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From Bruce Ray (9/29/04):
I’ve been asked what I’ve been
up to. Well, actually I’ve tried lots of vastly different things since
1979: some interesting, some not-so-interesting, some inexplicable, some
physically very difficult, some absolutely satisfying, and each thing
educational in its own little way.
After graduating from James A.
Garfield, I worked at Harrison Machine & Plastic in Hiram. I tried
attending Kent State University in spring of 1980 but only lasted a
semester - it just wasn't the right time for me. I continued working at
Harrison Machine and then in early 1981 found work in Ravenna at the
Kenmore Research Company (which, as Scott Phelps will tell you, is part of
Swagelok). The utter monotony of that lasted for about a year and a half.
I then quit to focus on my dream, which was to make music. I played lead
guitar in band called Fast Forward, which was one of those
typical, run-of-the-mill “Top 40” rock bands that were far too numerous at
that time. It wasn’t exactly what I wanted, but it was all I could get at
that particular time. While it was undeniably fun for a spell, after just
over a year I decided for various reasons - my girlfriend among them - not
to pursue that any further. I opted instead to buckle down and work at Bil-Mar
Foods. I stayed put for 4-1/2 years and was a production line leader in
the Instant Quick-Frozen (IQF) chicken and turkey section. Looking back,
that seems utterly strange to me! That said, I did meet a few exceptional
folks there, not the least of which was Human Resources Director Gladys
Vancura, whom you all know as Barry’s mother. Gladys was one of the nicest
people I’ve ever known. Sadly, she passed away last year. She will
definitely be missed.
During 1984-85 I discovered a
love for flight and airplanes of all shapes and sizes, so I took flying
lessons with an eye on getting a private pilot’s license. I did a lot of
flight training and had spent a sizable chunk of my hard-earned Bil-Mar
dollars on both practice flights and FAA exams, but I eventually decided
to give up on all of that. In retrospect, I think breaking up with my
fiancée had a role in that decision.
I had been engaged to Debbie
Ruffing for nearly a year in 1985 when we called it quits. We’d been
dating for nearly five years by that time but had not really made any
definite plans to get married. Frankly, I wasn’t ready for marriage then,
though I wasn’t willing to admit that to myself. We’d both been sort of
aimlessly drifting. Breaking up was tough for me at first, and for a while
I lost interest in flying and other activities I’d been doing up until
then. Eventually, though, I realized that it was the right step if either
of us were to move on in life. I basically just kicked around without any
focus for the next couple of years. (Apparently, it was a skill that I’d
refined rather well over the course of half a decade.) Debbie met and
eventually married her current husband John and continues to be very
successful in her flower business. They are the proud parents of an
adorable daughter.
During the fall of 1987, the
need for mental stimulation came calling loudly, so it was back to KSU in
the evenings for some night classes. And boy, was I ever ready! Needless
to say, I did very well because I was hungry for it. At that point, I
longed to go to school full-time. The problem was how.
As fate would have it, out of
the blue an army recruiter called up and asked if I’d be interested in
coming to Ravenna and hearing about the possibilities of an army career.
Not really being the military sort, I was VERY skeptical at first, but
soon I realized that not only did I have nothing to lose but also that I
could get the money necessary for attending university. I signed on for
four years beginning in 1988 and ended up training as a Korean linguist
(not my choice) in the intelligence field. I spent a year learning
the Korean language in both San Francisco and Monterey, California and
then got assigned to Korea in January 1990. That first year was very hard
physical work; nevertheless, I enjoyed Korea so much that I asked to stay
an additional year. While in the service, I also took a number of credit
courses through University of Maryland.
When I got out of the army in
early 1992, I turned right around and came back to Korea to try to find
work. Out of nowhere a warrant officer I knew from before suggested that I
try teaching English. I discovered that I loved teaching, and over the
course of three years I taught in various locations in Korea. At the end
of 1994 I decided to come back to the U.S. to finish my education. I
entered KSU again in 1995 – 15 years after my first attempt! – and using
the money I’d earned through my military service, I finally earned
my bachelor’s degree in December 1996. I then continued on at KSU for my
master’s degree in Teaching English as a Second Language. After getting
that in 1999, it was off to try new territory in Taipei, Taiwan, where I
wound up teaching at a fairly prestigious private middle & high school.
That I did for just over a year and was in Taiwan when the major
earthquake hit on September 21, 1999. We were lucky in Taipei, but
unfortunately central Taiwan was not, and 2,300 poor souls lost their
lives. That experience, plus the unending extreme heat and humidity,
forced me to realize that Taiwan was just not the place for me. Thus, in
August of 2000 I returned to Korea and worked for three years teaching
Tourism English at a junior college in the southern coastal city of Masan.
Until last year, I was the
seeming confirmed “bachelor for eternity.” However, at the tender age of
42, I met the most wonderful young lady named Shin-young Kim while still
teaching at the college. Yes, she was my student, but as soon as we
realized that we were in love and cared for each other she opted to leave
the school. I met her parents, and to the surprise of both of us they
agreed to our relationship and eventual marriage. I opted to change
schools before tying the knot and managed to snag a much better position
at my current post at Hallym University in the city of Chuncheon. We got
married at the U.S Embassy in Seoul on August 21, 2003 just before I
started to work in my new position. Shin-young accompanied me to Ohio this
past January where she met my parents and family, and despite some truly
awful weather we had a very small but warm private ceremony to confirm our
vows for all of them. Currently, my beautiful wife Shin-young and I live
in a modest school-subsidized apartment in a relatively quiet part of
Chuncheon. After just over a year of marriage, I can say with confidence
that I made the right decision in waiting so long.
I’d love to hear from anyone
who wishes to correspond. Thanks for taking the time to wade through this
novella!
e-mail:
abray20012001@yahoo.com
Bruce, Thanks for the
Pictures and the nice update. I hope our paths cross someday soon. Good
Luck!!!
Scott |
