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Birth to Career
Three days late from
entering this world on April Fool's day I was born on April 4,
1954. (Sounds like a cheer '4 - 4 - 54, Roger was born in fifty-four'.)
I guess that started my tendency to be late, which I have worked hard to
successfully overcome.
I grew up
attending school in the Auburn School District except for Kindergarten in
Edgewood just southwest and up the hill from Auburn. I
repeated the fifth grade when my mother protested a failing grade in
history, well that's history now and I'm the better for it. Being
shy and self-conscious I never considered myself popular and mentally put
myself down. Then I came to realized that although I was not popular
I was well liked. Amazing how children often view circumstances
inaccurately.
In High School I was pretty much an underachiever, as proven by this
website. Had I been encouraged where I seemed to excel, my high-school
story would probably have been different. I had taken classes in
communications and business. As a member of DECA
(Distributive Education Clubs of America) I worked in the student store
and other business projects. I was one of the photographers for the
school paper and the 1973 School Annual.
I attended
Green River Community College, where I obtained, maybe, two years of
credits in three years of attending. I would probably have become a
professional student had the finances been available. The first two
years I took Newspaper courses, Layout, Advertising, Photography,
everything except Journalism since I believed that I was not good at writing. I
received a Government Grant for the third year, taking more business
classes.
Three years of
college provided various classes in business and communications.
After three and a half years as a clerk
for Pacific Northwest Bell I
later transferred to the field as an installer-repairman. I have
worked for PNB, which became USWest, that was bought out by
Qwest for 31 1/2
years. Retiring in April 2008 I am in pursuit of other
employment as I continue to work on this website,
www.PoetPatriot.com
Many of the business and communication skills learned
in High School and College enabled many of my recreational pursuits.
For
Contact and other
Administrative Information
click here.
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Life in Faith
My faith has been a
stabilizing force in my life. I became involved with the 'Jesus
People' movement in the early 70's during the time I was still coming to
terms with my parents divorce. I learned that a relationship with
God is personal and not just for Sundays only. I have had
experiences that cannot be explained, but I except them by faith. I
watched the break up of the Seattle Jesus People when the leader, Linda Meisner, joined
the cult called the 'Children of God'.
I began attending Calvary
Temple Assembly of God in Auburn when I was a Junior in High School.
As a Senior I started to attend a home fellowship called the Family Circle
Fellowship. The pastor was Rev. Thomas Simms. My pastor moved
out of the area and afterwards the fellowship continued a few months in my home.
We decided to disband and find other bodies of believers to commit
ourselves to. After narrowing the prospective churches down to a
couple, my wife and I had not yet seen a regular service at either of the
final prospects. It was during the Thanksgiving and Christmas
Seasons and either they had a special program or a special speaker the
times we attended. One Sunday after a Christmas Program at
Bible
Chapel of Auburn my wife and I were walking out to our car when I
stopped... turned to my wife and said " I just got the sense that we
should attend here." She responded with "I just got the
same feeling."
I thank God for his
faithfulness to me although my faithfulness lacks. I live only a few
blocks due west of Bible Chapel and did not want that to be a factor in
our decision. We would have continued alternating between the
two candidate churches until we were able to see how each of their
services went. God took the decision making out from under my own
reasoning allowing trust to be my guide.
We have been attending
Bible Chapel regularly since January 1998. I am unofficially an
usher, making myself available. I have not yet made the commitment to
becoming an usher as yet. I might as well commit to it as it has
been a few years now, that I've been helping to take up the collection.
There have been many
blessings attending Bible Chapel. I find advantages and
disadvantages between Home Fellowships and larger Churches.
God is my father and provider.
http://www.AuburnBibleChapel.org
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Political Activism
I was a Democrat untill 1988. I had usually voted Democrat,
except when Ronald Reagan ran for president. I had read how he balanced
the budget as Governor in California. Although I strongly did not
want to vote for the Republican, common sense prevailed and I cast my vote
for Reagan.
My Pastor of 25 years, Reverend Thomas Simms and his wife, Thelma, would
occasionally state, "If your a Christian you have just got to be a
Republican." I thought, "Yeah, there isn't that much difference between
the parties."
In 1988 I looked at the
platforms of the Democrat Party and then that of the Republican Party, then
asked myself, "Why am I a Democrat?" In three months
time I went from being an apathetic, uninformed Democrat to being a
Republican Activist. I attended my first precinct caucus meeting and
attended my first of many Washington State
Republican Conventions.
My precinct is predominantly Democrat. The
Republicans and Democrats of the precinct have seen fit to
vote me in as the Republican Precinct Committee Officer every PCO Election
since1988. Beginning June of 2001 I
was the Chairman of the Washington, King County, 31st District Republicans
for about a year and a half. I have served as
Chairman of the King County 31st District Republicans and remain a
member.
July of 2000 I wrote my
first 'Letter to the Editor'. I declined suggestions to do so
before as I was lacking confidence in my writing skills. I received some
compliments on that first letter and wrote another. As the
compliments came in my confidence grew. Over 80 of my letters have been published in various papers since that first letter.
Some letters had been published in the Philadelphia Herald, Dallas Morning
News, and the Chicago Tribune.
I began writing poetry six months after beginning
the 'letters to the editor'. The many Patriotic poems have justified my
internet handle, "PoetPatriot" The poems are of patriotism, war,
Veterans, faith, love, life and more. See
www.Poetry.PoetPatriot.com
When I was apathetic and uninformed I
was a Democrat.
I now view politics as a struggle
between our foundations of liberty and socialism promoted by the extreme liberal left.
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www.PoetPatriot.com
Patriotic Poems
War / Military / Veteran Poems
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