For anyone that has ever met Kenny McClaran, I promise they haven't forgotten him. He leaves an impression on everyone! After spending a few days at Disneyland with him last week and listening to hours and hours of stories, I was reminded of what a neat guy he is. He has done a lot in his life. A LOT! He has a photographic memory and tells the neatest stories. Here are a few things that make him cool, or interesting.
*When he was a kid, his mom gave him and his sisters up. She dropped him off at the sitter's house saying she'd be back in 15 minutes. She returned six years later. He attneded 36 elementary schools, bouncing around from home to home, state to to state. That is when his resilience began.
*As a teenager he physically defended himself and his mom by many men who were abusive. One time his mom was being beat and he stepped in to defend her. The man became very angry and threw an ice pick at him. It narrowly missed his face, landing point first in the cabinet next to his head.
*He never had a stable home. He was partially raised by a very mean uncle who didn't give him a bed and made him do hard things like shovel piles of gravel by hand for days on end. He said that he would tell himself, "every shovel counts." When we were in the framing stages of our addition he would remind me, "every nail counts." Those three simple words have actually carried me a long way.
*He worked low paying jobs and long hours to put himself through college so he could become a teacher. He worked through the night, slept for a few hours, then spent the whole day in school.
*He taught auto-shop for years and years and was a favorite teacher among the students. He won a national award an was recognized in Washington DC for having the greatest long-term influence on the lives of his students. He taught about 2,500 kids and when those kids were surveyed, it was determined that his influence still carries on with them today.
*Part of the reason his students loved him is that they knew he cared. I just had a conversation the other day with one of those kids. Trisha is now 40 years old, but when she was his student-aide he could see that her family life was not good so he invited her to move in with him and Jeanie. Lana was already gone by this time so Trisha was an only child to them. And she isn't the only kid he did this for!
*He served in the Army and is proud of it. He recently told me about a time about his shift as a night guard. It was pouring rain so for four hours he stood in the rain being pelted by raindrops. But, because he had already learned to do hard things in hard circumstances he was able to endure.
*He knows how to get results! If Kenny sees something needs to be done he won't settle down until it's finished. And for someone like me, this can be frustrating or helpful. When our sprinkler line broke this summer while Jared was at work, Kenny rolled up his sleeves, dug a hole, climbed down inside, and fixed it!
*He is really fun. When he turned 70 he decided he wanted to have a big birthday party. People came from all over to celebrate! And when he turned 76 in January he once again decided he needed a party. He is always up for a good time. On our two trips to Disneyland together, he has surprised me both times. His age has never slowed him down. He rode everything, no matter how fast or slow, bumpy or smooth, wet or dry, the ride was.
*He remembers numbers. Like freakishly remembers them. He can tell you how much he paid for something thirty years ago, to the penny even! He can tell you what the temperature was a particular day. He can tell you how many of something he owned. If it's a number, he knows it!
*He loves to see people be happy. Because he didn't have a childhood he makes up for it with other people. This is the reason he took Trisha and others in. This is also the reason Colton has way too many Hot Wheels cars.
*He is very observant. One day I was talking with him and he taught me how to be more observant. He fired off all kinds of questions at me to see how well I paid attention then taught me what things are important to notice and what isn't. "How many windows are in this room?" "Where is the nearest door?' "What is so and so wearing?" And I had to answer all his questions without breaking eye contact.
*He will do anything for anyone. His friend Terry was here running some electrical this summer and this topic came up. He said, "I know that if I called Kenny right now and told him I needed something, he would literally drop everything and be here the next second." I know this to be true because I have called on him countless times! When we determined Lucy had broken her arm a few years ago, I didn't know what do to do with my other kids while we took her to Urgent Care. I called Jeanie and asked for her help within moments, before I even reached the stop sign to cross the street to get to her house, Kenny (who had been bathing!) was completely dressed and standing in my lawn!
*He is well respected in the community. Because he is friendly, helpful, and influential people think a lot of him and that works to his benefit often. One time he was on his way to Show Low when he got pulled over. Being Kenny, he pulled off the road and got out of his car. The officer started yelling, "Get back in the car! Do not exit the car! Get back in the car!" When the officer realized it was Kenny from a distance, he said, "Mr. McClaran! It's you! Now get on your way!"
*He always has two items in his pockets: a pocketknife and a flashlight. He will shine a flashlight on anything! And I've learned that it's actually very helpful to have that extra light.
*He has "uniforms." His daily clothing consists of: a plaid long sleeve shirt, Wranglers, a hat and black high top Reeboks. If he has a Dr.'s appointment then he will wear a tracksuit of some kind. The man owns more shoes than any women I have ever met but wears his black high tops faithfully. He is all about comfort and practicallity.
*He is always teaching. He takes my kids to school every morning and teaches them life, driving, common sense, or practical lessons while they drive. I am always suprised at what my kids know, like how many feel you should drive before changing lanes after a stop light.
Like I said, Kenny is very involved in our lives. He calls me half a dozen times a day, shows up several times every day and checks in when we are out of town. I've learned to adjust to his ways and have learned that some of his characteristics are some that I should try to implement into my life. He has one heck of a personality that I've come to love and appreciate. I think daily about how lucky I am to have him in my life.
