The Christianville Spirit: My Love for Writing

The Christianville Spirit

The Spirit that Fills Your Heart & Lifts You Up

July 31, 2013-TCS # 362

So, Writing. It is something that We humans do Every Day. We write everything, like What the tip is on the bill at a Restaurant; If your a Parent when Your Child is Sick, A Doctor’s Note; Even unconventional things, like a Facebook Post (that can be either really smart or thought provoking to something really stupid) and, It can be written in Different Languages like Swedish or a harder language like Chinese. The Truth is that I Love Writing because My Thoughts, Feelings, and Genius Ideas come out with such flow as I write. I say that because I can say more thought-provoking things in Writing then, I could in talking in words. The things that I don’t like about Writing is My Mind goes faster than My Fingers are typing the words. Plus, The Words, Themselves. Being So Literal, I am generally a very good speller but sometimes, I write the words how I think they should be spelled. But, really it is spelled differently. One that I have trouble with is the word, Miracle. I like to spell it “Meracle.” Anyway, I however owe a lot to My Elementary School Teachers, Mrs. James and Mrs. Bachman (who was One of My Favorite Teachers). Mrs. James played a big role in helping me get my thoughts into words because Again, My Mind would go faster than My Little Hand could Write. So, she came up a with Genius Idea, to ask me about My Weekend and I would dictate to her what I did that Weekend. My Mom likes to say that, what came out of those dictated writings was some really surprising stuff. Each Week, she would ask me “What did you do This Weekend?” and I would tell her everything I did. Now, Mrs. Bachman played a Big Roll too in My Writing. She would encourage me to Read State Books and Dictate My Words, which became really great stories. One Time My Mom and The Librarian noticed that I had a pattern where I would read books about US States and I would do them in order of where I was traveling to. I would make circles across the US Map as I was going from State to State. The Highlight that Mrs. Bachman taught me was something called “Multiplication Rhymes” and “Touch Math.” My Favorites were “6 x 4 walked through The Door, It was Number 24”, “ 8 x 8 landed on the floor, laid there till‘ 1964” and “9 x 3 floated up to Heaven, landed on Cloud 27” and then, “Touch Math” helped me the most at Math and I still use it today. So, I thank these two teachers because they taught me many things and because they accepted me for who I am. As a Result of Them, I really enjoy writing and I have been writing This Newsletter every week for 8 Years (since 2006). All in all, I’m always looking for different topics so, send in your suggestions!

Thanks for Reading The Christianville Spirit. Thank The Teachers that You had (or Have) because They might help you be the person You are Today!  

The Christianville Spirit: My Schedule and Welcome to It

The Christianville Spirit

The Spirit that Fills Your Heart & Lifts You Up

July 24, 2013-TCS # 361

So, Do You Remember when I did the “My Readers Choice” Newsletter? Well, In The Comments of The Poll I did, My PTLS “Aunt” Joey, Who I love so Much! made a request newsletter for Me to do. She said that She would love to know what “A Day in the Life of Christian” is like. As in, what is it like to be Me from Getting Up to Going to Sleep. So, that is what I’m going to do. Now, I do have to tell you that This is Incredibly Honest of Me to share this with You so, All I is ask is Not to Judge Me. So, Moving On. Most of the time, Except on Weekends, Holidays, or When we have Specific things to do, I get up at 2:45PM, which is part of my OCD Like mind because it is No sooner and No later than this time. Now, I know that sounds crazy to you 9-to-5ers, but it is My Routine. Now, For My PTLS Family Members, It wasn’t always 2:45 in the afternoon at first. It started when I was in Senior High School and I used to sleep in till exactly Noon. People thought I was crazy getting up that late.  After Graduation, Communication with My Friends started to die down because they were moving on, or moving away and getting out of High School. So, It gradually moved to 12:30, then to 1, 2, and now 2:45.  Now, Before I continue on about My Usual Day, If I got a 9 to 5 Job or any other circumstances, I can adapt My Schedule in that case, But I will tell you that it worked well when I worked late evenings at the Frisco Roughriders Baseball Field (AA baseball team). This Schedule works also because I can talk to PTLS Family Members and Friends All Over The World, including the Late-Nighters in The US (And, There are quite a few out there!). After I get up, Feed The Dogs, and Eat Lunch which is usually a PB & J sandwich and a Yogurt, I then turn on CNN, Watch The News, Check the end of the day Stock Market Stats, Grooming Myself, House Chores, or Go do something with My Brother until around 5 when My Mom gets Home. This is about to change! It is beneficial to both My Mom and I because she doesn’t have to worry about Where I am and it is beneficial to Me because It helps with My Independence, being by Myself. On My Newsletter Day, After I Eat Lunch, I start Writing This Newsletter until My Mom gets home to help me edit it, which I don’t allow her to do anything more than Read It. When My Mom gets home, then we get ready for Dinner (which is either at home or sometimes we go out to Eat). After Dinner, My Mom and I settle in for some Quality Time. Sometimes, I watch TV Shows or Do My Wii Fit Activities. Because of My OCD, I always make sure that the remotes are next to Me because I like to have control of the remote. There is only a few good days that we take walks in the Evening because It is way too Hot and No Scenery (Besides Houses) to look at. Don’t Get Me Wrong, I love being Outside, but Where I live, there is Nothing to look at except for Home. Now, going bowling sometimes, that is Cool! After we watch the 10’ o Clock News, My Mom goes to bed and I hop on My Computer. I like to believe that, after 10 is My Social Time, It is when I go through the Daily Check List of things to do which are Check Facebook, Listen to Glenn Beck (I occasionally “Cam” with My Friends like My PTLS “Brother” Tyler, sometimes), and Watch the people I’m subscribed to on YouTube. After that, Is more of a “Free Time.” On Wednesday, I do all that check list early so, that I have a Weekly Movie Night. During My “Free Time”, I love to get on Google Street View and Cyber-Travel around The World (or The Country) which ever Area that I am in the mood to go to. Either Way, I find lots of information to share with My Mom when I go to say Good Night to Her at 2 am. I’m amazed that she learns these things when she is half asleep. Finally, My Day ends and I am Ready to go to Bed at 2 am (Another Crazy Hour!) And, that is the End of My Day. Now, as I mentioned above about The Weekends, I go to Bed at 1 am just in case, My Mom decides to get me up early to get me out of The House. On The Weekends, My Mom and I go on our “Drives” and “Excursions” around the area that are either Short or Go for Hours. And, Sometimes, We go hang out with Friends. I do make sure to wake up early on Sunday because We usually have Breakfast together that day. Now, to assure to Everyone, I am sure this schedule won’t be forever, as Life changes it’s course like A Job or Going to School. Who knows though, I may flip to extremes of getting up for a “Nature Walk” at 5 am! All in all, Schedules and Itineraries Changes as Life Changes. 

Thanks for Reading The Christianville Spirit. Everyone has a Different Schedule in Their Life, They Change Often. 

So, You Asked, Aunt Joey, so I am coming to Your House so, You can experience this first hand!    

The Christianville Spirit: A Lesson about Overstimulation

The Christianville Spirit

The Spirit that Fills Your Heart & Lifts You Up

June 17, 2013-TCS # 360

So, Last Week, Over 3 Days (including Newsletter Day), I had quite an Adventure. You See, I got News the Week before of My Dad coming to town for a couple days to Vacation at Great Wolf Lodge with Everyone, meaning Laura (Dad’s Girlfriend) who I should mention that I have not seen in 8 Years, My Half-Brother Taylor who, I last saw, again, 8 Years Ago, and My Dad. So, those who are wondering, I stopped going to visit them in San Antonio 8 Years Ago for My Own Reasons. But, Anyway, My Dad decided that it would cool to Vacation up here in Dallas, considering it was easier for everyone. I wasn’t that excited but, I figured that it would be something to do and to get out of The House for a while. Now, on Great Wolf Lodge (They are a Respectable Hotel, By The Way), I have only been there one time and that was to check it out because it was new. Little did I know, both the First Time I walked through it, when My Mom and I went for one of our drives or This Time, it is Very Big, Very Noisy, and Very Overstimulating. I should mention as a Note that this is a Kids Haven. I remembered it but, also haven’t done the whole experience because it is so Over-stimulating! So, I finally got up the nerve to go there and it wasn’t easy for Me. When we got there, We met them at the Big Inside Waterpark, I’m told that it is the Largest One in The Great Wolf Line. This place was Awesome though! I mean, Yea, It was REALLY Loud (and, it was something I had to deal with later, which took Days to Recover) and Alot of Kids Running Everywhere. We figured that we start with Some of The Famous Slides. First Up was the “Howlin‘ Tornado”, which I had never been on one of those types of Rides. First, You get on this Four-Seated Tube and Start Going; Next, it turns pitch-black and then, you see a big drop; The Big Drop comes and go into this See-Saw like Ride and then, it takes you down the tunnel and Out. The Next Ride is what we all affectionately called “The Toilet Bowl” which was you got into a two-person tube (or one person tube) and went down the slide into a “Toilet Bowl” and then, went around several times. If You were lucky enough, you go down the slide after The “Toilet Bowl” section backwards. After That, we jumped between The Indoor and Outdoor Pools and went on “The Tornado” and “Toilet Bowl” several times. Out of all those rides, I believe the “Toilet Bowl” was My Favorite. Anyway, After we got showered up and Ate Dinner (which was late all 3 Nights), It was time for a game that probably was the most Over-Stimulating called Magiquest (Pronounced “Mag-I-Quest” as I was corrected many times!) Anyway, This Game of Magiquest required you to buy a Wand and Quest, which was $64, just for reference. And, You wave the wand at certain objects on all 8 Floors of The Hotel and they speak to you or make some kind of Noise. They have a good exercise program for The Kids being that You have to go up and down the Stairwell along the Quest. They named all the floors based on what is on it or just a Creative Name. By The Way, If You go on the elevator with the wand on, You lose Points. Luckily with all the kids running around, They have a thing called “Hibernation Hours” which were from 11:00PM to 7:30AM, and anyone under 18 couldn’t wander the halls without an Adult. But, Those “Hibernation Hours” helped because The Parents don’t have to worry about their kids being up all night. On the 2nd Day, We went on a “Local Excursion”, First we saw My Brother’s Mural that He and his team of Artists did which I am Extremely Proud of Him for, at His University. After we had Lunch at The University; We drove to The Gaylord Texan, which is always My Favorite Place to show visitors who come to Dallas because it too is really big, but a Texas-Sized-But-Not-Overwhelming-Big like The Great Wolf. For Reference, The Gaylord Texan is more for Adults while Great Wolf is for Families with Little Kids. It is also the Texas Version of The Gaylord Hotel Chain. Anyway, After That, My Brother and Taylor wanted to go Rock Climbing, so it was that next. Now, I’ll tell you I have never seen My Brother rock-climb before This Vacation, But I’ll tell you My Brother, Michael is a Fast and Very Skilled Rock-climber but, then again, he was been doing it for quite sometime and He does really awesome at it. So, When climbing walls, it is important to take the job of “Spotter” seriously, so the climber gets up and down the wall safely, unfortunately, this time, the person that was spotting Michael, lost her grip and Michael fell 12 Feet. It is very scary for all of us watching and it really distressed me. Luckily, My Brother is Okay but, he is just stiff and sore. The Time that I noticed that I was Over-Stimulated the most and couldn’t process was whenever we were on The 1st Floor named “The Waterpark Level” or as I referred to it, as “The Activity Level”. Just to Name things that were on the “Activity Level” was The Dragon’s Lair for MagiQuest (which was interesting to watch), An Arcade, A Kids Spa, Food/Snack Place, The Magiquest Shop, Laser Frenzy/XD Motion Theater, and Of Course, The Waterpark. My only Favorite part of that Floor was Ice Cream made by a Robot called “RoboFusion” which I had to Have. Talk about A lot of Stimulation! You could walk down the hallway of “The Activity Level” and see at least 10 Kids having Meltdowns, there was that much! So, It was a fun Vacation, but Way Too Overstimulating for Me! I know I will never go back, I’d rather have The Peaceful Gaylord Texan Personally. Though, Not that I want Kids, but If I had kids of My Own, I would not take them there, but that is just me. After I got home and Life started to finally catch up with Me, I just lost it because I was so overstimulated and My Mind was still processing, What On Earth just happened? I needed to hear a soft song and My Choice was The New Zealand National Anthem. Plus, Lack of Routine or Predictability, Seeing Laura & Taylor for the first time in 8 Years, and Out of My Comfort Zone really did not help at all. All in all, trying to trying the Good in Everything, My Mind shut down and I saw it as Fun but, I didn’t like the meltdown and readjustment after. This is something that I reflect back on for the PTLS Conference 2012 when It was getting overstimulating me and one of the older PTLSers, We left the Lunch Table to find a Quiet Place to Calm Our Minds. Yes, A Lesson Learned about the Limits of What I can and can’t handle. Let me just say that It annoys and makes me sad that My Brain gives me these limits on Sensory Issues going in Me. It makes me feel Excluded, like I can’t do things that Everyone Else because of My Processing. 

Thanks for Reading The Christianville Spirit. As much as the following saying Annoys Me; for the love of goodness, “Know Your Own Limitations”

The Christianville Spirit: My Thoughts on Bullying

The Christianville Spirit

The Spirit that Fills Your Heart & Lifts You Up

July 10, 2013-TCS # 359

So, This Week’s Newsletter is going to get a little Personal, about Something that concerns us all. It is known as Bullying. As hard as it is to say, You can’t go through Life without being Bullied and You have gone through without it, then You are very lucky. Now, I say that, “Concerns Us All” because it concerns not only PTLS Family Members but, also even the rest of us. For Those PTLS Family Members, I don’t mean to scare you in any way, I just want you to know what could be ahead (and, hopefully, it won’t be). As for Me, I was bullied in 5th Grade by a few kids in My Class. One Day, I was just sitting there and then, they started throwing Spitballs at Me. Considering that I had Texture Issues, I didn’t like the feel of the Spit Balls (I mean Who doesn’t). Anyway, It continued day after day while annoying me increasingly. After I told My Mom and My Brother about it, Our Childhood Meredith asked My Mom what would the risk be if she beat them up. My Mom told her what the consequence was and Meredith said, “Okay!” Talk about Support! I remember one day My Mom came to School to have lunch with me and they started throwing spitballs at me and eventually, I broke down and cried; My Mom on the other hand, She literally jumped out of the chair and flew over to those kids. Nearing 5th Grade Graduation, My Mom had a Genius Idea. She went to The Principal and they set up where The Kids that were nice to me (including Meredith) awards, to give the other kids a lesson in how to treat others. It would really help when Kids would ask My Mom about Me because I talked funny or acted less-than My Age (which is common in PTLSers anyway) and she would explain to them that I learned differently and Talked Differently but that was I was Unique, I had something called Dup.17p11.2 or A Duplication of Chromosome 17 (This was before Potocki-Lupski Syndrome was named). By The Way, I think I need to mention about the “Half-Age” thing. It generally said that us PTLSers in the way of age-appropriate behaviors, we are Half Our Age. However, there are times when we are more than our age, for me that is when it is about Geography and When I am Writing. I like to think of it more like this.. When I’m around Kids because there are No Adults to talk to or The Kids Stuff seems more fun, than I act less my age because I am imitating them. However, If I am around Adults (by Adults, I mean above 30), then I act more of My Age or sometimes even above it. So, I’m sure you are asking, “Was School Hard for You?(In The Way of Bullying)” It wasn’t that hard, the 5th Grade was the only time that I had bullies. As For My Advice about it, first thing to do would be to ignore it because they want a reaction out of you. If there are No Reactions, They will not Bully (do tell someone like Parents, Teacher, or Person of Authority); If it continues then, You tell them to Stop; if they don’t then You move toward The Principal (or Someone of Higher Authority). Of Course, On the rare occasion that the bully is an adult, then Kill Them with Kindness. A Big Way of Bullying to Me is Hurtful Words, They hurt me the most. It doesn't matter what Hurtful Word that they say, even if they are joking (which usually they are) it hurts me very deeply and it is something that I never forget. All in all, I conquered having a bully and I know that Other PTLSers can too.

Thanks for Reading The Christianville Spirit. Whether you have a Bully or You are a Bully, Stop Them!

The Christianville Spirit: Thank You to All My Readers

The Christianville Spirit

The Spirit that Fills Your Heart & Lifts You Up

July 3, 2013-TCS # 358

So, The Other Day, I came to a Realization about something. I know that what I’m about to tell you is True, but Sometimes I forget about something important. You See, I have been writing this Newsletter, The Christianville Spirit for a Long Time, 7.5 Years to be Exact. For those that have followed and known me, I have written Newsletter since October of 2006. It started out as an Email to Friends & Family, that had just readers that were close to Me, and I should mention that this was not public. So, once I decided to take a shot at the “Public Realm.” I had to do a few Trial Runs on what site to publish on. I finally settled on Blogger (www.thechristianvillespirit.blogspot.com), the place where I post them now. After 7 Years of Writing, I have added quite a Loyal following of readers. My Mom tells me that I have at least a Thousand Readers but, there is something about the number of readers that I forget..or Really didn’t think was a Big Deal. On My Newsletter, You can comment on My Newsletter and I have gotten many comments on what I term, “The Gold Ones”, which means that it is a Heart-Tugging, Touching, and Inspirational Newsletter. The Thing that I didn’t think was a Big Deal was that I actually should have responded back, Thanking Them for Commenting and Reading This Newsletter, because I Really appreciate them. I noticed this realization when I was reading though all the comments that I had gotten since I started posting on Blogger. For The Record, I have written this newsletter Every Wednesday Religiously (with some exceptions for a few of them) since October of 2007. 1 year later, October 2007, by the way, is when I started posting on Blogger. I have had many comments that stand out like the First Comment that I have in My Record of Comments was from My Grandpa “Popi”, which I didn’t realize at the time, but it was the first and last time that he would comment on My Newsletter Site in His Life. I personally, would count it as the last important thing that he said to me, Regardless of whether it was or not, because he past away 6 months later. One Person left a really nice Comment to My 300th Newsletter and The Launch of My “I Believe In Love” Campaign. So, with that all said, I want to do something I hadn’t done. The moment that You commented, I didn’t respond like I should have. So this goes for anyone who has commented on My Newsletter in The Past and The Future. I want to Thank all of You, from the bottom of My Heart! I Appreciate You taking the time to Read My Newsletter, whether it interests you or not, and Yes, Even taking time to comment on My Newsletter Site. Please Know also that Every Comment does not go unread or ignored, I read them all and I appreciate you for it! For Those who don’t choose to Comment and Just Read My Newsletter, I appreciate that too. And Yes, for those of you that are annoyed by or dislike this newsletter, I Love You Guys too! I thank you all for taking the time out of your busy (or boring) life to come and read my newsletter, and share it with your friends, family, and work place. All in all, I love all My Readers and I thank all of them!

Thanks for Reading The Christianville Spirit. From The Bottom of My Heart, Thank You! I truly mean that!

Here is My Newsletter Address, www.thechristianvillespirit.blogspot.com Share It!

The Christianville Spirit: Include, Not Exclude

The Christianville Spirit

The Spirit that Fills Your Heart & Lifts You Up

June 26, 2013-TCS # 357

So, This Past Sunday, My Mom and I went to a really cool party, It was for one of our former neighbor’s Birthday. You See, when we first moved in to the house we live in Now, 16 Years Ago, we had this neighbor that would always say hello to us and Every Monday, at least, she would bring us a Box of Bagels for all of us to eat. We would hear the doorbell ring and it would be her, giving My Mom the box of bagels along with her sweet saying, “To Feed The Children”(She still takes Bagels to work with her and tell them the same thing) or Just to come over and say Hello and see how we were doing. Anyway, It was her 70th Birthday at her daughter, Michelle’s House. We thought that Michelle still lived down the street from our house, but she had moved to a new house that she built in The Country. She did have a nice house though and a big yard. When we came over, I saw that they were throwing a big party, complete with a Pool, Basketball Court (if you wanted to play), and A Huge Adult Size Water Slide. So, We had a small reunion with Our Neighbor and Michelle, and then, I was off to the Water Slide with all the kids. I had forgotten until the night after the party, that the last time I hung out with them, one of children that had been invited as well called me “The R-Word”, but that didn’t cross my mind at The Party. Because The Kids welcomed me, much to my surprise. I had to make sure to take it slow going on Runs down the water slide because I start getting overwhelmed, My Heart beats really fast, and My Vision starts getting blurry. By The Way, The Slide was an Inflatable one and the hardest part (and, most tiring) is climbing up to the top of the slide, to Slide Down. But, I did have a lot of fun playing with kids, one of them, later on liked the way I jumped and then, slid down and I would go all the way to the end if I was on My Belly. Whenever I was done with the slide and ready for the pool, I would hang out with whoever was in the pool. Now, Don’t Get Me Wrong, I am a Social Butterfly, but sometimes because I don’t know a lot of people and I’m not sure how the kids will accept me or not, it feels a little lonely. One Wish I had was that My PTLS “Brother” and Friend, Tyler (who is in town) was there to hang out with, talk to, and he could join us playing on the Water Slide. Even though, I was having fun, I still felt like I didn’t Belong. Many of the kids were asking me if I still go to School and I said that, “I graduated” and then, they follow with, “Do You go to College?”. You Know, when it comes to talking with Kids, The Topics of Driving and College come up and they have this impression that You have to go to College or else you are considered Stupid. I don’t mind this question when it comes to Parents or Adults because they are truly interested or they understand. I am aware that I cannot live in My Own Little PTLS Crew or “Bubble.” But, If I could, I would feel accepted and have plenty of topics in common to discuss that we like. Don’t Get Me Wrong, I love Meeting People and Socializing, but there are times when I wish I had PTLS Friends around My Age to Hang Out with more often. And, We don’t have to do things that are “Age Appropriate” which we often act either less than Our Age and Sometimes, Because we are Smart, over our age. All in all, It was a fun party with a few moments of loneliness.

Thanks for Reading The Christianville Spirit. Include People, Don’t Exclude People. 

The Christianville Spirit: My Reader's Choice

The Christianville Spirit

The Spirit that Fills Your Heart & Lifts You Up

June 19, 2013-TCS #356

So, My Readers, I decide to do something different for This Week’s Newsletter. You See, On Facebook, I decided that instead giving My Readers topics that don’t always interest them or that they don’t want to hear about, I decided to give you, My Readers, the power to choose what I write. My Choices I came up with were My View on Something, PTLS Related, An Adventure/Trip, A Life Event and An Accomplishment. The Winner, to My Surprise, was An Accomplishment. So, That is what I am writing this week, Thanks to the input of My Readers. Enjoy!

So, To spotlight, one accomplishment would be hard to pick, so I will do a couple of them. In My Head Anyway, This Accomplishment is a big one (although there are bigger). You See, when I was in High School in 10th Grade, The Schedule gave me a sort-of “Job Study Period.”  It turned out that there wasn’t enough to keep me busy. So, one day the Vice Principal assigned me to a very important job, what was known as “Parking Lot Duty.” So, The Vice Principal took me around The Teacher Parking Lot and said, “These Green (Keystone Looking) Tags represent The Teachers and Those 3 white painted lines for Visitors” and he told me that any person who had one of those “Keystone Looking” Tags that parked in the wrong place that I had my clipboard that I had to write the License Plate number. After a couple trial runs, I got the hang of it and I was used to doing “Parking Lot Duty” at the time. Considering that I am Routine Oriented and Am Big On Rules, I was excited about getting to do it everyday. Eventually, though, it caught up with me and My Own Teachers would tell me not to write them up because they took the wrong car to School and forgot their Tag. They helped by describing where the car was and what color. But, to me, I was on The Rules, that and by the time I got out there, I would forget what they told me and without realizing it, I wrote them up anyway. At the end of The School Year, I got 100% Compliance that Year. After many Teachers were wondering, who I was and who was writing them up. I got an award near the end of the School Year for “Parking Lot Duty” that I didn’t even know that I had won. There was an Award Ceremony that I didn’t go to because I thought that I wouldn’t get an award that I got one anyway. So, I personally count that more as a Professional Accomplishment. The next Accomplishment is something that My Mom is proud of. You See, do you remember My Mom and I went to Houston to meet this wonderful Photographer who is now our buddy? This was a while ago, so it is okay if you don’t remember. Anyway, Before we all had our “Model Pictures” taken if you will, We went to a Presentation at the Baylor College of Medicine to show all his photos that he has taken of People with various Special Needs since the beginning. Anyway, after they showed all the pictures, Dr. Potocki & Dr. Lupski, and Other Doctors as well as My Mom joined a little panel in front of Over 200 Medical Students for a program called “Compassion and The Art of Medicine.” Dr. Potocki told me the night before that I could join if I wanted to. When the panel started, I was a little nervous sitting in the audience and then, Dr. Potocki said, “We also have Julie’s Son, Christian here if he would like to come up” and I sat there for a second and I thought, Okay, I might as well. After I sat down with everyone, They had a microphone for everyone to pass around and Of Course, with every question, they passed it to me. Eventually, I got the hang of it and used to them passing the Mic to each person. Now, as My Mom likes to say, it didn’t go without me having People in Tears with the things I said. I even polled the audience to see who looked at people from The Inside (Meaning Inner Beauty), instead of The Outside (Meaning Outer Beauty, like someone’s appearance) and only a few hands came up and I said, “God Bless You Guys! Because We need to see the Inner Beauty of People, Not Outer Beauty.” I told people that sometimes It is hard to see the Inner Beauty because you are too fixated on the outside and Yes, even I have done that a time or two. One of the Most Inspirational Things I said was (as I quote Myself from My Records), “Most People only look at the outside of others. That is all they see and are judged on. You can brush your hair, and put on Makeup, but Someone is still going to tell you, “Man, You Look Ugly!” Then, Of Course, there was the very daring thing I said that My Mom LOVES to Reference, I told Over 200 Medical Students and Doctors that, “Having Special Needs is not like living in Hell or anything.” After the panel was over, I just stood there looking at everyone answering questions and the next thing I had a line of Medical Students and Doctors Thanking Me for being so honest and Asking different questions. So, I’m really proud of this accomplishment because I had to talk in front of so many people. A Minor Accomplishment that I did was that I rode in a “Traffic Helicopter” during TV & Radio 5 O’ Clock Traffic Report and Told to keep my eyes peeled from Traffic Trouble. They were impressed that I knew where I was in all parts of the city. they told me that I was welcome back anytime, that was a Fun Accomplishment! All in All, I am very proud of these many accomplishments in My Life.

Thanks for Reading The Christianville Spirit. Be Proud of Your Big and Small Accomplishments.

The Christianville Spirit: Brotherly Time Together

The Christianville Spirit

The Spirit that Fills Your Heart & Lifts You Up

June 12, 2013-TCS # 355

Sometimes when I write My Newsletter, if I don’t have an idea in what to write because My Head is flooded with Ideas, It blocks the topics from flowing. I ask My Mom for some ideas. But, most of the time, I come up ideas on My Own. I get carried away with all the ideas that I often forget to write a Newsletter about a Fun Time or a Good-Hearted Event until weeks after it happened. For that brings me to a Good-Hearted Time that My Brother and I had..that I forgot to write about! You See, I’m not sure if I told you this but, For Christmas, My Brother got me these “Brother Coupons” or more like “Quality Time Coupons” it was sort of a mimic of what We did for My Mom on Mother’s Day one year, but Anyway, These “Brother Coupons” were keys to spend time with My Brother, after all, between School, Work, and Time with Friends & Family, he can be very busy. So, He gave me 3, A Movie Night (at Home or The Movies), An Adventure (with Lunch included), and “Party Time” where we can go to dinner with My Choice of Our Friends. and, I had used the Movie Night one; So, I had to figure out where I wanted to drive to and I thought we would go this “Deck Park” in Downtown Dallas. My Brother had thought it might be cool if we went out to Mineral Wells to go hang out with our friends and I could watch him Rock Climb (He is a really good Rock Climber now) but, due to the park being closed because of the weather, we decided to stay in town and go to “The Deck Park.” So, for those who don’t know what I mean by a “Deck Park”, there was an architect who saw a divider that goes over the highway, if you will, between Uptown Dallas and The Arts District and Downtown Dallas. The divider, which had been there forever was Woodall Rodgers Freeway (which is a connecter freeway from I-35E to US 75). So, The Architect envisioned a connection between Uptown and Downtown through a Park that as crazy as it sounds, was built over the freeway. In The United States, it is first of it’s kind to be built and it is wild to say that there is a park sitting above a busy freeway. but, anyway. Back to My Brother and I. So, I really wanted to see the park (it is called Klyde Warren Park, by the way) because of it’s uniqueness and because it looked really cool. When My Brother and I got there, We walked around the park, it was really awesome. They had a Playground, Spray Grounds at the Entrances of it, Plenty of Grass Space, Food Trucks, and even a Dog Park with little sprayers coming out. I’m sure during the summer, they have concerts in the park. When we were there, they were setting up for one, although it looked like a contest because there were judges up front. After we checked out the park, I had remembered that there was a BIG sign nearby that I wanted to see and take our pictures. You See, The City of Dallas has created this interactive tourism campaign where they have a Big D and Big G, and it is up to You to be the Letter I. So, you can do different poses as the I and post them to The Internet, namely to the “Big Things are Happening in Dallas” Facebook Page. So, We walked over to that, which was at the Winspear Opera House, I knew that because they showed the Arts District Visitor Center on The News. Next to that, was A very shallow pool of water, I wanted to walk in. So, My Brother and I took off our shoes and walked in the water. It was really cool and funny, My Brother and I acted as if we were walking on Water because the water was that shallow. I saw that the girls near us were doing Ballet-like spins around in the water. I walked around, did a little spin, walked along the cracks, and walked on Water. So, after we played in the water a little bit, we decided to sit and watch everybody and enjoy the surroundings. Of Course, Our Brotherly Time didn’t go without a couple Geography Lessons, Being Goofy, and Having Good Talks. After we walked back to The Park, we watched a little bit of the band playing and then, I had noticed that the clouds were looking dark so, we decided to go back to the car, not a minute later after we got in the car; it started pouring down rain, getting windy, and thundering. I did want to show My Brother where we had the PTLS-Dallas “Texas Round Up” but, because of the rain we decided to get a little closer to home. We stopped at Whole Foods for Dinner, because they have something called “King Ranch Casserole” that I like to have and I had it and it was good! Now I did, in a way, get to see My Brother rock climb a little bit because we stopped at REI to get him Rock Climbing Shoes and Rope. I got to see him do it when he was trying the different shoes on. After that, We decided to head home. All in all, Our Adventure was a lot of fun and it’s always fun to act like a Tourist in your own city, as weird as that way be.

Thanks for Reading The Christianville Spirit. Spend a Little Quality Time with Your Siblings.

The Christianville Spirit: Putt's Hometown Adventure

The Christianville Spirit

The Spirit that Fills Your Heart & Lifts You Up

June 5, 2013-TCS # 354

So, You may remember sometime ago of Me mentioning someone named “Putt.” For those who don’t, I wrote about him in the Newsletter, “An Exciting & Unnerving Week”, He is My PTLS “Uncle” Brent’s Dad who likes to be referred to as “Putt.” Anyway, for a while now, “Putt” has been wanting us to come down to Mexia (Pronounced Ma-HAY-Yuh) to give us a tour of the area and visit a couple places that are Near and Dear to His Heart. Yes, He even gave me a Magazine about the area, so I could have an idea and interest in the area. Anyway, This Past Friday, That is what we did, We took a little Day Trip down to Mexia (or Limestone County, Texas) to see all the places. So, what we did was we drove down to a town called Fairfield, which is on I-45 between Dallas and Houston; and, we parked our car at a nearby restaurant, Putt picked us up and we were on our way on “Putt’s Hometown Adventure.” So, we started driving out into the country, not yet toward Mexia but, around it. The First Stop was a town that you would have to know that it is there, let alone, the significance of it. You See, The town’s name was..Wait for it... Tehuacana (pronounced Tuh-Wa-Can-Nuh). The significance of this town was for three reasons, 1. It was historically home to Trinity University, which now is in San Antonio; 2. It was going to be The Capitol of Texas, however Stephan F. Austin was more popular and Austin became The Capitol of Texas; and Finally, 3. It is home to people that want to start a camp for People with Special Needs in the “Tri-County Area” (meaning Limestone, Freestone, and Leon Counties) called “Christian Creek Retreat.” What is fascinating about this town is that the former-dorms of Trinity University (“Texas Hall and “Louisiana Hall”, Respectively) are still standing. In Fact, They hold weddings and sleep-overs in the former-Women’s Dorm. But, You have to provide your own blankets and you have pay per Night, per Person, and per Bed. Never Mind the cost when you get to spend the night in a Historic Building in a Historic Town. That and Tehuacana could have been The Capitol of Texas and been a big city. Anyway, About The Camp, There are these nice people who want to build a camp for Special Needs People and Their Camp is in Deep in The Country and I mean that! They already have a Therapy Room and two Cabins in the process of being built. Their Land is huge though, a lot to mow, but They do have a Special Garden with many vegetables growing and that is Fascinating to Me, also because I’m used to seeing Fruits and Vegetables already picked and at the Grocery Store; But, not while they are growing. It was awesome to see! My Mom and the Owners got into a really good conversation about PTLS. They were excited to hear about it, because they have a Grand Daughter who may have it and now will get Tested for it. They want My Mom to come and Talk to the Parents and Doctors all Around the Area about PTLS. This is Really Cool! So, after that, we drove into Mexia (Ma-HAY-Yuh, again) for a nice refresher while we continue driving. I should mention that Our “Refresher” was a Sweet Tea at Bush’s Chicken for 34 Cents. Before we had the refresher, We drove past a place that is really Near and Dear to Putt’s Heart because it is a No-Kill & Non-Profit Animal Shelter named “LARAS House.” (meaning Limestone Animal Rescue and Adoption Shelter). He says it is a great organization to help and get involved with. After That, We drove through the Winding Backroads of Texas down to a small town called Leona (Again, A town we miss going to Houston) where we had a nice dinner at a place called Leona General Store, which had a very simple menu; You had a choice of Steak, Pork Chops, or Catfish. along with it came a Salad, Twice-Baked Potatoes and Really Good Dinner Rolls. No Flexibility in The Menu, but that is okay because it was really good! All in all, It was an awesome day spent with our good buddy, “Uncle Putt.” 

Thanks for Reading The Christianville Spirit. Venture Out into The Country, You never know what You are going to Find.

The Christianville Spirit: Christianville Explained

The Christianville Spirit

The Spirit that Fills Your Heart & Lifts You Up

May 29, 2013-TCS # 353

So, I think that The Newsletter I’m going to write is well overdue for those who are either just getting to know me, have known me for a while, and Yes, even My Veteran Readers that have known and followed my newsletter since the beginning, Welcome onto Christianville Spirit Highway! So, I’m sure that you are wondering about Where the Term, “Christianville” came from. You See, when I was younger, like around 4th Grade, I would pace back and forth in the yard when I thought no one was looking or I was bored. I had even Ironed a trail that I paced on. While I was pacing, I would hum the sounds of the road or imagine a different version of Dallas, where the bridge over the Trinity River was more like the Golden Gate Bridge, South Dallas was where the Zoo was (which it actually is) and a city below it, which was a dirty city. I named the Dallas-like City, Christianville; South Dallas or locally known as “Oak Cliff” was considered South Christianville and The dirty city was Elizabethvania (which is presently a much cleaner city known as “Izzyville”). I believe the theory that Elizabethvania was that it was to make the City of Christianville look more attractive and nicer. Now, I should mention that it was no reflection on the actual person that the city was named after. Anyway, After some imagining of the city, I left it alone for a while until I hit a High School Age. That was when I decided to write a list of Information about this “Made-Up City of Christianville” and This is what I came up with..

The City of Christianville is The County Seat of Christian County, TN

The City Of Christianville is along The Tennessee River. Which Mississippi is on The Other Side.

The Highlight of The Christianville Skyline is The Tower of Christian Smith and The Christian-Izzy Bridge. The Christian-Izzy Bridge is Part of The Christianville Skyline, Just as Much as The Tower of Christian Smith is.

Nearby Brooke, TN is Home to Christian Smith. The Areas Around The City Are Considered "The Christianville Metro Area"

The New England Cities And Nor'easter Village. Which is North of Christianville is Christianville's Feel of a Non-City Feeling.

The Newspaper of The Christianville Metro Area Has an Unique Name to it. It is Called "The Christianville Spirit"

Christianville's Basketball Team is called The Christianville Timberwolves.

West Michael Street, In Downtown Christianville is The City's Teen Hang Out Street.W. Michael St. has Plenty of Shops and Chairs for Local Teenagers to Hang Out and Talk.

Christianville's Famous Best Friends Festival is a 5 Day Festival to Honor Christian's Best Friends.Each Day of The 5 Days Is a Day For Each Best Friend. It Is Held on November 16-20 on Friends St.from Brooke to S.Izzy St.

Christian's Best Friends Festival Day List:

Nov.16-Karleen Day{Presentation Of Friends Of Year And 'Parade Of Karleen Frishman'}

Nov.17-Brooke Day{Christian Smith And Brooke Herrick Fair. In Brooke, TN}

Nov.18-Meredith Day{Meredith's Fun Day}

Nov.19-Whitney Day{Wacky Whitney's Play In Downtown Day}

Nov.20-Steven Day{Tigger Parade}

The People Of The Christianville Metro Area Say that The Intersection Of Christianville And Tennessee St. Is The Heart Of Christian Smith

On April 19, 2006. The City Of Christianville Started The Sister Cites Program. The Sister Cities Of Christianville, TN are:

-Karleen City, Karleen-

Michaelville, Michael-

Stevenville, Steven

So, After I came up with that list, The City of Christianville became more real to Me. If You have noticed, My “Made-Up” City of Christianville is in The State of Tennessee. The Reason behind that is because I love the East Coast of The US (along with many other places) because The Smith Family lives in Atlanta and I have always wanted to be there. Plus, Tennessee seemed like a good fit and it sounded more like it flowed when you said, “Christianville, Tennessee.” Also, in the notes, you can see where this newsletter, “The Christianville Spirit” got it’s name. Funny Thing, is that, “The Christianville Spirit” in Christianville it’s self, is actually the City’s Newspaper. So, Anyway, as the city’s reality started to set in, I decided to draw maps of city and Believe Me, I have edited them many times but, they are in detail of the Downtown Area, Metro Area, A Light Rail System known as CARTA (Christianville Area Rapid Transit Authority); as well as The City of Brooke (named after Childhood Friend, Brooke Herrick) which is more like Plano. or More like, Exactly like Plano. By The Way, I should mention to that the names of Cities, Streets, Places, and The Days of Christian’s Best Friends’ Festival are all named after something or someone that is important to me. The Names; Izzy, Meredith, Whitney, Brooke, as well as “Herrick” occur alot in the city because those are the people who I grew up with in “The Jeff Era” (Mr. Jeff is the nice guy that My Mom dating and was there for us when we were kids) and I refer to them as my “Childhood Friends” or “Long-Time Friends.” When I was in High School, My Mom said that I should “Write a Blog” since I enjoyed writing all through School and it started as an Email to Friends & Family about my thoughts of the day or The Events in Christianville. Then, as it grew, I moved it to a Blog Site and now it has thousands of readers around the world. Now, I direct my writing toward Living with PTLS and My View on The World. All in all, I’m always taking requests for topics and I hope you enjoyed learning about My City of Christianville

Thanks for Reading The Christianville Spirit. I really appreciate all My Readers, You are all Very Important to Me. 

The Christianville Spirit: In My Best Friend's Honor

The Christianville Spirit

The Spirit that Fills Your Heart & Lifts You Up

May 22, 2013-TCS # 352

So Today, to me, is a Special Day because of Someone Special. You See, 5 Years Ago My Best Friend Lynee, passed away (I had posted on Facebook that it was 4 Years Ago, but, it was actually 5). Lynee was someone that I was really great friends with when I was in 4th Grade. It was when I was much less social as I am now (Hard to Believe there was ever that time, I Know) and My Words were less clear then. I always like to point out too that she was My First Crush and I didn’t know that to do with that. However, She was one of those friends that understood me, even If I didn’t talk clearly. So, In Honor of the day that she passed away, I gave today a Special Name instead of the depressing name, “Lynee Watson’s Homecoming” So, I refer to it now as “Lynee Day”, which is my day to celebrate her life, even though I only was with her in 2 Classes, in Fourth Grade and The other in Tenth Grade. I even am changing a Street Name in Downtown Christianville in honor of her and put her on the map. Last Year’s “Lynee Day” was not an easy one for Me because it was the First “Lynee Day” after I found out that she passed away (which was 2 Years after She actually passed away). This Year is more about Celebration of Her Life. Anyway, Sometimes when I think of her; I think of those “Master Card” Commercials, Only My Version and In My Words, “A Friend is Easy to Find, A Good Friend is Harder to Find, and An Awesome Friend who You Loved...This is Priceless.” We will always have Friends that we either meet in Elementary School who continue to Travel with Us in our Life, Friends who will become more Special, or Just Friends that come into your life and Stay for a Season. Lynee on the other hand, She’ll be around Forever even though She is in Heaven but, also, She is My Guardian Angel as well. What Kind of Friends do you have in Your Life? All in all, Make the Best of Your Friends. Keep The Great Friends in Your Life and Give them a Special Place in Your Heart.

Thanks for Reading The Christianville Spirit. Cherish, Respect, and Never Let Go of the Friends you love because you never know what Tomorrow will bring.

The Christianville Spirit: Why Do We Have Moms

The Christianville Spirit

The Spirit that Fills Your Heart & Lifts You Up

May 15, 2013-TCS #351

So, As You all know, Sunday was Mother’s Day here in The United States, I say that because Mother’s Day is on a different day in other parts of The World. But, Anyway, Mother’s Day is a very important holiday to Me because of one thing that I am ever grateful for, My Mom, as well as Moms in general. Moms are Awesome! But, Why do we have Moms? Now, I’m sure you are reading this, thinking, “Why do We Have Moms?! What kinda of Crazy Question is that?” and others would wonder and ponder about it. So, I’m going to answer that question, “Why Do We Have Moms?”. Well, Truth is, there are alot of reason why, but here are MY Reasons Why.

1. They birthed us; through hard labor, sometimes, Hours of it. In My Mom’s Case, A C-section that she felt the whole time (the anesthesia didn’t work!)  
2. They are our Secondary Quilt, Beanie Baby, or Blankie when we are Babies (Because We like to Snuggle)
3. They are “Best Friends” when we don’t have any Real Friends and They always will be, whether you like it or not.
4. In The 90’s (And, Probably still now) They are Our Seat Belts when someone slams on their brakes. Even though We already have our Seat Belt on.
5. They are our Protecter, Guard, and Guard-Rail Fence against Evil, Mean, or Hurtful Forces.
6. (If You Let Her Do This One, You are Lucky) They are Your Matchmaker. As in, walking up to the Prettiest Girl around and saying, “Hey, Check Out My Son, He’s a REALLY Good Catch!” and You always say, “Moooom!”. But, You never know if that girl might be the Girl of Your Dreams!
7. If You have a Bully or Hateful/Hurtful Person in Your Life, “Momma Bear” will come out and it will NOT be Pretty!
8. In My Case, If You have Special Needs, Your Mom will go to all lengths to get you what you need, help you in anyway possible, and be there for you when you need her. Even going through many teary-eyed and bull-headed IEP Meetings!
9. They know what is best for You, Way before You Do.

10.          and, Finally and Most Importantly, They are Your Mother and Whether You Like it or Not, They will be the only person besides Your Soulmate that will be by your side Forever!

So, Those are My Reason as to “Why We Have Moms” and I wanted to add another reason of that, In My Case, they are your Road Buddy or Your Chauffeur when you want to go somewhere. By The Way, That is a Condition that Can not be taken advantaged of. All in All, My Mom and I have always had this system where I ask her, “Mom, Why do you do this?” and she answers, “It is in The Book of Moms!”.

Thanks fore Reading The Christianville Spirit. Cherish Your Mom, She is Your Best Friend!

The Christianville Spirit: Ceremony of Letting Go

The Christianville Spirit

The Spirit that Fills Your Heart & Lifts You Up

May 8, 2013-TCS # 350

 So, When I was in school, usually at the beginning of the School Year, I would have to fill out an Introduction Sheet of things about yourself including your class schedules. But, there was this one question that would always stump me and that is “What don’t I know about you that you would like Me (The Teacher) to Know?” It would always stump me because I never knew what to say, after all I’m pretty much an open book to Everyone that I know. So, This Week, I’m going to, in a way, answer that question. You See, Whenever Someone wronged me or In Most Cases, When I Broke up with Someone (or Someone Broke-up with Me) I would do a ritual, in my case, A “Ceremony” if you will. It was and still is My Way of moving on. So, for example, after I broke up with Ali (Ex-Girlfriend the 1st) and Madison (Ex-Girlfriend 2nd), I would grab anything that reminded me of that person and throw it in the trash. By The Way, that can mean Photos, Gifts they gave me, and Anything that reminded me of them. I thought it was no big deal with My Ex-Girlfriends until I did one partly for someone that we’ll call, “Mom X-2.” To Me, it was a big deal this time because I loved this person greatly and at the time, I was not ready to do the ceremony because I am a man of Second (and, Third) Chances and I had a little hope that this person would change but, they didn’t. Of Course, There will always be a segment of My Heart that still loves “Mom X-2” but, she hurt me very deeply and this is what I had to do. Now, I did not do the full ceremony because there were things that she gave me that is very special and still means a lot. But, Sometimes, unfortunately in life, you have to lose things and people; whether they move away; Pass Away, like Grandma Honey’s Dog, Sugar; or They somehow, just forget about you because They have moved on and/or they just got busy with their lives, like some of My Childhood Friends, But, I am a firm believer though, that Everything happens for a Reason, whether you like it (and, You might) or Not. As They say also, that when you let someone or something go, someone or something new will come along. In My Case, In the course of a couple months, I’ve had new PTLS Aunts, meeting new PLTS Family Members, Like Madison from East Texas and Uncle Brent’s Dad, “Putt”; You can’t top it off without occasional and entertaining Skype calls with PTLS Uncle Brent, and finally while I wait for My lovely Soulmate/Women of My Dreams, I have nice and safe “Dates” with Married Women like Monica and twice weekly “Dates” with PTLS Member, Raisbel (who I call, Raisy). And, as for Grandma Honey, She is currently in the process of hoping for the arrival of a new dog(or 2 or 3)! Good Luck with That! All in all, People of all shapes and forms will come into your life and they’ll either stay for a while or forever.

Thanks for Reading The Christianville Spirit. Come into My Happy Life and Hang Out for a Bit or Forever.  

The Christianville Spirit: An Exciting & Unnerving Week

The Christianville Spirit

The Spirit that Fills Your Heart & Lifts You Up

May 1, 2013-TCS # 349

So, This Week has been quite an interesting week for Me, both Exciting and Unnerving at the same time. First, The Exciting News, My PTLS Uncle Brent’s Dad was coming up to Dallas for Business and He wanted to meet us while he was in town. So, He said that He wanted Seafood for Dinner. so, I picked for us to go to Rockfish because it was nearby where he had to go, plus it is really good. So, as My Mom and I were waiting, we see him walking toward us through the Parking Lot (he likes to be called “Putt”. sort of like Popi used to be called, “Bud”) We noticed that, “Putt” looks exactly like Uncle Brent. I should say that “Putt” is a really cool person and he reminds me a lot of Uncle Brent. He lives in a town that only a True Texan can pronounce, Mexia (Ma-Hay-Yuh) and I actually know how to pronounce, considering I was born in Texas. Anyway, We all had pretty much the same meal, Crab Stuffed Flounder with Ponchatrain Sauce; Only with Different Side Dishes. Anyway, The Company was Awesome and We got to teach him all about PTLS and He taught us what he likes to do. We look forward to seeing him again soon. It was a great visit. So, now on the Unnerving Part. So, Many Years Ago, when I was younger, I went to this place down near San Antonio with My Dad, there was a creek and a dam. All the kids, including My Brother, were playing in the creek so, I joined them. As I was walking on the cement slab, which was covered in algae, I walked on it like all the other kids were and I slipped and landed on My Two Front Teeth. Little did I know that several years later, the nerves inside would die and the two teeth became Gray. So, I had to have a Root Canal Yesterday Afternoon and I was REALLY Nervous all week before, including The Day of, and at the time of the appointment. Yes, Another Dentist Story! Anyway, I have never had a Root Canal before so I didn’t know what to expect or what was going to happen. So, On the Day, I also had a Neurologist Appointment earlier than I was going to.  Yes, Two Doctor’s Appointments in One Day! Now, The Neurology Appointment was No Big Deal because He just had to ask questions about My Headaches, test my nerves, and get my my muscle strength, then get an updated MRI scheduled, so I can figure out the Headaches and General Update on My Brain. But, I was more nervous about The Dentist which was going to come after the Neurologist. So, When it was over, we traveled up to The Dentist. Luckily, My Mom was there with some Natural Remedies like Lavender & Rescue Remedy (which I believed, helped a little bit) on the way there and once we got there. So, Once we got called in, I sat down, and got CNN on The TV. It was really nerve-racking because I know that The Shot (The Numbing Needle) was coming first. Again, Luckily, the Doctor asked me while reading my nervous signals, “Are You Nervous about The Needle?”, And I answered, “Yes.”  The Doctor said, “Well, We can do it without it if You want”. I was more worried about The Needle and If I had it without The Needle, It might hurt worse. However, I reminded Myself and The Doctor that the root was already dead, so I didn’t think I would feel it and I didn’t! It felt very weird like pressure on the teeth, when they were drilling. the only thing that got me was that I gagged when they were trying to take the X-Ray in the middle of The Procedure. It also helped that I was surrounded by Pretty Women, one being My Mom rubbing My Legs to keep me calm through the whole procedure. All in all, It was so much better than the needle and No Pain!

Thanks for Reading The Christianville Spirit. As The Much Over-Used Saying goes, “Keep Calm, It’s Just a Root Canal!”  

The Christianville Spirit: Faith in Humanity

The Christianville Spirit

The Spirit that Fills Your Heart & Lifts You Up

April 24, 2013-TCS # 348

So, Everyone, This Week I feel the need to tell you something that I haven’t told you yet but, Our Family knows about. You See, The Month of April, it is not My Favorite Month at all. I’m Sure in every Family, they have that, “Bad Luck Month” of the year that they dread and for My Family, that is April. The Reason behind it is that it just seems that if something is going to go wrong, it’s going to be in April. It seems like there is almost a pattern because Members in the Smith Family have pasted away  in April, only on different days of different years, it seems 2 Years apart from each other. But, Moving On. This Month in the way of The World, has been one of the those “Bad Luck Months” because of the Boston Bombing, The Fertilizer Plant in West, The Loss of a Childhood Friend who is busy with her own life and left mine, and Another Death in Our Family,  But even in past years, like in Waco, Oklahoma City, Evil was been all around us and not enough kindness. We have lost faith in Humanity. I believe that we are in need of Faith; But, Not just Faith in God, but also Faith in Humanity. So, onto the Lighter Note we go! I’m going to tell you a little story that will hopefully lift your spirit, Quite Literally, I just thought of. So, I’m sure that most of the you in The PTLS Family have heard of Delaware Dave’s Walk and this is a true symbol of Humanity! For those of you who don’t know, We have a friend who is the uncle of a PTLS Child, who, is as I write, is Spending The Nights and Days on the PCT while raising money for The PTLS Foundation. PCT, by the way means Pacific Crest Trail. Anyway, Delaware Dave is wanting to achieve his dream doing something called “The Triple Crown” which means you “Thru-Hike” the 3 Major National Scenic Trails, The Appalachian Trail (which he did two years ago), Continental Divide Trail, and The Pacific Crest Trail (which he is doing now). To Be Honest, I know more about The Appalachian Trail (or The AT) than Pacific Crest Trail. But, The System of Helping People is the same. You See, There are People who are known to Thru-Hikers as “Trail Angels.” These “Trail Angels” are people who take time out of their busy schedules to help Hikers either get to The Trail or help them on The Trail. They volunteer, if you will, their lives to do things such as provide a ride from The Airport to The Trail, sometimes even inviting them to spend the night for the Thru-Hiker to get some Rest, Food, and a Shower. Now, For The Record, to You and I, A shower and food is something that we have everyday. However, when you are Hiking a Scenic Trail, You go days without Shelter (except the small ones they have or your tent); You can bring Food & Water with You, but it adds pounds to your pack on your back; and, finally a Shower, the only “Shower” you have is the rain and that is something that you would rather NOT have while walking outside in the elements. So, These “Trail Angels”, help provide those things to the hiker. As strange as it sounds, these strangers will let you come to their house, eat their food, sleep in their bed, and use their shower; for most people, that would be very daring, but these people do it. However, they go further than that, at least on The Pacific Crest Trail. Because it goes through desert of the first segment of it, I know this from the pictures from Delaware Dave’s Trip, “Trail Angels” leave what Delaware Dave affectionately calls “Trail Cache”, meaning, putting a large jug of Water at different spots along the trail, for those thirsty hikers walking the desert, heading toward Canada (Northbound or “NoBo” on The PCT) or Going toward Mexico (Southbound or “SoBo” on The PCT). Thru-Hikers also call all this help as “Trail Magic”, It goes with the theory that if You, the Trail Hiker, Helps someone else in a Magical Way, then it is said that You will get “Trail Magic” back. Same Thing goes with the “Trail Angels”, the more that they do these Random Acts of Kindness, when they finally get on the trail, they will get a lot of, “Trail Magic” back to them. My Point, though, is that People are kind enough to open their homes to a Another Stranger who is a Thru-Hiker. It proves to us, that there are in fact, Good People in This World. So, it brings me to this, how do you become one of the Good People? Through One Random Act of Kindness at a Time or “ARK” as they say in The Movie, Evan Almighty. All in all, Every Once in a while, Someone comes along to restore your faith in Humanity. Among The Bad People, There are Good People in The World and Good Things can or Will Happen to You. All You have to do is, do it yourself, BE The Miracle!

Thanks for Reading The Christianville Spirit. Lift People’s Spirits by Helping Them, Not Hurting Them!  

The Christianville Spirit: Texas Round-Up

The Christianville Spirit

The Spirit that Fills Your Heart & Lifts You Up

April 17, 2013-TCS # 347

So, Before I begin telling you about an exciting event that happened this weekend, I want to mention something to All PTLS Members. As Everyone knows that I Love Meeting New PTLS Family Members, wether they are near by or far. I want you to know that, Every one of You PTLS Family Members are very important to Me as well as Having PTLS, it is an honor. One of the parts I love the most is that, I feel included in a group of People (in some people’s viewpoint, “Strangers”) that I consider My Family. I Love hearing all the different stories of You and Your Children, as well all the many adventures you have had or going to have in the near future. So, with all that said, I’m going to tell you about this weekend. So, a couple months ago, There was a request from a Mom who wanted to meet another Texas PTLS Families So, My Mom came up with an idea to have a more Intimate Gathering with PTLS Family Members that are close by, as in within The State of Texas. My Mom spent the next couple weeks before, trying to figure out where to have it. I’ll say that I am thankful that we picked the place we did. We had many ideas, A Park, A Play place (like a Chuck’e Cheeses, a Bouncy Castle Place, or maybe A Trampoline Place). However, We settled on a Park. Problem Was, WHAT Park? My Mom came upon a Park at White Rock Lake, which is in the Northeast Side of Dallas. Considering that My Mom hadn’t been down to White Rock Lake in many years and I have never been down there, we had to check it out to make sure it is okay. Because, I for one, wasn’t sure it was a good area or not (it turned out to be a great area). It was more on the Older and Prominent Side of Dallas. So, We decided “We’re having it Here!”. I have to say though, it was a beautiful park, on a hill overlooking White Rock Lake, it had a Playground for The Kids and A hill so people could run down to the lake or Just Run Around. It’s name was T&P Park on the “Bottom West” Side of the Lake, across the lake for the Dallas Arboretum. A Note though, Because I didn’t know the area well enough, I just called the South end of the Lake where the Dam was and The Park was, “Bottom” and North End of The Lake, “Top”. Anyway, so This Saturday Morning came and we got down there at just the right time. It was a Beautiful Day, so we knew it was going to be crowded and We got ourselves the Tables needed for The “Picnic PTLS-Dallas Gathering” and We waited for everyone to show up. After a couple mishaps about how to actually get to the park, Everything was in Order. I do want to mention that This Gathering was more based on the Sharing System; I bring stuff, You bring stuff. We were amazed at the things that people brought with them and it was Great! One PTLS Family Member brought a Grill so we could make Hot Dogs. We, of course brought a large cake and fruit. PTLS Member, Mary brought this really cool Pasta Salad that was really good. PTLS Member, Chris brought some yummy queso that I nibbled on a lot and All the other Families brought everything else that we would ever need. I brought My Video Camera so that I could Video Tape a little bit of the gathering. It was really fun though to see all the PTLS Family Members, ones that we have either not seen in a while or have never met. The farthest one that came was from Houston (which is 5 Hours Away). As for the nearby Family Members, I told them, “It’s funny how You are Family and live nearby, but we never really see each other”. We spent nearly all day out there at the park hanging out with Our PTLS Family (“Our PTLS Peeps”, as My Mom sometimes says). After we had enough of being at the park, A few of us decided to go over the Hotel where some of them were staying at and had a Pizza by The Pool. And, No. This time, There were No Polar Plunges from Me. There was another Child though, but none from Me. So, We had so much fun that we plan to make this a regular event, If you want to be a Texan for the day, Come on Down! All in all, The Weather was Beautiful, The Perfect Spot in The Amazing Park, and Happy People, What more could You ask for?

Thanks for Reading The Christianville Spirit. Take your Family and Go to the Park.