance of repair or replacement. We currently live in a disposable society. There are no more Emmett’s Fix-it Shops. When the toaster goes kaput, you just throw it away and purchase a new one. So I guess that this answers some of the questions as to why I am like I am.

Mom is in great health. She had a tune up a few years back (Oct 2001 - bypass surgery and replacement of a leaky valve) and until recently, she has been very active. A bad ankle has slowed her mobility but hasn’t seemed to have daunted her spirit. Surgery has been discussed as a possibility, but for now she’s going to try and continue to work through it, have an occasional cortisone cocktail and move on.

Travis is back at school, starting his sophomore year at Appalachian State University. His dorm room is a palatial suite compared to last years cramped conditions. He’s the perfect ASU student and he’s very excited about his classes which started Tuesday (Aug 26). The three time National Champions have their work cut out for them as they play LSU in their season opener this weekend. I wouldn’t be looking for miracles like last year at Michigan, but who knows?

Lyndsay continues to excel at her job at Suntrust Bank and she’s developing a good friend base in Greensboro. Jonathan is still pursuing his dream of medical school and from all indications he is receiving positive feedback from several medical schools. Jonathan’s sister Elisha married her boyfriend Jason on August 9^th and they spent their honeymoon together in Hawaii (reportedly with the Obama family). Their dad Steve continues to make progress from his stroke and he was a proud father as he gave the bride away.

Cathy’s oldest son, Brian, moved in with me at the end of July. He is a rising senior at NC State (chemical engineering) and he has taken a position as an intern with National Gypsum. He has been the perfect room mate, he cleans up after himself, enjoys a good beer and we share the Daily Show together. Unfortunately for his mom, we seems to share the same warped sense of humor.

Speaking of warped, Cathy’s middle son, Brad is back at NC State, where he is studying the “Philosophy of Law”. Now that’s what everyone needs when the law tightens it’s grip on you – a philosopher. He’ll make something out of it, as he’s clever and creative. Where there’s a will, there’s a way.

Brent, Cathy’s 16 year old has started his junior year at TC Roberts in Asheville. Brent is a good kid that just has a few problems making the right choices. Maybe he’s a little bit like me at that age. You're just too young to fit into the adult scene, but too old to hang with the kid crowd. It has to be difficult for him but time will help him get over this hump and make something of himself. College looms in the not too distant future, we’re all hoping that a positive experience there will pay dividends down the road.

Cathy and I visited Athens, GA and the Reynolds Plantation (outside of Augusta) a few weeks back when her employer (Michelle) took her office to a seminar at a Ritz Carlton. Let me tell you, this has got to be the hottest place on the face of the earth! Hell has nothing on this place! I felt like as if I was melting the entire weekend. As a matter of fact, a young lady (an exchange student from Germany) that accompanied one of Cathy’s fellow employees passed out while we were waiting to be seated at dinner. I made a new friend that weekend, as Michelle’s significant other (Robin) and I hung out while the gals were in the seminar. We jumped on the mountain bikes and got in two face paced rides in the sweltering heat of Georgia. I was bummed to find that Robin broke her ankle a week or so after our return (motorcycle) and is currently on the mend.

I just finished reading Big Russ & Me by the late Tim Russert. It was an exceptional read discussing the relationship between father and son. Big Russ was also a depression era kid and his influence on his son was played put continuously in the story. One of my favorite parts of the book concerned Father John Sturm, a Catholic Priest that was the Prefect of Discipline in young Tim’s high school. His motto was “Mercy is for God. I deliver justice”. Somewhere along the line I think that we as a country have lost sight of teaching our children respect for their elders and for the world around them. “Spare the rod, spoil the child” seemed to be my dad’s motto when I was growing up. And to a certain point, my kids were raised the same way. Maybe I was a little hard on my kids, but they have both grown to be exceptional young adults and I feel that they are well on their way to a successful life. Maybe kids need a little more of Father Sturm and a little less coddling from their parents.