haha to that!

Okay, so I started this several years ago and look! I'm here again.

I think I meant for this to be my "history" or the book I was going to write mostly about my firstborn, his life and death, and how tremendous God works in our lives, yes, your life, too.

So, on that thought, let's start....

Chester Daniel Shetler (name not changed to protect the innocent) came into this world on Monday, February 17, 1972 at 2:49 am after a short, hard, induced labor.

I graduated high school in 1969 ("Booze, beer, sex and wine, we're the class of '69" and "yes, '69, followed by a population explosion" and other assorted ditties for the year). Two of my six living brothers were in Vietnam that year. I had no introduction to drugs of any sort other than my Dad's daily drinking (Coors and Jim Beam). Well, we lived near Golden in Colorado, so he HAD to support the local Coors brewery, I suppose.

However, the summer of following year I ran into a guy that I thought was always pretty likable in high school, even Senior Class President. I told him that I was impressed that he was always in such a good mood and always had a smile to give. Then he showed me the tracks on his arms and told me that's how he was always able to maintain that personality. I nearly cried.

That same summer I shared an apartment created in an old house near downtown Denver. My brother Danny wrote me that he was coming home and wanted to surprise the family. We arranged that he would come to my apartment and freshen up before going to Mom's. What a surprise when Timmy, also on leave, showed up at my door! So as Danny unpacks a China doll to give me, he first takes out a plastic bag hidden in the doll. Naive me is soon informed that both Timmy and Danny know all about and DO smoke pot. I cried. Oh, my world fell all apart. My big brothers smoked pot. How could they do that?!!

Well, that leads into another story so maybe I'll go off track in another blog.....