The Kind of Story GDI's Hate

greekdee · #1 02-22-2012, 01:54 AM

Okay, I have to share a story -- the kind that GDI's hate!

My husband, 15-year-old son and 2-year-old black lab, "Sammy the Bull", have been on a guy's trip these past few days since son had a five day winter break from school. They went to some family property way up high in the Tennessee hills, 7 hours from our Georgia home, for some ATV-ing, dirt biking and skeet shooting.

Right before they headed home today, husband decided to take our 800-pound ATV for one last ride. Long story short, he hit snow and the next thing he knew, he was on the ground, the ATV was airborne and coming right for him. An angel must have slowed it down some, and thank goodness he was wearing a chest protector, but still...collapsed right lung, fractured vertebrae and eight broken ribs. Results of some x-rays still pending, but Doc says he is out of danger. Looking at a minimum three days in the hospital, tho, and he's about 5 hours from home now.

At first, he did not realize how seriously he was injured. He, son and dog set out for Georgia, but a couple of hours on the road and my husband knew something was really wrong and that he needed to stop. He also knew, with a teenager and a dog along, he would need extra help wherever he stopped.

He made it to the town he went to college in and drove straight to his old fraternity house. With our son's help, he managed to walk into the house where several current members were present. My husband pointed to his picture in a 1983 composite and said, "That's me and I need help."

The guys got him to the emergency room and took our son and dog into their care. (I think our 15-year-old is ready to pledge! He said they were really cool guys who made him feel right at home and let him hang out with them!) My husband has some brothers from his era who still live in the area and asked the younger brothers to please call one.

They did, and within an hour, my husband was surrounded by brothers! More brothers and their wives arrived as the evening went on. They stayed with him through everything, got our son and dog squared away for the night and kept me updated, calling every single hour as I made arrangements to be able to head up early in the morning.

And people say going Greek is equal to buying friends? Of course, that is ignorance speaking, but even if it were true...it is no doubt one of the best lifetime investments a person can make! Tonight my husband was helped by brothers still in college, brothers from his era and even the guy who was chapter adviser back when my husband lived in the house!

If that's what "buying friends" gets you, then everybody needs to invest. Can I get an amen?????

XAntoftheSkyX · #2 02-22-2012, 02:12 AM

While it's unfortunate that your husband got into that situation, it created a great opportunity for brotherhood and showing his fraternity's true colors (which ever they may be).

Leslie Anne · #3 02-22-2012, 02:23 AM

A nice story of brotherhood ruined by the need to put down people who simply don't desire to go Greek.

SydneyK · #4 02-22-2012, 02:27 AM

Glad to hear your hubby is safe and that his brothers and their families were able to assist. Leslie Anne has a point, though.

Still, a tragic yet uplifting story that exemplifies some of the many benefits of Greek life.

greekdee · #5 02-22-2012, 02:48 AM

Oh good grief, I am not putting down people who don't want to go Greek. There is a big difference between a person who is not interested in Greek life and a person who HATES Greeks and is out to attack Greek life every chance they get. They do not like hearing the stories of brotherhood and sisterhood having benefits, hence the title of the thread. Of course, I have been out of school for awhile -- maybe GDI does not mean what it used to and the GDI's on campuses today are not anti-Greek like they were in my day. If so, I apolgise for being behind the times.

No offense to anyone who does not want to go Greek but has no issues with it and does not call it "buying friends."

Can we close this thread and remove it? I am really sorry I started it.

XAntoftheSkyX · #6 02-22-2012, 02:48 AM

I may be inferring a little here, but I think the term GDI is used as 'person who is against Greek Life for personal reasons' not the more common 'non-Greek'. We've all seen people that are the former, and use stories of hazing and binge drinking to solidify their point.

CutiePie2000 · #7 02-22-2012, 02:49 AM

I guess one could say that this is the type of story that "anti-Greeks" hate, but all in all, the greater your network of friends / social contacts, etc., the more people and resources you have to draw upon in a time of need.

Delta Gamma did a feature in the ANCHORA a few years ago called "How I Cope" (http://celect.org/uploads/files/0000...n_Interest.pdf) and it was about DGs who'd had crises in their lives and were able to have rely on other DGs for help.

It does annoy me a bit when people use the immature, unoriginal comment of "buying friends", because networking skillfully throughout one's life is an asset that will serve a person well throughout their life.

FSUZeta · #8 02-22-2012, 08:23 AM

i loved your story and am so glad that your husband is doing better.

nittanygirl · #9 02-22-2012, 09:10 AM

Wonderful story! Glad your husband is getting better and so thankful for the chapter reaching out so quickly to help him.

PiKA2001 · #10 02-22-2012, 09:11 AM

Great story and I agree with Ant and greekdee about the use of GDI. We never used the term as a blanket reference to all non Greeks. GDI's were the people who were "above" greek life (essentially they were haters).

LaneSig · #11 02-22-2012, 10:06 AM

Can you tell us your husband's fraternity? This is a great story. You should contact his fraternity's magazine; it is a big credit to the chapter.

MysticCat · #12 02-22-2012, 10:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by XAntoftheSkyX

I may be inferring a little here, but I think the term GDI is used as 'person who is against Greek Life for personal reasons' not the more common 'non-Greek'. We've all seen people that are the former, and use stories of hazing and binge drinking to solidify their point.

Quote:

Originally Posted by PiKA2001

Great story and I agree with Ant and greekdee about the use of GDI. We never used the term as a blanket reference to all non Greeks. GDI's were the people who were "above" greek life (essentially they were haters).

Over the years I've heard it used both ways: to mean anyone not Greek or someone (very) anti-Greek. It depends on the person using the term.

And fwiw, as has been said before, there are some of us who really hate the use of it regardless of who it refers to.

Greekdee, I'm so glad your husband is okay. And it is a great story of brotherhood. Someone's national magazine needs to know about it.

TriDeltaSallie · #13 02-22-2012, 10:22 AM

Great story! Thanks for sharing.

For the first time in my life (I'm over 40) I had someone use the "buying friends" line on me about a month ago. I asked a man in our church if his daughter had decided to join a sorority. (She goes to Belmont.) Wow. I was not prepared for the negative reaction, buying friends comment, etc. I did the best Greek PR job I could in a low-key way and he did soften a bit by the end but he was in no way sold on Greek life.

So after years of hearing people talk about it, it finally happened.

And I agree that GDI was for the angry, anti-Greek folks on campus, not the run of the mill student who wasn't interested.

AXOmom · #14 02-22-2012, 10:22 AM

I never heard the term GDI when I was in college, but other than friendly acquaintances on my dorm floor who were Greek - I never spent any time around my school's greek community, so there was no particularly reason I would have. I'm guessing it's probably used differently from person to person, campus to campus and region to region. I know my daughter uses GDI to refer to anyone who isn't Greek - regardless of their attitude towards Greeks.

Perhaps because of that, Greekdee, I did orginally think the story implied that those of us who are non-Greeks would not have any simlar support networks. That, of course, isn't the case.

Reading your further responses, however, I realized this wasn't your meaning at all, and as a message to those who think Greeks are buying their friends, I think its a good one. Since he's now safe - its a wonderful story.

I hope that down the road my daughter finds she has that same kind of support from her sisters (although I'd prefer she never be on an ATV. Those things scare the crap out of me and this story is a perfect example of why).

AGD1978 · #15 02-22-2012, 10:42 AM

Greekdee, LOVED the story and I'm so glad things are turning out okay. And XAntoftheSkyX, I like your gif!

I have to agree with some of the other posters--back in the day the GDIs were the haters, not simply non-Greeks. Of course, according to a thread from last week, I'm quite elderly and probably not in my right mind.

And as far as the chest injuries go after an accident like that--it could have been a LOT worse. I did something similar last summer--wrecked my ride, picked it back up, and kept going, thinking I was a little banged up but basically okay. God had taught me another lesson without killing me. Well, it darn near DID kill me as things settled out over the next week or so. Your husband did the right thing in not trying to tough it out any further, and thank heavens his brothers were there for your family.

That is all. Off my soapbox now. Thanks for the story!