I Believe – My Values

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FAVORITES

I believe you can learn a lot about an individual from the types of things they consider favorites in their life: books, movies, music, visual arts, performing arts, games, food, etc. This is not a comprehensive list of my favorites, but it gives you a taste of my character through what I like.

 

MOVIES

Some movies on this list are not completely made for the whole family to be entertained. Please check quality reviews before showing to the whole family. Also, there are many more Disney movies that could be included on this list that are just “cute” or “fun,” but I wanted to include movies on my list that were a little more impactful than talking animals, or story lines primarily intended for children. These lists were created when I was 45 years old, and updated when I felt something was worth adding. They are not in any particular order.

The Ultimate Gift – By Dean Rivers Productions. 2006. Rated PG. 114 min.

Self-Improvement Fiction. Based on a book by the same name: Book also recommended.

TO DATE THIS IS MY VERY FAVORITE MOVIE. Not because of the best action, the best comedy, or the best acting, but because of the message it shares.

The Pistol: The Birth of a Legend – L.A. Film Partners. 1991. Rated PG. 90 min.

Biographical. This is the movie I saw while flying home from serving a mission in Africa. Inspiring.

The Make Over – By Hallmark 2013. Rated PG. 95 min. Fiction. Drama. Romance.

Amazing Grace – By Walden Media, 2007. Rated PG. 111 min. Based on the fight to abolish slavery in Great Britain. William Wilberforce.

Gifted Hands – The Ben Carson Story – By Johnson & Johnson 2009, TVPG. 86 min. Biographical. Based on a book: I also recommend the book for reading.

Temple Grandin – By HBO 2010. Rated TVPG. 107 min. (thematic elements) Biographical. 

Beauty and the Beast, A Latter-day Tale – By Candlelight Media 2007. PG. 91 min. Drama. Romance.

Forever Strong (caution: drinking & drugs) – By Go Films. 2008. PG-13. 112 min. Drama.

Invictus (caution: language) – By Warner Bros. 2009. Rated PG-13. 134 min. Drama. I discovered this book giving the background to the movie in 2014. Recommended Reading: “Playing the Enemy, Nelson Mandela and the Game that Made a Nation”

The Blind Side – By Alcon Entertainment. 2009. Rated PG-13. 129 min. Drama. Sports. Semi-Biographical. Recommend reading Michael Oher: I Beat the Odds.

Secretariat – By Disney. 2010. Rated PG. 123 min. Drama. 

Fireproof – By Sony Pictures. 2009. Rated PG. 118 min. Drama. 

“42” – By Warner Bros. 2013. Rated PG-13. 128 min. Drama. 

To Sir With Love – By Columbia Pictures. 1967. Unrated. 105 min. Drama.

Mr. Holland’s Opus – By Hollywood Pictures. 1996. Rated PG. 143 min. Drama.

Remember the Titans – By Jerry Bruckheimer. 2000. Rated PG. 113 min. Drama.

A Walk To Remember (caution: some crude language) – By Warner Bros. 2002. Rated PG (crudeness in some characters). 101 min. Drama.

The Miracle Worker – By Disney. 2000. Rated PG. 90 min. Drama. The story of Anne Sullivan and Helen Keller, and the beginning of their relationship.

Inside Out – By Disney/Pixar. 2015. Rated PG. 94 min. Animated. Currently, this is the only animated film on my list. Many animated films are “cute” and wholesome family entertainment. However, I found in this movie a much deeper meaning than most animated features have.

Miracles from Heaven – By Columbia Pictures. 2016. Rated PG. 109 min. Drama. The story of a terminally ill little girl and the miracles that took place during her treatment. Based on a true story and the book written by the girl’s mother, the movie carrying the same name as the book. (I haven’t read it yet.)

Hidden Figures – By Fox 2000 Pictures. 2016. Rated PG. 127 min. Drama. The story of three African American women and their contribution to the NASA space program in a time when the odds were stacked heavily against the career success of black women in the culture of the United States.

In Search of Bobby Fischer – By Paramount Pictures. 1993. Rated PG. 110 min. Drama. The story of Josh Waitzkin and his extraordinary gift for chess, and how the adults in his life reacted, sometimes positively, and sometimes negatively to this talent. Josh had to come to terms with what he wanted, why he wanted it, and the best way to get it and still be himself.

Wonder – By Lions Gate. 2017. Rated PG. 113 min. Drama. The fictional story based on a novel by the same name. Follows the story of August Pullman, a young man born with significant facial deformities as he is introduced into a more mainstream school system. A story of the strength of his character. A story of how others have hidden struggles. A story of how we can all grow with listening and actions of kindness.

One movie I used to have on my list is Groundhog Day starring Bill Murray. I liked it for its overall message, which is that you don’t truly begin to live until you learn to love unselfishly and serve others. However, more recently I have felt that other elements of the film were a little uncomplimentary to that theme, so I took it off my list.

 

 

TELEVISION

In today’s age, television is done mostly in the form of watching a show on the internet. Growing up I enjoyed Gilligan’s Island, Beverly Hillbillies, Hogan’s Heroes, The Cosby Show, Bewitched, America’s Funniest Home Videos. For educational programming I enjoy NOVA and Nature on the PBS station.

BOARD AND CARD GAMES

I enjoy Scrabble, Rummikub, Pictionary, Carrom; among others.

SPORTS

I used to play football and soccer. I still like them but don’t watch them much. Of course, I enjoyed the sports my children participated in: soccer and cross country running. I enjoy watching Olympic gymnastics. Although I like competitive sports, I just don’t make them a priority in life.

MUSIC

I find I listen to classical music when I am doing something else of an intellectual nature, but want background music. I listen to 1980s pop music for exercise and up-beat work activities. I like a wide variety. However, heavy metal and rap music don’t interest me. If I was asked to choose music I would like to have as my personal theme music, a song that would announce my arrival at an event, and help define my character, what would it be? I think my “fun” pick would be “I Love to Laugh” from Walt Disney’s Mary Poppins movie 1964. I think my “idealistic,” personal theme music would be the theme song from Superman the Movie 1978. The persona of the super hero known as Superman has undergone some less than positive changes over the years. But the original Superman stood for all that was positive and good in the human character, and this music gives that lofty feeling. It would be a bit ostentatious to actually have it play as a personal theme song, but it is more an ideal to strive for. My “sophisticated” side would be “An American Symphony” from the soundtrack of Mr. Holland’s Opus 1995. “Believe It Or Not” from the 1970s television show Greatest American Hero is fun. And Yanni’s “Santorini.” This is a nontraditional instrumental piece. My “cool” pick would be Axel F by Harold Faltermeyer 1984. This song is associated with a movie called Beverly Hills Cop. I have never seen the movie, it is rated R. But I like the music, it IS COOL. My “spiritual” side would be Because I Have Been Given Much…I’ll Go Where You Want Me To Go….You Can Make the Pathway Bright… Have I Done Any Good? My “romantic” side would be “Hello” by Lionel Richie 1983. As an assignment in English class my freshman year of high school I did a time capsule. I put the lyrics to this song in it. 

BOOKS

In my teen years, the science fiction genre seemed to capture my attention the most. As an adult I have found that a fiction book must be very intricately written with a considerable amount of real-to-life research included to make the story plausible. For example, I enjoy several of John Grisham’s books. Non-fiction, biographical, and autobiographical works hold my attention the best. However, I find that it is not the chronological-type story I enjoy. Of course, there needs to be some background and historical context information, but I like those that focus on a particular aspect or event associated with the person’s life versus one that starts at their parents or grandparents and catalogs that person’s life to the time they die.

The On-Purpose Person: Making Your Life Make Sense by Kevin W. McCarthy. 1992 Pinon Press. Reread. Parable. Thoughts: Worthy of anyone’s time, and permanent library.

Up From Slavery: An Autobiography  by Booker T. Washington. 1937 The Sun Dial Press Inc. Nonfiction

Assisted: An Autobiography  by John Stockton (with Kerry L. Pickett). 2013 Shadow Mountain Press. Nonfiction.

The Education of Little Tree by Forrest Carter. 1976 University of New Mexico Press. Nonfiction. Thoughts: Written with the unique perspective of a very young Cherokee boy being raised by his grandparents. His view of nature, people, and life at that age and that culture.

Mafia to Mormon: My Conversion Story by Mario Facione. 2004 Cedar Fort Incorporated. The story of a man whose newfound belief compelled him to risk his life to leave an organization that is usually only exited by death.

Mandela: An Illustrated Autobiography by (of course) Nelson Mandela. 1994 by Brown and Company. I found this book fascinating…what he sacrificed for the benefit of the South African people is incredible. Although it was fascinating it was not captivating for me because of the necessary political nature of the book.

Kisses from Katie: A Story of Relentless Love and Redemption by Katie Davis and Beth Clark. 2011 Howard Books. I found this book heart-warmingly touching, but also sad in revelation of poverty that so many live in. The book begs the questions: What am I doing? What can I do to make a difference?

To Heaven and Back: A Doctor’s Extraordinary Account of Her Death, Heaven, Angels, and Life Again by Mary C. Neal. 2011 Waterbook Press. After every chapter of this book I exclaimed “Wow!” As Mary describes being killed in a white-water kayaking accident, going toward heaven, being told it was not her time yet, and the reasons she needed to return to earth. INCREDIBLE STORY! 

Some more without detail: The Boys In the Boat, Michael Oher’s autobiography, Secretariat, Helen Keller’s autobiography….The list of books can go on and on, but I think this gives a good idea.

Dr. Seuss books I find wonderfully entertaining in written word and illustration. At the writing of this entry I have a copy of each book he has written in my personal collection. I do not have the ones he co-wrote or illustrated with others. They are good, but they do not seem to be as captivating as the ones where he was the sole author. Marya and I read to our children growing up, and they all have become avid readers. I now look for opportunities to read to other groups of children. In honor of Dr. Seuss’ works, I created a costumed character by the name of Marco Sam Sneelock who reads to children on occasion. How did I come up with that name? Marco, in honor of the main character in Dr. Seuss’ first published children’s work, “To Think That I Saw It On Mulberry Street.” Sam, from “Green Eggs and Ham,” and Sneelock, from the unwitting hero of “If I Ran the Circus.”

AUDIO BOOKS or SPEECH RECORDINGS

While doing work in North Dakota I began listening to books on compact discs and from an internet site connected with the local library. Here are just a few I enjoyed:

The Secrets of Happy Families by Bruce Feiler. 2013 HarperCollins Publishers. Self Help. Audio book by Dreamscape.

The John Bytheway Collection by John Bytheway. 2008 Deseret Book. Gospel Talks. Thoughts: John has a great skill in mixing quirky humor, stories, and gospel teachings to make for an entertaining and uplifting talk.

The John Bytheway Collection #2 by John Bytheway. Deseret Book. Gospel Talks. Thoughts: This collection is more readings of his books than live talks. Still valuable in inspiration and entertainment.

Out of Darkness: The Story of Louis Braille by Russell Freedman. Recorded Books Inc. Biographical. INCREDIBLY INSPIRING STORY about the man who invented the braille system of reading for the blind. He was only 15. This system opened up the world of the written word to blind people.

Playing the Enemy: Nelson Mandela and the Game That Made a Nation by John Carlin. Recorded Books Inc. Historical. An incredible story of how skillfully Nelson Mandela helped diffuse volatile political tensions through respect, wise visionary insight, and the sport of rugby.

Lighting Their Fires: Raising Extraordinary Children in a Mixed-Up, Muddled-Up, Shook-Up World by Rafe Esquith. Recorded Books Inc. Informative/Self-Help. Useful information on how to create an engaging learning environment.

Father Joe: The Man Who Saved My Soul by Tony Hendra. Recorded Books Inc. Non Fiction. I have mixed feelings about this audiobook. The figure described as Father Joe is incredibly insightful, noteworthy, and divinely charitable. However, his pupil, Tony was for a great deal of life an irreverent, comic satirist, consumed a great deal in selfishness…and, as I think Father Joe would describe him, a child of God. Bad language near the end, sexual references in the beginning.

Sully, My Search for What Really Matters by Chelsey B Sullenberger. The story of the pilot who landed a plane on the Hudson River after both engines were destroyed because of hitting birds. All 155 passengers survived the incident.

 

PLACES

I enjoy being on dirt trails and in the mountains. I also love the ocean. There are a lot of magnificent, beautiful places, but I enjoy the Oregon coastline the most.

HOBBIES

I think I covered this elsewhere, but in summary: hiking, kayaking, nonfiction reading, and as of the last few years in my forties, public speaking has gone from being a dreaded experience to an enjoyable hobby.

ANIMALS                         

I have always liked the otter. They are playful, intelligent, and cute.

QUOTES

There is no way to include all the quotes I like, but here are a few…

“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” -Winston Churchill

“There is more hunger in the world for love and appreciation than for food.” -Mother Teresa

“Men and women who turn their lives over to God will discover that He can make a lot more out of their lives than they can. He can deepen their joys, expand their vision, quicken their minds, strengthen their muscles, lift their spirits, multiply their blessings, increase their opportunities, comfort their souls and pour out peace.” -Ezra Taft Benson

“God does not begin by asking our ability, only our availability, and if we prove our dependability, He will increase our capability.” -Neal A. Maxwell

“The larger the island of knowledge, the longer the shoreline of wonder.” -Ralph W. Sockman

JOKES…Laugh, chuckle, or groan…that is what these types of jokes are about.

I enjoy clever humor and corny humor. Jokes that you have to think about for a second, or that  make a person groan a little because of a play on words. This tendency has earned me the nickname of “dork” with my family, because of these types of jokes and puns.

“If you wear cowboy clothes….you’re ranch dressing.”

“What does a dentist get on his one-year work anniversary?”…..”A little plaque.”

“I buy my guns from a guy who calls himself T-Rex…..He is a small-arms dealer.”

“When is the best time to go to the dentist?….Tooth-thirty.”

“I have tried to tell jokes about unemployed people…But, none of them work.”

FOODS

One of my favorite meals is baked chicken (NOT fried), mashed potatoes with white gravy, and corn on the cob. I also love garden fresh green beans. I always ask for tacos for my birthday meal, but I enjoy plain ground hamburger on it instead of seasoned meat. A medium well steak with a hint of pink is enjoyable. I hardly ever drink anything but milk, water, and fruit juices.

SNACKS

I would rather eat chocolate chips than most cookies, although I do have a weakness for chocolate chip, pumpkin cookies. Doritos dipped in cottage cheese. Home popped popcorn. Most other snacks don’t get me too excited. For my birthday I would rather have a bag of jerky than a cake any day. And, I can’t forget to mention ice cream. I really enjoy most ice cream flavors.

One of the main events that drew people to the Preston area each summer was the famous Preston Night Rodeo. For three days in a row, near the end of July, on a Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, there was a fantastic parade in the late afternoon through town. Filled with floats, marching bands, horses, pooper-scoopers after the horses, fire engines, cool cars, and lots of taffy thrown from the floats to the thousands gathered. After the parade, the carnival rides at one of the city parks began to breathe to life, and next door to the sounds of squeals and thrills of carnival riders was the rodeo arena with its lights that illuminated the night. There was something for everyone to enjoy: food, rides, animals, socialization. It was a fun time. (Unless you just wanted peace and quiet.)

The Kiwanis and Lions Clubs sold concessions at each rodeo as fundraisers. Grandpa was a member of the Kiwanis, and when I was old enough, he asked if I wanted to help. That first night, a major rainstorm began drenching the area halfway through the rodeo. Most of the crowd left. Only a smattering of die-hard fans stayed in the stands covered with umbrellas or blankets. The rodeo didn’t stop. Two vivid memories I have of this are…. One was of the steer wrestling. When the cowboys jumped off their horses, grabbed the horns of the steer and planted their feet, usually they gained traction on the dirt and could flip the steer over. In the deep mud, their boots became skis on the shallow lake of mud and the steer pushed them along with a spray of mud. Second was the bull riding competition. Vividly, I recall a cowboy getting bucked off the bull, the beast stepped on him, and his whole body nearly disappeared in the sludge. The soft, brown muck actually saved him from very serious injury. But, I bet he was sore. Yet, soreness is familiar territory for a cowboy.

I started my first paid job at age eleven. I would feed calves in the morning and after school for Reed McEntire’s farm. Once summer came, my duties were expanded to moving pipe, cleaning the barn after milking, and helping with the yard work around their home. My employment came to an end there when mom felt like he was not increasing my wages fairly. I might have been young, but I know I  was a diligent and conscientious worker, and she felt like I was being taken advantage of. Being my first job, I had no idea what was considered fair.

Being a good-sized and strong young man, I also was frequently asked to help “buck hay” for farmers. Which meant helping to gather the 50 to 70 pound bales from the field and stack them in covered hay sheds. It was hard work, but, in retrospect, I liked it. Now, in the twenty-first century, most bales are one to two tons and only moved by tractors and other equipment. Moving bales by hand is considered archaic and inefficient farming. However, it is sad to see that character building opportunity go away for country raised kids.

At about age 14, Dad helped me get a job at Parker Brothers, the John Deere dealership, where he worked. I remember my first assignment was to wax several used combines so they “sparkled” for resale. Combines have a LOT of surface area. Daniel, in The Karate Kid movie (1984), had nothing on me for experience in “wax on” and “wax off”. Later, my duties expanded there too. During the school year I would go in to vacuum, sweep, and mop the sales floor and parts area. In the summer I was running parts around (I received my driver’s license at age 14), delivering combines that couldn’t fit on the semi they had, washing tractors before the mechanics worked on them, and I even began to learn to do body and paint work on used equipment that was being refurbished for resale. I enjoyed the job. Cleaning out the drain on the cement pad where the tractors were washed off was the least desirable. It was filled with grains, tractor lubricants, and manure; a “toxic” combination in sight and smell. I wore a protective, filtered breathing mask to do that job as I did for painting equipment.

 During my senior year a fire took out the sales area of the dealership. My dad bought what was left of the building, basically the shop area only, and started his own repair shop, Reed’s Farm Repair, but he did not do any sales of used or new equipment. One other short-term, but in retrospect, awesome job I had was working on a Navajo Sheep Ranch. (It wasn’t run by Navajos, that was the breed of long-haired sheep that were raised on it.) It was owned by a wealthy man from California, but Mark Anderson was hired as the live-on-site manager. I moved pipe, built pole and rail fences, repaired barbed wire fences, sprayed weeds, and cleaned the shop. It was hard but rewarding work. A particularly fond memory was how Mark and his family treated me so much like family. I didn’t have to bring my own lunch each day. Near noon Mark came and found me wherever I was working, we went to his house, washed up, and I sat with his family for a delicious meal. Afterwards, we would go downstairs into the cool basement, lay on the carpeted floor and fall asleep for about thirty minutes before going back out and tackling the afternoon work.

Once I reached seventh grade I was able to play running back and defensive end on the school football team. Again, I was a big kid. Only one other kid in the middle school compared with me in size at that time. I played football for three years. I decided to stop my sophomore year for two reasons…One, I was getting hit harder than I could hit back (that wasn’t fun), and the coach was an arrogant jerk. (I don’t use that term often, but that term seems most accurate based upon how he treated me, and how I saw him treat many others not within his favor.) I did play a little basketball, but only on the church ward team. I was okay in skill level, but not great.

I continued to play soccer all through high school. At that time Idaho had not officially recognized it as a sanctioned sport. We competed against AYSO club teams in Idaho and played against school sponsored teams in Utah. We weren’t a great team, but we had fun and broke ground for an expanded program for years to come. I don’t know how coach Jerry Moore pulled it off without it being an official sport, but he gave us athletic “letters” for playing.

I participated in Boy Scouts of America and earned my Eagle Badge at age 14. My primary supporters to achieve this were my parents and Byron Kelly, a dynamic scoutmaster. I admit I was kind of a wimpy scout. I really didn’t like camping with a bunch of boys. Most boys, when out in that environment were rude and gross: belching, farting, spitting, and annoying stuff like that.

The only broken bone I have had in life (up to age 50) came from a winter camp experience. I was sledding down a hill on an inner tube, bounced off, and rolled the rest of the way down. My shoulder/neck area was in great pain. My scout leader who knew anatomy because he was a dentist, checked me out, and determined I was not injured badly enough to take home (about a 45 minute drive). I don’t blame him for thinking I was exhibiting wimpy-ness again. I spent a long, miserable night. Each time I moved in bed I felt my bone pop and grind. The next day when I got home, I was taken to the hospital by my mother, it was revealed that my collarbone was broken. In retrospect, as an adult, this is what I think happened. I cracked the collarbone on the hill, so when he inspected it, he couldn’t feel anything because nothing was out of place. It was when I tried to climb in the top bunk that the already cracked bone snapped in two. So, I don’t blame him for that. But, I think my mom still might. Whenever I visit Preston he reminds me that mine was the only broken bone he ever had in his many years as a Scoutmaster. Some others who were there and recall that event claimed I was a real tough kid. They remember it differently than I do. But, I don’t remember crying in front of anyone. I was just trying to move as slowly as possible and clench my teeth with any motion because of the pain.

As mentioned in the previous chapter, I had chronic bronchitis regularly. Coughing so loud and so often became a source of embarrassment to me. It did affect my self-esteem some. I am not sure how I did sports so well. I guess my passion for them outweighed my lung discomfort. When I quit football, part of my plan was to get bigger and stronger and return to the game, so I developed my own year-round fitness routine. It wasn’t long after that my bronchitis symptoms subsided. By the time I served a full-time mission at age 19, I did not miss one day of service during those two years due to personal illness. (I never went back to football. I began to find rewards in academic and paid work achievement.)

I lost my first permanent tooth in middle school. I was chasing a boy who was making fun of me over my affections for a girl. As I chased him my body went on one side of a locker and my face went on the other, and my front left tooth greeted the corner, broke off completely, and flew out somewhere. I have had a false front tooth ever since.

Believe it or not, I discovered girls were significantly different than boys during this decade of my life. Miriam Christiansen was the first girl who “chased” me. She ended up terrifying me more than anything. She liked to kiss a lot, and was very clingy. I halted our relationship on that level, I was not socially graceful, and don’t remember how I did it, but it ended. How could I be graceful, that was 8th grade maturity? We were still cordial friends. In fact, after I was married and with children, I saw her at the Hogle Zoo in Salt Lake and we exchanged a hug and some catch-up conversation.

Linda Gebbs, the older sister to my friend Dwayne who lived down the road, took an interest in me and I in her. We were considered boyfriend and girlfriend for two years. What happened? Well, she was a senior in high school when I was a sophomore. She went away to college and discovered men far more interesting and mature than me…well, that ended that.

During my junior year, Grandpa Byington took me on a trip to Florida, the Kennedy Space Center, Disney Epcot Center, and on a cruise to the Bahamas. (Grandma had passed away by this time.) On this trip most of the people were retired folks who had time and money to travel, but there was one family that had a girl two years younger than me, and her little brother. I can honestly say Michelle (Shelli) Phillips was my first serious crush. We spent quite a bit of time together on that large ship. I still feel bad to this day that I didn’t spend more time with grandpa during that time. (I plan on apologizing to him when I see him in heaven.) But, when grandpa and I were on land we did everything together, just not on the boat.

Once we were back in Preston and school life…I didn’t officially “date” Shelli because the LDS church has a teaching of not dating before 16 years of age, and she wasn’t that old yet. I honored that age recommendation, but I liked to hang out with her occasionally. She cut my hair several times. She actually had a boyfriend, so we were just friends spending time together. At the time, I think we were both curious as to where our relationship might go. I wasn’t impressed with the way her boyfriend treated her. What happened between us? This time I was the one who went away to college and started dating Rebecca (Becky) Head.

Becky was from Chicago, a city girl. We dated all of my first semester of college at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. In fact, between the time the fall semester ended to the time I was to enter the mission field, I had three months. To the dismay of my parents I chose not to stay home during that time. I asked my Aunt DeVonna if I could live with her in the Utah Valley area because I wanted to be close to Becky for those three months. Even after I entered the missionary training center, Becky would write to me at least twice a week. When she went back to Chicago after the college semester ended and I was in South Africa, everything changed. She never “Dear Johned” me. She just stopped writing. I think I got one letter and one audio recording from her the whole twenty-two months I was in South Africa, and she didn’t even act like anything was wrong. I was sad and a bit ticked. Needless to say, we grew apart. We dated once or twice when I got back but nothing as far as romance there.

However, because I wanted to be near Becky for those few short months, I worked at the Deseret Industries Humanitarian Aid Center located in Provo at that time. I made such a positive impression on the manager, Garret Davis, that he made a special effort to get me back when I returned from serving a mission. It was while at that work place that I met Marya. So, indirectly, my relationship with Becky led me to the place for meeting Marya. (I will share more on that story in the chapter covering Levels 20 to 30.)

I liked music and followed the pop music billboard charts, and liked the big-hair, music groups and break dancers. I started trying to dress like the music stars. Let me put it this way, at one time my hair was buzzed short on the sides and back of my head. My hair was longer on top and I bleached it a light brown using hydrogen peroxide. I also had a tuft of longer hair on the back of my neck called a “rats tail”. I bleached it lighter too. One of my favorite outfits to wear to school was camouflage high top shoes, camouflage pants, a camo vest, a British flag bandanna around my knee, a blue polo shirt and a silver-colored necklace choker around my neck. This personal dress fad stopped sometime during my sophomore year of high school. My parents didn’t fight me on this, but I am confident they were glad when this fashion fad of mine ended. (In retrospect this is what I think happened inside me. I was no longer getting attention for being one of the large boys in school, so I created a new way to get attention. During my sophomore year academics and my work became important to me, and I began to feel recognition for that.)

Mrs. Adair and Mr. Johnson. There are times in life when people cross our paths that seem to be heaven-sent. I was somewhat of a school brat. I wasn’t rude to teachers, but at the beginning of my freshmen year I was not taking school seriously, and my grades proved it. I was more concerned with trying to fit in with peers than with school. The skilled teaching of Marta Adair made me realize learning can be fun, and challenging, and rewarding, all at the same time. I credit her skills for much of my turnaround in my perspective of school. Later in her career, she went on to instruct university students on how to be teachers, how to master and create a learning atmosphere in their classrooms.

Another impacting teacher was Mr. Johnson, the art teacher. I had been talented with drawing for many years. Mr. Johnson helped to magnify my knowledge and skill in that area greatly. I even considered majoring at college in art. He was an energetic soul. He knew how to connect with kids and have fun, but also gain their respect.

During high school, through the scouting program, there was a medical explorer post I took part in. With my love of sports, fitness, science, and participating in this medical “club” I decided I wanted to major in physical therapy in college. That is what I started my collegiate studies in, but changed to exercise physiology when I learned that physical therapists have to work on cadavers as part of the major requirements. (I didn’t do well with “gross” things. I usually threw up.) I chose to go to college at Brigham Young University in Utah because that is the only place I ever wanted to go.

Dad and Mom were kind enough to let me use their cars most of my growing up years. Most of the time it was a little white Toyota hatchback Corolla. At that time, as noted before, in Idaho you could get a driver’s license at age 14. The theory was that a lot of kids worked on farms and were driving equipment and trucks anyway, so why not let them drive legally so they could work and have responsible citizen-building experiences. Yes, I had my driver’s license before I entered high school. I didn’t buy myself a car until after graduating high school. It was a 1979 Chevrolet Monte Carlo, dust blue in color. It almost looked white unless it was parked next to a white car, then you could tell it was very, very, very light blue. It had a big engine, went fast, and burned lots of fuel. (I wouldn’t want it today.)

I was quite shy and didn’t participate in a lot besides soccer. I focused on academics. I ended up getting my grades up enough to get into the top 10% of my graduating class, despite that terrible freshman year. I was asked to participate in the National Honor Society, I was part of the art club. Because of the level of academics I did achieve, I was asked to give the welcoming remarks at high school graduation.

My senior year I received three awards. Awards that I was not trying to earn, but did earn just because of my academic commitments and character traits. At the last assembly I attended at the end of the school year, I was awarded with being the second fastest typer in the school. (This was before computers so it wasn’t called keyboarding. There were manual and electric typewriters. Computers were just barely starting to gain a foothold as far as a standard in educational priority. Let’s put it this way; computers were so new that the less-than-fully-qualified football coach taught the computer class. Black screens with yellow dot characters was the norm.)

I was also presented with the award for achieving the highest science and math grades for all four years of high school. I have no clue how I did this. I didn’t consider myself that intelligent or that good of a student….but that is what the teachers claim who analyzed the records and declared I had the highest cumulative grade point average in those types of classes for my time in high school.

 

The final award had no academic importance, but to this day I still consider it the best award I have ever received. The senior class voted on personality types. They were, to some degree, a bit of tongue-in-cheek awards. Things like best smile, most likely to succeed, shyest, biggest flirt, and so forth. My peers voted me as the “most polite” graduating boy with Tonya Winn the “most polite” graduating girl. Yes, that is the award I cherish. Even though it had no official importance except to the 147 members of my graduating class.

I was very active in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I served in the Aaronic Priesthood as Deacon, Teacher, and Priest. I did my duties well and consistently. During my senior year I was the only young man my age who attended church  in our ward frequently enough to be dependable for doing priesthood duties. I held church youth leadership positions. Also, my senior year I was asked to be the main youth leader for the summer youth conference. I received the ordinances of the temple a few weeks before entering the mission field.

Be Kind, Be Wise, Be Safe, and Keep Smiling!
A Personal History of Eric Reed Moosman from Birth to Level 50

1 – Abound in Good Works – Crosby, North Dakota
A major life impacting story from 2012, level 42 in life
2 – Table of Contents and Introduction
3 – The Basics, Family, and a Bit of History
4 – Birth to Level 10…1969 to 1980
5 – Level 10 to 20…1980 to 1990
6 – I belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Full-time missionary service, church callings, testimony, etc.
7 – Level 20 to 30…1990 to 2000
8 – Level 30 to 40…2000 to 2010
9 – Level 40 to 50…2010 to 2020
10 – Favorites. Books, movies, foods, etc.
11 – Some Summaries
12 – The First Kiss

Introduction

Dear Family, Friends, and Curious or Interested Individuals,
Think buffet! When a person goes to an all-you-can-eat buffet restaurant, they get to pick and choose what dishes they want to taste. The wise take small portions of several items, and then might have enough room in the stomach to go back for seconds of those dishes they really enjoyed. Even then, there is a danger of exiting the restaurant feeling bloated due to consuming too much. With that vision in mind, I have tried to create this personal history so that it is a buffet where you can sample the flavors of my life as you wish. You can taste lightly in areas, but go back for seconds and dive deeper in areas you choose.

I have attempted to make this personal history fun to read, have enough facts to set a context, and include enough feelings to gain an understanding of my character, and select photos that compliment the narrative. My thoughts in creating this personal history was to include enough information so you gain some understanding of who I am, and yet not overwhelm you with so many details that could lead to boredom. It is a delicate balance, and all readers will be unique. Let me say up front to those who lived the same time I did, I apologize if I neglected to put something in this history you feel should be here, or if I include something that may seem trivial, or if something is shared inadvertently, inaccurately, or with a different perspective than your memory recalls, or maybe I haven’t included the best photos of a person or event. But, the truth of the matter is this, the whole process is very personal and subjective, and limited by space and memory. Regardless of the potential mistakes or perceived flaws, I hope you discover some measure of enjoyment in your experiences within these pages, whether you just casually flip through them, or if you read every detail and study all the pictures. As mentioned above in the buffet analogy, I am trying to appeal to the quick-glancer AND the interested historian.

Why publish my personal history when I am fifty? Well, this is my line of thinking. Many people do not record their personal history because they feel overwhelmed by the process. In aging years, it is also possible that mental and physical capacities could be diminished, making it difficult to complete. I figured if I completed the first fifty years now, then I will not feel quite as overwhelmed in my later years. Doing it this way will also allow me to add some addendums to other volumes if I wish. I don’t know for sure if I will follow through exactly as planned, but at the moment I am thinking of doing additional books every ten years. So, there may be three to five volumes of my life history. Another thought in doing it this way is this: If I should die unexpectedly, those I leave behind will have at least something to remember my life. That might be satisfying enough for them. But, if they wish to complete a volume covering my last few years they will have a pattern to follow.

Be Kind, Be Wise, Be Safe, and Keep Smiling! is the title of this volume. As my children were growing up, often when they left the house I would say this phrase to them. The idea being, that if we can act kindly to others, make wise choices on the truths we know, and keep ourselves physically, emotionally, and spiritually safe we will have a great deal to smile about.

 

P.S. Years ago, I read this humorous thought somewhere: Wouldn’t it be better if we refer to age in terms of “levels” instead of “years old”? It sounds better to say, “I have reached level 50 in life,” rather than saying, “I am 50 years old.” Hence, I decided to use that idea in my chapter headings.