Ruminations On A Life

Starting in Shawnee, Oklahoma, in 1938 and ending in Dime Box, Texas, this is the story of a journey through 75 years – so far – in the life of an Oklahoma Hills hillbilly.
During Mr. Scott's 1st 3 years, his parents moved 3 times, which he claims set the pattern for his rather nomadic style of living.
From 1944 through the summer of 1955, Richard lived on a 3-acre plot of land some 2+ miles west of Wewoka, Oklahoma. His tales of country living during the 1940's and 1950's are as educational as they are entertaining.
After attending the Wewoka public schools 12 years, where he was a 3-sport athlete during all 4 years of high school, Richard went to Abilene Christian College on a full football scholarship, where, as he puts it, he majored in football.
Graduating in August, 1960 by retaking 2 courses by correspondence, Mr. Scott taught middle school science one year in Mountainside, New Jersey.
He returned to Texas in 1961 and taught high school sciences, coached tennis and football, drove a school bus, and was chairman of the science department three years.
During this time, he married the love of his life, Esther Wright, a farm girl from outside Beeville, Texas. They have three children; Richard, Jr., Rhonda, and Roxie. All are married' Rhonda has three sons.
Another year teaching chemistry in Amityville, New York was followed by a year preaching for a small church in Thyatira, Mississipi. The ending to this year was exciting, to be brief and conservative.
Returning to Long Island, New York, Mr. Scott taught high school chemistry six years, then returned again to Texas. Hed taught junior high science a single semester in 1972 before joining the Whataburger company for a short time.
Two years were spent in Tulsa, Oklahoma, before being “let go” by a Mexican restaurant.
Whataburger took him back in late 1974 and he stayed in the hamburger business until being “let go” in mid-1977.
Returning to teaching, he taught middle school life science and earth science five years, then moved into districtwide administration as school bus department director for thirteen years. He retired in June, 1995.
In his retirement years, he delivered hotshot deliveries throughout Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and New Mexico, then began a career of substitute teaching for high school sciences that lasted until March of 2007, interrupted by cancer surgery in February, 2000.
A move out of the greater Houston, Texas, area to a beautiful two-acre location in the countryside between Austin and College Station, Texas, occurred in early 2008. A stroke seriously affected his life in October, 2008.
His month-long stay in a hospital in Austin, Texas, and his conflicts with nurses during the stay, is a tale worth the price of the book itself.
Mr. Scott is – according to him – 70% recovered, with some disability remaining on his left side. He walks with a cane most of the time, and a four-wheel walker with a built-in seat for all day and half day functions. His attitude remains positive. He thanks God for blessing his life with immense blessings and looks forward to whatever lies in front of him.