Beyond Fiction

It’s been a bit since I’ve posted but I’ve been debating about which way to start going a little deeper into revealing ME! I’m still not sure but I am writing so I might as well try and say something!

First off, it’s said a lot but I have to say that I am truly a lover and not a fighter! That doesn’t mean I am a lady’s man, that means I would rather get along than fight! I do love my family (all of them) and it is no surprise to me that I decided to start researching our roots and have something to pass on to my children. The more I research the more I love my family!

When it comes to fighting, I think I had my last “fist-fight” when I was in fifth grade! Shortly after that, my friend that I had been fighting with was ran over as he crossed the street heading toward my house! To this day I still know he was on his way to apologize to me and he was taken from us that day! Shortly after that I decided to live by the words that my teacher told me, “It takes a bigger man to walk away from a fight than to start one” and I have done just that! It is truly amazing at how people will react when you walk away from them. In the long run I have earned the respect of those who were wanting to hurt me just a while before!

Anyways, enough on that subject. What else should I reveal? Here’s one that might surprise everyone! This is not to try to start problems, this is to help everyone who thinks they know me realize that they don’t know me as well as they think they do! Are you ready?

Since I was almost 15, I’ve felt like the forgotten sibling!

What?

First off, I love my little sister! I love her kiddos and I even love her husband! I am so glad that she is here and I know what it is like to be a big brother!

However, for the first 14 and 1/2 years of my life I was the baby of the family! That meant that all my big brothers and sisters were often looking out for me! Most of the time this was good and very rarely I would think I was being suffocated! Either way, it was nice being the baby brother!

When my sister was born, I was just getting ready to enter High School. It was a time when I was transitioning and I often thought that it would have been nice to have had a sibling to lean on. However, I found myself feeling like I was on the outside looking in. My little sister was the new star of the family and everyone wanted to do this and that for her. At the same time, my older brothers and sisters were starting their own families and didn’t have much time for me.

My life followed the typical trail of someone who is feeling lost. I sought out a way to hide from it all. It wasn’t long until I found myself doing drugs, not worrying about school (I had been a straight A student before this) and just searching for someone who wanted to spend some time with me!

I think that this time in  my life would set the tone for what would happen to me later in life. When I say that I mean that I was one of the lucky ones who got away from all the drugs but it was by discovering religion. Of course, the religion I discovered was radical and more enslaving than freeing. The one good thing to come out of it was that I met my wife while in the church!

Anyways, back to what I was saying. I think that this time in life could have been a time when I could have went down a bad street and never came out of it. Instead, I think I was able to discover just how strong I can be by myself. I made a lot of choices during that time. I looked at those around me and how their lives were unfolding and I decided that I would not be that way! Strange isn’t it? I am partying with a bunch of dopers and I’m loathing their lifestyle! I can’t explain it but it was a time in my life that formed who I would be later on.

For my siblings, I love you all! Being where I am at today I can understand that you were pretty occupied with your own families at the time. I hold nothing against you at all! I love you all and I am so glad to have you all in my life, as little as it might be! We are a good family and, even though we have our problems, I know we stand together. I know I can depend on you when I need you and you have proven this to me in the past. I’m not casting stones at you, I’m just stating these things because I want you to understand ME!

When I write, all that is within me comes out. The things I experienced as a child will be reflected in my writing. I can’t hardly say that my childhood was awesome because I feel like my childhood was stripped away from me! Some things I can say and some things I can’t. When I brag on my children, it’s not because I’m saying they are the greatest (my kids have problems just like every kid) but it’s because I rarely had anyone bragging on me when I was younger! When I hug my kids as often as possible, it’s because I was rarely hugged when I was younger!

Yipes, I’ve gone way out there, haven’t I? Let me just bring this to a close! I’ll try to fix this situation later!

Love and best wishes to all!

OK, I’ve promised for a while that I would start writing a little about myself. The purpose will be to introduce my readers to the author of the blog but also to let you get a little insight into my life, perhaps enabling you to understand my lack of posts at times!

So, where to start? Why not the basics? If you haven’t figured it out yet, my name is Ken Spangler. I am 49, married, and have 3 children. My children range in age from 17 to 22. None of them are married at this time. I have one grandson, Isaiah, who will turn 3 in March.

I was born and raised in and around Dallas, Texas. I spent most of my life in Texas. It’s been almost 3 years since we first moved to North Carolina and tried to start anew. The first attempt didn’t work out too well and we were back in Texas in less than 6 months. This attempt has been more fruitful. We moved back to NC in April of 2010 and are still here! Approaching 2 years now!

I work a full-time job, second shift. My hours are from 3:30 until midnight, Monday through Friday. I work the occasional weekend but recently they have been cutting back on OT. Most of my life I have worked in warehouses, driving a forklift and pulling orders or processing orders. Here, I am gaining my first manufacturing experience! I must say that I truly enjoy my current job, enough so that I rarely complain about my job to anyone!

Life is very busy at times. We have one car and all my children live with me at the moment. My son has his own car but my two daughters don’t. My wife has been off work for the last few weeks due to foot surgery but when she is working, we are quite busy. She has to normally be at work around 6 in the morning. My oldest daughter has to be at college by 8 in the morning. She gets out anywhere from 10:45 until 1:45. My wife gets off normally at 2:30. I go to work at 3:30 and usually my oldest daughter goes to work around 4. It means that I sleep when I can, drive my daughter back and forth to college and, if needed, drop my wife off at work and then pick her up! It can get pretty hectic. I’m hoping to solve some of this by getting a second car soon!

On the weekends we try to get away as often as possible. Whether it be driving up the road to Greenville or heading to Jacksonville, we try to find new places to discover in our new environment. We also try to see my grandson as often as possible. It’s a busy life but we are enjoying it.

Recently, I took up playing Farmville again. I know, it’s a time waster but, for me, it’s also a stress-reliever. I just do it to have a little fun. I’m trying to limit my time I spend playing games but I figure if that is my worst bad habit, then it can’t be all that bad!

So, with this initial post, I have tried to introduce you to myself and to my family. I hope that you can start to see some of my reasoning for writing.

In my next few posts, I will try to go into more detail about me! What kind of details? Well, I’ll tell you a little more about me. My good points and my bad points. My dreams and my fears.

I simply want to try to let everyone know more about who I am and by doing so, you will be able to understand my writing a little better.

Here’s hoping everyone has a wonderful week ahead!