![\"\"](\"http:\/\/i.istockimg.com\/file_thumbview_approve\/25840889\/3\/stock-photo-25840889-february-calendar.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
February 17 has turned out to be a significant day in my life. It doesn\u2019t rate as high as the birth of Jesus my birthday or the birth of my children, but through the years much happened on this particular cold and dreary day that has helped shape my life. Below are some of the significant events and the lessons from this day I\u2019ve learned.<\/p>\n
Events:<\/p>\n
February 17, 1898<\/strong> \u2013 my maternal grandmother, Pearl Roan, was born in Eva, Alabama. She passed away of cancer when I was 12 and from her I inherited my black hair (now salt & pepper) a desire to open presents early only to expect another on the actual present-giving day and the desire to pinch pieces of chocolate to see what\u2019s inside before eating one.<\/p>\n February 17, 1980<\/strong> \u2013 one of my best friends during our senior year in high school, Michael Franks, died in a tragic accident when his truck hit a tree on his way home. We had been hanging out at a friend\u2019s house and unlike most of us, he had not had a single beer, as was our routine on a small town Saturday night. However, it was me who ran my car onto a curve and blew a tire because of my inability to drive and stupidity in getting behind the wheel.<\/p>\n February 17, 2009<\/strong> \u2013 the firm I had been working at for the previous three years was shut down by financial regulators after it was discovered that certain key executives had mismanaged funds, ultimately altering the courses of hundreds of investors and employees who what relied on their word and good faith.<\/p>\n February 17, 2009<\/strong> \u2013 on the same day our firm was closed I began what was a five-week affair with a woman who worked in my legislative office when I was in the third year as a Tennessee State Senator. A few weeks later she and her boyfriend attempted to exhort money from me. I participated in a sting with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation that ultimately led to him pleading guilty to a felony. I resigned my seat months later when the news became public.<\/p>\n What I learned:<\/p>\n February 17 has turned out to be a significant day in my life. It doesn\u2019t rate as high as the birth of Jesus my birthday or the birth of my children, but through the years much happened on this particular cold and dreary day that has helped shape my life. Below are some of the significant events and the lessons from this day I\u2019ve learned. Events: February 17, 1898 \u2013 my maternal grandmother, Pearl Roan, was born in Eva, Alabama. She passed away of cancer when I was 12 and from her I inherited my black hair (now salt & pepper) a desire to open presents early only to expect another on the actual present-giving day and the desire to pinch pieces of chocolate to see what\u2019s inside before eating one. February 17, 1980 \u2013 one of my best friends during our senior year in high school, Michael Franks, died in a tragic accident when his truck hit a tree on his way home. We had been hanging out at a friend\u2019s house and unlike most of us, he had not had a single beer, as was our routine on a small town Saturday night. However, it was me who […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[2],"tags":[28,507,508,327,450],"class_list":["post-1041","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-by-paul","tag-author","tag-february-17","tag-michael-franks","tag-paul-stanley","tag-writer"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"yoast_head":"\n\n
\n
\n
\n