Happy Mother's Day everyone.
Got to talking on the way home from Dinner at the Majestic today and wife Pat and I got to discussing our upbringing values that we learned and were taught mostly by "Mom".
Self respect was a big one and we have talked about before. Depend on others to a minimum and exercise your abilities to the maximum. Being brought up in a home where Mom ruled the roost, and was our major instructor on day to day issues and the difference between right and wrong. For instance: Don't use bad words, it only irritates those you are trying to communicate with. Be nice to others because that is how you want to be treated. Do what you are supposed to be doing, and do what you say you are going to do, and when it is done, make sure you clean up your mess. Here's a great one that most young people are probably not even aware of. When walking with a girl, the guy walks on the street side of the girl. If books or bags are in the mix, the boy offers to carry them for her. I had thought that most Mom's taught those things to us kids. I have told the story of the girl that lived on the block behind our house and every school day she would pass along the street toward school. I got where I timed myself to join up with her and walk to school with her the rest of the way. When school was out, we would meet up and I would walk her back to where I lived and she continued to her home. It was one of those "shy and awkward" stages, but I enjoyed her company and our daily visit. One day when I got home and up to my room, there was a note on my dresser. It said something like this: "When a gentleman is walking with a lady, he walks on the street side of her." Point well taken, now that I knew that, so from then on, I walked on the street side of her in our walks to and from school.
Along with Mom, there was Dad teaching me "fact of life stuff" on how people should be treated, how we as children are responsible for our actions and how to think ahead to when school is completed and how we prepare for living and sustaining ourselves in society. I think I was probably 16 when I got my first outside of the family job as a bag boy at Houston's SuperValu store on 42nd Ave and (I think it was) 39th Street in South Minneapolis. I rode my bicycle to work on Saturdays. I only worked on Saturdays. Primarily, I carried the groceries out to the customers car. Don't remember anything about tips so think I wasn't to accept them. It was usually a long day, but I survived. I had a JOB! $8.00 a day minus tax. I felt I was in hog heaven. This was around 1962 or 3. I had a JOB....me....untrained.....kid......cleared less than that after withholding tax and all. But I was on my way to the innards of "The Workforce".....ta da I also worked for my Dad in his printing business. I learned discipline also. Looking back on my life, I see it didn't really matter what it was I was doing as far as a job goes, I just did it because it provided me with spending money, and later in life a means to support my wife and family.
How did that happen? I felt I wasn't a College person, because I had a hard time with Mathematics, and didn't think my success rate would soar if I decided to go that route. My Dad had told me stories of his life in the Navy during WWII and the places he was able to see because of his profession. He was a Navy Quartermaster which is the guys that shoot the stars, keeping track of navigation and doing those Navy things we were seeing in the movies. It sounded like something I would enjoy, so Dad signed permission for me when I turned 17 and I became a US Navy Reservist YAY! It was a great start and even our very short BOOT CAMP was interesting. That was between my Jr. and Sr. year at Vocational H.S. and Technical School. Of course I was in the Printing Classes and things were good. After finishing up High School with a emphasis in Graphic Arts (we called it PRINTING in those days), I went off to Active Naval Duty. Spent a couple years on an Air Craft Carrier and a shore duty slot working in my trade, and got promoted eventually to 2nd Class Petty Officer as a Lithographer. Along the way, I had fallen in love and married the lady I am still married to. That was 48 years ago. So now that I had responsibilities, I decided that my Navy Reserve Unit looked pretty good back home while I worked (civilian wise) for my Dad at his print shop. During this time, I decided two jobs weren't enough so hired on with a security outfit, driving a car from place to place and punching a clock letting the the customer know someone was there checking on their business. As things would have it, I decided to move to Las Vegas Nevada close to where my wife had grown up. So leaving Minneapolis and heading to the desert was a new and exciting time in our lives. I started working in a print shop within the first week that we got there. That lasted a short time before a Printers Union issue cropped up and all of a sudden I was out of a job. Since I had already affiliated with a Navy reserve Unit, I went to them to see what was available back on Active Duty. Nothing at that time, since now I was a 1st Class Petty Officer (E6) and it always gets tighter as you progress toward the top. I went to a local print shop that was advertising an opening, and interviewed. I was hired on the spot and started working the next day. Sadly it paid $2 less an hour that I was getting from the "other" shop, but it was still putting food on the table and a roof over our heard. Luckily, a few weeks later, that Navy called telling me an opening became available and I needed to get it while it was.
We sold our house and off we went to San Diego California. Spent two tours of Viet Nam via Yankee Station as I was the Print Shop Supervisor on the USS Bon Homme Richard CVA31. During the second cruise I had decided not to re-enlist but to come home and continue civilian life as a Naval Reservist as a secondary occupation. Returning to Minneapolis, I restarted at my Dad's shop. Along the way, I was offered to manage an Aquarium store in a northern suburb of Minneapolis. Pat and I accepted the offer and started yet another job skill. New the hobby of Aquarium Keeping, it was exciting to be both a hobbies, store manager, and employer as we had two part timers helping off and on. Pat took care of the paperwork and hard goods, I took care of the customers and the fish. We had no rodents, snakes or other pets....pure aquariums, equipment and fish.
While all this was going on, I had to leave the Navy as a Lithographer Chief Petty Officer, because of a manpower drawdown, so went over to the ARMY and started a new career as a Personnel Sgt. I started liking the Army Reserve and it was exciting to learn a new career field. I eventually ended up in the Personnel Section of HQ, 88th USARCOM which is a major command lead by a Major General. There were several different opportunities made available to me while there. My main responsibility was looking after the Officer Annual Evaluation Reports. Through nothing wrong that I did, a computer programmer was assigned shortly after we took over a brand new facility with a new computer system, etc. We brought the delinquency rate down from 22% to 2% in several months, because of our new developed tracking system. I was asked by the HQ First Sergeant if I would take on an additional task as Training NCO for our enlisted personnel. Always willing to take on more, I accepted. What a joy that was to have an open book to design common task training for the enlisted soldiers which up that point was being very poorly attended and most hidden event of the drill weekend. After assigning instructors and training them during the month, it became the most fun thing the soldiers got to do! Camouflage was a real winner when we took them out into a neighboring "wild growth" area to hide themselves with straw grass and twigs, etc. The morale soured sky high. I could go on and on with this one, but won't.
After the owners of the Aquarium store sold it, we were off on another adventure. There was a shoe store in the shopping center the Aquarium store was in. I went down there and asked if he had any positions open. He said he had an Asst. Manager spot open in one of his FIVE stores. I took it. Not knowing how to sell shoes, but through observation, and in spite of the manager trying to keep me in the back room from showing him and his wife off in sales, the six months I was there (1/2 month at the beginning and 1/2 month with five full months in between), I was the top salesman in his whole five store chain. Unfortunately I wasn't making enough money to pay our bills. Owner John knew he lost a terrific resource but I needed to move on.
I learned that the Mass Transit Bus Company (MTC) was looking to hire bus drivers, so applied for a driver position. Got the job, lasted there 12 years, enjoying it to the max. Loved the people (except once) and loved the town. The once was my last night on the worst line of the system, which went through a very rough and dangerous part of St. Paul. Short Story: I was out of work for a month healing because six or seven punks didn't like me telling them they couldn't smoke on the bus. Well, it upset my stomach! Had a major readjustment to my wire rimmed glasses to my new and puffy face the next day.
We moved again to Nevada and after about six weeks of daily visits to the Employment office, I got hired on with a contract company who provided a trolley looking mini bus to drive a circuit around downtown Vegas. This was before the canopy came up and Fremont Street was closed to vehicular traffic. That was a fun job and I was able to work my way rapidly into one of the two Sr. Operator slots. After a while the trolly busses were integrated into the City itself. At that time I applied and was given a spot to continue with the trollies. Soon after that, a position opened in the Graphic Department of the City of Las Vegas so I applied for that. Getting hired was the best thing that happened to me! I started as a Bindery Worker, doing paper cutting, machine folding, padding, and a bunch of other processes. It wasn't very long though and the Army Reserve Unit I belonged to was called to Active Duty because of Desert Storm.
I had become the Section First Sergeant (the rest of the unit was in Southern California...Ventura area) Lots of stories to be told here, but the short is that all my Doctors, Nurses and Medical Techs were activated. The non-medical soldiers were left home. The month my soldiers were returning, one of the Finance NCO's and myself received orders to Daharan, Saudi Arabia. Being assigned to the Communication Staff (G6) of LTG Pagonis was exciting as I, again, was working outside my specialty. I was technically the Message Center Supervisor, but spent most of my time in the Logistical Operations Center (LOC). Patriot Missile system are dependent on Satellite communication. That fell under our prevue. One night the system went down. I was told to call the States and let them know. After a frazzled conversation with a Major on the stateside end, he finally understood what the challenge was, although he was having a challenge between the messenger (me) and the reason for the message! Since we both survived that phone call, I am guessing it turned out ok. One other major event that involved me and the chain of command was when I was tasked with getting a young Private packed and ready for the flight home in the morning. It involved retrieving her from the "Culture" center (Muslim indoctrination tent outside US part of the air base) and getting her prepared for her morning flight home. One of the local's took offense of my getting my soldier back under our protective arm and chose to try to distract me from my mission. After making sure she was in my vehicle with a female NCO, I had to almost forcibly extract myself from his verbal harassment. Another Short version: Next morning at the General's briefing, my name was brought up in a derogatory manner. Seems the Saudi and our Chaplain, were friends. My Col. spoke up and said I was following His orders. General approved and the meeting went on. She made the flight in the morning to the States, and I am assuming is home safe.
When I returned home after 8 month tour, I was transferred to an Army Reserve School in Bell, CA. I was also informed I had been promoted four months earlier! Now an Army Master Sergeant I was a very happy soldier. Being assigned to an Army School, provided another chance at a new part of Army knowledge. Ends up, after a training period, I am a qualified Army Instructor which brings with it a Designator "H". But when I returned home I returned with some physical challenges that were taken care of with VA's help, and my personal civilian doctor's advice. It was about a year after that I decided it was time for me to retire from the service as I had 30 + total years and had done so much more than I could have imagined.
It was also time that I had reached 60 years old and was qualified to retire from the City of Las Vegas of which I was having a blast working with. The City had created a new position called Graphic Services Tech. and I applied, beat out over 100 other applicants and got the job. I was the interlink between the Division Chiefs, the City Council and the Mayor to insure they got the best price for their projects and printing needs. I got so much enjoyment and satisfaction being able to help these folks with their projects. My last day with the City was a very humbling day. My wife said there were over 200 people who came to see me and wish me well in retirement. It was indeed a great job, and I still look back on all the friends I had acquired while serving the City.
The point to this HISTORY of Gary lesson is this: I am just a regular guy....with a Mom that loved me so much she made sure I knew the rules of civility and how to treat people. I have only a Trade School diploma, and some Military School completions. I was never one to say: "I can't do that". Skydiving....maybe. On counting what I have done in the areas of Jobs, I figure I have 16 different and distinct job skill areas that I have accomplished because I did not say: "I can't do that". I went ahead and figured it out and got it done. As far as surviving and raising a family, taking care of others, etc., there was never an issue of providing a home, clothes and food for those that I am/was responsible for. Even when I was "let go", I sought out a job, nailed it and continued to march. I can't remember taking a welfare check, although when we had special needs children under our wing for about 9 years, there was a stipend and when that went away, we realized how much of our own finances were going into the system. That was ok....we didn't do that for gain....we did it because children need a safe and comforting environment to live, develop and flourish in the best we can do. I have been blessed with a fantastic wife and children that have been our base team, whether they realized it at the time or not. There was always food on the table, light in each room, heat in the winter and cool in the summer and clothes on their backs. Not realizing it at the time, and not regretting it now, I spent a lot of time away from my home, earning a living, building several careers, and quite honestly, having fun doing it. But it was with the focus on providing for my family, not relying on a system like we have today that there are so many that are doing bad things to cheat the system of the "INTENT" of the assistance. They are cheating the system when they are not honest about their predicament. Drugs, lavish food...like that surfer dude we see on TV with the fancy expensive meat. The system "may" allow that, but reason and common sense shows that as CHEATING. We need a major....ground up....overhaul of the system which includes the clerks that are taking a paycheck and allowing abuse to happen right in front of them. We need to help the children that need the help, and cut out the parents that are using the money for drugs and other "non-children" items. We need to overhaul the rules. Abuse of the intent/purpose of the "card" and they loose the use of the card. Failure to show up for a job interview, they loose their "card". Buying "luxury items", they loose the "card". I have experienced families on welfare, living with Grandma or Mom, with their three or four children, still doing drugs, not contributing to neither the food in the house or the rent to live there. Grandma is stressed, but it doesn't matter...to them. The kids are in so much danger of continuing the cycle their (hate to use the term) "parents" are on.
So you see where I am going with this issue. We HAVE to straighten this problem out! Our educational system has gone to hell in a hand basket. Our welfare system has become a worse problem than when it was started. Our Nation is on a downward spiral that is suspect of not being able to correct itself. There is really only one thing that can get us back to the Greatest Country in the World in all time....the UNITED STATES of AMERICA, that is get GOD back into our lives. That means throw out all this racist talk...which it isn't. That means allow Christians and Christian values to be expressed freely...again. As Christians, we do NOT force our beliefs on anyone. We share our beliefs and if you choose, you can accept or reject the offer. Nobody is forcing anything. We are not crazy or insane people. All we are doing is what Jesus Christ has commissioned us to do: Make disciples for Jesus Christ. We are tasked to share Jesus with whoever will listen. There is no threat of death, decapitation, fiery confinement, or whatever else is happening according to the news feeds of today. If someone is afraid of what followers of Christ are saying, that is easily remedied by sharing our plain spoken, no hidden messages in the Book we use, that we feel is God Breathed, called the BIBLE. It does take the word FAITH into account in order to understand. FAITH is the belief in something in complete trust or confidence in what the BIBLE says. It is indeed a book of wonder, and for those that choose to elevate their belief quotient to accept the message, a peace that passes all understanding will change their lives from disbelief and distrust, into a life of better existence with each other until there is no more. Showing you that everyone can have a peaceful life if they cut out the cheating, beating, self abuse, ugliness, hate, corruption, meanness, lying, and all those "can't do" attitudes, is something to grow toward. Don't think it will be something done overnight, but a continual "work toward" to accomplish it IS possible.
If you need help, visit your local Christian church. It doesn't matter what denomination it is, they are only paper labels anyway. Find a church that preaches the Bible. There are televangelists that love to sucker you in with those "Feel good" messages, with a lot a noise and shouting, so be careful.
Keep smiling, keep singing, keep laughing
God Bless,
Gary
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