Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Birthdays

On this date in 1915, my father, Billy Crider, was born. Twenty-six years later, I came along. I grew up thinking I was the best birthday present anybody could ever have had. Looking back on it, I see that I might possibly have been mistaken. But maybe not.

I wasn't the first child to be born to my mother, Frances. I had an unnamed older brother who lived for only a few hours. I knew him only as a small stone in a cemetery. The stone's still there, and now there's a stone for me, too. Only one date's on it, so far, and I hope the other one doesn't have to be added for while. A long while.

As an imaginative kid, I used to wonder how it would have been to have an older brother. What would he have been like? What might he have become? How would we have gotten along? I still think about it now and then.

And speaking of birthdays, it's also the blog's birthday, seven years old today and headed for its 10,000th post sometime later this year. Probably next month.

22 comments:

Rusty said...

Happy birthday, Bill and Dad and blog! I wonder how many people are born on a parent's birthday? My mother was born on her mother's birthday.

I'm the oldest of five, and I'm sure that my brothers and sisters would tell you that having an older brother is one of life's great blessings. Of course they would, or I'd pound them!

I hope you enjoy this one, and many more!

Rusty

Jake Murdock said...

Bill: Your 3rd paragraph brought a tear to my eye. I have 2 older brothers and even being on the receiving end of practical jokes, constantly picked on, and a few harmless punches now and then- we all had a great time growing up.

Have a wonderful B-Day. (July must be a great month for birthdays, in 2 days I turn 52)

Murdock

Livia J Washburn said...

Wishing you a Happy Birthday Bill and many, many more to come.

Anonymous said...

Hope it's a great one, Bill, and all those rotten kids stay off your lawn!

Jeff

pattinase (abbott) said...

I lost a child and her name is on a stone too. I've wondered what she would've have been like almost every day for the last thirty years.

J. Kingston Pierce said...

Happy birthday, Bill!

Cheers,
Jeff

Scott Cupp said...

Have a happy one. Best to Judy, too.

Scott D. Parker said...

Happy birthday, Bill. And many more! 10,000 posts. That's a milestone.

Unknown said...

Better be a good long time before another date on that stone. One dead Texan in my life is more than enough. Actually, one too many.

Stay well, be happy, and many, many more.

s

Anonymous said...

Birthday greetings from the wilds of south Arkansas, Bill; if you’re out partying at Moreno’s tonight have a couple of shots of tequila for me.

John D

Craig Zablo said...

Happy Birthday and here's to manny, many more!

Dan said...

Over at George Kellley's blog, reports of your birth were mildly exaggerated.

Vince said...

Happy birthday to you and the blog, Bill. And many happy returns of the day.

Rick Robinson said...

Since several of us, misled somehow, said "Happy Birthday!" to you yesterday, you get a TWO DAY event. Since I'm on a new diet, I'll celebrate by having vegetable soup for dinner. Yippee. No dessert. You have the cake for me, Bill.

My older brother is 6 years ahead of me, so he always seemed about half-adult when I was growing up. Plus he got all the good stuff.

I hope it's cooler in Alvin than here in SoCal, but I doubt it.

Ed Gorman said...

Wow, what a great picture. You were really young when you started smoking.

Charlieopera said...

Happy birthday, brother.

Cap'n Bob said...

Great photo and a great day for the world. You, your dad, and your blog are all good things to happen to this world. Thanks for all y'all.
I never knew about the lost brother. A touching picture of the little stone. I'm sorry about that. My mother is 86 and still thinks about the sister that died when she was 12.

Toby O'B said...

Happy birthday and all the best from Toobworld, Bill!

Ed Gorman said...

I studied the photo again. There's a novel, an entire era, captured in it. That's a fine photo of you two and a moving reference to the stones.

Thomas Miller said...

Happy Birthday, Bill. My mother was born on her sister's birthday when the sister was 10 years old. Here's wishing you many more.

James Reasoner said...

Almost belated birthday wishes, Bill!

Gerard Saylor said...

Happy birthday. Thanks for all the stories.