My Uncle Robert (copied from my FB post July 8, 2015)

July 8 · Pinebluff, NC · Edited · 

This time of year I think about my Uncle Robert. Every summer I worked in the tobacco fields for him and my Aunt Rosa. He grew the sweetest watermelons and the biggest okra. Uncle Rob always knew where the fish were biting in fresh or salt water. He was a BIG man, with a big laugh and an even bigger heart. The world needs more folks like Uncle Robert.

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• Everett Cornett, Vicki Caudle, Regina Godette-Crawford and 70 others like this.

• Comments

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    Jonathan Frye People like that are getting harder to find nowadays. Great post Joe
    

    Unlike · Reply · 1 · July 8 at 11:36pm
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      Joe Mancos There are folks out there like Uncle Rob John, you just have to know where to look. Oh by the way, he was also the first to take me coon hunting. He was your kinda folk
      

      Like · Reply · July 8 at 11:42pm
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    Frances Mancos He though a lot of you and Bruce, you made me cry. We all miss him so much, he loved his family and he loved life
    

    Unlike · Reply · 1 · July 8 at 11:39pm
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    Fidel Goodnight Prayers
    

    Like · Reply · 1 · July 9 at 8:19am
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      Joe Mancos He passed some time ago Fidel, but I always think of him during the heat of the summer, and that's a good thing
      

      Like · Reply · 1 · July 9 at 8:44am
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    Dana Gatlin Just read this to Gimma....made her cry
    

    Unlike · Reply · 1 · July 9 at 10:17am
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    James P. Marien Joe I have the same thoughts of my Dad, we used to work in the cotton fields in the heat of summer and raid the watermelon patch ! Thought I had it rough then, didnt know I was better off then !
    

    Unlike · Reply · 1 · July 9 at 11:38am
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      Joe Mancos Chief, too bad we live about 900 miles apart... we would probably be fishing/hunting buddies lol
      

      Like · Reply · July 9 at 1:19pm
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    Crystal Abbott Coffman He was an amazing man that loved ALL of his family and such a hard worker. One of the first men in my life that I loved. I see or hear something daily that reminds me of him.
    

    Unlike · Reply · 1 · July 9 at 1:50pm
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    Wanda Smith We all miss him especially this time of year. He was a great man and an even greater dad!! Love you daddy!
    

    Unlike · Reply · 1 · July 9 at 11:05pm
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    Elisa Abbott You're right Joe. This was his time of year. I miss him so much especially during the summer. Thanks for your post. He enjoyed you and Bruce. You were the boys he never had. Now I'm crying too I guess I get it from your Mama.
    

    Unlike · Reply · 1 · July 10 at 12:19am
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      Joe Mancos I think of Uncle Rob in the summer because that's when I was with him most I guess. The same reason I think of Uncle Don the the Fall when I'm sitting in tree stands.
      

      Like · Reply · 1 · July 10 at 12:21am

FULLY INVOLVED: Daddy's Girl (Explicit)

FULLY INVOLVED: Daddy's Girl (Explicit)



The language in this post is VERY rough and VERY Explicit... but so is the job... please overlook the language and read this post. For those of you who have ever wondered, yeah this is real, this is raw, this is what is in our heads. This is what we have put ourselves though for the job. My own ghosts are as real to me as this guy's are to him. I might write a post like this one day... but I can't right now, the emotion is too raw and I don't know that I could get though it...

Remembrance of 9/11/2001 and The Last Homily of Father Mychal Judge Sept. 10, 2001

I know I post the Father Mychal Judge quote every year but ,again this year I am posting The Last Homily of Father Mychal Judge. I Copied it below in it's entirety. For those of you that don't know, Father Mike was the Chaplin for FDNY and was listed as Victim 0001 as his was the first body recovered after the collapse of the WTC. Please read it and remember why we do what we do, and remember that the Heroes of that day knew the possible outcome and still did what Firemen, Cops, and EMS do, they did the job. God bless, and be safe. 

The Last Homily of Father Mychal Judge 

September 10, 2001

FDNY Engine 73, Ladder 42, Bronx, NY 

Good morning, everyone.

May the grace of God the Father, peace of God the Son, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

We come to this house this morning to celebrate renewal, rejuvination, new life.  We come to thank God for the blessings over all the years - the good work that's been done here and especially the last few days.  We can never thank God enough for the reality of the lives we have.  So, standing in His presence this morning, and truly this is a chapel, let us pause for a moment, perhaps close our eyes, and thank God for some special blessings in our individual lives.

Let us pray.

Thank you Lord for life.  Thank you for love.  Thank you for goodness.  Thank you for work.  Thank you for family.  Thank you for friends.  Thank you for every gift because we know that every gift comes from you, and without you, we have and are nothing.  So, as we celebrate this day in thanksgiving to you, keep our hearts and minds open. Let us enjoy each other's company, and most of all, let us be conscious of Your presence in our lives and in a special way in the lives of all those who have gone before us.  And Father we make our prayer, as always, in Jesus' name who lives with You forever and ever.

That's the way it is.  Good days.  And bad days.  Up days.  Down days.  Sad days.  Happy days.  But never a boring day on this job.  You do what God has called you to do.  You show up.  You put one foot in front of another.  You get on the rig and you go out and you do the job - which is a mystery.  And a surprise.  You have no idea when you get on that rig.  No matter how big the call.  No matter how small.  You have no idea what God is calling you to.  But he needs you.  He needs me.  He needs all of us.  

The retirees - He needs your prayers.  He needs your stopping by occasionally to give strength and support and to tell the stories of the old days.  We need the house and to those of you that are working now, keep going.  Keep supporting each other.  Be kind to each other.  Love each other.  Work together and do what you did the other night and the weeks and the months and the years before and from this house, God's blessings go forth in this community.  It's fantastic!

What great people.  We love the job.  We all do.  What a blessing that is.  A difficult, difficult job and God calls you to it.  And then He gives you a love for it so that a difficult job will be well done.  Isn't He a wonderful God?  Isn't He good to you?  To each one of you?  And to me!  Turn to Him each day.  Put your faith and your trust and your hope and your life in His hands, and He'll take care of you and you'll have a good life.

And this house will be a great, great blessing to this neighborhood and to this city.

Amen