Hello everyone,
I have been remiss about adding stories to my lifeguard blog site. I hope to get back at it now. You can click on the blog oldlagunalifeguard.blogspot.com to see the next story. It is titled:
A Life Changing Event - By Al Mendez
Many of you will be able to relate to this story. One of the most common themes of all lifeguard stories I have collected is just what the title states - becoming a lifeguard changed my life. It certainly changed my life.
If any one has a story they would like to write and send me I would greatly appreciate receiving it. If we do not write our own story then our history will be lost forever. No one else is going to write it for us and we are slowly losing the old timers who still know the stories first hand. Young guards seldom write their stories because they don't think of themselves as being part of history. This morning is already part of history so it is worhty of being recorded. Remember, today is the first day of a story that will become lost if no one records it. Please consider writing something, short or long, new or old, I keep everything.
This past month I have traveled half way around the world via email to help two people make contact. A friend of Heves McClelland, Bruce Hair, was trying to find Heves' daughter to give her a poem handwritten on a placemat in a bar by her father when he lived in Mexico more than 30 years ago. Heves guarded in the 30s and his daughter now lives in Kansas. With the help of John Parlette I found Heves wife, Diana, and she got me in contact with Mary, Heves' daughter. Bruce lives in Perth, Diana lives in Washington and Mary is in Kansas. Once again keeping in touch with all of you paid off.
Soon the sculpture John Parlette made to honor Heves and his poem will be placed on Main Beach near the new HQ. Heves' poem is on the sculpture.
If you change your email address or location please write and let me know so I can maintain contact.
Dale Ghere
guarded 1960 to 1974
