Adventures! Seeing Life All Over The World Through The Eyes Of Others ...

　

 

Last photo taken of Tommy just a short time (hour or two) before he collapsed at the beach, died May 29, 2010.

Artwork by Gloria Faye Brown Bates

 

Artwork by Gloria Faye Brown Bates

 

Stone Mountain where Tommy wanted his ashes scattered ... I think his wife scattered them without telling us.  It's sad not to know.  I forgive her for that.  Tommy grew up near here ... so did I.  I was a young girl when I went there to live.

 

 

 

Adventures! Seeing Life All Over The World Through The Eyes Of Others ...

　

I was just looking at scuba diving websites, courses in scuba diving. If Tommy had lived I would have learned to scuba dive. I was so interested in his adventures when he'd take off with a bunch of his friends, go to the Florida (the last place he went to dive) to scuba dive in the ocean. He would go other places and so much has happened and I lived in grief so long ... I've forgotten so much.

I just joined some of the sites/groups so, I can read about their wonderful adventures. I miss so many things Tommy used to share with me. He was so much like me in that he was all the time learning, wanting to do everything, talk to people who did things he didn't ... enjoying hearing their adventures, experiences.

Tommy would have loved all my various friends here ... and been friends with them. From singing, playing music to deep sea diving, writing, drawing, dancing, skiing ... painting ... herping ... catching the invasive snakes in the Everglades ... raising big, beautiful turtles ... hiking in the swamps or mountains to rescuing, relocating alligators or other wild animals, working with wood, photography, birds, training dogs, rescuing dogs, cats ... baking, cooking, driving a truck, nursing, doctors ... making pottery, crafts ... and so on ... everything a person can think of to do ... my wonderful Facebook Friends do it all.

Yes, Tommy would have fit in perfectly with them all. Except ... I look up to Heaven as I say this ... because Tommy may be listening ... but, I have to say it ... Tommy couldn't sing at all!

I am smiling because he thought he could. I would try to tell him he couldn't and he'd say, "you are just jealous, mama". Truthfully ... I look up as I say this ... "no, Tommy, you really couldn't sing!" Neither can I :)

He would have the respect my friends here have for alligators, sharks ... any living creature. He wouldn't kill anything for sport. Skip and I are the same way. We don't harm anything unless it had to be to save someone ... something such as that.

I don't make friends with anyone I think abuses wildlife to make an adventure happen. Nor do I have any use for people who abuse dogs, cats and other pets. I would be just like everyone who is my Facebook Friend ... they do things the right way ... have compassion, care, deep respect. So would Tommy.

Tommy was also, trained in PADI open water emergency rescue. I'm not sure I said it right as I don't scuba dive. He was a natural in the water. I used to take him and my little brother swimming as young boys at the pool.

Tommy used to jump into the lake when we lived at Lake Royale Lake Royale- Louisburg,NC) ... and do something I thought was amazing ... he would swim completely across that lake. I remember once he told me about tiring out in the middle of the lake, gracious! I felt faint thinking a about that ... where can one rest at? He 'rested' in the water ... I would drown.

When he became older he began learning to scuba dive at Fantasy Lake in Rolesville, NC. I'll never forget his air tanks, scuba diving equipment burning up in the house fire that claimed all our belongings. I can still see the air tank ... how it was smoked up, laying on the grass. Life is so sad. I was thinking of how hurt Tommy was.

I love the very real adventures Tommy would tell me about. You just don't see what they got to see in the ocean ... in a lake!

Sharks, sting rays, jelly fish ... all kind of huge ocean life ... ship wrecks, and such lying on the ocean floor. They had to be extra careful around the wrecks ... lot of danger. Their diving equipment could get caught, torn apart ... such things as that.

What is too exciting are the sharks ... aggressive sharks that could appear any time. I'm imagining now! I would have to scuba dive in 'tame' places, ha! Or in a shark cage ... and if a shark began banging the cage ... oh my, I would freak out. I've become most cautious through the years. As a young girl I would have jumped right in without thinking.

This morning my mind has been on adventure. Looking at the photos on my Facebook Newsfeed keep my imagination alive. The photos I get to see are amazing. I'm honored to see the world through the eyes of my Facebook Friends. They live with wildlife, scenery like I've never seen. Thank you all.

Story/photo written/owned by Gloria Faye Brown Bates.