"difficult"
I was a relatively nice straight line kid, Mormon raised, followed most all rules and laws, an Eagle Scout with two Palms, bright enough to pass over sixth grade, great at math and science, did a lot of community volunteer work, kind to most everyone, played in a church sponsored baseball league as the pitcher for several years and Capt. of the Team. I always excelled at what ever I did: Scouts, baseball, school studies, and Football...
But Hated my father for what he did. (and never any help for me) < I will get back to this later!
I would spend most all of my summers working with my Grandfather on his farm in Arkansas while 'everyone else' would be off on 'vacations'. If you have ever worked on a farm you know that is not much fun and damn hard working your ass off from day-break until dusk. It was odd because my Grandfather couldn't speak as his throat had been burned by a chemical attack in WWI yet we communicated more and better that most anyone else I ever known.
My POS father had a lot of trouble trying to speak also, as he was hit in the neck in WWII and could only speak at a whisper. I do not EVER recall having any kind of a conversation with him, none, ever. I worked damn hard to get a Scholarship to be able to afford to go to College, a driven goal for myself, I knew an education was my only ticket out of Missouri and to have a successful life. I did that!
My only and younger brother was a slug, couldn't do a damn thing right, struggled in school, dropped out of Cub Scouts in his first three weeks, was never good at school, sports or much of anything, wrecked the 'Family' car less than two weeks after he got his license, sure put us in a bind! Ran into the back of a VW with a young mother and her baby, the baby was thrown around in the car and hospitalized. He felt the 'need' to go out for the HS football team, tried to be a kicker, they kept him as a 'equipment manager'... Didn't even last a one season at that! But my Mother and father went to every game, would even take off work to be there. He ended up getting married to a great gal, VP with the FAA, two nice boys... but he was a drunk, fired from every job he ever had, the last one was as a Dispatcher for UPS, canned for being drunk on the job, she divorced him real quick,
But he was the 'baby of the family' and was never seen for what he was, he was given half a duplex and a truck after the divorce.
Now back to the father:
I played in school every year, Our graduating class alone was near 1800 kids, imagine how hard it would be to 'make the team' with a school of that size and so many to choose from. In fact I was moved up to the Varsity Team as a freshman after six games. Unheard of !!!
But guess who never came to not even ONE game the entire four years that I played HS ball, my Mother, father or Brother, Not One. I made the All City Team every year, the All State team the last two years and honorable mention on the All American HS team my last... not one damn game. It did get me three solid offers for College, I got a FULL RIDE scholarship! They NEVER came to one game that I played in... and it was in Missouri. That was my FAMILY LIFE.
Circumstances, (the Draft) took all that away from me, instead of being drafted, I decided with a buddy to enlisted, US Army, you've heard this all before... Went in Jan. '67, Dec '67 off to VN... After going thru Airborne school, Ranger school, Survival/Escape and Evasion and NCO school. Guess who never came to any of those Graduations... but guess who got a Brand new car, a Ford Falcon Futura 289 4spd, his Jr year of HS.
Getting the picture yet.
You all know I spent nearly 3 years over there in that Hell hole, came back with some serious injuries, first to Ft Lewis Wa. to a gurney in the Hosp. hallway for near two weeks, moved to Ft Hood Tx for the next nearly 3 MONTHS, two additional surgeries and Rehab. Again guess who never bothered to come see me in all that time I was in the Hosp. in Tx. !
Yeah, I changed... after three years of Honest to God pure Hell, putting around 35 bodies of what was left of my buddies and friends on a helicopter to never be seen or talked to again, and dozens of the wounded, crippled for life. THAT was my reward for being a Good Kid growing up, doing everything that a person could expect of a kind, considerate, thoughtful Kid. Fed up with being shit on, tired of seeing death, lives destroyed of those 'doing their DUTY'
Damn right I CHANGED. No one ever gave a fuck, ever.
"difficult" not without reason !
HAVE A HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY ALL
