It was a cool April morning when the seventeen-year-old boy ran in the school bus and was horrified about what just occurred. With his head in his hands not knowing what to do or where to go, he began to look for an escape. His eyes were beginning to well up with tears and it wouldn’t be long until uncontrollable sobbing would occur. If only it could have been an April, 1st gag because, in his recollection, this is going to be a bad one. He could hear the footsteps of the teacher-advisor coming through the bus opening and he knew what action was imminent.
Earlier that morning the entire performance troop had loaded the buses at Shasta High School and made the long and lively trip to Yreka to perform for the students and staff up north. The group had done many such performances that year around Redding, but this was a performance outside of the county for other students of their age. So, you can imagine the anxious jitters that were felt by all. They had been schooled on expected behaviors and what the consequences were for varying from that projected list of do’s and don’ts while on this trip.
Upon arriving, the excited group began to set up the gym making sure that every prop, microphone, or outfit was in the right place at the right moment. Juggling exhibitions from various skilled students kept the atmosphere light and jovial. Performers practiced their lines for the acts as well as the constant singing of songs that were sure to wow the crowd.
The first act was our young seventeen-year-old boy and his piano accompanist performing a hit from the day. In 1980, you could not have had a bigger hit then Neil Diamond and the songs from the Jazz Singer. The movie and the music that followed brought Neil to great heights across generations.
The rampant nerves were boiling in the stomach of our boy while the Yreka students and staff began to fill the gymnasium for the performance. The murmuring crowd continued while they proceeded to get every seat ready for the main event. Finally, the anticipated moment had arrived as the lights were dimmed and the hordes of onlookers were brought to silence in anticipation of the first act.
Our boy could not hear what the master of ceremony was saying. The nerves filled his ears as he waited excitedly in the wings for his cue. The crowds clapping raised to a roar as if to encourage the beginning of the acts. Someone gave our boy a shove, and slowly he walked to the waiting mic.
The opening bars of “Hello Again” filled the gym and then our young singer started to sing. This is the moment where our story began. As we know, our young students are still figuring out what it really means to be an adult when they are in high school and have not yet discovered maturity in their choices. You see while beginning the song our boy messed up the second line. He knew he messed up and so proceeded to say out loud, over the microphone, while everyone was listening, “ I 'messed' up” but in a more colorful choice of a word for 'messed'. This, of course, prompted a roar for the listening students that takes us to the beginning of our story. Which is the young boy running and hiding in the bus.
If you haven’t guessed yet, we are talking about me. Yes, I am the young man who at that moment was horrified and waited for punishment from the authorities. What happened next, I will never forget.
The teacher advisor approached and sat next to me and said something that I have carried with me all these years. He said, “Well, you have two choices. You can stay in here, hideout, and leave with the bus when we are all done. Or, you can go back in there, apologize and knock the socks off of that song, as I know you can do, and hold your head up high.” I chose to go back in, apologize, and sing the song. That is a lesson that taught me what it really means to be the man I am today.
Grace can be given to our young wards every single day as they stumble through the ages of discovery. I solely appreciate the fact that we have wise sages for our students to learn life’s lessons with. We know students are going to fail. The grace we show when they do and how we help them through that failure will make the difference for the rest of their days. It did for me. That single act has informed who I am forever more. It certainly is a lesson that we can give to each other as well. Thanks for your little gifts of kindness that you offer every day to your stumbling, learning, and wonderful students as well as to those of us who still stumble from time to time.
Check out this Video: Lollipop Moments (Watch the entire thing it is really good)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVCBrkrFrBE
Larry Fells Celebration of Life has been arranged. The information is below. I have also included a few links to his online obituary pages.
https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/name/larry-fells-obituary?id=31703211
https://www.ilesfuneralhomes.com/obituary/Larry-Fells/Anderson-CA/1887906
January 15, 2022 at 1pm
Neighborhood Church of Anderson and Cottonwood
4684 Rhonda Road
Anderson
Rob