September 13th

I don’t think we ever stop thinking about or loving people that have passed away before us. I think the pain of losing them subsides over time, but our love for them stays the same.

The last couple of years have been some of the most difficult years that our nation has ever faced. The economy has been terrible, people are struggling just to make ends meet, and we have had multiple devastating weather events all across the country. I watched a lot of TV on September 11th and it is still difficult to imagine that such a tragedy ever happened.

As many of you know, I have been traveling a lot this year with a new job. I am installing a software for Liberty Tire Recycling and I work for Thomas Womble. I have enjoyed getting to see a lot of this great nation we live in. I have been to Salt Lake City, Orlando, Port St. Lucie, Minneapolis, Buffalo, Lockport, Atlanta, Miami, Palm Beach, and multiple cities in between. I have even been into parts of Canada several times. Although I like my job and appreciate the opportunity, it’s still hard to be gone from home so much. Most of you that know my family know that driving to Sanford and leaving Harnett County for much of my life was considered a “trip”.

A lot of people hear about what I’m doing and think that it sounds glamorous and exciting. Well, it is nice getting to travel and see places, but it’s not glamorous unless you are on vacation. My days consist of me being at the plants and helping everyone learn the software. I have been really appreciative as to how nice everyone has been to me. I have truly met some nice people. Sometimes I eat lunch and dinner with people from the plant. But at night, when you are sitting in a strange hotel, in a city you are not familiar with and watching TV by yourself, it becomes a lot less glamorous.

I am a lot more sympathetic now of people that travel a lot in their occupation. You would not believe how much you get homesick and miss seeing everyone on a daily basis. But at the same time, I always remember to count my blessings and be grateful. I often think about what everyone back home is doing, where they are eating that night, and what is going on back home. As ridiculous as this sounds, I go on WRAL almost every day and check the weather for the week. I have no idea why, I just do. If I hear about storms in NC, I will go to WRAL and look at Doppler 5000 to make sure the storms are not where people I care about are located. I know it has been tough for Maria with me being gone so much, especially since we have a dog named “Charlie” that has to go outside 50 times a day! And when I leave, poor little Charlie don’t know if I am going outside for a minute, if I’m going somewhere for a few hours, or if he is not going to see me for 5 days! Its good too that I have a neighbor named "Art" that is retired from the Navy and he guards my house! He and his wife Elaine are also kind enough to take Charlie "out" a lot of times.

Another thing I do a lot while I travel is think about my father. Deddy passed away on September 13th, 2000. He certainly had times in his life when things were difficult, but he always worked hard to overcome any adversities that got in the way. I miss a lot of things about deddy, but the thing I miss the most is just sitting down and talking to him. He just had an easy way of talking about things. I can’t tell you how many times over the last 11 years that I would have given anything to have just asked him for advice. I read a book recently called “Heaven is For Real” about a little boy that died and went to Heaven. He met people in Heaven that he did not know about and had never met in his lifetime. He also explains that he had conversations with Jesus. It is a very compelling book to read. I often wonder what deddy can see or if he can see anything from Heaven. If he can see things, he’ll know that I always behave and Travis never does. He actually got to see that before he passed away. I can remember his voice in my head like it was yesterday. Every time I think he ever called me on the phone he would say, “Robbie, this is your deddy”, like I did not know that immediately.

I had an appendectomy when I was in college. The night before, I had called home and told them I was in pain but I did not feel that bad. So, Mama called me about 50 times and I finally convinced them that I was OK. During the night, I got really sick several times and at the crack of dawn, Mama called me:

Mama: Robbie, how you feel?
Me: Not too good?
Mama: You going to class?
Me: Not today
Mama: OK, I’ll check on you later.

(Then she calls Deddy and 30 seconds later………)

Me: Hello?
Deddy: Robbie, this is your deddy, we’re on the way

Then he hung up. No arguing, no “how do you feel?”, just “We’re on the way”. Its hard to believe that during that time, we never even locked our doors in the dorm. But an hour later, Mama and Deddy walked in without knocking and the story continues. Mama pointed at my roommate Brandon and said, “Bob, LOOK, Brandon’s hair don’t mess up while he sleeps! That is amazing!”…..and deddy said, “Yeah, he’s got that kind of hair…...the kind that grows on a hog's ass!” Then they both proceeded to laugh AT Brandon and not WITH him! But my roommate knew how they were and he just laughed. That evening, I was having my appendix removed.

Deddy had a good nature about him that allowed him to say things to people that would have probably been offensive coming from anyone else. But Deddy was really tender-hearted and he would never want to hurt someone’s feelings and I think everyone knew that. I also know that today a lot of people are thinking about him. Just like clockwork, I have talked to Maria this morning and Jason early today. I know Mama, Travis, his brothers, his Mama, and the rest of our family think about Deddy today. I don’t know if I’ll ever understand why his life had to end the way it did, but you know, there are a lot of people who have passed away early in life. I always remember that Jesus was only in his early 30’s when he died. I don’t think a person’s life is measured by how many years they were here, but what they did in the time they were. As I travel this country from city to city, no matter where I am in this world on September 13th, I will always remember and appreciate everything deddy did for me. I think there are a lot of people that probably feel the same way.

Father's Day is really a good day. It gives us an opportunity to honor a person in our life that has done so much for us. I know how much my father did for me in his life. When deddy passed away, not only did I lose a father, but I lost my most reliable adviser, one of my biggest supporters, a considerable resource for courage, and a person that always had faith in me no matter what.

Deddy always made sure that Travis and I gave thought to our decisions and strongly
encouraged us to choose right from wrong. I always listened to him, but Travis...well, that was often another story! But when we did not make good decisions, he was not afraid to let us know it. He was not a person that would go into a tirade of anger and yelling. But whether he knew he it or not, he could look at you and make you feel so guilty about something that you never wanted to have that feeling again. I have friends that would have never wanted to let MY father down.

To me, deddy had so many attributes I admired that there are too many to name. His family always came first. He liked racing, he enjoyed playing golf, and he would drink a cold beer if he wanted to. But nothing in his life ever was more important to him than his responsibilities as a son, father, or husband. Deddy never missed a ball game because he decided to stay home and drink beer all night. He didn't miss going out to eat with Mama because he decided he wanted to party. He also did not do things begrudgingly that were everyday responsibilities. He did them because he wanted to.

I think deddy's most admirable attribute was the fact that he always felt everyone deserved a chance. He was willing to help people around him anyway he could. He tried to help many of those people multiple times. I can think of several individuals that he gave a lot more chances than I ever would have.

When deddy passed away, many people said to me "if you ever need any help with anything, just let me know". I have learned as time passed that many people say that assuming you will never ask for help. But you know what, I honestly have a lot to be grateful for when it comes to people in my life that I can talk to. Their are several people that I have turned to for advice and suggestions on many occasion. When I think about those individuals, I know that my father would be very appreciative to all of them.

Nobody lives forever. The circle of life is inevitable. However, I do regret that I did not get to spend more years with Deddy. But I'll tell you this, for 27 years of my life, I had the greatest father there ever was, and for that, I am truly grateful.

Happy Easter Everybody

Well, its that time of the year again. Spring is drawing near, the world is turning green, and “The 10 Commandments” will once again come on television. If you are not familiar with the greatest movie of all time, I would encourage you to refer to my previous blog in which I give a “cliff notes” of the movie. http://k-robsworld.blogspot.com/2009/03/well-well-well.html Or better yet, sit down and take 5 hours out of your life and watch it!

This Easter, I must admit, I write this with a heavy heart. The devastation of tornados that ripped through North Carolina affected many family and friends of people I know. The considerable damage that was done reminds of just how quick a life can meet very difficult circumstances. My Uncle Jamie and his wife had their home destroyed. The Saint Andrews area of Sanford was absolutely devastated. Lowe’s Home Improvement, which is made out of steel and concrete looked like a tin can that had been torn apart. A horse farm in the Broadway area was forced to euthanize 17 horses. It turned out to be the most destructive system of tornados to ever pass through North Carolina. It causes one to wonder why things like this happen at all.


Traveling quite a bit now, I am alone a lot. Although many of you will be astounded by this, but I spend a lot of time reading and thinking. By the way, I also spend a lot of time going into bars and fighting people that make fun of the way I talk, but that’s a different story. I don’t really spend any time dancing because I can turn that talent on in an instant. I don’t know why things happen such as tornados, hurricanes, tsunami’s, typhoons, floods or other tragic events. But I do think there is a reason. I have no idea what that reason is and I don’t even think Uncle Boyd can explain it. However, I do think that from tragedy often comes prosperity. A devastating event often causes people to appreciate a sense of community a lot more. Anytime something devastating happens, I always think of my family and friends. I think we all do. My Mama will drive me crazy during a storm, or a warning of any kind of difficult weather. She probably called me 100 times over the weekend. She also is a bit crazy under normal circumstances in case some of you don’t know. We can be watching the same TV station, at the same time and her interpretation will be completely different from what is actually being said, and its always more extreme. She will actually hear the weatherman say MY ADDRESS from time to time.

Our TV was out due the storms Saturday and we heard someone on the radio say Lowe’s was destroyed. We could not imagine just how devastating it had been until we saw it ourselves. My mother called me and was crying uncontrollably explaining that Jamie’s home was destroyed and they were not sure if they were OK or not. Maria and I rode over there and we could not get near the home. Fortunately, I saw my cousin and he had talked with his father and they were injured but he thought they were going to be Ok. As we rode around Sanford, the devastation was ominous. Trees had been snapped off like matchsticks through entire neighborhoods, homes had being completely destroyed. Cars were tossed around like toys. It was heartbreaking just to look at. Of course, this story was carried nationwide.

It’s incredible to think of the tragedies that happen from time to time. I don’t understand them at all and I don’t think anyone else does either. But obviously, we are simply not to understand everything. Although as a Christian, I am grateful for what Jesus Christ did for us, I think a lot us wonder why there couldn’t have been a different way. Even Christ himself was in anguish as he prayed to his father about what was to come before he was crucified.

I think about the last several years and have a hard time understanding why some of the atrocities happened at all; the earthquake in Haiti, the Tsunami in Japan, multiple hurricanes, and tornados all over the United States. The entire world is having an economic hardship right now. I don’t know why people should be forced to struggle as much as they have the last few years. Not only is it hard for a lot of people to earn a living, its hard for them to keep their house and often eat. Its also hard when you see good people struggling and bad people doing just fine. I don’t think anyone has a good explanation for a lot of hardships in this world. I am not sure if we’ll ever know. I just finished a book about Job and the horrific trials he went through. But Job was not only restored, he was restored with even more than he had before his struggles. But the Lord never did explain to Job what happened. Nor did he commend him for remaining loyal. I do wonder that when Job died, if the Lord explained to him what had really happened.

It’s always difficult to leave home as I travel. I’m not used to being away from home so much. But as circumstances change, so do our responsibilities. But I have a lot to be grateful for and I know it. I am so fortunate and grateful to have grown up with two great parents and a loving family. I am grateful that I grew up in the area I did where people are so willing to help each other. It is wonderful to know that I live in an area that when hardships occur, the community is there to help. When deddy was battling cancer, it was amazing how many cards and letters he received. When he passed away, we had so much food brought to our house there was no way we could have ever ate it all and we tried to make everybody that came to visit eat something. I feel honored to live in an area where people are so willing to be supportive of others during difficult times.

This Easter, I hope that you are all able to have some quality time with your family and friends. I hope that you are able to have some time to appreciate what you do have. I realize that a lot of you may be going through some challenging circumstances, but I encourage you to retain hope. But we all should be realistic. Challenges, as well as obstacles in life are not often overcome quickly. Time gives us reason to believe that there will be a better day. I wish all of you a Happy Easter!

Merry Christmas to All and to All a Goodnight!

Christmas was always an important part of my family. There are so many fond memories that I have of Christmas I could write a book on just that topic.

Like most kids my age, it was not the norm to get toys throughout the year. We might get something once in a while, but it was rare, and it was something very inexpensive. But at Christmas, we were always blessed with the joy of toys, clothes, and all sorts of gifts. I don't think we were spoiled, we were just fortunate to have parents that made every effort to make Christmas as special as possible. Regardless of what we got, we thought it was the greatest gift anyone could have gotten. I remember the Christmas I got my first bike, it was metallic blue. Travis and I got an Atari the Christmas before everybody in the world got one. That Christmas is an especially wonderful memory that I am so grateful for. The year before that Christmas was probably the hardest year financially that my mother and father ever went through but they still managed to make Christmas spectacular. I asked my Granny Ferrell to wake me up after Santa Claus left and about 3:30 A.M., she did! When I turned 16, I got a candy apple red, 67, fastback Mustang. That memory is so fond because my entire family hid at my house on Christmas eve to surprise me. I had the flu and I was really sick. Before I went to bed, deddy asked me to go help him do something for Travis. When I got out to our shop, my whole family turned the lights on and screamed "Merry Christmas"!. There were 2 reasons I got that car: deddy found it by luck, and he got a deal. I really had no idea and I freaked out. To even things out, Travis got a golf cart and they had a blast with that thing for the many years!

Although we did get several presents for Christmas, Travis and I were always grateful. We were taught to appreciate everything we got, no matter how big or small, and that is exactly what we have always done.

The thing about Christmas for me more than anything is that for just a little while, the world seems a little better. Sure, you see people having meltdowns while shopping, but I guess people just become stressed out. Every year, I make a point to go shopping somewhere after I have bought all of my gifts. Why do I do this? Honestly, just out of meanness! You see people shopping that look like they have not slept in 3 weeks, their clothes are wadded up, and their hair looks like it has forgotten to partner with a hairbrush. I love to see the idiots on TV every year that say "I don't start shopping until Christmas Eve!" Can you imagine some of the crap they buy! But even so, the world settles down and has some peace, quiet, and fellowship.

I always appreciate my family and friends more at Christmas. You can forgive someone a little more at Christmas. You are more grateful for just about everything at Christmas. Its just a special time of the year. I always think about how grateful I am for everything. I was born to parents that loved me, I was blessed with a brother that I am close to, I still have both grandmas, I have family and friends that I can always depend on, and I have a wonderful wife that supports me and loves me in every way. I think about deddy a lot at Christmas too. He always enjoyed the holidays so much and I appreciate that more the older I get.

It is really easy to become complacent in our lives and not appreciate what we do have. I'm not pointing the finger at anyone, because I think we all do it. I think Christmas slows us down enough to actually realize the blessings we do have. I have watched an entire industry go through a complete meltdown the last 3 years. I have seen guys that I respect file bankruptcy, switch careers, or just retire. But at the end of the day, I honestly still have so much to be grateful for.

I think Christmas reminds us of the good things in our lives. Because of a child being born in a manger, we have all been given hope. Because that baby grew into a man and gave his life for all of us, we all have an opportunity to be forgiven and ascend into Heaven. That in itself, is enough to be grateful for. So, when the evening gets quiet, and you are reflecting on the day, family, and friends....don't forget the true reason of Christmas.

I wish all of you a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful new year. I pray that each of you find joy through the holidays. But besides the presents, and parties, and gatherings, I hope you all find a sense of peace and appreciation for just how wonderful Christmas really is.

10 Years Gone By

You know we've seen a lot of things the last 10 years that I would like to erase from my memory. 9/11, Katrina, Middle East war, etc. But, you can't forget these tragedies. They are emblazoned in our minds to forever cause us grief.

Deddy died 10 years ago on September 13th, 2000 at 1:30 P.M. I really don't talk about it much because I prefer to think of the good times. I like to think about deddy sitting back in his chair and telling me why Nascar was so much better than basketball, or why baseball players were a lot better 25 years ago than they are now, or that if you want the absolute best Coca Cola in existence, you have to get the 6.5 oz GLASS bottle! We had conversations like that a lot and I love recalling some of them every day. I know when I started working in Raleigh selling real estate, I worked on the weekend a lot. My days off were often during the week. One Monday night we were sitting there watching TV together and he said, "How many condos did you sell this weekend 2?, 3?" He was exaggerating in a positive way hoping I had sold ONE. I said "6". He laughed and said "Nah, really did you sell a couple?" and I said...."6, I sold 6 this weekend" and he said "DAMN!! I'd say that's a pretty good weekend....can I borrow some money?" and he started laughing. But he was proud that I had finally started moving forward with my career.

I often try to think of ways I can help people. The reason I do, is because deddy did it all the time. I knew a lot of things that he did in his life, but what made me respect him even more as a good man were the things I found out he did in the years after he passed away. He was a lot more forgiving of others than I am. He always believed that a person should be given another chance if they seemed sincere.

I tell you what, he could not have been more positive when he was dealing with cancer. He had a funny way of looking at things sometimes. I remember one time he was on the golf cart and he was having a harder time steering it. Instead of becoming frustrated with his demise, he said, "ya'll need to grease this steering wheel when you get a chance, its getting harder to steer!". He had rules as time passed. Immediate family and the preachers were always welcome to visit. But when he really felt bad, he did not really want to see people that were not immediately family or really good friends. There are people I don't want to see sometimes even when I feel great. Another rule was that you better not run out of Kool-Aid or 6.5 glass bottle Coca-Colas. He told me to run to the store one time because we were low on Cokes and when I looked in the refrigerator we had a case! Our TV in the living room ran almost 24 hours a day for the year he was sick. Here is the TV schedule for that year; Nascar, ball games, "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire", and the Western Channel....and that's it. If another channel was on, it just so happened that there was a show he wanted to watch. He liked to watch NBA games only when Michael Jordan or Shaq were playing. He had been a Bill Elliott fan for years on the Nascar circuit. Ironically, not long before he died, Elliott won two races back to back and he had not won a race in several years. Another rule he had was that if somebody did not know where Uncle Boyd was by 5:30, you had better be on the phone finding out where he was. He loved Randy and Sammy too but he could look out the window or ride down on his golf cart and see if they were safe at home.

I think deddy knew his actual situation before anyone else did. But he didn't talk about it. He especially did not talk about it around me, Travis, or Papa Brafford. Around us, he was determined that he would live.

Although I miss my father every day. I am glad he did not see 9/11, or Katrina, or Duke win another national championship last year, which was also tragic. But I do hope he is able to know some good things; we still put up the Christmas lights, Travis' little boy Colton looks like him, we still play golf with Uncle Boyd on a regular basis, and we make "Brafford Farms" wine at Christmas to give away to our family and friends.

My father lived a life that we could all envy. He was wealthy in so many ways. He had good friends, he loved my mother, he had a good relationship with his parents, and he enjoyed being involved with the community in different ways. He made the most of whatever life offered him. I am so grateful to have had the time I did have with my father. I also firmly believe that if we all keep the faith, those of us that miss him will be able to see him again. Ten years later and I can still hear his voice in my head like I talked to him yesterday.....and that is one thing that I hope never goes away.

Uncle Boyd's Christmas Party

Every Christmas for as far back as I can remember, my father, his brothers and their friends would get together sometime before Christmas and just have a good time. They would cook, enjoy some of Santa's "magic" juice, tell stories about each other, and laugh about life in general.

Of course things would change in 2000 because my father passed away. But it changed not in a bad way, but a different way. We knew how important that party was to everybody and we knew it needed to continue. So, me and Travis insisted the party continue and we started going. As the years have passed a few other friends have earned their right of passage into "Uncle Boyd's Christmas Party".

Now let me make one thing clear. All are not welcome, I assure you. You know how the company you work for, or the school you teach at, or the club you are in is obligated to invite the one or two people nobody wants to come? We don't do that at Uncle Boyd's. You are voted in on merit and your ass can be voted out if you do ANYTHING we don't like. There are no "rights", no union, no court or judge involved. Uncle Boyd is the judge, we are the jury and the buck stops there. I like it that way. A very select group of friends who have all earned their medal.

A man's life is often judged in materialistic ways; how much money he made, how successful he built his business, how many cars he had, and how big his house was. But in reality, these things are not as important when you think about life in a big picture. Things that really are important; how did he treat his family?, how did he treat people in general?, what did he do for his community?, what kind of man was he overall? This theory makes perfect sense if you think about it. I have no idea what Henry Ford was worth when he died, but I know he started Ford Motor Company and revolutionized the auto industry. How much money was Abraham Lincoln worth when he died? Mark Twain? How much money did Mother Teresa earn in her lifetime? You see, nobody cares because it is absolutely irrelevant.

I miss my father everyday. I miss him more at Christmas. If someone could have been a real life Santa Claus, it was him. I cannot remember a Christmas he did not do something good for multiple people. That was his nature. Every year at Uncle Boyd's Christmas Party, he comes up several times. Often times we are laughing, sometimes we are serious, but the times that have always said the most about my father are the times when someone mentions something he did good in his life and everyone just keeps quiet for a few minutes.

My father certainly wasn't rich. But then again, he was. If you measured his life in how much money he made, you would say he had been reasonably successful. But nobody really even considers that. What people remember are things he did good, families he rallied to help at Christmas, second and third chances he gave people, patient advice he offered when asked. They remember his laugh and how friendly he was. They remember how dependable he was, how he treated his family, how he treated his friends. My father's life was measured not by money, but by how many people came to his funeral. The church was packed and people were standing inside and outside the church.

I don't know what people can see in Heaven, I have no idea. But I do think he would be glad we still have Uncle Boyd's Christmas Party every year. He would like it when Tony starts singing Elvis Christmas music, he would laugh about James becoming agitated when he gets confused about the card game going on, he would give Uncle Boyd some of the grief back that Uncle Boyd gives the rest of us, and he would talk to everyone and make everybody feel welcome. That was my father. This will be the 10th Christmas he has not been here and I can remember his voice in my head like we talked yesterday. I know he's happier, I know he's well, but I still miss him. For me, he was the one person I could ALWAYS go to for advice. There have been many times when I had to make a decision alone that I never would have when he was living. But that's life and it goes on no matter what. But what I really hope is that some way, he's able to see Uncle Boyd's Christmas Party and enjoy the good times that we still have.

The Ten Commandments

Well, well, well. It's that time of the year again. Spring is coming, flowers are blooming, Easter is just around the corner, and "The Ten Commandments" is once again coming on television!

This of course is my favorite movie of all time. Now, I know for a lot of you that have heard me recite every line from "Silence of the Lambs", that may be somewhat of a surprise. But I think its great. You have to admit, it is one of the most fascinating stories in the Bible and the movie is certainly one of the most dramatic movies of all time.

There are a number of things about the movie that run through my mind each time I watch it. To begin with, the Pharoah and anyone that followed him must have had some sort of learning disability. Now, I can somewhat see the thought process of Pharoah; he had all the wealth, owned the entire city and ruled everyone. But it is still a little hard to believe, that in the end, someone could be that stupid.

Now I am sure Rameses, Pharoah's son, was loving life in the beginning. Here is Moses, the thorn in Rameses' side for so long. His father loved Moses more, his woman wanted Moses to ravage her, and Moses was better at building this great city they were working on. So, when they found out Moses was a slave, don't you know that Rameses was elated! Even then, everyone was ready to accept him. But Moses refused and decided to live amongst the slaves. So then Moses is called by God to be the deliverer and goes to Pharoah to tell him to let the slaves go. Of course Pharoah saw this as preposterous considering they had an army, owned and ruled the city, lived a lavish lifestyle and owned all the slaves. So from there point of view, who was this "God" that Moses worshipped.

At this point in the movie, things start to get crazy. Pharoah dies and Rameses becomes the big chief on the throne. I always contemplate, what if I was one of the Egyptian guards? It would be like this..."Ok, check this out Rameses, you have an army and complete power and this guy has a stick. You threw snakes at him and his stick turned into a snake and ate your snakes. I haven't had a drink of water in forever because its all blood now. Frogs, gnats, and locust have eaten everything but your wife's eyebrows. We all have boils all over us and its hailing fire. And oh yeah, by the way, its been so dark for 3 days that I can't see my hand in front of my face. Seriously, I realize that your logic has been altered since you went on "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" and they told you that a long pony tail on one side of your head would be a strong look for you and your son. But you keep talking to that black statue with a bird's head on it. What has he done so far? Stand there and look stupid while the God that Moses worships kicks your ass? I think so. Therefore, here is my sword and my armor. I am putting on one of those potato sack robes and I am going with Moses because his God is God!" The story would be very different if I lived back them.

But as the movie moves forward from all of that, Rameses' brain gets smaller. Moses TELLS HIM, "the next plague brought onto Egypt will come from your mouth". But super, duper smart Rameses says, "Oh yeah, anymore plagues brought on to us, and I'll kill the first born of every Hebrew family". This is my part again "Hey Pharoah, are you trying to be stupid? Yeah, remember me? I was in your army last week but I wised up pretty quick. You sure you don't want to take that back?" And Rameses says "Nope, I am super smart". What happens? A mean, green fog of death floats through Egypt and kills all of the first born of Egyptian families. THEN, he lets the slaves go. "Well, way to go Pharoah! See, it didn't really take that much to convince you!?"

Next thing you know, the city is cleared out. They were all gone. What was Rameses doing? Worshipping the bird head man to bring his son back to life. At this point I'm thinking "Really?, that's your plan?". Of course his beautiful wife who loved him so comes in, mocks him, and DARES him to chase the slaves down and kill Moses. You would think at this point he would say, "Nefertari, why don't you shut that windsock that keeps flapping in the wind before I go postal." But no, he says, "Oh yeah, I'll chase Moses down and bring his blood back on my sword!" Did the burning bush cause him to reconsider? Nope. Did it cross his mind that it might not be a real good idea to send his entire army into the sea that God divided for the slaves to cross through? Nope.

So, after watching his army destroyed by the sea and the slaves shooting off fireworks on the other side, Pharoah goes home with his gimpy horse. And what does
his sweet wife ask? "Where is the blood of Moses?" Once again, if I could be in this scene, this would be my response..."Ummmm, Nefi, check this out....in case you didn't notice, you just suffered through 10 plagues. Your little boy is deceased. All the slaves have hit the trail, and just to make you aware of what is actually going on, Rameses left here a few days ago with 10,000 soldiers. Unless I have severe cataracts, it appears that he has come home with just his horse and one of Willie Nelson's braids hanging off the side of his head. Does it appear to you that he rode back in with a posture of victory, or of a whooped dog? If he has the blood of Moses on his sword, he found one of his worn out band-aids from that long desert walk and he rubbed the blood on his sword. Moses asked God to divide the ocean, walked through, then walked up the mountain to talk to God. So, you and "silly hair" can go over there and talk to birdman."

But the stupidity does not end there of course. After being in slavery for hundreds of years, then freed, then seeing the burning bush protect them, then walking through the middle of a divided sea, and finally reaching the other side, the people were becoming restless. I have to slap myself to understand this. So Moses goes up the mountain to directly talk to God and be given the 10 Commandments. But guess what, Nathan convinces the people that they need a gold bull to worship. At this point I am saying "What in the wide world of sports is going on?" So then its an all out party. That is until Moses walks back down the mountain with the commandments. My character would now be yelling "I told ya'll he was going to be one angry Hebrew!" So, Moses throws the commandments at them and a ruckous ensues killing many of the people who had turned to sin.

But Moses finally is thinning them out by the end and they are walking like a normal group toward the promise land. But Moses doesn't make it. It is time for him to ride the golden escalator. He got the group there, and then it is up to them. This is why I love this movie.

For most people, you have parents, grandparents, teachers, coaches etc. that make an
effort to guide you and give you good advice. Now I know some adults are not good role models and actually are harmful to children. However, many of us do have people around us to give good advice. Somewhere along the line, we all have at least one person that reaches out to us and attempts to help us follow the right path through life. But just like the end of the "10 Commandments", someone can lead you to the promise land and show you where its at, but the decision is up to you from that point on as to what kind of life you decide to lead.

Have a wonderful Easter and enjoy the the "10 Commandments".