In those days, I pedaled all around Kokomo with my friend Jeremy Kaye. We mostly liked looking at CDs, so our destinations would usually be the music stores in Markland Mall and Kokomo Mall or a Karma store. However, on this occasion, we headed to Kmart.

At that time, a Kmart store was directly east of Markland Mall. We would need to cross US 31, which is a four lane highway through Kokomo. For a reason that I have forgotten, we did not cross the highway at an intersection that day. Instead, we crossed about a quarter mile south of the nearest intersection.

Jeremy crossed first, and made it to the opposite side of the highway with his bike in good time. I was a bit slower crossing to the median due to traffic, but I was not nearly as slow as I was crossing from the median to the other side of the highway due to a completely different reason.

A single candy bar does not, usually, cause people bodily harm. However, if the candy bar is traveling inside an automobile, tossed out of a window and carefully plotted to impact with a “tender place,” it is now a weapon—avoid impact if possible. Unfortunately, I speak from experience.

When I arrived at the median, I quickly lifted my bike to the other side. I then climbed over the median and stood up. It seemed to come out of nowhere. I doubled over immediately. Jeremy, who was still standing on the other side of the highway had not a clue what had happened to me.

I do not remember how long it took me to gain my composure, and I do not remember anything that happened after impact that day, except for Jeremy laughing.

One thing I find interesting about getting older is how my perspective on life is different than it used to be. A perspective fueled by loss has made me reevaluate a few things in my life. Some values I used to hold onto tightly I’ve let fall completely away, and now I cling steadfast to a life with a stronger foundation than I could ever manage to put under my feet on my own. Yet, loss still hurts when it’s so close to home. The hurt is stronger when the life seems to be taken too soon.

Landon lost his grandma earlier this month. Cory’s mother, Tammy, had not been feeling well for a few weeks. Severe headaches and frequent fainting spells start the end story of another life completely derailed by cancer. Like my own sister’s fight back in December 2004, the end was quick and relentless. Tammy was gone within weeks of learning she had this terrible disease.

Marj was given a calling to be sure that Tammy heard the Word before her time had come. Pastor Dan and Marj made several visits with Tammy to be sure that she heard. Tammy was shown a tremendous amount of love from friends and family during this time.

Last year, when we were celebrating Landon’s one year birthday, I would never have guessed that Tammy would not make it to his second year. Rarely are there warnings. “It’s never long enough. No matter how much time you spend.”

The following was taken from IndyStar.com:

Norton, Tammy L.
June 8, 2007

Tammy Lynn Wooton Norton 41, Beech Grove, died June 6, 2007. She was the wife of Richard J. Norton. Tammy worked for Amcomp Inc. as an Operations Supervisor for the past 6 years. She is survived by her Husband: Richard, Children: Richard J. Norton (April Crain), Cory L. Norton (Melanie Jackson) and Tia R. Norton (Tory Foster), Brother: Tony Wooton (Mary Brown), grandchildren: Darrian Norton, Landon and Ava Grace. Funeral services will be Saturday, June 9th at 11:00am at Little and Sons, Funeral Home Beech Grove Chapel. Visitation will be Friday, June 8th from 2-8 pm at the Mortuary. Burial will follow at Calvary Cemetery. Contributions may be made to the Tammy L. Norton Memorial Fund.

My busy life doesn’t allow for many opportunities to spend time with friends, so I cherish every opportunity I get. A few of my very dear friends have moved away or have fallen off the face of the Earth (Where are you Eddy?). Jeremy and I went to Chicago to see Roger Waters perform at the United Center after Tammy’s funeral on the 9th. It was a great break from reality, a great road trip, an awesome concert and an all around great time. The concert was exactly how I imagine Pink Floyd would perform if they were out on tour together. Roger does it very well by himself.

Jeremy drove us back to his house after the concert because I’m practically worthless on the road at night. As expected, I slept the majority of the trek back to Lafayette. The next morning, Tabi and Jeremy took me out to breakfast at Reilly Bros, and then I left to meet Marj in Kokomo for the Forker family reunion. We try to attend every year, but there have been a few that we’ve missed.

My brother, Stan, called and spoke to Marj in May to tell her that his favorite (and only) sister-in-law had better attend the reunion. After speaking to Marj, he called my cell phone as I was out on a supply run at the worst Wal-mart on Earth (but that is another story for another time). As soon as I answered, he proclaimed that I must hold the line for an important message from our Aunt Wanda, who he called Queen Wanda or something like that. My memory is a bit hazy on that detail. I added the date to my calendar, and we made it. Thank God we did.

This trip, we took Kelsie, Noah, Landon and Ava Grace. My family would enjoy seeing all the young ones, and I thought Cory and Melanie might like the break from the kids since they were still dealing with the loss of Tammy. Noah was a bit grumpy from missing his nap, but played with Landon and the other kids around. Kelsie was busy in the swimming pool with her cousin Courtney. Everyone was there except George, but she doesn’t always come to the reunion. Stan played with Noah and Landon a bit, and seemed pleased to be around family and good food. It was the same as it always had been. Who would have guessed that a little over a week later I would lose my big brother?

The following was taken from the Pharos Tribune website:

Published: June 21, 2007 10:59
Stanley Owen Forker

Services for Stanley Owen Forker, 56, Logansport, will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday in Marocco Funeral Chapel.

He died at 2:30 a.m. Wednesday, June 20, 2007, in Logansport Memorial Hospital.

Born March 29, 1951, in Logansport, he was the son of Clifford Owen and Stella Mae Shaffer Forker. He was married Dec. 22, 1984, in Logansport, to Susan Gail Lenon, who survives.

Mr. Forker attended school at Lewis Cass and Logansport and graduated from a school in Homburg, Germany. He was an assembler at Carlisle Industrial Brake & Friction in Logansport.

He was a veteran of the U.S. Army, having served as a staff sergeant in during the Vietnam War.

He was a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3790, Cass County React, Cass County Sheriff’s Association, and president of the U.S. Steelworkers Union Local. He also was a member of Main Street United Methodist Church.

He enjoyed watching NASCAR and spending time with his family.

Also surviving are one daughter, Diana Braun and her husband, Brent, Winamac; three sons, Steven Forker and his wife, Shanon, Galveston, Jeffrey Forker and his wife, Brenda, Lucerne, and Brian Forker, Wabash; one brother, Neil Owen Forker and his wife, Marjorie, Carmel; three sisters, Lynn Corcoran and her husband, Randy, and Georgette Beatty and her husband, Jarel, all of Logansport, and Anna Marie Hildebrand and her husband, Ron, Tallahasee, Fla.; mother-in-law, Joan Weimer, Logansport; father-in-law, Bill Lenon and his friend, Marilyn Parker, Logansport; nine grandchildren, Jason Malchow, Trinity Eckelbarger, Jacob Forker, Elijah Eckelbarger, Brittney Braun, Matthew Eckelbarger, Kamien Forker, Jael Forker and Brady Braun; and several nieces and nephews.

His father-in-law, Al Weimer, preceded in death.

Pastor Keith R. Schreffler will officiate at the services. Burial, with full military rites, will be in Ever-Rest Memorial Park.

Friends may call from 2 to 7 p.m. Friday in the funeral chapel.

Neesie and I didn’t get up here until this morning. We had originally planned to come up last night.

It has been a long day. We should be heading back to YL Habitat in a couple of hours. Tomorrow starts another week at the grind. It seems that I am not the only one with an unfamiliar future in front of me. A couple close friends are going through it now. However, I feel that my future may not be as easy to fall apart.

Neesie and I had dinner with Matt Chandler last night. He and I discussed plans to do another music project together. We agreed that YL Project 1 was not appropriate for what we wanted to do together. Who knows what the music will be like? I am sure it will be way out there.