Eccles' Stories

              Several years back I had been in jail due to an anger control problem.  I had a problem with  getting angry and then laying my hands on people.  My crime of not keeping my hands to myself did  do me some time in jail even though it was chalked up as a misdemeanor.  I had some mental health problems to go along with it and was ordered to seek therapy.            One of the things that came out in therapy was that I had been diagnosed with Post Traumatic  Stress Disorder (PTSD).  In my case PTSD did not stem from war, but rather being sexually assaulted twice, once at sixteen by a fifteen-year-old male, and the other time at twenty-one by a twenty-one year  old.  Also was the fact that I was institutionalized for ten months in my youth.  Earlier in my youth I  had a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) which could have added to the anger.              I still to this day am seeking therapy, and I feel therapy is a lifelong process.  I have a  psychiatrist which I see on occasion fo

       Reginald came home from Virginia, where he had been for his mother's funeral.  In his suitcase was  packed a red, ragged jacket which read Dad on it.  Reginald took it out of the suitcase and put it on.   His caretaker Dinah, quickly said, "You're no one's Dad."  (Which hurt Reginald).       To which he responded by telling her the following story.  Once upon a time, my mother bought my  Grandfather this nice red jacket with snaps down the front, red and white cuffs, with Dad embroidered  on the front in white.  It was for her dad who lived in Martinsville, Indiana, when she lived in  Oklahoma.  It was to be shipped to him on his birthday, as a birthday present.  He wore the said jacket until the day he died, at which time it was sent back to his daughter in Oklahoma, who wore it.        His daughter moved around the country a lot, and the red satin jacket was used less.  It was the  thought that mattered the most though.  She eventually ended up in Virgini

             It was a cool autumnal morning and Thunder was taking one of his morning walks.  He was en- joying the view seeing the leaves that had changed their colors.   He also enjoyed seeing those that had fallen on the ground.  He feared Winter would soon be there, but there was nothing he could do about  that he thought as he walked on.           Then he came to a circle of animals who was observing a moment of silence.  The problem was Thunder did not understand why.  So, Thunder being a rather small dog pushed his way through to see  what everyone was viewing.  It was only then that he saw a baby squirrel lying on its back.             Thunder did not understand what the big deal was.  A baby squirrel was lying on its back when it should have been up running and playing.  Thunder just shook his head and said, "it's lying around like that is against the natural order of things.  Now you all just get back to your natural lives, and that  baby squirrel will be up jumping

                    I was working at Sipe's Supermarket in Tulsa, Oklahoma, when my Sister and Brother-in- law came and gave me the news that my Grandfather Powell had passed on.  I was so upset that I  almost dropped the crate of beans that I was stocking.  The store manager (whose name was also  Harry), said he would have flora-a-faxed a fruit basket, but he did not know where to send it.                   Harry Powell was a great and honorable man, righteous in the sight of God.  At one time he worked in a furniture store.  From there he started from his basement Powell's Floor Covering in  Martinsville, Indiana.  He was a member of the chamber of Commerce, and from that became the  Mayor of Martinsville, for a short time.                      Yet his greatest achievements came later on in life when he had his two children John &  Sue.  He then became the elder of the Martinsville church of Christ and aided in building it up.  Later  on he helped in starting and building

                            It was a Friday morning and a four-year-old dog named Bella came over to pick  Thunder up to get a new hair dew.  Thunder didn't know what to think since her fur was all purple with pink paws, and a pink tail, what would he look like?  Bella thought Thunder was a chicken for not  wanting to dye his hair but said he could at least get it puffed out to which he agreed to.                          He went to this average looking house that groomed dogs' hair and nails. Thunder was scared at first, because he saw all these young dogs in leather jackets, gold chains around their necks,  and dyed fur.  So, he let the hair stylist know that he did not want any hair color in his fur.  "He just   wanted his toenails clipped, his eyebrows cut, and his fur puffed if that's not too much trouble."                          The hairstylist was named Nappy McGoof and said, "No sir, that sounds quite right for a dog of your age.  Since it is your f

                As Charley got into his white van, he pulled off saying, "send her my love."              Yet none knew exactly who Charley was speaking of.  For as far as everyone knew Charley had never loved a girl before.  Oh, there was the one girl a long time ago when Charley almost got married  to a girl from Nuclear, Kansas.   That, however, was long ago, and far away.  As for now Charley lived  in a small town called Other, Oklahoma, near the Texas/Oklahoma border.               As far as everyone knew Charley had grown old and bitter loving none, but himself and God. You see Charley had been hurt long ago by love.  So, Charley felt it best to leave the game of love to others.  He felt it best to give any love he had to his dog.               His dog was his child, but as for a human companion that was not meant to be.  When  people would ask him why he never got married he would just hang his head and say, "It was never  meant for me.  It was almost once, but th

                                Thunder was an older dog when he made an appointment for a check-up at the  doctors.  It was a warm day in September.  He got into his van for a 2:30 doctor's appointment over on Washington Street.                             The first thing he did once he got there was go to the restroom.  They had an out  door theme to them, with the odor of rain in them.  Thunder liked the odor because it covered up the smell of his bowel movement.  He then washed his paws, and went to see the receptionist Mrs.  Squirely.                              He then checked in with Misses Squirely (a red-haired squirrel), giving her his current address, phone number, and insurance information.  He then told her the reason he was there  was to get a check-up.  He figured if any other problems appeared it would be taken care of by the  doctor.  Thunder had perfect faith in the medical team at the Pet Vaccination Clinic.                                Thunder was shown to a

                  In Memory of My Grandfather, Henry Eccles                 My Grandfather, Henry Eccles, woke not feeling to well one morning.  His wife (my grand- mother), Rose Eccles, tried to decide if she should send him to the hospital or not.  She soon called an ambulance, and then had her daughter take her to the hospital.  Once they got to the hospital they put my grandfather in the emergency room, to watch him, and run tests on him.  At about the time that the  doctor was to admit my grandfather into a room, my grandfather expired.                My Grandfather's Wake was held there in Tulsa, at Tacoma church of Christ.  His funeral was  held there as well miles from where he grew up.   His funeral was held by a man in the brotherhood by the name of Lucien.  We then took his body miles up North to be buried at Nowata (two miles from his old homestead).                   The following Sunday, Dad & I had to go back to lead worship services.  When there is only about fo