1963 - CHAPTER THIRTEEN - BRIGHT SUN SHINY DAYS
After my 40th birthday I experienced a mid-life crisis that hit me like a ton of bricks. There were other personal problems that I was having, that I can't discuss here, that were really weighing on me. I don't know if I was going through a depression, but sometimes I felt like I couldn't function. My plan was to stay in the Air National Guard as long as I could. Partly because of my emotional state, and other factors, I wasn't enjoying the Guard as I had in earlier years. I had loved the Guard, especially the men and women who I served with over the years. They were like a second family to me. During those years it was not unusual to laugh until I cried when I was around them. It was a lot of fun mixed in with the occasional hardship and boredom.
When I first joined the Guard promotion was almost guaranteed after 12 years of service. By the time I reached my twelfth year the system was changed to a more merit based system. That would have been okay, if things had been fair, but we definitely had a privileged clique in our unit. I prided myself in the fact that I was purposely not part of it. Over the years I began to see people bypass me in rank with a lot less time than I had. Other than the 1987 deployment to Germany, which I had to miss in order to get my job at Bridgestone, I made every deployment and weekend drill. I willingly obeyed every order, maintained a sharp military appearance and volunteered for positions such as weight control monitor, which was a thankless job. Regardless of what I did, I could not get promoted. Promotion was steady and fast in the regular Air Force but the Guard was much more political.
By 1994 I was maintaining an outwardly good attitude but I was becoming very bitter on the inside. Things began to go downhill after 1990. In the late 1980's a new man joined our unit as an E-4, or what we called a Buck Sergeant. I liked him because he was a very nice guy but over the next few guard drills we noticed that he was receiving special treatment and he was promoted to SSgt. He was being groomed for something but we just didn't know what. You could always tell who was in line for promotion by how well they were being treated by the clique. During the ceremony, when our unit received the new C-130 H models in early 1990, I suddenly realized the answer to our question. He was married to the daughter of a prominent Democrat politician.
By 1994 I was maintaining an outwardly good attitude but I was becoming very bitter on the inside. Things began to go downhill after 1990. In the late 1980's a new man joined our unit as an E-4, or what we called a Buck Sergeant. I liked him because he was a very nice guy but over the next few guard drills we noticed that he was receiving special treatment and he was promoted to SSgt. He was being groomed for something but we just didn't know what. You could always tell who was in line for promotion by how well they were being treated by the clique. During the ceremony, when our unit received the new C-130 H models in early 1990, I suddenly realized the answer to our question. He was married to the daughter of a prominent Democrat politician.
After our Captain left in 1993 he was selected to be our new commander. The only problem was that he was not an officer and was still a SSgt. This was unprecedented. After failing the officers test several times he was finally allowed to go to officers school. Just after his return from officers school he held a meeting in our ready room. I was incredulous when he told us that promotions, from then on, would be merit based and we would have to work hard to earn it. By then I was 44 and it seemed like we were going into the field more and more doing ABGD training. My heart was no longer in it.
That summer we were scheduled to do desert training at Nellis AFB in Nevada. The name of the exercise was Silver Flag Alpha. Physically I was up to it, but psychologically I wasn't. I did something that was out of character for me. If I had it to do over again I would have done things differently. When the day came to deploy I just didn't show up. I got dressed and went to work at Bridgestone as I usually did. My unit tried several times to contact me but I refused to return their phone calls. It was weird because I knew that I was wrong but I was going through one of those periods that I felt like I just couldn't function. After they left I drove to the Guard over the next few days pulling my camp in Nashville.
That summer we were scheduled to do desert training at Nellis AFB in Nevada. The name of the exercise was Silver Flag Alpha. Physically I was up to it, but psychologically I wasn't. I did something that was out of character for me. If I had it to do over again I would have done things differently. When the day came to deploy I just didn't show up. I got dressed and went to work at Bridgestone as I usually did. My unit tried several times to contact me but I refused to return their phone calls. It was weird because I knew that I was wrong but I was going through one of those periods that I felt like I just couldn't function. After they left I drove to the Guard over the next few days pulling my camp in Nashville.
While there I talked to someone in personnel and found out that I was eligible for retirement. If I had known this earlier, retirement would have been a perfect solution to my problem. I could have put in for retirement and skipped the deployment to Nevada. Either way, I should have gone to my commander and explained why I didn't want to go. My behavior was inexcusable and a blight on an otherwise nearly perfect military career of almost 21 years. If I had done things differently, who knows, they might have promoted me on my way out the door but I ruined any chance of that happening. In a later ceremony I was awarded both the Air Force Achievement Medal and the Air Force Commendation Medal but that was bittersweet considering how my career had ended on a sour note.
After my unit returned from Nevada I was called on the carpet for what I did and rightfully so. I was more worried about what the reaction would be from my fellow Airmen, because I felt like I had let them down. Surprisingly, most of them didn't seem upset about it at all and some even said that they admired me for what I did. They told me that they wished they had the guts to do the same thing. There were several, however; that were disappointed in me and I was disappointed with myself, and I still am to this day. The way I handled the situation was a life mistake that I wish I correct. I retired from the Air National Guard in October 1994 and I will always be proud of my service. Serving in the military, for the greatest country in the world, was a great honor and I wouldn't trade anything for the experience, but I wouldn't want to do it again.
After my unit returned from Nevada I was called on the carpet for what I did and rightfully so. I was more worried about what the reaction would be from my fellow Airmen, because I felt like I had let them down. Surprisingly, most of them didn't seem upset about it at all and some even said that they admired me for what I did. They told me that they wished they had the guts to do the same thing. There were several, however; that were disappointed in me and I was disappointed with myself, and I still am to this day. The way I handled the situation was a life mistake that I wish I correct. I retired from the Air National Guard in October 1994 and I will always be proud of my service. Serving in the military, for the greatest country in the world, was a great honor and I wouldn't trade anything for the experience, but I wouldn't want to do it again.
Rob married his girlfriend Jody in 1991 but unfortunately this marriage ended in divorce a few years later. Fortunately, no children were produced by this marriage. Rob would later move to Vero Beach Florida in 1996 and would marry a Florida girl named Lisa on August 7, 1999. Lisa and Rob are still married and have two boys named Robbie and Blaine. They are still living in Vero Beach at the time of this writing in November 2017. Misty would have three children by her first husband Jeff named Tyler, Connor, and Lydea. They were married in the Fall of 1992 and their marriage would later end in divorce. My son Jon and his girlfriend Carrie were married in Beech Grove Tennessee at Gosburg Community Church by my Uncle Bud who was pastoring there on the day of their marriage, March 26, 1994. They would have three boys, Zachary, Zane and Zander. Melanie would marry Kenneth Qualls on July 22, 2000. They have two boys, and a girl named Gabriel, Donie and Russell.
The years 1995 and 1996 were sad ones for both my family and Debbie's family. Early in 1995 Debbie's Aunt Thelma died. Her Uncle Jesse had been dead for a while and had a full military funeral at Nashville's National cemetery on Gallatin road. Aunt Thelma was buried there alongside Jesse. Sadly my Uncle Bud was found dead after suffering a massive heart attack on Sunday morning August 20th in his motel room in Manchester. He was preaching at his church in Beech Grove. This was the motel where he was staying on the weekends when he was preaching because his permanent residence was in Nashville. During the week he was living with my aunt Didi in Madison. One of his church members went to the motel to check on him when he didn't show up for services that morning. Uncle Bud was 66 years old.
The years 1995 and 1996 were sad ones for both my family and Debbie's family. Early in 1995 Debbie's Aunt Thelma died. Her Uncle Jesse had been dead for a while and had a full military funeral at Nashville's National cemetery on Gallatin road. Aunt Thelma was buried there alongside Jesse. Sadly my Uncle Bud was found dead after suffering a massive heart attack on Sunday morning August 20th in his motel room in Manchester. He was preaching at his church in Beech Grove. This was the motel where he was staying on the weekends when he was preaching because his permanent residence was in Nashville. During the week he was living with my aunt Didi in Madison. One of his church members went to the motel to check on him when he didn't show up for services that morning. Uncle Bud was 66 years old.
There was a bright spot, however; in 1995. My grandson Zachary was born in February to Jon and Carrie. He was premature weighing only about three and a half pounds. Early in Carries pregnancy, it was discovered that Zach had a cyst growing in one lung. Doctor's wanted Carrie to abort but fortunately she refused. It was decided by the doctor's at Vanderbilt that they would allow her pregnancy to proceed to a point that it would be safe to surgically remove the cyst in the womb sometime just before delivery. In her last weeks Carrie was admitted to the hospital for total bed rest until the surgery was performed and delivery. If I am not mistaken, this was the first surgery ever performed in the womb at Vanderbilt. Zachary is a tall, handsome and healthy young man today. You would never know that he was premature.
Sometime later that year we found out that Debbie's brother Ronnie had melanoma. It had spread throughout his body from a mole that was hidden from view on the top of his head. Ronnie lost a lot of weight toward the end and was very frail. This hit me pretty hard because Ronnie and I were like brothers. Whenever he saw me he would say "Hey big dummy". He never said this in a vindictive way but it was always done good naturedly. We would bust each others chops all the time. Everybody loved Ronnie. Even his co workers, who were predominately black. He was a supervisor for a waste disposal company in Montgomery Alabama.
Ronnie was a bigot, but not in a hateful way. One of the reasons that he called me big dummy is that we differed on a lot of issues, especially in the area of race. Ronnie on the other hand was kind to everyone and his bigotry, like many white people in the South, was based on his upbringing. He was fair with everyone regardless of race. Ronnie was one of the few white men I ever knew that could jokingly call black people the n word and get away with it. While he lay dying in the hospital many black people would come by to see him. I was there one day when one of his black coworkers walked in and Ronnie greeted him with something like "Well there's that nigger from the shop". I was shocked at this but the man seemed to be unfazed. Both were laughing and joking with each other the whole time. Ronnie routinely interacted with his black friends in this way.
Debbie had been staying with Ronnie after Hospice was called in and I was driving to Montgomery on my days off. On Sunday October 1st, I drove back home so I could work my job at Bridgestone the next day. While at work, on the afternoon of Tuesday October 3rd, I received the news that Ronnie had died. I made preparations to leave for Montgomery early the next morning October 4th. To make a bad situation much worse a category 4 hurricane named Opal was about to slam into Ft. Walton Beach Florida. Montgomery is just 3 hours north of Ft. Walton Beach and was directly in the path of the storm. It was surreal as I drove down I-65 south through Alabama enroute to Montgomery. I was one of the very few people driving south while the north bound lanes of the interstate was bumper to bumper traffic trying to get away from the storm.
Debbie had been staying with Ronnie after Hospice was called in and I was driving to Montgomery on my days off. On Sunday October 1st, I drove back home so I could work my job at Bridgestone the next day. While at work, on the afternoon of Tuesday October 3rd, I received the news that Ronnie had died. I made preparations to leave for Montgomery early the next morning October 4th. To make a bad situation much worse a category 4 hurricane named Opal was about to slam into Ft. Walton Beach Florida. Montgomery is just 3 hours north of Ft. Walton Beach and was directly in the path of the storm. It was surreal as I drove down I-65 south through Alabama enroute to Montgomery. I was one of the very few people driving south while the north bound lanes of the interstate was bumper to bumper traffic trying to get away from the storm.
I arrived in Montgomery about an hour before the hurricane made landfall in Ft. Walton Beach as a category 3 hurricane. When I arrived at Ronnie's house his body had already been taken to the funeral home. My son Robbie had left to go back to Tennessee shortly before I arrived. Sadly he had to help getting Ronnie's body on to the gurney so he could be taken to the funeral home. The house was all boarded up with plywood in preparation for the storm. It wasn't long before hurricane Opal hit Montgomery just after sunset. This was my first hurricane and about ten minutes into the storm the lights flickered a few times before finally going out altogether. Montgomery would be without power for days.
I have experienced the death of many close family members. Typically in the South, when someone dies, they are not buried until the 3rd day. For the first two days family and friends come by the funeral home for visitation and viewing. The third day is set aside for the funeral. These three days were miserable because it was stifling hot inside Ronnie's boarded up house without electricity and it was boring without TV to watch. Luckily, we had a battery powered radio. The funeral home never lost power, however. There were trees and power lines down all over Montgomery. A tree fell on top of a house close to us. We were needing to find a store that was open and the only place that I could find was a K-Mart. They had no power but the cashiers were set up outside in front of the store. You would tell them what you wanted and a worker would go into the store and retrieve it for you. In spite of the storm, and terrible conditions, the funeral home was packed with family and friends. Both white and black. Ronnie was buried under a magnolia tree in a local Montgomery cemetery.
I have experienced the death of many close family members. Typically in the South, when someone dies, they are not buried until the 3rd day. For the first two days family and friends come by the funeral home for visitation and viewing. The third day is set aside for the funeral. These three days were miserable because it was stifling hot inside Ronnie's boarded up house without electricity and it was boring without TV to watch. Luckily, we had a battery powered radio. The funeral home never lost power, however. There were trees and power lines down all over Montgomery. A tree fell on top of a house close to us. We were needing to find a store that was open and the only place that I could find was a K-Mart. They had no power but the cashiers were set up outside in front of the store. You would tell them what you wanted and a worker would go into the store and retrieve it for you. In spite of the storm, and terrible conditions, the funeral home was packed with family and friends. Both white and black. Ronnie was buried under a magnolia tree in a local Montgomery cemetery.
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| Damage from hurricane Opal in Florida |
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| Hurricane damage in Montgomery |
Just 10 days later, on October 13, 1995, Debbie's grandmother, Grace Brown, died in Nashville. She was almost 93 years old. Grace was born in November 1902, less than a year before the Wright brothers flew the first airplane. She would live through 2 world wars, an economic depression, and see the first men step on the moon. Grace was a feisty and colorful person that was married three times. She was a great lady, however; and we still miss her to this day. Finally, Debbie's daddy, Johnny Phillips, died of pneumonia on July 3, 1996. He was 80 years old and his last years were pretty miserable. Because of Parkinson's disease he was being fed by a feeding tube. Johnny's brain was severely injured by shrapnel during the last months of WW2.
I was asked to find a bugler to play TAPs during the graveside services. If it were up to me he would have had a full military funeral but the family only wanted a bugler. To my surprise I was unable to find anyone. I called Ft. Campbell and the Tennessee National Guard Headquarters. They were unable to provide a bugler. Someone suggested that I call the Tennessee Guard which is made up of volunteer soldiers who serve for free. They are not the same as the Tennessee Army National Guard. I contacted an officer who agreed to come out and play a recording of TAPs on a cassette player. It was amazing to me that a man who sacrificed so much for his country didn't even rate a bugler to play TAPs at his funeral. Johnny was buried beside Debbie's mother Margaret at Mt. Olivet cemetery. Mt. Olivet is a very historic cemetery and they had a restored horse drawn hearse that carried Johnny's body from the Mt. Olivet funeral home to the grave site. Johnny was a good hard working man. I never felt, however; that he was very fond of me. We never saw eye to eye on much and our values were very different.
On Monday January 29, 1996 I was enroute to Hendersonville in order to sing for Debbie's Aunt Dovie's senior citizens group. That morning I was driving west on I-24 and just before reaching Hendersonville there was a news bulletin on the talk radio show that I was listening to. The announcer said that a jet fighter had just crashed beside I-24 near the airport. I had only missed seeing this crash by a few minutes because I had just driven by there. Apparently Navy Lt. Commander John Stacy Bates of Nashville had been been home on a visit and had parked his Navy F-14 Tomcat at our Air National Guard base. The F-14 is the same fighter used in the movie Top Gun. This is common practice for local fighter pilots passing through to park there planes at the Guard base while at home.
Commander Bates parents watched as their son performed a vertical power takeoff . I have seen fighters do this maneuver on takeoff and it is pretty cool to watch. There was a low cloud cover that day and his parents watched as his plane disappeared into the clouds only to hear the sound of their sons jet exploding just a few seconds later. After an extensive investigation it was discovered that the pilot became disorientated in the clouds and instead of gaining altitude he was descending toward the ground. Too late , he realized his mistake and tried to recover but the jet hit a line of houses on Luna Drive and exploded in a fireball. Five people died that day. Commander Bates, his back seater, or Radar Officer, and 3 civilians who were in a house. Two houses and a free standing garage were totally destroyed. A 3rd house was heavily damaged. As a result of this crash the Navy developed a vest worn by all fighter pilots. If the pilot is descending when they actually think they are gaining altitude a device in the vest will tap them on the back. Supposedly it feels like a person tapping there back in order to get their attention. My old Security Police unit secured the crash site but luckily I didn't have to work this one. I had retired a year and a half earlier from the ANG in 1994.
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The hearse used to carry Johnny from the funeral home to the grave site  |
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| What the explosion looked like from I-24 |
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| Commander Bates |
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| MSGT Radley from 118th Security Police |
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| TNANG securing the site |
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| TNANG |
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| TNANG |
On April 16, 1998 we were visiting my son Robbie in Vero Beach Florida who had recently moved there and my sister Donna who had been there since 1978. We got a call from home and were told that Nashville had been hit by an F-3 tornado. Unknown to us the tornado that hit Nashville was part of a two day tornado outbreak. The second day was the worst. Thirteen tornados hit Middle Tennessee that day. For the first time in twenty years Nashville was the largest downtown area to be hit by an F-2 tornado or larger. Tornado's also struck Illinois, Arkansas, Kentucky and Alabama. Twelve people were killed in these states. Seven in Tennessee and one in Nashville. Eleven people died in Nashville alone during the March 1933 East Nashville tornado that followed an almost identical path. Modern weather alerting can be credited with a lower casualty rate this time and the fact that it hit during daylight hours.
The tornado was an F-1 when it touched down at the intersection of Charlotte and 46th Avenue. By the time it reached downtown it was turning into a F-3 tornado. Trees were blown down everywhere. A Vanderbilt ROTC student was crushed by a falling tree at Centennial Park and later died at Vanderbilt hospital. Windows were blown out of buildings and cars. Utility poles and electrical wires were down everywhere. Buildings were destroyed downtown and when the tornado hit the new Titans stadium, then under construction, three construction cranes were blown over. East Nashville suffered even more damage when the tornado crossed the river. The historic St. Ann's Episcopal church was heavily damaged along with the Tulip Street United Methodist church and the Russell Street Church of Christ. East Nashville was devastated and the tornado ripped up hundreds of stately old trees on the property of the Hermitage before finally losing steam.
There were a lot of tornado's that year. In June our house was hit by an F-1 tornado that damaged most of the trees in my yard. Luckily our house wasn't damaged but an RV was blown over along with many trees in our neighborhood. When the tornado reached Murfreesboro Pike it became an F-3 and flattened a batting cage called Grand Slam. I remember waking up to a violent thunderstorm that night. The lightning was probably the most intense that I have ever witnessed. It reminded me of a strobe light. I immediately turned on the television in our room and the weathermen were telling people in our area to take cover.
There were a lot of tornado's that year. In June our house was hit by an F-1 tornado that damaged most of the trees in my yard. Luckily our house wasn't damaged but an RV was blown over along with many trees in our neighborhood. When the tornado reached Murfreesboro Pike it became an F-3 and flattened a batting cage called Grand Slam. I remember waking up to a violent thunderstorm that night. The lightning was probably the most intense that I have ever witnessed. It reminded me of a strobe light. I immediately turned on the television in our room and the weathermen were telling people in our area to take cover.
After jumping out of bed I grabbed my video camera. Debbie had walked into the kitchen and was looking out the window into our back yard. This was before we built our dining room. I was filming through the glass in our bedroom door that opens into our back yard. Just then the battery died on my camera and I was looking down when the tornado hit. When I looked up the peach tree that had been standing right in front of me, a moment before, was now gone. Just before the tornado hit I noticed that the storm seemed to have subsided and everything was very still. Debbie saw what looked like a heavy fog engulf our house and when it lifted trees were down all over the back yard. We would be cutting up limbs and trees for days after that.
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| Aerial view of St. Ann's |
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| Tulip St. United Methodist Church |
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| Russell Street Church of Christ |
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| Damaged trees in front of the house Debbie was raised in |
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| Cornelia Fort Airport |
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| Tree damage at the Hermitage |
Sometime in 1999, I can't remember the actual date, Don Sunquist sided with the Democratic legislature and proposed a state income tax. I voted for Sunquist in 1994 and 98 because I thought he was a conservative and he was against a state income tax. Shortly after he was sworn in he betrayed the people who elected him and came out in favor of the tax. I was livid at the betrayal, along with the majority of Tennesseans. Overnight Sunquist and the Democratic Party in Tennessee had committed political suicide.
When I am angry about something politically, on a state or national level, my options are few. I can call my congressmen, state legislators, or the governor, and vote when the opportunity arises. In this case I thought I had voted for the right person but he stabbed the voters in the back. Then something unusual happened. Radio talk show hosts Phil Valentine and Steve Gill were on 1510 A.M. at the time. Daryll Ankarlo and Dave Ramsey were on 99.7 F.M. This was when Dave Ramsey was just starting out with his financial advice show that is now syndicated nationwide. The two stations became the Paul Revere's and William Dawe's of our time. This was the start of what would become known as the Tennessee Tax Revolt.
On numerous occasions the Democrats tried to sneak the income tax in on us but were thwarted every time. The aforementioned talk show hosts used their microphones to warn us before every meeting of the legislature. Whether it was on a weekend, at night, during the day or late in the afternoon, after most people had left their jobs to go home for the day. When we were notified of a session on the tax, thousands of anti-tax protesters would converge on the capital. Large crowds would assemble on Legislative Plaza and around Capital Hill while hundreds more of us continually circled the Capital blowing our horns. I broke the horn in my Ford Ranger pick up truck and was there for every protest except the very first one. If I had known about it I would have been there for that one too. I even did shift swaps at work in order to be at the protests.
On numerous occasions the Democrats tried to sneak the income tax in on us but were thwarted every time. The aforementioned talk show hosts used their microphones to warn us before every meeting of the legislature. Whether it was on a weekend, at night, during the day or late in the afternoon, after most people had left their jobs to go home for the day. When we were notified of a session on the tax, thousands of anti-tax protesters would converge on the capital. Large crowds would assemble on Legislative Plaza and around Capital Hill while hundreds more of us continually circled the Capital blowing our horns. I broke the horn in my Ford Ranger pick up truck and was there for every protest except the very first one. If I had known about it I would have been there for that one too. I even did shift swaps at work in order to be at the protests.
The protests opened my eyes firsthand to news media bias. People protesting the tax were everyday people. Men in business suits, blue collar workers like myself, and housewives pushing baby strollers. There were also various ethnicities represented. The press always tried to portray us as a bunch of rowdies and they would also downplay the size of our crowds. There was always a very small group of counter protesters that stood on the south side of the capital near Sixth Avenue. The news media never failed to show them and make their group look larger than it was. We were having a major impact, however. The Dems would have the votes to pass the tax measure on occasion but we would show up and many of the legislators got cold feet at the last moment. One day paramedics carried out several whose blood pressure had spiked because of the noisy protesters outside. The radio stations were broadcasting live from Legislative Plaza and when the news that the vote had been postponed was broadcast, a huge cheer would go up from the protesters.
Our finest hour came on July 11, 2000. I was finishing up my two day break at Bridgestone. It was late in the afternoon and I found out from Steve Gill that the state legislature was trying to pull a fast one on us. Everyone had gone home for the day and they figured that we wouldn't show up to protest. I was tired and dreading my 12 hour shift the next day at work. The last thing that I wanted to do was go downtown. As I began my drive to Nashville from Murfreesboro I was wondering if it would be a wasted effort. I imagined that I would be only one of a handful of die hard protesters that would show up. My hopes began to grow as I passed convoy after convoy of smiling, waving, sign carrying protesters. Tears filled my eyes when I came upon a traffic jam of horn blowing protesters long before I even came in sight of the capital. This was what a republican form of Democracy was all about. Hundreds of angry protesters were surrounding and beating on the doors of the capital demanding entrance. Somehow a rock was thrown through an office window and the press depicted us as a bunch of rioters. As far as I know that was the only damage done that day but we rejoiced at the news that the Dems had backed down again.
Our finest hour came on July 11, 2000. I was finishing up my two day break at Bridgestone. It was late in the afternoon and I found out from Steve Gill that the state legislature was trying to pull a fast one on us. Everyone had gone home for the day and they figured that we wouldn't show up to protest. I was tired and dreading my 12 hour shift the next day at work. The last thing that I wanted to do was go downtown. As I began my drive to Nashville from Murfreesboro I was wondering if it would be a wasted effort. I imagined that I would be only one of a handful of die hard protesters that would show up. My hopes began to grow as I passed convoy after convoy of smiling, waving, sign carrying protesters. Tears filled my eyes when I came upon a traffic jam of horn blowing protesters long before I even came in sight of the capital. This was what a republican form of Democracy was all about. Hundreds of angry protesters were surrounding and beating on the doors of the capital demanding entrance. Somehow a rock was thrown through an office window and the press depicted us as a bunch of rioters. As far as I know that was the only damage done that day but we rejoiced at the news that the Dems had backed down again.
State Troopers in riot gear surrounded the capital the next time we protested but our efforts were not in vain. I was even surprised to see my Democrat voting Aunt Freddie supporting us at the protest that day, along with my cousin Rowena. Later in the year the Dem's admitted defeat and never tried to pass the income tax again. As a result of their foolishness in trying to pass an income tax the Democrats lost both houses of the state legislature. We now have a super majority of Republicans and the state income tax issue has been dead ever since. When Sunquist left office he wouldn't have been able to be elected dog catcher in the state of Tennessee. In addition he was under a cloud of suspicion for corruption. Tennessee is one of the few states without a state income tax and not having one is a big draw for people and businesses to move here. I will always be proud of my involvement in the Tennessee tax protests.
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| Our trip to Chickasaw State Park in the late 1990's |
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| A cabin in Chickasaw State Park |
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| Taking Courtney fishing at Chickasaw |
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| Courtney and I on the paddle boats |
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| My granddaughter snaggle toothed Courtney Segroves |
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| Open mike night at the Wild Horse Saloon in Nashville |
Debbie went to the doctor for a routine medical check up in 1999 and Dr. Bishop, our family doctor at the time, casually asked her when she had her last mammogram. She told him that she hadn't had one in several years. Doctor Bishop scheduled a mammogram for Debbie. The technician that read the mammogram spotted a suspicious area in her right breast. Debbie had a history of cysts forming in her breasts over the years and they usually all turned out to be benign. We weren't all that concerned at the time. She was scheduled to see a surgeon that had a reputation for being one of the best in the country. On the day of the surgery I felt as though someone kicked me in the gut when he told me that Debbie had cancer. He said that he had removed a tumor the size of a pea but he thought he had caught it in time. The surgeon said that he wouldn't know for sure until he checked the lymph nodes. It was a very aggressive form of cancer.
She had a big decision to make. He gave her a couple of options. She could have a double mastectomy, or she could have the lymph nodes removed on her right side. After much prayer and contemplation, she decided on the latter option which turned out to be the right one. It was discovered that the cancer had not spread to the lymph nodes but Debbie would have to go through months of grueling chemotherapy and radiation treatments. She lost all of her hair in the process. The doctor told her that she owed her life to the mammogram, and the sharp technician who accurately read it. I would also commend Dr. Bishop for suggesting a mammogram. At the time of this writing Debbie has been cancer free for 18 years.
Besides having medical issues in our lives the year 1999 important for other reasons. In 1997 Nashville acquired a pro football team. Bud Adams, the owner of the Houston Oilers, decided to move his team to Nashville because he could not get the city of Houston to help build a new stadium for his team. After negotiations with the mayor of Nashville, and the governor, he decided to move the Oilers to Nashville. A referendum on whether or not to move the team here was passed by the voters of Nashville. It was controversial because in order to get the team, the taxpayers of Nashville, and Tennessee would have to fund the move. Even though I could not vote on the proposition, since I lived in Rutherford County, I was in favor of moving the team here.
Besides having medical issues in our lives the year 1999 important for other reasons. In 1997 Nashville acquired a pro football team. Bud Adams, the owner of the Houston Oilers, decided to move his team to Nashville because he could not get the city of Houston to help build a new stadium for his team. After negotiations with the mayor of Nashville, and the governor, he decided to move the Oilers to Nashville. A referendum on whether or not to move the team here was passed by the voters of Nashville. It was controversial because in order to get the team, the taxpayers of Nashville, and Tennessee would have to fund the move. Even though I could not vote on the proposition, since I lived in Rutherford County, I was in favor of moving the team here.
In retrospect I would not be for it today. A sports team is a private business and should be funded privately. Cities, however; are so eager to get a sports franchise that they will sell their souls to get one and Nashville was no exception. Construction on the new Oilers stadium in Nashville had begun but it would take a couple of years to complete. Adams came up with the idea to play the 1997 season at the Liberty Bowl in Memphis. This was a bad mistake because Memphis had been lobbying for a team of it's own for years and had consistently failed to get one. The Oilers landed in Nashville's lap, almost by chance, and Memphian's were very resentful of us. Before the season was through, Adam's realized that he had made a mistake. Attendance was dismal.
Originally he had refused to play at Vanderbilt University because he did not believe the stadium was big enough. Now he gladly worked out a deal to move the team there. I attended several games with my son Jon. Tickets were easy to come by then. Another decision that Adams made was to name the team the Tennessee Oilers, rather than the Nashville Oilers. I have never agreed with this decision but Adams wanted the team to have a state wide appeal. People were clamoring for Adams to rename the team. Personally I had always hated the Oilers logo, which was an oil derrick. We needed a name and logo specific to our city and region.
Originally he had refused to play at Vanderbilt University because he did not believe the stadium was big enough. Now he gladly worked out a deal to move the team there. I attended several games with my son Jon. Tickets were easy to come by then. Another decision that Adams made was to name the team the Tennessee Oilers, rather than the Nashville Oilers. I have never agreed with this decision but Adams wanted the team to have a state wide appeal. People were clamoring for Adams to rename the team. Personally I had always hated the Oilers logo, which was an oil derrick. We needed a name and logo specific to our city and region.
Adams changed the name to the Tennessee Titans before the 1999 season and designed a new logo and uniform. At first I was disappointed in the name but I loved the new uniforms. I think that they were some of the best looking uniforms in the NFL. Adams borrowed the name Titans from the old New York Titans team that eventually evolved into the New York Jets in the early days of the old AFL. The year 1999, was also the year when the Titans moved to their new stadium in Nashville. The Oilers had ended with an 8 and 8 season in both 1997 and 1998. In 1999, however; they caught fire. With a new name and uniform the team went 13 & 3 that season. It was an exciting time for Nashville and Middle Tennessee. The Titans made the playoffs and ended up in the Super Bowl. We managed to go to several games that year.
The first game of the playoffs was played in Nashville against the Buffalo Bills. It was a tough fought game. The Titans were leading late in the game but the Buffalo Bills scored with 16 seconds on the scoreboard in the 4th quarter. My heart sank, and it looked like the Titan's Cinderella season was over. I was watching the game with my son Jon at his house in Smyrna. Jon said something like " Well the games over". I tried to cheer him up when I said that they still had 16 seconds to win the game. I really thought that the Titans were beaten, however.
The first game of the playoffs was played in Nashville against the Buffalo Bills. It was a tough fought game. The Titans were leading late in the game but the Buffalo Bills scored with 16 seconds on the scoreboard in the 4th quarter. My heart sank, and it looked like the Titan's Cinderella season was over. I was watching the game with my son Jon at his house in Smyrna. Jon said something like " Well the games over". I tried to cheer him up when I said that they still had 16 seconds to win the game. I really thought that the Titans were beaten, however.
With the kickoff fullback Lorenzo Neal received the ball and ran to the right, handing the ball off to tight end Frank Wycheck. Wycheck continued running to the right and then suddenly whipping around threw a lateral to wide receiver Kevin Dyson, who sprinted down the sidelines with a phalanx of Titans guarding him all the way into the end zone. There were no flags on the field. Jon was so excited that he jumped in my lap like a little kid yelling, we won over and over again, giving me a big bear hug. The call was challenged, but the decision was in our favor. After much analysis there was no doubt that the pass was a lateral and not a forward pass.
The Titans would go on to beat the Indianapolis Colts in the 2nd playoff game for the division title and slaughter the Jacksonville Jaguars for the AFC championship. Even though the Titans went 13 and 3 they were a Wild Card play-off team. When the Titans won the AFC championship in Jacksonville, Tennesseans were very excited about the win here at home and my son Jon, my cousin Steve Travis, and myself, rode to the stadium together for a victory celebration. The night was freezing cold but we were all so happy that we didn't care. We passed convoys of happy fans on the way to the stadium.
The Titans would go on to beat the Indianapolis Colts in the 2nd playoff game for the division title and slaughter the Jacksonville Jaguars for the AFC championship. Even though the Titans went 13 and 3 they were a Wild Card play-off team. When the Titans won the AFC championship in Jacksonville, Tennesseans were very excited about the win here at home and my son Jon, my cousin Steve Travis, and myself, rode to the stadium together for a victory celebration. The night was freezing cold but we were all so happy that we didn't care. We passed convoys of happy fans on the way to the stadium.
Everyone was so happy that we were talking to complete strangers as if we had known them for years. It seemed incredible that in just one year the Titans had gone from an 8 and 8 season to the Super Bowl. Sadly we came within one yard of possibly tying the ball game in the final seconds of one of the most exciting Super Bowl games in history. The Titans had several opportunities to win the Super Bowl in the years since but they always seemed to self destruct at critical moments in the playoffs. I loved the Titans but I have turned my back on them and the NFL over players kneeling during the National Anthem. To me this unforgivable and I can't forgive the NFL management for allowing it to happen. Sports events, and entertainment venues, should be an escape for all American's from everyday life. Yet our sporting events and entertainment industry has been virtually taken over by the cultural Marxists.
As we approached the year 2000 there was a hysteria over what was called Y2k. I can't explain the technicalities of it but basically it was believed that all of our computers would crash when we entered the 21st century causing mass chaos and death. Long story short, as I expected, nothing happened.
As we approached the year 2000 there was a hysteria over what was called Y2k. I can't explain the technicalities of it but basically it was believed that all of our computers would crash when we entered the 21st century causing mass chaos and death. Long story short, as I expected, nothing happened.
Tuesday September 11th 2001 was a warm beautiful Fall day in middle Tennessee. It was pretty much that way everywhere in the eastern half of the United States. This was my short week at Bridgestone and I was only scheduled to work two days. I got up about 7:00 A.M. that morning because a friend from work, and I, planned to walk the Greenway in Murfreesboro. Otherwise I would have slept in until 9:00 A.M. as I usually do on my days off. I dressed that morning and jumped into my Ford Ranger pick up truck. As I drove up to the stop sign at Clearview and Old Nashville Highway an announcer broke in on 1510 A.M. radio. She said that an airplane had crashed into the World Trade Center in New York City. Witnesses said that it was a plane the size of a DC-3. I was very familiar with the DC-3. In the Air Force they were called C-47 Goony Birds and we had one at Kingsley Field.
I turned around and drove back to the house. Debbie was in the bathroom and I turned a show she was watching over to a news channel. The North tower of the World Trade Center was on fire and it was obvious that something larger than a C-47 had crashed into it. At this point I am thinking that something big was going on but nothing big enough to deter me from meeting my friend at the Greenway. I walked over to the bathroom door and told Debbie what was happening so she could fill me in when I returned from the Greenway. As I was walking toward the back door I saw United 175 fly straight into the south tower and explode into a huge fireball. I decided right then and there that I wasn't going to the Greenway or anywhere else for that matter. Our country was under attack.
From that point on our phone rang off the hook with friends and relatives calling about the events that were unfolding before our eyes. Rumors were flying and at one point it was believed that the Sears building in Chicago was under attack. My friend, who I was supposed to meet at the Greenway, called a couple of hours later. This was before most people owned a cell phone. He had not heard the news and was wanting to know why I was a no show. It took a moment for what I was telling him to sink in. That America was under attack. We were glued to the TV when late that afternoon there was a knock at the door. The electric company was getting ready to cut off my electricity if I didn't pay the bill right then and there. I was two months behind. How could that be, I asked him? I was convinced that I was ahead instead of being behind. After checking our check book we realized that a mistake had been made and we actually did owe the money. Luckily, we barely had enough money to pay it and we were wiped out until pay day. What a crazy day it was. The country was under attack and we were in danger of having our electricity turned off. The Kennedy assassination had a huge impact on me but nothing affected me like September 11th did. The thought of all of those terrified people jumping out of a 105 story skyscraper and the possibility of massive casualties was horrifying, especially because I am terrified of heights and I couldn't imagine having to make a decision whether or not to jump out of a building or burn to death. Neither choice was a good one.
At first it was believed that as many as thirty to fifty thousand people could be casualties since upwards of that many worked in the World Trade Center at any given time. Who could have believed that the twin towers would ever come crashing down the way they did? After the Pentagon was attacked we were all waiting for the White House or Capital to be attacked but fortunately it never happened. When I heard about the crash of United 93, I just knew that our pilots had been forced to shoot it down. The passengers and crew, however; fought back and became heroes that day. I had never been fond of New York city but watching those brave firemen and policeman bravely climbing those stairs and many ultimately giving their lives, made me proud of New York. I was also proud to be an American.
From that point on our phone rang off the hook with friends and relatives calling about the events that were unfolding before our eyes. Rumors were flying and at one point it was believed that the Sears building in Chicago was under attack. My friend, who I was supposed to meet at the Greenway, called a couple of hours later. This was before most people owned a cell phone. He had not heard the news and was wanting to know why I was a no show. It took a moment for what I was telling him to sink in. That America was under attack. We were glued to the TV when late that afternoon there was a knock at the door. The electric company was getting ready to cut off my electricity if I didn't pay the bill right then and there. I was two months behind. How could that be, I asked him? I was convinced that I was ahead instead of being behind. After checking our check book we realized that a mistake had been made and we actually did owe the money. Luckily, we barely had enough money to pay it and we were wiped out until pay day. What a crazy day it was. The country was under attack and we were in danger of having our electricity turned off. The Kennedy assassination had a huge impact on me but nothing affected me like September 11th did. The thought of all of those terrified people jumping out of a 105 story skyscraper and the possibility of massive casualties was horrifying, especially because I am terrified of heights and I couldn't imagine having to make a decision whether or not to jump out of a building or burn to death. Neither choice was a good one.
At first it was believed that as many as thirty to fifty thousand people could be casualties since upwards of that many worked in the World Trade Center at any given time. Who could have believed that the twin towers would ever come crashing down the way they did? After the Pentagon was attacked we were all waiting for the White House or Capital to be attacked but fortunately it never happened. When I heard about the crash of United 93, I just knew that our pilots had been forced to shoot it down. The passengers and crew, however; fought back and became heroes that day. I had never been fond of New York city but watching those brave firemen and policeman bravely climbing those stairs and many ultimately giving their lives, made me proud of New York. I was also proud to be an American.
For days and weeks afterward every time I saw a flag, patriotic display, or heard a patriotic song I fought back tears. I imagined that maybe this is how my parents felt after hearing the news about Pearl Harbor. Maybe, just maybe, the nation would unite to fight a common enemy like we had in WW2. It was not to be. A unifying spirit was displayed by both parties for a few days but soon the Democrats were back to their old tricks of trying to undermine the Bush administration and the country. Pearl Harbor changed and shaped our foreign policy for years afterward. As I write this now, almost 2 decades after the attack America is still asleep. The threat of Islam in America is greater than at any time in American history and the communists are closer than ever to destroying America from within. September 11th was tragic but America is in far greater danger today than it was 20 years ago. We stand at the edge of communist abyss.
In early July 2003 I was able to fulfill a lifelong dream by taking a trip to Gettysburg. Debbie, Courtney, my sister Donna, her grandson's Stephen, and Sean Haffield, along with Didi and myself all travelled to Gettysburg together. Our first stop was in Lexington Virginia which is the home of Natural Bridge. It was also the home of Stonewall Jackson, and Virginia Military Institute, where Jackson was an instructor. Washington and Lee University is also in Lexington, where Robert E. Lee spent the last five years of his life as president of the school. He died in the president's house and is buried in a beautiful crypt in Lee's Chapel along with his wife and most of his family. His horse Traveler is buried just outside of the chapel. In 2003 we arrived too late to see the inside of Lee Chapel, or the home of Stonewall Jackson. We returned in 2005 and were able to see Lee's chapel and Jackson's home on that trip. In 2003 I found Jackson's grave where he was buried with full military honors on May 15, 1863. He died of pneumonia from the wounds he received at the battle of Chancellorsville on May 10th, 5 days earlier. Although Courtney and I had already seen Monticello and Mitchie Tavern in 1996, we went there again in 2003.
From Lexington we went to Antietam in Sharpsburg Maryland which was also a dream come true for me. We took a ranger tour here and all had a good laugh because Didi fell in love with the park Ranger. She flirted with him the entire time. I tried to take pictures from the same angle as Alexander Gardner's famous pictures of places like Bloody Lane, Dunker Church, and Farmer Millers cornfield. At Gettysburg I would do the same thing. We stayed in the historic Mary Thompson house which had been Lee's headquarters on the first day of battle. It was a bed and breakfast surrounded by a motel. Recently the motel was razed and the Mary Thompson house is now a museum. We were in Gettysburg for the 140th anniversary of the battle. Reenactors were everywhere, which added greatly to the atmosphere. Debbie was never that crazy about visiting battlefields but she loved Gettysburg, along with everyone else. We enjoyed it so much that we came back in 2005. That year we also were able to go to Harpers Ferry and Appomattox Court House Virginia. Courtney's friend Laura Dawson also went with us that year.
One day in January 2007 my daughter Misty asked me to take her to a pain clinic in Franklin Tennessee. She had been hit by a drunk driver a few years before and had tried pretty much everything to alleviate the pain. The doctor in Franklin was going to try some kind of nerve block on her neck. He had told her that this was a last ditch effort to help ease her pain. This was going to be done by injecting a needle into her neck. Misty had asked her daughter Courtney to take her to Franklin but at the last moment Courtney couldn't do it so she asked me to take her instead. I was off that morning and working in the yard when Misty called. She was living near Baker road and I drove over to pick her up. It was an absolutely gorgeous day and a warm for January. I don't know why but bad things seem to happen in my life on beautiful days. My parents died on a beautiful day, Kennedy died on a beautiful day, September 11th 2001 was on a beautiful day and I nearly lost my beautiful daughter on a beautiful day.
We were both looking forward to a great day together and Misty offered to buy my lunch after her procedure. The pain clinic was west of Cool Springs mall. We walked into the clinic and I sat down in the waiting room ready to read a good book while Misty was called back for her procedure. She was the only patient there at the time and I was the only person in the waiting room. She had been there maybe fifteen minutes when I noticed several nurses and medical personnel running back and forth in a state of excitement. Knowing that Misty was the only patient, I began to panic. Every time someone passed me I tried to get their attention but I was totally ignored as they ran to and fro. This only increased my sense of panic. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, a nurse, who seemed to be as rattled and unnerved as I was, came over to talk to me. She said Mr. Segroves your daughter suddenly turned blue and lost consciousness. Her heart stopped on the table while we were doing the procedure. Paramedics were called and they were able to restore her heartbeat. She was taken by ambulance to the Williamson County hospital.
I wanted to leave for the hospital but the nurse said that the doctor wanted to see me first. She led me back to the procedure room where the doctor, who also appeared to be very rattled, led me over to a chart that depicted the human vertebrae in the neck and back. He pointed to the vertebrae where he had inserted the needle into her neck. The doctor told me that if he had done anything wrong, Misty would be having seizures and she wasn't having seizures before she left. It was his opinion that she had suffered from a very severe anxiety attack. As someone who has suffered from severe anxiety attacks throughout my early adult life I have never known anyone to go into cardiac arrest while having one. His words, however; seemed to calm my fears a little as I jumped into my car and headed for the hospital. Not until later did I realize how ridiculous and incompetent that this doctor's statements were.
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| Twin Towers @ night |
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| The doomed |
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| People exiting the Twin Towers |
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| Firemen carrying the body of Father Judge |
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| The Pentagon |
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| Crash site of Flight 93 Shanksville Pennsylvania |
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| Hole left by United |
In early July 2003 I was able to fulfill a lifelong dream by taking a trip to Gettysburg. Debbie, Courtney, my sister Donna, her grandson's Stephen, and Sean Haffield, along with Didi and myself all travelled to Gettysburg together. Our first stop was in Lexington Virginia which is the home of Natural Bridge. It was also the home of Stonewall Jackson, and Virginia Military Institute, where Jackson was an instructor. Washington and Lee University is also in Lexington, where Robert E. Lee spent the last five years of his life as president of the school. He died in the president's house and is buried in a beautiful crypt in Lee's Chapel along with his wife and most of his family. His horse Traveler is buried just outside of the chapel. In 2003 we arrived too late to see the inside of Lee Chapel, or the home of Stonewall Jackson. We returned in 2005 and were able to see Lee's chapel and Jackson's home on that trip. In 2003 I found Jackson's grave where he was buried with full military honors on May 15, 1863. He died of pneumonia from the wounds he received at the battle of Chancellorsville on May 10th, 5 days earlier. Although Courtney and I had already seen Monticello and Mitchie Tavern in 1996, we went there again in 2003.
From Lexington we went to Antietam in Sharpsburg Maryland which was also a dream come true for me. We took a ranger tour here and all had a good laugh because Didi fell in love with the park Ranger. She flirted with him the entire time. I tried to take pictures from the same angle as Alexander Gardner's famous pictures of places like Bloody Lane, Dunker Church, and Farmer Millers cornfield. At Gettysburg I would do the same thing. We stayed in the historic Mary Thompson house which had been Lee's headquarters on the first day of battle. It was a bed and breakfast surrounded by a motel. Recently the motel was razed and the Mary Thompson house is now a museum. We were in Gettysburg for the 140th anniversary of the battle. Reenactors were everywhere, which added greatly to the atmosphere. Debbie was never that crazy about visiting battlefields but she loved Gettysburg, along with everyone else. We enjoyed it so much that we came back in 2005. That year we also were able to go to Harpers Ferry and Appomattox Court House Virginia. Courtney's friend Laura Dawson also went with us that year.
One day in January 2007 my daughter Misty asked me to take her to a pain clinic in Franklin Tennessee. She had been hit by a drunk driver a few years before and had tried pretty much everything to alleviate the pain. The doctor in Franklin was going to try some kind of nerve block on her neck. He had told her that this was a last ditch effort to help ease her pain. This was going to be done by injecting a needle into her neck. Misty had asked her daughter Courtney to take her to Franklin but at the last moment Courtney couldn't do it so she asked me to take her instead. I was off that morning and working in the yard when Misty called. She was living near Baker road and I drove over to pick her up. It was an absolutely gorgeous day and a warm for January. I don't know why but bad things seem to happen in my life on beautiful days. My parents died on a beautiful day, Kennedy died on a beautiful day, September 11th 2001 was on a beautiful day and I nearly lost my beautiful daughter on a beautiful day.
We were both looking forward to a great day together and Misty offered to buy my lunch after her procedure. The pain clinic was west of Cool Springs mall. We walked into the clinic and I sat down in the waiting room ready to read a good book while Misty was called back for her procedure. She was the only patient there at the time and I was the only person in the waiting room. She had been there maybe fifteen minutes when I noticed several nurses and medical personnel running back and forth in a state of excitement. Knowing that Misty was the only patient, I began to panic. Every time someone passed me I tried to get their attention but I was totally ignored as they ran to and fro. This only increased my sense of panic. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, a nurse, who seemed to be as rattled and unnerved as I was, came over to talk to me. She said Mr. Segroves your daughter suddenly turned blue and lost consciousness. Her heart stopped on the table while we were doing the procedure. Paramedics were called and they were able to restore her heartbeat. She was taken by ambulance to the Williamson County hospital.
I wanted to leave for the hospital but the nurse said that the doctor wanted to see me first. She led me back to the procedure room where the doctor, who also appeared to be very rattled, led me over to a chart that depicted the human vertebrae in the neck and back. He pointed to the vertebrae where he had inserted the needle into her neck. The doctor told me that if he had done anything wrong, Misty would be having seizures and she wasn't having seizures before she left. It was his opinion that she had suffered from a very severe anxiety attack. As someone who has suffered from severe anxiety attacks throughout my early adult life I have never known anyone to go into cardiac arrest while having one. His words, however; seemed to calm my fears a little as I jumped into my car and headed for the hospital. Not until later did I realize how ridiculous and incompetent that this doctor's statements were.
My first call was to Debbie and I told her what had happened and that I was on my way to the ER. She was babysitting and asked if she needed to come to the hospital. I said that she didn't need to come right then. If the doctor was right it might not be that serious and she would be making a trip for nothing. Then I called her husband Patrick, that she was married to at the time, and my brother Mark. I was not prepared for what I saw when I walked into Misty's room in the ER. She was in a coma and on a respirator. She had foam coming out of her mouth and Misty was definitely in a seizure. and posturing. Her hands and feet were posturing and turned inward in a weird way. Also her face was beet red and she had beads of sweat on her forehead.
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| Misty looked a lot like this when I saw her |
I called Debbie and told her to get to the hospital immediately. Mark had called our preacher and they were both enroute to the hospital. My sister-in-law Judy was the first to arrive on scene. Debbie had called her earlier and she had come straight from work. Her reaction was similar to mine. She was not prepared for what she saw. When Mark and the preacher arrived I met them in the parking lot where I lost it as I tried to tell them what had happened and sobbed on Mark's shoulder like a baby. So far I had held my emotions intact pretty good until that moment. Debbie arrived soon after that.
A doctor came in and said that Misty needed a CT scan of her head but Williamson County hospital was not equipped to do it while she was on a respirator. He wanted to send her to one of the larger Nashville hospitals that were equipped to do that. By this time Patrick was on the scene and he made that decision since he was legally responsible for her. Debbie and I wanted her to go to Vanderbilt but it was not to be. We would have some bad moments due to his decision making in the coming days. Misty was loaded into an ambulance and Debbie climbed into the front seat. With red lights and sirens blaring the ambulance sped from Williamson County hospital to Centennial hospital ER in Nashville. When I arrived at Centennial Misty had already been taken back. I was overwhelmed by the sight of so many friends and relatives in the waiting room who were already there to greet me when I arrived. There was hardly any room to maneuver because it was so crowded and most of the people in the ER waiting room were there for Misty.
After a long wait that lasted late into the night the neurologist, who was also a surgeon, wanted to talk to her husband. We insisted on being involved and walked with Patrick and the doctor into a small conference room. The doctor stunned us with the news that Misty might have a brain tumor. This news was not what I was expecting at all. He showed us what looked like a growth on her brain in the x-rays. In a mental funk Debbie and I spent the night in the waiting room seated next to each other. Reality seemed to be hitting Debbie hard at that moment and I tried to comfort her the best I could. She was shaking and crying as we went to sleep holding hands that night. On the second day Misty remained in a coma. Later that night a different neurologist called us into another small conference room. He threw us another curve ball. This time, according to him, Misty did not have a brain tumor but had a blood clot instead. I was relieved somewhat because a blood clot sounded better to me than a brain tumor.
After a long wait that lasted late into the night the neurologist, who was also a surgeon, wanted to talk to her husband. We insisted on being involved and walked with Patrick and the doctor into a small conference room. The doctor stunned us with the news that Misty might have a brain tumor. This news was not what I was expecting at all. He showed us what looked like a growth on her brain in the x-rays. In a mental funk Debbie and I spent the night in the waiting room seated next to each other. Reality seemed to be hitting Debbie hard at that moment and I tried to comfort her the best I could. She was shaking and crying as we went to sleep holding hands that night. On the second day Misty remained in a coma. Later that night a different neurologist called us into another small conference room. He threw us another curve ball. This time, according to him, Misty did not have a brain tumor but had a blood clot instead. I was relieved somewhat because a blood clot sounded better to me than a brain tumor.
I had to go to work the next morning and left Debbie with Misty at the hospital. Later that day Misty finally woke up out of her coma and I said a prayer thanking God. Debbie told me to prepare myself for the fact that Misty was not herself yet. All I wanted to do at that point was to hug her and never let go because I was concerned that she might never have come out of that coma. When I walked into her hospital room the first thing she said was " Daddy, how do you feel about being a granddaddy again? In her mind she thought she was in the hospital giving birth because the last time she had been in the hospital was when she gave birth to her youngest child Lydea. I think before it was over with she had at least 83 imaginary children. We couldn't help it but we laughed until we cried sometimes at the things she was saying. It was sad and funny all at the same time. If you didn't know her that well you would think that she was okay when you talked to her. She could hold, what on the surface appeared to be a normal conversation, but we knew she was talking out of her head. At one point she scared a friend when she told her that she had a double mastectomy.
After a while the doctor told her that she could go home. He believed that she would recover, because as he explained it, the blood clot was more like a bruise. And just like a bruise it would eventually go away. I felt very uneasy about this. If it had been up to me I would have taken her straight from Centennial to Vanderbilt but her husband wanted to take her home. Misty had gotten a financial settlement on the car wreck that had caused her the pain in the first place, and all he seemed interested in was how much her hospitalization was going to cost him. He was dead set on getting hold of the money that Misty had in her account from the wreck, which he was eventually able to do. He did this by taking advantage of her weakened mental state. We were vastly more interested in her welfare than he appeared to be. Misty was supposed to see the doctor a few days later in order to determine if her so called brain bruise was going away. She had a CT scan before going to the doctor that day. I was a nervous wreck sitting there in the waiting room with Misty and Debbie waiting for the doctor to see her. Two women sitting nearby were telling horror stories about how incompetent this brain surgeon was. I was about ready to abduct my own daughter and take her away from there.
The CT scan revealed that instead of diminishing the blood clot was expanding into her brain. Emergency surgery was scheduled for that night. Misty had hundreds of people praying for her and the surgery went better than we expected. The blood clot was removed and a metal plate was placed in her head. After a few days she was released from the hospital. We basically had to babysit her everyday for a while. Her kids were small and she could not be left alone. She was not yet capable of taking care of herself, or her children. I hate to say it but mentally there was nobody home. All she wanted to do was eat at Red Lobster. We could take her there and thirty minutes later she had forgotten that she had been there at all and wanted to go back.
The CT scan revealed that instead of diminishing the blood clot was expanding into her brain. Emergency surgery was scheduled for that night. Misty had hundreds of people praying for her and the surgery went better than we expected. The blood clot was removed and a metal plate was placed in her head. After a few days she was released from the hospital. We basically had to babysit her everyday for a while. Her kids were small and she could not be left alone. She was not yet capable of taking care of herself, or her children. I hate to say it but mentally there was nobody home. All she wanted to do was eat at Red Lobster. We could take her there and thirty minutes later she had forgotten that she had been there at all and wanted to go back.
I will never forget the emptiness I saw in her eyes. After about six months she began evolving into the Misty that I always remembered. She will tell you, however; that a whole year is gone from her life. She can barely remember anything about that year. I regret that I didn't document that period on my movie camera just so she could see what she went through. I did film some of it but not very much. Misty still suffers from some short term memory loss and it has affected her ability to do her job sometimes. Misty is a walking miracle and very fortunate compared to people I have known who have suffered brain injuries. The worst day of my life was the day I lost my parents at the young age of 12 but losing a child would top that. For a long time I just wanted to hold her whenever I was around her. I thank God for his mercy.
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| My Misty |
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