Butch

     Today's post is honoring a dear friend of mine.  I don't do this very often.  I have talked about my Dad, my Grandmother, Buford Fox, and Joyce Ozment.  Today's post is about a person who is near and dear to a lot of people, and who is fighting a very tough battle.  I hope in some way I can bring some attention to his battle, and maybe bring him a little help.

Johnny Butch

     I first met Johnny Butch in high school.  He was behind me in school, and played in the band.  Even back then Butch was a character.  He was always the life of the party, and had a personality that just drew everyone to him.  After high school I lost track of Butch for several years.
     Soon, I ran into Butch again, and we caught up on old times.  He had went into the Army, and had returned home.  I noticed that when Butch talked, his speech was a little slurred, and he didn't seem real steady.  I assumed he had a stroke or something, and didn't go too far into it.
     Later on Johnny Butch started attending the same church I was attending.  That's when I really got to know him.  Turns out, he had been doing P.T. in the Army, and had noticed that his endurance was failing.  Tests were ran, and Butch was diagnosed with a deteriorating cerebellum.  He told me that the longer he went, the worse he would get.
     Butch never let on to the struggles he was facing, even as his body failed him more and more.  He was active in the church, especially with the youth.  Everybody loved him.  He was a shining light.   As time went on though, Butch's health got worse.  Soon, even coming to church was a chore.  I once again lost track of Butch.
     Facebook brought us back together, and also brought the name of his disease.  Ataxia is the name.  I hate what it has done to Butch.  I saw Butch a few weeks back at a yard sale that was being held to raise money for him.  He was beaming when he saw me and the kids.  Butch couldn't wait to talk to the kids, and to just love them for a while.  They were proud to love him back.
     Butch has a wonderful wife, Pamela, who is a gift to him from God.  She is trying to raise $15,000 for Butch so that he can get stem cell treatments to fight this awful disease.  They have a Facebook page, HELP BUTCH CLARK FIGHT ATAXIAto help get the word out about their cause.  I ask you to join the group, and to do what you can to spread the word about this battle.  God Bless you Johnny Butch, I love you man.

Nap Time, NOT!!!

      I thought I was going to get a chance to grab a quick nap Wednesday afternoon.  My wife had a rare day when she didn't have to work her second job, and had picked up the kids and went to visit her Mother.  I had a few hours at home, by myself.  I looked forward to grabbing a few minutes sleep to try to make up for the sleep I have been losing this week.
     I came home, showered, put on my pajamas, then climbed into bed.  I was exhausted, to say the least.  I had just about drifted off, when the phone rang.  It was my Mother.  She called to let me know that some man with a strange accent and a Miami Florida number had called asking for me.  After she told him I didn't live there, he hung up.  She had to call and let me know.  I have no idea why a man with an accent would be calling me from Miami Florida.  I thought about it for a few minutes trying to figure it out, then decided that it wasn't as important as sleep.
     I had just about caught up with Mr. Sandman again, when I heard a knock at the door.  It was my Mom again, letting me know that she was going to the store, and bringing me the mail.  I thanked her, then stumbled back to bed and laid down again.  I was bound and determined to get those few elusive moments of sleep.
     I was really close again, when I heard another knock on the door.  I rolled back over and tried to ignore it, but the knock came again.  I got up and went to the door to find the girl from down the street wanting to know if Lauren could come out to play.  I told her Lauren wasn't home.  She looked at the bleary eyed stranger and turned to go home.
     Before I could get the door shut, my cell phone started ringing.  It was a friend of mine wanting to know if I had another friends number.  I told him I didn't.  He needed some air conditioning work done and was wondering if our friend could do it.  I gave him the name of the guy that does our heating and air work.  He apologized for waking me, and I told him not to worry about it, I had never been asleep to begin with.
     I should go back, get in the bed, and try again, but as sure as I do the guy from Miami will find my number.

Between A Rock And A Hard Place

     It's killing me.  This afternoon, after I picked up the kids from the sitter, I could tell that Lauren, my 9 year old, was upset.  I thought something might have happened during the day, or she was just having a bad day.  We got home, started trying to unwind, but Lauren went into her room and sat in the dark.  Later, she came out and went on the porch and sat on her bicycle.  I knew something wasn't right.
     I went out, sat on the swing, and patted the seat beside me for her to sit down.  She wouldn't.  Now I was really concerned.  I finally got her to come and sit in my lap, and thought she just wanted some Daddy time.  I asked her what was wrong.  She said nothing was wrong.  I asked again, and again she said nothing, and started crying.  Finally, I got her to spill the beans.
     Lauren was upset, because she never gets to see her Mama and Daddy much any more.  That was the hardest thing for me to hear.  I try my best to be there for my kids, nothing is more important to me than that.  For one of them to tell me they feel neglected is a hard pill to swallow.
     The problem is that we are like a lot of people, and are having to work our tails off just to make ends meet.  Daddy going in early and staying late, Mama working two jobs, just to make ends meet.  Kids don't understand things like this.  Summer is supposed to be the time when kids are with their parents, having fun.  Not seeing your parents is tough.  I know, I have been leaving for work in the middle of the night while my family is asleep, then picking the kids up when I finally get off, and getting to see my wife for a precious few moments when she finally comes home at night before I crash for my 4 or 5 hours of sleep.  I hate it.
     There are times I wish I could just let everything go, and just  have some family time.  If only it was that easy.  The hardest part is the kids knowing that this year there won't be a vacation, or much of anything special.  Kids just don't understand that you are hanging on by the skin of your teeth, and that you have to do what you are doing to survive.  That's when I realize that despite all of my good intentions, and all that I thought I was doing right, I have let my family down.
     Maybe I should have followed the money more, and worked the jobs where I could have made better money.  Maybe I was selfish in wanting to see my kids play ball, and be there for things like that.  I just don't know any more.  I know it hurts.  I want to be everything for everybody.  Right now we are between the rock and the hard place, and the kids are the ones that are paying the price.  That's the ultimate hurt.
     After I wrote this, my 9 year old came up to me and told me she had found some money and gave it to me.  It was a dollar bill, a couple of quarters, and a bunch of pennies.  I asked her where she found it, and she said it was on my bed.  I thought it might have fell out of my pocket, but then remembered I didn't have that kind of money on me.  I asked her about it again, and she finally told me the money was hers.  I tried giving it back to her, but she wouldn't take it.  She wanted me to have it, so that I wouldn't have to work so hard any more.  I have no doubt I have the best kids in the world.
     That gives me the strength to get back up at 3:00 a:m another day and get after it.  They aren't giving up on me, so I can't give up either.

The Amazing, Time Altering, Watch

     I have a watch that had been driving me crazy for a while now.  First of all, I do not wear expensive watches.  I hardly ever wear a watch at all unless it is the weekend.  Maybe if I did I could have avoided this whole mess, and I would not have felt so silly.
     I awoke Sunday morning and was getting ready to go to church.  I got out my cheap Wal-Mart watch (which is really a nice looking watch) and went to put it on.  I looked at the time, and the watch was once again 10 minutes behind the clock beside my bed.  I was sure I was going to have to get a new watch, this one was going crazy.  I started thinking back, and could remember at least two other times recently that I had went to put on my watch, and it was 10 minutes slow.
     Normally, this would be a signal to me that maybe I needed a new battery, but I had replaced the battery not even a month ago, so that couldn't be it.  Not only that, but after I reset my watch, it would somehow start running fast, and would end up about 10 minutes ahead.  I would reset it again, and would be good for about another week until it would do it all over again.
     Maybe the watch was just defective, after all it was a $10 watch, and I have had it a while.  If it were defective it should either run fast or slow all the time, not one then the other.  I stood there a minute looking at the watch, then looking back at the clock beside my bed.  Slow, fast, slow, fast, what was going on?
     I took one last look back at the clock beside my bed to get the correct time, then reset my watch again.  I thought for a second I really needed to get a move on, or else I was going to be pushing it to get to church.  I then remembered that I had set the clock beside the bed 10 minutes fast, so that when the alarm went off in the mornings I could steal a few extra minutes.  That's when it hit me, the watch wasn't defective, it was me who was setting the watch ahead 10 minutes by that clock, then setting it back later by a clock on the right time.  Yeah, only me.