While talking to my brother Rick the other day, I was reminded of a gift that I received and I don't think that I ever acknowledged. All thru high school I had intended to go to college. Never once did mom or dad discourage my "plans", but looking back now I am sure they must have stressed and worried how we could afford college. I wanted to be a doctor. In the summertime we as kids would spend a great deal of time at Bridwell Park in my early teens. It was probably 8-10 blocks from our home and we would ride our bikes there to play. There I met Bud Lucas. He was old (probably late 50's) at that time, at least 60 or so. But he had a career in the circus and he began to work for the Wichita Falls Parks Department with a summer program for kids to put on a Circus each summer. He worked with kids to develop many acts of tumbling, teeter board, trampoline, high wire and yes, even trapeze. I was hooked and learned many tumbling and juggling skills and the first year was able to perform on the rolling globe. That was a 3 foot in diameter ball that I would balance, walk down stairs and juggle while walking. The apex of the year was when we would have a parade downtown on the way to Spudder Park for the circus performance at the end of summer. But the next year I was able to join the trapeze Troup. We actually made our own net for the trapeze rigging. For the only time in my life I was too large to be a 'flyer" (the one who does all the flips and stuff). Keep in mind that my drivers license at age 14 said that I was 5 foot 4 inches and 104 pounds. But I was able to be the "catcher". That is the guy that hangs upside down and catches the flyers after they do their trick. It was during the second summer that I got a job with the YMCA teaching tumbling lessons, probably between my freshman and sophomore year at school.
It was great fun for a couple of summers. I had lettered in junior high school as a pole vaulter but didn't compete much since I injured my ankle. In high school I was a gym leader and we did what would be called gymnastics. So doing flips and working on the high bar and parallel bars was a natural and fun for me since I had been doing it for a while. As I reached the point of seriously considering colleges and beginning the process, I found that there was one college with a Circus Performance degree at Florida State University. I applied for a scholarship and missed the application deadline by one day and gave up my dream of being in the Circus for ever. Academically, I didn't qualify for full scholarship to anywhere but I could go to Midwestern University at home in Wichita Falls since I had a place to live and eat at home. I must have known but Rick reminded me that Herman and Beverly Balch, who were dear and trusted friends of mom and dad, actually gave us the money for my first year of college. I was then able to get loans from the Methodist Church, and Knights Templar every year. Those with my full time job that started 1969 at Wichita General Hospital in the OR allowed me to work my way thru college.
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