FORMER EUGENE MAN AVOIDS DEATH ON WAY TO 65TH EHS REUNION
This former Eugene High Axeman was privately escorted and delivered to his 65th high school reunion by one of Eugene’s finest, a member of the Eugene Police Department.
It had been said by our reunion committee that this 65th reunion would be our last, and so I made the decision to attend thinking this could well be the last opportunity to see many good friends.
On Thursday afternoon we gathered once again at the Roaring Rapids Pizza Parlor. Sam Weber invited anyone who wanted to share from the past to do so. Dick Lyons spoke of his love for marbles and how through the years he seemed to have lost these cherished little jewels one by one until finally he realized he had lost all of his marbles. I’m happy to report that I’ve found Jim’s marbles. (Inside joke for those at Roaring Rapids)
If I had shared at the reunion, I would have recalled those first days as a little Axeman. At the time I was 4’ 9” and a massive 92 pounds of solid testosterone. It became clear I would not be competing for the ladies with the likes of Al Romig, Jerry Messler, Bob Radcliff, and so many other emerging athletic stars. When standing stretched out I hit most of them just a tad above their belly button. I did have this wonderful and beautiful friend who placed her claim on me in the hall locker right next to mine. She liked me but I could tell her affection was more a bit of pity wondering what happened to my gene pool. I recall there were those days when she would stuff me in my locker, proceed to class and then at the end of the day would return to turn me loose on humanity. Fortunately the gene pool gods were kind to me and allowed me to grow seven inches my sophomore year.
I had transferred from Springfield High (OR) where I had been a novel star on the freshman basketball team. A great young man, the late Roger Wiley, a student teacher/coach from the University of Oregon had discovered me and said “Myers, your my right fielder on our freshman baseball team. I was so sort it was difficult to see my hat above the grass. This coach was great, he even bought me a set of little league bats. Since I was so short the bats were inconsequential since no opposing pitchers could pitch that low. Back in those years Coach was a giant at 6’8”. He had this habit when coaching of grabbing the top of my head with the palm of his right hand and then instructing my teammates while coaching like a Casey Stengel
When my family moved to Eugene I had these visions of grandeur of playing for Coach Kuchera’s state contenders, however the problem, my height is still about that of a normal basketball dribble. It became clear early that not only would I not be competing for love, I wouldn’t be successful in competing with the Parsons, and Hudspeths for basketball stardom.
My plan B was to create this NBA intramural farm team. We called it Four Men and a Boy. You get the idea of who was the boy. All my buddies were on that undefeated noontime intramural team, Bud Hinkson, Jim McKy, Alan Marshall, Jim Erdman, Eddy Rupple, Gaylord Brown and myself. Unfortunately only a couple of us, the real stars remain from that powerhouse.
Jumping in our alumni time machine, I find myself in the San Diego airport heading for our 65th and final reunion. Flights were late, connecting flight missed and traffic out of Portland was worst than anything I’ve experienced in So. CA, but I finally arrived two hours late for the Wednesday afternoon Laurelwood Countrywood event.
On Thursday morning 11:30 am, I stopped at Trap Town Pizza across Franklin Blvd from the Knight Center to get directions for the Roaring Rapids Pizza Parlor. I couldn’t remember exactly where it was, the same place we met five years ago. My car rental had one of those on the dash push buttons that starts and stops the engine. I pushed it thinking I had turned the engine off. My push clearly wasn’t adequate, the engine didn’t disengage. I jumped out ran about ten feet to the other side of the car, opened the front door of the pizza place and called out, “where can I find the Roaring Rapids Pizza Parlor?” The fellow yelled back and said, “It’s just down Franklin almost to Springfield, on this same side of Franklin.” Turning to get back in my rental, I yelled back, “thanks.”
The next five seconds were unreal. I noticed someone was jumping in a car where I thought I had parked mine. My first thought was, “how come that car is where I left my car?” My second thought was, “that is my car, why is someone in it?” My IQ was clearly under performing; finally I realized someone was trying to steal it.
My next decision could have been fatal. My thought was, if I stand in front of the car nobody is going to run over me just to steal a car. Wrong! I stood directly in front of the right front headlight, the person stealing my car hit the gas and knocked me about fifteen feet through the air. I landed on the asphalt drive. I am now a bit dazed but was able to see my car moving west on Franklin Blvd with the tail pipes hot with exhaust. There was a car also driving west on Franklin who saw all of this go down, in fact they had to brake hard to miss my car as it was moving back into traffic on Franklin. Being stopped they called out to me, “are you OK,” I said, “I think so.” They immediately set out to pursue my car. These folk whom I’ve never met were 21st century Good Samaritans. They called 911, gave a report of the vehicle which enabled the police to apprehend the driver of my car on the other side of Eugene. The phenomenal efficiency of the Eugene Police Department had apprehended the driver of my car within about 10-15 minutes. Unfortunately my rental car was destroyed in the process of appending the driver.
While crumpled on the driveway of the first Pizza Place my thought was, “my cell phone was on the right front seat. My life is in that thing, not really, but that’s what I thought. I can’t call my wife, I can’t even call anyone who will be at the reunion to let them know after flying from San Diego, I won’t be able to make it.” Clearly at that moment I was in shock and not thinking all that clearly. If my mind had been clear, I would have realized, the cell phone would have no meaning if I had been only a few more inches standing in the middle of the front bumper. The driver would have either run me over or thrown me over the hood with the strong probability of killing me. My life could have ended abruptly.
The officer helping me was so kind and competent. After the medics from the fire department bandaged me up and put me somewhat back together, Officer Mac asks, “how can I help you now? Would you like me to take you to the car to retrieve any of your belongings, or would you like me to take you to your reunion?” I said, “let’s go to the car.” When we arrived the carnage was a bit overwhelming. My car with less than 2500 miles was a total piece of junk. The officer took me around the car so I could look inside and there on the right front floor was my cell phone smarter than me surrounded by little pieces of broken glass and other debris. I picked it up and pressed the home button. Immediately the Siri screen flashed on and a delightful woman’s voice said something like, “Good morning Dan, what can I help you with? Here are some things you can ask me.”
I put the phone in my pocket placed one hand on the car top and the other on the right door which was open. In the middle of chaos I prayed saying, “Thank you Father for my life. Father, how is it possible to help this desperate woman who finds herself in a pit that seems to have no bottom?” She had already been removed from the scene. (I discovered since that she was on both methamphetamine and heroin and was in possession of both at the time of the crime.) She now faces seven or eight felony charges with others to follow.
Standing there I felt a tap on my shoulder. It was Officer Mac. He said, “it’s time, it’s time for us to get you to that reunion.” On our way we had several minutes to discuss the events of the previous hour. I was not asking to see the accused, but I wondered what I might say to her if that were to happen?
If I had the opportunity to sit down with Donna (fictitious name), I might say, “we have never met but I caught only a quick look at you as you were in the process of stealing my car, that is before I did the flying Nun thing, make that Monk.”
“Some people knowing they had come within inches of killing another person might feel some remorse and say, “I can’t tell you how badly I feel, can you ever forgive me?” Forgiveness could very well be offered, but nothing can ever change the consequences of the decisions each of us made in those two seconds of time, your decision to run over me and my foolish decision to step in front of the car. I may live with a limp the rest of my life and I can only imagine the consequence of the law imposed on you for your choices and behavior. Forgiveness can be given and received, but in many cases the consequences remain.” Many years ago I finally came to where I was able to forgive the inebriated woman who struck the car causing the death of our beautiful fourteen year old daughter, forgiveness, yes, but the loss and pain remain for the rest of life.
“It is not in my nature to condemn people; in fact my life has been committed to helping people who have lost their way, people who know little about love, or folk who don’t believe there is such a thing as love.”
“By now you may have figured out that I’m not a banker, lumberman, or business owner. But I’m not unlike many of these people. I’m an ordinary clergyman who loves people even people who screw up. During my life I have seen hundreds (perhaps thousands) of people changed when they found themselves in a hole so deep they couldn’t climb out, people who for the first time came to know the author of us all and the creator of love.” They have come to the end of themselves and embraced the One who said, “I am the Way, the Truth and Life, no man/woman comes to the Father (God) except through me,.” (John 14:6) Those are the words of Jesus Christ, but that’s only part of the Good News. The Apostle John said of Christ, “If we confess (acknowledge) our sin, he (Christ) is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to clean up our lives of everything that causes separation from God”. (I John 1:9)
“It is not my intention to preach and I would not want to be presumptuous, but perhaps I am, and I may have already done so. My sense is you might appreciate the Good News from God if only you knew what that is.”
Donna, if you are inclined to be open for help, I would offer to you the same book I gave to my granddaughter who at the time was a resident of the Washington State prison system. She found “The Hope Quotient,” by Ray Johnston, a book that helped change the way she perceives life. If you wish something better in life, if you desire a life, it can help you as well. I won’t tell you I love you simply because I don’t know you, but I know someone who does. It was just this morning I spoke with Him standing beside the car you had taken. I will see that you receive a copy of the book I mentioned above if you like.
Donna, I pray that you might find peace, purpose and love.
Dr. Dan G Myers
mpm52@iCloud.com