May 01, 2019Elani Roman rated it it was amazing
This is a heartwarming memoir of the author's memories and coming of age as a young man in a small town. It is written in a conversational style, just like you were on the porch, drinking an ice-cold drink; the author brings you deep into his world of friends, family, and especially his best friend Terry. You will be taken on back roads racing, a house fire, kindness shown with a brown bag and french fries, heartbreak, and many other adventures. Also, there are lessons of the author's parents shared, one from his dad was always having ChapStick in his pocket to meeting an 81-year-old grandparent for the first time. There are so many endearing moments sprinkled throughout this book. There was part of a quote from the author in response to how he would answer a question from God, "Sir, I did the very best I could with what you gave me to work with..." You have to read the book to get the full quote: ) But I felt that was a theme all the way throughout the book, including pictures at the end to help the reader connect with the story. You get a real down to earth look into the author's life. I'm an older reader so I went down memory lane as there are several references to growing up in the '80s. It is a good read if you like memoirs and want to travel back in time. This book takes you there.
In my local library, there are many books of memoirs on the shelves. The majority of those books are about the rich and famous. This book, however, contains the memoirs of a very ordinary man who was anything but ordinary. No matter what life threw at T.J he was always positive, worked hard and achieved. [...] This book will make you laugh and make you cry. I couldn't stop laughing at the memory of the fishing trip and the alligator. [...] Thank you for sharing your memories with everyone T.J. A very special book that I enjoyed reading." Shirley Revill
"My first thought after reading this book was that this is proof that no matter what someone has been through, they can overcome and continually strive to move in a positive direction. The narrator (and author), T.J., describes his adventures and 'misadventures' in a small town in Oklahoma in the 1980s. Most of these were with his best friend Terry. The friendship and unbreakable bond he had with Terry is a gift that few people are lucky enough to experience in life. If anyone remembers the 80's, they will certainly be able to reminisce as the author relays his anecdotes from this period in time. [...] There is a common thread throughout the book based upon the life lessons that are relayed either directly or indirectly by the author through the stories. They are worth noting and were some timely reminders to me of what is really important in life. I want to thank T.J. for this as I needed these reminders in so many areas." Leslie Ray
