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'57' years ago (Tuesday/tomorrow), TallPockets was thrust into this orbiting globe, kicking and screaming. To this day, he's still doing such. WINK.

Below is a 'brief' look backwards into what made Grumpy, old TallPockets what he is and formed his values. Hide the women and the children. SMILE.

My BEST to one and ALL - May you be given as MUCH as TallPockets has in YOUR life travels.

TallPockets/brian.

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“ These Eyes “

“Doctor, my eyes ….
Tell me what is wrong ….
Was I unwise ….
To leave them open for so long?”

Song: Doctor My Eyes
By: Jackson Browne

A little over a half century. Millions or billions of blinks. Tears of joy. Tears of sadness. Seeing things I thought I would never see in my lifetime. Good and not so good. From a once, precise visual acuity in daylight or darkness, to a present day major assist from the local optometrist. Oh, what these eyes have seen. The ‘windows to the soul’, indeed. I’ve learned some see with only their eyes while others see in combination with their hearts.

Growing up in a large family, three brothers and five sisters, I saw poverty up close. Powdered milk from a box. Add water, stir. Share the old wash tub with your other siblings. Cleanest to dirtiest in that order. No indoor plumbing. Stifling summer smells. Frozen winter ventures. Popcorn was an often time staple. We grew our own in our large garden. It was a necessity. Lots of bread. Lots of hamburger. I think I know every possible way that hamburger can be used in cooking for human consumption. I saw that man could almost live on bread alone. Still, looking back, I honestly have no complaints.

For, I also saw L-O-V-E. The MOST necessary commodity, in my humble opinion. I saw my parents who went without to give all to their own. Siblings who learned how to share without animosity. Seeing others who had less, even though most had far more ‘material’ possessions. Our idea of joy was simple. One birthday gift. One Christmas gift, if we were fortunate. We excitedly awaited the annual summer ‘hand-me-downs’ from aunts, uncles and cousins, forwarded our way, so gratefully.

I saw death in early youth. My dear brother died at age six. When he was born it took a couple of minutes to get his breathing started. He was mentally challenged and never could speak. I saw love in him and through him. He always seemed to be excited and in complete joy. Years later, I finally realized that he lived life without fears or anxiety. He just lived.

It was a cold, blustery winter day at the cemetery as we buried him. I saw tears, instantly frozen to faces, trying to understand why someone so young exited these earthly bounds so soon. I saw my father explaining to his wife and children why we should all consider ourselves so lucky to have had him for six, wonderful years. I saw the voice of reason.

I saw school safety drills (“Quick, get under your desk children and cover your head with a book!”). The nuclear age. The ’cold’ war. I’ve always wondered how something that could literally MELT skin and flesh and turn masses of people into evaporated matter could be termed COLD? Bombs away? Coming to a town or city near you? (Funny how things once old become new again, isn’t it? So much for man’s progress in HUMANITY.

I saw humans from planet earth set foot on the moon. On a black and white television. It was an out of body experience. It was then that I realized just how inconsequential we humans were in the greater scope of things. I saw that no one person was more important or worthy than another.

I saw black people at college for the first time to any degree. They walked the halls with me. They sat beside me in classes. They were on sports teams in which I was the statistician. I saw they were the same as me. They laughed, they cried, they had the same hopes and dreams that I did. There were nice ones and not so nice ones. Like all other colors. Most had come from even less than I had come from. For the first time in my young lifetime, I saw those truly without all given things as the rest of society had been given access. I learned what has stayed with me to this day. MY simple question to myself about race relations: How would “I” feel if I had black skin color in today’s America? Sadly, I can’t answer an honest, “I’d be FINE with that” scenario.

I saw blatant racism for the first time in a small, local bar. I was twenty one and celebrated my birthday with a few friends. After an hour or so, four of the black college students on the basketball team I took stats for, entered the same bar. The bartender asked them all for their I.D. All were of legal age and had legal driver’s licenses. The bartender told them to leave. When they softly and respectfully asked why they must leave, the bartender reached under the bar, took out a handgun, pointed it their way and screamed at them, “Leave or they’d be shot“. They literally ran out the door. I didn’t even finish my beer. I immediately left and never came back.

I saw working people, some who had been employed for their entire adult lifetimes, look at me with confusion and anger when I had to tell them that the company we both worked for was moving down south. Even though our company stock had gone up and we had made decent profits and even paid dividends to shareholders.

I saw my boss ask me to show some employees from the southern plant how to do all the jobs we did so that they would know how to perform them when all the machinery and equipment was shipped down. I chose not to grant my employer’s ‘’request” (Can you say, ‘’Time to look for a new job, boys and girls‘’?) Sadly, I learned that loyalty was not always reciprocal.

I experienced first, true love. Mind numbing, exquisite, intense, true love. It was a great ten year ride. I saw heartbreak between two, good souls when it ended. I learned that fire could either cook your food or scorch it, badly, depending on how it was used. I found that even ‘sunshine’ burns when you get too much.

Looking back, I’m reminded of the Carly Simon song ---- “Coming Around Again” ---- “Don’t mind if I fall apart -- There’s more room in a broken heart”.

I saw nieces and nephews. The proud looks and deep love of my siblings. Proud uncles and aunts. I saw life begin, anew.

I saw my father suffer with ALS/Lou Gehrig‘s Disease for a paralyzing, three years, literally becoming frozen within his own skin. I saw my saintly mother, a wife of almost fifty years, dutifully love him in spite of his health afflictions. I saw L - O - V - E, once again.

As it had been in the beginning ……………………………….........

“There are times when all the world’s asleep
The questions run too deep
For such a simple man

Won’t you please, please tell me what we’ve learned
I know it sounds absurd
But, please tell me who I am.”

Song: The Logical Song
By: Supertramp

May YOUR eyes always see with your HEART,

Tall Pockets -- 2008