Late night scare

I had gone to bed relatively late (for me), and still was not sleepy. So I turned on YouTube, and started watching some videos. I had put on jammies, had my nightly water, and had put my phone in the charger. It had gone into sleep mode like normal; I have it set to received no notifications or calls from anyone EXCEPT Turk, the kids, Courtney, Wanda, and Trina. But there are times that it glitches, and I have to reset it. So, if I'm awake, I will glance at it to make sure I haven't missed a text or call from the kids. I was so glad that I did.....

When I glanced at the phone, I see LB's tiny pic at the top. I immediately think, "good grief. He needs gas money again." I open the text.....it was not a text. It was an alert - a CRASH ALERT - from our OnStar Guardian app that a crash had been detected, giving the location, emergency personnel had been notified, along with me and Turk because we were LBs ICE contacts. This had happened once before when he ran off the road avoiding a deer. I call his phone....no answer. I hang up and call again....no answer. Between these two calls, I had gotten out of bed, went to the bathroom, gotten completely dressed, yelled for Turk, grabbed my keys, and was out the front door. All in less than 45 seconds. I am behind the wheel, calling 911 (to see if they are there yet and have their hands/eyes on him) and Turk is now making his 3rd call to Sean (still no answer). I assure 911 dispatch that we are on the way; she takes my name an number in case they need me....😳😱

Friends and family here know that he still works in Oak Ridge....a 15 minute drive at best from our house (2 minutes on residential streets and 13 minutes on the loop. Mrs. Misher you will be proud of me again....I ran no red lights). But I went from 29 N to 68, going 80, in less than 10 minutes. Turk had opened the directions of where he was according to OnStar. But I knew the exact location because of working in the area, going out to OR to see them or pick them up when they were in school.

When we arrive at the location, there was NOTHING. No fire truck, no police, no EMS, and worst of all, NO LB! Just the quiet little Sheetz on the side of the road at 1 a.m. Now I am really scared - still gripping the steering wheel and trying not to shake....too much. Thats when Turk's phone rings from an unknown number....he answers...."Hi, Daddy. I'm okay. I left my phone on top of my car and drove off. I cracked my phone. But I'm ok." 😳😵‍💫 He was at a friend's house, chilling, but sent us the address so we could lay eyes on him. 

I drove to the friend's place (going the speed limit this time), and there he was, standing in the parking lot, in true LB fashion...all smiles😁 He gives his daddy a hug through the open window, comes to my side and pretty much crawls into my lap🥹😭 "Gosh, Mommy. You got here fast!" (Son, you have no idea.....) Him: "When I got back to Sheetz, there were 2 fire trucks, an ambulance, and 2 police cars. I was like ALL THIS FOR ME?? 😁😳 I told them what had happened, and that I was very sorry. I forgot it alerts you too, Mommy. I tried to call and catch you, but I couldn't."

We got back home at 1:40. Still shaking, I could hardly walk into the house. I thank Roxann for still being up (PT) so she could talk me down. LB text me when he was on his way home and told me to rest well; I watched him on the app until he pulled into his driveway. I finally fell asleep at 4 something, but Turk was still up. Roxann and I both said, if these kids only knew.... we both said that our kids (her 2 and my 3) understand to some degree that we would do for them. But I think after tonight, LB understands just a little bit more....❤️

College Colors Day

Long post, so scroll on now or settle back with your coffee/tea: I grew up in small factory town in southwestern Virginia. I was my mother's youngest of 3, my grandmother's youngest of 21👶🏾. The closest 1st cousin in age to me was 14 when I was born (yes, I have 2nd cousins older than me!). My sister left for college (A&T - Aggie Pride!) when I was 2; my brother left (Vrginia State - Trojans!!) when I was 4🥹. So from birth, between my siblings, cousins and neighbors, all I heard/comprehended was school and college👏🏾👏🏾. I could complete 40 and 50 piece puzzles at 2; I could read, write, and acquired a thirst for knowledge by age 3. I poured through our antiquated set of encyclopedias almost daily. Yes, my post about substituting in a 12th grade English/summer school class at 3 is true. 😄🤣 Therefore, my love for learning and teaching started even before I set foot in a school (I thank Doc and Lula Johnson for that!❤️) 

My mama told me (later in life) it was around that time when adults asked what I wanted to be, I said "I want to be a teacher when I grew up, and I wanted to go to Virginia Tech to do it!" She had no idea where I heard about Virginia Tech (maybe from a news report on TV or an article in the newspaper - yes, I read the newspaper daily before she or my aunt). She wanted all three of her children to go to college, so she had no doubts that I would eventually achieve my goal.

Fast forward 14 years (often switching career ideas, but still saying that I would go to Tech), and I was granted the opportunity to spend the week at Virginia Tech via the Upward Bound Program. 😱👏🏾👏🏾 I was in HEAVEN!!! I roamed the campus almost everyday, staring at the huge buildings and classrooms, picturing myself walking across the drill field going to class, soaking it all in. THERE was where I should be! ❤️🧡🙏🏾 I returned home and cruised through my senior year of high school. I attended college nights held at school; Mama always pushed to me visit tables and rooms for other colleges (Sweet Briar, ODU, VCU, A&T, UNC-G), but I went to the Virginia Tech room FIRST.❤️🧡 

For weeks I practiced completing college applications until it was time (Jan.) to make a solid decision - to which schoolS would I send applications? Even though *I* only wanted to mail in ONE ❤️🧡, Mama made me mail two. 😳🥺🫣 I did and waited...and waited...and waited. I made a solemn promise and vow to myself (and to my Granny - she knew my heart) that if I didn't get accepted at my first choice, I was not going to college. Knowing that was NOT an option for Ruby, I waited😳🫣...and prayed.🙏🏾 

Mid-March a large, FLAT envelope arrived from UNC-G. Accepted...🥹Nice 😐 Mama was happy because I was close to home and closer to my sister. 😑👏🏾 The college looked forward to hearing from me to further my enrollment process. Lovely 😑🫥😶😶‍🌫️ ...I'll wait. Near the end of March, my financial aid award letter arrived....with grants and scholarships galore (!!!!) and asked that I contact them by xx date with my college information so they could forward my information. Sweet...🥰😳🥹😶🫥😶‍🌫️...I have some time, so I'll wait. 

A few days later I come home from school...Granny met me at the door (nothing unusual) with a sly smile on her face 😐 😏 "You have mail" She said. 😳 Granny could not read, but she KNEW mail - bills mail, junk mail, and important mail😳🫣 There on the ottoman, nicely separated, was the daily mail - the bills, the junk...and a large, THICK business envelope from Virginia Tech! 😄👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾❤️🧡 As the saying goes, the rest was history.

I have been asked many times (by strangers), "Did you go to Virginia Tech?" ONE person added to his question, "...or do you just LIKE them?" 😳😡 My answer has always been, "I said at 5 that I wanted to go to Virginia Tech. I did that, AND I GRADUATED in 1987." To the other stranger, I added, "where did you go?" 😳 I got no answer...he walked away. 😆

Thanks for reading....😁😅

#virginiatech #Hokie #hokienation #virginiatechhokies #hokie4allofmylife  #maroonandorange #yesididgraduatefromvt  #CollegeColorsDay