Uncle Gale

Here is the thing about my Uncle Gale: he is Texas tough. For most of his career, he was a firefighter and also worked a second job at the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal as their circulation director. He got me one of my first jobs at the AJ. working the complaint desk on Sunday mornings at 5:00am. This, in turn, prepared me for a career as a therapist as I had to help people keep their perspective about their papers being thrown closer to the curb than to the door and their suspicions that their paperboys were "high as a kite which is the only explanation of why that little twit throws the paper on the roof every Sunday". I remember that woman calling in every shift. She and I had a connection but I digress.

Uncle Gale also took me fishing, drove my grandparents up to see me in his motor home after I defected, and always, always calls me "Sugar." He has a one-eyed dog that got bitten by a rattlesnake and loves his ranch. Last time we were in West Texas, we went out and spent the day there. Mesquite country with some ornery cows but a stark beauty that calls you back.

One of those cows got his head caught in a gate and Uncle Gale got trapped between the cow and the fence. He got the worse end of the deal and is now fighting for his life in the ICU. He has ten broken ribs, a collapsed lung, and internal bleeding.

Here is the thing I know about Uncle Gale. He never backed down from a fight and must know in his heart how much we all love him and all the energy flooding his way. Mom says you can't get to his room because of all the firefighters standing guard.

So, Sugar and Yank are adding their voices to the chorus of folks pulling for you right now. We love you!