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unique achievement
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Eastmoor: Memories on my route
From Eastmoor HS, there was a short hop to Capital University where I
completed studies in Aerospace Studies (AFROTC), Accounting, and
completed courses which took me to a bachelor’s degree and a
commission in the USAF. Activities included the concert band,
the last of the school’s marching bands, and a charter member of
Students for the Advancement of African American Culture.
Military service led to assignments which were solely in the
continental USA. As a Squadron Supply Officer, Material
Facilities Officer, and Social Actions Officer my assignments were
the kind that kept planes flying and airmen fit to perform their
assignments harmoniously. After an honorable discharge, I found
my first civilian job with a pharmaceutical retailer in New England.
I wasn’t there for long, but it was important that I met my
future wife there while she was a student at Simmons College.
Rushing ahead, there was a long stint I had with the federal agency
which enforces the bulk of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. My
assignments were in Ohio and I retired in Cincinnati. Married
life to an old friend didn’t last long and we went our separate ways
from Cincy. It seems that we weren’t ready to settle down.
I was determined to jump back into ensemble groups such as the
Cincinnati Brass Band, Cincinnati Civic Orchestra, and Cincinnati
Community Orchestra. As if that wasn’t enough, I found that I
loved to kayak on the Ohio River and various lakes in Ohio’s state
parks!
Favorite Ohio moments: performing in the Cincinnati Brass Band to
augment the brass of the Cincinnati Pops under the baton of Erich
Kunzel in Music Hall and Riverbend amphitheater. Participation
in several Paddlefests on the Ohio River and operating a kayak livery
on the Ohio River.
Wanderlust after retirement put me on a Bucket List adventure via
Amtrak on its Empire Builder route from Chicago to Seattle, Seattle
to San Diego, and returning to Chicago via Texas! Highlights of
that unaccompanied adventure included my first multiple-day stays in
Seattle and San Diego.
Hurricane Irma led me to evacuate my home in Naples, FL and the
living was easy for a couple of nights in Orlando where the happiest
people in the world seek refuge. When I returned home, Naples
and Marco Island cleaned up from the mess and my house escaped
serious damage. A neighbor who stayed in her home through the
heavy winds said that she’s had it with sheltering in place through
these things. A handful of roof tiles blew off of my place and
insurance paid for a complete replacement of the entire roof so I
couldn’t have been happier!
One close call from Irma was enough to cause me to reconsider my
options about staying in Hurricane Alley. In less than six
months, I sold my home and found another one in the Las Vegas
neighborhood of Winchester. My friends in the Naples bands and my
neighborhood friends are missed, but one close call from a hurricane
can make a big impression! The big tree that fell away from the
house instead of onto my bedroom had to be a good sign so I was not
going to test my luck with future storms! Cambier Park
concerts, Naples Philharmonic concerts, Brass Elements ensemble
performances and master class events in southwestern Florida schools
were pleasant memories.
Life in Las Vegas is never boring! Anyone who has been there
can confirm. I moved here simply because it had a more
affordable inventory of homes and I was considering places from
Seattle to Santa Fe to San Diego! I’m not a gambler so Las
Vegas has impressed me with its natural beauty and the constant
redevelopment of the metropolitan area. Giant hotel/resorts are
fascinating with their public areas, decoration, and shows. I’m
known for the pictures I post from these areas. I’m not looking
for a job here because a job would disrupt my periodic trips to other
places around the region and that includes state parks and national
parks which are spectacular!
Growing old is grand! It’s rewarding to stay in shape for the
challenges along the way. We all have some sort of challenge
and predicting the future is worse than trying to beat the house in
the casinos.
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