A Memorial to a Great Man...

"Extra work is the key to life"

Yesterday I found out that the man that had founded and lead the camp I attended to become a better drum major, passed away suddenly on Thursday from a heart attack very close to where I live. I couldn't believe it when I heard it, and if I had to compare it to coming, it would be when I found out that Steve Irwin had died. Both figures seemed untouchable in my mind, but for different reasons

It's a surreal experience for me, because I had just met George this summer at the camp, and while the camp itself was very difficult to get through, at the end of the day, he always had a speech that would make me smile. He would teach us a lesson in a way that we could understand. He taught us how a real leader should act, and the thing is, even though he never yelled at us, we listened! My other teachers continually tore me down, but he would build us all back up.

No one knows what will happen to the Drum Major Academy without him. Will it just end? I mean, his name is in the camp! The George N. Parks Drum Major Academy! It's his brain child! I've never met a man more passionate for band, or a man that could have inspired so many young people in the short life he lived. They said the cause of death was a heart attack. I guess his was just too big.

"Starred thought: life never was worth it until you've inspired at least one person"

Well, his life had more worth than many people more famous than him.

I try to think of the UMass band, his band, which he had been traveling with when he died. They slept in a high school gym, and when they did reach their destination, the Michigan band played their Alma Mater in his honor.

I don't really know how else I can describe George, only knowing him for 4 days, and I'm not used to writing stories about death. It's a shame. I guess George can describe himself.

"You know how there is a football captain, basketball captain, and cheerleading captain, just to name a few? You are a drum MAJOR! YOU OUTRANK ALL OF THEM!!!"

"Did you want to be drum major to make the band better?To be a leader?

LAIR!!!
You want the uniform and for everyone to say your name!"

"If you have to tear someone down, you need to build them back up."

" 'I am the field commander; Field...GROW' "

"When things get tough, get good."

"Raise your right hand has high as you can. Now go two inches higher. THAT'S WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOUR LIFE"

"How many of you didn't think that a George Parks was actually going to teach you this week?" *raises hand* 

Every self respecting leprechaun has a beard, but that guy doesn't! *points to Lucky from Lucky Charms* I went through college, and I decided to shave my beard, and HE shows up! I feel like I should say 'Detail: Present CHARMS' !"

"Give me your eyes!"

"Detail, sparkle HUT"

Now he may seem like a total cynic, but all these quotes were in good fun, to make us realize who we really are as field commanders/drum majors. I'm honored to have been taught by him this year, and I hope his legacy lives on forever in all the people he influenced.

 

Stick Shift Troubles

My family has a truck. That's all it is, a truck. An appliance white 1996 Ford F150. I hate it. Mom hates it. We've tried to sell it, but no one wants it, so it sits idle in our driveway half the time, and we store it in the winter. What a life huh? Still, my parents insist on me learning how to drive a stick shift, because it's a skill I'll never forget. If I stay in the US, I don't see why I'll ever need it, because sane people buy automatics. If I go over to Europe, there is more of a chance that I will get a stick shift, but even that is a stretch.

So anyways, I started to learn to drive the abomination a few weeks ago in the nearly empty high school parking lot, and I was able to shift to second gears, turn, "park" and all the jazz. I just can't start from a dead stop, which is kind of important, especially when you have impatient people behind you. However, I did drive the whole mile home after that lesson. Then my next driving experience came on Friday, after an NHS meeting. Dad drove the truck to school to pick me up, so I thought I could drive home. With the younger NHS kids watching, I managed to stall twice, and I gave up. Little did I know that the parking brake was on. I'm so good. Then there was today. Dad drove me around the neighborhood and I watched his feet the whole time. Regardless, I stalled about a million times as I followed his route, twice at a stop sign in front of my neighbor's house, with all of them outside, and then about 4 times at another stop sign with someone behind me. I sat at one intersection for about 5 minutes, because I couldn't start and I would wait for cars half a mile away to pass before I tried to go again. I messed up a lot, but I can still shift gears. It's at the point where I don't know if I'm stalling, or if it will buck and keep going. I went in a big loop, but at least I got that far. I just can't start the damn thing. That would be really nice. I need to learn how to drive the thing so I can drive it during band, hauling the heavy stands to and from the football field a quarter mile away. We've been mooching off another girl and her truck for a year, but she's graduating, and I don't trust her little brother, so I gotta trust my undriving abilities.

Happy Blogging!

-Devon

Back in the mid-1970s, we adopted some fairly ambitious goals to improve efficiency of our cars. What did we get? We got a tremendous boost in efficiency

                      ~Jay Inslee

Animal Adventures!

Today, my family took an excursion to the city zoo. It's unusual to have a trip where all four of us go out. It was a very pleasant 65 degrees outside, making it an ideal zoo day. When we arrived there, we were forced to the very back of the lot, something that's never happened before. It was a walk just to get to the entrance! The sidewalks were crowded with God knows how many strollers with sleeping or crying babies, and lots of other parents and children. The whole front was a mess, due to the building of a new elephant enclosure that will open in a year. We decided to start at the top and work our way down the hill to make things easier on us, so it was up to the Aquarium and Big Cats, which haven't changed at all, except for the absence of the stonefish. I can say though that the red panda is my new favorite animal. It's so cute, with its tiny little face and almost catlike appearance! I wish I could have gotten a better picture, but my camera just wasn't with it today. Everything was mostly the same at the zoo, with the animals lazying around in the warm, but not hot, sun. Construction on the bridge dividing the zoo had kicked the tigers out of their habitat though, being only about 10 feet away. One thing though that was AMAZING was that the wolves were out and about! One even paced right in front of the glass! I'd never seen so many of them in the exhibit, because usually they are being all reclusive and not wanting to show their cute faces, but they were so beautiful out today. Another thing was that it seemed that one of the sea lions was missing. I'm not one to remember individuals animals, but this sea lion had one eye. It was sewn shut, so it always looked like it was winking at you, and that one was gone. Lastly, there was this giraffe that had wandered very close to the fence in order to eat. I used no zoom for this picture. It was pretty crazy. Before I had the chance to take a picture, he had been reaching out and sticking his tongue out really far, but then he decided to just find a place closer to the plants. Another giraffe was leaning over and eating grass, but then he just laid down and started to eat. I think it was a teenage giraffe, lazy...


In the end, we all got to see most of the zoo, and I got to spend some time with my dad in the dinosaur exhibit. It was a fun family day, even if we didn't spend much time as a unit...which saddens me. It was still a great day outside, and I hope we have more days like it.


Happy Blogging!
-Devon