So, Art's story is of a great beginning, inspiring folk to get off their rear and take life by the horns, and all related wisdom. It's a great beginning. Climbing from nothing to something. So, how did it end? What came next?
Art taught himself all he could learn about projectors, and the behind-the-scenes work in a movie theater. But time came to move on. Taking the same attitude, Art decided to move to California, and found a job in a theater beside a major college campus. On the side, he found extra work repairing things. And building friendships.
(I once had a friend who worked for Western Electric in Shreveport. "What's your job there?" I asked. And he replied, "Oh, I don't really have a title; if something breaks, they just send me to fix it!" From broken locks to huge electric motors, to production line machinery, he was the go-to guy for the plant!)
Art got to that point with the theater-across-the-street, then moved to employment on campus. Reliable, cheerful, agreeable, and almost miraculously skilled as the "fix-it" man, he discovered new opportunities every day. When Art retired, he was in charge of the college campus maintenance force: buildings, climate control, electrical, plumbing, the whole package.
By the time I met him, Art was still encouraging people, being a very welcome citizen of Wichita Falls, living in a comfortable retirement, joining his wife in checking out some of the fascinating ghost towns in Texas. Sit down-retirement wasn't his "thing", so well past his 80th birthday, Art had a schedule and a fascinating love for figuring out puzzles and fixing things others could not. And I really believe Art NEVER had a boring day! Not ever!
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