Hangin’ in There
has his lines and sayings
His students know them well
so too, his family
‘Read the problem!’
Good advice.
‘You may find this helpful, along life’s highway’….
‘If yer gonna be a bear, be a grizzley!”
“Do it the easy way!”
But one comes to mind nowadays:
“I’m hangin’ in there!’
A lifetime of being prepared,
I mean really prepared.
Did his homework, superlatively…
Smart, focused, passionate, compassionate…
He’d walk quickly into his classroom,
push himself hard
let his students know he’d maintain hyperspeed
the goal, the exam, the goal:
“75 and alive!”
Life has its challenges,
and he knew it.
Most significant person in his life?
His mother, plus his wife.
Granny Perry was a saint
in every way I can think of
deserving respect
what a lady!
Shirl, or “S”
held her own
quite a lady too!
A baby girl
filled out his ticket
“Oddie”, or “Kayper”
his pride and joy
forever and a day
at “Hangin’ in there!’
The best that he can do.
A very worn body
has slowed him down
put him in a chair
He’s still thinking
soaking up
newspapers, magazines,
and nightly Fox
Still calculating
keeping tabs
accounting, don’t you know!
Visitors come
each one cherished
they come and lift his spirits
Gone, they’re mixed with memories
‘along life’s highways’
Somewhere along the line
a wise person said it well:
“Invest yourself in people,
and in things eternal’.
Indeed he has, and does!
His family, his students, his friends…
Granny’s God, his God
each person benefited
from his investment, in us.
Morning After
Everything, except one, is the same.
One is gone.
A very special one:
Dad
Grandad.
“B” is for Barney.
Professor Perry
Colonel Perry
A pillar knocked over
like a domino
a long chain of events to follow.
Bring the family home
Put all else on hold
Do the mundane things
while numb
Lots of tears and hugs
Everything’s different
Everything’s the same…
The sun came up
just as it did when my step dad died
mom and I watching from the hospital hallway
The grass the trees, the fields of September
were for some moments put on hold
Our world paused
Our known ones remembered, reflected
Who was this man?
Whom did he touch
in life changing ways?
They came, to honor and remember
Many sent cards, many with notes
LIfe turned a corner
with Grandad’s passing
Everything’s different
Everything’s the same
Harry got a driver permit
Libby started school…again
Evie went for horseback riding
Keller ran and ran
Sam discovered lots more things
Joe remarked on it all
pounding along life’s highways
The friends went back to their lives
as we are bound to do
Kay and I are now
the ‘older generation’
Suddenly!
So soon!
Imagine!
Up to us
to have perspective
be there at important times
Encouraging as Grandad did
a thousand times ten thousand.
Amazing (not) how his best lines
fit right in with Scripture!
A last day sharing
with his teacher grandson
he laid it out:
“If I could get my students
to believe in me,
they could believe in themselves.”
I know what he meant.
His reputation was know, established in living stone:
His word was truth.
If the top teacher in the nation
said it
You could put it in the bank.
He said: “75 and stay alive!”
“All my students pass the exam”.
He wasn’t asking for perfection.
He knew mistakes would be made.
But the appropriate goal
was pass the exam.
Jesus said: “Come unto me,
you who are burdened and heavy laden,
and I will give you rest.”
and “Believe in me,
and you shall have life abundantly.”
So the students had their gateway exam
leading to profession
All of us need to address the question
the gateway to eternal life
“Who do you say I am?” said Jesus….
Selah,
Lin 10/2012
Professor Kenneth W. Perry, 1919-8 Sep 2012
After
returned to its former state
all the things carried in
are carried out, gone
The people
those who stood in front
those who played their music
and those who filed in
claiming chairs for a moment
have gone to their cars
and motored away
Quiet reigns
In their hearts words are replayed
faces cross the mind screen
the family, the people
have come together to share
a passing
a moving away
moving on
The book of a life has been written
the touching part has slipped away
so now, we can only touch things they touched
but hugs are no more
forever
The structure of creation is such
that in our mind’s eye, in our heart of hearts
we still touch
and do
pleasuring in the memories
that will stay with us
family
sharing memories
laughing
choking up, tearing
it will be good
Thinking deeply
we’ll be aware again
there are seasons
We’ll hear a baby cry
hold a grandchild
receive a hug
Some young person will cross a stage
receive a diploma
A young couple, all decked out
will face each other down front at church
place rings
facing life together
Maybe we’ll see an older couple
walking down a sidewalk
holding hands
Springtime and summer
fall and winter
the trees, the grass, the flowers
all mark the days
they too, are passing
So we scratch the earth
plant some seeds
grow and flower
then begin to slip
returning to the soil
Selah, Lin 9/2012
74
Life: A Brownie with Ice Cream Laced with Chocolate
and live it abundantly
“If you’re gonna be a bear,
be a grizzly!” he told his students.
And so he lived.
Focusing was his forte
riding on passion…
and compassion.
So judge him on the outcomes:
Students who passed The Test!
Therein he set the standard:
raised the bar so high!
#1 and # 2 of 65,000 takers…
three times!
#1 or #2 a number of times…
Students in the top 10%…
Students who praised him…
for decades after the class, after The Test.
“75 and stay alive!”
“Let the Institute take you by the hand and walk you through the problem!”
“Read the problem!” (RTP)
“Don’t fight the problem!” (DFTP)
“Always question your answer!”
So he worked and lived
excelling in accounting
But out of the University eye
he excelled in another area:
Teaching nuclear warfare in the Army!
Colonel Perry did.
He could teach a two hour class
or a 48 hour class on the topic
to Army officers!
excelling with his family:
a daughter and five grandchildren.
Kings’ Island with the grandkids
he was ridin’ on “The Beast”
Sharing the thrill of a giant coaster
or sharing on a timid ride
to break a new one in.
Graduation brought a reward
a cruise in the Carribean!
What a blast they had!
Some eighty cruises shared with Shirley
a hundred eighty countries
On many of them dancing –
what a time they had!
So life was a brownie with ice cream
chocolate swirl on top
and now he’s off to heaven!
Selah,
Lin, grandad, not RIP, but Joy Unspeakable in Heaven
Kenneth W. Perry
If You’re Gonna Be a Bear
snuggle down and close your eyes
Now
In your mind’s eye
picture these slides
through a very long life…
A small house in a small Kentucky town
dogs and chickens, a cow and a garden
Family noises, kids darting here and there
the neighborhood like one big house
A small boy running
chasing, being chased
laughing with his buddy Ray
Older siblings, younger siblings
big families the norm
Next slide, school.
The little boy is sitting down front
close to the teacher’s desk
close to the blackboard
so he can see
(poor folks didn’t get glasses)
Teacher’s pet, earned
recognized as bright all along
Next slide, high school.
Football. Strategy and the game
Focus the energy, the strength
give it your all
Block! Tackle! Run run run!
Quick and tricky is so much fun!
Next slide, drug store.
Friends come by
“Wanna come with us?
Goin’ over to Eastern,
to try out for the team.”
Eastern Kentucky College
Tryouts, football field,
standing and a watching.
Coach sez : “Here!
(pitches Ken the football)
Run past those two guys!
Give it a try!”
He did. He won…
a scholarship to the college!
Next slide
a pretty coed.
Shirley Kimball
Cute as cute could be.
Smart.
Click!
Down the diploma aisle
Next slide, Lieutenant Perry, U.S. Army
“Take this test and we’ll test your mettle.”
Bingo! Top of the class!
Off to learn artillery!
Next stop Fort Knox and tanks:
Figure out rockets trajectory
do the math
We want rockets on tanks to hit their targets
Invasion in Europe is in the plans.
So he did. They did.
and then down for a marriage license!
cute as a button
daddy’s pride and joy
Kayper! Bright and bubbling!
Next slide, a tiny grocery
proprietor
Athens, Ohio
Grad school classes
just for fun
A master’s degree in the making
Major shift! Next slide:
down to Berea, Kentucky
Berea College
Ken Perry, teacher!
A tiny little dwelling home
Major shift!
Illinois! Getting a ph. d.
Growing a legend program
the best
Accountancy, University of Illinois
Soaring!
“If you’re gonna be a bear…
be a grizzly!”
Give it all you’ve got.”
“If I can get my students
to believe in me,
I can get them to believe in themselves.”
They needed to think:
“This professor is awesome!”
“If Professor Perry thinks I can do it
I think I can! I’m gonna give it all I’ve got!”
So for a very full semester
he rode ’em hard.
Picture a herd of mustangs running
flat out
big cloud of dust behind
heading for the goal
“Read the problem!”
“Don’t fight the problem!”
“Always question your answer!”
“Let the Institute take you by the hand and walk you through the problem!”
They did. They passed.
All along the way
“If you’re gonna be a bear”…
At 93, Kenneth Wibur Perry passed
soared one last time
his life here completed,
oh, did he ever pass!
Selah, Lin 9/2012
Done…
We chose the seeds most carefully
from ten thousand possibilities
put the soil, under microscopes
and tested for its health
amended it, for maximum yield
We nestled the seeds
into warmth and moisture
watched them sprout, grow
to fine young plants
Watched for bugs, disease,
and mindfully sprayed where needed
honoring the soil and environment
So, we are done.
Each day the corn holds court
for whatever nature delivers
Temperature, moisture, wind
whatever
time goes by
Hunter gatherers roamed the earth
surviving, but in short years.
Along came farmers
who planted, cultivated, and harvested
saving seeds for food year round
surviving, better, but still with problems
nearly everyone had to be
a farmer
connecting, mothering nature
ah yes!
Our minds can study
learn, discern
how to make things better
Discover mode
lifts us higher
so one percent are farmers
freeing others for mankinds benefit
for doctors, and dentists and
ten thousand jobs to help each other
still, we need to eat
So a better seed gets planted
the soil is treated better, respected
the plants are encouraged, protected
and harvests grow
grains pour from harvesters to transports
trucks and trains and barges and giant ships
moving, moving, moving
from growing hands to hungry folks
around the earth, it happens
We’re all waiting
watching
done, til harvest
What will it be?
Selah, Lin
James 5:7