1962

A young boy of thirteen gets between his father and his brother when the father is whooping the brother for biting the school teacher. The boy was scared of two things. The father had suffered shellshock in WWII and was whooping the other son like a man...hurting him.

The boy told his father to stop. The father turned his black eyes upon the boy and asked "Do you want some of it?" The boy answered "No, he is a kid, whoop him like a kid, not like a man."

The moment froze. The father froze. The black eyes with the red bolts of lightening slowly changed to the normal steel blue. From that moment on, the father treated the boy as a man in all things and there were no more whoopings for any child.

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1967

As a young man was driving to church one Sunday morning, a car rolled out of a driveway and stopped in the highway blocking both lanes. To the left was a small lake. To the right was a steep dropoff. Behind the young man there was another car.

Seeing no way around the stalled car and not wanting to be in the middle of a wreck, the young man cut the wheels hard to the right and laid down in the floorboard. The car hit seven rocks, each the size of a Volkswagon and turned over with each hit.

When it was over, the young man was in the back seat. His shoes were under the back seat and his unbroken glasses were sitting on the breather on the motor.

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1969

A college student went to sleep one night only to awake one month later. A whole month of his life was gone, invisible, no explanation. Gone was the desire for knowledge. Gone was a career in electronics and computers.

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1970

On a cold January night, an explosion woke the family. The house that had been home for 14 years was on fire. As the children grabbed clothes and ran, the oldest grabbed the family Bible as the house collapsed around him.

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1971

Turned down a deal to buy a service station next to Paulding Hospital.

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1972

First child. It's a girl.

The young man has found a profession that interests and challenges him.

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1975

Building business has collapsed. No work anywhere. Turned down a deal with a real estate company to build houses.

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1976

Started own company. Never looked back.

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1977

Met the Love of my life. Became lifelong friends.

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1980

First marriage.

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1981

Second child. Another girl.

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1983

Third child. Yep, another girl.

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1986

Building business is slowing.

Starting to have health issues, legs are giving way. Heart doctor finds tallest 'T' waves he has ever seen, but the heart of the 37 year old is as healthy as a 21 year old athlete. Suspected diabetes even though the patient is hypoglycemic.

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1987

Fourth child. A boy.

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1988

Divorced. Shut down business and went into Commercial as a foreman.

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1993

While building a parking deck at a hospital, a man heard a loud crack. A piece of framing lumber four by six by 16 feet long had broken and the section collapsed. When the dust had cleared, the man's helpers had escaped injury. The man had several sheets of plywood laying on and over him.

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1995

Superindent of Eastern Concrete Structures. Rebuilt Woodruff Park and built Centenial Olympic Park in Atlanta.

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1996

Fifth child. A boy.

Married the love of my life.

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1997

Massive heart attack.

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