Just a thought....Part Two

I was so sad to hear that Larry Clifton had died. I didn’t know Larry very well at all, but with his death comes the realization that the opportunity to reconnect with him will never happen and we have all missed out on a chance to really know him and his life since we left Childress High School. It is obvious from his obituary and from Jennifer’s conversation with his wife and daughter that Larry was well loved and he will be missed by his family.

I join Jennifer in expressing my sympathy to everyone concerned. I am grateful that as two of his old classmates Jennifer and I are able to share this small tribute to him on the blog.

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It seems that no matter how much time passes or how far away we have gone, most of us are always happy to hear news about Childress. Jim and I still take the Childress Index and check it out each time it arrives to see what is taking place in the “city” where we spent much of our young lives. We are both so grateful that there are still young and older leaders in the community who continue to step up in order to ensure that Childress remains a viable place for families to live and raise their children. In the Lifestyles section of the Sunday, April 27 Amarillo Globe-News, Childress is featured for a couple of reasons. One article is entitled Childress looks to future, and can be read online at the Globe-News website. The article takes a look at the ways the Childress County Heritage Museum is working to preserve the history of Childress.

The other article concerns the search by the Childress Chamber of Commerce for a new slogan to replace the current slogan “Gateway to the Panhandle” in an effort to update the community image. There is a contest which will last to the middle of May to solicit suggestions for the new slogan. Interestingly enough many want to really promote Childress as a great place for hunting.

Additionally a bright red restored 1957 Chevrolet 210 coupe is being raffled off to raise money for the Renovations for the Palace Theater. 1,200 raffle tickets will be sold for $100 each. I have posted a picture and more information at Classic 1957 Chevy 210
in Short Notes.

From what we can gather from the good folks in Childress, the Childress Index, and the Amarillo Globe News, these are just a few examples of efforts to keep Childress growing and going! Kudos and a heart felt thanks to everyone. The Class of 1963 is grateful to still have a proud community to come home to.

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Many of you, especially the guys, probably remember Dick Risenhoover who coached many of your sports teams when you were just little guys. One of his legacies was to establish Kids Inc in Childress. Over the years, Jim has told me many Dick Risenhoover stories, and it is obvious that he is very grateful to have had someone so special as a role model. A website has been created to share stories, information and photos of Coach Risenhoover. Many of you will enjoy a visit to the site. I am grateful to Shelia Davis Martinez and Harold Simmons for sending the information to us. The tributes to Coach R. are multiplying on the ciculating emails.

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I am so grateful that we are having a gorgeous spring here in Amarillo. Despite the wind, the trees are sprouting leaves once more, the grass is green again, and the spring flowers have brought me so much pleasure this year. As I have mentioned in previous posts, we, for the first time planted bulbs and I have not been disappointed. It is so much fun to look outside every day to see what is new in the yard. We have seen red, yellow, purple, and pink tulips as well as many other colors and varieties of flowers. I am only sad that they don’t last longer. Jim couldn’t resist digging another flower bed for “me” so tomorrow we are off to have a great adventure selecting just the right plants. As always it is a challenge to make sure that the sun lovers are happy and the shade lovers are protected and so on. I am, also, grateful that both Jim and I enjoy our yard and that it is something we can still do for and with one another.

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For a few days the blog was awfully quiet. As we on occasion have been reminded, most everyone is too busy living life to have much time to look back. The greatest benefit for me of the Class of 1963 blogs has been the joy of hearing from so many people from our class. I love exchanging email with everyone and I love the anticipation of meeting face to face either in Las Vegas or at one of the mini-reunion dinners we would like to plan. To me this isn’t a matter of looking back, but rather looking forward to new or renewed friendships. Our lives can only be enriched by making the effort to reach out to old and new friends. Over the last few days we have heard from Patsy Poling Sledge and Sharon Malloy Smotherman Kelly. I am so grateful that they have taken the time read the blog and make comments. Both have promised to send bios to share with us and both are eager to reconnect with old friends.

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Today when I googled the phrase “being grateful” there were 3,150,000 results. Because I had a hard time selecting my final thought for this post, I have chosen three that I love:

"When a person doesn't have gratitude, something is missing in his or her humanity. A person can almost be defined by his or her attitude toward gratitude."-- Elie Wiesel

"Try leaving a friendly trail of little sparks of gratitude on your daily trips. You will be surprised how they will set small flames of friendship that will be rose beacons on your next visit."-- Dale Carnegie: How to Win Friends and Influence People

"Give thanks for a little and you will find a lot."-- Hausa proverb (Nigeria)

Just a thought