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Photo: Mr Brown upper left; Rev Kenyon lower right
We had
Sunday dinner in the kitchen by the window. My wife asked me about people in my
life. Soon we began sharing stories of those people we admired or respected.
Somehow, we went back to our childhood—perhaps it was the holidays. We both
grew up in very conservative churches with strict behavioral codes but we had
fond memories of some people who made life special and created good memories.
When I was
13, we moved to Millville NJ. I turned 14 in the summer and entered 9th grade. So,
it was a new community with a new school, new neighbors, and a new church. If
you moved to new settings, you know the anxiety it can bring. I’m thankful for
the things kind adults did. In those days, adults didn’t have first names.
My dad wasn’t
a fisherman but I learned to enjoy fishing when two different Millville men took
me fishing in the Delaware Bay. Thanks Mr. Montgomery (Pictured below) and Mr. Sharp.
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| Mr. & Mrs. Montgomery |
At that time, I loved baseball. My dad didn’t know American sports. Soccer and cricket weren’t much heard of in Millville. What a treat when a man across the road took me to watch the Phillies play the Mets at Connie Mack Stadium. Thanks Mr. Jensen. And thanks to the churchmen who invited me to play on the team.
There were others too. Mr. Brown who took me to lunches and offered good advice. And Mrs. Johnson who welcomed me to many family events—including trips to the Jersey shore.
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Then there was church where the character of Rev. and Mrs. Kenyon have been their legacy in my life. I’m talking about kindness, warmth, compassion, approachability, encouragement, and being people I felt I could trust.
Forgive me
for not mentioning others. If my memory returns, I’ll update this post.
Getting
from age 13 to adulthood in a new community isn’t always an easy trek as I have
learned from others who did not have enough great adults in their lives.
I hope that
other young adults may be encouraged to reach out to nearby youth. Some people
emphasize the value of words. I’d like to highlight the importance of good
works and good character that can create a lifetime of good memories.
About
the author
Geoffrey
Sutton is a retired psychologist and Emeritus Professor of Psychology who
writes about psychology and the psychology of religion. See suttong.com.
Photo below: I don't have fishing photos from those early memorable trips
but I have this one from around 1970.
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