Sunsets versus Sunrise?...Let's break it down.

Set aside for a minute that the sun does not actually rise or set. The Earth either rotates toward or away from the sun. Think of all the crappy poetry that would create if you had to substitute that definition for sunrise or sunset. Sorry for the redundancy of crappy poetry. Where was I? Oh, that was it. The difference between sunrises and sunsets and the people who embrace them is not a difference without a distinction.
Sunrises are beautiful in their own way. The way the sun reflects off the dew on the grass makes you squint. And the dew itself is pretty much a pain in the ass as well. You walk outside without shoes and you have to come in and change your socks. But the sounds of sunrise are my favorite part. The birds chirping away signifying the beginning of a new day. It would be their last day if I owned a shotgun. Folklore says they should be out getting a worm instead of performing an avian equivalent of Skynrd's Freebird outside my window. Just my luck I get birds who can't hold a job in my tree. But once a week I don't hear the birds at all.
Because every Tuesday is trash day. The birds know they cannot compete with the trash man. Our county has apparently contracted with the Gravedigger to haul our trash when he's not doing Monster Truck rallies. The windows actually shake when he rumbles up the street. If you have ever watched one of these trucks in action you need a life too. It is impossible for the trash to fall anywhere except in the back of the truck. Yet the driver will smash the dumpster a minimum of three times per can. It must be in his contract. I have been to skeet shooting competitions that create less noise. At least this is only once a week.
Sunrise also brings out the most mysterious creature I have ever met. The "morning person". These are people who wake up and immediately begin doing...well...stuff. They make coffee and and breakfast. Perhaps the strangest thing to me is they talk. A lot. And fast. It's like they have energy. And what do they have to look forward to? A nice long relaxing day at work. They have a to do list of things to accomplish during the day. I've had writing a to do list on the top of my to do list for the last twenty five years. I am not a morning person which makes them all the more confusing to me. Morning people truly embrace Carpe diem. I am more like carpe noonish. The thought of conversation with another human being before 9am is quite terrifying. My heart doesn't beat until close to noon. Sunrises are best when witnessed at the end of an all nighter. It usually is a sign of triumph at that point. To summarize the sunrise, you start out with wet feet, get audibly gang raped by birds and sanitation engineers and then are forced to engage in a conversation about what you plan to do for the day. Now for sunsets.
Shimmering waves of heat are still coming off the street as you pull into the driveway. You get into the house and emerge wearing nothing but a pair of shorts. Your feet feel the heat coming of the grass and it feels good. If you lay on the grass you could take a quick nap it's so comfortable. (Anyone who as had a few too many beers during the day knows this fact.) The afternoon breeze is kicking up right on time. The only sounds that can be heard is the sizzle of whatever type of beef is on the grill. At least until the ice cream truck makes his rounds in the neighborhood. Garbage versus ice cream, this isn't a fair fight.
Sunrise people begin to lose the stoned, eyes half shut look when the sun completely disappears. All of sudden the person who had the conversational skills of a mime for the daylight hours comes alive. Sunrise people will wax eloquent on anything from the merits of alabaster paint to Zeus being an overrated Greek God as long as the sun is gone for the day. They will complete an eight hour shift at work and then spend another hour in the parking lot talking to the same people they have been talking to all night. Vampires would be envious of the amount of work true sunset people can get done in the middle of the night.
What does the sunset bring? How about the anticipation of time with the family? Or sports or your favorite TV shows? Or maybe a little bumping uglies with your spouse? (Note: Even morning people don't like sex in the morning) It seems to me the real time to seize the day is when the day is about to end and the night begins. To summarize, the sunset brings on all that is true and good with the world. This comparison may be slightly biased.



Till next.....

A real tragedy....Can you help?

I hesitated writing this blog because I have never wanted to ask anyone who reads it for anything except an open mind and a sense of humor. But this isn't about what I want. It's about a 16 year old girl named Emmie Brookins who lies in a bed at the Sheperd Spinal Center in Atlanta. It tells a sad and tragically true tale of how life can change in a couple of seconds.










Emmie just turned 16 earlier this year and by all accounts she is pretty typical. Even though she is small in stature she has the fighting spirit of a champion. She's going to need every bit of it. In the first week of July, Emmie and her friend went to a house two miles away for a little party. They got someone to use a fake I.D. and buy them some liquor. Just like I used to and I suspect a great many of you reading this as well. Kids just don't have the best judgement at times. They had arranged for someone else to drive them home but apparently changed their minds once the drinking started. Emmie took the passenger seat and her friend drove. They didn't go far.










The car left the road and hit a tree deploying the airbags. They were unable to determine if the collision or the airbag broke her neck. She was immediately paralyzed from the neck down. If her spine had been damaged one inch higher she would be dead or on a ventilator. As it was she was diagnosed a "complete" paralysis. When she arrived at the hospital they rushed her to surgery to install a screen to prevent a blood clot from doing further damage. Then they had one surgery to put a metal plate on the front of her neck. Then another surgery to put a plate on the back of her neck. Once she was stable enough she was driven by ambulance to Atlanta.






Miracles happen a lot at the Shepard Center and hopefully Emmie will be the latest one. She regained movement of both her arms. The hands and fingers have not progressed as much yet. She has some limited feeling in her legs and feet. These are very encouraging developments even though the doctors try to temper any excitement. She told her Mother that all she wants to do is something all by herself. Brush her own teeth, comb her own hair, go to the bathroom, anything. Not one day has past since I heard of the accident that I haven't tried to put myself in her parent's shoes. My mind just won't let me do it. It shuts down immediately. The thought of having to do that for one of my children or step children breaks my heart in a way I can't describe. Not when they are 16 years old. It just doesn't make any sense.






How do you ever not cry the minute your child leaves the house at night? Do you ever feel safe again? I don't know. I know that the medical bills were mostly covered by insurance. The other costs of a van to transport Emmie and a wheelchair is not. Making the house accessible to a wheelchair is not covered. Transportation to and from Atlanta for therapy will not be covered. These will quickly eliminate all the savings the family had. I am including the address and phone number on the bottom of the page for an account set up at Trustmark Bank for Emmie. If your heart calls you to donate than please do so.(No amount is too small) We all know how tough things are so if you can't donate or choose not to, please say a prayer for Emmie. If praying isn't your thing try and keep a positive thought toward her and her family. The last favor I ask of you is easy for everyone to do. Could you PLEASE share this on your Facebook page? The more people on her side the better the odds of a miracle.






When I first met Emmie four years ago I never knew she would become a step sister to my two boys. In blended family terms that means when the boy's Mother and I divorced she married Emmie's Father. Reality is slowly sinking into Christopher and Zachary concerning their step sister. At first they were mildly upset but didn't quite get the changes that were about to occur in her life. Every time they visit her at the Center it becomes harder for them. Hopefully God will give them, Emmie's parents and the rest of the family the strength they need. The fact that Emmie is still alive and fighting back tells me she has the strength she needs. Anything the rest of us can do would go a long way toward helping. Thank You in advance!!!


Shane and Kim Brookins c/o Emily Brookins


Trustmark Bank Lakeland Branch


3714 Canada Road


Lakeland, TN 901-377-3868


Any questions or concerns please ask for Nancy Harrell, Branch Manager


You can also follow Emmie's progress at http://www.carepages.com/ It's free to sign up. Also Facebook at prayforemmiebrookins. Sincerely, Thank you all again.













Till next.....

Confessions of an insomniac.......

For those who can roll into bed and blissfully fall to sleep, God bless you. The thought of actually sleeping a full eight hours is a radical concept to me. Most nights I get a solid three hours sleep and it suits me just fine. But when the real insomnia hits it's a bitch. Last week when I was nearing the completion of my novel it ramped up. Over the course of ten nights I crashed for eleven whole hours. Total. 66 minutes of sleep on average. When people hear this they actually say, "Boy could I get a lot done if I only slept that little". Let me address that for a minute.


It's Thanksgiving afternoon and dinner has been devoured. The Lions already lost by three touchdowns and the Cowboy game is about to start. Your pants are unbuttoned and you are prone on the couch and just before kickoff you feel yourself slipping into the inevitable tryptophan induced coma. But your eyes won't close. The neurotransmitters that are supposed to shut the brain down just go home early and don't quite finish the job. Every part of your body is so sleepy and groggy that just getting off the couch takes serious effort and forethought. Now imagine going through your day in that condition. Do you really think you would get anything done? Well that's what severe insomnia does for you. But there is good news.


Do you need to catch up on some reading? Plenty of time to wade through War and Peace. How about some television? With the addition of Netflix I'm on the third season of 24. Want to expand your sphere of knowledge? The internet is open all night long. I know more useless trivia than most Jeopardy contestants. Just ask me a question and I will set in motion boredom on steroids. What trees grow in Malaysia? That would be Mangrove and the Oil Palm. Along with over 8000 other plant species in the southeast rainforest. Last National Leaguer to win the triple Crown; Joe "Ducky" Medwick. Those are off the top of my head. The true benefit is if you are talking to someone you really would rather not be just start boring them to death. They will be looking at their watch and saying, "I got to run" before you even get to the eco-systems of the Amazon River. And when you're extremely tired it's even more fun than normal.


Even though I have found this more of a personality quirk than a true disease more research is being done on the effects of sleep deprivation. People who suffer from the type of insomnia I have generally die before they reach 40 years of age. That is a rather sobering number for a man of 49 to read. But until they come up with a real cure for it I will continue my duty as neighborhood night watchman. Not that it matters but it really isn't darkest before the dawn. It is darkest usually three hours before the sunrises. I've timed it. And you can count the stars in the sky. Anywhere from 238 to over 2300 depending on the conditions and location. The further in the country, the higher the count. Are you getting bored yet? They say you shouldn't eat right before bed. Whatever. I consume most of my calories between midnight and 4am. And I tip the scales at about 165 pounds.


The one thing that insomnia is really good for; late night blogging. Sleep well normal people. I'll have the light on for you when you wake up.





Till next.....