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.