Ever wonder what happened to...
About four years ago, I was just almost asleep in front of the TV when a familiar face appeared and jolted me completely awake. It's not that the mugshot surprised me, it was the "arson" part that was a shocker -- I knew Dave's oldest kid wasn't exactly Mister-Straight-And-Narrow, but I'd figured him for more of a drug crime kinda dude. I've followed the case, when I remember to check on it, through OSCN. The older one is still someone I wouldn't mind runnin' into somewhere -- mainly because there wasn't any bullshit between us. I can't say we were ever close, but not a day goes by that I don't think about him huggin' me, and I can still hear his voice, "My Dad really loved you." It's one of the things I carry with me just about all the time, right beside my experience with his little brother -- here's my sign, I thought we were close. That's a whole 'nuther rant though.
Y'all know about OSCN, right? 'Tis a great place to check up on people, people from your past, people you work with, people you're thinkin' about goin' out with... Now, back to my story.
Saturday afternoon while waiting for the TV news to get to the part about Town West and whether or not that was an actual tornado that tore that stuff up, I caught a glimpse of a totally unfamiliar mugshot with a name that took me back.
Back, back, way back to around middle school, to the little church where I grew up, and to one of the many Youth Pastors who seemed to never stay with our group for too long. I know it's sad to admit this, but hearing the name made me laugh out loud for all the times I'd kept my amusement to myself long enough to get home and tell My Mom about it later. There were some fun times under the direction (or mis-direction) of that particular YP and his wife... I remember washing cars with dish detergent and baby wipes and paper towels as a "fund raiser" for a trip to the Frontier City theme park. I remember the stunned response of both the Youth Pastor and his wife when the ol' church van blew a tire just as we got close to Oklahoma City.
Maybe that's part of why kids worry me to death -- I worry being remembered for the wrong stuff. There are several things I remember hearing my brothers say that have stayed with me -- kids never forget. If you blurt out something that makes you sound like a dumbass, a kid will never forget. I remember one Saturday when the YP was taking all of the boys to do some kind of boy thing and his wife was taking all of us girls (I think there were three of us then) "shopping at the mall." Mrs. YP, though not blonde, was the vocal embodiment of several classic blonde jokes, and I'll never forget her disappointment when she found out the Church's insurance wouldn't cover her -- "I thought that would be really cool, I've never driven a van before!"
We ended up taking two cars, I think, hers and her mom's, to Tulsa Promenade for our little shopping trip. Essentially, it worked out to the three of us Youth Group Girls wrangling the two kids, a baby and a toddler, while Mrs. YP and her mom did a little shopping, 'cause hey, free babysitting. I don't think any of the three of us saw it that way then because we were all just struggling over who got to hold the baby and who had to deal with the terrible-twosiness of the other boy. I'm pretty sure sixth or seventh grade is before anybody (even me) makes the decision that "kids are not for me."
I hadn't really put much thought into wondering where they went after they left that little church. We really went through the YP's there for a while -- one got married and moved to Locust Grove, one ended up somewhere in Tulsa, one went to a bigger church in Claremore... Even after discovering my Sunday School Teacher from College on Flickr (he's at a big church in Owasso now and ain't changed a bit), I never really thought too much about that particular YP until I saw the baby on the news.
That adorable baby that everybody wanted to hold ended up a burglary suspect.
That guy who robbed those people? Yeah, I held him when he was teeny-tiny, like not walkin' or talkin' yet.
I am so "not a kid anymore."
Y'all know about OSCN, right? 'Tis a great place to check up on people, people from your past, people you work with, people you're thinkin' about goin' out with... Now, back to my story.
Saturday afternoon while waiting for the TV news to get to the part about Town West and whether or not that was an actual tornado that tore that stuff up, I caught a glimpse of a totally unfamiliar mugshot with a name that took me back.
Back, back, way back to around middle school, to the little church where I grew up, and to one of the many Youth Pastors who seemed to never stay with our group for too long. I know it's sad to admit this, but hearing the name made me laugh out loud for all the times I'd kept my amusement to myself long enough to get home and tell My Mom about it later. There were some fun times under the direction (or mis-direction) of that particular YP and his wife... I remember washing cars with dish detergent and baby wipes and paper towels as a "fund raiser" for a trip to the Frontier City theme park. I remember the stunned response of both the Youth Pastor and his wife when the ol' church van blew a tire just as we got close to Oklahoma City.
Maybe that's part of why kids worry me to death -- I worry being remembered for the wrong stuff. There are several things I remember hearing my brothers say that have stayed with me -- kids never forget. If you blurt out something that makes you sound like a dumbass, a kid will never forget. I remember one Saturday when the YP was taking all of the boys to do some kind of boy thing and his wife was taking all of us girls (I think there were three of us then) "shopping at the mall." Mrs. YP, though not blonde, was the vocal embodiment of several classic blonde jokes, and I'll never forget her disappointment when she found out the Church's insurance wouldn't cover her -- "I thought that would be really cool, I've never driven a van before!"
We ended up taking two cars, I think, hers and her mom's, to Tulsa Promenade for our little shopping trip. Essentially, it worked out to the three of us Youth Group Girls wrangling the two kids, a baby and a toddler, while Mrs. YP and her mom did a little shopping, 'cause hey, free babysitting. I don't think any of the three of us saw it that way then because we were all just struggling over who got to hold the baby and who had to deal with the terrible-twosiness of the other boy. I'm pretty sure sixth or seventh grade is before anybody (even me) makes the decision that "kids are not for me."
I hadn't really put much thought into wondering where they went after they left that little church. We really went through the YP's there for a while -- one got married and moved to Locust Grove, one ended up somewhere in Tulsa, one went to a bigger church in Claremore... Even after discovering my Sunday School Teacher from College on Flickr (he's at a big church in Owasso now and ain't changed a bit), I never really thought too much about that particular YP until I saw the baby on the news.
That adorable baby that everybody wanted to hold ended up a burglary suspect.
That guy who robbed those people? Yeah, I held him when he was teeny-tiny, like not walkin' or talkin' yet.
I am so "not a kid anymore."
Labels: Memories, People Watchin'
posted by Debbie at 10:50 AM
2 Comments:
That really kinda sucks! I can't imagine my old Pastor's kids being on the news for this stuff...Yet I wouldn't be shocket if the oldest does...for some reason...But those were the babies I help and played with as a pre-teen haha! Amazing what becomes of people after so long.
That really kinda sucks! I can't imagine my old Pastor's kids being on the news for this stuff...Yet I wouldn't be shocket if the oldest does...for some reason...But those were the babies I help and played with as a pre-teen haha! Amazing what becomes of people after so long.
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