Not a name, although I did work for a school superintendent at Waynoka named Dale Ross.  That dude was good to work for.  He didn’t want any credit for school success, he just wanted the credit for hiring good people that made Waynoka schools successful.  Not a bad way to operate.  

I know that my personal demeanor is not always a Ray Of SunShine.  I can sound sour as hell.  But my actions normally prove otherwise.  I will almost always help somebody.  Even when I shouldn’t.  Right now–the ag sector isn’t exactly sunny.  The show goat industry isn’t exactly sunny.  The stock show industry as a whole can make an addict like myself, think, dang , do they have a rehab for this?  This shit ain’t right.  

But then, I realize that I deal with kids that are better than most.  They can be a ray of sun shine.  I didn’t want the job that I have, but I kind of like the job that I am doing.  Even though I have to do it different than I know how to do it.  Doesn’t make sense?  Welcome to my world.  

i could complain about athletics, choir, drama, etc in this small school.  I could, but I won’t.  I look back to how I would have behaved in 1998 and it would not have been a ray of sunshine.  Actually, it would have been a block out the sun melt-down kind of day.  Not now, I just realize how many kids want to do good.  Despite the crap you watch on the news, we have good kids.  Actual Rays of SunShine.  They don’t just reside in Shattuck.  They are everywhere.  If you shut your TV and radio channels off, quit watching your facebook newfeed crap, walk away from the text messages and YOU WILL AGREE with me.  There are good kids all around us.  There are a lot of negative forces causing distractions.  And there is some scary crap out there,  but without a doubt, we are surrounded with Rays of Sun Shine.  Sometime, we just don’t look where we need to.  Common mistake.  

I challenge you all to go back to your nearest school and offer to teach.  One hour.  Sub for a day.  Chaperone a set of kids to a judiging contest, leadership event, sporting deal, whatever.  Try it.  All of you have real world info to offer.  Real stories.  I dare you.  Don’t talk crap about the schools, kids, teachers, etc. until you have tried it yourself.  Be a ray of sunshine.  Go tell your story.  Whatver it is.  Explain how you planned to be in the NBA, then you graduated high school and the real world kicked in and you realized that you were 5′ 11″, white and couldn’t dunk it.  But, now you run a successful what ever the heck as it doesn’t matter.  Like Nike, just do it.  

If you came here to find some negativity….. not here, not today.  Better catch me in person for those rays of sunshine.  Have a good one tomorrow.  I can’t speak for others, but me and mine are going to have a better tomorrow.  Even though today was great.  Tomorrow will be better.  I dare you to top that.  If you can…..GREAT!!!