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October 18, 2001 - The Wall
Welcome to 2TheHeart!
"There is a wonderful mythical law of nature that the three things we crave most in life - happiness, freedom and peace of mind - are always attained by giving them to someone else."
~Peyton Conway March ~
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***Maxine Wright's husband called me and her surgery was yesterday. He was hoping to bring her home today if all went well! I sent her 2 dozen long-stemmed yellow roses from our 2TheHeart family, which will arrive today. I will call Larry tonight to see how she is and will update you tomorrow. Keep praying!
Alan continues to surprise me with the diversity in his writing - a great skill in a writer! It seems with each story, we are able to see a bit more into his heart, and what a wonderful heart it is!
"The Wall"
by Alan Coleman
Sam was only five years old and I could see in his eyes that he couldn't believe what he had just heard. His face seemed to say, "Is this a trick?"
We were standing in one of the upstairs bedrooms of the "Birdie Baldwin" house in Madison, Georgia. Now, Madison is one of the very few towns between Atlanta and Savannah that were not burned by General Sherman on his famous...or infamous (depending on where you're from)...March to the Sea during the Civil War. Upon seeing the unusually large collection of beautiful homes in this small town, the otherwise fire-breathing general decided it was much too special to destroy. But Birdie's house was not one of those the general admired. In fact, it wasn't even built until the early 1900's and its
vernacular, plantation-plain architecture wouldn't have impressed Sherman in the least. It did, however, impress me.
Ten years before, when I was attending the University of Georgia, I drove past the basically nondescript house every time I traveled from my home in South Georgia to the Classic City of Athens, in North Georgia, where the university is located. I probably would never have noticed the house if it were not for the remarkable Wisteria vine that grew across the entire length of its forty-foot front porch. I remember wondering how many years the vine must have been growing to have reached such a length and to be so full of vibrant, springtime
blossoms.
By 1988, I had forgotten the old house. Like most "thirty-somethings," I was wrapped up in child rearing and career building and mortgage paying and I had little time to ponder such things, as I was way too busy with all this other "important stuff." It was the pursuit of this "important stuff," though, that re-acquainted me with Ms. Birdie's house. I was going back to Athens - now from Covington, where my family had settled - to attend a summer workshop and I
decided to travel a different route than the one I had been taking. The alternate route took me through Madison, right by the old house that Sam and I were now standing in, but it just wasn't the same. The house was, obviously, abandoned and the once beautiful Wisteria vine had died off and been cut away. There was also a "For Sale" sign in the front yard with the realty-world equivalent of a worthless house designation: "Potential Commercial." I thought to myself, "What a shame."
I told my wife, Dink, about the house and the sign and the missing vine. We talked about the possibility of buying and restoring the old house, but realized the 200 "potential commercial" acres that went with it would make it a "w.o.o.b." house (Way Out Of Budget). But I couldn't get the homely place out of my mind, so on the last day of the workshop, I stopped by the realtor's office as I passed through Madison, hoping an exorbitant asking price would help me forget the place again. I don't remember what the asking price of the property was, but the real estate agent told me they had placed no value on
the house in the appraisal and would probably bulldoze it when the property sold.
Inspired by what I had learned, Dink and I were at the house the very next morning. After walking through the place, sizing it up, evaluating the potential of the materials we saw, and doing a lot of affirmative head nodding, we approached the realtor with a proposition. If the owners would give us the house for free, we would disassemble it, move it, and clear the lot, saving them the demolition costs.
They bought it...(pun absolutely intended)
So, it was plaster removal day and Sam thought I was trying to get him in trouble. After all, how many times has your dad told you, "Hit the wall with your hammer!"?
Now, Sam knew that I like to tease a lot, so he looked around for his mother to confirm what he thought he just heard, but she wasn't there to help him out. So, he reached up with the small hammer we had bought just for him and he tapped the wall. Then he looked up at me, still perplexed, to see if he was going to get chastised. And he did get chastised, but not like he expected.
"No, Bud, hit it HARD!" I exclaimed.
So he reached up and tapped the wall with a little more force, but only enough to make a small mark on the plaster. Then he looked up at me again, to see if that effort met my approval.
"No, man, like this!" I instructed as I slammed my oversized framing hammer against the wall, sinking its head deep into the plaster. His eyes widened to the size of saucers as he realized that I was actually giving him the okay to destroy a wall...not some worthless old toy, but a real, live wall. Enthused by my demonstration, the next assault with his hammer made a small hole in the plaster, too.
"Wwhhoo-yyaahh!!" I said, expressing my approval, as I sunk the head of my hammer in the wall again. That was all it took: the boy was on a mission. Within an hour, there was a neat row of holes, approximately three inches apart, all at Sam's prime striking height, in every room of the house. It was the only instance during the entire demolition process that one instruction kept him busy for such a long time. We didn't hear a single complaint about being tired or bored or hungry or needing to go to the bathroom.
So there you have it, if you at your wits end about what to do with an energetic, but bored five-year-old, just find an old house to tear down. It'll keep'em busy for hours.
Alan Coleman copyright 2001
Alan is hard at work on his book, "Firmly In His Hands," which is based on a series of letters written by his wife, Dink. An inspiring portrayal of their successful approach to day-to-day living as she battled with Lou Gehrig's Disease, the book should be ready for publishing in the very near future. Alan would love to hear from you at: bigal@teamflamingo.com Alan was our Writer of the Month for August 2001, and you can read his other stories "Dink's Hugs"
& "Dinks Angels" here: http://www.2theheart.com/writers_hall_of_fame
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You're invited!
To the ultimate Holiday Open House Where you could win a $100 shopping e-spree!
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lips! Mark your calendar now for this one-day only event.
What: Holiday Open House
When: Friday, October 19, 2001
Where: http://www.marykay.com/kjones17
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The Letter Box:
Dear Jon,
Your first two stories on 2theheart are magnificent! What a find Susan has in you. I find it always exciting to see new writers and especially the men - it's not often enough we see inspirational stories by men. The 2theheart writers are a talented group of people and I know you have much to contribute. I hope to see more stories from you soon.
~Melissa H.
Dear 2theheart,
"Shoreline of Memories" brought me back to my own "younger" days. Although I am only 42, I was taken back to what it was like in the special places of the city I call home. I remember the exact spot of my first kiss, the rooftop (yes, rooftop!) of the church where my husband proposed to me and we later married. (We had a picnic atop the roof of the chapel and watched the sunset - maybe I should write a story for 2theheart about it!) Jon's story evokes so many beautiful memories of my own and Susan's quote at the top of the page went perfectly with how I felt after reading his story. 2TheHeart sure feels like home to me. I love it!
~Penny
Dear Jon Tun,
Your story last month during Guy Week was fabulous! And "Shoreline of Memories" shows how much we have to look forward to with your writings. I truly enjoyed both your stories. Keep on writing!
~Jane Cornell
Dear Susan,
Your quote was inspired and so was Jon's story! I got out my scrapbooks from my teen years on through now, which is - let's say a couple of decades later! Jon's story was like a happy walk through a lane filled with beauty. Your quote prompted me to take comfort in my own memories and I did! Thanks just doesn't seem enough for all you do, but your love, openness and giving are 2 my heart!
~Geena
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OhAngel.com! Our partner and sister site, OhAngel is designed by Super Woman, Anne Goodrich and has hundreds of free inspirational and angel ecards! Sign up for OhAngel's Wings of Prayer list too! www.ohangel.com
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