Finding Direction: The Wind Vane Chronicles

Today my interview is with E. Cecil Walker of "West Cocoa Chat," which is a tough place to have to set one up, but I suppose somebody has to do it. 

Cecil is a dedicated teacher in the public school system there in West Cocoa Beach, Florida and a very interesting blogger.  You’ll have to have his blog out.  He writes about his work as an elder there and about his beloved son, Steven, who is a gifted baseball player.

You know – I did this interview with Cecil and I don’t even know what the  initial E. is for of his first name.  Maybe he’ll tell us in comment to reveal even a bit more about himself.

Anyway – as usual, read his delightful interview and comment accordingly to let him know his life matters to the rest of us as God’s blessed child.  We all are, we know, but sometimes we get a bit down and out and need to be reminded just a bit by others.  That’s where y’all come in today!  So  leave comment!

Part I – Basic Interview Questions

1. What’s your favorite scripture. 

I would have to say Romans 5:6 -  (“You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.”) for 2 reasons:

First:  This verse reminds me that God is active in our world and in control.  God waited for the “right time” for Jesus to become our sacrifice for our sins.

Second:  I’ve always thought my son Steven had great timing when it comes to his small stature but power with the bat.  This verse (I know, in a random sort of way) reminds me of him.
   
2. Vital Statistics: – Month, Day, (Year Optional) & Place you were born –

September 18, 1958 in Fort Polk, LA

3.  Names of spouse & Children:

wife – Barbara, son – Steven, cats – Buddy and Chloe

4. What brought you to where (the location) you are now?”

– I grew up an “Army (my Dad was in the service) Brat.”  In 1965, my Dad was stationed in Okinawa, Japan.  My Mom and I left Fort Stewart, Georgia and moved in with my maternal Grandparents who lived in Merritt Island, Florida while by Dad spent a year in Okinawa. 

5.  Where all have you lived in your life? 

Fort Polk, Louisiana, Grafenwoehr, Germany, Fort Stewart, Georgia, Merritt Island, Florida, Cocoa, Florida, Rockledge, Florida, and then back to Cocoa, Florida

6.  What kind of work do you do?

My “day job” consists of “touching the future” each day in the guise of a Middle School Math Teacher.  I’m about to complete my 26th year on this gig.  My second “job” is serving our church (Central Church of Christ) as an elder. 

7. What do you love most about your work?

  As for my day job, it would be the contact with the kids.  I enjoy the bantering back and forth with my students as I attempt to do the nearly impossible, make math fun.  Over the years I have had students describe me in the classroom as both a “game show host” and being very “random.” 

The “random” comment is probably due to my attempt at “Robin Williams” type humor. 

As for my “second job,” I would have to add the people aspect.  Shepherding people in a church in both good times and bad enables one to at times, cut through the veneer we all tend to put around ourselves and really get to know someone.  You can’t get much closer to someone than when you’re praying with and for them. 

8. What do you like least about your work? 

I’m sure Greg (England) and guess what I’m going to write here with respect to my day job.  I just despise what high stakes testing has done to our educational system. 

I’ve seen it in my own son who upon waking up for his first day of school in 4th grade, nearly experienced a panic attack because for a moment, he couldn’t remember his 5 paragraph essay model for our State’s Writing Test.  Our State is attempting to tie in test scores from kindergarten students as part of a school’s grade. 

To hold a 4 or 5 year old “accountable” for a school’s grade seems hideous to me.  My only solace at this point is that I might be able to retire in 9 years.

As for my second (elder) job it would probably be the people aspect again only from the negative aspect.  There are times when adults can be down-right (southern phrase) silly. 

I have had conversations that have just frustrated me.  Here’s an example from early this year:

Sister:  “I’m going to leave because we don’t study the Bible enough.”

Sidebar:  Sister does not attend on Wednesday nights or attend one of our lifegroups.

Me:  “I’m sorry you feel that way.  Have you thought about getting involved with our “Read the Bible in a Year” program that most of the family is doing?”

Sister:  “Well, I still think we’re not studying the Bible enough.”

Me:  “Have you thought about attending one of the Adult Sunday School Classes or one of the Wednesday night classes?”

Sister:  “Well, I still think we’re not studying the Bible enough.”

Me:  “I’m sorry you feel that way.  God bless you.”  

9. Who has been the most influential person in your life & briefly why:

The old adage is true or at least it is for me, as you grow older you become your parents.  My Mom and Dad were great parents.  Their love was unconditional as was their praise and correction when I needed it.  I try to mirror their “gift of love” in my life. 

I’m going to throw some props toward Greg as well.  It was his friendship and mentoring that brought me out of a “Sports Illustrated” world into one that was interested in serving the Body of Christ.

10.  Any hidden talents:

I’ve been known to have “called” a gator out of a pond and onto a golf green a time or two.  It makes for easy (I birdie that hole) scoring. 

11. Little known fact about me: 

Appeared on National Television with Jay Leno on the Tonight Show.  Not as a guest mind you but as one of the “crazies” who runs up to give Jay a high five when he comes out for his monologue. 

Part 2 – Favorite Things

1.  Favorite Book (other than the Bible): 

I’ll narrow it down to 3:  “A Season on the Brink” by John Feinstein, “I Never Played the Game” by Howard Cossell, and “Schindler’s List” by Thomas Keneally

2. Favorite Movie: 

Tough to narrow it down to one – “We Are Marshall,” “Rudy,” “Patton,” “The Hunt for Red October,”  “Christmas Vacation”

3. Favorite Food: 

Without a doubt, Mexican with barbecue anything a close second.

4. Favorite Kind of Music: 

Contemporary Christian, Classic Rock

5. Favorite musical group or performer:

Chicago, Journey, Kenny Loggins, Guns and Roses,  Earth, Wind, and Fire

6. Favorite song: 

Don McLean’s “American Pie.”  I know every verse and it drives my wife crazy when I sing it in the shower.

7.  Favorite junk food: 

Anything Chocolate. 

8. Favorite childhood memory:

Playing “Army” with my friends. Having one of my friends hang out with me when my Dad babysat me while he was working at the National Guard Armory in town.   Having friends over to spend the night. 

Part 3 – Thought Questions

1. What is the best meal you have ever eaten? 

Every Christmas Day dinner with my wife’s “garlic stuffed prime rib!”

2.  Where would you most like to visit that you have never been to before? 

Norway.  I have always been fascinated with Norway and it’s fjords. 

3. What is your proudest moment? 

I’ll go with 3 –

First – Remembering how proud my Dad was of me when I won the 1987 Batting Championship of our softball league with the league’s highest batting average.  It was one of the few individual athletic awards I was ever awarded. 

The second is seeing my son sing on our Praise Team at church and of course, seeing Steven hit his first homerun ever against Eau Gallie High School this year. 

4. What do you most regret? 

Not being able to get some of the people who left our church to gives us a second chance. 

5. If money, health, etc. were no concern, what would you do with your time? 

I would be a full time elder and perhaps a sojourner.  I would travel more (that might hurt the full time elder job) and play more golf. 

6.  What is your favorite book in the Bible and why? 

Galatians.  It’s the “Reader’s Digest” version of Romans.   

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Cheers & Blessings to you all today!  Have a great day.  And thanks, Cecil!  Dee