The Story Behind Country Poem #6: I'm Turning Into You
I was so glad that I got to show this one to my dad after I wrote it. I guess it's part of that cycle of life. How history repeats itself! One of the reasons I think that my dad and I never really got along very well is because he saw me making the same kind of mistakes he made in life.
In my dad's case he was in the Turkish Merchant Marines. In my case, I joined the US Marines. Since birth my right eye was bad and then AFEES never should have approved me, but they said I could get a waiver once down in Paris Island. It never worked and after just two weeks in the Corps, I was on my way home. At that same time, my mom and dad decided to put thier crumbling marriage to rest. They were in divorce court when the bus from the Marine Corps got me near home.
It was a crushing blow even though both occurrances were expected. I knew going in that the Marine Corps would not take me. I also knew that my mom and dad were headed for divorce. The walk home from where the bus let me off in "downtown" Eatontown, NJ was a slow and painful one. Just at a time when the boy in me needed consoling, the man in me had to "suck it up" and take a lonely hike home.
My mom and dad stayed married for 21 years. My ex-wife Barb and I were married for 13, even though the last few were spent seperated. When I saw the similarities in my life and my dad's, I made the comparison into a country poem.
I think in other ways, the similarities end. Before they each passed away, you could go over my mom's house and my dad's house and find so many similarities in layout, design, even down to the the way they kept the sponges on the side of the kitchen sink. It makes you wonder why they ever seperated....because they were so much alike. You won't find any similarities like that with my ex and me.
In my dad's case he was in the Turkish Merchant Marines. In my case, I joined the US Marines. Since birth my right eye was bad and then AFEES never should have approved me, but they said I could get a waiver once down in Paris Island. It never worked and after just two weeks in the Corps, I was on my way home. At that same time, my mom and dad decided to put thier crumbling marriage to rest. They were in divorce court when the bus from the Marine Corps got me near home.
It was a crushing blow even though both occurrances were expected. I knew going in that the Marine Corps would not take me. I also knew that my mom and dad were headed for divorce. The walk home from where the bus let me off in "downtown" Eatontown, NJ was a slow and painful one. Just at a time when the boy in me needed consoling, the man in me had to "suck it up" and take a lonely hike home.
My mom and dad stayed married for 21 years. My ex-wife Barb and I were married for 13, even though the last few were spent seperated. When I saw the similarities in my life and my dad's, I made the comparison into a country poem.
I think in other ways, the similarities end. Before they each passed away, you could go over my mom's house and my dad's house and find so many similarities in layout, design, even down to the the way they kept the sponges on the side of the kitchen sink. It makes you wonder why they ever seperated....because they were so much alike. You won't find any similarities like that with my ex and me.
posted by Dean | 11:09 PM
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