Stories - FD Thornton

I usually don't stay up that late, but at 11:00 pm, I watched the "balls drop" for the multi-state Powerball lottery drawing. Telling my wife to get ready and grab her passport and call the airline for a first-class ticket to any Pacific island we could get to the fastest. I felt the need for a fruity drink and some sand between my toes.  At 11:01 pm , after the first, then second, then third numbers dropped, I was ready to tear-up my ticket and go to bed. That's how it was for some 100,000,000 other people across the US.  According to Yahoo/ABC news  this morning two people did win the jackpot. Which made me both mad and happy for them at the same time, strangely enough. But the interesting part of the piece was the additional 8,924,123 people who won smaller amounts. Like the 58 people who won $1,000,000 and the 8 people who won $2,000,000. And, 8,924,052 others who won even smaller prizes. How will they all cope with the loss?  I know that sounds l...

Well for months now I've joked and been serious about turning 50 and finally I did last week. And of all the things I could have thought about that morning the thing that stuck in my mind was still missing my birthday card from my Mom. It hasn't been quit ten years since she left, but you would think by now that pain would pass. But it's at those times like birthdays when the wound in your heart opens fresh again. I was fortunate to have my Mom as long as I did, my Dad passed some nearly 20 years ago. It's not that Mom is more important than Dad, it's just different. I guess the good thing is, that they really are not gone. Because in my looks, in my voice, in the pains I sometimes wake-up with, they are still here. And the same can be said for my kids, in each of them I can see a little of Mom and Dad, my wife, and even my in-laws too. So as we look at the twilight of this Thanksgiving week. Remember your past and the loved ones your thankful for. Because as yo...

One thing that most people that know me can say is, I'm not that excitable. And, for whatever reason I've always been that way. So I guess when people found out it was my birthday yesterday, my 50 to be exact, I guess they assumed I'd be a little more...excited.  You know it's not that I'm not impressed with the milestone, although it does remind me of my limited time to complete my goals. It's just that maybe when I see that nothing much has changed around me, my position in this world, others feelings toward me, my value to society. It makes me feel like, "OK, I'm here, now what?" It's sorta' like when I went to an interview with a local businessman for a sales job. The person who interviewed me was to company owner, since his sales manager was out. I could see from my seat outside the office, he had already put down 2 cans of Redbull and was working on number 3. When I stepped in and sat down he was flushed red and shaking. After our...

There isn't much use in going outside day and raking the leaf farm or washing clothes because it's rainy & overcast (we don't use dryer's, we hang clothes out, like the Walton's). So I'm stuck here working on a paper for school. If I think about it, I could write term papers in my sleep. In fact, I think I have a couple of times. But that's what I do, study and write papers.  As the four people who regularly read this know, I'm just a week or two from finishing school. So while this course is on my mind, so to is my next step. Where do we go from here, as the line from a song say's (if you remember that song, your old). I've been doing job searches for a while now, I only slowed down so I can concentrate on this course. But after November 26, that's it.  Where does a 50 year old, who's set in his ways, but loves to learn and take on challenges go? Who out there believes, like I do, that age is only a number and that an old dog can...

As some of you may know, besides myself, I have kids in college. Two of which are just starting their Junior years. Well I have just a couple of weeks left in my final class of my bachelor's program. That said, when I listen to my underclassmen children moan and complain about the work load and study groups, outside I give a sympathetic ear, but on the inside I'm laughing my ass off.  Is this because I understand the work involved or is it something more sinister? The inherent need to see underclassmen suffer just like I suffered. Or is it the fact that I enjoy watching my kids try to stand on their own, only to watch them fall on their behinds over and over again?  Do you remember doing that? Watching your little ones pull-up on a chair or table and let go, only to hit the ground on their padded bottoms. Then sit for a moment only to try again. I want to think that that is the reason I laugh, and honestly, I think it is. As parents we want to see ...

It's Monday and it's one of those days where I'm sitting here spinning my wheels going no where. The reason for this is, like a lot of you out there know all too well, I'm waiting for someone to complete something, so I can finish a project.  Over the 30+ years I've been in the workforce, no matter what industry or level of seniority  I've been at, you at some point end up waiting on someone else to finish. Now when I was a young laborer this didn't bother as much, mainly because I was still getting paid. And besides, I could sleep off the what I was doing the night before. But then, when I ended up being the payer, not the payee, well my attitude changed.  So I guess things haven't changed much, I'm waiting, and waiting, and waiting some more. I guess I should think of something else that I could be doing to make value of this time. But sometimes doing that shifts way too many things around, then I end up being the one who's late.  So I ju...

I was going to sleep tonight and a thought for a post came to mind. But instead of getting up to jot it down I fell asleep. I guess that's the difference between me now and me 30 years ago. You see, 30 years ago I would get an idea for a poem or usually a song lick while I slept, then I'd pop up and write it down. Not anymore.  I think I'm saying that to bring up the point of keeping relationships up with various types of people. What has that got to do with sleeping, poetry, or whatever your talking about? You may say. Well when I bring up various types of people, I mean of various ages.   At my age, which I don't find very old now. I have a set of friends I grew up with that I can relate to problems and situations we all face at our age. And you know, that's a great thing to have someone who can really relate to whatever your going through.  At this point I can also say I have my kids that I can relate to as young adults. Giving them advice (rather asked for...

I was a little surprised that I hadn't wrote anything in a few days. I guess for the past few days I've felt uninspired. I'm not quit sure if it's because I'm tried or the change of seasons or something else. All I know is I'm uninspired. I'm dragging around the house, not wanting to finish class assignments, just blah.  You ever have a day or two like that where you rather hide under a rock? That's about as close as I can come to my feelings this week or three. Not an inspired bone in my body. But you know, when you hit a skid like this sometimes you got to cut things on autopilot, if you know what I mean.  If you don't, it means training yourself to simply fly along in a controlled route. You see, not everyday is going to be inspired, sometimes you drudge along in a routine you've worked out, until the inspiration comes back. For me, the free flowing ideas and thoughts, like these, are the catalyst that can inspire me.  So I guess the poi...

Late today someone sent me a note that kinda made my day. Although their words were kind, the only thing I could think of was sending them a smart-ass reply. Which was really funny, by-the-way.  But that's the way it goes around here, I'm never been one to "bask-in-the-glow" of compliments. I'm a behind the scenes kind of guy. When I played in a band many, many moons ago, I simply stuck to doing my job and letting other members take the stop light. Though I worked equally on arrangements and writing.  The same goes for my brief radio and magazine careers. Their I produced the radio show and set the format for the program. While I did work the mic as host for a while, I preferred going to the background and letting the young guys shine. In my magazine career I edited and wrote, but kept a low-profile by ghost writing for others.  I guess it all goes back disdain of praise. I suppose I could go into the reasons why I'm like this, but does are my demons and...