TBL_The Misc Lion

THE PAWS THAT REFRESHES

This area I reserve for lighter fare-where mysteries-unexplained events-angels-miracles-UFOs-faith-humor-paranormal moments and warm hearted stories to delight and magnify the senses-exist For your encouragement-for open minds-for those with many questions-you may NOT find answers here-however-I truly hope youll have fun looking for them as I do. Enter now if you will-into a different side-and world of-The Balkan Lion.

Our first story is about a four year old boy. Junior (as he was nicknamed then) liked getting into mischief. He crawled into old torn houses when he shouldnt have-followed an older brother and sister to school several blocks away -being a bit of a nuisance and then having to come home by himself as he wasnt old enough for kindergarten and in those days they didnt have pre-K. At times he walked the streets alone looking for food or a helping hand if his parents werent home. Other times he was found in the wee hours of the morning and brought home by the police-sometimes with his coat on upside down and backwards-looking bewildered and scared. It raised many questions about neglect. Besides following his brother and sister to school he also watched three younger siblings ages 3-2 and 1. It was a lot of responsibility for a young boy.

There were good times as well-when the next door neighbors dog-a bassett hound was teased and would chase him and the other children and neighborhood children up the stairs-then the dog would go back home-which was next door-at which point the children would go right back downstairs and tease the dog. The dog would continue to chase them up and down the stairs until the dog got tired and quit. Since the dog had become smarter than the teasing kids-they would have to seek mischief and adventure-elsewhere.

One of these mornings-Junior was home alone and had a feeling-to walk out of the house-and not being the best behaved boy-he left and walked away from the house-after walking and passing houses and streets-he realized he was lost. As he stands in these strange surroundings-he looks up and in front of him is a statue that appears to be made of white stone. It is pure white-like hed never seen before-almost an Ivory color to it-he knew hed never seen a statue or anything like this before-the statue loomed several feet taller than him-It was strange-austere-scary-staring out like it was looking over his left shoulder-oblivious to anyone or anything or so he thought.

As Junior gazed upward at the face of the stone statue-the statue made of stone TURNED IT'S HEAD AND LOOKED DIRECTLY AT HIM. Then the statue shook its head left to right over and over again. Junior stared wide-eyed in TERROR-watching the statue shake its head at him. He then heard a voice in his head telling him "Run Home-Don’t Tell Mom-Mom Wont Understand-Run Home-Now." Over and Over Junior heard the voice in his head.

Without reasoning or knowing why-as terrified as he was-he was able to get his legs to run from being frozen at the spot of the strange event that was taking place.He turned and ran-as fast as his legs would or could take him. He had no idea where he was going but kept following the voice in his head.The next thing he knew-he was back on his street and running full tilt into the house and into the front room-his eyes wide-as saucers-and looking for the statue to see if it was chasing him-Face pressed against the window-fear in his eyes-he NEVER saw the statue again.

What he did see was his inebriated father drive up and over the curb where he had been statnding slamming into several bicycles only seconds before where he had stood earlier. Something strange had happened to Junior that day. His life had been saved. He was spared death at the hand of his inebriated father by a white statue made of stone that came to life shaking its head and giving him a warning. It wansnt a normal event-why?

There was that time when Juniors inebriated father had slammed into a bus-putting Junior into the dashboard and through the windshield. He still has the scars from that accident today and he wasnt the only one in the car involved-still remembering the ambulance taking him into the hospital on a gurney-covered in blood and crying from the head wounds he had.

A short time later the police and the Dept of Social Services came in and forcibly removed him and the other siblings from the family by what is known as Termination Of Parental Rights. Junior spent two years in foster care and was later adopted in 1959. He didnt see the last of 15 siblings until 1998- 40 years later when he completed a search for 15 siblings-finding ALL of them! The City of Buffalo News helped him locate the last brother and sister back after his story was written in two national newspapers and it prompted Surrogate Judge Joseph S. Mattina to open two SEALED FILES locating the final two siblings bringing a 40 year search to an end.

Today-Junior...is me! I was that boy back in 1957 whose life was spared and whose story you see. I have asked myself many times-why was I not killed on that day? Maybe this website will give some direction on the answer to that question.

I have asked myself many times-Did I see an Angel-or was it an overactive four year old boys imagination. Divine or Alien intervention? No matter the circumstances-I was there-saw it-and lived through it. Mysterious- yes! Do I have any answers-No-theories-possibly-and I couldnt even begin to put them down here. The possibilities may be STAGGERING and stretch me to the limits of my understanding-yet I keep pushing-on.

As I look back over the last 47 years of life since then in 1957-I’ve had a lot of angels in my life in the form of parents-friends-family-loved ones-and more. I’ve read much on the subject of religions-belief systems-cults-the occult-archaeology-angels-Ufology-paranormal studies, psychics and spirituality. I have no steadfast answers as to what happened or why.

Today I consider myself a blessed man considering all that has happened. I still have my eyes-searching the skies-while my heart has gained some peace over the reunion of my siblings and what it took to get them back. It has been a long and difficult road at times. 40 + years later-my goals in life are different. Our children are the hope and future-Lets take care of them in OUR lives and CLASSROOMS-and the seeds that are planted now-will reward us with the fruit of their lives in the years and generations to come.

Sounds like a plan to me-I remain on the brink-but in the balance!

"TBL"

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