Pumped up and Living Life!

Welcome back. I would like to start by saying that I'm not a writer or a philosopher. Just a person much like many of you trying to express and share myself the best I know how.
As these articles continue, it is my hope to grow and learn as my father had encouraged me to do through my life. Perhaps I'll become a better writer or philosopher with your help. I ask you all to feel free to express yourselves and share with me as my father would have done.
There is a saying that goes like this:

" It takes a family to raise a child, but a whole village to raise an idiot!"

Well I'm sure at some point -someone- is going to make that association with me concerning my style of writing. I'm sure at some point I may agree. But nevertheless, in the end I pray that I may become a better person by it. And leave a testament of my father's life that his present and future generations, as well as those who were his friends, can understand and relate too. legacyofmikemichaels@gmail.com

My father was born on the rainy day of June 4th 1943 in Woonsocket, Rhode Island. He always loved rainy days. He called them his lucky days. As most of us wanted to crawl back into bed, he would be pumped up ready to take on life. He died on the rainy day of August 16th 2008 in Orlando, Florida. I know he was ready and I like to think he took the same drive into his new life as he did in his old. My father taught me many things and one in particularly was that if you were going to do something, do it the best you can. He also taught me "don't take life too serious, do what you can and don't worry about the rest". With that in mind I though I would skip ahead to share a high light of his life. I'll return to his childhood in future posts. The time is in the late 70's and Dad was at the peak of his life.
As many of you probably know, he always enjoyed a challenge. He seemed to feed on it both in business and in his personal life. There was little separation of the two as they seemed sometimes to be completely meshed with one another. He was operating a successful Full Service Outdoor Advertising Company which he built from the ground up. Martineau & Sons, Inc. He had employed a full staff which included several Salesmen, several Artists, Managers and an average of 10 men manufacturing and installation crew. But between it all there was clearly a time I recall where he would just focus on having a good time. That was when he played tennis. You see, my father rarely drank alcohol and did not smoke or ever consider doing drugs, but tennis. Now that was truly one of his loves. That got him all pumped up. The physical intensity of a fast paced match of quick thinking and reaction. He even made it into the New England Tennis Journal in April of 1978 when he competed in the World Heavy Hitters Championship. He was also a very active member of the Fore Court Tennis Courts.

Where once again he was published in the local paper for participating in a tournament and had partnered up with Roger Ethier to compete against Police Cmdr. at the time Raymond D.Tempest and his partner Gaston A. Ayotte Jr. who was also at the time, a City Councilman. The tournament was hosted by Mr.Maurice Morin of Fore Court Tennis Courts and called "Giants on the Courts" Which was a heavyweight tennis match to benefit the 43rd annual Milk Fund Appeal. The four played for the championship and raised $540 when area residents placed their odds on the winners at the rate of a penny per pound. Though my father and Mr. Ethier didn't win the match they enjoyed it immensely. He never really cared much about winning, just having a good time and making the game interesting. He shared may antics with friends at Fore Court Tennis Courts and i recall him in the past years happy to see once again an old friend of those times. To his last day he would say those times were the greatest for him.
Tennis wasn't the only active sport he enjoyed, he also enjoyed Hockey, both watching and playing as in his youth he would play with some friends that were college team players. He had taught us as kids to ice skate and play hockey. I recall some of my favorite times with my father as a child was going to the games. He would buy me caramel cremes and we would watch the game. Every time I see caramel cremes I think of those times and I can't help but smile.

I realize this is a bit short and I had originally planned more. This has been difficult for me and hope you return again for another post. Thank You once again for your time and interest. And a special thanks goes out, not only to the men mentioned here but also the individuals not mentioned that shared those times with him. THANK YOU!