Proud to be .... One of the "Principal People"

My Heritage ~ Proud to be Cherokee

My Heritage ~ Dr. Kimberley D. Harrell, D.D. (aka Mikala White Wolf)

A Track & Field Story about a High Jumper's Olympic Dreams

Hi all who venture this way !!

I received a request to tell a Track & Field story from a friend....So I will share with ya'll a story about my Track and Field past !!

It was 1983 and I was a young Marine -- Proudly serving my country and just married to a handsome stud of a Marine. He made my heart go pitter patter then. Life was good.

Track season rolls around and I am sent to Camp Pendelton, California to train and compete on the US Marine Corps All Marine Track & Field Team and the United States All Interservice Track & Field Team. It was an outstanding track season, I met and competed with Jackie Joyner (before she added the Kersee) and Florence Griffith (before she added the Joyner). I was jumping high and running fast and enjoying life !!

The US Marine Corps published an article about my track and field exploits in the HQMC Hotline (the newsletter for Marines) and the article title was WONDER WOMAN MARINE ! (now you all know the real secret of where my ID really came from). The title came from a track meet we had between the USMC and the USN (Navy)...I won 5 individual events (High Jump, 100m Hurdles, 100m, 200m, 400m ) and ran anchor leg on 3 winning relay teams ( 4 x 100 , 4 x 200 and 4 x 400 relay).

Here is a picture I dug out of a memory box.

During that season I jumped high enough to make the Olympic 'A' qualifing standard. Which all but guarantees me a spot on the 1984 Olympic team. The season is great and then my newly wed handsome husband was sent on a deployment to Japan for 6 months. Track season ended and I was sent back to my Permanent duty station to be a regular Marine again! The year marches on and training continues.

Then Wooo Hooo it is 1984.. the Olympic year !! My handsome Marine comes home from Japan in late January and the Marine Corps sports unit at HQMC, Washington DC notifies me that they have contacted the USOC and if I should win a medal at the Olympics they are going to possibly allow me to wear my uniform for the medal ceremony and the Marine Corps will use it for future recruiting tape. It is all exciting.

The Marine Corps is going to send me to Camp Pendleton to train and prepare for the 1984 season and hopefully the Olympics which will be held in Los Angeles. I get permission to travel home, for a 4 day weekend, to visit my Mom and Dad before leaving. I get sick on the road trip home....I am a very health conscious person and rarely get sick...so, off to the Doctor I go.

After some tests, my Doctor, who has taken care of my since I stop seeing my Pediatrician walks into the room with this big smile on his face !! I sit there with my Mom and my Husband, thinking why is he smiling when something is wrong with me and track season is just on the horizon. He says, well Kimberley, good news...your not sick your pregnant !! I think Oh My Gosh -- I look at my husband, I look at my Mom and I am so happy inside. Then it occurs to me....OMG....The Olympics....I'll be 6.5 months pregnant when they happen...OMG....OMG...what will I do !!

So, I missed the 1984 Olympics that year and gave birth to a beautiful Baby Boy in October 1984...That handsome young man who many of you know as "Jarrod" and whose picture is posted on an earlier blog post of mine. He is my Gold Medal !!

Someday, I'll tell you the story of his friends in middle school finding out this story ...but that will wait for another day !!

Kimberley (aka Wonder Woman Kim)

For Today, Listen

Some advice for all those who wander thru my Blog!



Pay attention to someone else's story for today. Instead of listening to formulate your next comment, clear your mind for this one. You'll hear an important message or lesson that applies to your life now.

Truly Listening is a great compliment to pay others.

Do you find that you sometimes listen only to formulate your next comment? Many people do!

For this day .... pay attention to that and truly listen to someone. You'll be amazed at the impact you can have when you just listen.

For this day, Do Not Fear.
For this day, Do Not Worry.
For this day, Do Not Anger.
For this day, Listen.
For this day, Smile.

Wondering about Star Trek

Growing up I loved .... loved .... loved Star Trek, the series. I was a true blue "Trekkie", skinny Tom Boy, Nerdy, Trekkie, these are all words that could accurately describe me in my formative years.

I waited each week in anticipation for a new show. Reveling in the action and adventures out there in 'space, the final frontier'. I never thought of the special effects as 'cheesy' ... I always thought all the gadgets were 'cool'.

I once went to a Star Trek Convention, the ultimate for any true Trekkie. It was marvelous, I loved it all. I met and received the autograph of George Takei (Mr. Sulu), it was thrilling.

I can complete the Vulcan Hand Salute with both hands proficiently, Live Long & Prosper. The other night I was excited to attend the New Star Trek movie ...... amazing, I love it ...... as I left the theater and as I contemplate this blog one question that is overwhelmingly on my mind and frequently on my lips ..... Uhura and Spock ?? Who Knew ??

Live Long and Prosper!@!

Missing In Action

I have been missing in action on my blog and terribly neglectful.

I just want to let you all know that I am well and will resume regular posting of blog topic posts after Easter.

Have a wonderful Holiday.

WonderWomanKim

My Hero ~ My Brother ~ Biker Santa

I intended to post this post on Monday .... something happened today that made me know today is the day .....

I took my Mom to run errands today, a very typical and routine trip to the Wal-Mart. We walked across the threshold of the entrance, I retreived a shopping cart from the corral and as I turned, there he was.

A huge bear of a man, he stood about 6'9" tall , Blue Jean Overalls, a worn Black leather jacket, a mountain man beard and carrying an impossibly large bag of toys. A man who always seems uncomfortable around lots of people. My eyes were drawn to his worn leather jacket where there shining like a beacon was a black and white patch in a row of about 6 patches above a larger patch. The larger patch at the bottom read "NEVER FORGOTTEN" ..... the smaller patch, one of the 6, that seemed to grow before my eyes read "BIG STEVE" ..... The patch is a memorial patch and this man was my brother's friend, his comrade .... I quickly looked to my Mom, and automatically reached for her to offer what support there was in my trembling hand .... her eyes were glued on this big gruff looking biker, with a heart of gold, she looked at him with tears brimming, about to spill down her cheeks .... he nodded at her and she at him .... and then he was gone with his large bag of toys .... destined to be given out to boys and girls soon by Biker Santa.


My hero is my brother, Steven Carroll Harrell ( 1954 - 1999).

Steven was:

a Marine (Vietnam Era Veteran),

a Son - First Born son of our Mom and Dad,

a Husband - Married to his wife in 1975 and still happily married (24+ years) at the time of his death,

a Father - to his only child, a son who celebrated his 21st birthday 4 days before his Dad's death,

a Brother - oldest brother of 5 siblings,

an Uncle - to 4 Nephews and 3 neices at the time of his death, with the addition of 1 Great Nephew born in 2004 named Steven,

a successfull professional who retired early from the corporate world to follow his heart and give back to his community as

a Police Officer (Mt. Carmel, TN) and a photographer.

and he was Biker Santa - Steven was known and loved as Biker Santa to the Tri Cities Tennessee Region. He was Santa on a Harley for many years to many Charities, it was his passion.

Steven was riding his Harley, dressed as Santa, on his way to be Biker Santa at the Christmas Party for the Special Education students at Volunteer High School in Church Hill, Tennessee on December 16, 1999 when he was tragically run over and killed by an inattentive motorist.

Many lives were changed in an instant on that day.

My parents lost their beloved son.

My sister-in-law lost her loving husband and best friend.

My nephew, who was just becoming a man, lost his father and mentor.

I lost my best friend, my older brother, my hero.

My younger sisters and brother lost their older brother.

My sons lost their loving uncle and father figure, as I was at that time, and am, a single Mom.

My nieces and nephews lost their uncle.

The town of Mt. Carmel, TN lost a loyal civil servant in blue.

The children of the region lost their beloved 'Biker Santa'.

The Motorcyclist lost their friend and comrade 'Big Steve'.

The Marine Corps lost one of their finest one of ' The Few - The Proud'.

The world lost a great humanitarian, generous philanthropist and a wonderful person.

Semper Fi Steve ~ I love you and miss you every day I breathe.

Always your loving sister, Kimberley