28 DEC 08: MOM'S FAMILY
In all my years, I'd never done it on 25-26 December before. But two mornings last week were mild enough to run outside at the start of the day. If you think I was weird, you should have met the woman I passed on the Riverwalk - who recited a loud prayer as I approached, as if I was about to mug her.
As I jogged, some family history was on my mind. This past week marked 25 years since my mother died. It happened during a bitterly cold Kansas City December. When you put a key in the front door of your brother's house and it breaks off in the lock, that's cold....
As we mentioned during our "Know Your Blogger" series in October [21 Oct], my mother had a brain aneurysm in December 1983. That led to a stroke, which put her in the hospital. To this day, I suspect smoking had something to do with it. The fact that my last conversation with Mom occurred with a cigarette at her hospital bed certainly couldn't have helped.
I was working in radio news in Oklahoma at the time, and took the six-hour drive northeast to be with my mother. But a strange thing happened during that drive, as I developed chest pains on the Kansas Turnpike. A stop at an Emporia, Kansas hospital showed nothing unusual. So I guess that's how a "heavy heart" feels....
I don't remember packing for that trip, except I forgot to pack a sportcoat for church. I bought one at a mall, when I reached Kansas City. Does the "Joe Namath collection" qualify as a sports collector's item nowadays?
I only had one brief chat with my mother during a week in Kansas City. Most of the time, she was resting in her hospital room. I took care of Mom's mobile home in a suburb, which included her little kitten. When it can squirm under the gap in the bathroom door and interrupt your "private moments," that's little.
One night the kitten seemed annoyingly anxious to go outside - and even though I'd been told not to do it, I let the kitten outside in the cold. I never heard or saw it after that. Hopefully it went to a nearby mobile home, where the residents could turn the kitten's energy into inexpensive heat.
I don't recall doing much during that week in Kansas City -- and since my mother's health condition seemed stable, I decided to return to work in Oklahoma. After all, she was only 59 years old. But I probably forgot my mother's battle with ulcers years before, the stress of a divorce from Dad -- not to mention my asking her for approval to move to Oklahoma in the first place.
A call came to the radio station on the Thursday after I returned. My mother's condition had worsened, and my brother feared this would be the end. Ever the journalist, I still remember one other event of that day - the only bank in the tiny town of Hopeton, Oklahoma was robbed.
The weather was terrible on Friday, 23 Dec 83 -- with high temperatures in single digits and no sunshine. A family from my church congregation generously offered to lend me a car for the trip. But I foolishly turned it down -- taking my used car with hardly any heat. Sometimes your feet can wind up doubling as blocks of ice.
My mother was on life support at this point, and my older brother decided there was no reason to keep it going. So as we say, the hospital staff "pulled the plug" at midday Saturday. I took a last look at my comatose mother, then went to a Sabbath church service. There were no special prayers for me or my family. After all, Mom went to church somewhere else....
The death of my mother made for a difficult Christmas for my brother and his family the following day. I slept in a spare bedroom - and because I didn't keep Christmas even then, I stayed in that room until the holiday activities were over. I cared enough NOT to give the family an extra layer of stress.
Because of the holiday season, the funeral for my mother couldn't take place until the following Friday. The cold wave lasted all week - and local sports fans may remember it, because Alabama played in 15-degree weather at the Liberty Bowl in Memphis. Those were the "good old days" when scientists actually were concerned about a new ice age beginning.
My brother and I had a discussion during that week about what casket to buy -- and religious differences showed in the process. I preferred something with a lower price, suggesting our mother would never know the difference. My older brother was a bit insulted by that. But I think when Mom is resurrected, she'll be looking for something other than a price tag.
One night brought the division of Mom's belongings at her mobile home. I still have a full set of Corelle dinnerware from her kitchen, as well as a flatware pattern that's now hopelessly out of style. But my sister-in-law was surprised when I did NOT take the microwave oven. I guess I believed the warnings that they were dangerous - which is still true, if you burn popcorn at work.
The funeral for my mother occurred at the family United Methodist Church. Even though Mom was a Sunday School teacher for years, the pastor was left to read the obituary which was clipped from a newspaper. I'm not sure why, since the big-drawing Christmas message requiring extra work was over....
My brother graciously lent me a set of thermal underwear, to make it through the graveside part of the service. The weather was starting to warm up - and as I recall, the high might have climbed all the way to 20.
After I returned to work in Oklahoma, the weeks that followed led to the discovery that my mother had tens of thousands of dollars stashed away in savings. She never mentioned it to me -- and sounded content simply to be left in a nursing home after she retired. Her bank accounts could have paid for one in Palm Springs.
My older brother and I split Mom's holdings 50-50. There was enough for me to finish paying off her car, and allow me to own a nearly-new Chevrolet. But I heeded the warnings about other people who blew inheritances on wild trips and lifestyles. So some of that money was invested, and remains invested today. May Congress NOT give the remainder of it back to me, in a small stimulus check....
Thanks for your patience, in this memorial trip. Now let's head back to the here and now, for some weekend headlines:
+ The much warmer weather continued in Columbus, as Saturday's high was a record-tying 75 degrees F. I was able to sleep with the bedroom window open - and in the comfort that I had NO fancy holiday gifts, which burglars might want to steal.
(It's been SO WARM that a snowman in the apartment courtyard appeared to have melted Saturday - and it was a vinyl snowman blown up by a neighbor.)
+ The Shoe Show shop on Victory Drive was hit by criminals for the second time in four days. Columbus Police say someone put a hole in the store's roof to steal merchandise. I thought the Manolo Blahnik fad ended when "Sex and the City" left television.
+ A gas war erupted in Ladonia, with several stations lowering their price for regular unleaded to $1.29 a gallon. Maybe this explains why brownie prices inside convenience stores are going out of sight....
+ Former Bill Heard Cadillac manager Chris French appeared in a new TV commercial - not for Legacy Cadillac, but Acura of Columbus. Of course, things could be worse. French could be standing next to the "Bang Bang Lady," selling fireworks.
+ The Ledger-Enquirer announced it will publish Fort Benning's weekly paper "The Bayonet" for the first time in 17 years. The reason for this should be obvious - the Ledger-Enquirer needs all the ad revenue it can get, even if it's from soldiers who think the paper is too liberal.
+ The Columbus Cottonmouths twisted Twin City 3-1. The WEAM-AM radio broadcast from Winston-Salem, North Carolina sounded strange at times - like ice hockey had turned into water polo, and the announcers were using scuba gear.
+ Instant Message to Auburn University football coach Gene Chizik: Did I read that right - you have an assistant coach for "N.F.L. Relations"? Is his job to keep sports agents out of the locker room?
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2008 IN REVIEW CON'D: September was a month which left many people in Columbus stunned. The stock market and banking business went into a free-fall. Bill Heard Enterprises closed all its dealerships. And did you notice how Georgia's football season eroded, after Larry Munson suddenly retired?
Plenty of things were in the news during September, to make people nervous. Hurricane Gustav brought some evacuees to town. Then Hurricane Ike made gas prices reach record highs. It's as if the Columbus Catfish knew something was coming - because they hurried off to Kentucky between storms.
The high price of gasoline led the Americus Times-Recorder to stop home delivery during September. Subscribers now get the newspaper by mail -- but at least it means the paper is less likely to wind up in a tree.
But Steve and Barry's announced in September its store at Cross Country Plaza would remain open. Whoever sent that news release left out a couple of important words - "until December."
Rumors swirled in the political world during September. One involved Alfonza Whitaker's picture not appearing on some billboards. Another involved the Harris County Sheriff being under an investigation. It ended with Whitaker losing his race, Mike Jolley winning his -- and still no apology from the people who claimed Jolley had been indicted and arrested.
A big vote took place in Columbus Council during September, as a proposal to expand the scope of a Public Safety Advisory Commission was vetoed by the mayor. Of course, this means the commission members now are back in anonymous hiding....
A curious crime occurred in Auburn during September, when someone stole 100 fire hydrants. As far as I know, they haven't been found - and if the new Hurtsboro Mayor was installing any of them, Robert Schweiger certainly would have told us.
The Education Park Coalition announced in September it would take the "greenspace" issue around the main public library to the Georgia Supreme Court. Yet have you noticed the improvements along Macon Road in recent weeks, with shrubs and trees being planted? Before long, there will be so much greenery that we'll forget about the lawsuit - and library critics might forget it's even there.
Speaking of education, September was a messy month at Carver High School. A sewer line leaked at the cafeteria -- and the staff couldn't even overcome that odor by overcooking collard greens.
Phenix City officially turned over "The Triangle" property to Troy University during September. It's a controversial move which will mean a new college building, a new high-rise condominium - and dozens more people for panhandlers on the 14th Street Bridge to approach.
September's big entertainment event in Columbus was a sellout concert by teenage country music star Taylor Swift. She's becoming so successful that she could give the "Swift-Boat" a completely new meaning.
September also included this famous quote by Auburn football coach Tommy Tuberville: "I'm here to win football games, not make friends and run for office." At least he now has plenty of time to work on those last two....
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