Choices, choices, choices. Making them every day, we usually regret the bad ones yet rarely give thanks for privilege of making them. Ray (Rabbit) Jackson discussed several life-altering decisions, but understands that without every single one - good or bad - he wouldn't be the man he is today or the author of two books.
As a youth, Rabbit never thought he'd be a writer; he thought he'd play professional sports. A gifted athlete in high school, the young man thought he could make a name for himself in baseball. He apparently did just that because while serving in the Army and playing fast-pitch softball, Rabbit received a letter from Gene Autry, owner of the California Angels at the time. Autry wrote that when Rabbit was discharged, the movie star/Angels owner wanted "to take a look at him." Unfortunately, that day never came.
After marrying and having daughter Tonya Rae, Rabbit vividly remembers why and when he first joined the Navy, then the Army because high grades got him into the Army Security Agency. About that time, the Vietnam Conflict jumped into high gear and with conscription (The Draft) in effect, Rabbit and some of his buddies decided "to join and to get it over with," possibly eluding going to Nam. No such luck.
In 1967 the woman who practically raised him, Rabbit's grandmother, died. He remembered burying her, then leaving for Ft. Leonardwood, Missouri, on Halloween. Rabbit explained, "It was a weird night. Kids were hollering trick or treat and there I was, all alone during a frightful time. But the military makes a man out of you early."
It definitely did that as he spent time in Vietnam's DMZ, a supposedly demilitarized combat-free zone between enemies North and South Vietnam, where some of the fiercest fighting and bloodiest battles took place. Rabbit assessed that war by saying the U.S. was essentially there to help another country through a conflict. "We tried to be a referee, but it was sad that we wound up being the primary target. However, that was where I matured," he added.
Coming home a Bronze Star medallist in 1970, thoughts of reenlisting crossed his mind but fearing he'd be deployed again to Viet Nam, Rabbit chose to stay home. Afterward came a divorce, various jobs for the police and Highway Patrol, working for the Southern Pacific Railroad, and driving trucks.
Then a cute girl working at Piggly Wiggly in Ennis caught his eye, yet Barbara was 12 years his junior. What was a guy to do? Age shouldn't be the determining factor, a friend said, so they've been married since 1979, with children Courtney, Todd, Kyle.
While driving a truck in 1980, meanwhile, Rabbit had his first "spell," blurred vision to the point of almost being blind. It passed but then hit again, at which time a nurse told him that "she could sweeten coffee with his finger." It took until 2000 for the Veterans Administration to issue a letter stating that exposure to Agent Orange could cause diabetes as well as many other afflictions. Agent Orange was our military's code name for a herbicide and defoliant used in Vietnam, sprayed on dense jungles to prevent Communist forces from hiding or raising crops. Millions, including Rabbit, were exposed and suffered the consequences. "I take enough medications now to kill a horse," he added.
Other tragedies hit after moving outside Emory as son Kyle, with a budding career as a college pole-vaulter, was killed in a car wreck in 2006. That was after son Todd was shot in the chest during a freak incident but before Barbara underwent brain surgery.
Has this family been through the mill? You bet. But this courageous man started putting words on paper, first by writing about the horrors of war, then by writing about people taking life for granted while overlooking what is important. His two books are Military Police Protection in Southeast Asia and Family Love, Happiness to Heartache. By the time you read this, he will have had a book signing at ALCO in Emory.
Choices? Sure. Rabbit might have played pro ball or waited until the draft, possibly avoiding exposure to Agent Orange. Perhaps a career in the military or a long-term job with the railroad. Coulda, woulda, shoulda.
Rabbit takes ownership of his choices but continues to move forward by writing, enjoying children and grandchildren, helping neighbors, loving his wife but more importantly, living for God. In closing he said, "After all, I have a son (Kyle) who is waiting on me, and I want to see him again."
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Sunday, November 8, 2009
To purchase my books online through my office.
Cost of books: "Family Love, Happiness to Heartache," $28.75 to ship; "Military Police Protection in Southeast Asia," $29.84 to ship. Order either on fb or email me at coachrays1044@live.com. My mailing address is: 210 county road 1278, Emory, Tx.75440. Remember to email me your address.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Link to my books; review or purchase
http://www.iuniverse.com/Bookstore/BookDetail.aspx?BookId=SKU-000130518.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Media Release for "Family Love, Happiness to Heartache"
Published Books
Author/Novelist
Blogspot
Date: October 27, 2009
Dear (Readers)
Raising a family takes a lot of heart. You must have patience, understanding, guidance, and the fortitude it takes to support that family. Kids need nourishing conducive for genetic growth, it isn=t just about feeding them, it is making certain that their health and welfare takes precedence over all things in the home. With this in mind comes Family Love, Happiness to Heartache, a true and very complex story about one such family who laughed, smiled, loved, and cried.
In this story, a young man, Edward Berryhill, falls in love with a young girl twelve years his junior. She is young and naive about marriage, but her love for Edward leads her to believe he will manifest the desire to make her happy.
If a marriage is to consummate two individuals= lives, they both must share in give and take when planning a future, especially involving raising children. Edward and Barbara, although madly in love, were not thinking kids right away, maybe in three or four years, but God can always intervene in couples lives when he feels the time is right. After only four short months of marriage, God surprises the happy newlyweds with his first of many heavenly gifts, Barbara conceives with her first child.
Please accept this complimentary copy of Family Love, Happiness to Heartache and the press materials enclosed. I=m available for interviews or questions any time. Thank you in advance for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Ray E. ARabbit@ Jackson
Author, Family Love, Happiness to Heartache
Phone number: (903) 473-8092
Email: coachrays1044@live.com
Author/Novelist
Blogspot
Date: October 27, 2009
Dear (Readers)
Raising a family takes a lot of heart. You must have patience, understanding, guidance, and the fortitude it takes to support that family. Kids need nourishing conducive for genetic growth, it isn=t just about feeding them, it is making certain that their health and welfare takes precedence over all things in the home. With this in mind comes Family Love, Happiness to Heartache, a true and very complex story about one such family who laughed, smiled, loved, and cried.
In this story, a young man, Edward Berryhill, falls in love with a young girl twelve years his junior. She is young and naive about marriage, but her love for Edward leads her to believe he will manifest the desire to make her happy.
If a marriage is to consummate two individuals= lives, they both must share in give and take when planning a future, especially involving raising children. Edward and Barbara, although madly in love, were not thinking kids right away, maybe in three or four years, but God can always intervene in couples lives when he feels the time is right. After only four short months of marriage, God surprises the happy newlyweds with his first of many heavenly gifts, Barbara conceives with her first child.
Please accept this complimentary copy of Family Love, Happiness to Heartache and the press materials enclosed. I=m available for interviews or questions any time. Thank you in advance for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Ray E. ARabbit@ Jackson
Author, Family Love, Happiness to Heartache
Phone number: (903) 473-8092
Email: coachrays1044@live.com
The Hook for "Family Love, Happiness to Heartache"
Family Love, Happiness to Heartache
Author: Ray E. ARabbit@ Jackson
Your hook is the unique selling point that separates your book from its competitors. Think of
the hook as a 30-second summary that piques the media=s interest.
Your Hook:
Memoir depicts the Nourishing of Children One Day at a Time
In his engaging new memoir, Family Love, Happiness to Heartache,
Ray ARabbit@ Jackson shares his experiences in providing for four
children and his beloved wife Barbara Jackson.
Never before has there been such a comprehensive account of sharing
love, affection, and family togetherness. Jackson writes in vivid, graphic
detail, drawing the reader into the story, providing a snapshot of a particular
lifestyle of raising children - The Berryhills - during a tumultuous time in history.
Family Love, Happiness to Heartache delves into Jackson=s love and dedication
for family and children with an honesty and real-world relevance that you won=t
get from other memoirs.
Author: Ray E. ARabbit@ Jackson
Your hook is the unique selling point that separates your book from its competitors. Think of
the hook as a 30-second summary that piques the media=s interest.
Your Hook:
Memoir depicts the Nourishing of Children One Day at a Time
In his engaging new memoir, Family Love, Happiness to Heartache,
Ray ARabbit@ Jackson shares his experiences in providing for four
children and his beloved wife Barbara Jackson.
Never before has there been such a comprehensive account of sharing
love, affection, and family togetherness. Jackson writes in vivid, graphic
detail, drawing the reader into the story, providing a snapshot of a particular
lifestyle of raising children - The Berryhills - during a tumultuous time in history.
Family Love, Happiness to Heartache delves into Jackson=s love and dedication
for family and children with an honesty and real-world relevance that you won=t
get from other memoirs.
Immediate Book Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For more information, contact: Ray E. Jackson
Phone: (903) 473-8092
Emailcoachrays1044@live.com
Available at iUniverse.com, Amazon.com or BN.com
New Memoir Examines the Impact of Family Love and Tragedy, Seen Through the Eyes of the Author.
Bloomington, Ind. (Oct. 5, 2009)-Grow into maturity, fall in love, get married, join the military, go to college, start a career. In his new memoir, Family Love, Happiness to Heartache, Ray E. ARabbit@ Jackson asks the question, ADo we take life for granted to the point of overlooking the dangers and possibilities of losing what is so dear to us, a special loved one?@ and responds, AWell, the answer is unequivocally yes.@
This is a true story of one young man and one young woman whose destiny looked bright, beginning with their devoted love for one another. How do you know if you have the right mate? You will know. God has a special mate for everyone on this earth, and he will give you a sign when you have met his choice. The same way Edward and Barbara did at a young age. Nothing could stop them from following the trail to matrimony.
After their consummation of marriage, the two lived a life of happiness and adventure. Children were definitely in their plans, but they wanted to get to know each other for a couple of years. However, it wasn=t long after their marriage; the couple started talking about kids. It started out as a gesture of affection for one another, but their complacent feelings soon advanced to reality.
As we live one day at a time, things can go from good, to bad, to worse, to tragedy. With all the love in the world and protection you provide your children, the years you spend talking to them and explaining all the dangers, it can end in one short breath. How do you get through it? How do you overcome the hurt? Follow me into the life of Family Love, Happiness to Heartache, and the after-effects it leaves and how you cope.
Jackson chronicles the truth, yet tragic, and elaborates on one such family that travels a path of vicissitudes, but they never lose sight of togetherness, love, and support. They reached a higher echelon to bring the broken pieces back together.
For more information about Family Love, Happiness to Heartache, visit www.iuniverse.com.
About the Author
Ray E. ARabbit@ Jackson was born and raised in Texas. He served in the U.S. Army from 1967 to 1973 and was stationed in Germany, South Vietnam and Texas. Family Love, Happiness to Heartache is his follow up book to, Military Police Protection in Southeast Asia. He lives with his wife Barbara, and are the proud parents of four children, and grandparents twice.
978-1- 440-16970-0 * 6 x 9 * Trade Paperback * 293 pages * $21.95 *
For more information, contact: Ray E. Jackson
Phone: (903) 473-8092
Emailcoachrays1044@live.com
Available at iUniverse.com, Amazon.com or BN.com
New Memoir Examines the Impact of Family Love and Tragedy, Seen Through the Eyes of the Author.
Bloomington, Ind. (Oct. 5, 2009)-Grow into maturity, fall in love, get married, join the military, go to college, start a career. In his new memoir, Family Love, Happiness to Heartache, Ray E. ARabbit@ Jackson asks the question, ADo we take life for granted to the point of overlooking the dangers and possibilities of losing what is so dear to us, a special loved one?@ and responds, AWell, the answer is unequivocally yes.@
This is a true story of one young man and one young woman whose destiny looked bright, beginning with their devoted love for one another. How do you know if you have the right mate? You will know. God has a special mate for everyone on this earth, and he will give you a sign when you have met his choice. The same way Edward and Barbara did at a young age. Nothing could stop them from following the trail to matrimony.
After their consummation of marriage, the two lived a life of happiness and adventure. Children were definitely in their plans, but they wanted to get to know each other for a couple of years. However, it wasn=t long after their marriage; the couple started talking about kids. It started out as a gesture of affection for one another, but their complacent feelings soon advanced to reality.
As we live one day at a time, things can go from good, to bad, to worse, to tragedy. With all the love in the world and protection you provide your children, the years you spend talking to them and explaining all the dangers, it can end in one short breath. How do you get through it? How do you overcome the hurt? Follow me into the life of Family Love, Happiness to Heartache, and the after-effects it leaves and how you cope.
Jackson chronicles the truth, yet tragic, and elaborates on one such family that travels a path of vicissitudes, but they never lose sight of togetherness, love, and support. They reached a higher echelon to bring the broken pieces back together.
For more information about Family Love, Happiness to Heartache, visit www.iuniverse.com.
About the Author
Ray E. ARabbit@ Jackson was born and raised in Texas. He served in the U.S. Army from 1967 to 1973 and was stationed in Germany, South Vietnam and Texas. Family Love, Happiness to Heartache is his follow up book to, Military Police Protection in Southeast Asia. He lives with his wife Barbara, and are the proud parents of four children, and grandparents twice.
978-1- 440-16970-0 * 6 x 9 * Trade Paperback * 293 pages * $21.95 *
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