Kirk McBride
The reason for my delay in getting information up online is because someone placed “Parental Controls” on everything in my laptop. Judy assures me it wasn’t her. When calling ATT Tech Support, they informed me if it wasn’t Judy that only my parents could lift the controls. I tried to explain that I am 69, putting my parents well over 100 and no longer on this good earth; they could not be the culprits reaching out from the other side. Somehow this message got lost in translation, hard to believe. Being transferred to another tech, we were able to correct most of the problem and she assumes I was hacked as opposed to my parents reaching out from another dimension. Judy might be off the hook on this one.
After college, Judy started teaching and I started serving our country, not by choice. We lucked out being assigned out of Fort Snelling in Minneapolis where Judy taught in the Armory because of school overcrowding and I had an office in the local bank building, go figure.
After what turned out to be a very enjoyable military tour, I started my career with Saga Corp at Swedish American Hospital in Rockford, IL and Judy started a wonderful new career in motherhood with the birth of our daughter, Allyson. We made yearly moves to Evansville, IN and Hillsdale, MI before ending up in Traverse City at Munson Medical Center for 5 years. We were having so much fun with our first child we went for two and our son, Scott, was born in TC. After TC we moved to Kalamazoo where we remain to this day, kind of.
Saga, a small very personal company was acquired by Marriott, a large very personal company. Staying in Kalamazoo with Judy back teaching and our children starting school, I accepted a couple of promotions that had me commuting weekly to Chicago and then DC for several years. We had moved enough and wanted to remain in Michigan allowing our children to stay in same school with their friends and where Judy taught, a good family choice.
Scott and Yasmine are in Kalamazoo with careers in banking. Allyson and Jeff teach 1st and 3rd grades in Traverse City at the same school our grandchildren, Lily and August, attend which allows all of them to car pool from Interlochen.
After military service and a pack a day habit, I reassessed my personal fitness and came to the conclusion that if I did not want to be the first contestant on the yet to be conceived “Biggest Loser” reality show, I needed to change my life style. I dropped 30 pound, tossed the Winstons and took up jogging which quickly morphed into running and then racing with 17 marathons. All came to a halt in 1994 with a required nose to toes executive physical when I turned 50. The physical led me to a surgeon who broke the news to Judy and me that I should be prepared to put my personal affairs in order within the next 6 months. That got our attention. After surgery I disregarded the doctor’s advice and instead we reevaluated our priorities and my 401k. That combination and some self-funding allowed us to retire within 4 years at 55, never looking back. I am forever grateful that the surgeon must have received a “D” at UofM in “prognostication” and not an “A”.
At 62, my 401k became an IRA trust called: “Unchartered Ventures Limited”, i.e. retirement with no written instructions, expectations or limitations. It finds us on Beaver Island, MI in the summer, Fripp Island, SC in the winter and Kalamazoo in between times. We share our ventures with a wild and crazy guy named Mr. MacNeil, our Labradoodle as well as lots of dear friends who are just as wild and crazy.
I tried to capture what I could over the past 50 years as we will not be attending the reunion dinner. Judy’s 50th is the same weekend but as luck would have it, Lansing Eastern’s reunion will be in the room right next to ours at the University Club. Judy assures me that as soon as we have fulfilled some quality time at her dinner, I get a hall pass and we can join everyone for an after dinner drink and a toast to ELHS Class of ‘63. However, keep in mind Judy also assured me that she did not put the “Parental Controls” on my laptop so I can only trust she won’t slap the parental controls on me for our night of celebration and remembering. We will make every effort to join everyone after dinner.
Until then: live life like you have 6 months, keep those you love close, celebrate the little things, sail when the wind is good and take time to enjoy a good scotch or two each day.
Cheers - Kirk & Judy