When I tell people the story of my parents, they don't believe me. Take, for example, in 8th grade when I tried to explain my story to my friends. The class clown (idiot) kept denying everything I said, even though it's truth. My parent's story is incredible, it reminds me of the movie "Forrest Gump" in it's depth. I think, for convenience, I'll start at the beginning.
My father was born in Falkirk, Scotland on June 29th, 1966. My dad's parents moved the family to New Zealand, where my dad grew up until he enlisted in the Army. My dad used to tell me many stories about growing up in New Zealand with his brother, Brian, and his sister, Liz. My favorite story is when my dad and Brian were playing war with metal darts and hiding behind mattresses. One thing led to another, and Brian got a dart right in the side of his neck. That was only one of many hospital trips that my dad had caused while growing up. Another time, when he was learning to drive, he drove my grandpa's car into the ocean off a pier. I never had the chance to see my grandparents before they both died, I wish I had. My dad says that I'm like my grandma, who used to throw playing cards into the fireplace if she didn't win. I guess I'm kind of like that too.
My dad enlisted in the Army when he was nineteen years old. He trained for a few years, going through a brutal boot camp and training in the jungles of New Guinea. He also fought in a conflict in Haiti, but he never talks about that. Eventually, his training brought him to Operation Deep Freeze, which was a mission to help scientists who were freezing seeds at Mc Murdo Station, Antarctica for storage. Basically, my dad went down there to help with supplies and other things. And this, of all places in the world, is where he met my mother.
My mother was born in Thief River Fall, Minnesota. She grew up in the country outside Holt, Minnesota and went to New Folden, School (MCC). She was a nerd, she even admits that to me now. She read a lot of books and didn't participate in any sports in high school, her parents didn't let her. Instead, she was in speech. She had a lot of friends, but moved out of her parents house at 17 to get out. She enlisted in the Navy shortly after she graduated high school, and went to boot camp. She trained for several months before being given a decision, Antarctica or Scotland? Thankfully, she chose Antarctica, because otherwise, I wouldn't exist.She went down there for a four month mission and ended up meeting my father.
Both my mom and my dad have very different views of Antarctica. My dad thought it was beautiful and interesting place while my mother thought it was the closest thing to hell on earth. I've been told stories of gigantic ice caves with clear glass and Scuas, which are large birds with sharp beaks, as a child. After meeting each other, my parents got married in a ceremony in New Zealand, then did it again in the United States.
My dad had never been to the United States before then, and he was 20 at the time. The first restaurant that he visited in the United States shortly after arriving was Denny's, where he order the "Moon Over My Hammy", and that's still he favorite dish at Denny's to this day. After staying in San Diego, California for several years, they had their first child (me!). Two years later, they had Braydon, then Callahan. These are my two full brothers. When I was 5, my mother decided that we needed to move closer to Minnesota, so we settled on Sioux Falls, SD. We were only there for a few years before moving again to Minnesota.
My mom and dad divorced when I was only nine years old. I remember the spot that my mom decided to unceremoniously tell me that she was separated from my dad, and it was the parking lot at Kmart in Thief River Falls. I cried and cried because I knew what that meant, it meant that life wasn't going to be the same again. At least, not the way it used to be. I would still have two loving parents but, now in two separate homes.
While my mom has since married two different guys, my dad remains unmarried (smart, if you ask me). He does have a girlfriend, but I don't want to go too far in depth with that. My mom married a cop three years after divorcing my dad, and had two children with him, Kayden and Jesse. They are the only good thing to come out of that marriage. The cop ended up cheating on her with a dispatcher, which almost sounds like a movie I saw one time. She then married Greg, who she is married to now. Greg is old, lets just say he qualifies for the senior citizen discount at most restaurants. There's 16 year age difference between him and my mom, which is kind of creepy. Greg is temperamental, but mostly mental.
The events that led to where I am now are extraordinary, and most people don't believe. I believe. Because, without them, I wouldn't exist. I can only hope to do as many amazing things as my parents did, but for now, I'm on my way.
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