September 11th, 2001.
Most of you will think of the day the "Twin Towers" fell and America's innocence ended when it came to international terrorism.
Well for me September 11th, 2001 was the day my divorce was signed and finalized. It was the only thing the judge did before they cleared the courthouse and everyone went home glued to their televisions.
I'm not usually one to give up on anyone, I tried my best to make it all work with my marriage. I gave up shooting pool, did whatever it took to make her happy. It wasn't until a couple years after my divorce that I realized my ex would never, and will never, be happy with anything. Some people are just that way.
Just so you all know I was a battered husband. If my ex got mad I took whatever she dealt out. My parents raised me to never strike a woman so I always kept her at arms length. When she realized she couldn't throw good enough to hit me she started picking up something to hit me with. Usually it was one of the two brass candlesticks we got as a wedding present. I have a few scars above each eyebrow from where she actually connected.
It's not admitting failure if you try to make things work, but the other person refuses to try. Refusing to try is where the failure begins. Sometimes it's better to move on and be happy. Although I'm of the opinion that some people are just like my ex and nothing will make them happy, or they just don't know what will make them happy.
My ex had her own issues. She tried to run me over during our divorce due to a $1 million life insurance policy on me, and when that didn't work she sent her boyfriend over to kill me. As he tried to bash my skull in with a 2x4 I just laughed and informed him that I had cancelled the insurance policy a few weeks back, he still beat the living tar out of me, none the less.
At his trial, my ex and her kids vouched for him being at home so charges were dismissed.
I do not hold the women in my life responsible for my ex's actions. I love the women in my life and while a few have put me in situations where my life was at risk and I got shot I know that it was her choice to deceive me and put me in that situation.
Being there for my friends is a choice I make, but I wouldn't want to be any other way. I would rather consider myself lucky, I've learned where to draw the line and who I'm willing to risk my life for, but hindsight is always 20/20. In the heat of a moment we don't always make what seems to be the best choice, we all just do what we can.
So 9-11 has different meanings for all of us, but how about just taking a moment after remembering those we lost and taking a chance to tell the ones we still have around how much you love them, appreciate them and how grateful you are that they are still around to share your life with them.
To my fans, thanks!!!
To my friends, I love you, and my life somehow just wouldn't be the same without you in it. Remember I'm always in your corner.
- Sharky