It has been quite some time since I last sat down to write. I have missed it very much but never felt like I had much to say. Maybe my life is just moving along rather slowly right now. Or maybe I am allowing life to sink in a little more before I respond to things. Not sure.
So for now, I am just moving slow and thinking even slower so that I can truly experience, feel and think. Check back in a few days to see if I have begun to speed up. Until then, I am going to keep on keeping on!!
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Darrel, My Mentally Ill Friend
Although I am retired, I work full-time for Compass Health. This is a community-based mental health agency which serves Snohomish, Skagit and Island Counties. I am a courier; I pick up and deliver client files and medications, inter-office mail and some U.S. mail. My route is fairly regular and I really enjoy the peaceful driving, about 225 miles daily.
Often I meet some of the clients that are utilizing the services of Compass Health. Depending on the services provided by a particular clinic, I may meet a drug addict, someone who is suffering from a mild depression, a schizophrenic who speaks to people who are not there or perhaps a person suffering bi-polar disease and simply cannot hold a job.
Most of these people need money, many need a place to live and they all need a smiling face. That is what I try to provide. I can tell that many of them are used to being treated like they are less than human. I don't do anything more than say "Hello" or "How's it goin'". But I always wait to hear their response. And they usually have one, too!
During my first day of training for the job (three years ago)I was introduced to Darrel. He works part-time at one of the larger facilities, where he is also a client. He is usually unkempt, with a few days growth of beard. He was friendly, though and quite talkative. I liked him.
About a week after I started driving the route alone, Darrel met me at the door and greeted me, "Pat Castro, how you doing?" We talked for maybe a minute or so and then I went about my business. As I drove away, I noticed that I felt different than when I arrived. It was Darrel! He changed my mood. I felt lighter, happier!
Over the next months, he told me that he was married. His wife is mentally ill, too. She must stay on her medication or very traumatic things begin to happen. Occasionally, she stops taking her meds. The first time, Darrel told me she had been gone for a month and he had no idea where she was! After another month he told me that she had finally called and she was in an institution. She had been found wandering and she was a mess. Each time Darrel told me about her, he would quote scripture. This man who looks like a bum, knows the Bible and has a personal faith in and relationship with Jesus Christ. He asked me to pray for Frannie,his wife. I said I would and he went off about his business.
She eventually came home and is doing fine now. I mean, she is taking her meds and is pretty stable. Darrel is a bit of a rascal and he is sometimes vulgar and uses a lot of profanity, though he never takes the Lord's name in vain.
My purpose in writing this is to try to understand why I love this guy so much. He is usually dirty, hair is gross-looking, he is constantly smoking and his favorite word is 'f_ _ _'. One day he had forgotten where he left his false teeth so he was toothless that day!!! But you know what, he is a wonderful, loving and caring man. He works at a job, he drives a car, he takes care of his wife (who is African-American. Darrel is white) and keeps an eye out for his mentally ill friends. What more is there in life than to work at a job, care for those you are close to and thank God for what you have?
I have learned a great deal from Darrel. My education is a very important part of my life and I spent my entire adult life trying to help others become life-long learners. But I have a deep and abiding respect and love for this mentally ill man, who has very little formal education and for whom life is exceedingly difficult. He trusts in God, believing He has a plan for him and knows the love of Jesus. What did I ever do to deserve a friendship with such a fine human being?? I can only assume that this has come by the "Grace of God Almighty".
The next time you see a bum, a hobo, a retard, a drunk, a homeless person, or a bag-lady, please think of my friend, Darrel. Those people are exactly that, they are people; like you and me. They have a story, they have a family, they have needs and dreams and all the same hopes as you and I. Pray for them. Just care.
Often I meet some of the clients that are utilizing the services of Compass Health. Depending on the services provided by a particular clinic, I may meet a drug addict, someone who is suffering from a mild depression, a schizophrenic who speaks to people who are not there or perhaps a person suffering bi-polar disease and simply cannot hold a job.
Most of these people need money, many need a place to live and they all need a smiling face. That is what I try to provide. I can tell that many of them are used to being treated like they are less than human. I don't do anything more than say "Hello" or "How's it goin'". But I always wait to hear their response. And they usually have one, too!
During my first day of training for the job (three years ago)I was introduced to Darrel. He works part-time at one of the larger facilities, where he is also a client. He is usually unkempt, with a few days growth of beard. He was friendly, though and quite talkative. I liked him.
About a week after I started driving the route alone, Darrel met me at the door and greeted me, "Pat Castro, how you doing?" We talked for maybe a minute or so and then I went about my business. As I drove away, I noticed that I felt different than when I arrived. It was Darrel! He changed my mood. I felt lighter, happier!
Over the next months, he told me that he was married. His wife is mentally ill, too. She must stay on her medication or very traumatic things begin to happen. Occasionally, she stops taking her meds. The first time, Darrel told me she had been gone for a month and he had no idea where she was! After another month he told me that she had finally called and she was in an institution. She had been found wandering and she was a mess. Each time Darrel told me about her, he would quote scripture. This man who looks like a bum, knows the Bible and has a personal faith in and relationship with Jesus Christ. He asked me to pray for Frannie,his wife. I said I would and he went off about his business.
She eventually came home and is doing fine now. I mean, she is taking her meds and is pretty stable. Darrel is a bit of a rascal and he is sometimes vulgar and uses a lot of profanity, though he never takes the Lord's name in vain.
My purpose in writing this is to try to understand why I love this guy so much. He is usually dirty, hair is gross-looking, he is constantly smoking and his favorite word is 'f_ _ _'. One day he had forgotten where he left his false teeth so he was toothless that day!!! But you know what, he is a wonderful, loving and caring man. He works at a job, he drives a car, he takes care of his wife (who is African-American. Darrel is white) and keeps an eye out for his mentally ill friends. What more is there in life than to work at a job, care for those you are close to and thank God for what you have?
I have learned a great deal from Darrel. My education is a very important part of my life and I spent my entire adult life trying to help others become life-long learners. But I have a deep and abiding respect and love for this mentally ill man, who has very little formal education and for whom life is exceedingly difficult. He trusts in God, believing He has a plan for him and knows the love of Jesus. What did I ever do to deserve a friendship with such a fine human being?? I can only assume that this has come by the "Grace of God Almighty".
The next time you see a bum, a hobo, a retard, a drunk, a homeless person, or a bag-lady, please think of my friend, Darrel. Those people are exactly that, they are people; like you and me. They have a story, they have a family, they have needs and dreams and all the same hopes as you and I. Pray for them. Just care.
Monday, September 6, 2010
Count Your Blessings
Last Friday, September 3, 2010, RaeLyn and I celebrated our 39th wedding anniversary. It is a wonderful milestone and we spent the weekend having a very enjoyable time in Leavenworth and Wenatchee, Washington. A glass of champagne, a beautiful red rose and a lot of laughing. It was very nice!
It made me think about what I am truly thankful for in this world. Almighty God has blessed me over and over and over in this life. However, I am most thankful for three blessings.
RaeLyn: We met in high school, in Spanish I class. From the first day of school we stared at each other. Eventually, we got to know one another a bit. We "went together" throughout high school and even into college. We married very young (I was 20 and she was 19). We both have done an incredible amount of growing and learning and exploring in our years together. She is, as most successful wives are, the strength of our family. Little would happen in our house were it not for her. She not only has my undying love, but my utmost respect. I thank God for her every day.
Jason: While I was teaching band in Dayton, Washington, we were performing in Pomeroy, Washington for a band festival. RaeLyn was pregnant with our first child. When the band bus arrived back at the high school, about 11:00 PM, our good friend, Jan, walked over to my room (she and her husband, Gordon, our best friends, lived across the street from the band room)and told me that RaeLyn had called and she needed to be taken to the hospital. Gordon had taken her. I rushed off to Dayton General Hospital and at 4:15 AM on March 15, 1978, our oldest child, Jason Patrick, was born. He changed our lives forever. He has brought nothing but joy, honor and blessing into our lives. He is the "jock" in our family and we have attended MANY athletic events in his support. He is now a highly respected high school teacher and coach (2010 2A Washington State Baseball Coach of the Year!!!). He is also the husband of a wonderful wife and Daddy to two beautiful daughters. I thank God for him and them every day.
Julie: Julie entered our world in 1982. We were living in Port Townsend. Her brother was very proud and very protective. We went to the park, we spent time at the beach. We went on picnics. We took up an interest in tent-camping. We all laughed together, played together and worshiped together. We were (and still are) a complete family. Julie was an honor-ladened art student in high school and still has a piece hanging in the Snohomish Public Library. Through college she continued her growth in becoming a very accomplished and uniquely creative artist. She is very much a person who thinks "outside the box". Her art is moving and deep. Her personality is warm, loving and delightful. She is a startlingly lovely woman and I am so proud of who she is and what she stands for. To her, I am "Pops" and to me, she is still "my little girl". I thank God for her every day.
Of course, there are so many blessing we experience in this life and to select only three might be a bit selfish. But I am certain that God knows my heart and He knows that I am grateful for all the many blessings that He has put in my life. And were He not to know this, He could read my blog!!!
It made me think about what I am truly thankful for in this world. Almighty God has blessed me over and over and over in this life. However, I am most thankful for three blessings.
RaeLyn: We met in high school, in Spanish I class. From the first day of school we stared at each other. Eventually, we got to know one another a bit. We "went together" throughout high school and even into college. We married very young (I was 20 and she was 19). We both have done an incredible amount of growing and learning and exploring in our years together. She is, as most successful wives are, the strength of our family. Little would happen in our house were it not for her. She not only has my undying love, but my utmost respect. I thank God for her every day.
Jason: While I was teaching band in Dayton, Washington, we were performing in Pomeroy, Washington for a band festival. RaeLyn was pregnant with our first child. When the band bus arrived back at the high school, about 11:00 PM, our good friend, Jan, walked over to my room (she and her husband, Gordon, our best friends, lived across the street from the band room)and told me that RaeLyn had called and she needed to be taken to the hospital. Gordon had taken her. I rushed off to Dayton General Hospital and at 4:15 AM on March 15, 1978, our oldest child, Jason Patrick, was born. He changed our lives forever. He has brought nothing but joy, honor and blessing into our lives. He is the "jock" in our family and we have attended MANY athletic events in his support. He is now a highly respected high school teacher and coach (2010 2A Washington State Baseball Coach of the Year!!!). He is also the husband of a wonderful wife and Daddy to two beautiful daughters. I thank God for him and them every day.
Julie: Julie entered our world in 1982. We were living in Port Townsend. Her brother was very proud and very protective. We went to the park, we spent time at the beach. We went on picnics. We took up an interest in tent-camping. We all laughed together, played together and worshiped together. We were (and still are) a complete family. Julie was an honor-ladened art student in high school and still has a piece hanging in the Snohomish Public Library. Through college she continued her growth in becoming a very accomplished and uniquely creative artist. She is very much a person who thinks "outside the box". Her art is moving and deep. Her personality is warm, loving and delightful. She is a startlingly lovely woman and I am so proud of who she is and what she stands for. To her, I am "Pops" and to me, she is still "my little girl". I thank God for her every day.
Of course, there are so many blessing we experience in this life and to select only three might be a bit selfish. But I am certain that God knows my heart and He knows that I am grateful for all the many blessings that He has put in my life. And were He not to know this, He could read my blog!!!
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Spouting Off
Alright, that's it--I have had it!! I know many people will say that I am opinionated, narrow-minded and old-fashioned. I don't care, I've had it!
I figure that I have heard the American national anthem over 2,000 times in the past 30 years. What with all the sporting events I have attended as a spectator and as Official Scorer for the Everett AquaSox, I must have heard at least that many.
At yesterday's AquaSox game I heard it again; it was horrible!!! Wrong words (it's 'perilous' NOT 'perolis', o'er' NOT 'for') wrong notes (hard to describe, I have heard it more and more with a half-step where there should be a whole-step in the ascending scale that occurs three times in the song), show-off key (started way too high and then had to scream to complete the song).
Oh, and by the way, the American national anthem is not jazz, pop, rock, rhythm & blues, or any other contemporary style. It is not being performed for an individual to share with a large audience how great a singer they are. It is not being sung for the self-aggrandizement of the singer. The purpose of the singing of the Star-Spangled Banner is to remind all those in attendance how very fortunate we all are to be able to attend that event in peace.That's all; it's not a time reserved for the singer to mock the song by inventing a new rendition. Sing it right, that is, honorably, and get off the field!!!
If you are going to sing it, learn the words and what they mean! It is poetry, not everyday language and if you are going to sing it, then learn the poetic words and their meanings. If you don't mean what it says, don't sing it! Millions of men and women died for you to have the honor of living in a country that is free of oppression. Millions more sacrificed their lives, even though they lived through combat.
I have sung this song many, many times. It was an honor to do so each and every time. I love this song and what it stands for. I am one of those who did not serve in the military but I am deeply grateful to every single person who did. This is my small way of thanking them.
The next time someone sings this song at a sporting event, I hope they remember that it is not 'ABOUT THEM'!!!
I figure that I have heard the American national anthem over 2,000 times in the past 30 years. What with all the sporting events I have attended as a spectator and as Official Scorer for the Everett AquaSox, I must have heard at least that many.
At yesterday's AquaSox game I heard it again; it was horrible!!! Wrong words (it's 'perilous' NOT 'perolis', o'er' NOT 'for') wrong notes (hard to describe, I have heard it more and more with a half-step where there should be a whole-step in the ascending scale that occurs three times in the song), show-off key (started way too high and then had to scream to complete the song).
Oh, and by the way, the American national anthem is not jazz, pop, rock, rhythm & blues, or any other contemporary style. It is not being performed for an individual to share with a large audience how great a singer they are. It is not being sung for the self-aggrandizement of the singer. The purpose of the singing of the Star-Spangled Banner is to remind all those in attendance how very fortunate we all are to be able to attend that event in peace.That's all; it's not a time reserved for the singer to mock the song by inventing a new rendition. Sing it right, that is, honorably, and get off the field!!!
If you are going to sing it, learn the words and what they mean! It is poetry, not everyday language and if you are going to sing it, then learn the poetic words and their meanings. If you don't mean what it says, don't sing it! Millions of men and women died for you to have the honor of living in a country that is free of oppression. Millions more sacrificed their lives, even though they lived through combat.
I have sung this song many, many times. It was an honor to do so each and every time. I love this song and what it stands for. I am one of those who did not serve in the military but I am deeply grateful to every single person who did. This is my small way of thanking them.
The next time someone sings this song at a sporting event, I hope they remember that it is not 'ABOUT THEM'!!!
Monday, August 16, 2010
The Gospel According to Castro
If your young children are in the habit of reading this blog, you need to do two things:
1. help them get a life
2. shield their eyes from some of the profanity I am about to use
I am so damn sick and tired of the Mariners losing ball games at the last minute, I could just spit! They did it again tonight. That damn David Aardsma was pitiful in relief. He is supposed to be a major league pitcher - how come he can't throw strikes?? What a bunch of crap!
And offense?? I tell you what, their inability to score runs is absolutely unacceptable! I think their upper-management people should be fired immediately. Seriously!! This is just bull_ _ _ _ !!!
Now, the real topic of my tirade. You know who I am even more sick of??? Fans who are not fans at all!! They are no more than immature, self-centered babies! Their team doesn't win so they have all the answers. They think that the Mariners' upper-management people should be fired immediately!! And they whine about the pitching and the offense being so weak.
Now, before you point your finger at me, let me say this: I haven't missed a game in at least six years, I watch them all. (Just ask RaeLyn, the Queen of Sainthood.) I am a baseball fan and my favorite major league team is the Seattle Mariners. End of discussion.
Baseball is a game. One team wins and one team loses. There are players and they play. Sometimes they play well and sometimes they play less than well. There are umpires. Sometimes (most of the time) they make the right call and sometimes they don't. All of these folks are people, not automatons, nor robots. They are doing the very best that they can at that moment. And by gosh, I hope they win. But when they don't, although I may be angry, they are still my team.
If you don't like the Mariners, that's fine. Then choose a different team to support. But don't you ever give up on your team! Real fans don't ever give up. They just "wait'll next year!!"
1. help them get a life
2. shield their eyes from some of the profanity I am about to use
I am so damn sick and tired of the Mariners losing ball games at the last minute, I could just spit! They did it again tonight. That damn David Aardsma was pitiful in relief. He is supposed to be a major league pitcher - how come he can't throw strikes?? What a bunch of crap!
And offense?? I tell you what, their inability to score runs is absolutely unacceptable! I think their upper-management people should be fired immediately. Seriously!! This is just bull_ _ _ _ !!!
Now, the real topic of my tirade. You know who I am even more sick of??? Fans who are not fans at all!! They are no more than immature, self-centered babies! Their team doesn't win so they have all the answers. They think that the Mariners' upper-management people should be fired immediately!! And they whine about the pitching and the offense being so weak.
Now, before you point your finger at me, let me say this: I haven't missed a game in at least six years, I watch them all. (Just ask RaeLyn, the Queen of Sainthood.) I am a baseball fan and my favorite major league team is the Seattle Mariners. End of discussion.
Baseball is a game. One team wins and one team loses. There are players and they play. Sometimes they play well and sometimes they play less than well. There are umpires. Sometimes (most of the time) they make the right call and sometimes they don't. All of these folks are people, not automatons, nor robots. They are doing the very best that they can at that moment. And by gosh, I hope they win. But when they don't, although I may be angry, they are still my team.
If you don't like the Mariners, that's fine. Then choose a different team to support. But don't you ever give up on your team! Real fans don't ever give up. They just "wait'll next year!!"
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Happy Birthday, Dad (Louis S. Castro 1923-1994)
Today would have been your 87th birthday. And very unlike many of the past years at this time, I would like to wish you a Happy Birthday. You and I never seemed to have ever gotten onto "the same page." You were all about 'work' and 'responsibility' and because of that, I was always about 'play' and 'taking it easy'. You know, you could have backed off a little. It really might have helped us a bit. And you know, it sure would have been nice if you could have played catch with me or taken me to a movie or concert or game or whatever once in a while. On the other hand, I guess I could have been a little more understanding. But I wasn't and you didn't. Perhaps it was the cross that we both had to endure.
RaeLyn and I have two wonderful kids, Jason (32) and Julie (27). Jason is married and has two little girls, Bailey (4) and Madison (2). They are very smart and very cute. Both Jason and his wife, Jill are teachers; he at the high school level and she at the elementary. Both of them hold a Master's degree. He is also the baseball coach and he's very good, Dad!! He was actually voted the 2A Washington State High School Baseball Coach of the Year this year. We are all so very proud of him. He has a wonderful sense of humor and is way smarter than his dad ever was!!
Julie is also a college graduate and is employed at a physical therapy clinic in Everett, as the office manager. She runs a tight ship, Dad, and they love her!! Her fiance, Tyler, is a fine young man who is hoping to become a teacher soon. And they will be married within the next year or so. (I will sure miss her! She is just a delight to be around---just like her Mom!)I know you would have loved her very much!
RaeLyn is still teaching Preschool with Head Start. She is so good with the little ones and they sure love her. She is really looking forward to retirement soon, though. Her job is very demanding and it really takes a toll on her.
I retired from teaching 5 years ago and work now for a mental health agency in Everett as a courier. It is a good job for me and I like the driving. The money comes in handy and it keeps me busy. I really loved teaching music and I honestly found some success there. I really think I was a help for some kids and that makes me feel good.
You know, Dad, although you and I were never much for being friends, I do miss having you around from time to time. I see other men who still have their dads around and I am jealous for that blessing. When I spend time with Jason I realize how much he has to be thankful for. I am not "blowing my own horn" as a dad, but just noticing that Jason still has his father around. I guess in that sense, I miss you.
I thank God, Dad, that you brought me into this world. I am very sorry that we never got to honestly and truly know one another and I look forward to the day that that can happen. You know how much I love baseball (yes, I still love it!!!!). I hope that when the time comes for us to join you, you will take in a game or two with Jason and me. We'd love to have you. Happy Birthday!
RaeLyn and I have two wonderful kids, Jason (32) and Julie (27). Jason is married and has two little girls, Bailey (4) and Madison (2). They are very smart and very cute. Both Jason and his wife, Jill are teachers; he at the high school level and she at the elementary. Both of them hold a Master's degree. He is also the baseball coach and he's very good, Dad!! He was actually voted the 2A Washington State High School Baseball Coach of the Year this year. We are all so very proud of him. He has a wonderful sense of humor and is way smarter than his dad ever was!!
Julie is also a college graduate and is employed at a physical therapy clinic in Everett, as the office manager. She runs a tight ship, Dad, and they love her!! Her fiance, Tyler, is a fine young man who is hoping to become a teacher soon. And they will be married within the next year or so. (I will sure miss her! She is just a delight to be around---just like her Mom!)I know you would have loved her very much!
RaeLyn is still teaching Preschool with Head Start. She is so good with the little ones and they sure love her. She is really looking forward to retirement soon, though. Her job is very demanding and it really takes a toll on her.
I retired from teaching 5 years ago and work now for a mental health agency in Everett as a courier. It is a good job for me and I like the driving. The money comes in handy and it keeps me busy. I really loved teaching music and I honestly found some success there. I really think I was a help for some kids and that makes me feel good.
You know, Dad, although you and I were never much for being friends, I do miss having you around from time to time. I see other men who still have their dads around and I am jealous for that blessing. When I spend time with Jason I realize how much he has to be thankful for. I am not "blowing my own horn" as a dad, but just noticing that Jason still has his father around. I guess in that sense, I miss you.
I thank God, Dad, that you brought me into this world. I am very sorry that we never got to honestly and truly know one another and I look forward to the day that that can happen. You know how much I love baseball (yes, I still love it!!!!). I hope that when the time comes for us to join you, you will take in a game or two with Jason and me. We'd love to have you. Happy Birthday!
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Success is Where You Make It
We all have dreams. You know, dreams for the future - what we would like to do with our lives. I was wondering today what it is that pushes each of us toward a particular dream for our lives. What is it that causes us to want to become a fireman or doctor or teacher? Is it our environment at home? Teachers? Friends? Church teachings? I don't know. But what I do know is that we do not have to be raised in the big, bustling city to be successful.
My first teaching job was in a very small Eastern Washington town called Dayton. At that time, Dayton was very busy for a community of about 2,800 folks. Although they produced a lot of wheat, they also employed many people at the Green Giant vegetable canning company. You remember them, "Ho, ho, ho---Green Giant"!! My teaching assignment was four band classes (grade 4 - 12) and one choir (grad 10 - 12). The kids I had were, on the whole, really great and I truly enjoyed them.
One of the classes we did not have in the daily schedule was a jazz band. So I decided that we would start one that would meet after school and maybe we could convince the principal to eventually offer it during the school day. Immediately I had a student ask me if he could play the electric bass. I told him we did not own one and that I really knew nothing about teaching it. He insisted that his parents would buy him a bass and an amplifier. They would even get him lessons!! I could not argue with that. So I said that he could play electric bass. Well, the rest is history. He did very well over the next two years. He played bass ALL the time. He absolutely loved it.
Todd was his name. He went on to become one of the world's finest electric bass players. No really, he truly is a world renowned six-string bass player. He lives in southern California and teaches and travels all over the world. He has written books and has produced teaching DVDs. He even teaches bass lessons online. And he started playing bass in a beginning jazz band in a small wheat-farming community in the middle of nowhere.
But the story does not end there. He was not the only one who had a dream and made it happen. There were many others from my stay in Dayton (only four years) that went on to find an important and successful niche in life. I know I will leave many of them out, but these people come to mind: there is Joe the Ph.D in Pharmacy, Rick the Psychology professor at Idaho State University, there is Ken the Radiology Tech and Jennie who runs the Port of Columbia. There is Vicki who runs her own beauty salon, Steve who is an electrical engineer and his wife, Jeannie, who is an Early Childhood Education professor at Washington State University. Keith is a Network Analyst and Scott coaches high school girls' basketball. There is Taffy who is a Property Manager and there are even three music teachers: Kim, Sharli and Liz. Becky is doing her part to keep our children in safe homes as she works as a social worker and there is Heidi, the physician. Many others, whose names and jobs escape me came from Dayton. I really wish I could remember them all!!
I knew all these people as clarinet, flute, trumpet, sax, trombone and tuba players. There is even a drummer in there. All these people grew up in a community of folks who really cared about offering something important to life. I miss those people and I miss those days. They were good people. People who cared about one another.
One of these days I am going to find a way to see them all again and visit with them. I want to tell them how proud I am of them and how honored I was and am to have been allowed to be their leader for a short time.
Dayton is a place for which I have a special place in my heart. It's a lot smaller now since Green Giant left town. But the people who still live there are the same folks who I remember from the mid-1970's. When I left Dayton, I moved on to bigger things and more advanced musical performers. But the people from Dayton were and are still in my heart. I guess "Once a Bulldog, always a Bulldog!"
My first teaching job was in a very small Eastern Washington town called Dayton. At that time, Dayton was very busy for a community of about 2,800 folks. Although they produced a lot of wheat, they also employed many people at the Green Giant vegetable canning company. You remember them, "Ho, ho, ho---Green Giant"!! My teaching assignment was four band classes (grade 4 - 12) and one choir (grad 10 - 12). The kids I had were, on the whole, really great and I truly enjoyed them.
One of the classes we did not have in the daily schedule was a jazz band. So I decided that we would start one that would meet after school and maybe we could convince the principal to eventually offer it during the school day. Immediately I had a student ask me if he could play the electric bass. I told him we did not own one and that I really knew nothing about teaching it. He insisted that his parents would buy him a bass and an amplifier. They would even get him lessons!! I could not argue with that. So I said that he could play electric bass. Well, the rest is history. He did very well over the next two years. He played bass ALL the time. He absolutely loved it.
Todd was his name. He went on to become one of the world's finest electric bass players. No really, he truly is a world renowned six-string bass player. He lives in southern California and teaches and travels all over the world. He has written books and has produced teaching DVDs. He even teaches bass lessons online. And he started playing bass in a beginning jazz band in a small wheat-farming community in the middle of nowhere.
But the story does not end there. He was not the only one who had a dream and made it happen. There were many others from my stay in Dayton (only four years) that went on to find an important and successful niche in life. I know I will leave many of them out, but these people come to mind: there is Joe the Ph.D in Pharmacy, Rick the Psychology professor at Idaho State University, there is Ken the Radiology Tech and Jennie who runs the Port of Columbia. There is Vicki who runs her own beauty salon, Steve who is an electrical engineer and his wife, Jeannie, who is an Early Childhood Education professor at Washington State University. Keith is a Network Analyst and Scott coaches high school girls' basketball. There is Taffy who is a Property Manager and there are even three music teachers: Kim, Sharli and Liz. Becky is doing her part to keep our children in safe homes as she works as a social worker and there is Heidi, the physician. Many others, whose names and jobs escape me came from Dayton. I really wish I could remember them all!!
I knew all these people as clarinet, flute, trumpet, sax, trombone and tuba players. There is even a drummer in there. All these people grew up in a community of folks who really cared about offering something important to life. I miss those people and I miss those days. They were good people. People who cared about one another.
One of these days I am going to find a way to see them all again and visit with them. I want to tell them how proud I am of them and how honored I was and am to have been allowed to be their leader for a short time.
Dayton is a place for which I have a special place in my heart. It's a lot smaller now since Green Giant left town. But the people who still live there are the same folks who I remember from the mid-1970's. When I left Dayton, I moved on to bigger things and more advanced musical performers. But the people from Dayton were and are still in my heart. I guess "Once a Bulldog, always a Bulldog!"
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