Now give a rundown of the good and positive things that happened to your immediate family last year----you know, count your blessings.

For example:

1. Michelle found a job she liked better than her current job at Wal-Mart. Then, she was able to find ANOTHER job she enjoys after your family's move.

2. Michelle DOES NOT have cancer nor liver disease and her diabetes is stabilized. ( A LOT of people do have these things---she is very blessed.)

3. You moved closer to your job (and to a place that I happen to KNOW that you like a helluva lot better than the former one). You missed the swing of the lay-off axe THREE times!! You are still employed.

4. You and Michelle are responsible parents of an adorably cute little tyke. You have family to visit at Christmastime (some people don't). Your local school system is going to provide the necessary evaluations that your son needs to diagnose whatever condition he may or may not have----you are not under a financial burden in that respect.

5. You have a wife who loves you enough to want to have a family with you----even with possible risks to her own health. She must have very strong faith as well as that love for you.

6. I KNOW that you attended a minimum of, what, FIVE Creed concerts last year (at least once in the pit)?? You got to see '12 Stones' more than one time and were yielded the privelege of meeting the bandmembers.

7. You not only acquired a new PS2 game, but you also amassed a LOT of games for it and then you got a new Game Cube for Christmas. (You game-aholic, you)

So, see? There can be a positive side to nearly every negative, Joe---you just gotta WANT to see it. Or you could write songs about it like Stappy does in between drinking/drugging/whatever binges. ; )

----Original Message Follows----

From: "Joe Earles"

Well here's what's happened to me in the last year:

1. My wife decided to make the break from Wal Mart after 8 years. I supported her decision. She has been fired outright from one job, had another phased out from under her, found one that she liked and then...

2. Michelle gets diagnosed with Diabetes. Our plans to expand our family were put on hold by her doctor for a year to see if things stabilize only to find out that she might also have some form of Liver disease or possibly Cancer. We find this out in April. Finally, in NOVEMBER we find out that cancer and liver disease can be ruled out - the increase in liver function was related to the Diabetes and has stabilized.

3. I moved my family closer to MY job. It was Michelle's turn to support me this time, having to leave a job she enjoyed to follow me to Springfield. A month after the move my company starts a wave of firings that directly affect my department. I miss the swing of the axe three times in four months while taking more and more crap from my employer for the express privilege of staying employed.

4. We start noticing certain things about our son that don't seem right... a couple quirky behavior patterns, an obvious delay in language development, etc.... We, as responsible parents, become concerned. We're told that "all kids develop at their own pace" and "don't worry. He's a healthy, intelligent child." In December we go to a new Pediatrician who asks if he's ever been tested for ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) or Aspberger's syndrome. Advises us to take action soon. We go to visit my family for Christmas a week later and TWO relatives ask us the same question (both teachers, both having lots of experience with autistic children). We now wait for the school district to set up a battery of evaluations for him and wait to find out what's wrong with our kid. In the meantime my wife and I are in a wicked fight at the moment because I'm not interested in having any more kids after this and she still wants to. Forgiving the fact, of course, that her emergent health issues could be exacerbated by what bearing a child does to one's body, she's not all that concerned. Apparently the notion of me being a single parent is far more appealing to her than to me. Thanks, but I'd really rather not go there. I do not wish to become what my mother was dealing with raising me alone.

Needless to say, in the past year having to look at the possibility of losing my wife whom I love dearly, having to come to grips with the fact that my perfect little angel may need a few dents banged out of his halo as well as the emotional, physical and psychological stressors that have filled the past 12 months of my life I've felt like going ballistic many times and haven't. Granted, I don't have the same burden of celebrity that Stappy has but maybe a kindly shrink will do him one better than a stiff drink (or whatever the hell else he's doing to cope) will. Maybe even a girlfriend who isn't the quintessential psycho slut from Hell...

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

He's whipped, mayhaps, because of the very happenstances listed earlier----death, illnesses, accidents, custody battles, domestic disputes, infidelities, addictions, canceling/postponing-making up, etc, etc. I can see that he is down now, but I will reserve judgement until I am able to see how well he can pull himself up out of it all and rise above it.

Joe Earles wrote:

...Scott Stapp was worthy of at least some degree of admiration. If anyone

thinks he's NOT on a serious downward spiral you are kidding yourself. I

just wish I knew what was REALLY going on because he wasn't anywhere near

this whipped at the end of the Human Clay tour.

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