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 Welcomes... David S. Harkins |
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Recent Speech from 12/28/2005 MY BIO My story begins one cold winter night in early January of 1951 when I was conceived. You see I do believe I have had bipolar disorder since before birth. As Popolus and Popolus state in there excellent book "THE BIPOLAR CHILD", I was wired for this illness and displayed atributes of it while still in my mother's womb. From an early age as my Aunt Jean loves to recall, I true to my self given nickname "TheStoryTeller" started telling my "tall tales" and gibber gabbered my way through life. I have as I like to say been "wired for sound" from day one, conception, and have and constantly due exibit symptoms of my Bipolar I Disorder hence my other self imposed title, TheBipolarOne. My earliest and some of my fondest memories are from the summer before I entered the first grade at Baden Elementary School in Baden, Pennsylvania, where as a tyke of only four years of age, I dreamed up many many fantastic adventures and lived in the fantasy world that only a bipolar innocent child can live. This was actually one of the most creative times of my life and is only dwarfed in comparison to my writings of today from my 50th birthday until now at 54 by the enhancement and perspective and slant that 50 or so years of life have put on my early dreams. I remember wonderful trips to central Florida in the fifties and early sixties when central Florida was so to speak still in the South. Of idylic times of pure wonderment and fun and of times of pure terror and dismay followed by comfort and reassuring love mainly from my mother and my Uncle Paul. Through it all I grew into a young adolescent when in 1963 my family permanently moved to Altamonte Springs, FL and my whole world changed a did most peoples worlds in our land and especially in central Florida. If you remember 1964 was the British Invasion in rock and pop music and the Beatles and the Stones and others permanetly changed our pop culture. Also this was the beginning of two other social upheavals in our country, The Viet Nam War and The Civil Rights Movement. To better understand this era I hightly recommend you watch Forrest Gump, the movie. Yes, I went through my "Rights of Passage" in this place and at that time. It seems to me looking back that although as most teenagers of that era did, I had a wonderful time, even though tragedy and death and separation were always lurking at my door until well past my 21st birthday. You see, first my parents got divorced and some fast friends of first my cousin and then my brother and even myself were called away due to vehicular accidents or the war or drug overdoses etc. Then the tremendous blows in the 70's of my mother's murder at the hands of her estranged second husband and the seemingly endless deaths of what seemed to me at the time all of my loved ones that cared for me. Somehow I made it through the 60's and early 70's and even earned my AA degree at tiny Florida College in Temple Terrace, FL as this is where my dad had moved me and my brother in 1967. Once away from FC I gravitated back to the Orlando area to be near my mother until I dropped out of UCF and returned to Tampa after a mini manic episode to a long dark depression which I only came out of due to the true love and caring of my old black friend from McDonalds, Pam Boykins. This at the time was my "hell raising" to the max period, before my mother's murder and after my debacle at becoming an elementary school teacher. This is when I got the first glimpse of my step brothers, Rick and Bill and truly became independent while enjoying and often fighting the symptoms of my illness. My whole world came crashing down upon me on August 15, 1973 when at 21 years minus 45 days my mother was murdered in the offices of the Winter Park telephone company, a blow that I have yet to conquer. Within 5 years my 2 grandfathers and my dad were all dead from cancer and I was adrift on the stormy ocean of life. Months faded into years and I attempted with the help of the mental health professionals, especially Marsha Lewis Brown, and others from Northside Mental Health and FMHI's EIP program to put Little Davey back together again. I tried this and that and started taking melleril and tranzene and finally took a job at USF in the bookstore which led to meeting the love of my life, Debra Gail Newman, my now double XX wife, and seven years of fat, to steal a Biblical reference, and to unite to create the two most wonderful siblings in the world, Daniel Stephen and Dana Grace Harkins. But alas my illness reared its ugly head in 1994 and soon after I was properly diagnosed with Bipolar I Disorder with Psychotic Features, my wife at the time cut and ran and took my pride and joy, the true reason for living a thousand miles away from me and divorced me for the first time. Now if this wasn't enough, my ex-wife early the next year enticed and seduced me to quit my safe and all important job at USF which by now was senior computer support specialist in the Registrar's Office of USF and drive straight through in the Fantastic Festiva and remarry her and reunite my family, even if it was only for 4 months. You see, after the money ran out and I was exhibiting some residual symptoms of my illness, my wife asked me to leave the day before Thanksgiving exactly one year to the day of the anniversary of our first divorce. The rest is history, how I wound up back in Tampa penniless and manic and proceeded to get trespassed at USF my only home and reference point at the time on into 9 months on county welfare and finally the saving grace of SSDI and onto the long road to recovery. I am now employed part-time at mhc as a Peer Counselor, a Public Speaker for mental health, "TheStoryTeller" a writer and teller of my story, known as Children's Stories for Grown-Ups, and The Best Long Distance Dad in the World. Even though I have a limited and fixed income, I find ways to visit both my children in Sparta, TN and my stepfamily in New Orleans, LA, yes I said New Orleans. We are survivors, all of us. My son is 19 now and is in the National Guard and is married and works a full-time job and is preparing to start college soon. My beautiful daughter Dana Grace, is 14 going on 15 going on 23 and is a freshman at White County High School in Sparta. "They are everything to me, to me, They are everything to me, And all that I wanted to be." For the Lord gave them to me can't you see. Now I am the Vice Chair of the NAMI FLORIDA Consumer Council and applying for my old job back at Northside as Peer Assistant and also applying to become a member of the Vincent House clubhouse in Pinellas Park, FL. I am on the verge of publishing my stories and I am busy everyday about my Lord's work. In conclusion, I would like to say that my journey is on going and that my illness has not in any way prevented me from seeking my true destination one with God and my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I worship and serve my Lord and Master at Bay Area church of Christ in Mango, FL and I constantly have either a prayer or song on my mind and in my heart. Without God I would have thrown in the towel long ago, but with him all things are possible and I will WIN THE BATTLE with Him on my side. The End A BigBigDavid Treastise David S. Harkins dba "TheStoryTeller" TheBipolarOne Another web site with David's poems: http://poemhunter.com/david-s-harkins/poet-88308/  A Magical Field of Dreams By: David S. Harkins d.b.a. “The Story Teller” On this beautiful mostly sunny partly cloudy warm summer day, Ellen and David were out playing together when they came across a field with tall grassy spots and short grassy spots which they both thought to themselves was a perfect spot to eat their bag lunches that their moms had made them. Now David met Ellen the summer before when David's family moved into the house on the hill at 181 Thompson Road Extension which by the way was way up upon the mountain plateau up Fallston Hill going up from the river valley and the river towns of Beaver, Beaver Falls and West Bridgewater, Pennsylvania going towards Ohio. Way up on this rolling plateau David and Ellen went outside and down into the valley carved out by the water to play in the crick (creek for all of you that did not grow up in western Pennsylvania) that ran through the woods in their neighborhood. The crick meandering through the woods, then finally thrusting itself quickly down from the mountain top and flowing into the bottom of the plateau cascading into the Beaver River which plunges over the falls into the now broadening and enlarging Ohio River, where else but near downtown Beaver Falls, to mingle with all the waters that have entered the river thus far. This mingling of waters: David’s crick which flows into the Beaver River which dives into the Ohio River where the river takes its sharp turn south for its eventual rendezvous with the Mighty Mississippi and its subsequent discharge into the Gulf of Mexico way down south by New Orleans, was to David at the time the Eighth World Wonder. Ellen decided that she didn't want to play in the crick any more that day so Ellen and David hiked out of the woods and all of a sudden they found themselves in the enchanted clearing and field of short and tall grass which to them was a field of dreams. Well, actually it was the vacant lot next to the Poister's house and across from Rob Luce's house. Now Rob was David’s best friend. Rob was off golfing with his dad that day or else Rob probably would have been with them. Ellen and David decided to eat their lunches in the enchanted clearing so they went up the Poister's house and knocked on the door and asked Mrs. Poister for a glass of water they explained to Mrs. Poister with much enthusiasm and sheer glee that they had found the enchanted clearing and wanted to eat their lunches there and had nothing to drink. Mrs. Poister was so nice that she gave them each an ice cold bottle of Nehi grape soda and off they went. It was back to the enchanted clearing to eat lunch. Ellen and David both had great lunches as their mothers loved them and would do practically anything for them that they asked. Well, they ate their lunches together and then they moved apart by about ten feet and lay down on the soft grass next to a clump of tall grass and they both must have gone into a dream because they lost all track of time and identity and they were one with nature. Although both of them it seems where in a trance, Ellen and David could hear each other talk and they communicated with each other this way while they lay there looking up into the sky. Now as was said above this was a beautiful partly cloudy and sunny day with a tiny breeze in the air that keep it cooler than it normally would have been on this early August afternoon. After a short minute or two of talking to each other, Ellen exclaimed in wonderment, "David do you see that dragon in the sky?" Well there were quite a few puffy white clouds in the sky and David was staring at one that looked to him like a Pirate sailing his ship. In response to Ellen's query David stated that he didn't see a dragon but that he did see a Pirate ship and a pirate with a magical gold saber and a patch over one eye. "Oh, yes, I can see that one too," exclaimed Ellen. Then she added, “Look to the right of the pirate ship and you will see the dragon.” So David looked and since Ellen and David were somehow bonded in this dream state David too saw the dragon. Ellen and David must have been lost in that magical dream state of a happy trance for quite some time as they kept looking up while they laid on their backs and stared into the sky and saw right before their very eyes; dragons becoming beautiful birds and Pirate Ships becoming chariots of fire and as they gazed into the radiant partially clouded sky each cloud would become something whimsical and magical or even very real and then transform itself into another type of shape and form until the upper winds either whisked it away or it broke up into smaller clouds or vanished all together. Since it was more of a sunny day than a cloudy day it did not rain that day where they were and Ellen and David finally "awoke" from their trance, rose up and looked at each other and stared in wonderment at God's creation. They had witnessed the power of a God that can make mere clouds into anything a little boy and girl can imagine. So off they went to Rob's house just in time for him to get back from golfing with his dad and they told Rob all about their visions in clouds and all Rob had to say was, “Clouds got in his way today because it rained at the country club and we didn't get to finish our round of golf today.” The End A BigLittleDavid Story "TheStoryTeller" All Rights Reserved 2/28/2005 By: David S. Harkins d.b.a. “The Story Teller” One day when the sky was as black as could be, I was taken away from my home on Algiers Point, Louisiana to a safe place in Nashville, Tennessee to ride out the storm of the century, Katrina the Deadly. My name is Megan and I live at 366 Belleville Street in Old Algiers Point on the West Bank of the Mississippi River in New Orleans, LA. This past year has been very hard on us with the storms and all, but I want to tell you that what my daddy told me after we came back to our house and resettled at our old home is true. You see, my daddy told me a truth about life that I will never forget and that I believe in completely. “Mary, pack as much of our essential belongings in the SUV and get yourself and Megan ready for a trip, that hurricane is bearing down on us and we are evacuating, now,” Mark Mead said excitedly to his young wife. Mark was across the Mississippi river working as usual at the university and he had just made up his mind from the last weather report and the mayor’s announcement of a mandatory evacuation that evacuating was the right thing to do. Mark gathered a few things from his desk and secured as many of his computers and drafting materials and office supplies as he could and told Richard, his associate, that he was shutting down the office until after the storm. Richard agreed and gathered up his possessions and went to his bike and rode home. You see, Richard and his brother and mother had decided to ride out the storm in the one story house they lived in on the Point. Off both men went to their respective homes. Mary had done as Mark had asked and had the SUV packed with food and water and clothes and some special keep sakes. Richard came home and helped his brother, Bill, and his mother prepare the house for the storm. Neither man knew exactly what to expect but both made plans to deal with the situation. Now what do you think Megan was doing. Well, she was in the backyard playing with her imaginary kitty, named of all names, Katrina. Yes for a long while Megan had been dreaming of getting a kitty, but her dad and mom had said no for now. When Mark went up the stairs to the Double that they owned he looked around and wondered if it would survive the storm. It seems that he and Mary were in the middle of remodeling their home as many of the young couples on Algiers Point were doing. Mark looked at the house for a minute and wondered what would become of it all and then immediately got down to business and assisted Mary with the last load of belongings, found Megan in the back yard and quickly put her in her car seat. Mary, Mark and Magen were off to Mark’s parents in Nashville. Luckily they got off to a good and quick start before the roads were clogged and made their final destination just before the storm hit New Orleans. Also luckily for the Radners most of the West Bank and Algiers Point did not flood and they were able to ride out the storm and due to the generosity of some churches and then the National Guard they were able to survive both hurricanes that lashed out at the Gulf region. While the Meads were in Nashville, the Radners contended with the new world of post Katrina. Many of their neighbors had told the Radners that they should keep a watch on their houses for them and to take anything that they might need. So the Radners did as told and survived the storms. The Radners and a few other people who stayed, bonded together and did some extrodinary things to keep alive. How thankful they were for the people who sent food and clothing, ice and other necessities of life. Now the true story begins in earnest. The Meads stayed in Nashville for over a month and then moved back to their old home. Lucky for them there house withstood the onslaught of the storms with only minor roof damage and a broken out window. They were issued one of the now famous blue tarps for their roof and became one of the many homeowners with a Katrina Blue Roof. When Mark came back he found out that Richard was one of his neighbors when Mark saw Richard helping another neighbor move back in, something that somehow they had not known before the storms. They bonded in only a way that true survivors of a catastrophe like this can, and Mark went home and told Mary and Megan that it sure did seem that good things happen even in bad times. This was no surprise to Mary and Megan. This seemed very true to Mrs. Mead as she found a wonderful bargain on potting soil that day while Mr. Mead was out surveying the damage. She also noted that she had discovered some family treasures among the things she had taken to Nashville that she thought they had lost. All the while Megan was singing away. Mark finally asked Magan why she was so happy? Megan, gleefully chimed in, “Daddy, you sure are right about good things coming in bad times! Why today when I went to play in the back yard a kitty came up to me and adopted me. Ms. Radner came over and told me that there were many stray cats out now and this was probably my gift from God for being so good. Oh Daddy, can we keep Katrina the Kitty That Could?” In unison her parents said, “of course you can!” The End A BigLittleDavid Story All Rights Reserved Written 11/24/2005 ;void(0)) By: David S. Harkins d.b.a. “TheStoryTeller” About two or three years after Deb and I divorced the second time, just before I went back to work part-time for CCCI and while I was in an expansive mood and Deb was also in a very good mood I, as my habit was, made a trip to Winchester, Ohio in early March for Dana's birthday. If I remember right her birthday was on a Saturday and we had a great time. But this story is actually about as the title suggests, my son Daniel and his athletic prowess or lack thereof. My son, Daniel, is a fine young man today. He is in the National Guard and is married and working a full-time job at the tender age of nineteen. This story goes back to when he was about ten or twelve years old before his mother moved his sister and him to Sparta, Tennessee. You see Daniel was now in the fifth grade and there was a basketball league for them and he was on one of the teams. Not the best, not the worst, just one of the teams. Also as a matter of fact, Daniel was not the best nor the worst player on the team. Now this is the basis of the story. I am now sure that this was the trip where I rented the car for a weekend and then Deb followed me back to the airport as she was not working at this time either, only taking classes at Southern State Community College in Finley, Ohio. We then drove back in her car and I stayed for about 2 weeks. This was partially at the suggestion and advice of my psychiatrist Ishok Komarla due to my constant ideations and expressions of desire to get back with Deb and my family. Dr. Komarla had suggested that we spend more than a weekend together and see whether we really wanted to get back together and could work things out. So that was the plan, I had made my travel plans on Delta to return in two weeks and Deb had agreed to drive me to the airport in time for my flight. Of course I was to sleep on the couch since we were not married and that I did. Well, back to basketball. Since I had two weeks to stay and Deb was on Spring Break at school I spent most of my time with her during the days while the kids were at school. However, Dana had an open house and I got to see her classroom and meet her teacher. Now since I had originally been an elementary education major in college and then secondary before switching to ISS many years later, I engaged Dana's teacher a little too forcefully for Deb and Dana and I guess I embarrassed both of them. Dana intervened and we all got over it and then it was on to the hoops tournament. Deb went off with Dana and I went up in the stands and picked out an excellent spot to see the action. Daniel's team was playing half court with another team and two other teams were playing on the other half of the court. When the game started Daniel was not one of the starting five. He had "warned" me that he was the sixth man and I had told him how Coach Dan Barker from my days of being the Basketball Team Manager at Florida College had always said that the sixth man could be the most important man on the team. This made Daniel feel very special and important and renewed his interest in the game. After what seemed forever, the coach called a time-out and put Daniel in. I thought he would be a guard but he was at Power Forward against a player at least 4 or 5 inches taller than him. The game restarted and our shooting guard proceeded to drop one from 15 feet and then there was a lot of running around. Next the other team took the ball down the court and worked it into Daniel's man down low. He went up for a shot and Daniel hacked him so bad I heard it all the way up in the bleachers. "FOUL Number 13; in the act of shooting 2 shoots. Line it up," Barked out the referee. The other team got inside position and a guy just about as tall as Daniel's man got the inside lane next to Daniel. Now Dad remembered the magic words that Coach Dan Barker had drilled into the shorter FC team many years ago. I immediately started hollering "Block Out, Daniel, Box ‘em out. Daniel looked up in the stands and spotted me and while he was looking the player took his first shot and hit it. It was now a one point game and there wasn't much time left. Now for the second shot and the ball would be in play. I hollered at the top of my lungs block out Daniel, box 'em out. Don't let him get the rebound. Daniel's coach called a time out and I guess he heard me. As the shot went up all of Daniel's team mates put there butts on their player and the guard even covered the shooter and just as the ball hit the rim it came off right for Daniel's man and he still was in better position than Daniel so Daniel BOXED 'EM OUT - He shoved the guy clear off of the court and the ref didn't blow his whistle or say anything and the ball just bounced and bounced and finally bounced out of bounds and Daniel's team got possession and went on to win the game. The two weeks came to an end all too soon and no firm decision was made about reuniting the family. I think that was the longest period of time I have been allowed to spend with my family in the last ten years. Today I bide my time On the Edge at the Edge at 42nd Street here in Tampa, FL. I keep in contact with Daniel and Dana mainly by cell phones and emails. I visit as often as possible but Deb and I don’t see much of each other any more. Daniel as I said earlier is a grown man now and I will always remember fondly the day he BOXED ‘EM OUT! The End A BigLittleDavid Story "TheStoryTeller" dsh Created 2/22/2004 Revised 1/7/2006 Inspired by words said from the sermon preached today! ;void(0)) And a Good Boo Who to You Too By: David S. Harkins d.b.a. “TheStoryTeller” “Mom, Mom, Alan stole my Kool-Aid stand money and he spent it on candy.” “Well, Son, what should we do to him?” “ I think he should not be allowed to trick or treat this year, Mom.” “That’s pretty harsh, Davey, after all it is Halloween and you all really enjoyed going trick or treating last year.” “Well, maybe then he can only trick or treat on First Street and then before dark.” Ok son, I think that is a fair punishment, let’s see what your brother thinks of it.” So Mrs. Harkins went with Davey and found his brother hiding in his room. Their mother told Alan what had been suggested and he hardly protested, knowing that his father would probably whoop him and put him to bed early if he found out. Alan got a grocery bag and started out of the house and as he did Davey looked at his mom and with tears in his eyes he said, “Mom, maybe I’m being too mean to my brother, after all it was only a quarter and we can have a kool-aid stand again tomorrow.” But their mom held fast as Davey and his mom watched as his brother Alan went up and down the street out of costume and begged for candy. What do you know but Alan was able to get a whole bag of candy and he came back with a broad smirk on his face. For some reason Davey was happy for his brother and was amazed at his great fortune and luck. Davey thought to himself, Wow, if Al can get that much candy in just a few minutes on First Street before dark and not even in a costume, I’m really going to rake it in this year. But little did Davey know what was going to happen next. Soon, Bruzzie and Katie came over in their costumes and all three of them laughed and played while their moms talked and planned the evening. Davey was so excited that he started to jump up and down and then it happened. Just as he jumped as high as he could jump, Katie bumped into Bruzzie and fell right into Davey’s feet and all three of them thudded to the ground in a heap. Since she was a girl and all, Katie started crying first and then Bruzzie and finally Davey started wailing away. You would have thought that all three of them were mortally wounded from the sound of it. All three of their moms rushed over and sorted things out and low and behold Katie and Bruzzie were fine but Davey had a swollen ankle and his mom decided that he would have to stay home and not trick or treat. Well, if you thought the crying was bad, when the three amigos fell, now Davey really started to holler and carry on and wail. It might have seemed to a passer by that the end was near. Just then Alan came out of his room and saw that his little brother was hurt and heard everyone saying that Davey would not be allowed to trick or treat this year after all. Alan for one time was pricked in his heart and he said to his mom. “Mom, maybe I can carry my brother on my shoulders and then he can get to trick or treat, too.” “Son, that is a nice thing to say, but you are being punished according to what your little brother decided for stealing his money so I don’t think he will allow that.” All of a sudden Davey stopped crying as he heard his brother’s suggestion and he quickly said, “Oh yes, Mommy, please let my big brother take me on his shoulders and take me trick or treating, I won’t cry any more tonight.” So, Davey and Alan’s mom lifted Davey onto Alan’s shoulders and off they went the seven of them and Davey got three bags of candy one more than last year, since the kids mothers allowed them to go two blocks further than last year as Alan was very strong. However, since Alan was still under penalty of punishment for his bad deed, he was not allowed to trick or treat for himself. Of course, Davey did give his brother, Alan, the apple that the Little Old Lady gave him along the way. When they all got very tired and their moms decided that they had more than enough candy, they all walked home and you know what, miraculously, Davey’s ankle was better and he even helped to carry one of his bags of candy home all by himself. Finally, they all got home and there was Dad waiting at the door. Sure is a lot of candy you all got tonight. I could have used some of it earlier, when I ran out of our candy but all the kids and mothers were so nice they said, “Stan, you don’t have to give us candy we just like the way you try to guess who is in the costumes.” So we all had a great night and we were all tired out, so we went to bed as soon as we could. The next day after Alan got home from school, Davey was admiring all of his candy. Alan came over to him and said. “You know, brother, it was rotten of me to steal your money from your kool-aid stand and buy candy and not give you any of it, here you take the candy that I got on First Street and put it with all of your candy from last night. I don’t deserve any candy at all. Davey looked at his brother, started crying again and said to Alan, his only brother, “Brother, you didn’t mean to hurt me you just wanted to get some candy. I was the mean one and you were so nice to me and carried me all over the town on your shoulders and I’m pretty heavy, maybe we should just share the candy or better yet, maybe we should give it to our church to give to the poor kids who didn’t get any candy at all last night.” Alan just looked at his brother and said, “You weren’t heavy, you’re my brother!” The End A BigLittleDavid Story “TheStoryTeller” dsh By: David S. Harkins It was November now and Thanksgiving was fast approaching. Many of us were just returning to Old Algiers Point after a summer of devasting hurricanes, especially Katrina the Killer. Most of us were not in a Holiday spirit, but a few people started saying we need to get on with our lives and we need to show the kids that life goes on. We banded together and decided to have a Holiday Fest and benefit for the Hubbel Memorial Library and we made plans. Many hours went into the planning of this event and soon it was the week of Thanksgiving. That’s when he arrived on the scene, “TheStoryTeller,” a teller and writer of stories. Actually he was an under employed person with Bipolar Disorder who was on Social Security Disability and was in town to visit his stepfamily. As it was his manner to go to Tout de Suite, more commonly known as Jill’s place to the locals, to get a great cup of Cafe Au Lait with a sprinkling of cinnamon, he soon heard of the planned Holiday Fest. Now there seemed to be one major problem, no one could be found to be Santa. Well, “TheStoryTeller” would have none of that. He went to Jill and offered to be Santa Claus if the town’s people would allow him to tell his little stories to the kids and read some holiday poems. Jill, saw that this was an excellent idea and checked with the organizers of the Fest and it was decided that “TheStoryTeller” would in fact be the StoryTelling Santa for the Old Algirers Holiday Fest. Saturday arrived and “TheStoryTeller” put on the Santa suit that Jill had aquired for him and walked up to the library where many of the town’s people where preparing for the day. He walked in the door and said in his very loud voice, “HO, HO, HO and a Merry Christmas to you.” This set the tone for the day and everyone got into the Holiday Spirit. Soon the first of the little children came scurrying in and were led back to Santa’s throne room. “TheStoryTeller” took each one of them and smiled at them and with more glee in his heart than even they had in theirs he proceeded to ask them what they wanted for Christmas. One by one they told him of their dreams and expectations. Then it was time. Santa got u p and had his helpers gather the kids around and he told them the story of Davey the River Pirate and His Adventures. The children and the grown-ups loved it and everyone was happy. So this fun and frolic went on for hours and later in the day “TheStoryTeller” recited from memory the holiday poem Jest ‘Fore Christmas by Eugene Fields. Finally “TheStoryTeller” led the group in a sing along of Holiday songs with the local community band. So what looked like a bleak and long winter got off to a great start in Old Algiers Point that Thanksgiving of 2005 and “TheStoryTeller” went on to fame and fortune never to look back. The End ABigLittleDavid Story 11/21/2006 HE LOVES ME J. D. Daley Why did my Savior come to earth? And to the humble go? Why did He choose a lowly birth? Because He loves me so! Forgive Me, Lord By: David S. Harkins "Jonathan, what is that in the sky? I'm afraid it will frighten the sheep." "Yes, I see the awesome lights and so bright! Why it's angels singing Hosannas on High!" "Jonathan, let's go down to the city and see for ourselves." said Daniel. So Daniel and Jonathan went to the city and found the young child lying in the manger in swaddling clothes and they praised and adored Him as they knew from the lights and the Angels singing that He was surely the King of the Jews. Now Daniel was a peculiar lad. He was out watching the sheep that night as punishment for stealing a coin from his younger brother who was somewhat of a merchant at a very young age with a pomegranate tea stand in the market place. However, Daniel, was touched by this appearing of the angels of the Lord and what he saw in Bethlehem, but unfortunately he was already caught up in a world of petty theft that had led to a life of crime. You see Daniel was very impulsive and was one that wanted the attention of others and would do just about any thing to get that attention. He came from a hard working family and even did some good things along the way like the time he assisted the man who had fallen into a ditch and couldn't get out. However for the most part, Daniel just couldn't get things right. When his parents divorced he decided to sow his wild oats and when his mother died a few years later he was stunned. He first tried to put his inheritance to good use by taking some schooling, but he soon grew tired of this and joined a band of unsavory men and preyed on the town’s people by night. As he was living his unruly life he heard from time to time about that Jesus whose birth he had witnessed and he even went to where The Great Rabbi was teaching and let one of his disciples baptize him, but he could not shake his penchant for thievery and crime. At times he would want to repent and join the followers of the Master, but being double minded he soon would be cursing and carousing with his lowly friends again. Thirty-three years passed from the time of the special birth and Daniel planned his best heist ever with a group of his peers. It seems that there was going to be a shipment of jewels from Africa to King Herod's court. The thieves plotted and planned and then carried out their heist to a tee. Now Daniel reasoned this way. Jesus the true King's disciples baptized me and I am one of His so I will steal these jewels and give them to the Master, but of course I will keep most of them for myself and become a rich and powerful man in His kingdom and even if He is not the true Messiah, I will be rich. So Daniel carried out his evil plan and was very successful in his gambit. Why Daniel was so fortunate that the other bandits were scattered before being able to get their portion of the haul and Daniel found himself in possession of the entire take of jewels. This caused Daniel to gloat and swell up with pride and feel that God had somehow blessed him. He then went to Judas who he knew carried the bag for The Great Teacher and offered some of the jewels to him to be one of the inner circle of Jesus. Judas who at this very moment, himself, was plotting to betray Jesus took the jewels and told Daniel to lie in wait at the gates to the city of Jerusalem and Daniel would meet Jesus in person and could petition Jesus himself to be one of the inner members of the kingdom that Judas assured Daniel was to be started that very week. As Daniel, departed Judas' presence, Judas shouted to him, "Be sure you bring a few jewels to give to Jesus directly, that will surely sway him to allow you into the inner circle." Little did Daniel know that Judas true to form was setting Daniel up for a fall on his face. Judas immediately after he met with the High Priests to arrange the betrayal of Jesus went to the Romans and for a price he betrayed Daniel and told them where to find Daniel with the stolen goods on him. The Romans came and arrested Daniel and took him to the prison and since Herod was still incensed at the loss of so much of his wealth, Daniel was immediately tried and sentenced to death. The date was set for the next week. As Daniel sat alone in his cell, he remembered that night he had seen the Angels and the new born king and he wept and prayed, "O merciful God in heaven please let me see the Master one more time before I die, for I am a wretch of a man and I fear death as I am lost even though I let them baptize me for I did not follow in the Master's teaching but fell back into my worldly and dastardly life and now I must pay for my sins. But if I can just talk to Jesus I can repent and ask Him to forgive me." Suddenly there was a great commotion in the prison as they brought in a new prisoner. It's Jesus the other inmates were shouting. But no luck for Daniel they took Jesus to another cellblock and soon they took Jesus away for good. Daniel sat in self-pity and knew that he was doomed, that his last chance to ask the Master to forgive him had passed. Early the next morning, Daniel heard that fateful call to start his last journey on earth the journey to Golgotha and his execution for his vile deeds. His companion for the last trip, a very despicable person was also taken and the two of them bantered on the way to their executions. The vile man taunted Daniel, "Hey weren't you baptized by one of those crazy Jesus followers and now you have the same fate as me. Can that water save you now?" Daniel just held his head in shame. The vile man continued, "Why I hear that your Jesus is being executed today also, that is the scuttlebutt amongst the other inmates. If you hadn't been praying to that worthless person all night you would have known that it is all over for Him too." Daniel was all the more grieved as he knew now and was sure now he never would see Jesus again. Then as Daniel approached the Place of the Skull, his execution plot, Daniel saw a meek man who had been beaten and was near death being assisted by another man. Together they were carrying His cross, but Daniel also saw the angels that he had seen 33 years ago in the sky. He looked over at the vile man and said "Look the angels are here to rescue my Lord surely he will come into his Kingdom today." But the vile man said, "Angels, Angels, there are no angels in the sky. Man, you have gone mad with your fear. You've really lost it Daniel." So they raised all three men onto their respective crosses and Daniel kept focusing on the angels, but they did not come and rescue the Lord, however as the vile man hurled accusations and epithets at Jesus and the crowd, Daniel said to Jesus, "I saw you when you were born and I saw the angels and I know you are the Son of God and I see the angels again watching over you, please call on them and let us start your kingdom now, Lord, I don't want to die." Jesus, whispered to Daniel, you must pay for your sins Daniel, as I am paying for the sins of the world, but I promise you, you will be with me in Paradise today for repenting and acknowledging me as your Lord and Master. Then God looked away from the sin on His Son and the angels departed and Jesus gave up the ghost and died and Daniel was alone and Daniel died a lonely man, all alone, but later that day Daniel was with Jesus in Paradise as Jesus had promised. If there is hope for one such as this one who left his first love for the deceitful ways of the world and a life of ill gotten gain, how much more is the possibility for each one of us to be with Jesus some day if we only repent and seek Him day by day? If it can happen to a thief on a cross it can happen to you. The End A BigBigDavid Story "TheStoryTeller" dsh All Rights Reserved Written 12/12/2005 Revised 12/14/2005 Book Titles Available | | The BANYON NETWORK | Betty Byers | Whitlow Synopsis | INNER-VIEWS WITH CELEBRITIES | ECLECTIC REVIEWS | BOOK REVIEWER'S CORNER | The NEWS | SHORT STORIES CORNER | | Return Home | GREAT LINKS | WHAT'S NEW? | CONTACT US | |
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