Rick Flynn:  

"My Life and Hard Times" (w/apologies to J. Thurber) Lived in TN and NM before moving to Castro Valley, CA, in 1959. After getting BA (University of The South), MA (Memphis State U) in English, thanks to the encouragement and inspiration of Frances Johnson, and married, I ended up teaching in private and public middle and high schools in Tennessee, '66-'67, '70-'76. Earned M.Div. and have served churches in TN (1979-1998) and LA (1998-2004) until retirement in March, 2004. Loved CA when I lived there--the perfect time, I think--, but don't think the gov't prints enough money to get me to move back, at least not to an urban area! Married since '66; two daughters, one son. Daughters are RNs like Mom, son is in restaurant management in Natchitoches, LA. One grandson, one granddaughter. Retirement is a mixed bag: I'm enjoying it, but as it was based on health, I didn't want to take it. Now that I have, I can't help wondering how many others have been in the same boat, realizing only after the fact that earlier would have been better! "The Basics" 1st grade in Halls, TN; 2-9 in Albuquerque, NM; 10-12 at CVHS. The last three years were the best! Seemed always to be something of a loner by choice; enjoyed academics VERY selectively. E.g., loved physics, liked biology & chemistry, was really good at none of them. Fooling with words--written & spoken--was always the most fun. Enjoyed Drama (Mr. Wendland, Miss Russell) and Humanities (Mr. Rose) Finally, Miss Johnson was without a doubt one of the very best teachers I ever had in seventeen years and three degrees. She was funny, inspiring, and ferociously intelligent. Really enjoyed my time at CVHS. Wish I had kept in better touch with friends, but really lost touch completely...Expand for more