Service Above Self!

It’s Moonday and the Moon was full at 2:38 this morning.  I am still in the reflection mode as the day of reckoning arrives on Wednesday. On my mind today is the experiences in high school as the student band and choir director.

There I met a truly beautiful man from Iowa who was our band director. His name was Wesley Moore. We called him the “Colonel.” We had one of the best rated high school bands in California. The Colonel was my mentor for 4 years.

When I joined the business world as a lawyer in 80’s, I joined my local Rotary Club. Rotary is the first service club started in America in 1905. The goal of the organization was for business networking and doing good in the world. One our biggest project since the 80’s was stamping out Polio in the world.

When I was Club President in 1989, we raised over $20,000 for the Polio Campaign. Polio was still spreading throughout the world. Now, in 2011, there are on 4 countries where polio is slowing dying out, Pakistan, Afghanistan, India and Nigeria. With the help of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Rotary International Polio will soon be extinct!

I found out years later when I attended the Colonel’s funeral that he was the Rotary Past District Governor of the greater Bakersfield area. It brought tears to my eyes when I thought about how this great man guided this bright, ambition child from the poor side of town to an awesome future. Here is a list of places I have been while being a Rotarian and before becoming a Rotarian. As a European American, the Colonel put a light in my life that has made all the difference in the world. I am grateful and humbled by his impact on my life. Here are the places I have visited:

1963 – Tijuana Mexico ,1970 – Mexicali Mexico, 1976 – Mexico City, 1980 – Europe – London, Salisbury, Brussels, Paris, Rome, 1982 – Africa – Senegal, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Abjhain, Freetown Sierra Leone, Liberia, Gambia, Niger, Togo Lome, Benin, 1984 –Rio Brazil , 1985 – Rio Brazil-Carnival, 1986 – Tahiti, Moorea, 1987– Tahiti – Bora Bora, Papeete, Moorea, 1988 – Singapore, Thailand, India, New Deli, Agra, Japur, 1988 – Egypt, Great Pyramids, Valley of the Kings, Cairo, Jerusalem, Dead Sea, Jericho, Bethlehem, 1989 – Tahiti, Moorea, 1989- Seoul Korea (Rotary Convention), 1990-(Portland Oregon – Rotary Convention), 1991 – Mexico City (Rotary Convention), 1992- (Orlando Florida –Rotary Convention), 1993 –Melbourne Australia (Rotary Convention), 1996– Calgary Canada (Rotary Convention), 1997 –Glasgow, Scotland (Rotary Convention), 1998 – (Indianapolis Rotary Convention), 1999- Singapore (Rotary Convention), 2000- Buenos Aire, Argentina (Rotary Convention), 2001 – Antarctica, 2001 - (San Antonio Texas Rotary Convention), 2002- Barcelona Spain (Rotary Convention), 2003- Brisbane Australia (Rotary Convention), 2004 – Osaka Japan, Kyoto (Rotary Convention), 2005- (Chicago Rotary Convention -100 Year Celebration), 2006- Malmo Copenhagen-Sweden (Rotary Convention), 2007 - (Salt Lake City –Rotary Convention), 2008- (Los Angeles Rotary Convention), 2009 – London England, Birmingham (Rotary Convention).

I came to understand the purpose of my life was to do good in a life of service. Being lawyer, a teacher, and parent, all I have ever wanted was do good and make a difference in the lives of others. My travels and the people I have met along the way have all been lights in my life and I hope I am doing my part! Peace!