| Children: |
Joshua 1981
Joseph 1983
Life as usual in this case. (Married with children) 9th grade rolled More…around and the law came down in etched stone. A's and nothing but A's..."But dad...school is so tough". But I saw what was and had been. ME and the way I was...Barely graduating by the skin of my teeth and knew there was a better way. Education, education, education!!! So with unhappy partial smiles on their face they began a new journey where hopefully I could guide them both. Do we all not reap what we sow...
Joshua was the people person type. The talker, politician type with an easy handshake that always came with a smile. Class president, President of Journalism Class, into choir and so many other activities. It never seemed to end. Always doing something...The occasional B here and there but all in all, towed the line to keep me from being to much on his case and he graduated with the rest of his class and like so many of us at that age, didn't have the slightest idea on what was out there and where to go. Now with me being a former Marine, I attempted to steer him in the direction of the Few, the Proud, the Marines but I was soon to be vetoed by my COMMANDING OFFICER (my wife) that, that was not going to happen to her precious child. Well, after some delicate maneuvering on my part, an Air Force Recruiter was brought to the house and the picture of what could be was brought before Joshua eyes (adventure and flying and you now, the dreams of the unknown in the eyes of the youth). All turned out just great for him. From 1998 up to this day. Still in the USAF and an Officer and he has the beauty of flying. Good for him and good for this Country that some step up and are willing to give all to help us all enjoy the beauty of this beautiful nation. He spent time in the no-fly-zone in Iraq in those days and many a time in Norad in Colorado here in he US. A good man and well liked by his peers and the leadership role he carries.
Joseph was borne in Sioux City in 83 and is blessed in many ways for what life offers. Borne at 1lb 4 oz and because of blood oxygen levels required for proper growth pattens in early stages had retina eye problems. Living in an incubator for to long until he could remain on his own without that support did cause some problems. Poor vision and classified as legally blind, he unlike many of us will never have the freedom to just hop in the car and go as he wishes and experience the beauty that God has given us to see the wonders of this world that is all around us. His life circle allows him to see all that is around him but as things become distant (20 feet) they become very hazy and he does not have the clarity or 3 dimensional viewing that we enjoy and very possible take for granted. A gifted child with a very high IQ that allowed him to breeze through school and homework was virtually unknown to him as he retained so much of what he was taught in school. At the time I guess he took the A's to heart and in all the years only had 1 B and it was in drafting because they did not like the ways his lines were drawn. Go figure!!! A 3.9974 grade average and a lot of $$$$ in scholarships. Since the very early days when computers were not a norm and they said this computer has 80 meg and he will never fill it up...lol...well he had one and that was his life. By 7th grade he already had a huge grasp on C++ and Borland and DOS. I was so afraid of what life would throw at him with his vision problem the only way out for him that I could comprehend was education.....SO many of us can say that our children are so sharp when it comes to this new technological age and that is true but Joseph didn't really just want to play the games, he wanted to know what made them the way they were and tweek they a bit to his advantage...It is all he knew to do. No football, baseball, soccer and such. Hard to do such things when objects come out of nowhere so fast.
A computer was his lifeline to this world. Time passed and high school was just a stepping stone for him. After graduation he went to UMR engineering college here in MO and had a full 5 year scholarship in the computer science field. Same as high school. College blessed him and homework was really a foreign word in his vocabulary. Wasn't college a time to get away from parents and a dial up internet and enjoy a T-1 system....lol... He at this time is best suited in a metropolitan area and St. Louis is home for him. He's the MAN!!!!! Lives about 1.5 miles from where he works and has the bike path about 10 yards from his apartment and takes the ride on his bicycle to work every day at Hughes INC. Here he is mastering the intense and rewarding world of multiple computer languages and how they really need to work together to make the 100's of computers in the office and the shop work together to keep the business operating and functioning properly. Distance is a barrier but I keep in touch and do what I can, when I can, but as like his brother he is well liked and his friends help him in areas where they know they can help and is that what friends are for. To help each other. All of us have our own special ways to help others.
Good men. Both of them. As time and distance and the fact they to have here own lives, is part of living, I am proud of them both. May they continue on the journey set before them both for what God has blessed them with. I love them both!!!! |
