My life...
by Scott Jay Satterthwaite
I apologize for the length and amount of detail here. I thought it
important for everyone to know exactly what has been happening.
Lois, Randy, Charles, all my other friends, and fellow cemetery
aficionados:
A few months ago, my wife of 14 years came to me with the startling news
that she
had met someone new and wished a divorce. I was dumbstruck. I didn't
know what to say. But, I knew why. Over the years we have drifted
apart. The interests that we once thought we shared, were not interests
in common. We did not communicate, we did not enjoy the same things.
None the less, I fought and resisted agreeing to this divorce.
Over the next month and a half, I forced myself to do the things that
she enjoyed, forsaking most of my own interests. I had determined to
make the marriage work at the expense of my own pleasure and happiness.
My justification was "for the children", and had that been true and I
had been honest with myself, it would have been an honorable cause.
Then something happened, something I did not plan. I met another
person myself. A beautiful lady that enjoys ALL the things that are so
much a part of me. She is the ideal girl from my younger days, the
fantasy that we often paint in our minds when we begin the path of
adulthood. I had given up on that fantasy too early in life. I quickly
realized that if I did not at least try to know this person, try to
sweep her off her feet and make her my love, I would never be satisfied
with myself, never happy in what I was doing. Life is to short to live
it in misery.
What of the Children? Everyone always asks.. They will be fine. My
wife and I are calling a quit to our marriage, but happily, not our
friendship. We have separated on good terms. I consider her new love a
friend also and they have asked that I give her away when they are
married. And my soon to be ex-wife is friends now with my new love.
The children know what has happened (they are 11 and 13). My son and
daughter agree that mom and dad are happier now than they have seen
them, and are happy with the decision. We are going to counseling to
make sure there is no lasting damage done.
My new love? She is a Cherokee maiden of the Echota tribe. She is very
beautiful inside and out. We are to be married by a justice of the
peace this winter, and in the spring, we will undergo the two-day
joining ritual of the Cherokee. This is why I tell you all this: I
will be moving to the home of my bride-to-be. It is a lovely place
halfway between Birmingham and Montgomery, Alabama.
Indiana will always be home. I will often think of what we tried to
start here. But, I most go now. I must follow my heart and live the
life that the Great Spirit (or God, as you prefer) intended for me.
Please keep our vigil. Don't let greed destroy our heritage. Don't let
complacency destroy the resting places of our ancestors who worked so
hard and died that we may live in peace and prosperity.
I will still be on-line, still have a computer. But, I cannot
concentrate on what needs to be done just now for my new bride will need
me by her side. If one of you would like to adopt the web pages and
assume the project, please get in touch with me. I still believe it can
work, but the project needs nurturing to grow.
That is all. Please be happy for me and for my wife. It has taken us
many years to realize our error and more to admit it. We are both very
happy with ourselves and our new lives.
Scott J. Satterthwaite
Past State Coordinator, Indiana Pioneer Cemeteries Restoration Project
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