Email Test

Dear Grandma,

First of all I would like to apologize for the long lapse in writing or lack there of and communication. I know that there have been differences between our families but it is my fault for not nurturing the relationship between me and you. I have often said if it were not for you I would have had no contact with the other side of my family what so ever. I deeply regret not keeping in touch with you and I am sorry. I do not blame you or hold any bad thoughts towards you. It is you, who was always in touch and wanted to know who I was and what I have become. It is in the letter that I am going to tell you and show you that you would be extremely proud of who I have become and what I have accomplished in my life.

On fathers day this past year I wrote in a journal of mine that I hated this day of the year. Every year that fathers day went by it was nothing but a big disappointment for me. On that same token I also said that my father is my hero in my life. I would not be the person I am today if it was left up to my father. I attribute everything I have done in my life to myself being a self-starter and motivating myself. Throughout my life I have had to teach myself many "manly" things that a typical son or boy would have a father there in place to do. I used to be hurt tremendously by that absence in my life until later that I found it more comforting. Now the question comes on where to begin in my life. I am going to start at the last place that I know would be the best starting place, my senior year in high school.

In high school I was the kid that everyone knew and liked. I followed a straight line and did my best to walk it. Involved in everything it was hard to find time to rest. A typical day was spent getting up and going to school before everyone else to practice on the various teams that I was involved with. My sophomore year I signed up for a military science class called J.R.O.T.C.; I became very active in the organization and lead a lot of the teams. The organization did various ceremonies for businesses and local sporting teams in which we presented the American flag during the National Anthem prior to the events. We also had a rifle team that competed in numerous shooting events throughout the year.

I rose through the ranks and by my junior year I was a leader in the organization. It was that year that I competed in the state rifle competition and our team together ranked second in the state for our efforts. We also had other various competitions that we went to and our school came out on top most of the time. The unit at our school had/has everything going for it. Support from everyone and great teachers. By my senior year I was the third in command of the unit and we led the southeast in JROTC in awards. I graduated with great memories and skills that helped me throughout my life.

My other activities included playing on the soccer team my freshman, sophomore and junior year. I ran track junior and senior year along with managing the girl's soccer team my junior and senior year. My sophomore year also included another big milestone. Along with playing soccer and joining JROTC I showed interest in running cross-country. But, at the present time the school did not have a team to run on, so being me I got a small group of runners together and we put together a team. I continued running on the cross-country team and managed to fit everything else in until I graduated from high school.

My junior year was very interesting as well. During one of our home football games I was given the chance to be the mascot during the game. It started off as a joke but turned into something that changed me for the rest of my life. After that first game I wanted to do it every game since the school did not care who performed or even what we did during the game. That year after the third football game of the year I became the official mascot. During that school year our football team made it to the state championship and I followed them the whole way. I became the official "Bear" of not only our high school but also the city. Everyone loved the mascot and the antics that he pulled. The school then began getting requests for appearances around the town. Of course, I found time to go and have a little fun by being the mascot. The biggest part of the whole thing is that I kept that job quiet. No one knew who that funny little person dancing around and making fun of people was.

My senior year I decided to apply for the newspaper staff as one of my classes. It did not take long for them to come back and accept me into the class and offer me the job of senior copywriter/editor. Now along with all my other duties was added the responsibilities of putting together the school newspaper. That opened up opportunities for me during the year as well as the summer where I accepted a summer internship for the Tennessean. This is a newspaper in downtown Nashville. My senior year was action packed with many activities including performing in theater productions.

Also during my last year I hiked part of the Appalachian Trail for my senior spring break. While other students went to Florida and Cancun for their last vacation my best friend, Matt, and I went hiking. The hike lasted one whole week and we had one stop in a town for refueling and getting more supplies. After the trip our friendship was truly forged in stone and till this day I share a bond with him that will never end and even though we currently live in other parts of the country our friendship is stronger than most people would ever find in a person that lives right around the corner.

When graduation rolled around I had already chosen my college that I was going to attend and had numerous scholarship offerings. I accepted a scholarship from Cumberland University for Mascot-ting and Cross Country along with the one for the fine arts building. Cumberland University had been using me since my junior year in High School to setup their sound and lighting systems for their theatrical productions. I also had numerous rolls in the productions but I choose to mainly stay behind the scenes of the productions and be the unseen hero. So basically, my decision for college was easy. Cumberland was a college that was 20 minutes away in the town right next to where I grew up in. I already knew lots of people there so my adjusting to college life was really a joke. I lived on campus trying to separate myself from my family and strike out on my own independently. I enrolled in classes pursing a degree in biology. I stayed on the track for two and a half years. I started working for Fed-EX Ground my freshman year as well. I would work through the night and attend classes during the day. I also maintained my scholarship duties during the day of acting in plays and keeping the Fine Arts building with a sound Engineer.

By my junior year in college I was growing weary and worn down from doing so many double duties. I eventually dropped out of school to work as much as I could for Fed- Ex. I moved into an apartment on my own and got a second job waiting tables. I stayed with Fed Ex Ground for just under five years and decided to quit. My decision for leaving the company was more involved due to the fact that the young lady I was dating at the time and her wanting to move to Atlanta. She wanted to go to the Art Institute to get her degree in Interior Design. So I thought that we could move to Atlanta and start a life. I accepted a job with a company called Mohawk Industries. They are the world's largest producer of flooring and have their headquarters here in Georgia.

I continued to work two jobs to make sure that we had enough money for the both of us and so that she could concentrate on getting into school and paying for that. That was this past November. Shortly after that it was decided that we wanted our seperate lives.

In December I was admitted in the hospital with acute systems of diabetes. Two days later they discharged me and referred me to another doctor. In January of 2005 I was officially diagnosed with diabetes. Over the next 2 moths my condition declined and as of one month ago I was put on an insulin pump.

Currently I am a type 1 diabetic and live my life day to day ensuring that I lead a healthy lifestyle. I am the regional Dispatcher for the Southeast region. That entails nine facilities 64 drivers and seven states. I like my job here at Mohawk and looked forward to what my futures holds here. I am still single. No marriage on the horizon and no kids. I have never been married; except to my work. I also live with my dog Saber, my cat Sampson, and some fish. I keep myself busy by doing the day-to-day life living and not doing too many exciting things. I often sit and think about the other side of my family. I wonder where people are and what they are doing with their life.