The Chair

Nearly two years ago I posted on my blog ( Cosc ar bheoir ghlas) about my great great Grandfather Michael Tomas O'Sullivan. The picture shown on the left is one taken of him. He was born in 1835. He immigrated to America from County Cork, Ireland in 1851 and eventually settled in Memphis Tennessee and worked as a member of the city's fire department. In 1861 He enlisted in the Confederate army. He was a Private in Company 7, 10th Regiment of the Tennessee Infantry, CSA. He was captured at the Battle of Shiloh and spent time in a "Union" POW Prison (Camp Douglas).He eventually was involved in a prisoner exchange. He was sent to Vicksburg, Mississippi. After the war he married the sister of a fellow soldier whom he met in the war and settled in the Northern part of Mississippi. In January of 1883 he arranged for his father, and mother , his brother John and his wife Kate and his sister Ellen and her husband W.P. Condon, to sail from Ireland to New Orleans, Louisiana. From there they traveled via a river boat up the Mississippi River and then the Yazoo River to Yazoo City, Mississippi. Mike met his family in Yazoo City and then traveled with them on his wagon for nearly two days back to Coila, Mississippi where he and his young family lived. He had not seen his parents for over 34 years and both his brother John (Little John and Ellen ) were born after he had left Ireland. His parents lived less than a year before both of them passed away. He died Carroll County, Mississippi in 1891 at the age of 56. Most feel an injury incurred in the war contributed to his early death. He was a contractor most of his life. He dug wells and ditches. He was a brick mason and a carpenter. He built houses. He had seven children, five sons and two daughters. Tomas Ulliam (my great grandfather); John Walsh; William Maurice, ; Ellen Katreen; Patrick "Pad" Owen; Mary Elizabeth; and Francis Donal. His sons continued as contractors and builders. In 1899 , the sons of Mike Sullivan, John L, Sullivan and W.P. Condon using lumber from the land of John L. Sullivan, built the first Catholic Church (Sacred Heart Parish) in Northern Mississippi (Coila). The original structure stands to this day.
According to the story told to me by my father, the "boys" built the church as well as the altar and pews all within one month. From some of the left over materials William Maurice (Uncle Morris) crafted a rocking chair for his older brother Tom's second born son Thomas William (Dit).
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My grandfather began working for Humble Oil and quickly was promoted to Pipeline Superintendent. He worked in Sabine Parish near Zwolle, Louisiana for most of his tenure with The Company. In the early 1950's he transferred to the small town of Oil City. He purchased a five acre track of land which had a large Humble Oil "Superintendent's company house" located on it. The house had two screened porches. One was at the "front" of the house. I spent hours swinging on the swing on that porch and watching as trains would speed along the nearby Kansas City Southern railroad tracks. The side porch , which led into the kitchen area, was much smaller. On it was a light gray painted rocking chair. I remember playing in it. I also recall my grandfather telling me how he, his brother and sisters. my father,my aunt and even I were rocked to sleep in that very chair. It was the chair my grandmother (Bessie) would set in as she shelled peas or snapped beans. In 1970 my grandparents moved from that house and moved to a brick house near our house in Shreveport. My grandfather died a few months later.
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The gray rocking chair occupied one of the three bedrooms at my grandmother's house. In the same room was a roll top desk which I also recall playing on back in the "company house". Over the years I pretty much forgot about that old rocking chair.

In 1974 my father purchased a four bed room house in the Memorial Area of Houston, Texas. On my first visit to their new home, my father pointed out their "antique room" Inside was an old wrought iron bed and frame, an old "dresser drawer" my mother had found at a garage sale and a rocking chair. "Is that the same one that was grand daddy's?" I asked. "It sure is" my father replied. It looked so old and dirty. I told him that I remembered it as being painted gray yet it was an awful shade of green. "I painted it" he told me. "Tommy that is the same chair that rocked my father to sleep when he was a baby" he said beaming with pride.

Two years later, The Prodigy was born. Soon after, a fourth generation was rocked in that chair. My father had repainted it again. This time it was a light grey and the seat had been re padded and reupholstered. Dad had the seat covered with a nearly pure white "unborn calf hide". It really looked nice.
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My father eventually sold his house in Houston and after several years he moved near Toledo Bend Reservoir. The rocking chair once again went with him and this time it found it self outside on the covered patio adjacent to his lake house. The weather was not kind to the chair. The paint eventually chipped and discolored and the calf hide seat cover was worn and had holes in it. But...the chair still rocked. My youngest daughter was nearly two years old when my father held her and rocked her to sleep in that old chair.
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Once again my father moved, this time to New Mexico. On his last visit to my home, he told me that he had something for his granddaughter. He seemed pretty excited and he asked that I help him bring it inside my house. I walked with him to his truck and there to my surprise was that rocking chair. It had a fresh coat of white paint and the seat was covered with light gray leather. He told me that he had the chair completely restored and repainted. I took it inside our home. My Dad then told us that the chair was not ours but rather Sarah's. She was six or seven at the time. He then told us the story of the chair. I don't think my daughter paid attention. The chair sat in our living room for nearly five years. For a long time no one was allowed to even set in it. The Rock Star Mentality made sure of that. The chair served at a coat rack and a place for The Mrs The Third to hang drying clothes on.

When we moved to Central Texas, we brought the chair with us. It spent nearly five years in storage and finally when we moved into the house we are in now, we brought the chair to our living room. Mostly the chair just sat there. It once again found itself being used for the same thing it was back when we were in Tomball.
My daughter, Jan Brady would come down from far North Texas and visit us. Her daughter, Little Cat seemed to always be fussy, She wanted little or nothing to do with me. She was constantly having problems with her ears. One night she was fussy and I picked her up and I sat in the rocking chair and began to rock her. Before long she was fast asleep. The chair did it's magic.
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Several months ago, I wrote about my grandson. I wrote how he was born premature. He only weighed one pound seven ounces when he was born. He was so tiny. The picture on the left is his footprint on an infant tongue depressor. There were countless things that could have been "wrong" with him. The odds of his survival were not very good, yet as I stated in that posting, He has the heart of a Tiger. He spent nearly month at Austin Texas' Dell Children's Hospital. His mother and father would travel to see him multiple times. I along with his grandmother visited many times as well. He had all sorts of tubes attached to him and in him, yet he continued to progress each day. Eventually he was returned to the hospital where he was born. He was still very frail and very small. We would go to the hospital and visit him. The small child was inside a plastic encased device. We could barely see him and we could not touch him. He seemed to never cry but only squeak. As time progressed he was moved to an open bed and we could actually touch him. Later we could even pick him up and hold him and even feed him. He continued to grow. He would open his eyes and gaze at me. His even cried too. But he was still in the hospital. Months passed he still remained. All of the things that could have been wrong...were not. He was growing into a healthy baby. He approached seven p0unds and we learned that it should not be too long and the boy could finally go home to his mother and father.

Please forgive me if I sound sappy or sentimental.
I realize that I am a lot like my father. I realize that sometimes I am misunderstood. Although I mean one thing, sometimes people tend to interpret what I say as something other than what I mean. It is more frustrating than most people believe. I suppose it is my cross to bear. I have spent the best part of my life trying to be the very best parent I can be. I make no boasts or excuses as to how well or how poorly I did. I have witnessed my four children as adults and I am confident that each of them carries a substantial amount of my "influence" whether they admit it and or like it or not. I do not always agree with the choices and decisions my children make, but I truly try to support their decisions regardless. I like to say that I have never intentionally given any of them bad advise. I could never hurt them. Which reminds me of a true incident with my own father.....We were driving together one afternoon when we stopped at a "roadside" BBQ stand. Both of us got a BBQ sandwich, a jalapeno pepper and a soft drink. We got back in the truck and continue our trip. My dad began eating first and at some point I asked him how hot the pepper was. He looked at me and said "Not too bad." He then took another bite of the pepper for me to see. Since my father told me the pepper was not "hot" and since I witnessed him taking a second bite from his pepper, I sunk my teeth into the pickled pepper. Almost immediately my mouth exploded from the intense heat I felt. "Holy Shit!!! Holy Shit !!! I screamed. "That is the hottest pepper I have ever tasted" "I know" my Dad said while he laughed. "And I had to take a second bite just to see you burn". "It was worth it." He was laughing so hard he actually cried. I cried too...mostly because of the hot pepper. ... but I laughed too. I tell that story because that is how much my father loved me and that is how I know that he did.

That is how much I love my children too. Hopefully one day they will realize the same thing I realized about my Dad.
Perhaps they already do.
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My father in law, George was absolutely obsessed with his first grandchild. The love he had for The Prodigy was so intense that those around him could actually feel it. Although he would have other grandchildren, there was something truly special about his feelings for his "Little Sister". My own mother was pretty much the same. I never believed that I could love anyone as strongly and intensely as they did. Looking back I think maybe I always have but I assure you that the mere thought of my grandson (previously referred to as Number 18 but now and in the future, to be known as "Hayseed") stirs a feeling inside of me that I cannot truly describe. He is still a small infant but to me he is my hero. He gives me inspiration and hope. I hope one day he and I can share a pepper one day too.
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So RSM has moved to an apartment with The New Mexican, an American Hero. Yesterday, after over three and a half months in hospitals, my grandson has finally gone to his own home. No strings and no tubes attached. He is a healthy baby boy. The Mrs The Third, Jan Brady, Little Cat and I went to visit him and his parents. Upon entering their apartment, I noticed the rocking chair setting in the corner. Once again it seemed to be a coat rack. I even placed my coat on it. I eventually got my "turn" to hold the baby. I held him and went over to the corner and sat down. There was a lot of commotion and no one noticed the tears in my eyes. I felt the love that George and Odessa felt. I am sure those tears were partially for those who came before me but also tears of joy of those who will follow. A fifth generation was experiencing what his great great great Uncle Morris built over one hundred and ten years ago. My grandfather was the "first" and now his grandson was holding his grandson. It was The Big Cat and Hayseed as it has always been destined to be....rocking in The Chair.


Geaux Haise !! Rock On !!!!



The Third