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Friday, November 12, 2010

A Tall Tale

I knew I was going to be very busy this week and intended to put up a few pictures just to be in keeping with my own schedule and what I enjoy - photography, hoping that the pictures I choose, share the love from me to my family and from God to all of us. His gracious beauty displayed on this earth and His outpouring of love.

I knew by Thursday that it wasn't going to be pictures this week, I had a story to share.

My big Sister CC and her son Vinnie (you've seen him before on my blog) came by to visit on their way home from Osceola National Forrest. I laughed so much I cried.

Vinnie if you remember is impaired from a motorcycle accident he was in 25 years ago. His thought process is scattered, exaggerated and very dramatic. He decided a few months ago (after watching a TV show) that he was going to walk out into the woods and exist off of nature, yep he was going to be a "mountain man", never mind that there are no mountains here in Florida. For two months CC has done everything she can to tactfully discourage this.

She finally talked him into going camping alone for 4 days, in a safe place to try out this new life he had designed for himself (oh boy!). She took him Wednesday morning to the national Forrest here, helped him set up camp, paid for his site, showed him where water and emergency electricity was and settled him in. "VINNIE DON'T GO INTO THE FORREST, PICK UP FIREWOOD RIGHT HERE AROUND THE CAMPS. DON'T GO OUT INTO THE FORREST. There are bear, wildcats, and gators. 200,000 acres of Forrest to get lost in, DON'T GO OUT OF THE CAMPSITE".

OH YEA! 3:30AM she gets a call from the police in Sanderson. They found him wandering down highway 90. Lost, confused, scared with his clothes all ripped up from running through brush in the pitch dark. He couldn't speak clearly, he couldn't think, "call my mom CW", call my mom. That's all he could say.

Because of his appearance, his impaired speech, his panic, they thought the worst and were arresting him and sending him to a hospital under the authorization of the psychiatrist with the police force. Aye Aye Aye!

It took her over an hour to get there and then explain him out of all this. I know you think I'm terrible for laughing but, you have to know Vinnie and you would be laughing too. He had left the campground to collect fire wood shortly after she left him. The calculate he was lost immediately! and struggled in the Forrest for at least 8 hours alone and panicked, in the dark.

You don't know Vinnie but believe me - this tall tale (it grows each time he tells it) will last him a lifetime. He feels like a true adventurer, having overcome the wild all alone with great strength and determination and by his wits only, but for the determination to make it back to camp for the sake of his trusty dog - Tiny, he may not have survived. Keep in mind he is not lying, his mind is not capable of keeping his thoughts and memories in tact.

I know one thing for sure, the Lord Almighty has always taken care of this simple minded man and proved yet again, as this truly was a dangerous situation, that God loves him. I know for sure, and I'm sure also that God is laughing as hard as I am as he hears Vinnie stretch his tall tale and recognizes all the pleasure Vinnie will get from this.

By the way, Vinnie said he's never going camping again, never. He never even wants to see a tree again (LOL) he has decided firmly that a "mountain man" is NOT what he wants to be when he grows up (he is 40), whatever he is going to be is going to be something he can do without ever leaving his own front yard again.

Love you Vinnie and thank You Father for protecting him, again. Amen

3 comments:

  1. You have to admit that our family if full of crazy characters. All except you and me, of course!

    Love you,
    Jean

    ReplyDelete
  2. Absolutely, you and me, riiiight!

    ReplyDelete
  3. What a delightful story (knowing of course that it came out with a happy ending)

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