Hey ATS'ers - What Are You All About?

I've not been on the board for very long. I generally post off the wall thoughts, and any goofy thing that happens to cross my mind, like the "Time Machine, Think Of The Possibilities" thread, or the "WMD, The Ultimate Alternative" thread, both of which are right here on BTS. I always make light of just about everything, and really like to make people smile. Just like all of you, there are people whose posts I read simply because they wrote them. I often wonder what the person behind the login name is really all about. Is it someone who really did have some of the posted experiences, or is it a kid with a wicked imagination.
Here is a little bit about me.
I'm in my early 40's - married with wonderful kids.
When I was 4, I drowned. My Father pulled me out of the frozen water and revived me on the beach. A lifelong military man, he told me that I was "dead" - cold and blue, not breathing, no heartbeat. I don't remember any of it - sorry guys, no warm light at the end of the tunnel or anything......
Halfway through my senior year in High School my parents house burned down. We lost everything. My family went to stay at my grandparents house, but I was "too cool". I ended up spending the rest of the school year living in my car. (Long story as to why I didn't go to my parents for help.) It was pretty cool actually. The church donated so many clothes, that it was a non issue. I would get to school early, run around the track, and shower in the Gym. My biggest regret is that there are no pictures of me before the age of 18. I would love to get my hands on a copy of my yearbook.
After graduation, I met a woman and fell madly in love with her. She was taken from me by a drunk driver just 4-1/2 weeks before we were to be married. It's been 2 decades now, yet I'm still not over that.
I was lead singer in a band for quite awhile. I play guitar, but I'm not very good at it. I've won awards for track and field, graphic design, and my Bakery won a "Best of Philly" award. (Using my own recipes!)
Overall my life is great. I have no complaints, and I NEVER EVER sweat the small stuff. I, as well as my family have great health (Thank God).
Now if only the Eagles could win the Super Bowl..........

I hope to hear some things about you as well. Kind of like putting a name with a face.
Here's to you!

Well, I hope I can be as informative as you want.

I never had any near death experiences growing up, high school was pretty uneventful. I guess my standing in high school would be sort of hard to explain. I was sort of an 'outcast who got along with everybody', if that makes sense. I just listened to different music, for one thing, which is a big deal in HS for some reason. I was listening to Punk and Ska and Grunge (before it was cool), while everybody else listened to that awful mtv crap that they still play even today. Amazing how much what type of music you listen to plays a part in High School politics.

Anyways, I got married sort of early in life (when I was 19), and I went into the Air Force at 20. In fact, I spent my 20th birthday in Basic Training. I was from a small town in the south and I figured that the military would be the best way for me to see the world Ive always wanted to see. In a way, I always resented being from such a small town where everybody knows everything about everybody elses business. I think my High school had something like less than 350 kids, and THAT was also grades 7-12, if that gives you an idea.

So for my first permanent base, I didnt get very far. Just one state further north, to Goldsboro, NC. Not long after that, I had myself 2 baby girls, and I was working long hours on the flightline there working on weapons systems for F-15Es. Thats when everything changed.

See, to make a little extra money, my wife started working in a strip club off base (as a bartender only, she made good money). I didnt have any objections as long as it was only bartending, and it coincided with my work hours anyways. Also, it was only a few days a week, so I still got to see my wife. I didnt mind.

But what I didnt notice, working as many hours as I was, was that my wife was loosing a LOT of weight. Looking back at old pictures its staggering how ignorant I was in not noticing this much weight loss. She had always been small, but never like that. It turns out that working at a strip club (around all kinds of drugs, also), she had developed a hefty coc aine habit. Thinking back, I do remember mood swings and all kinds of addict-related behavior, but I guess I just refused to 'see', understand? I was also starting to get suspicious that she was cheating.

She definately was. I found that out less than 2 years later after she died.

I got orders to Osan AB in South Korea after I was at Goldsboro for about 2 1/2 years. After I got to Korea, I didnt hear from my wife at all for the first 2 months. I was starting to get worried. To make a long story short, it turns out that when I finally did find out what was happening, my wife had already been living with some coke dealer, leaving our kids with her mother for days and days at a time. I dont know how I did it, maybe it just surprised her that I would still want to be with her, but I convinced her to let me help her, and I got an EFMP relocation back to SC so she could go into rehab and I could help her and take care of our kids. This was in September.

She actually got off coke for good and gained back some weight. She was happy again, and even though we still had some arguments and hard times (mostly arising from things she did when she was on coke.), we stayed together until she died the next Feb.

She had Hepatitus B, probably gotten as an STD. Its possible that she was shooting up drugs, but I dont think so. Hep B killed her unusually fast. She found out she was infected and 6 weeks later, she was dead. So I guess the whole story ends with me holding her in my arms, crying uncontrollably, and whispering over and over again in her ear that I promise to be a good daddy. She was already gone.

So anyways, 4 years later and here I am. I got out of the military on a hardship discharge, which is honerable, so I could take care of my kids. I didnt want to just give them to anybody. I always knew that if anything ever happened to my wife that I would be a single parent. I didnt know how hard it would be at first, but it got easier.

And dont think this whole thing was me saying that my wife was a bad person, because she wasnt. Ive never in all my travelling the world met anybody like her. Drugs change a person. Made her do things that she never would have done otherwise. Things that were totally out of character. But I still love her. I think Im ready to move on now, but Ill probably never 'completely' move on, if that makes sense.

So, if I leave a bit more out of the story, it brings me right up to the point where Im sitting here at my desk typing a post on BTS. Life is better. I was depressed for a long time and probably at times not being the best father I could have been, but life is better. Not perfect. Just better.

Originally posted by lombozo
I often wonder what the person behind the login name is really all about. Is it someone who really did have some of the posted experiences, or is it a kid with a wicked imagination.

When I first joined ATS, I used to think the same thing. Is this guy pulling my leg or what? But after awhile I realized it really doesn't matter. You will get the odd wacko that is completely off the wall, intentionally posting false information and will be held accountable. It is against the T&C to knowingly post false information. However, if I were to say I fought in the Vietnam war and took a bullet for my country, who is anyone to call me a liar?

I didn't fight in Vietnam, Hell I'm not even American but if I made a great post telling the story and it inspired somebody then where is the harm? Making false allegations, predictions, etc is wrong but talking from personal experience where nobody is being attacked, fill your boots. If somebody doesn't believe you, then let them waste their time worrying of it. It is certainly not something I would do, but when I come across these stories from a member I never doubt them for a second. I applaud the courage and the effort they put in to share their story with us. End of story.

When you come across a post on ATS that makes you go, Damn! That was good. It really makes you think from an aspect that you never even considered. Absolutely blown away and amazed, then you find a post by the same member celebrating their 17th birthday. I remember shaking my head that day, but it was then I realized what is behind the member's name does not matter. It is what is in the members name that matters. We here on ATS can make a new name for ourselves than we have in our day to day lives. I can become somebody else with a completely different personality.

In my day to day life I make quick rash decisions and am normally too quick to react, while on ATS I can take the extra minute and think before I talk. This extra second normally keeps my foot out of my mouth, normally.

So as much as I enjoyed reading your information and history, alot of members on ATS like to remain alittle secretive. Not that they have nothing to hide, but sometimes it can be fun for people to not know who you are. That 17 year old with no life experience can still knock our socks off, since otherwise he probably wouldn't get the respect he deserves.

What ATS comes to know of us on an individual basis, is whatever we disclose. Many times I have talked from the heart and told personal stories, even posted my picture here awhile back.

I really believe the lack of familiarity on ATS is what makes it so great. When you don't know your fellow member all that well, they can keep you guessing. You never know what tomorrow may bring.

So as much as I enjoyed reading your information and history, alot of members on ATS like to remain alittle secretive. Not that they have nothing to hide, but sometimes it can be fun for people to not know who you are. That 17 year old with no life experience can still knock our socks off, since otherwise he probably wouldn't get the respect he deserves.

I can't say that I can argue with your logic chissler. I guess that I am just curious by nature. I tend to listen rather than speak for the most part. I enjoy meeting new people, and listening to their stories. I'm very lucky in that I can read a person within the first 5 minutes of meeting them, and am right more than 95% of the time. By reading a person, I mean that I can usually tell if they are a good person, bad person, full of s**t, that type of thing. I also am one of those people who cannot hide my dislike of someone. If I don't like someone, they know it. I'm not a jerk about it, or say anything rash, but every emotion I have shows on my face, including distaste of someone. Thanks for responding!
I'll see you around chissler!

I'm all about having fun on ATS/BTS, wether others laugh or I am the only one.

Originally posted by Lysergic
I'm all about having fun on ATS/BTS, wether others laugh or I am the only one.

God bless you Lysergic. I'm right there with you. You're one of the ones I mentioned that I read most of your posts.
In case you haven't noticed, the majority of my posts here on BTS are really goofy, and the threads I've started here on BTS are downright insane. But I smile when I'm writin' and thinkin'.
Stay Cool Dude.