A few catch ups

I’ve fallen further  behind in  even completing the brief reviews I had been doing. The typing takes forever and I’m not as thoughtful as I once was. I continue to delight in reading and pondering what is there to learn from the writers. It succeeds in actively engaging me  and provide a growth opportunity . I am trying anew to put a smattering down to acknowledge that I’m  still here.

So...
The Witch by Roald Dahl

The Tim Wilson and Eden Elaine book club read, met and discussed the following discussion guide questions Tim .  Both of us enjoyed revisiting this classic !

• Should children have to Bath
• What would you do if Taft was turned into a mouse
• What did you think of people getting fried
• What would you do if a mouse ran up your leg
• What do you find interesting about the comparative  life span of a mouse and the life span of a grand parent. 

Back of the napkin by Dan Roam  

The premise is simple: anybody with a pen and a scrap of paper can use visual thinking to work through complex business ideas. He demonstrates solving complex problems in unexpected ways, and dramatically improve your ability to share your insights.

I find that successful storytelling and/ or design is in-part dependent that you have a simple way to develop and then in turn share your insights.

The Great Believers - Rebecca makkai

I read the first 50-100  pages bailed on it . 

Zen Master Raven 

the teachings of a wise old bird by Robert Aitken

A collection of Zen teaching stories. Consumed as morsels given snippets of time during which one can consume. It fills its purpose but not profoundly .

Evan and social graces

Social Graces

Evan has been surviving for years mimicking behavior around him that’s appropriate. Whether that’s in the classroom or at home with Siblings or with new people or strangers. Noted before about evan  knows how to play that where you from what’s your major what are you studying introduction at a party. This is extended to expand and social graces such as dinner hosting.

Brigham was out of town for two weeks on business which left Evan and mackenzie home . Mac had a friend Cammie visiting for the weekend so Evan took ownership of his own social calendar. He invited a friend of his over for dinner and watching a movie; a  guy from church-very kind man. 

Evan made a simple meal cheese sandwiches popcorn water ice cream for dessert but the concept is there. He invited somebody over he cleaned the apartment you fix the meal he did it all on his own. Evan has grown and continues to. he’s growing so much thank you for the many people who teach him and to those patient to help him develop.

Where can you find a good Christmas miracle these days?

Our son Evan like many a capital hiller takes the metro from Crystal City to the Capital South  metro station then wends his way to Congressman Roskum's office. It's part of his regular routine and normally is un eventful. This last Wednesday was different.

I received a call on the home phone, which I rarely answer, but looking at the caller ID it's a name instead of a company so I listen.  It's a guy calling from DC named Jonathon  who just got off the Metro.  Evan had gotten off the stop before this guy and had left his wallet on the floor behind his seat, Jonathon had found it.  When Ev got off the train, realizing that he had lost his wallet,  he turned around and proceeded to pound on the door to get back on, the train took off. Evan was freaking out but had the wherewith all to somehow not get hit by the train, get out of the station without his metro card,  and get to his office on capitol hill.  Our son Evan has Down Syndrome and was navigating his commute on his own. 

The wonderful people at his office sat him down, went over everything he had in wallet and began the process of trying to figure out what to do next. Meantime, Evan had his Illinois ID with our illinois address on it in the wallet. Jonathon found the card, then went online, reverse directoried our phone number and gave me a call.  What a kind and nice guy. Not only does he go the extra mile in locating us (Evan) but goes twain.  Jonathan  is in DC for a meeting and had a break around noon so he volunteers to walk to Roskum's office and give Evan the wallet.  One of the things he mentioned in meeting the people at Ev's office was how kind and caring they are about Ev.

Wonderful people all over the world
Angels both those seen and unseen watch over Evan.

Where are the miracles in DC this season?

Ev having the where wits  to not chase after a moving train and going to a familiar place for help.

Rep Roskum's wonderful staff who stand beside and support Evan.

A stranger named Jonathan who saw someone in need, interrupted his day and made a difference in the life of Evan.

If you are looking for a good christmas miracle this season, look no farther than the Capital South Metro.

Cherry chocolate cake

One of my favorite stories about Cherry Chocolate Cake was when Todd and I were visiting MN.Rindy served the cake for dinner one night.  The next morning Todd and I were eating breakfast at Tim and Rindy's when down comes Evan for breakfast.  He helps himself to a nice sized serving of cake in a bowl with 2 scoops of vanilla ice cream on top.  He steps out onto the screened in porch, locks the door and enjoys his breakfast.

All the food groups are there! June 2004

A fire truck for this week too

Dean should really come visit - two firetrucks in two weeks!

Wednesdays, Evan meets me at the front of the Pentagon and I bring him in and we have lunch. Today I met him and he was with a police officer and his hand was bloody. He had cut his finger on a kitchen knife at home, washed it, wrapped it in paper towel, then taken the bus to meet me (after bleeding in the kitchen and bathroom a bit, of course, weee). The officer stopped him to give him a bandaid and new papertowel. You couldn't tell how deep the cut was and it was still bleeding, so they called EMS. I expected 2-3 nurses to show up, instead, a firetruck showed up (that was the only med unit available). Eventually an EMS ambulance arrived and the firetruck left. They washed his finger, put on a bandaid, and it stopped bleeding.

We ended up just taking a bus to a nearby urgent care center and three stitches later we headed to Costco for lunch and antibiotics from the pharmacy. Just in time to drive to Alexandria for a 3:30pm meeting. Whew - thank goodness for a workplace with a flexible schedule and understanding boss and being 1 mile from home.

In the car, Evan started waving his injured hand around. He smiled and said, "see, I can still conduct music!"


Interesting observation by Jared:
Tell Evan that we hope he heals up nicely!

Brig, you are a great brother.  This is exactly what is at the heart of being a brother.  Being flexible, loving, understanding and there for someone.  Thanks for your example.

Best Ev Singing Story in DC

Evan still sings.

 

Yesterday outside our front window we saw a paramedic car slow down and stop in front of our house and people get out. We went outside to see what was up and saw that a police car was already there with the cop outside. Soon a firetruck also arrived. After 6 emergency personnel entered our small front room we found out that somebody had called 911 because they heard a loud moaning noise from an upstairs bedroom that sounded like an old person who was in desperate need of medical help.

 

The emergency people were afraid someone was hurt, but we assured them everybody was fine and even brought Evan down to show them he was fine. They were still kind of worried that we had some sort of Jane Eyre wife-in-the-attic or Cinderella locked-in-the-tower situation, but were willing to trust us and left.

 

Oh the dangers of singing along to Newsies, especially in a monastic-chanting way.

 

-BW

 

 

More singing

Evan followed his heart and soul loving of music into another section of choir this semester and found himself singing once again at the BYU Tuesday Devotional. He sang and sang and perhaps stole a glance at the monitor now and again. Gratitude to all those who helped it happen.

Its here as a link for the moment http://byutv.org/watch/event/c4640ed7-2175-445a-9e63-b0e1a1d2c9f2

24

What a wild ride for twenty four years.
Evan loves birthdays and he loves a party - his brother Brigham and roomate Stuart know how to throw them, they hosted some 40+ people for the event. Music by Selena Gomez and Justin Berber was a natural setting. Presents of music and posters of the same made it even better. They partied for a couple of hours to Evan's delight. The next morning he went skiing at sundance then flew up (the pilot and stewards both announced his birhtday over the speaker system), to Seattle for a long weekend visit with brigham to Oliver and Kristin. Grateful for all he can do, enjoy, and the many people who help along the way.

The Jersey

Of late Mackey, Brigham and Evan have taken to wearing my sweaters as it is in vogue to wear ugly sweaters and make a mockery of my historic good taste. That which was tastefully has been rendered cliché and cool in its tackiness.Obviously I'm deeply flattered. Evan in looking for an old sweater of mine , in fact, came across an old sweater of his - affectionately called The Jersey.

The Jersey goes back in TV history - The story-line basically was four teens who discover the magic of "the jersey", a mystical football jersey that transports them into the bodies of professional athletes. This is done in a way similar to the way that the main character in Quantum Leap, Sam, travels from body to body, and there is a different athlete featured in every episode. It showed in the early 2002 - 3 time framework and it was Evan's favorite show. He just knew if he could get The Jersey that he, Evan, could be transported into professional sports.


So, being the enterprising father that I am ; I called up the Producer of The Jersey at Disney and asked if they sold replicas of the sweater. After explaining Evan's situation to him, he decided to send me one of their props - pictured above. The Christmas present was bitter sweet. Evan, while tickled pink and excited to get the sweater was quite disappointed to discover that it didn't work.


But the magic is still there today. And it fits him a little better.

Sing a little bit longer

Music has been deeply engraved in the lives of Rindy and I since our youth; and it has played a significant ongoing role in our family. Surprisingly, at least to us, only two of the kids participated in choir during high school – Evan and Parker. Both had spectacular experiences. (One of their shared directors Dale Cruze leads one of this season’s best Holiday Flash Mobs –

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/uH8FvERQHtM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

And, to date, only one has participated in college – Evan. He grateful had the opportunity to participate in the BYU University Choral with his second cousin Mariah Wilson as one of the conductors / directors. Evan loves to sing though truth be told he has an incredibly limited range, perhaps only matched by my father.

Nonetheless, he was able to participate when the BYU University Chorale sang at the BYU Dec 6^th Devotional. We watched it, teary –eyed and full of gratitude on BYU internet TV live and hope to post it here if I can find a copy of it.

The Singer or The Song

Musically there is a debate that rages in THE circles as to which is more key or essential. The Singer or The Song. AT times the song being sung reveals the deep inner vision of the singer's souls. At times a song is just a song. Do the great hits from High School Musical reveal an inner truth of Evan. Or is the fact he loves to sing the inner truth. One day we will know.

In the meantime the follwoing story comes from church last ngiht. Mike Lyons had been out in Provo during the week visiting his daughter Sarah. They were in her apartment visiting when a wailing sound penetrated the air from the outside. Sarah looke d at her watch and said - "It must be 4pm"

She parts the curtains and there blissfully walking down the street is Evan. He has his earphones on , his walkman in hand and is singing at the top of his lungs along to the song. My guess is from HSM or one of his favorite boy bands. Evan loves to sing; and when he sings he enters into a world of his own. Sarah commented you could set your watch by Evan coming down the sidewalk singing. he is a creature of habit. She is one of many kind people in Evan's ward who support and sustain him.Accurately Evan's singing does sound more like a wail or call to prayer.

As a side note. Brigham had a similar experience a year or two ago identifying Evan going , out of sight down a stairway but certainly not of of sound. As a side note from a journal entry in Mach 2005 - Ev has a concert tonight.  If he doesn’t sing too loud tonight he might be able to go to competition next week, too loud, he stays at school.  

 And the answer is The Singer.

The Tip

Infrequently Evan will call me during the middle of the day at work. Usually his midday calls are to mom and he calls me after hours. If he fails in connecting with Rindy and has a question he calls. Friday at work the phone rings close to to the end of the day, and it is Evan. He has a question and needs some help. The situation: He is at Brick Oven

in Provo and has a math issue. How much do you tip when you have a bill of $10.44? A great question. Good in so many ways. He is off dining on his own; he knows how to read a bill; he knows he should tip; he wants to do it right.

The conversation goes as follows.
How much is the bill
$10.44; what tip
I think $1.50 would be an appropriate amount.
Thanks
What is the t.o.t.a.l. - spelled out by Evan
How much is 1.50 and $10.44?
Can you add it for me
$11.94
Where do you have the period?
In the middle.
Read the number to me
One One Period Nine Four
That's right
Thanks dad
Need anything else - No talk to you later

He keeps growing and learning; its amazing. Another Evan Experience

Happy Birthday

 A significant life, with significant achievement, and with significant impact.

It is interesting to recall the fear and trepidation of those first uncharted days, not knowing what we could dream or what even we should dream. He has surpassed and altered our expectations all along the road. For that we have many to thank. Thanks to doctors and nurses, to teachers and aides, to friends and neighbors, to classmates and teammates, to brothers and sisters, to angels and God, and an incredibly tenacious and visionary mother. Twenty three years ago who would of thought that during his birthday week in 2011 he would: attend classes at BYU, work in the Athletic department, attend and work in the Temple, live 1,300 miles away from his parents, be roommates with Stuart, have 50+ people attend his birthday party, go skiing at Park City. None of that was on our radar. All of that happened this week.

Grateful for a great birthday of a great guy.

Love that Evan!

The Temple

I have been considering the Temple as we discuss and work preparing Evan to enter therein for his own endowments. He has gone through the old and new versions of Temple preparation classes; he has gone and participated in that which he already can; we have pondered and prayed; and we have discussed with others. In the process two conversations have struck me most profoundly, one with my father and one with the bishop.

First as to father. He and I were discussing thoughts on the ordinances and he commented: “ As I have aged in recent years many things have left me, however, the temple has never left me”. It harkened me to several writings one from Elder Bednar: The issue is not going to or through the temple; rather, the issue is having in our hearts the spirit, the covenants, and the ordinances of the Lord’s house. 

Another that predates that by Elder Maxwell: They may even pass through our holy temples, but, alas, they do not let the holy temples pass through them.

Father has the had the temple pass through him and as such it has changed and filled his heart, and has not left him. Though his age and health precludes regular attendance at this point, the temple is ever with him. He has “his tent facing the Temple” and has made it central to his learnings and personal revelation. Nibley proposes that this is our objective individually and collectively as societies. Civilization is hierocentric, centered around the holy point of the temple. The temple was certainly the center of things in Babylonia, in Egypt, in Greece—wherever you go. This was certainly so in pioneer Utah. This pattern descended, of course, from ancient times to the Latter-day Saint church. He goes on to explain how it is the wellspring of all learning. And clearly the proliferation of Temples in our day would reinforce his thinking.

This latter point was center to my discussion with my Bishop; I was concerned if Evan had sufficient mental capacity to grasp the temple. He spoke of his relative unlearned state as a 19 year old when he first attended, and how repetition and time have been great teachers and expanders of his understanding. Nibley speaks that: Ordinances are not the fullness of the gospel. Going to the temple is like entering into a laboratory to confirm what you have already learned in the classroom and from the text. The fullness of the gospel is the understanding of what the plan is all about—the knowledge necessary to salvation. You know the whys and wherefores; for the fullness of the gospel you go to Nephi, to Alma, to Moroni. Then you will enter into the lab, but not in total ignorance.

That Evan will learn similarly through repetition and time is certain – but – the Lord’s greatest concern for any who go to the temple is not their understanding but their worthiness. That Evan is worthy is the question and central to ability to attend. That question of worthiness is what should be most central to our daily lives and that such worthiness is our primary goal in striving to return to Heavenly Father.

(Dad and I then spoke of sealing sessions back in his day, of polish families waiting to be dealt with as families and not inventory – another story for another day)

Resume

Evan need to prepare a resume to apply for a job.

Here is how it stacks up

Evan Wilson 309 N. Fremont St., Naperville, Ill.  60540 630-470-9242
Objective
	Use my abilities to work with people
Education
	High School Graduation                                               June 2007      Armstrong High School                                           Plymouth, MN GPA- 3.4 on a 4.0 scale ACT- Reading 15, Math 15
Awards received
	n     Football and Wrestling Letters – Recognition of commitment and dedication n     Eagle Scout, BSA n     Duty to God Award
Work experience
	Set Up Crew Wilkinson Union Building, Brigham Young University                                         2007-2008 n     Reliable, never missed a day of work, 15-20 hrs./wk n     Set up chairs, tables and displays in the union building for banquets, meetings etc. n     Worked in a team environment Paper Delivery Sun Sailor Publishing                                                           2004 - 2007                         n     Proven reliability in consistently meeting all job expectations n     Client service focused n     Bundle sections - Bag papers - Deliver to over 450 homes weekly Backroom Stocking Dick’s Sporting Goods Store                                      2006 Holiday Season n     Seasonal stocking, unloading, tagging and preparing goods for display n     Dependable, Hard working, Diligent
Extracurricular activities. leadership  & Notes of interest
	n     Varsity Men’s Choir n     Homecoming King, Armstrong High School n     Early Morning Seminary  – 4 years, graduation, May 2007 n     Seminary President n     Church Youth Group President and Officer n     Boy Scout Senior Patrol Leader
	n     Sports Enthusiast n     Baseball Card Collector

BYU freshman year

Evan's schedule for his first semester of college:

		Monday		Tuesday		Wednesday		Thursday		Friday
8:00-12:00		Work		Work		Work		Work		Work
12:00-1:00		Lunch				Lunch				Lunch
1:00-1:50		Physical				Physical				Physical
		Science				Science				Science
2:00-2:50				Pearl of				Pearl of
				Great Price				Great Price
3:00-3:50		Bill		Bill		Bill		Bill		Bill
4:00		Dinner		Drawing		Dinner		Drawing		Film Lab
5:00		D and C				Book of
						Mormon

A season of success

HIGH SCHOOLS; Student-athlete is their teacher; Armstrong's Evan Wilson knows a thing or two about competition and victory, and shares his enthusiasm with his grateful teammates and coaches.(SPORTS)(John Millea)

Star Tribune (Minneapolis, MN)

May 18, 2007 | Millea, John | Copyright.  John Millea

Minneapolis (Minnesota) Armstrong’s Evan Wilson knows a thing or two about competition and victory, and shares his enthusiasm with his grateful teammates and coaches.

Almost every step of the way, Tim and LaRinda Wilson wondered if they were doing what was best for their son, Evan. Through preschool, grade school, middle school and high school, they wondered if mainstreaming was the best path for their child with Down syndrome.

Would he be teased? Would he be pushed around? Would anyone help him, keep an eye on him?

Now they know. Evan and 539 other seniors celebrated their graduation from Armstrong High School on June 7. That day brought memories, cheers and some tears, but they were tears of joy. And they were shed by lots of people – including coaches and Evan‘s fellow athletes – at the public school in Plymouth.

Armstrong wrestling coach Bill McCloskey had a hard time keeping his emotions in check as he spoke about what he and his wrestlers have learned from having Evan on the team for four years.

“It’s an incredible thing,” McCloskey said. “I’m trying not to tear up here, thinking about him and all the special things he’s brought to the program.”

The coach added: “You can always count on him for a smile, whether it’s his smile or him making you smile. As tough as things can be sometimes, he’s an inspiration all the time.”

Evan also played football and was on the track team. Oh yes, he’s an Eagle Scout, too. This spring he played adapted softball, which is a typical activity for special-needs students. He might be the most heavily recruited athlete at Armstrong, with coaches tugging at him to join their teams.

Dan Enna, an assistant football coach, also is the adapted softball coach. Knowing what kind of spirit Evan brings, he convinced him to play adapted softball this spring.

“He’s a great kid, he’s a great athlete, he really contributes and it’s a pleasure to have him on the team,” Enna said. “He’s always smiling, he’s always leading. He’ll say in the huddle, `C’mon guys!’ He’s just a fantastic kid.”

Alex Rubin, one of Evan‘s fellow senior athletes at Armstrong, was a first-team All-Metro basketball player who helped the Falcons to a runner-up finish in Class 4A. He has known Evan forever, going back to a kindergarten-age soccer team.

“He’s definitely a popular guy,” Rubin said. “Everyone loves him.

It doesn’t matter; girls, guys, they all love him. There’s no reason not to like him.”

Talk to anybody who knows Evan and they’ll tell you a great story. Tim, LaRinda and Evan sat in their family room and spoke about the time...

• When Evan was a new middle school student and the subject of teasing by another kid. One of Evan‘s friends – who just happened to be the biggest kid in school – told the offender, “You mess with Evan and you mess with me.”

• When a few high school kids walked behind Evan in the hallway and made fun of him, only to turn around and find some football players walking behind them with a clear message: Lay off our teammate.

• When Evan scored a touchdown – “I scored four or five touchdowns,” Evan corrected us – because coaches and players from both teams knew it was the right thing to do.

• When Evan received a wrestling trophy from the nice people at Andover, and a large framed poster with photos of Evan playing football from the nice people at Wayzata, and on and on.

“As a parent, you can only be grateful to have people from other schools reach out and make it great for everybody,” Tim Wilson said.

McCloskey said Evan was not only an athlete, but also a teacher.

“With Evan, it was never about winning and losing in terms of how we think of winning and losing,” he said. “For him, it was about how many points he scored. If he got beat 20-4, well, he scored four points. Every time he wrestled, it was a celebration. That was another lesson we learned from Evan; he sees victory in another way.”

Evan, 19, is the middle child of five. This fall he is off to Brigham Young University, living with his big brother, Brigham, who is a student there. Evan has a job lined up in the student union, he will audit some classes and volunteer in the BYU athletic department.
And once again, he’ll be the most popular guy in school.

John Millea is a sportswriter and columnist for the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. Reprinted with permission of the Star-Tribune.

Copyright ©2011 National Federation of State High School Associations. All Rights Reserved.

Mother's Day

Evan has always respected and loved his mother. And so it is fitting to post his tribute this mother's day.

In Evan's Words the talk he gave

Happy Mother’s Day.

Being part of a family is a great blessing.  You can

 have happiness in a family.  You can learn what is

right in a good place and you can prepare for eternal

 life. You can have a good heart and have love in a

family.  In a family you can together make plans for

 where to work and to go to college.

You need to do your part to have a happy home.

  Many problems happen in a family because people

are selfish and unkind.  Be nice to members of your

family.  Seek to bring peace in your family, don’t

tease, fight or quarrel. 

Honor your parents by showing them love, respect

and by being obedient and true.  Be willing to help in

the home with chores that need to be done,

homework and helping each other.  Be with your

family in activities, family prayer, family home

evening and family scripture study.  Set a good

example for other family members.

We need to love our brothers and sisters and our

moms and dads.  They can become your

closest friends.  Support them in their

activities and help them with what they are

doing.

 

I am  about mother's day 

ever good people Love mom

Heart feeling life for mother

Be true remember

BYU Bookstore

A great door-opener for Evan at BYU was his being able to get a job at the BYU bookstore in the Wilkinson Center his first semester at the Y. He did clean up and set up , basic manuel labor with a team of workers that allowed him to be on campus, contriubte, and be at the hub of activity. It was a wonderful start at the Y.

Getting the job was a result of multiple conversations with multiple people and interviewes and recommendations and prayers and massive effort by r?indy.

One interesting letter was a letter of recommendation to get the job by a dear friend.

Brigham Young University

BYU Bookstore – ELWC

Provo UT.  84604

Attn:  Roger Reynolds

Dear Roger:                                                                                                                         3/5/07

The purpose of this letter is to endorse Evan Wilson as a candidate for a position at the BYU Bookstore.  I have known Evan most of his life, and have worked closely with him as his Bishop, Scoutmaster, Quorum Advisor, and basketball coach. 

Evan is a good young man who has worked very hard in life to accomplish many things that haven’t come as easily for him as they might for some other kids.  He has earned his Eagle Scout, Varsity Sports Letters, Duty to God, has served as my 1^st Assistant in our Priests Quorum, and he will soon graduate from both our Seminary program and from Armstrong High School. He has greatly enjoyed all of these programs. He loves, and is greatly loved by his fellow scouts and quorum members who are also his best friends. He has been blessed with a good family that has been very supportive and helpful to him as he’s participated in all the above.  

Evan has had to overcome his own set of obstacles and challenges in life. While he may not be “the strongest or fastest”, he is the most reliable young man I know.  He never misses an assignment, he’s always on time, and (remarkably) he remembers the exact dates and times of upcoming events, practices, tasks and assignments weeks and even months in advance of their arrival. I was able to witness the huge level of excitement and commitment that Evan exuded recently when he worked a temporary position at a large Sporting Goods Store here in the Minneapolis area. He was thrilled and put his whole heart and soul into the job. He has risen to every challenge put in front of him. I believe that is due to his own persistence, and due to the strong support of his outstanding family.  Evan has been a singular source of kindness, fellowship and unity in our ward. He serves others; and others very much want to help him.  Also, Evan’s sense of good fun and humor make immeasurable contributions within his peer group!

Evan is willing to try anything from stage musical productions to Football, Basketball, Track, and Wrestling. He jumps in whether it’s his personal “strong suit” or not. His peers have demonstrated how they feel about him by electing him as their homecoming king at Armstrong High School. I fully endorse Evan for a position at the bookstore.  Given his developmental disabilities, consideration will need to be given to placing him in a position that will be the right fit for his skills and abilities. I am happy to discuss that with you further if needed; I recommend Evan to you as a good person, who is reliable, dependable and as one who loves to work and would be an asset to your organization.

Sincerely,

Brad Taylor

HR Director

General Mills Inc.