EP318: Magic Side Show Becomes Full-Time Job, Wayne Gretzky Eulogizes His Father and The Dangers and Joys of Having a 'Making Do' Dad

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Ours to. That's the value of ownership. Visit Vanguard.com and discover ownership fund shareholders on the funds known Vanguard Vanguard market Corporation Street. This is this is our story to tell stories about everything here on the show from the arts, sports, and from business to history and everything in between including your story. Send them our American stories.com. Some of our favorites and today we have a story from where we live right here in Oxford, Mississippi, and it's a small town.

A small college town, home of Ole Miss. About an hour south of Memphis.

Thomas is lived in our town for over 30 years. Today, easier to share with us his story taken away for the Thomas is a magician and balloon making expert.

He goes to the local farmers market and events here in town make balloons for people that own personal small town celebrity has always left magic, but his path to full time magician and balloon artist didn't start until his 40s. Stevens had several jobs throughout his career. He started off in Raytown where he worked for over 20 years after his time in radio came to an end and went to work for FedEx and became a dangerous good specialists.

He worked at FedEx for 14 years, until one day something happened just over a decade ago he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease is a work night and I picked up a 1 pound box turn around and set it on my shoulder pop and that was all she wrote for the shoulder by not having really extensive or different procedures on the right shoulder and when I got done with that I have a little tremor and the doctor eventually figured out what was course FedEx that if you can come back to work at hundred percent all but several different ways you can manifest the condition it's basically your body doesn't produce enough dopamine or produces too much dopamine or your doubling receptors. The things that take it in efforts produce to work correctly or the synapses that go from the muscles to the brain don't work correctly because of the lack of that is just a long process of trying to figure out what medicine to give you what you need more dopamine with the needed receptors worked on another talk about brain surgery in you know may not have the best friend in the world. I only get one and I don't want him to go digging around in their book the wrong voltage battery up is progressive, but by my doctors and I've had three or four doctors as they move off their own neuromotor specialists and they'll tell you Parkinson's doesn't kill you will die from Parkinson's. I mean you, you may lose use of an arm or leg or get tremors and mines unilateral in the left side of my brain, which means it affects the right side of my body, but 80% of us in my arm when percent of my leg occasionally little flutter my butt. If you meet me and watch me work.

Chances are, if I'm not moving or doing anything. I have hand in my pocket. That's the kind of hide that tremor thing that goes on but it gets to a lot of people. All my my father was diagnosed at one point it is light years with what they thought was Parkinson's and he's crying it out. I don't see the purpose in crying its nonproductive Steve is not only some relaxants response to life. I've always well I have a general realizing I was a kid I was ball of nerves and also when I was like six peptic ulcer just from worrying and stress I learned early on worrying doesn't change anything to change the outcome of doing Trinity will be clearly bleeding ulcer will do that for this are talking about.

You gotta take this medicine as long as you have in the year there was a long time ago. I'm sure it may not have even been with what the doctor said was, but each delegate to you. I mean if you spend your day. That would be an otherwise good day worrying about how tomorrow's can be, then you just screwed up today.

I guess I can talk about Parkinson's patients because I am one relax a minute. I know people who have Parkinson's two years and they can get up out of the wheelchair and I know mine is minimal.

My progression is very minimal.

If it hadn't been for the results of the DAT scan. I don't think the doctor would even admit that I had but it showed up.

Elaine Jackie was a radioactive stuff and sickly CAT scan after he was diagnosed with Parkinson's. He left FedEx and return to something. He was familiar with magic. I've actually knew magic and entertaining people 44 years now and when I was a kid I did shows to my first show when I was nine, was a pain thing I remember is my brother, my buddy and I perform together and we told it was five dollars and she hears each five dollars for we thought we had a gold mine. If you get paid twice as much is your expecting so that for a while that I packed away all the magic when I got into the radio thing is that I was up at 3 o'clock every morning and after I got remarried I met my was after I met my wife was at my father's house and I went to storage shed is all this magic stuff I thought well let us try using some of it went from, you know, liquor store cardboard box full of magic stuff two.

I have thousand square feet of my house. Now that's nothing but magic everything on the walls and on everything decorating all the books. 12 bookcases full of magic books and somewhere along in there while I was entertaining as I did while years of Pizza Hut restaurants for kids night somewhere in there I decided to get balloon art because I wanted something more conducive to littler kids started doing that probably 15, 16 years ago, and even listening to Steve Thomas and these are local celebrity.

The magician, the guy who shows up at the parties entertains the kids everybody knows him in town struck with Parkinson a tough disease is and I didn't see the purpose in crying its nonproductive and he knew a lot about the kind of person who worries himself to death because he was that person when he was younger more of Steve Thomas's life here on our American stories you love the great American stories we tell and love America like we do, or asking you to become a part of the all American stories family. If you agree that America is a good and great country. Please make a donation monthly gift of $17.76 is fast becoming a favorite option for supporters to allow American stories.com now and go to the donate button and help us keep the great American stories coming to our American stories.com this is Tori anyway, she went OMG podcast we have such a special episode brought to you by near attack ODT we recorded at iHeartRadio type event windows hanging down near attack ODT were magic pants 75 mg can help migraine sufferers still such an exciting event like Wingo tango I had when I took minor attack ODT. I was present amazing time. A little glimpse of our conversation with some of our closest friends & was brought to you by near attack ODT were magic pants 75 mg life with migraine attacks can mean missing out on big moments with friends and family, but thankfully near attack ODT were magic pants 75 mg is the only medication that is proven to treat a migraine attack and prevent episodic migraines and adults sound lively events like Wingo tango down have to be next to millions will make Medicare coverage decisions for next year and United healthcare can help you feel confident about your choices for those eligible Medicare annual enrollment runs from October 15 through December 7.

If you're working past age 65. You might be able to delay Medicare enrollment. Depending on your employer coverage. It can seem confusing, but it doesn't have to be this@uhcmedicarehealthplans.com to learn more United healthcare helping people live healthier lives. I know everything there is to know about running a coffee shop for small business insurance. I need my State Farm agent make sure my business days and confident business owners to help you pass. State Farm is in your corner and on neighbor. There call your local State Farm agent for quote today and we returned to our American stories into Steve Thomas's story are local magician and balloon art expert, let's return to faith and continue the story when Steve is young can to read a lot of books in order to learn about magic it would go to the library and check out whatever matchbook you could find in observe everything and that in after you've covered all the magic books. Even back then there was much to do, especially here, there is a magic shop in Memphis. My parents were taking their occasionally and I would learn a couple things from the guys working there and work on those that have kids to come out of my house were magic tutoring and magic lessons. Guess what comes around goes around and I'm glad to see some kids getting into magic deeper forms for all ages is his favorite better than a birthday party for like 50-year-old lady and everybody's having a good time and just two things people that agent had to worry about comprehension as if you have a group of 50 kids some three and four and five-year-olds in their is little comprehension issue you have to keep gear things toward the younger audience and that I do that I live just to make you smile and laugh throughout his magic career Steve son and daughter have played roles in some of the shadows there many times he's taken his show on the road which provided some great quality time for Steve and his son for the stores I've been is New London Missouri further south is any state in between there didn't old and I'm not big on that two weeks away from home thing but these two library shows every summer we will book 2 weeks everything would have to shows tutors and towns in my center I would load up all our stuff would go out, go to the town in a hotel room set up stuff the library will have dinner going back to the hotel. Go to sleep. The next they do show on the next harvest times and some of the most interesting conversations and never had you as my center come up with some lines that would crack you up. He's a whole various human being. Some of our funniest moments were in New Orleans when I'm sinking room. He was 11 and I scheduled a meeting with a friend of mine who also has balloons in his clown is goofy.

So wearing this little hole in the wall like five table bar Mills the day balloons is a bit by a pile of balloons on the table in the Strunk blonde girl comes up and says oh you children balloons and I look to my friend.

He looked at me and were just shook our heads. But the limits of balloons for her and she gave us a bunch of money and my sense of their being required so she came time to leave for her to leave. She walked up and she gave us more money and she had a basketball pick sheet of the first thing about sports.

I know football is on this pony onions facility. I know, but she came up and she said I need some help move this basketball pick sheet help men. My buddy Joe about it. I think about is your man right here when my son is 11. So he BS her, along with the best and she gave him some money and she said my sons. 11 she's college so I don't know how I can never thank you. He looked her square in the eye and he said about you give me your phone number and I was speechless. And that's very rare for me to be speechless. I suppose what did you say you are 11 years old she he he said can't hurt to ask.

After living in Oxford for so many years and doing magic and balloon art for parties throughout that time Steve is widely recognized.

I met Steve at the coffee shop in the square here in town. If you go there often enough, you will begin to see a lot of the same people always kids in the table talking to me now is waving at me from across the room. I think it's great.

I love Megan frames and seems kids grow. I get to parents who come up to me and say you you did by birthday party when I was five. This is my little girl.

She seven see if you can come to her party wall and making me feel really old. It makes me feel good that they remember who I am and what I do. Some people who were children's entertainers talk about kids are so bad that we do to keep the kids in line waiting shows where some your techniques while my technique is I'm 6 foot three and I were 265 pounds and I've developed this little goatee has a purpose that you little more grown-up. Have an earring in each year, which I guess makes the kids think you're not like you normally run like that so they tennis act right, of course, before our conversation was over. Have to ask Steve is balloons with him all the time. That's what we have this thing and if you ever seen the coffee shop without a value balloons to ensure that that's another thing most people to real people see me do balloons mouth inflate most people don't.

Because it takes a lot of lung power bill and I have listed with a breathing machine every night while in one way criminologist meetings. I asked the doctor that I do is let's test out tested out my lung capacity that I have almost doubled lung capacity.

In doing remotely losing less than seven see you regularly lift previously so there with you and you are fantastically balloons and friends. All of the life-size motorcycles and three days.

I would rather make something quick and easy and I think my entertainment value comes more in the interaction between me and the child of the parents that it does affect your balloon looks exactly like Ronald Reagan or whoever. Whatever you try make you take the heart to heart and people watch me delusional at times. The conversation safe and anything I make. I can make behind my back without looking for your walk out with and you know that will put a smile on her teachers face child's face moms face is about 80-year-old lady sleepily created with them but give a surround balloon and I don't recommend doing this because even I have my imitations will do balloon for anybody and for because of the whole choking hazard. If I know the child and I know they're not good at this. One of the 92nd fist in her mouth all doable informative you give like a five-year-old around balloon surround balloon the picture on it or anything until it pops the polluter for hours and I don't know what is this where they say it's a it's a gift bag of my breath at a local magician in Berlin. I expect Steve Thomas 950 Canyon American stories. It's just a bag of my breath is much more than that any of us could try this. I tried 100 times this year. I know of a new New Year's resolution. It's to get Steve Thomas to teach me how to do. I live just to make it smile and laugh. He said I try to cheer up a kid who's having a bad day a great story about a guy who deals with a really tough and slow and debilitating disease called Parkinson's by ignoring it and just going on about his day cheerfully making other people's days happier Steve Thomas's story here on our American stories is Tori anyway, she went OMG podcast we have such a special app is brought to you by near attack ODT we recorded at iHeartRadio type event windows hang out near attack ODT were magic pant 75 mg can help migraine sufferers still such an exciting event. Windows hang out I had when I took minor attack ODT. I was present amazing time. A little glimpse of our conversation with some of our closest friends & was brought to you by near attack ODT were magic pant 75 mg life with migraine attacks can mean missing out on big moments with friends and family, but thankfully near attack ODT were magic pant 75 mg is the only medication that is proven to treat a migraine attack and prevent episodic migraines and adults sound lively events like Windows hang out down have to be next to millions will make Medicare coverage decisions for next year and United healthcare can help you feel confident about your choices for those eligible Medicare annual enrollment runs from October 15 through December 7. If you're working past age 65.

You might be able to delay Medicare enrollment. Depending on your employer coverage. It can seem confusing, but it doesn't have to be this@uhcmedicarehealthplans.com to learn more United healthcare helping people live healthier lives. I know everything there is to know about running a coffee shop for small business insurance.

I need my State Farm agent make sure my business and confident business owners to help you pass. State Farm is in your corner and on neighbor.

There call your local State Farm agent for quote today. This is leadership. Even this is our American stories we tell stories about everything here on the show clerestory seven American stories.com that's our American stories.com there are some of our faith, known as Canada's hockey dad Walter Gretzky died at the age of 82. His death prompted an avalanche of tributes and approachable person who nurtured the unsurpassed hockey talents with his son Wayne Gretzky on the family spleen, backyard rink in Brantford, Ontario, also suffered a serious brain aneurysm which robbed him of much of his memory. In 2007 that includes many of Wayne's biggest moments 60-year-old NHL legend turned American citizen delivered remarks at the St. Mark's Anglican church in Brantford shortly after laying his father Wayne stepped up to the podium in front of family cues and reminisced about his father's life is Wayne Gretzky and the same with pandemic that we've had. It's been horrible for everyone throughout the world. America I really want to tell everyone my dad and my sister and her family were so conscious of the cove. It had nothing to do with the passing of my father. Unfortunately, a few weeks ago sustained a bad hip injury and is he just said earlier, we thought weeks ago that the end was here his tremendous amount of faith. Faith like never seen, but he had a love for life and he didn't want to leave and we were 21 days sitting with them and just enjoying life chance and opportunity.

Tell stories our grandchildren had never seen my dad after his brain aneurysm and we were telling them all thankful that you didn't know before spring aneurysm is a lot tougher so it's been a tough time. I want to thank everyone in the community who dropped off food who dropped off sandwiches. They knew we are all there for 21 days. My sister was a champ.

She was beside him each and every minute of the day. The grandkids were wonderful.

My dad and mom I know are so proud, so I thought until a couple stories. I didn't know I spent the last four nights talking with my wife Janet thinking what is say and like I usually try to just wing it and speak from my heart. So years ago knows and my dad was such a huge sports fan hockey guy and we played hockey tournament outside of Toronto and my dad was so proud of his better teams in little towns in this area and on Friday night were going to determine. My mom said Walter Morgan have this baby this weekend and he said it's okay, you can wait to get back so that was born on the Saturday we went to this tournament in Whitby, Ontario, played against teams in Burlington, Hamilton, Toronto Marlies nationals.

We won the tournament we got in the car and will ensure the car to get us back from Boston to Brantford. I got back in the next day mom came home with Brandon.

People were coming by families, friends, sisters, congratulations on the baby every single person would say my dad Walter can't believe you missed the birth of your son. Sorry, next her neighbor Mary Morris is the last person to come over. She said Walter I can't believe you miss the birth of Brent when she walked out the door. He was so mad he stood up and grabbed the trophy, yes, but we got the trophy so as to all the grandchildren. Everything close to each and every one of them. They understood how important he was no family to the culture of Canada. He came there is families and immigrant. They came here because he wanted a better life. I don't think I've ever met Canadian my dad and all my five children are American-born United States. I always tell them you should be at Stacy's grandfather's Canada because that's how much he loves the country so I always tell my kids you know there's nothing better in life and family. Dad would come every year to our summer house. My son tied Trevor Triston hockey school and dad come out you go to the rink sign autographs like he always does, and playing golf one day and he's picking up golf balls like always golf balls will call and finally the next day tied Trevor Triston my friend Mike and Tom fairly rough and rapid always balls.

I finally grabbed you guys gotta stop grabbing golf balls remaining that once and for the kids. I said I know it wasn't for the kids but I got assigned for the kids at 5 AM. Sure enough we get to the airport is big and he runs a car is going to get a cup of coffee you sign these for the kids right I'm like oh my God, so there was see just as a remarkable man who loved life, love, family, we view way better world. If there's more people like my dad very special were authority. This is a tough time. I'm so proud of the fact that so many people reached out and given them such great tributes because he deserves it. He has a heart of gold and just and you been listening to Wayne Gretzky eulogizing his father by the way that we suffered tremendous memory loss that brain aneurysm father did remember many accounts in his own personal faith, we have a couple of quotes from you in our family. Walter once and for all Christians and we all help each other. It's do unto others as you would like yourself Walter also set in 2013 that one morning during his rehabilitation woke up and couldn't stop singing all amazing grace we all versus my therapist not said my sister and three brothers. Dad was our team captain Wayne said, guided, protected, and led our family every day every step of the way and by the way, we'd love to hear your stories about your father, your mother eulogies 11/3 of death. But there inevitably is all of us in the eulogy is a summary of the life written by people closest person. That's the part so if you have a great eulogy in mind, family member or someone else. Our favorite here on this show and I think there are two swing made her play her hood played John wooden home front was a poet, a great ballplayer spectacular and my favorite, my personal favorite was Jack Nicholas eulogizing on and telling the world what made Arnold special have those stories, eulogies have a recording.

Be still my heart, send it our way.

Send it to our American stories.com Wayne Gretzky eulogizing his father and one can tell there was great love their father's love and the mother's love privileged when you don't, well, enough said when Gretzky's eulogy was father here on our American stories Tory. We have such a special brought to you by near attack ODT we recorded at radiused windows came out near attack ODT were not to plant 75 mg can help migraine sufferers still such an exciting event like window tango.

I had when I took minor tech PT. I was present amazing time of our conversation with some of our closest friends & was brought to you by near attack ODT were met to plant 75 mg life with migraine attacks can mean missing out on big moments with friends and family only near attack ODT were not to plant 75 mg is the only medication that is proven to treat a migraine attack and prevent episodic migraines else sound lively like window tango town have to be next to millions will make Medicare coverage decisions for next year and United healthcare can help you feel confident about your choices for those eligible Medicare annual enrollment runs from October 15 through December 7. If you're working past age 65. You might be able to delay Medicare enrollment. Depending on your employer coverage.

It can seem confusing, but it doesn't have to be this UHC Medicare health and's.com to learn more United healthcare helping people live healthier lives. I know everything about running a coffee shop for small business insurance.

I need my State Farm agent and company business owners to help State Farm is in your corner and on their call your local State Farm agent for quote today and we returned to our American stories next story from a regular contributor Dennis Peterson today, then it shares with us the story of something his father did call Macon to his Dennis.

It surely had something to do with his having grown up on a farm and during the Great Depression, but daddy expressed desires for things and he seldom made impulse purchases not only what he needed if he needed it couldn't buy. He made or did without. He was always looking for the better deal on a few things he did. Daddy stated that he had built his own house on his own land. The only day that he incurred was for the drilling of well on his property, something that he was unable to do himself. His brother-in-law, uncle Dylan, $10 a month until the totals paid off and he never owed anyone a dime.

After that, rather, daddy safe. Actually it was probably another site, but daddy certainly was behind her efforts. Never plotting against her will recall that every time the Knoxville news Sentinel raised its subscription rate. Daddy threatened to stop the paper. Mother always found some way to trim the household budget, usually through getting better bass on her grocery purchases and saved enough to pay the higher rate and keep getting the pipe for years. Home delivery of the seven-day subscription was only $0.50 a week, but if daddy needed something he saved for not making the purchase until he had the cash in hand to pay for. That's what he did when buying a car or truck. He saved and saved over a long time.

Then when he was approaching the amount needed for the purchase.

He began shopping around for the best deal when he thought he had located the vehicle, he wanted. He sat down with the salesman and stated his terms 90 days same as cash if the dealer wouldn't accept the simple terms that he simply got up and walked out. That's how he bought every car and truck he ever owned that he was not tempted to exceed the top amount he had determined to spend any dealer add-on options or extra features or enticements. He wanted no luxury features no radio or air conditioning when those features were optional. He did get them when they became standard his trucks never had radios. They were work trucks, no plot sidewalls.

If it was extra fancy hubcaps of wheels.

No more chrome then was standard and those were the days before most of the cars were made of plastic daddy save more than money.

He seldom threw anything away we not need it someday he would offer as a reason for hanging onto something.

Many a time when I had nothing to do when I went on rainy or cold days when we could not work. He had me pull males from scaffold boards and nail to get after I removed them.

He instructed me to straighten and store them in a large coffee can jelly jar wooden box he not need to reuse them later. He also had a similar collection of assorted sizes of screws, bolts not washers and rubber gaskets. Then when the need arose from one of those items would be available would have to run to the hardware store to buy one would have spend an hour or so searching through endless cans and boxes and other kinds of containers until he found the right for his current need. This was all part of what he called Macon, but to make do. You had to have a ready supply of material and tools to make do with.

That's why he say not just money but everything but I was impatient. I couldn't understand daddy's thinking. I sometimes tried to reason with him. You save all these nuts and bolts and washers and screws to save money but you will spend an hour or more running through the whole collection trying to find the right one. Don't you know that time is money. He couldn't see it that way. I'd resigned myself to his never changing. The problem was that it was often time to the place where daddies make and do concern me most was on the job site. Sometimes improvised in ways that clearly were unsafe to himself. Me and other workers. For example, when I was so young that I could carry a maximum of only three bricks at a time I was working with daddy on the house that on the upper hand was one story tall.

But on the lower end was three stories.

The pile of used bricks that had been dumped on the operand that I had to transfer them as needed on the scaffold all the way to the other end of the house. Daddy rigged a 2 x 10 running from the brick house to the uppermost scaffold was to carry my three bricks that board and along the scaffold will weigh to the other end of the house. My problem was that with both of my hands on the bricks had no way of balancing myself on the board. I would fall off listening to my complaint. Daddy conceded and agreed to put a handrail on one side of the that sounded to me like a safer solution to the problem. But after he added the radio and I trotted out I discovered that the radio make the walk.

Space on the board even narrower, forcing me to walk toward one side of daddy insisted, however, that it was safe. I tried to make it work and promptly fell off the side and into the pile of bricks. Daddies make and do once just about did him into he was working on the scaffold in the gable end of the house used to boards nailed together with 16 pending to span the central part of scaffold is that say I asked with genuine concern of course is safe responded, sounding a bit hurt by my dad built it did not want to cross and then we crossed it bouncing up and down on it a little to demonstrate his point over the course of the day.

However, his repeated walking and bouncing across the gap because the nails to begin working loose near the end of the day.

The board suddenly separated as daddy walked across and down he fell about 20 feet into a pair of freshly mixed other than a scanned shin and a bruised ego was unanswered would have been the result of that fall had that barrel of mortar not been there to cushion the fall. On another occasion when daddy made do you nearly burned our house now. We had been having some trouble with our water heater not being able to meet the demands of the family of 61 Saturday, we asked daddy to look at it see what the problem was.

Upon examining it determined that one element had burned out, but he thought that he could jerryrigged it so that it would still produce heat. I don't understand electrical appliances enough to know exactly what he did but I think he somehow bypassed something and rewired some other thing and it worked. Problem solved. So we thought.

On Monday afternoon we drove into the garage.

When we got home from work and for some odd reason I happened to look toward the opposite side of the garage where water heater was. I saw one side of it blackened from bottom to top.

My eyes follow the direction of the rising suit stained to the ceiling joist chart in the insulation between the choice was blackened. Fortunately the fire because the circuit bracket to do its job, cutting off the power and preventing further damage.

That's what can come from a condition that daddy remain make man is in a great work is always my Monty Montgomery and a special thanks to Dennis Peterson and you can go to Dennis L. Peterson.com hear more stories. The upsides and downsides of having a make and do kinda dad or mom or anyone around you that enough around me in my life and sometimes her joy, and sometimes the killing story of Dennis Peterson's dad so many dads around this country like you on our American story. Each year, nearly 60,000 women in the uterine cancer cancer. Talk to your family about their cancer history, uterine cancer symptoms leading because treatment is most effective early appointments. If you have any concerns your body is important for the campaign to learn more.

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