HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOE

Family and friends,

I am honored to once again have the opportunity to write on Joe's Game Plan with Sherrie's permission.

Sherrie is a wonderful woman and has proven to be very strong in her ability to keep all of us informed during these very difficult months.  I can only try my best to imagine how difficult it is for her, yet one thing I can tell for certain is in the past few months each posting by her is increasingly difficult to write.  Let's try to help her out.

I know you have sent in cards and letters to the Kahler family expressing your love and support, which has been so important, as it has given them strength.  Some of your stories have given the family a few timely laughs, much needed and much appreciated.  Many of you shared your stories of Joe from yesteryear in person at one of the gatherings over the past several months.  There were the joyful high school and college reunions, the fun charity golf tournament and lunch, and there was the wonderful Daddy/ Daughter dance.  While many great "Joe" stories were exchanged during these get-togethers, not everyone who follows this site got to hear them or join in.  So here is an idea.

For Joe's birthday, which is Sunday May 4^th, let’s flood this blog site with birthday wishes.  Send your birthday wishes here for others to see and please share your "Joe" stories with each other while entertaining the Kahler family and all of us as well. If not registered to the blog or one of the log-ins, simply enter through the anonymous button.  You can sign your name at the end of your story or stay anonymous.  I realize many of you have already put a birthday card in the mail, while others may not have seen this post before May 4th, it doesn't matter.    Make your story long; make it short, but please share one or more of your favorite Joe Kahler stories here for all of us to read, as we can further share this time together and give a little gift of ourselves back to the Kahlers.

 HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOE, we love you!

Let the stories begin.

Here is my story.

 R. G. Neilson

 

TOUCHDOWN MAKER

The smell of the green grass was never sweeter than that of the rectangular, white lined field, of five-yard intervals. Nothing compares to the smell and taste of that fresh-cut grass on an autumn night under the bright stadium lights with the cheering, Spirited crowd at our backs.

Wounded the week before, unable to practice during the week, dressed in full uniform but unable to play, the touchdown maker watched and impatiently paced along the sideline.  A separated shoulder can be painful at best, and fully debilitating for a football player.  The impact from the many collisions an all-star running back encounters in the normal progression of one game would only worsen the injury and delay full recovery.  Full rest and abstinence from this game was the coach’s prudent decision.  The game must be played without the touchdown maker.

Morro Bay, I believe it was.  We had gone there the year before.  This crisp and chilly October night it was us and them once again in the swirl of the high desert winds. Nearing the end of the first half things had gone well for the team wearing the scarlet and gold uniforms.  Seconds left before the halftime break.  Thirty some yards from our destination.  Timeout.  A trot to the sideline.  Quick conversation with the head coach.  “Run the circle route; 24 circle pass”.  With one wave of the coach’s hand #24 joined me on the trot back to the huddle.

One pass

One catch

One play

One touchdown

 That night of the glorious autumn of 1975 #24 the touchdown maker in one play once again led his team to victory.

 R. G. Neilson