THE LAST WORD

13 Oct 2011 Leave a comment

by David Tadlock in Family & Life

As some of you may know, recently we lost a very close relative.  My wife’s only sister passed away back on October 6th.  We lived next door to each other and she nor my wife worked but both were a stay at home wife and mother.  For Mary Ann she was a stay at home grandmother as well.  She loved her grandchildren and took very good care of them.

 Whenever you saw one most of the time you saw the other. Linda and ‘May’, as most people called her, were almost always together. She would call Linda and ask her to go with her somewhere or Linda would call her.  Linda would walk to her house to check on her or she would come to our house and sit on the porch with Linda and share a cup of coffee on some mornings.

We always get emails about friendship and love and it would say if you love me send it back to me or send it on to the ones you love or don’t want to lose.  Just like everyone else I don’t want to lose any of those I love. Generally I don’t forward many of those emails.  Mainly because I have gotten them hundreds of times in the past, maybe even thousands of times and after awhile it starts to get old, boring and annoying.  So I’ll read it and then delete it.

There is one thing that I always do and for those of you that do know  me is that I always tell people that I love them.  I always say if that is the last time I see or speak to them I want them to know that I love them.  That’s why I always make it a point to tell those I love that I love them. My mother used to tell us that she loves us then she would say, “I just wanted you to know that because I may forget but you won’t forget.”

In times like these we always reflect on words of those that have gone before us.  Little words or comments that are burned into our memory forever. Over the weekend I thought of my father, he would always tell me to always wear a suit and tie. I thought of one of Linda’s uncles, we called ‘Uncle Jim’.  He would put his arm around you and say, “Well shug, we all got to go sometime. It’s all part of life.”  I thought about one of my own uncles before he passed away his word were, “I’m settin’ on ready.”  And of course my mother’s favorite phrase was simply, “Praise the Lord!”  She even used that phrase one time at a rest area that had one of those new high-tech automatic flush toilets.  Linda came out of the restroom red faced and in tears laughing trying to tell me and of course in a restroom even a whisper would carry a echo.  

What is my last word? I love you.  Because one day I may forget but you won’t never forget and if we never meet or speak again you’ll always know that.  What will be your last word?

As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth.  For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more. (Psalms 103:15,16) KJV

Rivals United

12 May 2011 Leave a comment

by David Tadlock in Family & Life Tags: , , , , , ,

Down south in Alabama we learn one of two things early in life, it is either “Roll Tide” or “War Eagle”. There has not and probably never will be an in between. You root for one and loathe the other. Anywhere else someone could ask you your sign and you would probably give them a sign of the zodiac of your birthday. In Alabama there are only two signs. It is a big “A” for Alabama or an “AU” set in one another for Auburn.

Another thing people down south know not to do is to jump in the middle of a fight between two brothers. If you take sides eventually you’ll wind up fighting both of them and you turn out to be the enemy.

I know a family of brothers several years ago that would play softball together. They would argue among themselves and you would think that they were going to get into a knock-down-drag-out fight before the game was over.  But yet somehow they would almost always beat their opponents.  I don’t know if that was a psychological approach they had to get opponents off guard and beat them or if they just really argued that much among themselves. Some years later I found out that they really argue that much among themselves. But most importantly they still looked out for each other.  And just like those brothers that fight among themselves it goes the same for almost all other Alabamians.

When the truth came out about the man, someone who claimed to be an Alabama fan, poisoned the oak trees at Toomer’s Corner in Auburn, it was true Alabama fans who rose up and started the Facebook page ‘Tide for Toomer’s’. Not only that, thousands of dollars were raised to help save the trees. Some people say they are only trees but to Auburn fans they are a heritage. And “heritage” is a very big word in the South. Alabamians came together to try to save that heritage. I for one also joined and hope and pray the trees can be saved.

Then the storms and tornadoes hit West and North Alabama back in April. It was true Auburn fans who rose up and started the ‘Toomer’s for Tide’ Facebook page. Auburn players, coaches and fans went to help their fellow Alabamians in Tuscaloosa and Birmingham. They treaded into what is generally considered enemy territory. But yet they weren’t there to gloat or brag about beating Alabama in the Iron Bowl and winning college football’s national championship last year. They were there to help and console them any way they could.

Personally I grew up an Alabama fan. My wife and I both are still Alabama fans and there are a lot of homes in the state of Alabama that is considered a house divided. My home is worse than that. My daughter-in-law is a big Auburn fan and my son is a big Texas Longhorn fan. You wouldn’t believe the funny looks and comments we get when we go Christmas shopping and our buggy is full of Alabama, Auburn and Texas shirts and hats. My wife and I are also big Troy Trojan fans. We would attend games at Troy University so I chose to root more for the Troy Trojans than the others. I tell people I’m still an Alabama fan but if they ever play Troy I’ll be rooting for the Trojans. I love to see our home teams win. We all do. Whether it’s Troy, Auburn or Alabama. And when the two big rivals play each other this fall I’ll be rooting for my Alabama Crimson Tide to win. I may be one of the few that roots for the other team after the Iron Bowl when they have an opportunity to win a bigger prize like Auburn did last year. 

Even though my heart was broken for those affected by the storms it also swelled with pride to see two big rivals put aside their differences and help one another out.  So always remember if you’re not part of this big Alabama family please don’t jump in the middle of the fight.

Farewell To A Legend

26 Jan 2011 Leave a comment

by David Tadlock in Family & Life Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

I’ve had a lot of people ask me how can I remember certain dates.  All I can tell them is that I try to associate it with something or someone else.  I’m not really sure how I do it but there are some things that are burned into my memory that I can’t seem to forget.  But then again why would I want to?

Before I got my cell phone with all the speed dial numbers next to someone’s name I was the phone book at home.  My wife could ask me for someone’s number and I could blurt it out, even if we haven’t called the number in a long time.  I still remember some numbers of friends and relatives and even some old home phone numbers but I’ll be the first to tell you that I don’t remember as many as I used to.  It’s easier to scroll through my list of names in alphabetical order and hit the call button.  

One problem I do have is that if I haven’t seen you in a long time I may walk right by you and not say a word.  If that happens don’t be mad or hate me thinking I’m stuck on myself or I’m ignoring you, it’s just that I may not recognize you.  It does amaze people I’m around all the time that I can remember their birthday or anniversary.  I made a comment on the Tadlock Family Facebook page that back on January 17th Grandpa, or “Pop”, Tadlock would have been 120 years old if he was alive today.  January 17, 1891. 

I asked several people if they knew where they were 28 years ago this day, January 26, 1983.   After I told them what happened they could remember.  It is amazing that we can associate an event with a certain date.  

It was today 28 years ago that America lost one of its legends, Coach Paul “Bear” Bryant.  At the given time he was the winningest coach in college football.  After you realized that it was today, you may say, “Oh yea, I remember where I was at and what I was doing when I heard about his passing.”

I try to remember certain things and try to take it in as a part of history that will never be repeated.  I watched the last game that Bear Bryant coached with his Alabama Crimson Tide beating the Illinois Fighting Illini 21-15 in the Liberty Bowl in Memphis, Tennessee.  Last year I watched the last game that Bobby Cox managed for the Atlanta Braves.  I watched the last episode of the Late Show that Johnny Carson hosted. (You younger people ask your parents who Johnny Carson was.)   I watched the last football game coached by Florida State’s Bobby Bowden.  And yes, when Joe “Papa” Paterno decides to step down or aside I plan on watching that game and rooting for Papa Joe’s Nittany Lions to win the last one for the legend.

There are a lot of things in our life that we just assume to forget.  But there are some things we don’t ever want to forget.  There is history making events happening every day all around us and we want to be a part of it even if it is just in our living room in front of the television set.  We can look back and say, “I remember that.” Or “I remember when that happened.”

Previous Older Entries Next Newer Entries