Perceived Abuse?

Think you were an abused child? Ha! Think again!  Wait until you learn this horrifying tale of a young, innocent little boy who suffered unimaginable scarring from the mistreatment he was forced to endure in his formative years.

As a high school freshman, his alarm clock sounded jarringly loud at the unearthly time of 5:30 every weekday morning.  Many times, he was forced to abandon pleasant dreams at a critical point in their showing, and thus he was robbed of possible important learning experiences that might have greatly benefited his life. 

After finally separating himself from the bed, he was able to find his way to the bathroom to use the facilities, throw water on his face, and comb his hair (he had some back then).

From the bathroom, he was able to find his way to the closet and select appropriate clothing (hopefully, it was appropriate some of the time) to accompany him through the day.

By that time, a half-hour had elapsed, and it was time for him to spend 30 minutes practicing his brass instrument, a baritone.  One of his other brothers spent the same 30 minutes practicing his trumpet, while the third brother practiced his trombone.

Part of the rotation included each person spending 30 minutes on the piano.  The eldest, Clancy, became very proficient on the piano, and the youngest, David, made some progress, but the middle child (Bruce) spent considerable time going no where.

The piano was in the front of the house while we practiced our respective instruments in our bedrooms.  I can’t imagine our mom sleeping through that cacophony of noise.

All three of us making unrelated noise in several parts of the house certainly did nothing to promote sleep, but our folks were apparently determined to see us suffer.

Even as a senior citizen today, I still suffer from the scarring of the habit I was forced to learn as a young child of rising at the unearthly hour of 5:30 AM.  Even my wife, Dianne, must endure the hardship of my early rising experience.

Dianne clearly states that the morning does not officially begin until the sun clears the horizon. Needless to say, 5:30 often comes long before the sun begins to lighten the day.

On a brighter note, waking in the early morning does permit me the ability to consider the blessings I am constantly receiving from God: my wife and family, my friends, my health, and my hope for the future, including the near return of Jesus.

Many people have not had the opportunity to become a senior.  I am grateful to have had the opportunity to reach this stage in life.

I guess the fact remains that we all have our crosses to bear.  Sometimes even our crosses can turn out to be blessings.

Please share your thoughts and any response you may have in the form below.

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