There are a few things in this world that I hold dear to my heart. The King James Holy Bible, college football and this flag!
Was I in the military? No, I wasn't, but that was the biggest and only regret of my life. Oh wait there was that time we nearly caught the woods on fire behind my house, long story. Anyway, Labor day weekend is upon us and it just doesn't seem like a celebration for "working people" is cause for celebration. Truth be known as a kid, I always got labor day and memorial day mixed up, always carrying around a flag on both days! I decided to just go with what has worked for my entire life.
For those who have given their lives and for those who have lost loved ones as they defended freedom, you have paid the ultimate prices and provided the ultimate gift, our freedom! THANK YOU! These people, these selfless people are a special breed, they truly are a part of the Enhanced Performance family. They know what it is like to break through the pain barrier and do something because it is what they were called to do! The very premise of Enhanced Life Performance! So why on labor day, am I remembering the ones who have served? Well, since you asked.
Daphne's father, my father-in-law passed away at the end of July. Lawler "Butch" Gatlin was a helicopter pilot. Not just any run of the mill pilot, he flew a cobra gun ship and he dropped lethal napalm, fought in battles and brought special ops personnel into the Vietnam campaign. He fought so we could have freedom.
Of course the napalm likely is what gave him the cancer that ravaged his body, but he lived life every moment he was upright. He literally collapsed in Texas last spring when he went to visit his mother-in-law. He was that kind of guy "don't worry about me, I'm good." When we laid him to rest this summer, I couldn't have known what to expect. I have never been a pallbearer in a military funeral, but as I carried his casket, my throat tightened, my heart pounded and I couldn't help but think of what it must have been like in Vietnam. Flying low, at night not knowing when the next rocket propelled grenade was going to be aimed at you. Nobody celebrated a victory, nobody celebrated our military that worked so hard to bring righteousness to an unrighteous place. All they were doing was serving to preserve the freedom that they knew would be in jeopardy had they not held the line.
Bodybuilding, eating clean, excelling at sports and corporate performance all seem trivial when you are holding a casket, draped in a flag and the body that lay calmly to rest is that of a real hero. Labor Day and a celebration of labor organizations and working people didn't seem appropriate after my father-in-laws death. Rest? He didn't rest when he had to fly one more mission. Work? Is the desk job really work? So
I decided this was as good a time as any to remember a fallen hero.
This man that had ups and downs, highs and lows deserved our respect and that day we laid him to rest, the tears I shed was not in sadness, but in joy of his passing on to a much better life than we know today! The last war will be good versus evil and I plan to fight next to Butch!
Butch, We love you! you were and still are a real man! You accepted Jesus into your life and you tried your best throughout your life to quiet the demons of war and just be dad, or grandpa or husband, or friend. You tried to just be normal! Thanks Butch for the conversation, the intent and glaring stare and most of all your belief in me as a man. Knowing that a man that fought for my freedom thought I was worth the fight meant everything to me! God Bless.
So, yeah that is me, sitting by the pool, enjoying a
beverage
of the adult variety and thanking God for the
men like Butch. The men like Mike, Jason, Sam, Randy, John, Joey and countless others that I am honored to know and call my friends. I get to coach, teach, lead and love as an
Enhanced Performance
instructor and in my work at TekLinks. It truly was what I was meant to do, but on a weekend where college football begins and we get a long 3 days to celebrate Labor unions? Really? Well, I know that I don't get to enjoy this long weekend without men like Butch that I have so much to learn from. These are men that truly know what it is to be in
alignment
with the Holy Spirit and what it means to be called to serve. Thank you for you service and Thank you to all that have died on our behalf.
