The Curious Life and Times of Paul Timmy

Howdy, and Welcome!

Y'all come on in and sit a spell. I've got stories to tell.

This is me, Paul Timmy.

Hi! I'm Paul Timmy, aka Paul T Oyler, aka Thadeus. (Look for the explanation of the Thadeus moniker in a post soon.) Anyone who has known me well for any length of time will confirm that I can be a bit of a loner. At a party, I'd much rather find a quiet corner, listen to music, and observe life around me. I am much more comfortable in my own little world. That is kind of what I am going to do with this blog (actually it is going to be more of a journal), EXCEPT, I am leaving the door open so you can join me, or at least peek in and see what is going on inside my head. (Warning - I'm sometimes scared of what is going on inside there!)

So why the title?

So, you may be asking about that title. I guess that if I properly introduce myself it will at least start to come into focus.

My name is Paul Timothy Oyler. My parents named me after those two heroes of the New Testament, and not coincidentally, they have always been my heroes, which was rather odd during certain parts of my history, but we will eventually get to all of that.

When my first-born was a wee lass of 2 she would come to the base of the stairs and yell up to me, "Paul Timmy come down to dinner!"

It kind of stuck, and more recently Paul Timmy has become one of my many alter-ego personas. Again, much more about that later.

So that covers the Paul Timmy part. What about the Curious Life and Times part? Well, almost every aspect of my life has been curious in one way or another. And here is where I have decided to share it, with whoever would like to come along. It has indeed been Hilarious, Puzzling, Sad, Exhilarating, Heartbreaking - And All True in so many ways.

I should be writing

My Dad, holding my brother David and me, circa 1964.

For years I have thought, "I should be writing all of this down", and many friends have urged me to do so. I've never actually gotten around to it - until now.

I'm going to be writing about some of my earliest memories. Fun vacations with Mom, Dad, and my little brother, whom I have always called "Bonnie Sue", much to his chagrin.

I'll definitely write, probably more than a few times, about the death of my father on the night of my 13th birthday.

I'll cover my teen years, the good, the bad, the ugly, the ridiculous, the outrageous, the terrifying, and the incredibly stupid.

There will be stuff about finally going to Bible College, marriage(s) -  (all I ever wanted was one forever, and now I am very happily married to my 3rd wife), the very sudden and unexpected death of a wife, the incredible, indescribable joy of holding my daughters when they were born, the unbelievable difficulty of learning to be a Dad after my daughters were grown, and there will be much about the incredible joys of being a Pappy.

But it is not going to be all about the past. I'll also be writing about things I am thinking about now, very personal stuff about my ongoing struggles with weight loss, and with depression, stuff I have never shared anywhere with anyone.

I'll write about my walk with Jesus, both now and in the past. He and I have been in some pretty freaky places together. I may even write about politics, BUT not in the manner of here is what I think and anyone else is an idiot. I Despise (yes, with a capital D) that kind of dogma, and honestly, most of the time I have no idea what I think. I just know that there are no easy fixes to any of the myriad problems our cities, states, and country face.

Why Have I Decided To Do This?

Photo of me, heading out to a concert, circa 1979.

I need someplace to write this. I need to write. I have things to remember and those memories are not always going to be there. I have things to say, and I need a place to say them, and some of them would not be appropriate on my business website.

I don't know if anyone will read this, but that's not the point. I need to write these things. I'll write as I feel the need (or urge) to write, not in any kind of chronological order.

And someday, my daughters and my grandchildren may want to know who I was. Why I did things, what kind of music I liked and why, what things I liked to read, and just generally what made me tick. How I overcame some of the deepest valleys a person could get lost in. How I manage my daily struggle with morbid obesity (surprising just how hard it is to write that, but that's kind of the point).

So if you're along for the ride - buckle up buttercup; it's been a long strange trip, and I don't foresee that changing.