Richard Allen:
CLASS OF 1996
Willows High SchoolClass of 1996
Willows, CA
California State University Class of 2003
Chico, CA
California State University Class of 2003
Chico, CA
Richard's Story
Life
It's a year since my surgery, and all is as well as I had hoped for. Going back to school to try and finish a trek I started ten years (whoa that sounds like a lot when I type it...) ago. I'm still married to my angel. I wish all my classmates could have a spouse/partner like mine! Kids still far off in the distant future, yet still in it.
I have a question to float to all that read this: is your life seeming simpler, yet more complicated as we grow older/more mature? Maybe it's just me.
Sorry about skipping out on the reunion. Wasn't something I was interested in. I've got nothing against my classmates personally, I've got a considerable amount of contempt for my hometown. I'm sure I sound sanctimonious and thoroughly patronizing, but it's how I feel.
School
Well, since "discovering" myself, after some lengthy and painful delays, I've realized what I loved and missed most about our small, fun, and sometimes difficult high school. I loved Mr. Perry, Mr. Boyd, and Mr. Smith. They all helped shape my interests and the field of my current occupation. I wish, as I would imagine many of my classmates would, that I could do a couple of things differently. An incident that included Jamie Cameron and Elaine Kramer to name one! I think I would've tried harder to become friends with people other than the ones I was "comfortable" with. I do wish once in a while I was still there. It was, without a doubt, some of the best times I've ever had.
College
Chico State. Hell, we all know what that means. We lived thirty minutes away, and we ALL went to the college parties at one point or another. I loved my time attending, and I love my time here now. I finished my Bachelor's in five semesters...Expand for more
, and have been trying to find out what I want my next steps to be. I met my wife at Ryan Corum's College Graduation in Dec 2000 (Thanks buddy!!!) I have many contacts here, had a couple people from high school in some of my classes (Lisa M., Elaine K.-(at Butte), and a couple others. I've seen Jamie C. around campus, among others, but figured that if they didn't have the time to say hi to me, then I reciprocated the gesture (of course, if they thought the same, then we're both idiots!). But Lisa has always said hey. Sometimes I feel like I shouldn't acknowledge the people of my past because it's not something I'm proud of. I did a lot of bad things, that a lot of people don't know about, and that I wish I could change. But, please believe me, those things have made me quite a bit better as a person. I consider myself a totally different person than I was in high school, and I attribute that change to Chico State, and it's loving, nurturing, partying atmosphere!!!
Workplace
Work life? What work life? I've been either disabled or schooling myself. No time for work. At least, not the kind of work that most folks think of. I've had small, experiential employment opportunities. I worked out at Johns Manville, thru the recommendation of my father. I burned that bridge after a prompt six month stay. I worked as a reading tutor for elementary aged children. I really enjoyed it, but it only lasted about 18 months or so. At college, I was employed by Rec Sports as a sports referee. I absolutely loved that job. Miguel L. was a frequent competitor while I was working there. Other than these minute pit-stops, I've really had no work experience. Does that make me either lazy or un-motivated?? You decide.
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