This story is fiction. I did not grow up in a church going family. I wasn’t born until 5 years after the story starts and I’ve never set foot in Wisconsin. I was born in 1954 in Wisconsin Rapids Wisconsin which happens to be the home to late stock car racing legend Dick Trickle though I did not know him but knew some of his family and may have met him once. To say my family was a strict church going Baptist family would be an understatement. Growing up we went to church every Sunday, Wednesday and anytime there was a church function we had to be there. My parents did not smoke, drink or cuss or approve of anybody who did. When I was 4 I had my tonsils out and the operation was botched. My family received a settlement which my parents had control of until I turned 18 in 1972. I had been told by age 4 before the operation I was talking clearly but after the surgery it took about 6 years of speech therapy before I talked somewhat normal and I hated every minute of it. Looking back I believed some of the money was spent where it shouldn’t have been going to the church. There would still be enough left for me to have a nice income off interest at 18 including paying for college if so desired. As I approached my teenage years I began to resent having to be involved with the church so much. I didn’t resent the 2 services a week but sometimes we were there 4 or 5 times a week. At first I was not allowed to have friends that were not church members but my parents finally relented due to many protests by me. One thing different growing up in this era was most boys were whipped by parents at least once sometimes with a belt or switch but I only remember getting smacked one time. That was the time at age 15 I was hammering a nail hitting my thumb and uttering a minor profanity. I was allowed to get my drivers license when old enough and from the interest able to buy a car an older Ford Bronco with 4 wheel drive. In Wisconsin you need something that is good on snow so 4 wheel drive is a good idea. I hated the cold weather and snow with a passion. By age 17 I was becoming a bit of a rebel unknown to my parents. I had tried smoking cigarettes about a year and a half before that birthday and didn’t like it but smoked anyway. I went with my friend and his parents to a fishing camp they had that summer. They all smoked and since his parents had to hide smoking from their parents they helped me by washing my clothes to get the smell out before I went home. My parents never caught on or at least I didn’t thing they did. On the eve of my 18th birthday which was on a Saturday in 1972 I dropped a bombshell on my parents. I told them at about 9;00 that night I was no longer going to church. My parents responded that you are not going to live here. I said fine as I had already packed by bags. The discussion got heated as you might imagine and when asked where are you going to live I lied and said my car which thru a law that may have been changed was in my name even before I turned 18. My parents furious but they did not relent. At exactly midnight I took the bags out to my car and left. What my parents didn’t know is I had made arrangements to live with the same friend and parents that had the fishing camp. I make the short 5 minute drive that was actually quicker to walk with one way streets and start taking my bags in the house when they met me at the door. My friends Dad then says just drop your bags here we are going for a ride. I though thought this was an odd time to go out. What I did not know at the time was my friend shared the same birthday and since the legal drinking age then was 18 we were being taken to a bar. I didn’t know what to order but I figured start with something simple like beer which both my friend and I did. I had 2 beers and my friend who had some experience drinking had 4 and we were both a little “tipsy” leaving the bar. The Dad did not drink so we were not driving.This all happened about 2 weeks before school was out and I graduated and my parents still furious did not attend any of the ceremonies. There was no church sponsored school close so I went to public school. The summer after my senior year of high school happened several things happened. I had been smart enough to change my mailing address to my friends parents house and I got the letter I was waiting for. I had applied to Jacksonville University in Florida and was accepted with about 75% on the costs covered by scholarship. I could easily pay the rest and had plans after my freshman year to make it cheaper by becoming a Florida resident. Just a year or 2 before I would have arrive at Jacksonville Artis Gilmore a pro basketball player who was 7-2 in height played there before playing pro basketball in the ABA for the 75 champions the Kentucky Colonels and then when that league folded a year later for several NBA teams. I did become a bit more experienced in drinking and by the end of that summer I could drink about 6 beers without being tipsy. My friend and I both listened to his Dad about not drinking and driving. I found out years later after the Dad had passed away that his Brother had been killed by a drunk driver. When the 4 of us would go out to eat one would drink sometimes while the other drove literally taking turns being a “designated driver” before it was cool. Both my friend and I did our fair share of drinking that summer and listened to his Dad and never got in trouble. We were told by the Dad if we ever got out drinking and needed a ride to call the house with no fear getting in trouble. The first part of July I met Debbie who I thought was my age but I later found out was 22 and already graduated from nursing school. Debbie said I’d like to date you but smoking is a big turnoff for her. I quit right then and to this day at 65 years old have never smoked again. I didn’t like what it was doing to me being short of breath and hated the taste. I smoked to be a rebel. As time to leave for college approached Debbie and I were getting serious and talking marriage after I graduated college. Debbie suggested coming to Florida and living with me but there were 2 problems. First unless married freshman had to live in the dorms and second I still believed some of the Baptist ways and living together before marriage was not an option. Debbie’s parents liked me for some reason from the start and they were actually that come up with the solution. Both Debbie’s parents said if you two really love each other get married. I was a little shocked but said I’m game if Debbie is and just before leaving for Jacksonville we tied the knot. I was now going to be an 18 year old married college freshman. Debbie being a nurse with an MD’s help lined a well paying job in Jacksonville. The day before we got married I went to Debbie’s house to take her to breakfast and she answered the door wearing glasses that I later found out were for moderate Myopia. Debbie explained that she just had not put her contacts in yet. Debbie was great looking with and without glasses but preferred contacts. We got married the next day as planned on Wednesday in a simple ceremony and on Friday we were leaving for Jacksonville. After a brief 2 day “honeymoon” in the privacy of the fishing camp we set off for Jacksonville in Debbie’s car which was newer. I had sold the Bronco but there was a catch. Debbie’s car was a manual transmission and I had never driven one but in school there were simulated manual transmissions and I drove that. Debbie took me to a deserted road before we got married and I using lessons from school was able to drive the car with no problem. On the way to Florida with a couple of overnight stops included we talked about a variety of things. Debbie asked when was the last time you had a complete physical and I said 8th grade due to running track which my parents made me give up because it interfered with the church. Another time was eye exam and I replied the school did one every year and Debbie said that wasn’t enough. I was told once we got settled and on her insurance I was getting both. I protested saying I had good eyes by what the school showed. I would do anything Debbie wanted so I agreed. We talked about my “disagreement with my parents and how I moved out at midnight on my 18th birthday. We talked about what I would do after school and Debbie thought I could make a good attorney so I agreed to take some pre law classes. I said I don’t think it’s fair for me to be in school for 8 years while your working but with my trust money wouldn’t be an issue. When we arrived in Jacksonville about 3pm we started looking for a place to stay for a couple of days while we looked for an apartment or small house to rent. We lucked out when driving by a house in walking distance of the campus where a man was putting up a for rent sign. The man at first didn’t want to rent to a male and a female until we showed them our marriage license and found out we were easily able to pay the deposit and 1st and last months rent. The man was even happier when we said we wanted the house year round. We made a deal right there and had a 3 bedroom house which was bigger then we needed but when Debbie’s parents came to visit they wouldn’t have to stay in a hotel. The house was furnished so that was another thing taken care of. Both of us were tired so we got some carryout food and ate at home that night. We had a week before I started classes and Debbie started her job so the next day we went exploring the area. I got a physical and except for being around 10 pounds too heavy was in good health. We then found and Optometrist and I got my first real eye exam and Debbie got her prescription for both glasses updated. The surprise was I needed glasses. When I asked what Astigmatism meant I was told it was a focusing problem. I asked how come it wasn’t caught in school and was told (correctly I later learned) only a complete eye exam can diagnose it. When asked if I ever had eye strain I said only if I read a lot in one setting. I was told to wear the glasses for eye strain and more if I was comfortable. That optical store was one of first in the US to offer same day services on glasses so I got them that day as did Debbie. I wore the glasses that day and frankly couldn’t really tell any difference. I wasn’t doing much reading much that day so that part was hard to tell. The day after this Debbie’s parents arrived in her Dad’s pickup truck bringing the rest of what we needed. We told them how lucky we were to find this house just by chance. We had a nice visit for a couple of days until Debbie’s parents headed back home. I was told not be used to glasses I would probably get headaches when I first wore them but I didn’t. After classes started and I was doing a lot reading I noticed the eye strain eased to the point of pretty much going away. I hadn’t intended to wear the glasses all the time but I pretty much did. As college went on and Debbie and I both slowed way up on drinking mainly just a glass of wine with dinner at home. We got news we didn’t want at the end of my junior year. The landlord wanted to sell the house. We had built a little credit and could make the down payment. We got some breaks in financing for first time home buyers and bought the house ourselves. We fell in love with the area and decided to stay. Debbie loved her job and co workers and I was doing well in college. Second Debbie was not pregnant with what would turn out to be our only child a son. I wanted to quit college and start working but Debbie said no stick it out. With Debbie making good money and my trust we lived well. Our house payment wasn’t anymore then the rent had been. Our son was born the day of the Daytona 500 in 1976. Debbie and I had started going to that race and that was the first year we had missed since we had moved to Florida. The 76 race happened to be the year “The Silver Fox” David Pearson won in a wild finish. Pearson had as expected used the slingshot move down the backstretch on Richard Petty and Petty tried to pass him back coming out of turn 4 when the 2 cars touched and went into the wall. Petty and Pearson were 2 laps ahead of 3rd place Benny Parsons and it looked like Petty would spin across the finish line for the victory. Petty’s car stopped short of the line and he was unable to get it started again. Petty’s crew ran out to push him across the line but that is not allowed. Petty was listed as 2nd with reason out of the race accident. Pearson meanwhile had spun towards pit road where he make minor contact with Joe Frassons car who was heading to the pits to avoid the crash. Pearson ever the cool driver had actually pushed the clutch in to keep the car running and crossed the finish line at about 20mph for his only Daytona 500 win. .I graduated college and giving up on law school went to work in the banking industry. By then Debbie’s parents also tired of the cold weather in Wisconsin had semi retired and moved to Florida in our area. That was great because they were willing baby sitters for our son. Debbie’s parents would not hear of putting our son in day care. As we settled farther into our work lives I rose up in the banking industry still wearing glasses full time even though I didn’t have to. Debbie became head nurse at the local hospital at age 32 getting the news on our 10th wedding anniversary. Our son started school and in 2nd grade we found out he needed glasses for Hyperopia which was a surprise because both of us had Myopia in our families but we didn’t know anyone with the other. About 1980 I began wondering about may parents but in the days before the internet I didn’t even know if they were still alive. The surprise was when out of the blue my parents showed up at our house them too having tired of cold and snow in Wisconsin. My parents told me they were sorry for the way they acted and admitted there ideas about always being involved in the church. We had a happy reunion and the biggest surprise was my parents had left the church. The reason was my cousin, their niece had been molested my a preacher who the church simply shipped out of state. About the time while out eating the local news came on with the news of a Baptist minister being arrested for child molestation. This was the only time I ever heard my parents cuss as in unison they said yes the got that SOB and that’s the short version and not what they said. As life goes on both sets of parents pass away well up in years. Our son grows up and follows the dream I thought about becoming an attorney who now works for a big law firm in Michigan. It seems our son likes cold weather so we laugh about it. Debbie and I today are enjoying retired life making trips to Michigan to see our 3 grandchildren 2 boys and a girl. The girl wear glasses but wants contacts at age 14. One of the boys now age 17 was prescribed glasses for mild Hyperopia at age 13 but being a typical teenager never wore them. At age 15 at his regular eye exam he had outgrown the Hyperopia but was told he has very mild Astigmatism and could be prescribed if he thinks he needs them and he said no. The oldest 19 and in college never needed glasses.
https://vision-and-spex.com/growing-up-in-a-church-going-family-t1492.html