Before I get into the meat of this week’s column, I want to thank my niece Michelle Brumbaugh Jones’ son, Buck, for presenting my son, Jamie, this past week with a “gift” of professional wrestling events via video. Both of these young men are long-time fans of wrestling and it was a surprise when Buck arrived with the gift.
I was not a real fan of the sport, until last Tuesday when Jamie was, of course, checking out all that was offered in the gift package, Jamie has been to a few live matches out of the area, and recalled going to the King of the Ring Match on June 13, 1993, pitting Hulk Hogan against Yokozuna on the WWE Icons “show.”
Jamie almost immediately went to the match with my father, Lee Jr., Moody (now deceased) and my brother, Ron Moody, That was 32 years ago and Jamie learned from watching the initial match on TV that they were photographed in the audience while there.
So, he watched it again on Tuesday and while going through the whole tape, he kept reliving it by going back and forth. What was I doing? I was either reading or doing a crossword puzzle on the couch nearby when I heard him yell, “Mom, there’s Grandpa, me and Ron.”
I didn’t think too much about it, but when I looked up at the screen, there was Dad walking several footsteps behind the other two, to their destination.
Oh my gosh, it was Dad they showed first and the camera panned over to Jamie and Ron.
Seeing Dad for the first time in almost 32 years as he passed away on July 20, 2016. Tears welled up in my eyes. I was shocked. He looked so good and proud walking in that photo. This made Jamie and my day. It made our lives complete. I am so glad Jamie watched it that night. Then, he kept playing it over and over.
I asked my niece, Michelle, if she could get some good photos off the TV screen so that I could use them in this week’s column. She did and I am hoping they are printable for the column.
Jamie thought the experience was really cool, probably cooler than the actual event in 1993, just a year before he graduated from high school.
“I couldn’t believe what I saw,” he said.
We were both happy campers and still are.
For the first time in my history, I feel a little more passionate about wrestling….just a drop of passion.
Thanks once again, Buck and Michelle, for this memorable event.
By the way, Yokozuna won it, according to Jamie. I couldn’t finish watching it, because I was in “heaven,” just thinking of what we experienced that day. We were flabbergasted. to say the least.
We talk about it at least once a day now…and it makes for great conversation.
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Jamie and I extend our condolences to the families and friends of Doug Coby, Dennis Riddle, Betty Foreman, Howie Beam, Dick Birt, Mike Wright, Betty Small.
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Seeking prayers for these people: Scott Monnin, Jeff Martin, Sunni Jones, Mark Howdieshell, Roger Fleckenstein, Karon Crowell, Bob Jackson, Penny Hopkins, Renee Bergman, Sherry Lawrence, Jerry Gower, Jim Marker, Kierra Reichert, Evelyn Manning, Becky Shultz, Tom Everhart, Kevin Schlechty, Darla Printz Whittaker, Roan Brubaker, Sandy Partin, Sandy Gunckle, Tonya Kelly, Jody Christman, Robert Christman, Mike Hopkins, Bob Christian, GraceLynn Harter, Chester Bryant, Linda Johnston, Terri Hunt, Patricia Maier, Ken Wombold, Delores Beisner, Jodi Gilpin Snyder, Charlie Bulcher, Ron Moody, Charlyee Severance, Justin Fritz, Jeremy “Jerm” Burke, DeWayne Yohey, Katrina Hoening, (cousin) Carol Byrd, Gladys Neff, Kara Didier, Carl Francis, Craig “Cheese” Thompson, Bridget Brown, Don DeBord, Otis Stewart, Slug Midlam, Bob Peters, Phyllis Brumbaugh, Judy Collins, Linda Gasper, Carol Hemmerich, Dan and Lisa Lockhart, Roberta Hall, Kelly Kelch, Mike Mayse, Steve Waymire, Nikole Baldridge, Lester Beisner, Mark Lovejoy, Judy York, Donald Booker, Dennis Leeper, Connie Stachler, Randy Heck, Ronnie Norton, Gary Eichler, David Pretzman, Clinton Randall, Ralph Byrd, Bruce Kaiser, Amanda Mote, Paul Gigandet, Doug Whittington, Neal Gray, Judie Hathaway, Randy Garrison, Kathy Gragorace, Donna Bixler, Cathy Melling and all others who are suffering from other life-altering illnesses.
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Happy birthday to:
Feb. 12 to Diana Fitzgerald, Soni Smith Miller, Kevin Schlechty, Terri Schlechty, Dan Norton, Denise Byrum and Laura Ahrens.
Feb. 13 to Tim Rhoades, Nancy Camacho, Alyssa Henderson, Roseanne Scammahorn and Anita Amspaugh.
Feb. 14 to Butch Amspaugh, Michele Good and Josh Widener.
Feb. 15 to Quenton Riffell, and Michael Amspaugh.
Feb. 16 to Lori Riegle, Jerry Duncan, Chad Young, Kent Stump, Doug Riffell, Gary Garrison and Shirley Lutz.
Feb. 17 to Beth DeLong, Bob Campbell, Joan Trittschuh, Connie Schuette, Diane Billenstein, Karen Gessler, Mike Gessler, Sorona Verneman, Donna Arnett, Cindy Rismiller, Darrell Fox and Kim Knick.
Feb. 18 to Jodi Leeper Reichert, Tammy Leugers, Steve Garman and Sterling Gregory.
Happy anniversary to Angie and Dave Westfall on Feb. 13; Brad and Cindy Horsley and Dennis and Nina Barga on Feb. 14; John and Ruth Peters on Feb. 15; Alan and Shirley Phillippi on Feb. 16; and Larry and Julie Hall on Feb. 18.
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Think about it: “Grasping happiness means releasing the things we can control..”–Author Unknown
