Today's Featured Biography

 
Jeri Cary Christian

I finally started thinking about our reunion, so I asked Alexa to play the greatest hits of 1968 and 1969, and I started rocking out in the kitchen (Great music!), when a thought struck me. (A stroke a pure genius.)
“Wow! Times have really changed!” Laughing. Back when we were graduating, Roseburg had three radio stations in town, and the only rock station, KYES, went off the air at dusk— bearable during the summer, but 4:30 PM in December? Come on! I have no idea how many radio stations there are now, because I can just ask Alexa or Siri to find music for me. And who would’ve believed that 50 years ago? I was reading Brave New World and 1984 back then, but I sure never expected to live it. And yet, here we are...and if the world has changed that much, could it be possible that we have too? Never! I feel exactly the same! Sort of.... most days....
One of those changes for me –
Some of you remember my father, Russ Cary, had multiple sclerosis. He was in a wheelchair by 50, and quadriplegic by 60, running his chair with his chin. But those who knew him marveled at his courage and intelligence. He was a hero. I, on the other hand, am not a hero… So when I was diagnosed with MS myself, I’ll admit I cried at first – but then I made up my mind to see it as a blessing and my motto became Carpe Diem, seize the day. While it is true for all of us, I am far more aware than most that whatever I have today I may not have tomorrow; I had spent all those years bargaining with God that if only Dad could stay at this level, or this, or this…. Shortly after my diagnosis, my big sister Jackie was diagnosed with terminal cancer, and I left my teaching job for good to take care of her, and when she was gone, to take care of myself. I was free at a younger age to do some traveling.
Garrett and I had just booked our first world cruise in 2012, because we were doing everything we could while I could. On the Thanksgiving seven weeks before our departure, he had a heart attack, and was gone. Many of you have experienced the same kind of shock. There were no children, and I was desperate enough that I took those nonrefundable tickets and launched myself off on a four month cruise around the world.… by myself. I think of “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost a lot. I have no idea what my life would be now had I not taken that trip, but those of you that have seen me on Facebook have seen me go around and around the world, with all the wonderful friends I met during that first wretched time. The world is a beautiful place, and cruise ships can get me there and back safely. I am blessed.

So there you have it – the long story explaining why you will see me limping, or off-balance, or doing what I call “Jeri-dance-steps”, where I’m facing one way one minute and another way the next. I think I hid it pretty well at our 40th reunion. Heaven knows it’s nothing to be ashamed of, but we all like to look “normal.” And I always say, out of all of the countries that I’ve visited all over the world, my two favorite are Denial and Avoidance. I can turn my back on the things I can’t do, and rejoice in the wonderful things that I can. And every single step that I am walking past the age of 50 is a gift, a victory, a blessing. I know the alternative. My new favorite hobby, while traveling, is ballroom dance. Imagine my joy when I discovered that if someone held me in their arms, I could dance again. What a gift. Meanwhile, there’s no one here at home to see those Jeri-dance- steps, so I’ll ask Alexa to crank up the music again and dance in my kitchen to my heart’s content.

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And as for the rest, briefly: except when I moved to Welches, Oregon, and Phoenix, Arizona, to take care of my sister and mother respectively, I have lived right up the road in Eugene. 67 miles away, according to the road signs. I’ve lived there since I graduated from the University of Oregon – well, except for a year in Klamath Falls. I received my BA and MA degree from University of Oregon and added countless hours on top of that at the U of O and the University of Hawaii.Throughout my career, I taught English to junior high and high school students—so while I envy you your children and grandchildren, I stayed pretty busy teaching approximately 10,440 students during my 13 years Lincoln Junior High and 16 years at Thurston High School. I guess my mother was right when she said, “Just wait until you have teenagers!“ Later this summer, I’m invited to two 30 year class reunions and one 35th, from Cottage Grove and Thurston. Some of you remember Thurston High School because of the shooting. I taught Kip Kinkel’s sister, a wonderful young woman much like her two teacher parents, who were also friends of mine, and the first victims of their son Kip. It was a tough time.
In my spare time, I enjoy traveling, dancing, reading, writing poetry, swimming and snorkeling, gardening, choral singing, white water rafting, camping, Oregon duck games, the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, and pretty much any live theater or games or concerts.

My sweetheart and hero, Garrett, died at the age of 62, far too young. A political science major, he worked briefly in politics in Kentucky, then worked for the Miami Dade police department and was actually the basis for the character Sonny Crockett on Miami Vice, and then served his country in the CIA. After the real Black Hawk Down in Mogadishu, he suffered PTSD and political maneuvering led to him retiring to Oregon, where we met. He was a true national hero, as well as my personal hero.

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