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Instant Tragedy – Instant Sean

Instant Sean

Category: Instant Tragedy

  • A Sad Trip Around The Sun

    A Sad Trip Around The Sun

    On my birthday I found out about an old friend of mine from a divorce care counseling group I belonged to, passing on from a lengthy illness. I was sad but glad, for the pain he had been under had been excruciating, and he need not suffer anymore.

    When I first got divorced we were paired to talk about our experiences, praying for each other and trying our best supportive act for each other. We would talk about our kids in our one on one sessions, we both had a daughter and a son, his older than mine, as he was 20 years my senior.

    When it was time for his daughter wedding, she chose her mom’s new husband to walk her down the aisle to my friends dismay. When the speeches came, everyone spoke but my friend and he was further humiliated by not given a solo father daughter dance.

    His daughter split the dance, giving him the first half of the dance and then giving an extended dance with her step father.

    My friend, paid for the honeymoon and for moving expenses closer to a job which would put her closer to Waco and him.

    But shortly after the honeymoon, her “plans changed,” and she isolated her father even more. She joined her step dad’s company, she moved to a house provided by her step dad and mom and slowly stopped talking to her dad. She had country club tastes but she would tell anyone that her dad was just “a bum.”

    I feel that pain every day when I don’t get to see my kids, and I can only imagine how he felt.

    Though he never married again, Steven put a foot forward doing whatever it took to be available for his daughter and he died a broken man never reconciling with her.

    Now this afternoon, the executor read the will and his daughter was left a picture of Steven and her where she’s looked up to him with loving wonder.

    His son Tony moved to California for a job  a long time ago. But he sent his dad a card for every holiday, birthday and special occasion. Though separated early in his life just like his older sister, he still treated his father like the man who gave him unconditional love.

    In the end Steven died alone but he knew he was loved.

    His daughter got a photo.

    Tony got everything else.

    God bless you Steven and may you Rest In Peace my friend.

  • Sources are useless to you when they lie.

    Sources are useless to you when they lie.

    Thought I had a great story today. Was going to be the first to report it.

    But something smelled off.

    The information was too good, too complete, it just was too good to be true. So I didn’t say a thing and instead after the show today called for a secondary source.

    I couldn’t get one. Not one source  would confirm what I was told. 

    So I said nothing, but strange enough, the second I started calling looking for a secondary confirmation, my teammates were given the exact opposite information.

    I was being played.

    So I learned a lesson not to trust this boy ever again. 

    I move on. Never said this job was going to be easy…

  • Say what you mean and mean what you say…

    Say what you mean and mean what you say…

    I preface what I need to say with the following:
     
    I’ve worked in the media in one way or another since 1994. When dealing with sports teams and personalities there is a careful balance. Get to close to a team / player and you lose objectivity. Don’t get close enough and you lose the touch and intimacy in which you get when you know the ins and outs of a dynamic. In my years in media, I’ve kept my distance, not asked for the contact numbers and kept my distance so I can be objective. I can also call out the players when I know they aren’t giving or making an effort. I’ve tried to keep my distance for purposes of my personal privacy.
     
    By doing this, I know I can give my opinions without betraying trusts or by allowing people to take advantage of me.
     
    Today, a player who I’ve, as well as many of my other colleagues have talked to, decided to head home. This same player mouthed out after the end of the Texas Tech season. ‘Everything would change when he came to the rescue next year.’ I told him, “I’ll believe it when I see it,” and he mouthed off again to me in private. I never repeated what he said to me, nor will I now, but I feel sorry for him, then and now.
     
    His excuse is he is leaving to take care of a sick relative back home. Fine. I wish him the best and I am praying for his family member back home.
     
    What I don’t excuse was the way he handled this announcement. When asked by one of my fellow members of the media to comment, he immediately un-followed and blocked him on Twitter. If you are man enough to brag how you are going to save a program when you get there, expect anger when you leave. Expect even more anger when you block people who were your biggest supporters. He’s a child, a kid, I know and there are even more kids out there who depend on our support. “Student-athletes” deserve to earn a wage for the entertainment they are providing others.
     
    Kids though, need to be whipped and sent to bed without dinner.
  • Dear Ryan

    Dear Ryan

    Sean’s rules of life for his son Ryan Donahue

    Rule #1 Don’t mess with a Donahue. If you do, you will face consequences. Have pride in your family even when we argue. Everyone fears us.
    Rule #2 If confused reread rule #1
    Rule #3 Consequences are delivered at a time and place of my choosing. They may never be delivered. But I could be around the corner watching you, planning your demise or I could be at home, eating home made cookies. Don’t look out your window. I said don’t look out the window.
    Rule #4 You make my kid cry, I make you cry.
    Rule #5 Life isn’t fair, it’s life. Jerks sometimes win, nice guys sometime finish last. Try your best and you will beat 95% of people. The other 5% are lucksacks.
    Rule #6 Karma is a bitch, easily angered, amused and mean as a kicked rattlesnake. Stay on the right side of Karma
    Rule #7 Help a stranger, encourage a friend, love everyone. Be the bigger person and always take the high road. It’s more scenic and less traffic.
    Rule #8 Love is fickle & hard. You probably won’t marry your high school love. If you do she’ll end up nothing like the woman of your dreams. Be patient, the right woman is where you least expect it. I found your mom and then Joanna Watson Donahue. Your heart should never heal easy. If it did, it wasn’t true love.
    Rule #9 Work hard, pray harder.

    And finally…
    Rule #10 When the going is tough know you can always lean on me. Because that’s what Dad’s are for.

  • Dear Lubbock Area Vet,

    Dear Lubbock Area Vet,

    God knows how I miss Dr. J even more today. Everyone in Lubbock with a pet knew the legend of Dr J. But she is gone and I had to move to another vet. This afternoon Keegan started to bleed and we took him to the vet after Joanna all morning had called to try to talk to the vet. His first words wasn’t, “Lets fix Keegan,” or “What would you like to do?” but “Let’s me first talk about communicati…”

    I shut down and walked out of the room and composed this letter.

    Dear Anonymous Lubbock Area Vet,

    Before you start to criticize my wife for calling you three times because she worries about our family member, I would appreciate if you would check the patient first.

    Bleeding, as you told her later, “traditionally isn’t normal in a back injury” of a dachshund.

    You aren’t Dr. House and I would rather burn money right in front of you than hand it over to you.

    He isn’t just a dog. He isn’t just an animal. He is my family member and since you don’t treat him as such there will be consequences.

    When this adventure is over I will be looking elsewhere for my family care. Because you may consider him your cash cow, but he is my son. He is my kids protector and my wife’s live heating blanket.

    I left the room this morning not because of the tough truths that you were telling my weeping wife, but in the total lack of empathy you showed her. You treated my family as you do any other wallet that you can reach in and grab every dollar that you can see. My wife knew if I stayed in the room, I would have not only yelled right back at you but posted your name, address, phone number and Facebook page for the world to see.

    I pray for your healing hands to help Keegan and resist the urge to take advantage of my wife as she wept.

    I am a nice man, and I will chew on my tongue.

    For now.