Karate Kid

I got to thinking the other day about life and all of the curve balls it throws you.  I looked at all of the struggles this past year and by the grace of God I was able say we made it through most of them. I started thinking about the life lessons a simple movie like the Karate Kid could teach us and I was amazed by what I came up with.  Bear with me and it will all make sense I promise.  There are at least 4 examples how this movie could apply to us right now.
1-  You are being trained right now for battles you will deal with later.
Daniel knew he needed training to deal with the bullies he was facing.  That training proved valuable in defeating his bullies.  The things you are learning today and even in the past could prove useful in the future. Look back over the years to the life lessons that taught you something you were able to use in future situations.
2- You don't even realize that you are learning the skills you will need.
Daniel thought he was performing every day mundane task until Miagi  showed him what he had learned.   It doesn't seem like much at the time of distress but you will learn something.  Sometime in the future you will be shown what was learned and how to use it and you will be amazed.
3- You will prevail
You remember the Crane Kick and how Daniel won the tournament?  You will get through your circumstances with your own signature move. It might be prayer, patience or mental toughness. Maybe it will be all of the afore mentioned. Only you know what you have learned from past experiences and how to use it to your advantage.
4- the curve balls keep coming.
Remember life will continue to challenge you. There was more than just the one Karate Kid. There were sequels. You have to keep learning and fighting through life because it keeps coming.
Just a few thought as we set sail on another year. We do not know what it holds but we know we have the tools to get through whatever it throws our way. Happy New Year. Live a blessed life. It all starts with a positive attitude.  God Bless
Kenney Big Skinny Pope.
  

Merry Christmas

It's almost time for the celebration. The tree is up with the decorations and the house is decorated. I can't help but be reminded of the Christmas days from my childhood. You could feel the Christmas spirit in the air. It was a different time. As I look at the tree I have to say I feel absolutely nothing. It's become just another day.  I start trying to put my finger on it and figure out where the Christmas spirit went. Is it it because my mom is no longer here with us? She did make it special.  Is it the corporate greed from all of the retailers that has spoiled it for me? Is it that we seem to live in a materialistic society? Could it be the me first world we live in? While all of these things definitely contribute to the downfall of Christmas,  a light came on last night and it showed me what was missing. While watching a program on TV last night, there was a church scene that really spoke to me. It reminded me of all that was missing in my life. It showed a little church  with a preacher giving an  altar call. The people were responding by walking to the altar and kneeling to pray. My eyes filled with tears because that was what made Christmas special.  It is hard to celebrate a birthday when the guest of honor is not present.  It becomes just another day. That is exactly how I felt. It was just another day.  Jesus Christ is truly the reason for the season. I hope if you are reading this you have the light come on for you.  I have struggled with writing this and putting it into words. I have been trying to write this for 2 weeks. I did not have the answer until last night. I woke this morning feeling more positive than I can remember in years.  It's amazing what happens when you put things in perspective.
God Bless and Merry CHRISTmas.

Laughter

She lights up the room with her smile, and I love to make her laugh.  Most days it comes easy because of my sarcastic nature.  That is one of the things I love most about her, her laugh and smile. It keeps me going when things get tough. She has a way of making me feel like a top billed comedian.  I personally know my jokes are corny yet she laughs anyway. Laughter is the best medicine.
     I remember as a child what made our dinner times so special and memorable was the laughter that was shared among us.  No one else would get it because it was mostly inside jokes, but as a family and truly knowing one another we could pick at the things that made us unique and some were quite funny. It was never done as a mean spirited thing, it was mainly for amusement purposes. That was the origin of my sarcasm, it stemmed from those family meals and trying to be funny. I received my share of the laughter and still do.  When my siblings and I get together we still poke fun of each other because that is what we do. Its all for a laugh.
       There are lots of days when a sense of humor comes in handy and then some days not so much. For the most part I try to use my powers for good and not evil. I try to point out the obvious and the find the funny in it. I will say that nothing is off limits when it comes to comedy. Just yesterday while walking through the mall, a scantily dressed woman crossed our path. First off no one should be out in public dressed that way. She was pulling and tugging at her skirt trying to keep it down and she was losing the battle.  It was like Custer's last stand and just stating the obvious there was not enough skirt to cover what was asked of it.  That does not in any way promote the holiday spirit. In fact it was quite the opposite, it made me sad. I felt sorry for the skirt.  Please dress appropriately. You can find humor in any situation if you look for it.  Some days I can even use myself as material.  The imagination does become an integral part of comedy, sometimes you have to imagine things going a different way.  I really don't think that this makes me at all crazy just imaginative.
         I will often be watching a commercial and think what if they put this or that in it?  It would be funnier.  I think that sometimes we have lost our imagination and ability to laugh at circumstances.  We are so politically correct that most of the time we are afraid to laugh.  A story from just the other night comes to mind.  We were out the other night in Fort Worth.   All of Cynthia's daughters have worked in and around cheer for the majority of their lives.  They know a lot of gay men and count many as close friends. On this night a couple showed up where we were at  and one of the young men was obviously drunk.  As we were introduced we began talking and this gentleman kissed Cynthia on the cheek and I was fine with that.  He shook my hand and before I could react he  leaned in and pecked me on the cheek as well. I am not going to lie I was very uncomfortable at that point.  I kind of did an end around so to speak and kind of faded into the crowd of people there.  As I was sitting there this same said gentleman walks up to me and starts casually asking me questions. It was not really your regular question and answer session as he was about three inches from my face. I am going to tell you  I am not a fan at all of the close talker. As i was answering his questions he tries to lean in again to peck me on the cheek. My spidey sense kicked in this time and flashed a warning and I backed up and said. Hey dude I really don't like to have my space invaded and if you try to kiss me one more time I will punch you in the eye.  I got an apology and I walked away.  I am not sure If I offended him and he was probably to drunk to remember.  I do not take solace in that I am attractive to a drunk gay man but many seemed to find humor in that incident and are still laughing about it today.  My point is this. You don't have to walk around grouchy all day. People hate that.  If you look hard enough, life will provide you with just enough humor to get by.  Doesn't everyone need a laugh?  Live
Love
and Laugh
Kenney Pope 2015

The Empty Chair

There it sits, serving as a reminder of an unused place setting. It doesn't feel anything, yet it speaks to each and everyone who has lost a loved one.  For some it will be a first. For others it has become a way of life. The emotional breakdown and the waves of grief are overwhelming at times. You wonder how you will make it through this time of year. I'm here to tell you that you will. It gets a little easier with each passing year.  I still feel it at times. It never totally goes away.
    Every year as we gather to give thanks I see the Empty Chair and think about my mama. I think about how she made the holidays special. It had her touch all over it. You can't replace that. She had a way of bringing the whole family together. These days it's hit and miss who will show up. She showed us all that we had to be thankful for. We learned to accept and be happy with what we had.  I did not always have the best relationship with my mama. It was in part to being a know it all kid. As I got older and realized how wise she was and how much heartache she saved me over the years it gave me one more thing to be thankful for.  Her last few years on earth she looked at me like an adult. With that respect came deep conversations about life and love.  Those conversations I will always remember. It also makes me think she left way too soon because she had so much to share.  I wish she could have met Cynthia to see she taught me well and that I'm finally happy and at peace with my life.  I have so much to be thankful for.  
   These days the holidays seem like just another day. Cynthia don't take offense you and your family fill a void and make it special. The last three years have been some of the best holidays I have had in years. I'm talking about the gathering with my immediate family.  Something is missing. That empty chair says it loud and clear. I will never experience those days again they are gone and all that is left is memories. My dad does his best to fill the void but in reality it can't be filled.  I miss you mama and the thought of a holiday season without you, is tough. It's just not the same.  Another year will pass and Good Lord willing I will get another chance with my siblings to say thank you for being our mama. Thank you for your love and your guiding hands molding us into the adults we are today. Our mistakes aren't your fault it was simply bad choices on our part. You made us fighters and taught us how to dust ourselves off when we fall down and get back in there. Thanks most of all for showing us that family is the second  most important thing in this life of course God being first.  Mama thank you for leaving us with your memory and that empty chair.
   

Just My Thoughts

Where we did we go wrong as a nation? Why do we spend so much time and resources trying to change the world when our country is in turmoil. We want every country on the face of the planet to adopt our way of a democratic  lifestyle when it's broken. We worry about feeding the world when we have starving people living here in our country. We value the lives of animals more than humans. If you have money and power you have a different set of rights in our justice system  than those with with less. We use tragic world events for political gain. I was taught if you want change it all starts with the person staring back at you in the mirror.
     At one time I believe we were the best country on earth but we have lost our way. We have allowed political correctness to dominate our thinking instead of calling it like it is. We have taken Christ out of Christmas to avoid offending the non believer.  We spend our energy getting upset about a paper cup from starbucks. If you don't agree with a corporation's decision stop patronizing them and they will get the message. We hold the power. When a court of law gives some one a harsher sentence for animal cruelty than for taking a human life, we have a problem with our justice system.  If we have a society that no longer respects authority we have a problem. We have a government that is so corrupt that is filled with greed. We have big banks manipulating Wall Street to make billions only to get slapped on the hand. They are stealing from us and nothing is done. We have lobbyist controlling what laws are passed and the ones that are,  benefit the rich and powerful. Money in itself is not evil. It's the love of money that is evil. It's like breathing it's essential to living life.  My question is how much money is enough? How much more do they need to steal from us to have enough? How many more rights will they strip from us? When will we say that we have had enough? Will the next terrorist attack on our soil be the springboard for our rights to be taken? Only time will tell but the surety and fact is there will be an attack here.
   Our country can be great again if we put God first . He will protect us if we put him first.  The world offers many gods but unless you believe in the one true God and except his son Jesus Christ your belief is in vain. That is an unpopular statement and political correctness will stifle the message in the event it would offend the non believer in which case now they have more rights than me.  I believe if you want to know what's wrong with our country it all starts there. When we got away from what our country was founded on we were headed down a dark path. That's my opinion for what it's worth.
Happy Sunday pray for Paris ,the world  and God Bless America.

Second Helping

There I sat at the dinner table as a child and as usual I was the last to leave. Mom would pile anything left on the table on my plate. There wasn't much left usually. She had to feed eight of us. I earned the nickname of the human trashcan. I made sure there were no leftovers. It made the job of cleanup a little easier. That was a compliment to her. She received satisfaction  that the meal was eaten and that everyone was full and she had done a great job.
   Sometimes I think of life in that way. You know those times when life is going great and everything looks so good that you have to partake of seconds. The days that keep you coming back for more. The days that you look forward to with anticipation.  There are a lot of things that can make you feel this way.  Maybe it's just the fact you get to wake up every morning next to your best friend. Maybe it's anticipating  your life together. Maybe it's a career you love. It might be that the good Lord worked a miracle in your life and you can't wait to see what tomorrow brings.  For some it might be that you were handed a death sentence in the form of a terminal disease but you beat it. Now you wake up every day with a sense of gratitude  and purpose truly thankful for every new day. That is your second helping.
    We all come to a crossroad in life. It's the point in life where we can be happy and full with where we are in life. There is nothing wrong with that, but sometimes  God shows us what and where we could be and get a little more out of our lives. He shows us ways to be a blessing to someone else. We see areas where we could be encouragement for someone in need. Maybe it's a life experience that we dealt with that   we can help someone else get through.
    2015 has been full of ups and downs. It's had it shares of highs and lows. I've lost some great friends to cancer. I had the opportunity to make one of them smile one more time before she left this life. For a brief second she forgot about the pain and smiled. It wasn't much but I will remember it for the rest of my life.
  I realize just like with dinner life doesn't always offer seconds. Sometimes it's just enough to get by.  It's a quick easy meal designed to satisfy the need and no more.  But every once in a while you encounter  the feast and there are seconds for everyone.  If you have the chance dive into that second Helping and enjoy what's in front of you.

Kenney Pope
    

The Wait.

There I stood in line ready to have my order taken. It occurred to me that we spend a lot of time waiting. I guess we could use all of that waiting to learn patiece. I know I need a lot more of it. Instead I usually just grow frustrated. I wonder why is the person at the front of the line taking so long. Of course when I'm lucky enough to be at the front of the line that thought never crosses my mind.  Usually I think they can wait their turn like I did.  I know that makes me somewhat self centered. I know I'm not the only one who thinks this way. It does not make it right and it makes me ashamed. When did we get to a point as a society where we are all that matters. All we want to hear is next. It is your turn to have all the attention  on you. Hey it doesn't  matter if we have a million coupons that we have to sort through. Those people behind me can wait. My time is more important. 
     The truth is that  this is not me at all. The lack of patience is spot on but not so much the rest. I'm considerate of other's time. I prefer to be early because  I hate to keep anyone waiting on me. I never want anyone to think that my time is more important than theirs.  My mom drilled that into my head. Respect other's time. Doesn't it drive you crazy when that driver on the freeway weaves in and out of traffic at a high rate of speed? Do you get agitated when that driver waits until the last possible second to get over when he knew the lane was closed? Surely he saw the same warning signs as you.  Do you lose it driving behind someone doing it 15 miles an hour below the speed limit?
It seems we have to wait on those who could care less about our time. 
    Maybe we are thrown these few test daily to see how we will react.  Believe it or not someone is always watching. It could be the one riding beside you. I'm the worst, these nuts get under my skin. I then wind up saying something hateful or rude.  It's hard to portray that loving person everyone thinks you are when you are cursing someone under your breath, or yelling at them. They can't hear you and you are wasting your breath.  I have come to realize that sometimes God has to slow us down. Maybe he is keeping from a tragic accident you would have been in had you been a few more miles down the road.  Maybe that delay was to put you in contact with someone you would not have been otherwise.  Maybe it's to show us we have a lot more growing to do.  Whatever the reasons we have a lifetime of waiting ahead of us. Sometimes we might find if we slow down long enough that on the other side at the front of the line, it was something worth waiting for.

Happiness

As I look around at the people in my life I wonder sometimes if they are truly happy. I know that for most of us it is impossible to be happy all the time. We all have to deal with life and all that it throws at us. We put on our smile and pretend that we are. When we greet one another with the casual" how are you doing?" We usually get the standard I'm good or occasional great. We rarely get the truth. Why is it everybody wants to pretend to be happy. If we had the ability to make every person happy, what would it take?
    It's such a complicated proposal. What makes you happy might not have the same results for me. Everyone is different.  Just for an example, let's say you have ten people in a room, try to adjust the thermostat for all to be comfortable. It's almost impossible. We are all different and to please or make everyone happy at once is impossible. I'm not saying we shouldn't try, I'm just saying some times it is like beating your head against a wall. 
   Now to the nuts and bolts of where I was going with this. Being a parent of three great girls and watching them grow up I saw firsthand three distinct personalities. While there were those among the three who needed a little more direction, I had to let them grow into the lovely ladies they are today. I had to let them through trial and error decide what made them happy. I would protect them from what I felt was harmful and did not in any way promote happiness. I let them to a degree make life choices I felt they could handle.  Some were a little better at making choices than others but we have all been there.  What I saw was this. What made one happy was not necessarily the case for the other two.  There was not a manual it was all trial and error. They were given spiritual guidance as well earthly  and in the end it was up to them to find their path to true happiness.
    Looking back at my childhood my parents did the same. They protected me but let me slowly become who I am today. I truly think that the first step in happiness is being happy with yourself.  I know that a spiritual relationship with God helps me to see that I'm a imperfect person and his love can make me happy and and positive but I'm talking on an earthly level.  If you are not happy with who you are you spend a lot of time trying to fill a void with other things, some possibly harmful to you. Maybe you try to find someone to make you happy. Either way its not good. You need to be happy with the person you are
God created each of us different and you were made to compliment someone and you will find that someone if you are patient. We have to realize that being in a perfect relationship is great and that awesome career is great but does it truly bring happiness?  What is happiness? It is something hard to explain. Is it the euphoria you feel when you fall in love or when life is going great? Those feelings give way over time.  Is it waking up in the morning and putting your feet on the floor? There are those that aren't that fortunate to put their feet on the floor yet are happy. Is it our career accomplishments? There are a lot of successful people depressed.  I'm sure if you ask most people what would make them happy it would be, love or money.  Those are great in context but once again I'm not sure that they are an answer. 
     I'm sure if we take a good hard look at what we have in our lives we could find a reason for happiness. I think more than ever especially in the social media age we often see others and the lifestyle they project and we become dissatisfied. As we draw closer to another Christmas  celebration let's take some time to reflect on all we have and less on what we don't. Stop complaining and work to fix our situation. If you want true happiness it starts with you
Kenney Pope

Perception VS Reality

It seems every 10 years marks an anniversary for some.  We get together as adults and celebrate who we used to be and what we have become. We embellish our lives and scoreboard one another on perception and rumours.  The line between the popular and the unpopular has been erased and all that's left is life.  Yes you guessed it. It's the High School Class Reunion.  Personally I enjoy them.  I always enjoy people's reactions when I tell them who I am because I look nothing like I did in High School.  I will say social media has taken a little of the surprise away. Friends and classmates can keep in touch and with all the photos they recognize you instantly.  I enjoy when folks talk about their successes. I love the genuine and those that really enjoy seeing you. For me its always a little weird though because I wasn't that popular in High School.  I always tell Cynthia my best friends were the janitor and the lunch lady.  Seriously it wasn't as bad as that but I wasn't in the athletic program because I was all of 120 pounds throughout high school. When people meet me for the first time because of my size today they just assume I played football. I wasn't smart enough for the Honor Society. I just kind of kept to myself and the few friends I had.  So you get together and exchange "how have you been" and then it seems to always go back to what you do for a living. Everyone wants to know what you have become. That is how we measure our successes and failures, our occupation. Joe Blow has his own business and is doing great. That's what we hear. Facebook paints a great picture of Joe Blow and then you see him. The lines on his face tell a different story. Joe Blow has been married 5 times and suffered from drug addiction.  Then there are those that seem to have never left high school. They still see the imaginary line separating the popular and unpopular. You wonder why people who never really took the time to get to know you can dislike you or just totally act like you do not exist.  For me it really doesn't matter. I am happy with my life. I got to follow a dream for awhile and it was greatness. I got to hob knob with celebrities and and heard my voice on the FM radio dial. I got to hang out backstage with Def Leppard, Tanya Tucker, Clint Black and Josh Turner. I also
got to interview a lot of 70's and 80's artist that I grew up listening to. I got to bring big names on stage and enjoy free concerts. I had crowds of people that wanted to meet me anytime the station was out on remote.  See that we can all scoreboard one another. My career and life is better than yours. That Is what we try to project to others. The truth is none of that matters. The only thing that matters is this. Are you happy with who you are?  It's not about what others perceive. I can tell you this, people perceive Radio personalities as being wealthy.  That may be true for a few but that's not the normal. Most that are a part of it struggle financially because they are sure the right opportunity will come along.  They stick it out because they love it because the money is not there. Then there are those that are forced out due to station cutbacks. For every cool thing Radio is, it is a cutthroat industry leaving a sea of broken dreams in its wake. You see now what I mean about perception.  Sometimes we want everyone to see all the good stuff and keep the rest buried.
The truth is I spent a lot of years chasing a dream that probably wasn't worth chasing financially, at least for me.  I struggled financially for years trying to fit every job I had around my part time Radio gig, that was what mattered. My marriage was failing so I did not care if I was at home or not.  You see once again you can paint a great successful picture of yourself but seriously it isn't always totally true. My point is before you form an opinion of someone try getting to know them. What makes them tick?  Don't form your opinion on what you see on Social Media.  I love social media for how it allows us to keep in touch and plan events. What I hate it for is the perception it puts out there.  The reality now is my life is somewhat great but not because of my career. It's because of who I allow in it.  It's because I chose love and not negativity. It because I get to come home to a house full of love. To me that is what matters the most.  That's reality.

 

A Letter To My Late Mother

Billie Marie Pope 

I know that she won’t read this or respond back but I think it helps some

Hey Mom, just wondering how you are doing? How does it feel to be pain free? I hope that you think of me often because I think of you daily and miss you a lot. I truly regret all the times I called the house and asked for dad and didn’t spend more time talking to you. I absolutely had no clue that you would be taken away so soon in my life.  I know that you did your best to prepare me for the future. I just wish I would have spent more time learning about your past.  There are so many questions that are left unanswered. I miss the chats we would have about life in general. I miss talking to you about books and music.  I miss your popcorn visits as you would call them. You would drop by for about 5 minutes and you would be ready to leave.  I wish I could have 5 more minutes of your time. I hope that is not being selfish, you raised me better than that.  How Is Granny and “Scooter” doing? Can he still root for his Cowboys from up there? They need the help of Heaven for a miracle this year. I am not sure you would believe how well dad is doing. He still loves his wrestling and old westerns.  We try our best to get the family together like you would want us to.  Your granddaughters are all grown up with children of their own and you would be proud of the women they turned out to be. I would say that life is good for me. I feel sometimes that you are looking down on me and maybe sometimes you have God’s ear because I feel his blessings a lot.  I think you might have something to do with that.  I tell you mom I found a girl that you would love. She reminds me so much of you it is unreal.  She has a lot of your traits but has a lot more patience. That is a good thing because I constantly test it. She loves me anyway. She takes such good care of me.  I feel that you might have led me to her.  Is that crazy?  I don’t think so. I often find myself thinking about all the good times we had. Do you remember the times that you pulled me out of school early to take me shopping with you so that you did not have to go alone?  I can remember those days like they were yesterday.   I can remember every Christmas we would always get what we asked for.  I remember my first brand new stereo that you bought for me.  I can still remember the way it smelled when I pulled it out of the box.  I still remember how many times I was grounded and forced to read because there was nothing else to do in my room except stare at the walls.  I owe a lot of what I am to you. I could not have asked for a better mother. You would be the first to admit that you weren’t perfect but you did your best and your children respected you for it.  I can say there were many times that I was not happy at the time of punishment. I can also say that those punishments saved me a lot of heartache. I did not understand your reasoning back then but I get it now. This time of year always makes me think about how that you never wore a coat in the winter time just a wind breaker or denim jacket. You were one tough woman.  I hear a lot of people say that they do not want to become their parents when it comes to disciplining their child but I do not feel that way at all.  Thank you for teaching me right from wrong and for loving me.   I wish I would have told you more that I loved you mom but I didn’t. I will tell you now, I love you mom and miss you. Please keep a watchful eye over us. 

P.S I dearly miss your fried chicken and Italian Creme Cake    

Take care mom I will talk to you soon.

Your Son

Kenney Pope  

Wait

Waiting has never been my strong suit. I want something and I want it now. I take after my late mother in that regard. She had absolutely no patience. Why is it that when we fail to wait and try to  do something on our own it just winds up worse than what we originally started with. I know that it is a learned response and behavior. Is it because we are selfish? I think maybe it's because we can't see the bigger picture. We are stuck in the here and now. We might not be able or willing to know how decisions made in haste will affect us down the road. I will say I have gotten better at waiting. It's a little easier to do when you find that something worth waiting for.  I have made snap decisions that have come back to kick me in the rear. Let me state this for the record, even in a bad situation some good things can be found if you look.  Maybe we have jumped into a relationship that wasn't meant to be. We get married and a few years down the road it falls apart.  Now I know in a lot of situations that the demise of a marriage cannot be seen and people change.  I am talking about red flags that pop up and we ignore because we are impatient and don't want to wait for the someone who is perfect for us. Yeah it happens every day.  Like I said some good comes out a bad situation. We have children that came out of that situation and that's a good thing. At the very least we learned a life lesson on patience, never settle. Maybe it's a job situation you think a possible door has opened and you walk through it only to be disappointed. Just around the corner your perfect job was filled by someone else because you weren't available.
     The truth is this, we can't see the big picture. God has our best interest at heart and the key to good decision making always starts with praying about it. If a door closes on a situation or relationship walk away don't try to force the door open. You at that point are an unwelcome guest and that is not a good thing.  We need to be in a place in our lives where we can see the door is closed. If you wait you just might see something more fulfilling and life changing will come along. 
   I along with you am slowly learning not to jump so quick.  I promise if you wait something worth waiting for will come our way. Remember this, no blessing comes by just posting amen or liking a Facebook page. If that were the case there would be a billion millionaires.  Life is hard enough and I don't want to add to the hardships by jumping to fast because I don't want to wait.
    So put a smile on your face stand in line and wait and I know you will find not only what you are looking for but what you need.
Have a great Saturday.
PS #waitingonacowboyswin

Persistence

Let me tell you a short story with a not so happy ending. Well I will let you decide that for yourselves. A week or so ago I was eating my lunch in my truck in the parking lot of our warehouse. As I was enjoying my meal, out of nowhere a bee flies through the open window of the passenger side. I take off my ball cap and swat him out the window.  I saw that I knocked him down but did not see where he landed.  I was thinking I knocked him outside of the truck. I say him because I will not hit a girl.  (Unless it’s my sister, long story ask her) Seriously not cool to hit a girl. As I finish my lunch break I walk around to the passenger side of the truck to see if he is still flopping around in pain because I was going to do the humane thing and put him out of his misery. (After I taunted him for messing with the wrong truck) I didn’t see him so I thought that maybe he had rolled under the truck for protection until he got bee wits about himself and could fly off.  So be it Mr. Bee I had left my mark. I left it at that and went inside to go back to work. I did not think anything else about it until this morning.  I got in my truck this morning and there it was a dead bee in my cup holder. My mighty swing had finally killed him a mere week and a half later.   I just want everyone to know that was my plan, a slow painful death for disturbing my lunch with a potential sting. Here is the funny thing. I have been driving for the last week and a half with what sounded like something bouncing off of a paper bag. Yes a paper bag that is what fast food comes in and I had one lying on my back floorboard.  I thought that the noise was strange but chalked it off as weird truck noises. It now occurs to me that that bee was in my truck the whole time and could have struck me at any time he chose to do so.

     My lack of persistence could have cost me a bee sting whilst driving down the road.  It would have been my own fault for not verifying where the bee went after I swatted it down. Lucky for me I had the only bee in America with a love for McDonald’s fries and he never posed a threat. But of course now I have a concern that fries are deadly to bees.  One topic at a time, I digress.  Once again this weekend I was reminded of the value of persistence.  As I watched the tale of two nights, where the same team had a different outcome each night it was a perfect example of persistence.  A lead of 4 runs heading into the top of the ninth, the home team winds up losing the game in the bottom of the ninth.  A person or team could surely give up and throw in the towel. It just wasn’t to be this year oh well. We will get them next year.  That is not what happened at all.  The home team comes back the next night and finishes the same team that humiliated them the night before to win the division title. 

       We never know what life will throw at us. There will always be hurdles and obstacles. Sometimes we get complacent or lazy and give up before the race is finished. We give up too quickly when right around the bend is the finish line with your reward for running the race well. We will never know what could have been because we let life defeat us.  If we are unwilling to be persistent in the midst of a challenge then we cannot blame others for our predicament. I have known a few people in my lifetime that weren’t persistent. They got tired and life defeated them. They took their lives. They will never know how close they were to the payoff. Their life might have been on the upswing if they would have just run the last few steps.   In this life we may never have the why’s answered. We will never know what tomorrow brings. The thing to remember is as long as you have breath and a heartbeat, be persistent and run the race well.  As for the bee he was persistent he could have left the truck at any point during the week and a half he was in the truck he chose to stay and well, it cost him his life.  Maybe he was planning retaliation. Decision making is another subject for another time.

Participation Trophy

One of my favorite days in elementary school was when the whole school participated in a track meet. I don’t for the life of me remember what the day was specifically called but it was a school wide track meet. We would practice during physical education and everyone in class was selected for an event. There would be all of the normal track meet events, with a few like the three legged race thrown in. I can remember it would usually be in the spring towards the end of the year. It was fun and it was one of our first encounters with competition.

     They tried to put you in an event category where you could be competitive. I was a distance runner so I usually ran those types of races. They would set us up at the starting line, blow the whistle and we were off to the races literally. It felt good to run and look over your shoulder to see who might be getting ready to pass you. I personally like the look on the person’s face when you were doing the passing. You gave it all you had because you wanted to win. There was no better feeling than to win a race. 

        At the end of the events, there would be an awards assembly.  It was akin to the Olympics medal ceremony.  You would stand up in front of your classmates and take your blue ribbon or red ribbon if you got second.  That’s the way it was then. If you didn’t place you went home empty handed. There was no ribbon for the refrigerator door.  There was no reward.  Your parent’s would say that they were proud of you and that you gave it your best but it was a bitter feeling to lose.  You saw it as a learning lesson. Life is made up of winners and losers. You don’t want to lose, you had two options, don’t participate or try harder next time. If you don’t like that feeling it was up to you to try and make sure that you never felt it again.  I get it; some of us are not the most athletically inclined.   We do the best with what the Good Lord gave us. The secret is to always do your best, win or lose you have no regrets.

Losing hurts there is no doubt about it. How many grown athletes have you seen physically exhausted crying because they came up short in their goals of winning the big one.  It doesn’t make you less of a man or woman to shed tears because you lost.  It shows humanity and I respect that.  On the other hand I have absolutely no respect for a sore loser. Lose with dignity.

   Now that was in fact a fairly long introduction to my point which is this.  There should never ever be a participation trophy. That is a recipe for disaster.  I do not want to give my child an award for just showing up and participating. Some would say that it is not good that a child should feel bad for losing. I will unapologetically say that losing is part of life. At some point in everyone’s life we experience losing. I will say once again that losing sucks. I do not know how else to put it.  It is a bitter feeling that is hard to deal with sometimes. It doesn’t matter if it’s losing a promotion to a co-worker or losing a tennis match to a friend, we all have a competitive side and sometimes it drives us to be better. What we teach our children by awarding the participation trophy is, I don’t even have to try and I am going to be rewarded. So then enters the thought, hey why try if I am going to get an award anyway? I am not saying that everyone thinks this way but there are those who do.  What happens if I show up for work but don’t put in the hours? Can I ask my boss for a paycheck?  Hey boss I participated I was here.  Life does not work that way.  

I want my children and grandchildren to know I do not care if you lose as long as you gave it your all. You are not going to win at everything that you do.  Even the best lose occasionally because we all have a bad day. Losing does not define you. What defines you is the character that losing promotes within you. Is it the character to try harder or to just quit? If you chose the latter, I hope that you enjoy your mantle full of participation ribbons and trophies. I will be living in the real world trying my hardest to be a winner, if I lose occasionally, I will pick myself up and try harder. By the way the fact that you try your best makes you a winner already.

Kenney Pope
http://radiomandjservice.com 

To Text or Not to Text That is the Question

My morning started like every morning does. I grab my morning coffee and head out to the back patio. Just on the other side of the sliding glass door, my morning perch awaits.  I sit in silence watching my dogs as they take care of their business and I scroll through Facebook like I am reading the morning newspaper. I am usually up first, after about 20 minutes or so Cynthia makes her way to the patio. It’s usually good morning or the like. There is some small talk but Cynthia is not a morning person so I will let her wake up before I try to carry on a conversation. So there we both are sitting in silence with phones in hands scrolling through social media.  I feel like every one of my friends have become celebrities and I can’t wait to see what is happening in their lives each and every day.  Am I alone in this fascination or are there others beginning their day the same way.  I mean I understand wanting to keep in touch but has social media become an addiction?  I find that a lot of the time, me and Cynthia find ourselves talking about stories, videos and or pictures we see on social media. Who would have thunk it years ago?

     Okay so here we are with a good chunk of time spent holding a phone in our hands. I just painted our picture and you know it’s true.  My question is….. What is the primary purpose of a phone? Well 20 years ago it would have been a simpler answer. It would have been to call someone or to take a call from someone. But that is not the case so much anymore. Nowadays it’s all about texting someone. I rarely get phone calls anymore from family members it usually a series of text messages.  Don’t get me started on a group text. My family consists of about 40 people and when you put everyone on a group text it’s a day of getting interrupted by someone texting it up with another family member. Then you have that person that wants to text you and they can type 50 lines to your 1 you are so far behind their questioning that it’s a lost cause.  Just for the record, my fingers are huge and I can punch a lot of keys at once, so slow down speed racer if you want to text with me.  Mmmmm hey here is an idea friggin call me and we can keep up just fine with a conversation. 

     Look I get it; sometimes it takes a lot out of you to deal with certain people. The complaining family member that always has something wrong with them, just send them a text. You can erase the text list of complaints. It’s a convenience I know it is for me. I text message Cynthia every day when I get to work, so she knows I made it.  Just know that if the text doesn’t come at a certain time the proper authorities will be called. She takes it quite seriously.  I am not saying not to text, just saying pick up the phone and place a call every once in a while.  Being a hermit sucks and you will enjoy human contact once again.   

Call me let’s do lunch (no Texts please)

Kenney Pope 

A Dog's Life

As I prepare to wrap up for the day, I think about all that I have at home waiting for me.  I have a house full of love. I am surrounded by caring human beings.  I am not at all lacking for human interaction. I will say that for all I have, one of the most enjoyable parts of the day is walking through the front door of my house.  I am greeted by my little fur baby that treats me like she has not seen me in years. It does not matter if I am gone for five minutes or gone for days she is always happy to see me. She is approximately 17 years old and has some trouble getting around sometimes but she always makes her way to wherever I am just to let me know she missed me.  Unconditional love and eager to please me, pretty much sums it up. 

    Most everyone can relate to being a dog owner at one time or another. They are acquired various ways. You can find one at the animal shelter, have one given to you by friends, buy one from an individual or the ever popular adopt one when one of your children leaves it behind for one reason or another. Mine was the latter. My daughter did not have a place for her in the apartment when she moved because of apartment rules so I inherited her.  This dog has been my shadow for the last 10 years. Wherever I am, you will find her there.  If I am taking a shower she will patiently wait for me, sitting anxiously on the bathroom floor. She has her tail, just a wagging away.  Her mission in life is to please me.  

       This is pretty heavy but along with all of that affection there is a lot of responsibility.  You see the dog did not choose me, I chose it. She had no say in where she would wind up.  It’s my job to shelter, feed, clean, and clean up after this little 5 pound pooping machine. In return for my caring for the dog, (she may not verbally say it but she appreciates it) I get a companion for the duration of her life. I get an extension of my family. I get a protector and someone who lets me know when things aren’t right. I get someone to laugh with or at depending how you look at it.  I will say that I believe dogs know how to love. Maybe it’s in a way they know how and we don’t fully understand the extent of it but I honestly believe that they do.  I don’t know how else to explain the running to the door when I get home. I don’t know how to explain the way her eyes light up when she sees me.  I know that she knows I feed her, its way deeper than that, or at least I imagine it is.  

        I was raised around dogs. It seems we always had a dog or two around our house. I learned to respect a dog’s space and how to approach and not show fear.  I learned what breeds I personally like and fit my lifestyle and which breeds are not for me.  You can choose an active dog or one with a little more laid back lifestyle. My 5 Lb. Chihuahua fits me perfectly, not so much everyone else. I was not aware that they were single owner dogs. That means if you are around no one else matters. That is the way they are wired they can’t help it. When she was younger she was a bit more playful and active. She has slowed down a bunch, that’s okay so have I.  She is getting a lot of gray and I know that she will not be around forever.  I just want to give her a life she never asked for. I want to give her a life full of love   and happiness. I know that there are few things in life like the love you get from your dog.

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Small Talk

Some have it some don’t. That is what I have always been told. Some people can talk to anyone. Others are more withdrawn and don’t speak unless spoken to.  I have the gift of gab for the most part. I think I learned from the best. My dad has always been the most personable human I have ever known. He can talk to anyone. It’s no wonder I never meet a stranger.  Being in sales and especially outside sales, you had better know how to create some small talk. Being in radio for a period of time, you run across fans of the station. You meet a lot of people and they want to meet you and get to know you.  It was sometimes a little tougher to socialize with a mass of people and I always felt a little uncomfortable in the bigger social scenes. I am a good talker and prefer the one on one rather than the mass of people. The problem with the radio crowd was a perception problem. You come across over the airwaves one way and when they meet you for the first time it’s totally different. I always tried to be myself on the air and I think for the most part I was genuine. Cynthia likes to give me a hard time because of what she calls my radio voice.  In my everyday life apparently I talk a certain way and on the air my voice is a little different.  My voice is what most people recognize. I never knew how to take it when people said that I did not look anything like I sounded. Do you see what i just did? That is known as small talk.   Sorry got a little sidetracked. Sometimes it’s hard to create small talk, especially if you are the one doing all of the talking.  I was reminded of this all too well yesterday as I signed a contract for a DJ event. I was trying to make small talk to make it less awkward for the guy I was meeting for the first time. I tried with the standard what do you do for a living. Short direct answers suck I am putting that out there. If you get a short answer it’s someone pretty much saying I am not a talker. You have nowhere to go from there. If you ask me a question sit down because I am going to give you the full version of the answer to the best of my ability. That’s why I love radio so much because I love to talk, just ask……. everyone they will tell you.  

          Basics of small talk, the 101 class is simple. You have to find some common interests. In the example of a sales call, I would look around the person’s office and see what was up for discussion. Antlers on the wall……. This dude loves to hunt. I see pictures of some child playing football……. He loves football.  I see a diploma from The University of Oklahoma……. This guy is mentally challenged; I will have to speak slowly.  You get the idea you just find something, anything that you have in common to talk about.  Just an FYI people love to talk about themselves. If you can get people to share stories about themselves you have it made.  In social situations it’s pretty much the same thing. You have to find common ground.  The old standby… the weather works in a pinch. It often leads to a more interesting conversation.  I found what works best for me is sarcasm. I am not using it on the person I am talking to, that wouldn’t be nice. I mostly use it on specific situations. Maybe I am standing in line at the grocery store for an extended period of time. I would maybe say something sarcastic out of earshot of the cashier to the person in front of me.  Something like, man she is slow, she reminds me of a professor I met  from the University of Oklahoma . If you get a laugh the ice is broken. If you don’t get a response, well you tried.   If I see someone with a scowl on their face I am not approaching that person. I don’t need the added pressure of trying to get them to talk and or crack a smile. I honestly think that you can acquire to some degree the ability to make small talk if you just look for opportunities to speak. You just have to keep your eyes and ears open. If you don’t have the ability and you are in my vicinity just come over introduce yourself and let me take it from there. You can ask anyone, I can talk enough for the both of us.  Just do me the favor of looking like you are interested. I will do my best to carry on the small talk. 

Have a great weekend 

Kenney "Big Skinny" Pope 

  

Sunset

As another day draws to a close and another page in the book of our life closes it brings us one more sunset. The sunset is my favorite part of the day. It’s a time of reflection and a time of taking stock and inventory of what was accomplished during the daytime hours.  It’s a time to sit back and relax and enjoy the company of friends and family. It’s the final chance of the day to see God’s artistic hands in motion. The colors against the clouds with the sun setting, it’s almost like a metaphor of life.  I think the older I get the more I enjoy the beautiful sunset.  In order for you to enjoy it you have to give up a day. That means for every sunset that you have enjoyed you have given up roughly 24 hours, give or take a few minutes. It also means it’s one less sunset that you will see in your lifetime. That is a little depressing sorry. 

  As we get older and head into the sunset of our lives, we start to realize how valuable time is.  You don’t think much about time in your 20’s because you think you have a lot of it. As you get closer to fifty and that is as far as I can go, you start trying to figure out what is worth your time.  I have come up with a few things that aren’t worth wasting your time over. I am not going to say I have perfected the non-wasting of time this is just observational.

  Relationships that aren’t healthy are a waste of time.  I wasted lot of time to come to this realization. I see so many people being beat down with the relationship they are in.  You don’t have to be with someone that abuses you emotionally or physically they are both equally destructive to you. A relationship that is always taking and never giving is a waste of my time. I have tried to teach my girls that you need to find a man that treats you like a princess. Find a man who is devoted to you and would not hurt you in any way. That someone will love you for who you are.   I wasted a lot of years with the wrong person. I lived a life trying to be someone I wasn’t.  Something good came out of it. Three wonderful girls who are part of my life came out of it.  Always try to find the positives in a bad situation.  

    Negative people are a waste of time. I don’t want to be around someone always complaining about everything. I have worked with and for those type of people and it makes for a long day. You spend 8 hours a day trying to make them happy.   My job is not to make anyone happy. They have to learn how to be happy for themselves.  This is another reason why some relationships don’t work. We are subconsciously taught throughout our lives that we can make our spouse happy.  A person has to like the situation or relationship they are in.  The thought of you being there might make them happy. I just don’t subscribe to the belief it’s my job to make everyone happy. I can make them laugh and take their minds off of their worries for a while but that is totally different from making them happy.

    Regrets are a waste of time. We spend so much time looking behind us we miss all of life in front of us.  After 20 years of marriage and walking away from that relationship, I could have lived with a lot of regret. I chose to look forward to see what was in store for me.   It was hard to close that chapter in my life but I knew that it needed to be done and made the decision. I was scared and uneasy about the future. As it turns out I was scared for nothing and worried over nothing. By the way, that’s 2 more time wasters. Look, we absolutely have very little control if any over the future. We can stress out about mistakes in our past and totally ignore the future, or we can stress out over the future and live each day in dread and fear. I won’t settle for less than the best God has to offer me each and every day.  I want to live my life for the here and now.  I lost a brother at 25 years of age.  He had the possibility of seeing around 9,130 sunsets in his lifetime. Now most would not think about a life being over at 25 and we didn’t. That’s the wonder of life; we never know exactly when our last sunset comes.  Remember this time is something, which once it’s used you can never get back.  As you sit and enjoy that sunset tonight, think about what your life is worth in the value of time.

Kenney Pope

Those Crazy Old People

Do you remember when you were younger maybe 5 or six? I know you are thinking you sort of can remember back that far.  I will say if you are thinking that, first off your grammar sucks.  I will say second yay for you that your memory works, that’s a good sign.  We would always think that someone in their 30’s was old. If you were a senior citizen you were especially old.  I remember my dad’s Uncle Ray. He was married to my grandmother’s sister.  Now I am sure that Uncle Ray was a cool dude to most everybody else, but that dude scared the Hades out of me.  You see my Uncle Ray was born missing half of one of his arms. He had about 5 little nubs where his fingers were supposed to be as I recall.  Now let me preface by saying I have nothing against anyone with a disability.  I am opposed to someone using the disability to terrorize little children for a laugh.  My Uncle ran a gas station a few miles from our house.  My dad would often stop in to buy his gas there.  We were a family of eight crammed into a Ford Galaxy 500. When I say crammed I mean it. There were five of us children stuffed into the back seat and we had no room to move. We were elbow to elbow.  On several occasions Uncle Ray would peer into the window and see us all sitting there. Back in those days no air conditioning in the car so the windows were rolled down. He would stick the half arm through the window and watch us squirm with fear all the while laughing it up. I’m sure my dad put him up to it because my dad had grown up with Ray and the half arm was normal to him. I think it messed me up for life in a way. I knew that anytime that I was at my Granny’s house and Uncle Ray was there I would not go into the house. I did not have a close relationship with him. Like I said he was probably a good man and a great husband but he just freaked me out. 

     Fast forward a few years later and we find my granny in a nursing home after a series of strokes took her health. I am once again dealing with people with disabilities. I am maybe 10 years old at this time. I know now that the elderly in those places are not in their right minds but I was not so much aware of it then.  I recall one time me and my older brother Gary made a trip up to see Granny Pope.  As we walked into the front door and made our way down the hall, we were approached by an elderly woman.  This lady was totally freaking me out. She kept yelling at us to go home or she was going to whip us. She proceeded to back us into what I remember as a closet of some sort. She was taking off her house shoe and she was fixing to lay into us with it. I was terrified and I was probably shaking. I was looking for older brother to do something but he was taken aback as well.  We were taught to respect our elders so fighting back was not even an option. So there we both stood in this small closet hoping that someone would hear the commotion and come to our rescue. Someone finally did. I was once again affected by another incident. I know that one stuck with me a while because I remember several occasion as a firefighter getting called out to a local nursing home on a medical emergency call.  I remember taking my helmet off and keeping it at my side as a shield just in case I needed it. That’s crazy huh? I remember all too well the sights and sounds of that place. I remember lady across the hall that would sit in her chair and say hello all day long. I remember my Granny’s roommate that had her doll to play with. As a child I didn’t understand the elderly and I sure did not understand the nursing home.  I wasn’t aware that my granny was getting dementia and did not know why she called me roger for about the last 2 years she was alive. She had no idea who I was.  Looking back my view of the elderly has definitely changed.  I see how wrong it was for families to dump their elderly parent off at the facility and just forget about them. I saw it firsthand.  The last Roommate My granny had been Miss Watson. That lady looked out for her because she couldn’t do it for herself. She was funny and bright and knew what was going on around her. That was her life in that place. Her family had dumped her off there like a puppy that they didn’t want.  It was sad. She was family to us. She became like a third grandparent. 

I see my dad getting older now. He just turned 79. I try to get as many stories about his life from him as he can remember, and his mind is still sharp. I want to know about his younger years and what makes him tick. I want to know as much as I can because some day it might just be a memory and the stories are all that I will have.   I regret not getting to know my Uncle Ray, I’m sure he had some stories to tell. I know he could have told it from the perspective of living his life with one hand. I’m sure it would have been inspiring instead of scary like I remember him. 

     The point is this; the elderly are not just taking up space. They have a lot to teach and share if you just give them the one thing that they don’t have much of and that’s time.  They will show us that we don’t know near as much as we think we do. I know my dad does every day.

   

Respect The Blue

Last night as I sat on my back patio I listened to something that sent chills down my spine. I was listening to the replay of the Police scanner of Kentucky State Trooper’s Joseph Ponder senseless murder. I heard possibly the last words that he ever uttered on this side of heaven. I couldn’t really make it out but it sounded like “I’m hit I’m passing out” then his radio went silent. You could hear the distress in the dispatcher’s voice as she was trying to get officers headed to the last known location of the fallen trooper. We look around at our once great land and we see this tragic scenario playing out over and over again.  We have men and women putting their lives on the line to protect us and this is the thanks that they get.  They are ambushed at a gas station shot down for doing their job. They are gunned down performing a traffic stop. It’s senseless violence. They are doing a job that the majority of us do not have the stomach to do. There are many that would love to do the job but aren’t physically able.  But we can’t judge all police officers by the actions of a few.

      We have all been faced with decisions in our lives. Can you imagine what it must feel like to have to make a split second decision? Then compound it with, it’s a life or death decision. Someone’s life can and will be dramatically changed forever. It’s a split second decision, once made you can’t go back and change it. That’s a lot of pressure to be faced with. What happens if you make the wrong decision and it cost you your life. Think about their wife and children, how the decision made affects them. These men and women are only trying to make a living doing what they love to do. Now they have to constantly have their heads on a swivel and on guard at all times. This rang true for me the other day. I was driving over a bridge the other day. There sitting on the opposite side of the bridge on the shoulder was a police officer in his cruiser. He was talking on the phone. I told my dad that the officer had no clue what was going on around him as he was engaged in his conversation. Someone could pull up behind him and kill him.  That was my very first thought.  Those kinds of thoughts had never crossed my mind before. It just seems like we hear about another incident every day where an officer is gunned down. 

           I at one time was training to be an officer. I was set to take the physical and backed out because I didn’t think my knees would let me pass.  I would have loved the job. I spent some time when I was much younger doing ride outs with the City of Fort Worth.  I had a great friend and she was and still is a great officer.  I felt safe back then. I saw firsthand the brotherhood that is law enforcement.  I saw how they all came together when they needed to.  In most situations you don’t just tangle with one officer, there is usually a swarm of them. They take very seriously protecting their brother’s or sister’s backs. I remember as a 19 or twenty year old watching an escaped jail inmate run into a laundry mat, police was chasing him. There was no one else around and the officer was struggling to subdue and cuff him. I asked the officer if I could help him to which he agreed.  I helped the officer hold the inmate down while he cuffed him. I did not want a pat on the back I just wanted to help. The officer thanked me and proceeded to take the felon in.  I know that this is the mindset I want now. I don’t want thanks I just want to help.  If I see an officer that needs my help I am in.  I respect the Blue and I’m thankful that I can sleep at night because they are patrolling my streets. They are doing what I can’t.  I hope that you feel the same. Don’t let the actions of some officers that may have made the wrong split second decision cloud your judgement. Respect the Blue.

     

My Older Brother

As a child growing up you are always looking for a role model. I was fortunate enough to have 2 to look up to. My older brothers were a big influence on my life. I will say they picked on me a lot. I think that served to toughen me up. I always knew that they had my back when push came to shove. My oldest brother that passed away in 1984 would have been 56 on the 22nd of this month. He was an intimidating guy at 260lbs. Of course I was all of about 110lbs myself so he definitely could whip me. He used that weight to his advantage a lot. I remember this time of year we would be out in the yard tossing the football playing a game of catch. He would tell me how to catch it and let me know if I was doing it wrong. We would watch the big game every Sunday. He taught me to love the sport. Maybe deep down that's why I love it so much, because it reminds me of him. I don't apologize for being a Dolphins fan but I know I root for the Cowboys first and foremost because I know he's not here to root them on. I feel like since he showed me the love for the game I owe him that. He taught me to love music. We could talk forever about it. He trained me well. He would find a random radio station and quiz me on Artist and song. Cynthia hates when I do that to her.  Sometimes we would do it as a group of sibling and make it a contest.  He would always ask if I wanted to go with him on an errand he would be running. I loved his 69 Ford Torino. He was proud of that car. I remember fondly a trip to the mall one Christmas eve.  Just hanging out with him made me feel cool. He was one of the cool kids. His friends never seemed to mind that we were tagging along. 
   I remember my first job working for my Uncle. I was maybe 11 or 12. He had already graduated high school and was working there too. It seemed like every day on our lunch break it would be to pick on Kenney time. For some reason he seemed have a lot of rotten bananas. He would tackle me and rub it in my hair.  I would be yelling get off of me fatso but that didn't make him stop.  I remember one day another co-worker wanted to mess with me and big bro was quick to step in and diffuse the situation. That someone would have to go through him to get to me. That would be a huge task and would not bode well for anyone opposing him.  I remember how much he loved to play golf and how we played many rounds together. He let me use his set of old clubs when he upgraded. I loved those clubs. One birthday he took me shopping for a present. As I got out of his car he handed me a 10 dollar bill. He said he had sold my clubs and the 10 came from the sell. He had no idea how much I loved playing with the clubs and I never told him. I remember our makeshift wrestling ring in the backyard. How me and my younger brother would tag team him. In the end it was both of us trying to ride him like a rented mule. We tried to get him down but he would throw us around like rag dolls. We never beat him.
    He was quick to let me know when I was out of line. He had tremendous respect for his parents and his elders. He was the perfect role model. He would not allow me to talk back to mom if he was within earshot. A slap to the back of the head was usually enough. A week before he passed I heard a song on the radio while we were both working for my dad. I had just graduated high school and was all of 17.  The song was "Desert Moon" by Dennis DeYoung.  I got to introduce one more song to him. We were always recommending music for the other to hear. He got to hear the song and he loved it. As we were on our last lunch break ever, there were no pranks just him cooking us some grilled cheese sandwich in a skillet in his kitchen. We talked about life. Although I don't really remember the conversation I do remember him not looking at me like a kid brother. We were co-workers and I had earned his respect.
    I still get misty eyed when I hear "Desert Moon" I think of him a lot.  I think that he would be proud of me and I know he would love Cynthia. Some days the hurt is stronger than others.  I know that all that is here is the memories we shared.  I miss him a lot and wish he was here to root on his Cowboys. Guess I will have to do it for him as long as the good Lord gives me.  Miss ya bro  go Cowboys.

Hello Fall

One of the things I enjoyed about working outdoors were the seasonal changes in the weather. I especially liked when summer gave way to autumn. You could see the blue-gray clouds in the distance as a front blew through. You just knew the temperatures were about to drop. Sometimes it would be accompanied by rain. Sometimes it was just a shift in the wind. I love that feeling and it always gives me goosebumps. You can feel the air as it gets drier and the temperature drops maybe 20 plus degrees.   It’s almost like you could feel summer release its grip and hand the reins over to good old fall time.

   I have to say I am prejudice to Texas up front. I am sure that there are a lot of pretty places in the fall time. I just love the weather here. I love the days when you can be comfortable in a sweatshirt and jeans. I love the days where the windows are raised up at the house and rolled down in the car.  The crisp air does something to the sound waves because everything just sounds like it so much closer. The leaves changing colors are a sight to behold.  The pumpkin patches and Halloween just around the corner. The air smells fresher outside.  The sounds and sight of our beloved pastime, football in Texas there is nothing like Friday night lights in the crisp fall evenings. We have our State Fair and everything fried to a crispy golden brown.  Fall time is when we celebrate one of the greatest holidays. I love Thanksgiving with all of its traditions.  I have so many fond memories growing up in a big family and celebrating Thanksgiving holidays. I am sure we all have our stories and memories of fall time in Texas. Can you remember raking the fallen leaves into the big pile to run and jump into?  I can remember me and my older brothers along with their friends playing Sunday afternoon football.  I remember chopping wood and gathering kindling for when it would start getting colder.  I remember how we had to adjust as the nights came earlier with the darkness. We really had to rush to get our chores done after school.  One of the things I hated most was feeding the chickens. I especially hated it when it got dark out. There is nothing like sticking your hand in a 55 gallon drum full of corn feed to feel a mouse or rat run across your arm.  That was not a favorite experience, but I will take some bad with the good. 

        I get antsy this time of year because I know it’s just around the corner and I can almost feel it.  I know that there are some that hate the cooler weather. I will say as I get older, the aches and pains are far worse in the colder months.  I will say once again that I will take a little bad for all the good.  i realize that we are all different and there is no way to make everyone happy at once. So for all of you Summer lovers it's over you have had your pool time and sitting outdoors sucking up margaritas and ice cold lemonade and the like. Us non summer people have humored your kind and sat outside pretending we are having fun all the while being eat up by what I can only guess is a cross between a piranhas and a mosquitos. We have all thankfully dodged West Nile Virus . Did you ask if we were okay? We have partaken in what you non nonchalantly call a hike in the wilderness. I refer to it as a sweat fest. The camping trip with no electricity or running water, that was a priceless gem of a trip.

We have done it with style and grace just for you, our summer loving freaky sweaty friends. So I say suck it up put your man pants on and maybe a parka a sweat shirt, thermal underwear a big fuzzy sweater, a stocking cap and ear muffs, maybe then you will get an inkling of what we feel like in the summer. I'm only kidding sort of. You can take off the ear muffs. I want you to hear that we still love you our summer loving friends. I hope you enjoy Fall.  

The Last Summer Get Together

Labor day weekend comes but once a year. It typically marks the end of Summer. The long hot afternoons, the sweltering humid Texas nights are soon to be forgotten. They will be replaced by early morning frost and chilly afternoons.  We all come together this weekend to celebrate summer. While it is miserable for most, it doesn't come and go without bringing some our favorite times of the year. There are holidays like the 4th of July. We usually get to take family vacations and make memories that last a lifetime. There are Summer concerts, and finding a pool to stay cool in. Then there are the things that seem to be available only in the Summer time. Ice cold watermelon is definitely a favorite of mine. So as much as some us hate the Summer months because its just plain miserable, we will definitely miss certain aspects of the hot grueling months. We will focus our attention on new memories. We will be getting the kids new Halloween costumes ready. We will be preparing for High School homecomings. We will cherish the moments that we come together as a family and thank God for the years blessings. We will celebrate Christmas and pictures and memories will abound that will last our lifetimes.  We will enjoy another football season and State Fair. Don't shed any tears for Summer those Hot Dog days of July and August will be back before you know it. Let's just celebrate all the good times in the upcoming months. Oh and lets go Cowboys.

Three Wishes

Have you ever thought about the story with the Genie freed from its bottle?  There were three wishes granted to the individual responsible for releasing the Genie. Have you thought, hey what if that were me and I could have three wishes to do or have whatever I wanted. I wonder if we would wish for selfish wants or for something that would help all of mankind.  Would it be money, power and fame?  So go ahead pretend let’s take those three wishes and see what we can come up with for the betterment of mankind.

   I think my first wish would be a cure for all types of diseases. It would be just one single cure that would erase all of it. I would wish for something that would make every disease as scarce as the plague.  It seems this year in particular, I’ve lost a lot of great friends and family to cancer.  I lost my mom as well back in 2004.  There have been billions poured into research for this illness and yet still no cure, or if there is one it’s staying under wraps.  Do you know how much money is poured in yearly for cancer treatments?  I am not sure about the success rates for chemo and radiation. I know there have been a lot of people go down that road with no success.  So my first wish would be a legitimate cure for every disease not just cancer. That disease in particular has just hit too close to home this year and that scares me a lot. There would be a lot of doctors and oncologists without jobs as the need in those fields would dry up like a covered wagon salesman. I think that’s okay,  I would take that trade off if it meant someone’s family member got 50 more years tacked on their life.  I know that no one is going to live forever. Something will eventually get us all, hopefully old age.

           I think my second wish would be no crime. How great would it be to live in a world without locks on the door?   Wouldn’t it be nice not to have to worry about your teenager’s safety when they go out at night?  I would love to not ever again hear about a drunk driver taking someone’s life on the news.  Then think about this, no crime no need for the news. What would they report?  No sad stories no murders, the prisons all empty. Once again jobs would be lost, law enforcement officials, prison employees, newscasters, reporters just to name a few occupations.  Think about living in a world where you felt totally safe all of the time.  Your kids could play outside and you would not have to worry about where they were.  Talk about a utopia.

   I think my final wish would be to live in a world where people truly cared about others.  It seems today that it’s mostly lip service.  There are people who call you there friend if there is something that they can gain by being your friend. The minute that they can no longer use you they are gone like the wind. Heaven forbid that you go through a crisis; none of those so-called friends are anywhere to be found. I can remember a time where people took time to get to know their neighbors. In this day and age everyone pretty much keeps to themselves.  We nod at one another and pretend to be friendly, but we don’t know them.  You see someone in need you help them.  More jobs would be lost; places like Goodwill, Salvation Army and the like would cease to exist because there would not be a need for them. If only people would help people.  

         I am not going to lie it would be nice to be wealthy. Along with that wealth comes responsibility. There would be a need to do all of the things that I have wished for.  You would be expected to donate to medical causes to find a cure for this disease or that disease.  You would be expected to donate or be taxed on your wealth to fund your local government for law enforcement expenses. You would be expected to give to the needy. As I look around at all of the money going to all of these causes, it has not truly made a dent in any of them. Don’t get me wrong it all helps but the problems are still there.   The problem here is I am wishing for heaven on earth and all it is in a nutshell is wishful thinking. I truly wish for a better world.  What would your three wishes be? 

Success

I have often wondered about the meaning of a successful life.  What does it truly mean? Does it mean that you have succeeded at everything you ever tried? Does it mean that you never once failed? Does it mean you have no regrets, or that you would have done some things a little different?  We all have a different gauge for measuring success in our lives.  Our accomplishments mean different things to different people.  I believe we all start out setting goals for our lives. Somewhere along the way life creeps in and our priorities change.  What was important yesterday, mmmm not so much today.  I had all sorts of goals I set for my life early on.  Looking back I can see now, maybe some were a bit lofty, but hey you have to work for something. I believe having goals keeps you motivated.  I think the two goals that stick out the most in my mind were firefighter and radio personality. I had a chance to some degree accomplish those particular goals, although I really hope the latter takes me a little bit further. I am not quite done with that one yet. I will say that if it doesn’t I’m fine with that too.  I accomplished what I set out to do.  Here is the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

        No success ever came to be without some hard work and sacrifice.  As fun as being a firefighter was there were trainings to attend. There were sleepless nights. When an alarm goes off at 2 am you have to be prepared to get up and go.  There were weekends given up and time with family and friends missed. There is the giving of you to the point of exhaustion. There were hospital stays, injuries and so on and so on. What about radio personality? That was a tough gig for sure.  Ask anyone that has been in the business and they will confirm about a very tough business.  I started as a grunt just lugging equipment around driving the van to and from remotes.  I slowly worked my way into board operator which by no means is glamorous.  From that point once you are proficient as a board op you might get the opportunity if you possess certain skills to do a fill in shift for someone but only if the full time job allows for it.   Hey if not find a full time job that you can fit your dream into, just for the record I did all of that.  Then give up your weekends with your family just hoping for a chance at a full time gig. Then after all of the sacrifice and finally getting your shot at full time have it be built on lies that were promised and never fulfilled and have it all come crashing down.  Yep that was my dream. It was my goal.  Success I think not. But hey I got air time and that was something. I’m just reiterating having goals and striving for success is hard work and requires dedication. 

So all being said how is it that you measure success?  You as a human can only control so much. Sometimes successful things happen because you are in the right place at the right time.  Sometimes goals are reached because you know the right people. Sometimes it’s just plain blind luck.  That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t work hard to get there, it just means sometimes we have absolutely no control.  Sometimes no matter how hard you work someone else because of who they know gets the position over you.  It’s not fair it’s just the way life is. Sometimes someone wins the lottery. Sometimes someone who has paid no dues slaps every hard working musician in the face by winning some huge recording contract off of American Idol.  There is no rhyme or reason to success.

      Here is what I am learning more and more each day. First and foremost, slow down and look at all that you have around you.  There is in my case, a woman who is madly in love with you ( I do not know why) check mark that is success.  You have children that love and respect you, that’s a big ‘ol success check mark.  You have a very loving family, another check mark.  You have a way to support your family that is success in my book.  For everything we consider goals in our life we have been given those in our lives that will help us be successful and reach those goals.  I honestly believe success comes from the people that you allow to be a part of your life.  I am success because of relationships not in spite of them.  

   Here is the question for you. Do you consider yourself a success?  Why?  If not why aren’t you?  Break the chain of life sucking draining relationships and develop uplifting positive ones that will support and help you be all that you want to be.

Kenney Big Skinny Pope 

The Times are Changing

There was a time where people were taught manners. We were taught to respect authority. We were taught to respect our elders. Yes sir and yes Ma'am were expected if we were talking to said elders.  We had respect for our parents. We didn't live in fear of sending our kids to school. We didn't worry about someone with a gun terrorizing our children. We didn't worry about paedophiles in our classroom. We didn't worry about going to a movie theater or making a trip to the mall. Now I'm not saying that worry has stopped us from doing any of those things, but its always in the back of our minds. We are constantly hearing the stories on the news telling us of another incident, another shooting, rape case or improper relationship between a teacher and student. Then there is racial tensions like I've not known in my lifetime. It's become a crazy world.
    I can't say I didn't know it was coming. I remember as a child sitting in church as the preacher would tell us about the end times. He talked about how evil the world would become.  He wasn't a soothsayer or a fortune teller he just got the info out of his Bible.  His job was to let us know what was coming. Our job was to be prepared.  We seem for the most part thrive on being prepared. I have a friend(a survivalist) that I could talk to for hours about steps for preparedness for any event he sees coming that could end civilization as we know it. He tells me about all of the food and water he has stored and the method used for preserving it. He is prepared for the worst case scenario as he sees it. There were folks of the same mindset back at the turn of the century. We all remember how the world was coming to an end Y2K.  Generators MRE'S, all  kinds of survival gear for something that may or may not happen. Well it didn't but hey preparation was the key.
      I'm by no means a conspiracy theory nut. I do not subscribe to that way of thinking. But I do see a lot of what that old preacher H.M. Corey said is coming to pass. I could ignore the signs of the times and pass it off as that's just life. I'm not putting goods away for hard times, but seeing how our stock market is doing that might not be a bad idea. I'm just looking around and wondering how much time is left until God says okay son, go get them. I know some would say this is hogwash and that's fine you can subscribe to your own beliefs. You might even say I'm wrong and that's cool you can believe however you want. If I'm wrong you've lost nothing. If you're wrong you've lost everything.  The times are changing. Look around do some research and see for yourself.  If my religious views offend I won't apologize for them its how I was raised. I don't know how else to be. My grandma always planned her future by saying Good Lord Willing. Hopefully we will see tomorrow Good Lord Willing. 

The Five and Dime

There it stood in all its glory. Just inside those doors was a plethora of candy, not at all unlike the pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. There were all colors and all sizes. It was just like a technicolored dream. Just inside those doors was a cure for the common ailment known as the sweet tooth. Okay forgive me I am not sure that it’s really an ailment, but hey it could be.  The store was Mott's and it was our local 5 & Dime. The store had a lot to offer. There were aisles of housewares, toys, some clothes, fabrics for sewing and to the best of my recollection there was an aisle for model airplanes and cars. So I am not stretching the truth when I say they had a little of everything. Like a smaller version of a department store.  They worked hard to make all of the items relevant for everyday life.  If you found yourself in need of something and did not want to have to venture to the nearest department store they could almost always suffice the need. Oh, but I digress, what usually brought me or my siblings into the store was what was up front in those candy bins.

   I can still remember dad driving us up there on a Saturday morning. It was within walking distance. It was about a three minute drive. He would pull into a parking spot, put the car in park, and then he would reach into his wallet and give each of us one or two of his hard earned dollars. I didn’t think much about it then but looking back it was pretty cool that he did that for us. He would sit and wait in the car while we shopped for candy. He never complained or honked his horn, he just waited patiently for us to finish. I remember walking into the store, the familiar smell of the store; Darlene the manager would greet us as we walked in.  Then the shopping began. It was almost like a plane coming in for a landing. You had to circle the bins 3 to 4 times just to see what all they had.  You wanted to spend your money wisely.  I usually avoided the higher priced chocolate bars and stuck to the cheaper hard candies.

       For a nickel or a dime apiece you could load up on some candy.  They had all kinds of suckers and taffy, bubble gums and even baseball cards with the one hard piece of gum in it.  There would always be the newest item that you had to get at least one of, to try it out. I found some I really liked that way.   I remember as I got older I would drop by there to purchase what was my favorite candy of all time the “Lifesaver Swirl” lollipop. Unfortunately they discontinued that one.  Then there was the “Astro Pop”, the “Jolly Rancher Stick” “Charms Sweet and Sour Pops”, “Tootsie Pops” and many others that have fallen by the wayside over the years.  We definitely had a lot broader selection back then.  But things change.

      As progress goes so did the Mott's. I am not sure what happened to the E.B. Mott Company I was unable to find any real info on the web about them.  I am sure that progress and something bigger and better ran them out of business. I have seen a lot of change in my lifetime and sometimes change is good. I know looking back stores like Dollar General and the like, our Variety stores of today got their beginnings from stores like Mott’s.  I will say that I miss those days at Mott’s, cruising the aisles at 7/11 for a candy fix just ain’t the same.   What is your favorite memory of the ol’ Mott’s 5-10-25 Cent Store

Feel free to comment.

Kenney Pope

8/20/15