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Take a Moment...

Sat, Sep 10 2011 5:42 PM (20 replies)
  • frappefort
    3,994 Posts
    Tue, Jul 26 2011 6:04 PM

    ty got me to shed a few tears...he is a friend i will love to have

  • ALByrd60
    224 Posts
    Wed, Jul 27 2011 6:47 PM

    GREAT, HEARTFELT AND YES I T BROUGHT TEARS TO MY EYES. (The second time of watching it alone this time the story and emotions came to the top and really hit home so I had to come back and edit the one liner of "GREAT STORY!" and add this paragraph to honor Mike and his best friend and I will never forget this story.

       I was Paralyzed in1977 at the age of 16 from a car accident as a front seat passenger running 105mph and we hit a 35mph curve and I am told the car flipped 5 or 6 times before I was thrown 40 yards and hit a tree backwards 3ft off the ground so hard I knocked the bark off it I was in a coma for 2 months and spent a year in the hospital. I am 51 now and found the game of golf in my 30's along with the help of a dear friend who passed from a brain tumor in 2005.I was a bogey golfer until I was interviewed on local tv then it hit the state affiliate's and newspapers and I became well known. I was approached by a national company that saw me on tv in an interview at a golf tournament playing from my wheelchair as I was left a Paraplegic (Paralyzed) in 1977 and they were impressed with my game that they hired me and sponsored me to play and promote their one man golf cart that could go into the traps that I never could before and on the greens easier than I had in my chair and in the picture you see here on my profile I was hired a golf pro to get me down to a 12 handicap and I played in golf tournaments all over the Southeast to promote the cart and I also was playing in the NWBA and NTPA (National wheelchair basketball Association and the National Tennis Players Association) where I was very successful as the Point Guard for the Palmetto Spinners and the many Tennis Tourny's I won. I retired from all wheelchair sports as I wore my shoulders out and they were surgically dislocated, but found this site and started a CC along with help from a fella I played regularly with and we co-founded THEunPUTTables CC a thirteen months ago and have been very succesful as we appointed great people to join us as Administrators as we also have members reps. for members with ideas or problems to go to and the rep comes to us confidentially to fix what may need to be taken care of. Anyway just wanted folks to know that the so called "Disabled" are not Disabled but we just do things a different way and are contributing members of society as I was in Radio and TV Broadcasting and then went to work in engineering building turbine engines for the government such as the M1-Abrhams tank, the F-16's and the Bell helicopter and others i cant mention so I salute our men and women that serve our country and keep us safe and all the treat me as a normal human being that just gets around different, but I do have the best and most expensive seat in any house! lol

     

    Likwe Mike, I had a best friend who got me into playing golf and died from a brain tumor and I have coffee with him each morning as he left an Eddie Bauer coffee mug he left in my car the last time he was able to get out as he wanted to go to the top of the Blue Ridge Mtns. and after he passed i found the mug under the passenger seat where he left it for me to find. He would get me with him to watch him play and when we got out of sight of the clubhouse, he got my wheelchair and would get me to hit the ball and we would play best ball until I got to where I was a player.

     

    This is no wear near the story of Mike Reed, but have had alot of folks on wgt ask me if the picture in the wheelchair swinging a driver was indeed me and I reply yes and they want to know what happened. By the way, my wife whom I met in College and led a wonderful Radio career spanning 32 years and our own home studio doing voice over work for companies all over the globe by my side throughout the ups and downs and two near death experiences was part of my driving force as she backed me in all my endeavors and loves me now more than when we were two 19 year olds.

    Thank you for allowing me to tell my story and if you are looking for a good club with no cursing and great members to compete with....look me up as the club is locked as we are very selective who we admit to the club to protect it and its members.

  • frappefort
    3,994 Posts
    Sun, Jul 31 2011 9:09 PM

    ALBYRD60...i have so much respect for you .....  you have  so much courage ... and a inspiration to us all...ty

  • Arbitelle
    63 Posts
    Tue, Aug 2 2011 2:01 PM

    Before I watched the video I thought "I won't cry", but damn, was I wrong..

  • mattypole
    1 Posts
    Thu, Aug 4 2011 2:07 AM

    That was truly an emotional film didnt think it would get to me but it did. mike reader is awsome lets hope there are more poeple as inspiring as him still left in the world,

     

  • SkeeterZ71
    171 Posts
    Thu, Aug 4 2011 10:39 PM

    amazing

  • ALByrd60
    224 Posts
    Sat, Aug 6 2011 5:41 AM

    I feel like I need to take my post down as I don't want anyone to think that I am comparing my story to Mike's which there could never be a more compelling story than his. I just saw a bit of similarity as me losing a friend that got me to playing golf and that anyone with a disability can still live a productive life and we just have to find our way of doing it and I am an advocate and go to my state's capital when voting on a bill concerning the rights of the "so called disabled" for the lack of a better word for it. 

    Anyway, just thought I would first explain what was behind the post before I take it down and thanks frappefort for the kind words.

    AL Byrd

  • griffygriff
    597 Posts
    Sat, Aug 6 2011 6:42 AM

    ALByrd60:

    I feel like I need to take my post down as I don't want anyone to think that I am comparing my story to Mike's which there could never be a more compelling story than his. I just saw a bit of similarity as me losing a friend that got me to playing golf and that anyone with a disability can still live a productive life and we just have to find our way of doing it and I am an advocate and go to my state's capital when voting on a bill concerning the rights of the "so called disabled" for the lack of a better word for it. 

    Anyway, just thought I would first explain what was behind the post before I take it down and thanks frappefort for the kind words.

    AL Byrd

    Al how can you take your post down man, not everyone has had the chance to read it yet. Please leave it up its a great story, the trouble is folks don't know what to say to you bud. Iam sure hundreds of ppl have read it and if you leave it up many more will get the chance to. You are wgt's very own "Mike" cheers Griff  Btw its a shame you couldn't get some background music to go a long with it.... like on Mikes video...lol 

  • frappefort
    3,994 Posts
    Thu, Sep 1 2011 8:55 AM

    i agree it is a v good post  people need to reed this , your story.......and take a moment :)  i did

  • renniw52
    5,385 Posts
    Thu, Sep 1 2011 1:36 PM

    Al, if your story doesn't give people a ray hope then nothing can. You should hold your head high and not  feel the slightest intimidation from anyone, ever.  I stand and salute you sir and may your days be filled with one victory after the other. 

    REN

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