Billie

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Musical Accompaniment: deleted 9/15/2003; "If we hold on together" would have been a good choice because of the words:
"If We Hold On Together, I know our dreams will never die, Dreams see us through to forever, As high as souls can fly..."
Jan. 2004; decided to go with: Vivaldi, Antonio (1678-1741); "Concerto for Two Lutes"; www.karadar.com 


http://stephan.brachet.free.fr/text/alphabetsnow/

Billie Lynn Fazakerly Harrison
January 13

I was born on a cold day in January many moons ago. It was on the 13th, but as far as I know, it wasn't on a Friday. My birthday has fallen on Fridays before, but, so far, Friday the 13th has been like any other day--no big deal.   

It all started with: BILL & MARTY

1940's
 William Thomason Fazakerley, Lieutenant, Memphis Police Force; 
("Willie" to his Mother; "Bill" to everyone else)
Martha Louise Finch Fazakerly 
("Marty" to Daddy; "Martha" to other adults; "Gram" to the grandkids)
A Little While Later:

Vacation June 1959
Pensacola Beach, Florida
 Mama, Chris, Billie, Tommy
(Blurred picture, but it's one of my favorites)

Billie's Philosophical Views
Keep things in perspective. We shouldn't try to take ourselves too seriously. A splash of humor will get us through most situations. 
A small touch of whimsy (without crossing the line into silliness) can go a very long way to help keep our sense of delight intact. Even the most formal rooms in my house have at least one small item of whimsy to break the seriousness of the setting. I appreciate formality and respect it but I refuse to take it so seriously.
For every bad thing that happens,  try to make a special effort to list some of the good things that also occurred during that time. 
This can be an extremely hard thing to do--I know--but it can actually help--some. Again, it's a matter of perspective and balance. 
Joys: My children: Martha Jane & Josh.
Regrets: None. If there were any regrets it would have to be that I don't live at least part time in England! This very proud American loves all things English. The genealogical research I could do there!!! I would be very happy to spend years roaming cemeteries among the weeds and critters (well, maybe not with the critters) and digging in basements and attics among the mildew, mold, and dust mites in the libraries, churches, museums and other research sites. I would wear the cobwebs proudly. 
Hobbies: Take a wild guess.
Religion: This is such a deeply private matter to me.
Respect and keep an open mind to all views. 
The following states it better than I ever could:  
"There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle." ---Albert Einstein
"Bidden or not bidden, God is present." ---Carl Jung (words carved over the door of his house in Zurich; also on his tombstone.) See addendum below.
 
I don't know if God has a sense of humor, but if he did, I would assume the following would be a good example: 
Author Unknown (this was sent to me by my cousin).
"A man trying to understand the nature of God asked him: 'God, how long is a million years to you?' God answered: 'A million years is like a minute.' 
Then the man asked 'God, how much is a million dollars to you?' And God replied, 'A million dollars is like a penny.' 
Finally the man asked: 'God, could you give me a penny?' 
And God said, 'In a minute.'"    
Other Interests: Same as some of the above with perhaps a little fishing thrown in. Well, a lot of fishing, actually. Also reading--lots and lots of reading. My pets, who are great friends and companions. Family gatherings during the holidays. Sharing the things I learn with others. Landscaping my yard--the big projects--not the weeding. Arguing with my husband, James.
Relish the good memories. See picture below.
Philosophy about the rich people in this world: 
Being rich means defying limitations.
Fortunately for me, I'm accustomed to limitations.
Politics: To borrow a phrase from the American Indians (at least in TV land): "He speaks with forked tongue!"
Attitude about doctors & pharmacists: Two of my favorite people on earth were:
Harry Bryan, a medical doctor, my maternal uncle and Josh Meshew, a pharmacist, my maternal great uncle. These two people had a big impact on my life and deserve all the respect in the world. 
1) Past
Most Doctors of the past: 
Wise; Humanitarians; Skilled Craftsmen; Chemists; Only hurried in an emergency; Intimate.
Most pharmacists of the past:
True chemists essential to any family in any town.
2) Today
Most Doctors of today: 
Specialists; Entrepreneurial Businessmen; Pharmaceutical Representatives; Always in a hurry;  Distant.
Most pharmacists of today:
Wealthy Conglomerates running every aspect of health care. 
God bless youth, cousins, and giggles. (Do men "giggle"?) 
Laughter just plain feels good whether you are stressed or not. A good sense of humor is life sustaining. Thankfully it runs in the family. July 2004, James & I had a wonderful vacation in NY visiting & sharing memories of our past with my cousin, John Bryan. There were some great times and some overwhelmingly tragic times in our past. John made an astounding comment, which I will paraphrase: "Going by our gene pool, I figure I have about 15 minutes left." My immediate inner emotional response was: Can one laugh and cry at the same time? John is a master of dead-pan looks and outrageous statements. Then there is this story about John when we were young.  At the time, he was certainly old enough to know the meaning and seriousness of church Communion. One Sunday morning when they handed the Communion plate to John to pass, he said "No thank you, I'm not hungry" with a completely serious and innocent look on his face. The imp.  Mimi, my aunt, "popped" him good. She did not find that a bit amusing. I've always considered myself fortunate that I wasn't sitting near him at the time or I would have completely lost it. No amount of black looks or dire threats from my mother and grandmother would have worked to stop the giggling. They would have had to carry me out of the church while I laughed hysterically. They probably would have banned me from future church services. Such was the effect John had on me when are were together.            
Addendum to religion, 2007: 
My attitude toward "formalized & traditional religion" for the most part is, Ugh! 
Some churches I attended had a "country club" attitude--you fit in or you didn't. Others sponsored good youth programs with camps and outings and fellowships, get-togethers, etc. and I learned more from those than being "bored to death" in church on Sunday mornings--unless of course I could sit near my cousins and "cut up", which was rarely allowed to happen. 
I am interested in religious (or I should probably say spiritual) history which I find fascinating. I've just read a book that's a real humdinger. Absolutely great. It happens to be by an Episcopal Bishop. I'm not Episcopalian, but I keep an open mind to all forms of religion. Anyway, it will absolutely pull the security rug right out from under you if you lean on formalized religion (which equates with religious fear) for guidance. This is not your typical priest. Warning: A lot of folks will not like this book. I loved this book! 
Jesus for the Non-Religious, by John Shelby Spong
It's all about Jesus' complete humanity and how he surpassed:
a) Our tribal like natures that are as current today as they were at the dawn of time: ("They" are different from us--different country, different language, different skin, different religion, etc.--so keep them away or attack them because we are superior.  
b) Our prejudices: (A "disease". An ancient and continuing "survival technique" of mankind.)
c) Our need for religious systems: (Ancient and modern: a false "security system" that creates fear to deal with our fear of punishment.) 
This great book emphasized that Jesus' complete and whole humanity reached out to others with his love and offered a complete sense of freedom that breaks boundaries:
FREEDOM to enjoy life and live it fully and "taste its sweetness"; 
FREEDOM to love by receiving love for ourselves then giving love to others;
FREEDOM to enjoy "being and to be everything we can be" by tapping into the  "inexhaustible", "infinite", and "indestructible" source of The Ultimate Mystery: Spirit, Being, Universal Life Force, or God. Whatever term you wish to use.
FREEDOM to "act out what God means", not worry about "who or what God is" and finding "divinity within the deepest dimension of what it is to be human".
Women are wondrous beings; Let her love and love her for loving.
                     

Example of a good memory: I'm with my cat, I'm barefooted, & I've been fishing


"Catch Of The Day"
 (I am showing my black cat--dark blob lower left--my fish)
Billie Lynn Fazakerly Harrison

Want More?
As Jack Webb's TV character, Sergeant Joe Friday, would say on the program Dragnet: 
"Just the Facts, Ma'am."
(Hope this doesn't put you to sleep.)
Billie Lynn Fazakerly:
I was named after my father, Bill. Many years later my mother's cousin, Billie Dean Meshew, told me she thought I was named after her also.
Daddy called me "Belinda" at times, a nickname he came up with. If I ever heard "Billie Lynn!" with a certain tone in his voice, I knew I was in trouble. It was hard to tell with Daddy, he never raised his voice. A look could speak volumes.
Both my parents were good dancers and liked music. Daddy tried to teach me to dance, but somehow, I inherited someone's two left feet. My parents listened to everything from Tchaikovsky's great works (Piano Concerto # 1, one of my favorites) to Vejvoda's "Beer Barrel Polka". I got my eclectic taste in music from them. My interests range from the serious to the silly. (Forgive me, but I don't like "country music"--but then, again, I guess that would depend on the performer.)

Zack, Daddy's mother, always took us grocery shopping. Somehow she made this an adventure like going to the fair or something. I don't know how she did it, but the simplest things were fun. She bought us doughnuts on Saturday mornings. She bought all our Easter Outfits every year. She was good to us, but she & Mama were like two porcupines going at each other.   
Mostly reared by my Grandmother, Gladys Meshew Finch, Mama's mother. I would need a large book to talk about her. She taught English & Latin in high school until she was 70. She was always very well dressed. She was a saint--with a steel core. She could be strict and kind all at the same time. She was my anchor in life.  
Graduated from Central High School, 1964; Graduated from the Baptist School of Nursing, June, 1967; a week later married James Loyd Harrison, June 16, 1967.
Baptised twice. First Evangelical Church (mostly Methodist doctrine, used the "sprinkling, hand on head method") where I went as a child, then again after joining the Baptist church with my husband. They didn't recognize or accept our method. Guess it wasn't official until you were "dunked". (Never have liked the Baptist church. I feel more at home in a Methodist church.)
Have lived in Tennessee, Texas, Georgia, Florida, & South Carolina
Had both my children on the island of Galveston, Texas. Wish we were still there.
Hobbies: Reading, writing, art (no talent, just mostly like looking at it), gardening (when it isn't too hot); Cooking; Genealogy (my latest passion)
Love cats (my major love) and dogs: Actually, if it makes a mess and has to be fed, I consider it a pet.
My mother's other cousin, Jean Pierre Meshew, started out as a Methodist Minister, then became an Anglican and later became an Anglican Archbishop. This was an intimidating man outwardly, but I loved him and always felt comfortable around him. This very busy man made time to help me enormously with my Genealogy on the Meshews. I returned the favor by presenting him with a beautiful book on the family that he was so proud of.  Too bad his religious fervor didn't rub off on me.    
"Uncle Harry": Dr. Harry Graham Bryan, my mother's sister's husband, was a doctor; he was also our family doctor. He got us to sing "Davy Crocket" when we were little tykes before giving us our injections to help take our minds off what he was doing. This was truly a great man. He was so serious, but could always make me giggle at the dinner table when we went to their house. He is the reason I became a nurse. His son, John Bryan, and I were very close growing up. John came from California and stayed weeks with my very sick brother, Tommy, until he died, May 1999. My brother and John's sister, Mary Ann, were very close. I will be indebted to her forever for all she did for my brother. 
(Sorry, Jack Webb, I wandered a bit in places.)

Information on my husband, James, and our children, Martha Jane & Josh, can be found in the Acknowledgement Section. They each have their own pages with their own creative inputs.

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