Thursday, December 1, 2011

A thought before 2012

I haven't penned anything in a while. I know this is not news, but it reminds me of my shortcomings in the management of my journal. It's been just over a month since Thanksgiving and my last entry. I have sat down a couple of times to write something, but each time, i do, i seem to be drawn away to deal with some mundane parental thing. You know, if i weren't here to settle which one of the boys was better at Madden Football or to decide which of the boys has the right to the remote control at any particular moment the sky would fall. Naturally, the one with the right to the remote is the one wanting to watch whichever show is less annoying to me. It's good to be the King!!!
I joke about these things, but any parent will tell you this is the price of having kids. This last month hasn't been completely wasted on my refereeing job. I completed something i have had on my list for about thirty years. I got my Amateur Radio License.
This journey began sometime back in the 1980's. Wait, Wait, Wait... First things first. Everyone, please meet my Aunt and Uncle. Most people sing the praises of their parents and the impact they have on our lives, but my circumstances have always seemed to be broader than that. I have had the great fortune to be raised by a few men, each of whom are uniquely different than the others and a few women who are equally as unique in their own right.
These two are one of only two couples on that short list. My Aunt, Jackie, taught me, if you talk to a child in a voice soft enough to make a child work to listen, the end result will be far more favorable than the one you get by yelling loud enough to blow their hair back. I got that nugget in April of '76 and it has served me well. My Uncle, Rick, well he's just different. It's a good different, but different nonetheless. Those few of you subscribed here that know him know what i'm talking about. He really is a great man and i forgot how much i missed talking with him. Don't get me wrong, I could talk to my Aunt till the cows come home, but I'll write about her another day. Today, Rick is germane due to the nature of this entry.
Way back in the '80's, i did a little work for my Uncle from time to time. Much of this work involved installing mobile radios. One time in particular, i was installing a car stereo or some speakers or something of that nature in this car he had at the time and i broke the windshield. I was mortified. I just knew he was going to kill me. Pardon the dramatics, but i was all of about fifteen or sixteen as best i can remember. Nervously, i went and told him what i had done and i waited for the world to end. He asked me if i did it on purpose and i assured him i did not and that's when my view of the world changed a little. He said, "It happens and that's what insurance is for." If i live to be a hundred, I'll never forget that.
So anyway, back to my post. He has been an Amateur Radio Operator for about a thousand years. I think Marconi invented the damn thing on Friday and on Saturday my Uncle was reading a book, interviewing Marconi, building an antenna, and attending a radio club meeting all at the same time. Most people would claim he's a multi-tasker, but I'm here to tell you he is not. Multi-tasking is flawed thinking in that you can't bounce from project to project and expect to give your very best to all of your projects. He just naturally thinks in multiple channels. You might think of it the same way a drummer can play several drums at the same time, well in his case insert whatever it is he's doing in place of each of those drums. All effort all the time. Yes, I'm a huge fan of my Uncle and you should be too. hahaha At any rate, way back then in the 80's i wanted to become a Ham Radio Operator. I started to do it, but girls got in the way. I mean, my priorities lay elsewhere. Please, pardon the pun.
About two months ago, my youngest asked me if it were difficult to become a Ham Radio Operator and i told him i didn't think it were any more difficult than anything else one might pursue in this life. So, i told him if he wanted to get his license i would too.
To shorten this part of the story a tad, my Uncle sent us the book and we studied it together whenever possible and we went to a study session put on by the Amateur Radio Club here in Amarillo in December. Well, he didn't pass, but i told him not to worry i had thirty years worth of life on him and that he'd get it. So, he continues to study and i couldn't be prouder of him. In the meantime, I'm getting familiar with the radio my Uncle sent to me and even participated in a local radio network this week.
Now to put a totally selfish and somewhat romantic cap on this story. Once my license was granted i purposely stayed off the air until i could make radio contact with my Uncle ensuring he would be my first contact. It just seemed like the right thing to do. I liked the symmetry of it. So, with a little help of the Internet and a radio repeater site i made my first radio contact and it was with my Uncle. Truly a moment to cherish is one in which a plan comes together. Now, for those of you who don't always notice when God drops in to say hello, this next part is for you. While i was talking to Rick on the radio, he told me my Aunt Jackie was also by her radio several miles away and she was my second contact. You see, after all that planning and scheming, i not only satisfied my own personal goal but received the added bonus of talking to my Aunt as well. Truly one of those moments in my life i will cherish forever. I love you both.
To all of my friends and followers, let this be proof to you that you should never stop learning new things. Learning is a lifelong process by which, if you stop reaching, you'll stop achieving.
Learn something new in 2012. In the meantime, my hope is for each of you to have the very best of what you deserve.

Until i post again, Peace be with you, 88 Dave KF5NXY