A Man of Greatness

I like this Blog I wrote so much I thought I'd repost it in my new legit blog. (Sorry my old blog was in ALL CAPS)

"I MAY NEVER FINISH IT, BUT IT'S FUN. IT KEEPS ME BUSY AND THAT'S THE ONLY WAY TO BE."
RICHARD SIBLEY




SO TODAY MY CUZ BROUGHT IN AN OLD TOOL BOX OF MY GRANDFATHERS AND I GOT TO GO THROUGH IT AND INSIDE I FOUND THIS NEWSPAPER CLIPPING FROM NOV 1, 1980 IN THE L.A. TIMES. THE ARTICLE WAS ALL ABOUT MY GRANDFATHER RICHARD SIBLEY WHO IS MY HERO AND INSPIRATION IN EVERYTHING I DO IN LIFE. HIS LIFE IS ONE I STRIVE FOR AND HE MADE SUCH AN IMPACT IN MY LIFE THAT I HAVE HIS INITIALS TATTOOED ON ME. ILL NEVER GET ANOTHER NAME TATTOOED ON ME TO SHOW HOW NO ONE CAN COMPARE TO HIM. HE WAS THE FOUNDATION TO MY INTIRE FAMILY AND HANDS DOWN ONE OF THE MOST INTERESTING PEOPLE IVE KNOWN. HE INVENTED HIS OWN DIVING SUIT AND HELMET AND WENT ON TO DEEP SEA DIVE AS JOB AND BUILT 5 MOTORCYCLES. I NEVER KNEW SOME OF THIS ABOUT HIM AND THE BEST PART IS I SCUBA DIVE AND RIDE MOTORCYCLES. I JUST WISH I HAD A CHANCE TO DISCUSS SOME OF THESE COMMON INTERESTS WITH HIM. HE ALSO FLEW A B-17 BOMBER IN WWII AND FLEW 35 MISSIONS BUT PROBABLY THE BEST THING HE WAS KNOWN FOR IS WHAT THEY CALL THE CALIFORNIA VALVE. WHICH IS A GAS SHUT OFF VALVE THAT DURING AN EARTHQUAKE LARGE ENOUGH TO CAUSE DAMAGE WILL AUTOMATICALLY TURN YOUR GAS OFF AND ITS ALL DONE MECHANICALLY WHICH IS THE COOLEST PART. HE INVENTED AND BUILT IT OUT OF HIS GARAGE AND LATER SOLD IT TO THE JAPANESE OWNED KOSO FOUNDATION. IF YOUR EVER AT AN IN-N-OUT LOOK FOR ONE OF HIS VALVES ON THEIR GAS LINE BECAUSE MOST OF THEM HAVE ONE. THE IN-N-OUT OFF 19TH BY MY HOUSE HAS ONE THAT YOU CAN SEE FROM THE RIGHT SIDE DRIVE THRU. GO CHECK IT OUT, YOU CANT MISS IT, IT HAS A BIG ROUND RED CAP AND GRAB ME A DOUBLE DOUBLE WHILE YOUR AT IT PLEASE. WHEN EVER I SEE HIS VALVE IN A RANDOM SPOT ITS ALWAYS A GOOD FEELING TO KNOW HE LEFT HIS MARK AND YOU CAN SEE IT OUT AND ABOUT. ILL NEVER FORGET HIM AND SEEING HIS VALVE WILL MAKE SURE OF THAT. THE ONLY THING IS I WISH I HAD A CHANCE TO KNOW HIM BETTER BEFORE FIGURING OUT WHO I AM, BUT I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO KNOW HIM. HE GAVE ME MY FIRST JOB AT HIS FACTORY AND TAUGHT ME NEW STUFF ABOUT ENGINEERING ALL THE TIME. HE WAS ALWAYS FULL OF KNOWLEDGE AND A VERY FUNNY GUY. ONE OF THE BEST STORIES I HAVE IS ONE NIGHT MY GRANDMOTHER WAS MAKING MY GRANDFATHER, MY STEP BRO, AND I DINNER WHICH HAPPENED TO BE GRILLED CHEESE SANDWICHES. WELL MY GRANDMOTHER AT THE TIME WAS HALF BLIND AND SHE BURNED OUR SANDWICHES BLACK. SHE CALLS US ALL TO THE TABLE AND HANDS US OUR PLATES AND MY STEP BRO AND I LOOK AT THE SANDWICHES AND THEN EACHOTHER WITH "EH" FACES AND WE LOOK AT MY GRANDFATHER STARING AT US. ALL HE SAID WAS "EAT IT! ITS GOOD FOR YOUR TEETH" SO WE ATE EVERY BITE. MY GRANDMOTHER THOUGHT SHE WAS THE BEST GRILLED CHEESE SANDWICH MAKER AROUND AND WE WERE NOT ABOUT TO ARGUE. PROBABLY DOESNT TRANSLATE WELL BUT IT WAS THE BEST AND IT ALWAYS MAKES ME LAUGH. IT SHOWS WHAT KIND OF MAN HE WAS THOUGH, EVEN IN SITUATIONS WHEN YOUR SANDWICH GETS BURNED CRISP HE WOULD STICK WITH IT BECAUSE HE KNEW IT WAS GOOD FOR HIM. WASNT MEANT TO BE A LIFE CHANGING MOMENT BUT IT WAS THE LITTLE THINGS ABOUT MY GRANDFATHER THAT MADE HIM SO GREAT AND ITS THE LITTLE THINGS IN ME THAT I HOPE CAN MAKE ME JUST AS GREAT AS HIM ONE DAY.
"YOU EITHER DID IT, OR IT DIDNT GET DONE"

REST IN PEACE
RICHARD SIBLEY
ILL NEVER FORGET YOU

ALSO IN THE TOOL BOX I FOUND SOME OLD RECORDS SO I LOOKED UP SOME OF THE SONGS TO GET AN IDEA OF THE MUSIC HE USE TO ENJOY. HERES A SONG I FOUND. I DIG IT! REMINDS ME OF THE THEME SONG TO DEXTER A BIT.

VERY COOL

I FOUND THIS WHICH HE WAS QUOTED FOR AND SOME OF HIS PATENTS WHICH ARE AMAZING

ARTICLE

NO WORRIES

NIGHT