There are several things that I have accomplished in my life time that I am very proud of and there are a few things like everybody I think that I am not so proud of but that is a subject for another article. Fortunately there are many more things that I AM proud of.

I started playing the Tuba, Sousaphone, Bass Horn, in the sixth grade and thanks to my mother, our great band director and a lot of hard work and practice, I became pretty good at playing that "Big old horn." Through my high school and college career I received many honors and awards for playing the Tuba. Just this last weekend I was at my 48th high school class reunion and I had several people ask me if I still played. Every year I had a superior rating on my Tuba solo at district music contests. Through the years I won many of Kiwanis Stars of Tomorrow Contests and Lion's Club talent contest in fact runner up in the state Lions contest to a cute little baton twirler. Both my junior and senior years I was selected to the All-State Band and my senior year, I was first chair Tuba in the All State Honor Band. They were supposed to be the best of the best. After my senior year I was offered a chance to audition to play Tuba with the Lawerence Welk Orchestra but I never did get it done. My Tuba playing earned me a schloarship to University of Wyoming.

My college career was one of the not so good things. I spent too much time up in Snowy Range camping and fishing and not enough time in classes.

In January of 1965 I enlisted in the United States Navy and loved it and was going to make it a career but then I found my little Southern Belle and got married and that changed my plans. I passed the test for E-7 in November of 1971 but devided to get out and be a family man. We both talk sometimes about how we should have toughed out 13 more years and retired but.... I have no regrets.

The thing that I am most proud of is my 40+ years of marriage and my family. In these days where it seems like it is easier to get a divorce than to work things out, I am proud that we will be celebrating our 41st wedding anniversary in February. We met on the 3rd of February 1968 and got martried on the 17th of February 1968. We have three wonderful children. Our oldest daughter is a medical receptionist for a group of five Cancer surgeons. She and her husband have a 14 year old boy who is our only grandson, Dalton Our son is not married and is a baker at King Soopers and lives at home with Mom and Dad. Our youngest daughter has her Master's degreee and working on her Doctorat4e and is a counselor at a drug and alcohol rhabilitation center. She and her husband hve ourt two granddaughters. Kassidy is 6 and Natatlie is 21 months. Natalie has spina bifida but is doing rally well and is the light of our lives.

We just recently bought our retirement home and have a big backyard for the grandkids and a covered patio where grandma and grandpa can sit and enjoy watching the kids play. Yes I am very proud of my family and my mariage and think that is quite a good accomplishment.

Learn more about this author, Bill Whitney.
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