The 22nd Short Story
Hold Your Nose Before Delivering an Uppercut
"Hold Your Nose Before Delivering an Uppercut"
ANDY'S LESSONS FROM LIFE
My 22nd Short Story
For your reading pleasure, here is one of many short stories about life after the St. Joseph Home for Boys. They are pieces of the larger puzzle of my life while growing up.
The first part of this one is a "Kiss and Tell" episode of my life, that I'm not exactly proud of, but it was my existence during my earliest years in Texas. If there is one thing my followers have earned, it's the truth. While I suspect this particular story may not sit well with many of you, my life does progress to a much better place, as you will see later in this story and in future episodes. I became a better man.
I hope you enjoy more of Andy's life experiences and the lessons that come with them.
"Hold Your Nose Before Delivering an Uppercut"
“It’s not your age that determines if you’re a grownup; it’s how you act.”
--Andy Skrzynski
When I was young, there were moments when I imagined getting married, raising a kiddo or two, and living happily ever after. Well, not exactly. Truth be told, I rarely dove into such serious musings until my late 20’s -- most likely 29½. I had more exciting things on my mind when I moved to Texas.
After surviving the challenges of the orphanage, enduring life with my dad, and undertaking the grueling studies to secure an Electrical Engineering degree from Michigan State, I was all about enjoying life to its fullest. While working at IBM in Austin, I signed up for practically every organized sport the technology company had to offer, including men’s and mixed softball, flag football, basketball, and volleyball.
I didn’t just play the sports; I built and managed the teams in each of those activities. You’d think that would be enough, but no. I also organized touch football on Sundays, after church among my friends and their spouses, and played water volleyball at a friend’s condo complex, one or two evenings a week.
To put it mildly, I was having a blast and had absolutely no spare time to consider raising a family during my first nine years in Texas. You might say I had resumed my childhood after it had been abruptly interrupted when I was five years old.
At the ripe old age of 32, I found myself single after two failed marriages, one of five years and the latter one for seven. While I loved both wives dearly, I wasn’t exactly the greatest companion, since I was constantly on the run -- literally.
My first two wives were very sweet and kind women, who deserved more of my attention. I, on the other hand, had been blinded by a craving for fun. Being of sound mind, I asked God to forgive me for my part in the demise of those marriages.
Don’t get me wrong. I never had any affairs or anything like that. I was simply a kid at heart that hadn’t fully grown up yet. I could have been a whole lot more grateful and loving to the women who were caring for me during those carefree years.
After playing as many sports as possible during my 20’s and early thirties, the timing was about right for me to think about more serious things. At that point in my life, I decided to settle down a bit and consider being a good father while raising children.
I also vowed to be a better husband, to boot. It was well past time to become a real grownup and hopefully find the right woman to put up with me.
One of my very good friends, Bonnie, still lived in Michigan and had been raising two daughters on her own for a couple of years. As fate would have it, I and a few of my staff members were working with another IBM team in Kingston, New York.
Our mission was to transfer their research project down to Austin and integrate it into a networking product to sell to businesses. This effort required me to fly back and forth, between Texas and New York for quite a few weeks. The setup couldn’t have been better for allowing me to drop by and see Bonnie on weekends in Canton, Michigan between hops.
My good friend of many years knew full well of my past marriages. In fact, my first wife played the organ at Bonnie’s wedding, while I was still studying at MSU.
After a few months of becoming very familiar with each other, during and after the initial project transfer, Bonnie and I decided to get married. I was never one to take much time pondering such things as most of my friends would attest, but this commitment was different.
In my mind, there was NO turning back. By the grace of God, I was going to make this family thing work. I had no choice. There were children involved, this go-around.
I had known Bonnie for a very long time as a good friend. My new-found love for this dear woman had grown from a very long friendship to a more intimate relationship. As such, my love was much deeper than any I had experienced with any other woman before. She was truly the one for me.
I was more than ready to raise children, and Bonnie certainly welcomed any help she could get. Fortunately, her daughters also seemed tickled pink at the thought of having a new daddy.
All was heavenly except the young girls and I could certainly have benefit from more bonding. With our marriage only a couple weeks ahead, we chose to do what many families do -- take a trip together with the children. The four of us headed Up North in Michigan for a long weekend to strengthen our relationships and celebrate Colleen’s fifth birthday.
The first day of our journey, we enjoyed the sights around Traverse City and stayed at a quaint little motel near the water. We listened to the frogs and crickets while stargazing and swatting mosquitoes during the cool evening. Things were moving along amiably, but I still didn’t feel as close to the girls as I had wished. It was very good but not great.
The next morning after breakfast, we started off on a long trek to Mackinac Island. We hadn’t traveled very far before approaching a stop sign.
Beyond the intersection ahead, I spotted a very large cherry orchard. My eyes grew large. This is my chance!
As we approached the trees, laden with the most scrumptious looking cherries, ripe for the picking, I slowly stopped the car along the shoulder of the road. Bonnie shot me that “what are you up to now” kinda look, but I shook it off and turned toward the girls.
“What do you think? Do you guys like cherries?”
Their eyes lit up like they had witnessed the first explosion of fireworks on the 4th of July. Shannon’s smile spread wider, “Really?” She looked at mom. “Can we? Please?”
By now, I could tell my sweet companion, with gorgeous blond hair and lips redder than the cherries we were about to swipe, was beginning to question my sanity. I figured Bonnie knew she was in an uncomfortable spot with little way out. Not that I planned it that way, mind you.
While turning off the engine, I hoped I wasn’t in too much trouble. I flashed a grin and before she had a chance to even mutter another word, I snatched a couple of plastic bags from the back seat. In an instant, the girls and I were out the door running toward the closest cherry tree.
The innocent children were thrilled to high Heaven, as I kept a wary eye on the road to avoid getting caught. We quickly secured our haul and scurried to the car.
Bonnie tossed me a stern stare, but I didn’t care. The bonds between the girls and me were growing by leaps and bounds.
The cherry heist was just what the doctor ordered. As we headed down the road, I warned the girls never to do that again. I quickly smiled at Bonnie and returned my focus on the task at hand -- getting us to Mackinac Island.
After reaching our destination and buying tickets for a ferry, we had a bit of time to kill. I spotted the prettiest cluster of flowers I had seen in a long time -- the perfect setting for a photo of me and my favorite little buddies.
I turned toward Bonnie. “Could you take a picture of me and the girls, by those flowers? They’re beautiful!”
I wasn’t sure why, but she still seemed a bit perturbed at me for that little incident back at the orchard. With a scornful smile that told me to stop being a kid, she grabbed the camera.
I turned toward my partners in crime. “Come on, Mom’s going to take a picture of us.” My little buddies joined me in front of the gorgeous gardens and smiled big, while Bonnie snapped a few shots.
Later, after setting foot on Mackinac Island, we strolled the streets along the quaint little shops. We dipped in and out of the stores and continued our way around the enchanted island. As we walked, the girls got a whiff of something they had never laid their noses on before.
On the road, trailing a horse and buggy, stood a steamy pile of road apples. Many folks, who hadn’t heard of road apples before, might bore you to death by calling such treasures horse poop.
Before long, both girls’ fingers were permanently pinching their nostrils as they feigned disgust at the nasty looking feast for the local flies. Bonnie and I kept an eye on them from behind and chuckled under our breaths.
It didn’t take long before they began squabbling, like sisters are often prone to do. Shannon was much bigger than her younger sister and often threw her weight around, whenever she felt like bullying her sis.
Shannon began getting too rough, and just as Bonnie was about to scold her good, Colleen had finally had it up to her ears. The little girl, who had been pushed around for far too many times, planted an uppercut directly into Shannon’s tummy.
Totally shocked, her bigger sister began to cry like never before. Though we probably should have thought otherwise, we couldn’t help but cheer Colleen's courage for finally sticking up for herself and turning the tables on her bothersome sister.
They were only 5 and 7 at the time, but that one punch changed how Shannon looked at Colleen forevermore. No more easy pickings for her bullying exploits!
*********
That's it for now!!! I look forward to sharing more over time.
Thank you for your amazing support!
Andy Skrzynski
ANDY'S LESSONS FROM LIFE
My 22nd Short Story
For your reading pleasure, here is one of many short stories about life after the St. Joseph Home for Boys. They are pieces of the larger puzzle of my life while growing up.
The first part of this one is a "Kiss and Tell" episode of my life, that I'm not exactly proud of, but it was my existence during my earliest years in Texas. If there is one thing my followers have earned, it's the truth. While I suspect this particular story may not sit well with many of you, my life does progress to a much better place, as you will see later in this story and in future episodes. I became a better man.
I hope you enjoy more of Andy's life experiences and the lessons that come with them.
"Hold Your Nose Before Delivering an Uppercut"
“It’s not your age that determines if you’re a grownup; it’s how you act.”
--Andy Skrzynski
When I was young, there were moments when I imagined getting married, raising a kiddo or two, and living happily ever after. Well, not exactly. Truth be told, I rarely dove into such serious musings until my late 20’s -- most likely 29½. I had more exciting things on my mind when I moved to Texas.
After surviving the challenges of the orphanage, enduring life with my dad, and undertaking the grueling studies to secure an Electrical Engineering degree from Michigan State, I was all about enjoying life to its fullest. While working at IBM in Austin, I signed up for practically every organized sport the technology company had to offer, including men’s and mixed softball, flag football, basketball, and volleyball.
I didn’t just play the sports; I built and managed the teams in each of those activities. You’d think that would be enough, but no. I also organized touch football on Sundays, after church among my friends and their spouses, and played water volleyball at a friend’s condo complex, one or two evenings a week.
To put it mildly, I was having a blast and had absolutely no spare time to consider raising a family during my first nine years in Texas. You might say I had resumed my childhood after it had been abruptly interrupted when I was five years old.
At the ripe old age of 32, I found myself single after two failed marriages, one of five years and the latter one for seven. While I loved both wives dearly, I wasn’t exactly the greatest companion, since I was constantly on the run -- literally.
My first two wives were very sweet and kind women, who deserved more of my attention. I, on the other hand, had been blinded by a craving for fun. Being of sound mind, I asked God to forgive me for my part in the demise of those marriages.
Don’t get me wrong. I never had any affairs or anything like that. I was simply a kid at heart that hadn’t fully grown up yet. I could have been a whole lot more grateful and loving to the women who were caring for me during those carefree years.
After playing as many sports as possible during my 20’s and early thirties, the timing was about right for me to think about more serious things. At that point in my life, I decided to settle down a bit and consider being a good father while raising children.
I also vowed to be a better husband, to boot. It was well past time to become a real grownup and hopefully find the right woman to put up with me.
One of my very good friends, Bonnie, still lived in Michigan and had been raising two daughters on her own for a couple of years. As fate would have it, I and a few of my staff members were working with another IBM team in Kingston, New York.
Our mission was to transfer their research project down to Austin and integrate it into a networking product to sell to businesses. This effort required me to fly back and forth, between Texas and New York for quite a few weeks. The setup couldn’t have been better for allowing me to drop by and see Bonnie on weekends in Canton, Michigan between hops.
My good friend of many years knew full well of my past marriages. In fact, my first wife played the organ at Bonnie’s wedding, while I was still studying at MSU.
After a few months of becoming very familiar with each other, during and after the initial project transfer, Bonnie and I decided to get married. I was never one to take much time pondering such things as most of my friends would attest, but this commitment was different.
In my mind, there was NO turning back. By the grace of God, I was going to make this family thing work. I had no choice. There were children involved, this go-around.
I had known Bonnie for a very long time as a good friend. My new-found love for this dear woman had grown from a very long friendship to a more intimate relationship. As such, my love was much deeper than any I had experienced with any other woman before. She was truly the one for me.
I was more than ready to raise children, and Bonnie certainly welcomed any help she could get. Fortunately, her daughters also seemed tickled pink at the thought of having a new daddy.
All was heavenly except the young girls and I could certainly have benefit from more bonding. With our marriage only a couple weeks ahead, we chose to do what many families do -- take a trip together with the children. The four of us headed Up North in Michigan for a long weekend to strengthen our relationships and celebrate Colleen’s fifth birthday.
The first day of our journey, we enjoyed the sights around Traverse City and stayed at a quaint little motel near the water. We listened to the frogs and crickets while stargazing and swatting mosquitoes during the cool evening. Things were moving along amiably, but I still didn’t feel as close to the girls as I had wished. It was very good but not great.
The next morning after breakfast, we started off on a long trek to Mackinac Island. We hadn’t traveled very far before approaching a stop sign.
Beyond the intersection ahead, I spotted a very large cherry orchard. My eyes grew large. This is my chance!
As we approached the trees, laden with the most scrumptious looking cherries, ripe for the picking, I slowly stopped the car along the shoulder of the road. Bonnie shot me that “what are you up to now” kinda look, but I shook it off and turned toward the girls.
“What do you think? Do you guys like cherries?”
Their eyes lit up like they had witnessed the first explosion of fireworks on the 4th of July. Shannon’s smile spread wider, “Really?” She looked at mom. “Can we? Please?”
By now, I could tell my sweet companion, with gorgeous blond hair and lips redder than the cherries we were about to swipe, was beginning to question my sanity. I figured Bonnie knew she was in an uncomfortable spot with little way out. Not that I planned it that way, mind you.
While turning off the engine, I hoped I wasn’t in too much trouble. I flashed a grin and before she had a chance to even mutter another word, I snatched a couple of plastic bags from the back seat. In an instant, the girls and I were out the door running toward the closest cherry tree.
The innocent children were thrilled to high Heaven, as I kept a wary eye on the road to avoid getting caught. We quickly secured our haul and scurried to the car.
Bonnie tossed me a stern stare, but I didn’t care. The bonds between the girls and me were growing by leaps and bounds.
The cherry heist was just what the doctor ordered. As we headed down the road, I warned the girls never to do that again. I quickly smiled at Bonnie and returned my focus on the task at hand -- getting us to Mackinac Island.
After reaching our destination and buying tickets for a ferry, we had a bit of time to kill. I spotted the prettiest cluster of flowers I had seen in a long time -- the perfect setting for a photo of me and my favorite little buddies.
I turned toward Bonnie. “Could you take a picture of me and the girls, by those flowers? They’re beautiful!”
I wasn’t sure why, but she still seemed a bit perturbed at me for that little incident back at the orchard. With a scornful smile that told me to stop being a kid, she grabbed the camera.
I turned toward my partners in crime. “Come on, Mom’s going to take a picture of us.” My little buddies joined me in front of the gorgeous gardens and smiled big, while Bonnie snapped a few shots.
Later, after setting foot on Mackinac Island, we strolled the streets along the quaint little shops. We dipped in and out of the stores and continued our way around the enchanted island. As we walked, the girls got a whiff of something they had never laid their noses on before.
On the road, trailing a horse and buggy, stood a steamy pile of road apples. Many folks, who hadn’t heard of road apples before, might bore you to death by calling such treasures horse poop.
Before long, both girls’ fingers were permanently pinching their nostrils as they feigned disgust at the nasty looking feast for the local flies. Bonnie and I kept an eye on them from behind and chuckled under our breaths.
It didn’t take long before they began squabbling, like sisters are often prone to do. Shannon was much bigger than her younger sister and often threw her weight around, whenever she felt like bullying her sis.
Shannon began getting too rough, and just as Bonnie was about to scold her good, Colleen had finally had it up to her ears. The little girl, who had been pushed around for far too many times, planted an uppercut directly into Shannon’s tummy.
Totally shocked, her bigger sister began to cry like never before. Though we probably should have thought otherwise, we couldn’t help but cheer Colleen's courage for finally sticking up for herself and turning the tables on her bothersome sister.
They were only 5 and 7 at the time, but that one punch changed how Shannon looked at Colleen forevermore. No more easy pickings for her bullying exploits!
*********
That's it for now!!! I look forward to sharing more over time.
Thank you for your amazing support!
Andy Skrzynski