Oklahoma Chain(saw) Disaster

I can't remember exactly how old we were, but seems like we were around 8 and 9.  We being my older brother and I.  For those of you that don't know him. My old brother is Earl Leroy Ryan, Jr., usually known as JR.  We both loved to ride bicycles, and our Dad had taught us to maintain our bikes.  Sometimes kids like to improvise a little, so our maintenance techniques varied a little from Dad's tried and true methods. 


Dad taught us to lubricate the chain.  We found that we would flip the bicycle upside down, and get the job done in half the time.  We would turn the bike so that the seat and handle bars supported the bike.  With the wheels in the air, we could spin the pedals while dripping oil onto the chain.  Great idea, right?


Maybe a great idea, but I don't believe OSHA would approve.  With the bike inverted, more of the chain is exposed and the operator has much better access to the sprockets.  A little too much access, as JR soon discovered.  I can't remember who was cranking the pedals, and it may have been me.  I don't think that part matters.  What does matter is that JR took advantage of the easy access and ran his index finger through the sprocket.  I was amazed to find out that at well tightened and lubricated chain will cut off a kid's finger.  Needless to say, JR was a little shocked as well.  He jumped up and ran to the house with the severed finger. 


I also found that Mario Andretti would have a difficult time keeping pace with my Mom on the back-roads of Nowata County.  Mom packed the tip of JR's finger in ice, made the trip to the emergency room and made it in time for the ER doc to reattach the missing tip.  JR still bears the scar, but he can still do anything that requires an index finger.  For some crazy reason, he still won't let me crank the pedals while he oils the chain.

Gone Before Their Time

Two of my younger siblings have gone to meet their maker, ahead of schedule. 


My younger brother, Daniel Paul Ryan, passed at the age of 9 months.  He caught pneumonia, which was very often fatal in that day and time.  

I remember my Mom being frantic, loading up the kids and heading down the road.  I had no clue where we were going, only that we were in a big hurry.  I learned later that we were trying to get Danny to the hospital, since he had stopped breathing.  

Now, I can only imagine what was going through my Mom's mind.  CPR was unheard of, and may not have been the answer in any case.  Daniel was born after me, and before my younger brother Tommy Dewayne Ryan, and my sister Glenda Melvina May Ryan (McClure).  

I also remember attending Danny's funeral.  We had an old Dodge station wagon, and we have a picture of the family, at the cemetery, standing around the car.  Strange thing to remember, but little things like that just get stuck in memory and won't go away.


My younger brother, Tommy Dewayne Ryan, passed at the age of 57.  Tommy and I were best friends when we were younger, and spent a lot of time fishing, hunting, camping and riding motorcycles together.  We just enjoyed spending time and talking.  We never solved any world issues, we just talked about the things kids talk about.  

Even though we spent a lot of time together, I feel like we should have had more time.  Tommy was a good guy.  He cared about Mom and Dad and his family.  In fact, he cared more about friends and family than he cared about himself.  Not a bad trait, if you have plenty of money or time to spare.  Sadly, Tommy didn't have an overabundance of either. 

I made the slide show, and spoke at his funeral, but I still feel like I should have done a lot more.  Tommy wouldn't have cared.  He would have been happy to know that we cared enough to show up.  If he were still here, I would say "I love you man", and he would say "I love you too."

I still have two surviving siblings, so I need to make sure they know how much I care. We all need to make sure our loved ones know that they are indeed loved.  Hugs should always be free to anyone that needs one.

My mother passed in 2017 and dad made until 2023, just short of his 94th birthday. 

  

I guess I'm the sentimental one, because I always send a text to my older brother and baby sister, on their birthdays and the birthdays of the family members that left us too soon.