By: Kenneth E. Boone, Sr.
Other than the actual day I was born, last Saturday turned out to be one of the best birthdays of my life! There was very little fanfare and absolutely no fireworks. It was just an amazing trip down memory lane without me cringing in horror. I'm Ken Boone and this is my Podcast, “MUCH MORE TO SAY” As I said in my last episode, I wasn’t going to have a party to celebrate this my 66th birthday. Unless you count being taken to breakfast at our neighborhood Bob Evan’s as a party! It’s been so long since we’ve been out to eat that I almost forgot the directions to the restaurant. I got a call from Kenny’s cellphone number. When I answered, it was my granddaughter, Amina, who was on the other end of the line, wishing her “Pop Pop” a happy birthday! It’s always great to talk to her because she patiently answers each of the hundreds of questions Celia and I pepper her with. Stuff about her that we should already know. But that’s a story for another time. I got a few well wishes on social media. My brother, Mike, and two of my nieces, Zara, and Erin, sent me heartfelt regards via Facebook Messenger. Thanks, guys! They all were special but leave it to Erin to do the unexpected. Attached to her message were five photos spanning several decades of my life. Each picture brought up nothing but happy memories for me. That was refreshing since most of my early recollections tend to have a resentful tinge to them. The first picture was taken when I was around two years old when my nuclear family was still intact. I have no first-hand memories of that time, but I’ve been told that I was quite the character back then. They say on the one hand, I was a chubby kid with a sweet disposition. But they also say that I had a bit of a temper that seemed to flare when I felt like someone was bothering a loved one. I didn’t have an interest in sports or music. The only things I wanted to do were hang out with my father, go to the playground, watch cartoons, and listen to the magical voices coming from the radio. The second picture was taken when I was around seven years old. Also in that picture was my mother and brother. It was taken soon after I became “the product of a broken home”, which is something I used to say to describe my circumstances. But we were genuinely smiling in the photo. Why? Glad you asked. In past episodes, I describe that period as a dark one, because that’s when my whole faith and belief system was turned upside down. But if I’m being honest with myself, it wasn’t all bad. I wasn’t thrilled by the idea of having to attend church services every Saturday instead of playing and watching cartoons. However, I did have the opportunity to join a newly formed boys’ choir. That sparked my 50+ year love affair with music. When I was allowed to go outside to play, my neighborhood friends and I discovered the world of sports. From stoop ball, to basketball, and everything in between, we learned how to compete with honor. Teamwork was also stressed, which seemed to be lacking in other areas of my life at the time. Just a short hop in time to the third picture, which was taken when I was around twelve years old. I was still attending church each Saturday and still singing in the choir, but other features became a part of my skill set. I started participating in organized sports, testing what I learned in pickup games against total strangers. I’m proud to say that my friends and I fared well in that new environment. Check out my episodes when I talk about growing up in Franklin Plaza. It was around that time that I discovered that I had a lot of academic talent. That’s a polite way of saying that I was smart. While I was able to easily and quickly grasp all the material that was thrown at us, I showed early on that I was a good writer. In fact, I even attempted to write a dramatic skit. While my teacher applauded my effort, she did comment that it was a little too dramatic, since it dealt with racism in the South. But she also told me to never stop writing. In hindsight, I should have taken that advice more seriously. Going around the clubhouse turn we find photo number four. That one was taken when I was around thirteen years old. The bad news is that I was entering a dark period in my life. I faced several rougher times, but you always remember your first. Thank goodness this episode isn’t about gloom and doom. The best thing about that period was that I made the decision dive headfirst into Gospel music. The boys’ choir was getting stale for me. I stuck around for a few more years to help when needed. But as the name suggests, it was a choir for boys. And I would defiantly remind people that I was a teenager, swiftly approaching adulthood. It was during this period that I first learned about Ralph Carmichael, who quickly became my hero and role model. Soon after, my friend Freddie introduced me to the music of Andrae’ Crouch, who pointed me in the direction I wanted to go musically. I keep promising to record an episode about the life of Crouch and hope to do that sometime this year. Due to a couple of traumatic episodes, I lost my way academically and emotionally. I don’t know where I would be if I didn’t have my music and my ability to dream. I can honestly say that those two things probably saved my life! The final photo in the bunch was one of my brother Mike and me. It was taken when I was around thirty years old. I believe we were at a little reception my mother hosted for me and my first wife. I readily admit that the marital bliss was short-lived, and that many of the problems were my fault. The two constants in my life, sports, and music, were gone. I thought they were gone for good, but thankfully I was wrong. Replacing them was a new-found maturity and reactivated drive. Channeling my focus away from my failing marriage, I went back to college and earned a degree in Economics. While there, I began writing again. In fact, one of my English instructors suggested that I submit some of my work for possible publication. I didn’t, but maybe I should have. The worst thing that can happen is they just say no. In addition to finally completing college, I became a father at the ripe old age of 32. I have very few recent photos of myself. However, I do have albums and file folders full of pictures of my son, Kenny. Most of them were with him at various stages of his time playing baseball. He’s probably taken many more pictures of his daughter, which makes him perhaps an even more doting father than I am. Parting Shots As I said earlier in this episode, Saturday was a great birthday. After careful review, the call on the field stands. It was one of my best birthdays to date. It’s on par with last year’s when I turned 65. I’m another year older and wiser, which is never a bad thing. I couldn’t be more grateful that many of the people closest to me acknowledged this milestone. Especially my niece, Erin, who sent me those photographs. Not only did she remember her uncle with that generous gift, but by doing so, she helped her uncle remember the person he was. Today's Quote “My Mission: be true to myself. Help other people. Become a better me.” Anonymous
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About the HostKenneth E. Boone, Sr. is a writer, podcaster, music lover, sports enthusiast, and retired accountant. Archives
May 2024
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