Ramblings, Incoherent Thought and Family

It's weird. Writing about that night was cathartic for me in so many ways...thank you for all the kind words. I rarely do 'follow-ups'...but today I had to...because Last night I got a chance to talk to Gram... Now I'm not crazy and I know now it was a dream of course...but it felt so real last night... The dream was structured like this...I was at Grandma's old house for some reason and the family was there and we were discussing Grandma when someone said that she was ok. It appears the last 20 years was a mistake on our parts. She was only 'Mostly dead' or something like that...and the doctors managed to revive her. She was still bed-ridden...but she was back. It was seriously like something out of some cheesy soap opera or something. It was surreal to be sure and USUALLY in these types of things I know I'm dreaming...but last night I went with it. I found myself just sitting and talking with her. The family were all running around and doing th...

I remember it being somewhat mild that day. Sunny for most of it. It was a Saturday and I had just gotten the lead in the school musical (Damn Yankees). I was pretty high on life. I was kinda just fiddle farting around before I was gonna go to work at the mall (my Mom was Assistant Manager at The Pro Image so my Dad, sister and I all worked there at various points) to help close up when the phone rang at 2:30. It was my Aunt Micki and she told my Mother that she better get into Grandma's right away. Grandma had slipped into another diabetic coma like a few weeks before. Like sailors on an Aircraft Carrier at General Quarters...we all reacted. Betty was going to a 'Steck Party' that night (her first), so was going to stay at home and get picked up I believe by Joe Pfeffer. My Mom and Dad told me to get ready and they'd run me into Eastview and I"d have to amuse myself till 6 when my shift started. We got ready and the three of us were off within 30 minutes...

It happened again... I had my moment. For the past 12 years or so I have what I call my "Moment". It could be brought on by a memory...a song I hear (as it happened tonight), passing something familiar or just...stuff. It's the moment I have my 'breakdown' and cry. I cry because I start thinking about how it used to be...and how I still wish my Grandmother was here. This time of year...in my mind is SYNONOMOUS with her. Probably always will be. I wrote a few years ago (Look in December 2008) about Christmas Eve with my Grandmother. How it was this magical thing. It served to define Christmas time for me and I found myself looking forward to it probably more than I did Christmas Day (even though it's my Birthday). In that post (I recommend you read it)...I go into detail about what it was like...but it still doesn't capture it fully. I don't know that anything COULD. In fact...that's probably why I have my "moment". It's not ...

I had a buddy on Facebook who I believe got hacked...and since his email password (I assume) is the same as his facebook...these people got into his yahoo account and sent me the following email: >>>I'm writing this message with tears. I made a quick trip to United Kingdom with my fam. and we got mugged at the park of hotel where we stayed. worse of it was that our bags, cash and credit cards were all stolen at GUNPOINT leaving us penniless right now. It's was a horrible experience. need help flying back home and the authorities are not being 100% supportive but the good thing is that we still have our passports. we need some cash to settle our bills and get on flight back to the state.was wondering if you can loan me some money and i promise to pay back. please let me know if you can help. I'm freaked out at the moment.. The above email piqued my 'spammy-sense' and so I put it away in my head. What led me to this was the way it didn't sa...

The title for today is lifted from a song from a musical movie I saw in the late 80's. Can you guess it? I'll reveal it later... Have you ever had a toothache? I'm not saying a little tenderness...but that all encompassing pain that almost cripples you? Well I've been going through that now since almost last Saturday. What an incredible nuisance this is. Taking ibuprofen like Jujubees...drinking 3 gallons of water because it numbs the pain a bit...all of it. So like anyone with this kind of pain...I bite (well...not bite...that hurts too much) the bullet and go to the Dentist. I was supposed to go Wednesday anyway but I call Tuesday and get the appointment moved. They see me and WHEW...it's not good. Turns out my tooth was VERY close to an absess (not a good thing) and he begins to work on it. He numbs me and begins the process of root canaling the moler. I kept my original appointment for Wednesday because after 2 hours in the chair...he wasn't done. ...

My name is Will Benson...who used to go by Billy Benson...and I am a Teenage Bully Victim. There's so much going on the TV, Papers and interwebs about bullying lately; I guess I felt like maybe it was time to say that out loud. I say it again...My name is Will Benson...who used to go by Billy and I am a teenage bully victim. AHH the freedom. I don't mean to poke light at this epidemic...but I guess I wanted to write because I think the media has this ALL WRONG. They're tackling it from the wrong angle. I don't think covering the stories on Today and Good Morning America...interviewing puffy eyed parents who are now living through every parents' worst nightmare and reporting in angry tones about how the schools have no bullying policies, and states are cracking down is the answer. This isn't going to be solved by the emotional detachment that journalists are SUPPOSED to engage in to do their job. This requires something more personal. We're dealing wi...

Let me start by saying I hope I don't offend anyone with this one...but some stuff has been coming down the pipe with dear friends and family around me...and I just had to write about it. Within the last 7 days...three married couples I know and care about (two I was related to (one on each side of my family actually) and one couple whom I knew from church) seperated. This isn't a condemnation blog upon any of them. Their reasons I'm sure are valid to them...they may be legitimate to others who form such opinions. I can't really say. I only know peripheral information and to be honest...I don't need to know the hairy details. The issues matter to them and only them...I'm just heartbroken. In two of the marriages children are involved...but I can't help thinking that in all three relationships...children may be partially to blame for the breakdown. At least as far as the maturity level of one or both the people involved. There's no big secret that our gen...