Bluelight memories

If you have seen my pictures on my blog then it is obvious I was a police officer. I worked for the Oxford Police Department in Oxford, Mississippi. It is a college town, home to the University of Mississippi which is better known as Ole Miss. Ole Miss is especially known for the Grove which becomes tailgate central during football season. It is also a top party school in the country. Evidence of this can be seen on T-shirts that state we may not win every game but we never lose a party. So it is obvious being a police officer in a college town is going to involve dealing with a lot of alcohol-related problems. That is not the only issue that I had to deal with. Every day you go to work you were going to face something new.

I got to thinking about a particular night at the station. It was one of those really long nights when there were a million things going on and it finally slowed down.  Everybody was sitting around writing reports, and talking about what happened that night. I remember Officer Kimmons Gray telling me I should keep a journal throughout my career of stuff that happened to be able to remember it. He said after the years you will forget about a lot of stuff that you did. He is a great man. I really enjoyed working with him. So I wanted to give credit for the idea he gave me for my blog. I've decided to start writing about some things that I encountered while I was working. I'm going to try to fit them in between some of my other blogs.I really want people to enjoy these and also hope to show people that police officers have to do a little bit of everything.

I recently told this story so it is fresh on my mind. I was on patrol one night and got a call to go on an ambulance assist. We always went out with the ambulance to assist with finding the place and helping out in case they needed it. I believe it was called out over the radio as being an older gentleman that had fallen in the shower. I arrived at the address and turned my blue lights on. It was a neighborhood without any streetlights, and I wanted to make it easier for the ambulance to spot. As soon as I stepped into the driveway I was meet by this sweet older lady. She told me I could turn off my blue lights, because she didn't want to alarm the neighbors. I told her that an ambulance was on the way and I was making it easier for them to find her house. She said oh my word I didn't need an ambulance. She said I just told the girl I needed help. She said my husband is stuck in the bathtub. I've told him not to get a bath because he is too fat. So I went inside and helped the older gentleman out of the bathtub. The entire time she was scolding him and told me this had happened before. The man was really not overweight at all but she could not pick him up. It was very lighthearted and funny to hear her telling him that. You just have to picture this in your mind. I had him out of the tub whenever the ambulance showed up. I let them know what had happened. The lady then apologized to the EMTs that had arrived. She had already thanked me for showing up to help. It was always nice to help out people that were glad to see you. That wasn't always the case with the job.

I thought that was a funny little story to start out on with something I encountered on the job. There is a lot more to it than just writing tickets. We are actually there for people that need help for just about anything as you can see. Also you have to picture this sweet older lady in the story. I'll have some more of these stories, because it is true that over time you start to forget. I'm starting to forget about a lot of the stuff that happened, but you can relive some of my old adventures with me. It will help me remember for the future.

It's okay to be different!

What does the word different mean to you? The dictionary defines it as 1. Not alike in character or quality; differing; dissimilar:  2. Not identical; separate or distinct: 3. Various; several 4. Not ordinary; unusual. I truly believe by judging people that are different society likes to use the fourth option. Something that is different has to be unusual to them. It comes across very negative. I don't think that different is a bad word. I do believe that everyone is different, because otherwise life would be boring. The differences in people make everybody unique in their own way. I want this entry to focus on hatred that some people have towards some people because they view them as different. My main focus is going to be on the LGBT community. That stands for the lesbian gay bi transgender community.

I started watching Lady Gaga's performance at Madison Square Garden on HBO. She is seen as a very controversial woman. Everybody thinks she is very different. I really like her though. She is so unique and very intriguing to me. It doesn't hurt that I think she is hot too. Something really caught my attention before the performance started. She was playing in her hometown of New York City and behind-the-scenes it showed her crying. She stated that she always gets emotional before marquee shows and still remembers being seen as a loser in high school. She also said she still felt like that person at times. She was obviously very humble about how far she had made it. Also still very vividly remembering what she went through. Then she started getting ready for her performance and showed her strong side. She completely took control of the crowd. It just got me to thinking about the people that probably made fun of her. Can you imagine remembering treating someone that way and then seeing how successful they turned out? I realized that Lady Gaga has a very strong following from the gay community. She is very open about being bisexual. So this made me decide to look into bullying of people based on their sexual orientation. Some of the stuff that I found just made me sick at my stomach.

I know that everyone can go back and think about their memories of high school. This is a very critical point in everyone's life. Everyone knows that studies show that your brain is continuing to grow and gain a tremendous amount of knowledge. One of the other most important areas of growth during this time is your self confidence. You can almost just say your self-image. A lot of this is shaped by your peers. There's so much pressure to try to fit in that it is crazy. So it becomes very easy for you to just go along with other people making fun of somebody as long as it's not you. I know because I was the same way. Everybody knows that people that are LGBT are one of the biggest targets for this. The ugly truth is, it goes way beyond just making fun of people. I can remember sitting around in a group of people talking about hating someone so bad just because they were openly gay. I remember being this way myself at times. Just going along with the hatred with everyone else. I'm very ashamed to admit that but I would be lying if I said otherwise. Homophobia is a very serious problem. It's almost expected to be homophobic if you are a straight male. So as a straight male I feel very obligated to open up some eyes to this very big problem. If other strong guys (straight) step up to the plate and condemn some of this it could really make a difference. There is absolutely nothing wrong with standing up for somebody that is different.

Depression can have a very serious effect, especially on teenagers. Depression because of bullying can result in low self-esteem, anxiety, high rates of school absence and physical illness. While I was researching the subject I've learned a new term called bullycides. It refers to being bullied so much that it causes some teenagers to commit suicide. "Studies show that youth who were bullied are five times more likely to be depressed and to report suicidal thoughts. LGBT children and those who are perceived to be gay, lesbian or challenge traditional gender roles are among those most likely to be targeted by bullies", according to in the life website. Another study done by the GLSEN called from teasing to torment pointed out that students said the top three reasons for bullying were physical appearance, sexual orientation, and how masculine or feminine someone appeared according to their specific gender. So people are being tormented just for acting or looking different. They are not as masculine or feminine as they should be. I truly think that homophobia comes from fear of something people don't understand. It's the attitude of I can't understand it, so I will just hate it. When you think about this for a minute it makes absolutely no sense. This fear has also been fueled from society. People are afraid to stand up for what is right, because of the fear they might be categorized into the same group. They might be called fags or homo. Which are the very negative words that are used towards homosexuals. It's about time to look at some examples.

I highly recommend that you watch the videos I posted below. It is exactly the results of these negative attacks on individuals. The first video starts with parents talking about their son who committed suicide. For the last two months of his life he was constantly told to go home and shoot himself. They told him nobody would care anyways. He was a very skinny kid his whole life. Several of his peers told his parents about the constant torment he was put through after the tragic incident. He was called homo a lot for simply wearing pink shirts. His mother stated one of the shirts actually said that real men wear pink. On the day of the suicide he was once again told to go home and shoot itself. He then went home and actually shot himself. There is another story on the video of a young black boy that killed himself at age 11 because of the same anti-gay bullying. His mother tells a great story about him. It is very heartbreaking. After watching the videos, I decided to look up more incidents of anti-gay violence. I had heard of incidents of people being beaten to death because of their sexual orientation. I typed gay beaten to death on Google and the results were astounding. An 18-year-old openly gay man was beaten to death at a party by several different people. He actually thought that one of the guys was his friend. That same person ended up being involved in the beating. Some involved eventually admitted they were using anti-gay slurs while they were kicking and beating him. The group then took his body out into the street and left him for dead I saw another story of two teenagers that beat and robbed another openly gay man, who was 19 years old. They then tied him to a wooden post and left him for dead. He was found before he died but was placed on a ventilator in a coma. He died a few days later. I saw other stories of the exact same incident's happening not only in the United States but around the world. I could tell story after story of this happening. Every single one of them were very gruesome deaths. All of this just for being different.

It doesn't matter how you feel about LGBT this is very sad. There is really no excuse for this treatment toward anybody. The point that I'm trying to make is no matter what you believe about this subject you should realize there is a different approach that needs to happen. I'm not trying to get anyone to change their beliefs about anything. You may not agree with someone's personal decisions, but it gives nobody the right to verbally or physically abuse somebody. I'm trying to get you to see the tragic effect this is having on people. This abuse is affecting not only the individuals but it is a ripple effect. It is tearing families apart because of the harsh reaction of society. I have actually been nervous myself while writing this in fear of what people might think about me. Society has created that fear. I decided I am secure enough in my manhood that I could take the challenge. I also found in my research that there are other heterosexual males standing up against anti-gay bullying.

Ben Cohen is a world-class English rugby star and Hudson Taylor is a three-time college All-American wrestler. One is married with two children to his wife, and the other is engaged to his longtime girlfriend. Both started different organizations to try to end homophobia in sports. In a New York Times article recently it stated that the question that each one frequently gets is why are they involved in something that does not directly impact them. They stated, that is just the point. They said that their sexual orientation helps the message cross to broader audiences. I thought that was the best way to describe what I'm trying to do. Also recently in the news have been NBA players using gay slurs, and both were fined. One of the players was Kobe Bryant. The NBA has also helped with a new organization called think before you speak. Grant Hill and Jared Dudley of the Phoenix Suns made a public service announcement to stop gay slurs in sports. Just like many other discriminations it takes a lot of time to change people's ways. This has been a very big eye-opener to myself as well. One reason I'm writing this is because it is a big change that I need to work on in my life. I want people to look at the violence toward a certain group just for being different. I hope it makes you think before you speak.

A few extras that I didn't fit in to my writing.

*I wanted to try to fit in some lyrics from Lady Gaga's Born This Way. I'm not going to write out the whole song but take out some of the lyrics that fit this entry perfectly.

"There's nothing wrong with lovin who you are she said cause He made you perfect babe so hold your head up girl and you'll go far listen to me when I say. I'm beautiful in my way Cause God makes no mistakes I'm on the right track, baby I was born this way. Don't hide yourself in regret just love yourself and your set I'm on the right track, baby I was born this way.- Skip ahead- whether life's disabilities left you outcast, bullied or teased rejoice and love yourself today, cause baby you were born this way. No matter gay, straight or bi. Lesbian transgendered life I'm on the right track, baby I was born to survive."

(Actually didn't realize how perfectly this described what I talked about and the message it sends to those that are bullied)also notice the last line also has the word straight. She's talking to everybody here.

*I have to say my motivation for this was simply Lady Gaga.I got the idea simply from her talking about being bullied. But while I began to write this I also thought about a few friends from high school that I still talk to that are openly lesbian. It kind of made me wonder about the struggles they might have went through.I also thought about a friend of mine who constantly has his Facebook hacked into, and his status is always changed to I am gay. It has happened several times and seems to be getting a little old. It's also just not that funny to joke about.

*I also thought about the movie I now pronounce you Chuck and Larry while writing this. It is more of a lighthearted movie but does point out the same issue that I wrote about. I also like most of Adam Sandler's movies anyways.I also love the show Modern Family. The focus is on a family and the father's son is gay. The show is about the entire family, but does point out stuff that they deal with. It is also a comedy.

*GLSEN-stands for Gay lesbian straight education network

*One last note- I was having a conversation on Facebook and brought up the subject of anti-gay bullying as my next blog entry. One of the responses I got back was I hope this is not a rolling out of the closet event. Which basically proved my point as a heterosexual male to bring this topic to light. I'm just standing up for people in general, and denouncing violence. I'm man enough to do that. Just one of the few. 

Bumps in the road

We were going down the road somewhere not too long ago and I noticed this bump sign. Then obviously we hit a little bump. I have always thought it was funny that they just put up a sign instead of fixing the bump. Now I understand that it is probably not economical to fix every little bump in the road. There is also a possibility this sign is left as a reminder to fix this at a later time. The sign is also a heads up to what you are about to come across on the road. This got me to thinking about the bumps in the road that we encounter throughout life. So this post is not about complaining about roadways or to talk about road signs ha ha.

I always think about this one line in a song that goes even the best fall down sometimes. It doesn't matter who you are you are going to go through a difficult time in your life. There are so many times that I've heard people say how you do it. Then they say I don't think I could handle that. I like to think that everybody has an inner strength to push them through anything. A lot of times, most people just don't ever realize that. One of the most important things I really want to point out in the middle of this is the easy way out. Don't just put a sign up instead of fixing a problem. Don't let that problem overpower you no matter what the situation is because it will get better. It's almost like some people just put up a warning sign to let people know you can't hande it. I promise you that you can!

I want to describe what I feel has helped me make it through tough times. Throughout my life I have never given up on anything that I wanted. I truly believe that being a police officer prepared me for handling difficult situations that I have faced. The first hurdle to becoming a police officer is going through the Academy. The entire time you're there you lose the word I from your vocabulary. You have to learn very quickly that what you do affects everyone around you. I knew the whole time no matter how hard it got I would never quit. I like to live by that. So whenever you finally get into the patrol car on your own you have a very great responsibility. Your actions will affect everyone around you. One of the most important things to me was to treat everyone with respect. It makes situations so much easier whenever you are nice to people. I had to deal with several serious situations. You have to be prepared to make decisions in an instant. I had to deal with domestic situations. The person that called is looking for you to make the right decision. So you have to quickly realize the problem and find a solution. There might be similar situations you deal with but they are never exactly the same. I always went into a situation hoping for the best, but being prepared for the worst. I still use that principle today dealing with everyday challenges. I also constantly try to think about things to make my life easier. Another helpful aspect from my job was being in constant contact with the public. So it really helps out with your social skills. You have to be able to approach people and talk to them. This really helps when meeting new people these days. I have no problem being open and responsive.

I don't want you to think that your profession has to be something like mine to make it through hard times. If you are paralyzed you should realize you have made it through something very difficult on your own. Also everybody else has major problems to deal with throughout their life without paralysis. If you are in a wheelchair you have to make sure to remember that when you are talking to people. We should never compare our problems with people. One of the first challenges we have to deal with is getting back into society. The first time out of the hospital I went to a Chick-fil-A that was close by. I was driving my chair with a sip and puff straw. I was so excited to get out of the hospital. It was even better to get the chance to eat some fried chicken. Ha ha. I rolled up to the counter and told my therapist what I wanted to order. She quickly told me I could order for myself. It was just an instant lightbulb in my head going off. I'm still exactly the person that I have always been and I'm in control. I've never looked back from that. We had to talk to a therapist whenever I got back, which I loved(sarcasm). She asked me how I felt about the situation. I told her everything was great. There were people that were staring at me, but I was prepared for that. I told her that if I had never seen anybody drive a wheelchair with a straw that I would've probably looked myself. I told her ultimately being out of the hospital for the first time again on a beautiful day was amazing. There was absolutely nothing that could have bothered me that day. The difficult situations I had to face in the past helped me make it through something that can be very difficult for others. Never let other people stop you from doing what you want to do. Most people are simply curious about how you were hurt. This goes for any situation in life. Get out and enjoy life. It will show others that nothing can slow you down.

Another thing that everyone should do is surround yourself with people that love you. You have to be around people that truly believe in you. If you start to realize the people you're around only bring you down then it's time to move on from them. I promise you they are not worth your time. Whenever I have some hard times I like to talk to people that have gone through the same things. Whenever you think someone hasn't dealt with something you have your wrong. There is someone out there, you can talk to I promise. They can tell you exactly how they dealt with the same problem. I know I joke sometimes about talking to therapist but they can truly be a blessing. Sometimes you just have to talk to a stranger about your problems so that you don't have to worry about them judging you. I'm also not afraid to admit that I take an antidepressant. You just may not realize that your body has a chemical imbalance that might need to be straightened out. You should never be embarrassed about anything that helps you. I encourage everyone to use any kind of research you can to get through your problems. If it is finding someone to call or simply figuring out something fun to do. You can make it through the bumps in the road that come along in your life. Trust me! 

The motorcycle you never saw me ride!

Any time I meet someone new they want to know how I ended up in a wheelchair. It is a genuine curiosity that everybody wants to know. If you know me very well I am easily approachable. I have no problem answering questions about anything. I can't tell you how many times I have told the story. Now, over time I just simply say I was in a bad motorcycle accident. The one thing I have never showed any body is a picture of the motorcycle. After my accident, nobody cared to see it. The insurance company called my dad about the motorcycle to ask what to do with it. He simply said to do whatever you have to do with it but he never wanted to see it. The only three people that saw it were my friends David Sabin, Zach White, and David Mahaffey. Well they got to see it before I decided to demolish it later. I never got to show it off to anybody. My anniversary of my accident is coming up May 14. It will be three years since it happened. I figured it was about time to get a chance to show off my motorcycle.

I never took any actual pictures of the motorcycle that I bought. If I had them, they would have probably been burned because of the fear of a bad omen ha ha. So my stomach turned into knots as I typed into Google 2007 Honda 1300. Google filled in the blanks that it was a 2007 HondaVTX 1300. Then I had to search for the next criteria. I finally found one with the exact same color and wheels as the one I purchased. When I was deciding on a bike to buy I had two different ones in mind. I was looking at a black Honda with a more classic look to it. The fenders completely covered the wheels. The actual wheels had a classic look as well. The other bike was about the complete opposite. It was a dark navy blue Honda with more custom looking wheels. I was torn between the two. I eventually decided to go with the navy blue bike. I just wanted to have something different, and I love navy blue. If you didn't know my two favorite colors are red and blue. So after much searching I found the exact same motorcycle that somebody had for sale. Seeing this bike again for the first time just gave me chills. My stomach just began to hurt. After looking at it for a little bit I remembered why I bought it. I still think the bike looks amazing. The first person I wanted to show was my dad. I actually showed him a picture of it the other day. Enough time has moved by it is not as tough to look at. We both agreed that it looked good. I've never showed anybody else, until now. I hope everyone can appreciate it and also respect how tough it was for me to bring this up. Every time I see someone riding a motorcycle I secretly wish I was on mine today. This is the motorcycle that I never got to show off...

Chucky Mullins: A true hero

      Chucky Mullins is a very big inspiration in my life. Before I was injured I really admired him and his story had a special place in my heart. I watched a documentary of his life and was brought to tears. After I was paralyzed I wanted to watch the documentary again. I had a complete different admiration for this man and thinking of him lifts my spirits. I have attended the Chucky Mullins courage award banquets ever since my injury. I've recently had people ask me who he was. I knew then that I must tell his story to every single person that I could reach. I'm going to put my heart and soul into this blog entry. I dedicate this to every family that paralysis has touched. This is the story of Chucky Mullins.

Chucky Mullins was born on July 8, 1969 in Russellville, Al. It is a very small town in northwest Alabama. His life started out with adversity at a very young age. His father left soon after he was born and he never got a chance to meet him. You would think that would be hard enough for a kid to deal with while he was growing up. But he still had his mother. Single moms are tremendous women that have to take on a greater role. I'm sure that Chucky became very close with his mother. I'm sure he had no idea what would happen to him next. Unfortunately for Chucky his mother passed away when he was 12 years old. The only family he had left in town was his brother. I can't even begin to imagine what that would be like and especially at a young age. He still had a great attitude and was determined not to give up at his early age. Chucky took it upon himself to overcome the situation and not to let it stop him. He actually went to his coach Carver Phillips and ask if he could live with him and his wife Karen. Mr. Phillips worked at the recreation center and had befriended Chucky. Even though they had two children of their own he quickly worked out the paperwork to become his legal guardian and they also took in his brother.

Chucky was always a smaller guy but put his heart into everything he did. He excelled in football as a defensive back with his hometown Tigers. His coach sent his video out to several different colleges. Chucky had heard of Billy Brewer and had decided he wanted to play for him at Ole Miss. Coach Brewer was undecided on whether to give him a scholarship. He told this story at this year's banquet of his recruitment. He said that he had a visit with Chucky in his office. He stated he told him he was full and had no more scholarships. He said he put his elbows up to his desk and told him not to pass up on him. Coach Brewer said no other player had ever done this. "But Chucky looked me right in the eye and kept telling me that if we gave him a scholarship, he would earn it, and that we wouldn't be sorry. He told me he'd do anything I'd ask, and he'd work hard to get bigger, stronger and faster." Coach Brewer ended up giving him the scholarship and stated he never regretted it.

Trea Southerland was his roommate as a freshman as they both started out at Ole Miss. He said that they immediately clicked. He described him as a person that you just want to be around and he made you feel better. He said that Chucky only had one small bag of clothes and a few other things. He said he didn't even have sheets to go over his mattress in the dorm. He stated he slipped off with another teammate and bought him some new sheets for his bed. He said that whenever Chucky found his bed he wanted to know who did it and jokingly stated he was going to get them.

I can remember on his documentary that all of his teammates loved him. I specifically remember one player that was on offense that said he would hit you just as hard in practice as he did during a game. He said, you just could not be mad at him even after he hit you. He said he would help you up and smiling real big tell you Chucky loves you man. The player said he just knew he was giving his all with everything he did. Just all the stories about his life just has to make you admire him that much more for never letting anything get to him. It also shows you how hard he worked every single day of his life. He did everything at full speed. He was truly respected and loved by everyone on the team. He was a true leader!               

This is a famous picture of Chucky Mullins standing next to Coach Billy Brewer leading the team out for the homecoming game against Vanderbilt on October 28, 1989. This would be Chucky's last game of his career. Coach Brewer stated at this past courage award banquet that this was the first time while he was at Ole Miss that someone took a picture of the team running onto the field. To me, there is something special and even unexplainable about this picture on this particular day. It was very early in the game that his catastrophic injury occurred. Vanderbilt was driving to the end zone during the first half of the game. The quarterback threw a pass over the middle to fullback Brad Gaines who caught the ball at the 2 yard line and could have easily scored. But he was immediately hit in the back by Chucky Mullins and the ball was jarred loose. The pass was ruled incomplete. The crowd was immediately silent after the big play. Chucky Mullins lay lifeless on the football field. While making the tackle on the fullback who weighed 50 more pounds he completely crushed four of his vertebrae in his cervical spine. I believe that he crushed C3 to C6. This is a very high spinal cord injury and one of the worst. He went straight to the Baptist Hospital in Oxford and was transported to Memphis. He would be paralyzed from the neck down.

"After he got hurt, all Chucky could move were his lips and his eyes, but they were always smiling. He never asked why me? He was a positive influence on everyone he encountered. He kept fighting. He wanted to live.”, Said Coach Brewer. Chucky would stay in a Memphis hospital until later that year. Ole Miss ended up playing in the Liberty Bowl which is played in Memphis. They pulled some strings and was able to get him to the game in an ambulance to talk to the players during pregame. The motto for the year was Its Time! Coach Brewer leaned over to Chucky and asked him if he had any words for the team and he softly whispered to him It's Time! If you watch the video it will send chills down your spine. It is just such an amazing moment. I'm not sure any other pregame speech could top it. The whole team started chanting It's Time!   

This picture captures that moment, and you can even see him smiling. Ole Miss easily defeated Air Force in the liberty bowl that night.

Chucky was moved to the University of Alabama Birmingham to the Spain Center to finish his rehab. Ole Miss raised over $1 million to help support him and all his medical bills. The city of Oxford donated land close to campus and built a house for him. He never gave up his dreams. He eventually made it back to the practice fields to watch his former teammates play. He also started back school and wanted to become a football coach. He ended up completing a semester of school. Then one morning while getting ready for school Chucky passed out and was rushed to the hospital. He was never responsive after that moment. Chucky Mullins died on May 6, 1991 due to complications from his spinal cord injury. His story is filled with courage. He made it through every tragedy that occurred throughout his life with great character. So many people in his situation could have easily given up. Even early on in his life, but that was not him."I've never been a quitter. It's not in my heart to give up. I don't think it should be in anybody's heart. I may give out,, but I'll never give up." - Chucky Mullins.

I could not have said it better myself. I hope that now you have a better perspective about who Chucky Mullins really was. He wasn't just an average football player with a tragic ending to his life. He had a very high character and affected everyone around him throughout his life in a positive way. He never stopped smiling, even during the hardest times. I cried before my injury because of the sad story that I realized it was. After being paralyzed I looked at the story in a totally different light. I realized that he would not want anybody to cry for him. He only wanted to lift people up. I understand that a lot better now. He got to see the different perspective of life and how precious it is. No matter what your going through, if you stay positive and appreciate simply being alive then you can make it through anything. I see his story as beating the odds throughout everything until he passed away. Even that has not stopped him from being a great motivator today. I'm also at peace thinking about him running around right now, with a big smile on his face looking down on all of us. I could just see him saying "Never quit!"

Please take time to watch this video to see the other side of the story. It shows the effects that it had on Brad Gaines for the rest of his life. I have met Brad at the Chucky Mullins award banquet. He attends this every year. He is a very tremendous man.




A few extra quotes and notes that I was unable to fit into the story.

 I highly recommend that you purchase the documentary of Chucky Mullins. It is called Undefeated: the Chucky Mullins story. You can find it at http://www.chuckymullins.com/ 

What is Chucky Mullins legacy?

"Courage," Brewer says simply. "Chucky epitomized courage against all odds."

"We were from totally different backgrounds. We were brought together by a terrible tragedy, and we got to be close friends. Not a day goes by I don't think of him, several times a day. I still miss him. " -Brad Gaines

"Chucky's legacy? "Southerland, rhetorically. "Have you got three hours? Chucky taught me that it's not about where you come from, or what you have in your back pocket. It's about what you have in your heart. " - Trae Southerland

* The Chucky Mullins award banquet is held every year at the end of spring practice. It is given to a rising upcoming senior has great character and leadership.The winner of the award wears the 38 jersey the following football season.

A picture of the teams entryway into Vaught Hemingway Stadium with a bust of Chucky's head with his famous qoute.



A Saturday on Beale St

Kings of Leon

        I would definitely have to say that music is a very big part of my life. You can always find something to fit any kind of mood you're in. Sometimes if the right song comes on it just seems to put you in a better mood. Everybody has sang their favorite song in the shower getting ready for the day. I'm sure you have also been driving down the road singing as loud as you can with the music blasting to one of your favorites. I know you have looked over before to see the person in the car next to you singing their heart out. Music has just become very therapeutic to me these days. I will never forget the very first rock song that I heard when I was younger. I was at my dads shop and I rode to the store with Bill who worked with my dad. He turned on the car and I heard Aerosmith for the first time. The song was Janie's got a gun. It was released in 1989 so I was about five or six years old when I heard it. That was the beginning of my love for rock 'n roll.

I was on Beale St this past Saturday to see one of my new favorite bands the Kings of Leon. Before the concert started at eight o'clock that night I spent the day listening to other music at some great places. My first stop was the BB King club. Memphis is famous for blues music and BB King is one of the great blues musicians. There was a wonderful woman singing and a very old man playing bass. It was a wonderful time. I was sitting beside the stage and there was an open floor in front of it. I decided after a couple songs I needed to loosen up and I rolled in front of the stage to dance. Yes people I can still move it a little bit in my chair. I moved my chair back and forth to get a little knees swinging. And I moved my upper body to the music. I felt that set the tone for the night. I then left after the band was done and actually ran into the lady singing on the street. She told me that I had some good moves. We went a few other places and finally enjoyed a meal at Hooters. I only went there for the food people ha ha.

I then headed on to the concert in perfect time. Kings of Leon finally came out and they put on an awesome show. They sound just as good or even better live as they do on a CD. I'm sure everyone knows them for their song Use Somebody. If that is the only song you have heard and you like it I recommend you check out some more of their songs. They have a different sound which is one of the things that I love about the group. We also had a little entertainment to the right side of us that I have to share. This will also explain the picture. An older couple to the right of us were passed out while Kings of Leon was blasting. I had really good seats and the music was so loud. Everyone around us started to notice this couple and we were all laughing.

So to sum everything up the night was great. It was full of music and fun. And this couple also helped add a few extra laughs to the night. Now that's funny right there I don't care who you are!

The Beauty of Life!

I still remember being so nervous in my public speaking classes. I always remembered that my professor said to make sure to catch someone's attention at the very beginning and try to maintain that throughout the speech. I am hoping to do the same with my blog. I tried to do that with my beautiful background of the blog. The background is just a template that I found while developing my page. The picture that I have posted I actually got to take from the deck of a cruise ship. It is always so vivid in my mind watching the sun setting down over the water. It almost looked as if you could sail off the edge of the earth. Now that I've explained my reasoning behind the sun sets I feel the need to explain my feelings a little bit more.

A sunset is a very beautiful and peaceful reminder of the beautiful things in life that we take for granted every day. Life just seems to get so busy that we never get a chance to stop and appreciate our surroundings. I don't know about everyone else, but time seems to fly by these days. Sometimes you realize that without even knowing. You can just be driving home from work with so many thoughts going through your head. Then you suddenly look up and notice that all the clouds look like they have been painted purple, yellow and other colors that look so amazing. Whatever was on your mind just goes away for that moment to notice the beauty of life.

I realized just how much I had taken for granted after my accident. I remember being in the ICU, isolated from the outside world by walls. I finally got moved to a regular room, but I could hardly see out the window. The little bit that I could see was the top of the hospital. I finally moved to the Shepherd Center in Atlanta, a month later. I didn't see much of outside while I was strapped down to the stretcher and being put in an ambulance for the ride over. I remember getting out of the ambulance and everything was so bright to me that I didn't really get a good look of the outside world. So later on, they put me in a wheelchair for the very first time. I got to go down the hall way for a test drive. I went back into my room and noticed a window. I drove straight to the window and looked out at the trees. It was so amazing just to see life happening again. Through the trees I could see cars pulling in, and people going on with their everyday life. For that moment, I forgot about everything going on in my life. I was at complete peace, by the simple view through the window.

From that point on, until now I have made sure to take time to appreciate all the beauty surrounding us every day. My challenge to everyone is to take moments every day to look at your surroundings. Just stop and clear your mind for just a few minutes to look into the sky. Maybe you have an inside dog that just wants to go outside for a few. Watch them as they study every little inch of their surroundings even though they have checked it out 1000 times. There's just something peaceful about nature. Even during the dark stormy days you can find peacefulness with the sound of rain. You can also be fascinated by lightning as it crosses the sky. So no matter what is going on each day take a few moments to relax your mind. I hope you have your own peaceful moment.