How do we honor John Olguin?
This is a very simple question that will take great lengths of writing to ponder.
I don't want to ponder this alone and I want any and all comments on the very simple question that I will repeat throughout this post.
How do we honor John Olguin?
Some have been doing it for decades. All one needs to do is talk to Tom and Nancy Budar as just two examples of wonderful individuals who are both more like John than just about everyone else, including me.
Tom is just one of hundreds of men who could write an entire volume of incidents, activities, encounters, teachings, learning, and experiences with John.
Nancy has accumulated the most volunteer hours of anyone supporting both the Cabrillo Marine Museum and the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium.
*Editor's Note: I've known Tom since high school, we carpooled together to and from C.S.U.L.B. he was best man at my sister's wedding to Phil, and he likes to blow things up while on a barge. I've known Nancy for almost 50 years with countless connections.
How do we honor John Olguin?
It sure looks like the love and interest in memories of John are flooding the local newspaper and on cards at the Aquarium. Reading facebook comments on any number of pages as well as reading Emails and hearing stories are other ways we are currently honoring John.
How do we honor John Olguin?
One way to to ask yourself: "How do I honor John?"
This is a personal question you need to answer for yourself by thinking withing yourself or communicating with others to find answers.
I am currently content to 'honor' John by keeping my memories of our times together held close in my vision and memory and not needing to reveal them to others. I feel I can best offer my honor of John not by posting my personal memories I have had with him, but by encouraging others to either share their memories or honor those memories with deeds and actions that will help others honor John in their own way.
Look, we all have so many personal and communal memories we can share about John and there should be places, perhaps like this comments-in-post to share.
I also keep mine close because I am someone that can easily call up both the visualization of those memories and also the emotions and thoughts I had when those memories were created and I don't need to share them to keep them close.
How do we honor John Olguin?
He was a humane human who lived a life that was shared by a few and by so many. Was he perfect? I don't remember him being perfect but then again I have never met a 'perfect' human except for the first moments of my sons' lives.
I also feel strongly that he was the very best gift any community could have and that I hope we all can learn to share him and his legacy with others who may not have been provided with the OUTSTANDING opportunity to have even a tiny association with John's personhood. We were and are so blessed to have lived during times when John was among us in body and activity.
He lived to be older than most of us will be and we know in our hearts that he didn't mind we called our elder, "John".
How do we honor John Olguin?
We need to cherish and protect those things he loved, cherished, and protected.
Growing up they were for me, not grunions, but John's grunions. All whales were John's whales. All sea life and other animal life were part of John's life and they must also be someplace within our lives, I feel.
We need to be better to ourselves and each other because John was so very good to and for all of us and none of us have the right demean that in any way. He taught us to be better and that is something we need to follow, every day.
He wasn't a saint and he never expected any of us to be, either. He was a people person and we are people who had chances to be among this wonderful person and we must honor that connection.
How do we honor John Olguin?
O.K., I'm taking the privilege of being the publisher of this post to make some personal history comments about my past and connections and where I hold John in my mind.
I worked for Pacific Telephone, Pacific Bell, SBC, and then AT&T for almost 28 years. From 1984 until about 2006 I was among a very small group of technicians that had access to places most people never get to see.
Yes, this part is blowing my horn but I hope you all finally realize that above everyone else, I am most proud and honored to have had experiences with John than for all the others I mention in this post.
As one of those few technicians, I was part of a group known as 'The Beverly Hills phonemen'. I also received specialized training and security clearances to have access to some of the most well known people in all types of industry, politics, government, and I got to go places and do things that, well.......
Of all the people, movie stars, Presidents, Vice Presidents, foreign leaders, clergy, corporate leaders, "V.I.P.s" entertainment industry people, and other people some claim to be 'important' NONE of them have impressed me and impacted my life more than John. Only my parents, wives, sons and their loves hold such high regard in me as John does.
Muriel is also very important in my life. She and my mother joined Terri and others in an investment club some years ago and both John and Muriel remembered my mother, Nancy, when John and Muriel attended "And To All A Good Night" just a few weeks ago.
We now have one of Muriel's paintings in our home that used to hang at my mother's house.
How do we honor John Olguin?
I imagine that he would not want us to grieve but instead celebrate life and demonstrate what we learned from him and with him as we progress from today onward.
I think he would be smiling at Romee for her consideration that we stand up for San Pedro and John in some fashion that is still being planned.
I feel he would appreciate it if we honor him with a memorial that contains providing goods and services, like he did for so many years to so many people, so we can 'pay it forward' what he gave us and give it to to others who might need it now, more than ever before.
I don't know when the public memorial will take place or where it will be. I do hope there is space where I can put whatever I can collect so that I can provide those things to others for no better reason than it is what I feel John would appreciate me and others doing.
For those with lots, provide lots. For those with little, provide what can be provided. For those with nothing to give by your thoughts and memories, share them generously so that those who did not know John as well as they did, can learn.
How do we honor John Olguin?
Holding our own memories of his smile, his zest for teaching, his passion for just about everything, his love of the sea and everything in it, and using what he gave us to better ourselves and others, all without strings attached.
Boy, did I get lucky or just was fortunate enough to have a mom who decided I was to grow up attending the First Presbyterian Church in San Pedro.
All us 'kids' growing up attending that church during the 50's, 60's and even later got many more opportunities to have John in our lives than most others. Wow!
Be thankful and grateful that you got chances to take and experiences to have, with John.
Be good to yourself and to others. Go out soon and look for whales. Don't get upset at all the seagulls wanting food at the picnic tables. Teach something good to somebody. Smile. Watch a tiny finger touch something from the sea for the first time. Then watch the reaction. John is here in these last words.
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4 comments:
Thank you posting your thoughts.
Together with my wife Barbara, who went to whale watch classes in the 1970s and 80s, I have been working with John over the last years on his biography.
I worked with John for almost 10 years on this project for no other reason but to honor a man who has done more good than most.
I am happy to say that John had a chance to read the finished manuscript almost in its entirety and told me just before Christmas how much he enjoyed working together and then reading the finished product.
The book will come out in the fall and so the stories will continue to be told and hopefully will continue to inspire others to follow in his footsteps of being the chief lifeguard of his community.
If you like to contact me, I can be reached at harzen@taras.org.
Well written, and I think you hit a key that you may not have intended to. I knew John Olguin since 1969 when a science teacher at Dana Jr. High School brought 2 other students and myself to meet him, and told us we could get extra credit for volunteering at the Cabrillo Marine Museum. She was a hard teacher, so I went for the extra credit. After about 2 trips to the Museum and the classes he gave for new recruits, I was hooked on the man. Since my father had passed away young, John became one of the men that became like a father figure to me, and inspired my love of the ocean I still passion for today. We kept in touch after High School and college. Then in retirement, there was John Olguin at San Pedro High football games. Next thing I knew, I'm driving him to the games, and enjoying a lot of private time once again with him. This is time I'll cherish forever, and never forget.
As you said, How do we remember John Olguin? The reality is, I'm only one of thousand of people he touched with this level of interest, and shared his wisdom. John was so genuinely proud of every single young person he ever met, and saw grow up into a contributing person in society.
During one of those long drives to an away football game I did ask him how he wanted to be remembered for his remarkable life one time when the subject sort of came up as a result of something tragic that was happening in my own life that I spoke to him for advice. He simply said "Just a man that tried to do the right thing, and left the world a little better than is was when he came into it." Well Johnny O, you succeeded... you not only made the world a little better by yourself, but you also inspired an army of people that in their own way, are trying to do the same thing. We'll never forget... we all say Thank You..
Well written, and I think you hit a key that you may not have intended to. I knew John Olguin since 1969 when a science teacher at Dana Jr. High School brought 2 other students and myself to meet him, and told us we could get extra credit for volunteering at the Cabrillo Marine Museum. She was a hard teacher, so I went for the extra credit. After about 2 trips to the Museum and the classes he gave for new recruits, I was hooked on the man. Since my father had passed away young, John became one of the men that became like a father figure to me, and inspired my love of the ocean I still passion for today. We kept in touch after High School and college. Then in retirement, there was John Olguin at San Pedro High football games. Next thing I knew, I'm driving him to the games, and enjoying a lot of private time once again with him. This is time I'll cherish forever, and never forget.
As you said, How do we remember John Olguin? The reality is, I'm only one of thousand of people he touched with this level of interest, and shared his wisdom. John was so genuinely proud of every single young person he ever met, and saw grow up into a contributing person in society.
During one of those long drives to an away football game I did ask him how he wanted to be remembered for his remarkable life one time when the subject sort of came up as a result of something tragic that was happening in my own life that I spoke to him for advice. He simply said "Just a man that tried to do the right thing, and left the world a little better than is was when he came into it." Well Johnny O, you succeeded... you not only made the world a little better by yourself, but you also inspired an army of people that in their own way, are trying to do the same thing. We'll never forget... we all say Thank You..
Virginia Miller
What can I say about such a wonderful 'force of Nature' as John?
I found him to be one of the truest friends I ever had. He always had something remarkable to do, be, or see, and share that with everyone he could.
It is the generosity of his mighty spirit that I will treasure forever.
I am a priviledged human to have known this amazing, loving, wonder-filled soul who touched all of us with his indelible smile, and simple, but so good ways.
This is a whale watcher from the 80's, and a friend of John's forever.
I will keep helping with the food for the hungry where it is needed, and know he'll be smiling up there with a "that's great!" as he always did.
You are a legacy of joy and abundance for all John.
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