(I’m listening to “The Funeral” by Band of Horses)
Day 4 of our Pagosa Springs vacation was very special to me. I saw some amazing people I hadn’t seen in a while. People that helped me become who I am. I’ll get to that in a bit, but first, here are some pictures of the day.
Morning shenanigans with Tiny. She loves to play this “game.” You lean on way, and she’ll mimic you. We spent at least 10 minutes leaning back and forth, Tiny would copy us, and we’d all giggle.
Another game. “How big is Tiny? Sooooooo big!”
While momma was napping, Littles and I rode bike and skateboard to McDonald’s and split a hot fudge sundae. A special treat for a special girl.
No bite is too big when it comes to sundaes.
Burning off some of that sugar on daddy’s skateboard.
Tiring her out before we get in the car. She really scoots on that balance bike.
The drive to Creede, CO is one of the more beautiful drives I’ve been on. It’s about 20 miles from Highway 160 to Creede and we probably said, “WHOA! That’s amazing!” about 3 times per mile.
Main Street, Creede, CO. Population 290 at the 2010 United States Census. The town grew to 10,000 people in December of 1891 due to the silver boom, but in 1893 the price of silver plummeted and most of the silver mines were closed. Mining for silver and other metals took place from 1890 until 1985, when the last mines were closed.
This is the Creede Repertory Theatre. It was founded in 1966. In 2005, USA Today ranked CRT as one of the “10 great places to see lights way off Broadway.” In 2007, CRT was awarded the National Theatre Conference’s Award of Outstanding Achievement. CRT is the largest summer employer in all of Mineral County.
The Creede Voluntary Fire Department is built into the side of a mountain. The community center (not pictured) is also built into the mountain.
This is inside the fire station. Note the walls. That’s the inside of the mountain. Before the miners left, the town had them build the fire station and the community center.
I’m cleaning the bugs off the windshield with a baby wipe on the way to Pagosa Springs from Creede. The bugs were leaving streaks, and at twilight, it was hard to see. Not good when you’re keeping an eye out for wildlife.
This is who we went to see in Creede. This is Mr. Van Ry and his wife Jenny. Mr. Van Ry was my high school choir director and an influence I’ll never forget. Today, he is the dispatcher for the Sheriff’s office in Mineral County, CO
The Van Ry’s are very special people to me. I really can’t say enough about them and the impact they had on me during high school and beyond. Some teachers you never forget. For me, Mr. Van Ry was the one. Mr. Van Ry (to this day I can’t bring myself to call him Jim, it will always be Mr. Van Ry) always challenged and encouraged me to be my best when it came to music; and that lesson I learned from music, I still apply to my life today. I think teachers get into teaching because they want to have an impact on kids’ lives, and if that’s true, I want Mr. Van Ry to know he definitely impacted mine.
I first remember meeting Mr. Van Ry and Jenny, when I was in 7th grade. He needed a kid to play Winthrop in the high school’s production of “The Music Man.” I was a very musical kid from an early age and I vaguely remember my 7th grade choir director telling Mr. Van Ry that she had just the kid for the part. I can’t remember if I auditioned or not, but I got the part. Little did he know that meeting that young and cocky (when it came to music) kid was just the beginning of a relationship that has lasted 26 years.
In high school, I sang in all of his choirs: Freshman Chorus, Concert Choir, and a select group called Chamber Choir. Mr. Van Ry also directed the musicals. My sophomore year I was Edmund in “Narnia,” my junior year I was Sir Joseph Porter in “H.M.S. Pinafore,” and my senior year I was Will Parker in “Oklahoma!” Needless to say, Mr. Van Ry and I worked together a lot and most of my best memories from high school were because of him. He was so passionate about music and that passion rubbed off on me. He just kept on challenging and encouraging me.
His encouragement led me to audition for All-Northwest Choir which was a 200 person choir made up of kids from 8 states. It was held every two years. He helped me practice all of the vocal drills and make an audition tape. I had no idea what my chances were of making this choir, but I did! I remember him driving me to Spokane in his white Ford Explorer to participate. He did the same for me the next year, when I made the All-State Chorus in Tacoma. There were no limits to what this man would do for me when it came to music.
Then, my senior year, Mr. Van Ry took our Chamber Choir on tour. He and his dad drove 16 high school students in two 15 passenger vans through Utah, New Mexico, and Colorado. Jenny also came along. It was the best moment of high school for me and also introduced me to the Southwest, a place I love to visit. We saw so many places: the Mormon Tabernacle, Arches National Park, Four Corners Monument, Mesa Verde National Park, Rehoboth, New Mexico, Creede, Colorado, the Air Force Academy, and Denver, Colorado. That trip would shape where I would live as an adult. I can still name all those kids that were in that group, and I still keep in touch with many of them. It was a very special time with a lot of special people, and great memories were made. At the time, I don’t think I knew the impact that trip and those people would have on my life. I do now.
Looking back, I must admit I wasn’t always the easiest kid to work with, especially early on in high school. Music kind of came easy to me. I could always just do it and I knew it. I caught on fast. I could hear something and sing it back. Pitch was never a problem. I just had an ear for music. But, I was an immature and insecure kid, just trying to find myself and where I fit in. Because of that, my musical talent could take on different shades of arrogance at times. I wanted to impress people. I cared too much about what people thought. I wanted to prove myself. I grew up in a sports town and I felt like if I didn’t play ball I didn’t matter as much. I felt like my talent sort of made me a second class citizen. I don’t know if I was right or wrong to feel that way, but I did.
Music was the one thing I was really good at and Mr. Van Ry taught me not to shy away from that. He taught me to embrace music because that’s the talent I had been given. He taught me to be proud of that talent and be the absolute best that I could. Through music, Mr. Van Ry taught me how to be myself and how to be confident in who I was. I can’t think of a better lesson for a teacher to teach a student.
Thank you Mr. Van Ry, for everything. I am so glad my wife and kids got to meet the man who helped shape who I am. I hope to see you again soon.
Dad vs. Human 