Comments:
Life has been good! Finished college with BS and MS degrees in Zoology in 1976, moved to Chicago after marrying my sweetheart Rebecca Bowerman, also in 1976. Chicago was a three year assertive training course as people there are not like the good hearted people of Texas. Attended Graduate School at Northern Illinois in Education. Moved back to Dallas in 1979, single, and worked for Southland Corporation's Research and Development Group, primarily out of the Quality Assurance Division. Transferred to Southland's new Food Center in Salt Lake City in 1980 as Quality Assurance Lab Manager. Worked as such with 14 managers under federal inspection. Our new Food Center was one of five in the US and considered the Flagship of Southland's Manufacturing Division. In 1983 I transferred from the QA Division to the Manufacturing Division. I managed one of four production departments in the same Food Center in Salt Lake. This work was good to me and I progressed rapidly. By 1986 there were 250 production employees reporting to me and times were busy. In 1990 I became Senior Production Manager during times when corporate America was eliminating middle level management and corporate takeovers were rampant. The next four years were fruitful, and in 1993 our production departments on two shifts were turning a next profit of 500,000 dollars every 28 days as we were on a 13 period annual financial setup. I had the greatest boss in the world, who was intelligent enough to recognize the strength's in each employee and allowed them to operate in unfettered fashion. For that I am grateful and point to that for much of my corporate success.
Even in times of career success, and having done what society directed me toward that success I began to feel this inward emptiness that I could not explain. I had accomplished much in school and career, and I had everything in the way of monetary success, with hobbies that I spent great amounts of money on, i.e., snowskiing, travel, old cars, photograpy, and a second marriage to a wonderful, beautiful woman from Utah, yet the emptiness was there, unexplained. In the early 90's I picked up a Bible that Mom had given me the Christmas before and began to read it. I read a chapter a day for three years until I finished it. It changed my life. A three year journey that changed my whole way of thinking about everything I had ever thought or experienced. I began to understand and feel the lyrics in the ol' Tennessee Ernie Ford's song "Sixteen Tons", Ha!
"Sixteen Tons and What do you get, another day older and deeper in debt, Saint Peter don't cha' call me cause I can't go...I owe my life to the company store". In mid 1994 I resigned my position with Southland Corporation, my shirt and tie to the closet, and have worked with my hands these past 14 years. The Lord has been the difference and since having experienced that life change in the early 90's all the fears I would never admit to anyone have disappeared. It's great not having to prove myself anymore, yet I am more confident and healthy mentally and physically than I have ever been. Through biblical principles I eliminated fear, debt, and the proverbial company thumb on my head from my life, it hasn't always been easy, but I have every assurance that things will be taken care of and that has certainly been my experience till now and what I expect till I am listed on the "Memory Page". I live on 33 acres in the east Texas woods, look after some elderly kinfolk, piddle with a few old cars from time to time, and work for a commercial electric company in Plano. I work hard, but go home to my place each day knowing the merciful hand of God is upon me. What a peaceful existance.
I don't know how I ever ended up with no children, as I love them dearly, but I do have many nieces and nephews and a number of "greats" as well. Time passes on and suddenly I am at the brink of being the oldest in my family. Life is good and I am thankful for what I have, all the glory to God.