Comments:
Historical stuff: The most valuable experience of my time at good ole Harding High was the English and writing foundation I received from Mrs. Wiser and Mrs. Sheets. I never would have made it through law school, otherwise. Typing with Mr. Thompson was also valuable. Mr. Walker and Ms. Stuart were also my favorites. It was great fun working with the yearbook staff. I was very active in my church youth group and along with Phil McCowan, made many friends in other high schools. After Harding, I attended OU, did the frat thing, Delta Tau Delta, excellent experience to merge with my sheltered environment. Played summer softball and went to the National Slow Pitch World Series, riding a bus to New York City with Jody Wheeler and Charlie Harris. Received a BBA in Finance and Management, but I didn’t have a clue on a career, so I did the logical thing and enrolled in law school. Not fun. Took a U.S. Army sabbatical and filled out that form for assignment requesting Hawaii or Germany….ended up on a missile site in Korea. Bleak looking assignment that turned much brighter when Viet Nam started escalating about the time I unpacked.
Job Stuff: Finished the Army and law school, got married, stumbled into a job as a bank Trust Officer in Sapulpa, OK (I tried to tell them I didn’t know what a Trust Officer did), jumped into civic stuff and Jaycees and my son Jarrett was born. My early career was mostly in bank Trust Departments administering trusts and investments, ending up in Tulsa in 1975 with F&M Bank and the Trust Company of Oklahoma. Left the banking world for a while and taught myself some sales techniques finding clients for Avtax Property Tax Consultants and Labor Consultants of America. Returned to banking and applied my business development efforts with Bank of Oklahoma, Bank of America and UMB Bank. After these varieties of experiences, I have settled exclusively into business development/sales, bringing in clients for consultants….then letting someone else do the work. Now, I develop new business all over the U.S. for Farmers National Company - Minerals, an oil and gas management firm, calling on trust departments, foundations, universities and other nonprofits.
Personal Stuff: After divorce in 1977, I was a single, week-end father for seven years, spending every other weekend driving back and forth to OKC to get Jarrett. (I’ve napped at every roadside park on the Turner.) Best investment of time I ever made. Today, he’s my best friend and he gave his new son my name. Early on after my divorce, I noticed many of my men friends were troubled by caring for their children and jumped quickly back into marriages….many unsuccessfully. I was prompted to start up a mini-seminar for single fathers entitled “Weekend Fathers’ Survival Kit” through a Family and Children’s Agency.
My marriage to a single parent mother of 3 was a great move in my life. The marriage to Janet in 1984 was more like a merger and continues to be a tremendous, on-going blessing for all 6 of us (and several now deceased cats). It says a lot about a woman who raises 3 kids who become a plus in a marriage decision for an avowed cat-hating, 7 year single guy. Today, my best friends are the current cat, who thinks she’s a dog, and my family, which has expanded with 9 grandchildren
Current Stuff. Empty Nest? Retirement? Not in my vocabulary! A year and a half ago my daughter loaded up her four delightful children (ages now 11,9,7,4) in her SUV in North Carolina, traveled West 990 miles and moved in. Divorceville in process. Janet and I got up off the bench and back in the game. After a career as elementary school principal, Janet now has a turn at “Soccer (Grand) Mom” and I’m a coach, chauffeur and friend. These are awesome times. Blessings for all? Amen!
Passion Stuff: Single fathering, divorce issues, re-marriage and step parenting….all shaped my passions for the latest season of my life….working at fathering skills for myself and encouraging young fathers to avoid the mistakes I made. Currently, while continuing a full time, fun job, I’ve had time and resources to work on projects with homeless folks, unemployed people (been there) and college age entrepreneurs looking for ways to help people. After a period of church-hopping, I have found one that focuses on getting out of the pew and into the community.
See you in June!
