In Response to "Readem and Weep" sung by Barry Manilow

 

 

              Today is 04/17/2021. I would like to ell another story that has odd twist and turns. 

 

              In March 2021, I was coming home after driving my wife to work and we were listening to Casey Kasem. Casey was giving a dedication from a Individual with the following story.

 

              The person knew of someone who ran in 6th Grade the Junior Olympics 50 yard dash in a different state than this person moved to Ohio and ran the 400 meters. The individual than dedicated a song by Barry Manilow Readem and Weep". This individual from the looks of it wanted to send me a message because I ran the 50 yard dash in 6th Grade Junior Olympics and than the 400 meters. I can remember I had a lot of success back in 1980 winning the Indoor 400 meters Pioneer Conference meet.

              The following month April 2021 I began to complete a google search on myself and found under my name some old track pictures that were listed as Historic images. I knew some of these pictures existed but surprised on the other because I never knew it existed. The picture showed me with someone but after doing closer inspection I found it was not me but listed under my name yes, the event did take place I do not deny it. I do not wish to run or hide things from the past so I will try to help you understand.

               When I was 17 11th Grade, The Track coach gave me a college letter from TrI State in Indiana. I took the letter and gave it to my parents and they did not want me to attend this college and insisted on only a Christian College but also offered to let me drop out of High School to join The Army. I did not take these offers and completed 12th Grade and April 1982 I was in Fort Leonardwood Missouri as a 12b10 Combat Engineer. I was faced with little or no choices no financial aide was to be given military or nothing.  I attended Berea Baptist Church from 1975 - 1983 and we lived under strict church law one of those tenets was "Do not be unequally yoked".  This was a very hard sacrifice I made because I had very few girlfriends as a result of this but at the same time I hardly received any letters from Church Friends while I was stationed in Fort Leonardwood . I lived alone for many years just my dog and me I trained hard in kickboxing and worked on 3rd shift at night. I became injured one time a hemotoma with Cracked ribs and laid flat on my back for roughly two months and had a lot of time to think about life because I was nearing my mid 30's. I had a Pen pal in Russia and we began to write letters to each other very often I was amazed by her she spent 7 years in Mongolia and a few years along the Russian-Chinese border. She became my wife and we have been married for almost 25 years. In fact, she is amazing she was able to find my broken bones in my body in the exact spots. Do not feel sad for me because God gave me justice. I hope the person who did this song will try and understand what happened and I thank you for your remembrance of me.

04/16/2021

Barry L. Crouse