Jump to content

An unorthodox request....


Coytee

Recommended Posts

Don't know if I should post an address here or not....

 

My fathers 91st birthday is several weeks away.  I was driving home yesterday from Indianapolis when an idea hit me.  How cool (for him) might it be to get flooded with birthday cards from all sorts of people...  I know he'd get a kick out of that and would turn that to a story (one of his many) that he would reflect on and tell others about.  

 

So, I thought I'd just put it out and ask.....

 

What are your thoughts about you sending a birthday card to my father?  A generic card....you can leave the mushy ones for myself and my sisters.  You go to the store, you write what you will and you mail it.  It's totally from you, a complete stranger to him.

 

If he got a card, he "might not remember" who Travis or Eldon might be.... (given that he's no clue who they are) so might be worth noting on there that you're a friend of mine so it might make more sense to him.

 

how wacky is this idea?

 

 

 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Moderators
2 hours ago, Coytee said:

Whew, thanks for the affirmative responses.  Sometimes I come up with an idea and my wife just raises her eyebrows at me...  "Really???????"

 

I'm not as creepy as I seem.....  perhaps 74% as creepy, but not 100%

He's going to be 91 he deserves to be surprised, even Tarheel is not 91, just not yet anyway.

 

 

 

  • Like 1
  • Haha 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've been debating....  since it's a PO box, I don't think I'm too worried about posting it here.

 

If I get some "that's not a good idea" flack, (well intentioned of course) I'll delete it.

 

Bob Albright

PO Box 1226

Beaufort, SC  29901

 

(Edited to correct address in both locations)

 

 

Side comment, he's not going to know "Coytee"...  so if you reference me, use Richard.

 

(I suppose you could use "your dumb-azz stupid idiotic son" and he'd know who you are talking about.   That's one shortcoming of being the only son)

 

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 minutes ago, oldtimer said:

I told ya the odds were the same now as they were back then.  PM me with name and address.

 

Look up about two posts...  or look down.

This is going to kill me....  I'm going to have to take back all those things I've said about you. :huh:

 

Bob Albright

PO Box 2057

Beaufort, SC  29901-2057

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Some meandering comments & thoughts.

 

1985. I met a guy at work and we became very close friends.  (Indianapolis)

 

I moved away and did what I did....he stayed there & married a local gal.  Back when I bought my Khorns (to bring this to a forum related comment) I had to drive to Chicago to get them.  I stopped in Indy on way up/down and stayed at his house to visit.

 

Cutting to the chase, he passed away early April, about three weeks prior to his 59th birthday.  He had kidney failure, diabetes and if I recall what his wife said, those morphed into some other issue he had.

 

He had lost the upper half of his left hand fingers, pointing finger and second finger.  On his right hand, lost top half of three fingers.  Was unable to work, unable to get insurance (accrued medical bills exceeded $400,000 requiring them to file bankruptcy).  He was on home dialysis for 11 HOURS PER DAY.  Unable to lift himself out of a chair as he had lost near 100 pounds in a months time, he lost a lot of muscle mass.

 

He was really ticked at how our system was forcing them to bankruptcy....so ....sat at his PC....  and with his PINKY finger, tapped a letter (not a letter, "Dear John" but a letter as in "T") and wrote his senators, congressman, state reps letters trying to change things

 

 

Nine years ago, they lost their oldest son.  Seems he was working on a truck or something....was under it when the supports let loose and crushed his skull.  Now, it's looking like the wife is (and has) going to lose her husband.

 

He was a private guy and I had not an inkling of what he was going through and frankly, whenever I think of all the details (far more than listed here) it still just brings tears to my eyes.  

 

He's now gone.  She's having to file bankruptcy.  She's at risk of losing the house.  (let me see if I understand this....  9 years ago, you lose your oldest son....call it 5 months ago you lose your husband and now....you stand to lose your house.

 

This is shredding me up inside.  So I knew I had to drive up for the funeral.  There were several of his "angels" there to speak.  Gal that cut his hair, his dialysis nurse...  one kid struck me as awesome.  My buddy had typed a letter to Purdue (with his pinky finger) and asked if they had any means to help his hand mobility....  turns out they had some trials with prosthetics and were going to help a 10 year old girl who played the violin.  She had lost half her arm from elbow to hand from an accident......however, because of her lack of developed arm strength, she wasn't a good subject to work with so she didn't make it.  They accepted Jim.  TWELVE of these engineers came to his house to talk to him, take measurements....  they had a rudimentary "set of fingers" for him to try....  took more measurements.... were back at Purdue working on the revisions when they emailed him for some info.  He never responded.  Couple days later, his wife frantically reached out to them to let them know what happened and to apologize for not letting them know.  They said it was ok....  they knew.  When he didn't respond to his email, which was very UNLIKE him, they googled him and found his obituary.

 

Seems he was at home with his wife and their younger son (who's now 22 if I recall).  Sitting on his bed...asked her to bring him a nitro pill...  she asked if he was ok (as she dialed 911) she got him the pill but, he fell to the floor.  Fortunately, their 6'1" or so son was there to help lift him but....  he was just staring at his son.  EMS got there, raced him to hospital...  called her back with the news that he was gone (she wasn't allowed at hospital initially because of COVID).  She asked me if I thought they lied to her that he died at the hospital.  I said I didn't know but, from a compassionate point of view, I could see them wanting her to feel he died there rather than on their floor or his bed so that as she goes home, she doesn't have a constant memory of "X" marks the spot where he died.  Much nicer to have it happen there.  Or, at least, that's my thoughts.

 

I forgot...  the engineer student that helped with his fingers, not only showed up at the funeral but, he was one of the speakers.  He spoke on behalf of the others who for various reasons couldn't make it.  He got into how they always viewed their project with some distance but they got to know Jim and he humanized the (heroic) things they do and this 20 something kid about had the entire place in tears when he tried to describe "what they learned from Jim"

 

A very emotional weekend for everyone involved and I made sure to call Dad on my way home.

 

So, I thank you

  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...