Transformers

I took my 5-and-6-year-old grandsons to see “Transformers” Sunday. It’s the new release from Dreamworks and Paramount Pictures, and I’m ashamed to say, I never checked the “rating” of the movie. I assumed it was going to be rated G since it was based on the Hasbro toys that swept the nation in the 1980s.

I just thought, since the movie was based on toys, it would be rated for children and I never looked before we went. I didn’t even look at the rating while we were there. It was after the movie, when my daughter told me about the PG-13 rating, that I began to think about it and reflect on how I may have exposed my young grandsons to something harmful by not paying attention.

The movie had quite a lot of violence, but not so much it disturbed me. It was not bloody like so many war movies are. The story is about robots who come to earth in search of a box full of empowering energy for the transformer robots who are able to masquerade as a variety of everyday automobiles, 18-wheelers, planes and more; as well as toasters and boom box radios. The deceptacons, the robots who weren’t vehicles, expressed distain for the human race but the autobots reported they were sworn protect humans.

There are good and bad forces at work throughout the movie. The struggle makes me think of the fallen angels of the Bible and their fight over the souls of mankind.

I loved the movie and intend to see it again.

One of the things I found to be difficult was keeping the good robots separated from the bad robots in my mind. Whenever I wasn’t sure, all I had to do was ask my grandsons. They had no trouble in telling the differences and were happy to instruct me. When Megatron came to life and announced “I am Megatron,” Easton looked at me and said, “Now he’s the bad one.” As the movie progressed and my questions continued, finally, Liam, the younger of the two, said “all the planes are bad robots.” That helped me some and cut down on my questions through the movie.

I was disappointed that Hasbro would allow the movie to go with swear words. There weren’t many but they were there. My boys and I were both shocked when the first one came out. They both looked at me wide eyed and I told them we don’t ever use those words. That seemed to give them a little reassurance but the fact the words were included in a children’s movie was a shame. I don’t believe the movie would have suffered, even a little, if the harsh language had been avoided. Of course, this is why I should have consulted the ratings before going.

During one of the battle scenes in which Bumblebee, a yellow Camaro, had a large role, Easton turned to Liam and said, “This is so awesome.” Liam agreed with his cousin and I thought that, just maybe, I was becoming a cool gramma.

Heroes

Heroes

Everybody has one or more heroes in their lives. Someone they look up to for particular accomplishments from living life with outstanding character, displaying strengths others consider unattainable or even being a good cook.

One of the heroes in my life showed himself to be above the crowd in 1998 when he was diagnosed with carcinogenic melanoma. My husband, Billy Wayne, had a dark, suspicious mole, and when he finally got it checked, the report was not good.

Just hearing the word “cancer” on a diagnosis is scary for the person who’s affected as well as for his family.

To fully appreciate the quality of Billy’s achievement, you must understand a few things about him. For one thing, he loves to have something about which to complain. Now I’m not saying this about him to try to make him look bad, it’s kind of an endearing characteristic.

For example, having been a truck driver for a good portion of his life, he appreciates drivers who display good, consistent driving skills. We like to travel the highways and byways when we can and Billy makes it his job to critique the other drivers on the road — sometimes a challenge to listen to for the whole trip.

Well, enough about that. I just want to share a little of the reason I expected Billy to be a complainer about his cancer treatments.

Immediately following his diagnosis, he had to have a couple of surgeries. The first let us know to what degree his cancer was developed. It was a cutting-edge technology that identified affected lymph nodes. Biopsies were taken, and in the lab work that followed, cancer was tracked.

The next surgery was scheduled to remove the lymph nodes that carried Billy’s cancer. Recovery from the second surgery was much more difficult, but after a week or so, Billy was pretty close to getting back to normal — though most people would never call him normal in any way.

After surgery came decisions on what type of treatment Billy should take to be sure there was no cancer continuing in his body. We went to see his oncologist in Plano to learn of his treatment recommendations. Of course, at that time, we knew very little of what to expect. Our innocence didn’t last long.

Within a couple of weeks, he began interferon treatments. He went to the clinic every day to take massive amounts and then I had to get trained on how to administer the treatments at home so he could reduce his visits to a monthly schedule. It was a year-long regimen during which Billy was sick, sick, sick. On many of the days he wasn’t vomiting, he still tired easily, and in general just didn’t feel good.

We learned of Billy’s cancer in August just as our daughter was preparing for her senior year in high school. She had been a varsity volleyball player since her sophomore year and her volleyball career had become important to us as a family. We followed her through off-season, club volleyball as well as the intense schedule for the three months of high school play.

When it came to Jamie, who’s always been the apple of Billy Wayne’s eye, he put on his game face. He attended almost every games because he knew she’d be looking for him. Two times a week, he sat in a gymnasium somewhere in Texas, in hot and cold weather. He smiled and joked and tried to keep things normal for his daughter’s senior year in high school. She never knew the effort he had to undertake in order to be there and that’s the way he wanted it.

Even the night, during a football game half time, when we heard Jamie’s name announced as the 1998 homecoming queen, he was on the field as her escort.

I know how sick he was. I knew how badly he felt because I watched him. I’m the one who made him eat and made sure he drank plenty of water. I mopped his face after he upchucked over and over.

Through it all, he never complained. He took his lumps and never complained. He did what he felt he had to do for Jamie to enjoy her last year in high school and he never complained.

He’s my hero.

Billy Wayne on the radio

We went to West Memphis, Ark. in a quick, less-than-two-day trip, and though tired, we’re both glad we went.

Billy was excited to be one of the ribbon cutters to celebrate the grand opening of a truck-stop medical clinic opened by childhood friend, Dr. John McElligott. “Why,” you might be saying, “would Billy be one of the ribbon cutters?”

The answer is, it was his idea. Yep, he gave Dr. John the idea about 10 years ago and John, with a passion for internal medicine, got on board with the concept and couldn’t let it go until he had a clinic just for truck drivers. The first Professional Drivers Medical Depot was opened in January in Knoxville and the second was opened this week in West Memphis. Seventy-eight more clinics are planned across the United States.

Dave Nemo, of XM Satellite Radio, broadcast his show from 6 a.m. to noon Friday from the PDMD lobby to add to the grand-opening festivities. Nemo said he’s on board with McElligott’s dream because he sees it as adding to the life quality of the nation’s truck drivers — Nemo’s listening audience and considered by most to be the backbone of the nation as they transport necessities from coast to coast.

Nemo said, his favorite comment from drivers is the one that says “You really helped me stay awake last night.” Nemo explained, he considers that to mean he is helping driver's stay alive. As McElligott is passionate about internal medicine, Nemo is just as passionate about the truck drivers who listen to his program.

Billy also got a brief turn at talking with Nemo on the radio, and let me tell you, he was REALLY good. Bill Buzbee, chief operating officer for PDMD agrees with me and said they should make Billy their voice. I hope they do — he was THAT good.


Picture: The ceremonial red ribbon falls away from the scissors at the traditional ribbon-cutting event for PDMD in West Memphis, Ark. From left are Sandra Snow, senior technician for PDMD, Bill Buzbee COO for PDMD, Billy Wayne Godwin, Jeff Miller, president and CFO for PDMD, Dr. John McElligott, chairman and CEO for PDMD, Dave Nemo, president and COO of Nemo Entertainment, Dr. Roy Denton, representing Crittenden Regional Hospital of West Memphis and Jamie Carter, president and CEO of CRH.

Billy Wayne

Tomorrow, Billy Wayne and I are leaving for West Memphis, Ark. for the grand opening of a second truck-drivers' medical stop contained within a Petro Truck Stop. We'll drive most of the day — taking little Gracie with us. The official ceremonies, e.g., speeches, introductions and news media will be sometime Friday.

I think Billy's excited to get to be with Midland friend Dr. John McElligott and to be a part of what's going on.

I'm new to this blogging thing but hope to be able to update it daily to tell you what's going on. Maybe I'll be able to get a picture or two with it.

If you want to read more about it, check out the Web site at http://www.pd-md.com/html/pdmd_s_beginning.html

Joyce Godwin

this is my first blog post July 13, 2006