Gordon Hicks:  

nded and kicked Left-footed. Dad built a Swimming Pool in the back yard Summer after 3rd Grade. This changed my life. I loved doing everything I could imagine in the water for fun. The fish would be proud. Heading briefly forward to Summer 1972, Took a WSI swimming class. Coach Mike Ross Video Taped our Crawl stroke Technique for 25 meters. After viewing each student performance. He showed them my tape. He told the class my form looked like Mark Spitz, the 1972 1976 Olympic Champion. l It was my life expression, my greatest love. Before Summer, 6th Grade, I was practicing how long I could hold my breath under water, I held on the ladder steps, as the way to stay submerged and learned the techniques in how to hold my breath, like releasing a few air bubbles during the duration until I was out of air. Then, I just stood up to breathe again. It was the challenge I thrived on. All summer from May until July, I got up to 3min30sec submerged. Timed by Mike Shepherd, my very best good friend, using a Timex wrist watch. He kept on urging me to increase my underwater time. So, after his Family went on their vacation for 3 weeks, I told Mike I would do what he told me was impossible to do. That dare was all that I needed. I worked so much, improving my breath holding techniques. Kept my eyes open always to focus on my bubble release. When Mike returned from vacation 3 weeks later, I was ready. Told him, Do not cheat me on the time! Exactly, how long did I stay underwater with one breath. He timed me at 5min15 sec. That was my greatest moment, doing what I was told was impossible Then. I became the only Student ever at Sanger Elementary for grades 1-6, to achieve 6 Perfect Attendance Award Certificates. At 180 days x 6 school years. Total of 1,080 School Days, Zero absences. I fought all my 100s of ear aches during those school years, and then it came upon a Midnight Clear on Christmas Eve, 1965, I contracted Mumps, while eating at The Village Chinese, on both sides. Preschool early years, I contracted the Mumps on the left side, later on my right side. Well so, Dad had planned on New Years day, to attend The Cotton Bowl in Dallas. No way now. But Dad went and bought a brand new Curtis Mathis TV/AMFM/Stereo Player, to compensate for not going to Dallas. Thanks, Always Dad! Anyway, I Watched all the Bowl Games, Still eyeing at going back to school. Come 1st Day back to school, Healthy again. Bingo! The perfect attendance was kept intact. It was not easy going year by year with double ear aches - with a temperature. Have suffered untold thousands of Ear aches, All Childhood diseases except Polio, since birth till age 14. After Betty Harrelson, My 6th Grade Teacher, figured out I was deaf, she changed my whole life that day on. She called Mom, told her I was deaf, and my Mom started roaring laughter at my teacher over the phone. My Dear Teacher, told her most emphatically, Take your Son to the Doctor, now!! You see, no one ever knew I was deaf at birth, not in 1953. Was born at 32 weeks, A Blue Baby Life span age was 6 months. So, at 2 weeks, my lung collapsed, pneumonia set in, dropped 20% in weight. They put me in a incubator, The sweet and dearest people at 1st Baptist Church, Kermit kept a prayer chain going on for 3 days, My Guardian Angel was there watching over me. He kept me Breathing thru the prayers of my family in Jesus Christ. Saved from death on that day, to retell all today. Amen. All Praise to my Heavenly Father. My Redeemer and My Wonderful Savior Jesus Christ, He is My Eternal, My All n All, FOREVER. My very best, Friend is Holy Spirit Living In me, forevermore. The last thing today to share is this. At age 13, Hobbs America, Bellaire Bowl, I rolled a single game score of 242. This was the Best Day in my Life for reaching a goal, that I never dreamed would ever be. God has Blessed Me, in all my days of my life. AMEN FOREVER, ALL GLORY TO GOD. MARANATHA