Life Lessons for My Daughters

James Parker didn't know when a medical emergency left him comatose, that the result would be a plea from his daughter to tell his life's story. While his life growing up on a farm was simple, many unusual things occurred. James tells these stories in a sometimes hilarious and always entertaining way that most people can enjoy and relate to. Some of the stories are quite out of the ordinary for the contemporary reader. For example, his granddaddy taught Bucky, the pug, to smoke a filter cigarette, something they'd probably be arrested for today. That was fitting since Granddaddy had nicotine- stained yellow fingers from smoking those cigarettes. At ten years of age, James got a rifle for Christmas. It was too cold to shoot it during the winter so he would sit in a chair in the kitchen and shoot at an arrangement of bottles and cans sitting on a table in the back yard. He would raise the rifle; kick the door open with his left foot, aim and fire. He was careful not to shoot a hole in the screen door. There wasn't much time to aim. The possibility of shooting an unsuspecting family member was always foremost on his mind. One day a tractor got loose and threatened the house with total destruction. His daddy had to catch up to it and jump on the tractor from the front to finally shut it off and avert disaster. Summer storms brought frequent tornadoes were also a constant threat to their home and nearly everything they owned. After moving to New Mexico, James found himself in midst of youthful fights, car wrecks and speeding tickets. He faced court appearances, overcame illnesses, attended colleges, raised children and enjoyed a long, loving marriage. These stories are sure to entertain all comers, and perhaps even inspire his readers to write about their life experiences.