Randy O'Connor

At my age, not too many jobs I haven't done !

My advanced education leads me to conclude I should have worked for someone else !

I moved to Chebanse from Kankakee in 1971 at the age of 15. I can only guess that my parents wanted to get us away from the city where there were drugs and constant race wars at Eastridge and East Junior. I had my credits at Eastridge but was 1/2 credit short at Central. Keith Reiger flunked me as soon as I stepped in the door. To this day I think he didn't want a "city hippie" in his school. Nor did others I was to find out ! I was not happy to leave my girlfriend and friends I grew up with, or to move out to the country far from all of them. I got angry because they flunked me, so I rebelled, went fishing, skipped school, took even more drugs, and flunked again, just as I should have. My Dad told me that I was setting a bad example for my younger brother and sisters and from that moment on, I switched gears. I never missed school anymore. I started teaching a night class in welding for KCC at Central in the evenings and would go to school in the day! I was and am still VERY embarrassed that I was to be in a class with kids 2 years younger than I was, not to mention my little brother was in that class!

It was time to graduate and I wouldn't participate in the ceremony because my brother's name, "Doug" would graduate ahead of me because "D" is before "R" in the alphabet. Ms. Mills would have no part of that and had the ceremony start from Z to A that year. She talked me into going to the ceremony, where I even got a standing ovation when my name was called. I stuck it out and finally after signing up for the "five year plan", graduated. So now I get invited to the '74,'75 and '76 class reunions !
I guess I would say that the message here is that sometimes it takes only a few words to change someones life. My Dad told me I was bad and I set out to prove to him that I was good !

Graduating ! (finally !)

hmmmmmm
Well I spent since 1974 to 2011 as a martial artist (night and day).
I have also spent the rest of the 24 hours running my welding business.

Not too much cooool stuff I haven't done.

Keep a smile on your face, be determined, always do the best you can, and above all, PRAY !

My advice to anyone, has always been, IF, you wanted to succeed at anything. Be determined, work hard, do the best you can, keep a smile on your face, never treat anyone as though you are better than they are, and above all keep God and His Son Jesus in your heart.
But now days no one has even heard of God, nor do they have any goals or want to succeed at anything !
I suppose now days I would advise others to "pray" and keep very close to Jesus, because if this country and the rest of the world doesn't straighten up - soon - we are toast ! and He will be the ONLY thing you have !

I always liked fishing. I actually don't really think it is the fishing part that attracts me. I think it's an excuse to be out in the wilderness. I can just sit along the river in awe of what we have been blessed with.
Problem is, I never got to go much (although did plenty of it when i was supposed to be in high school) because i work so much. but have restructured my entire life the past year (since obama got re-elected) and have plans on going fishing, often, for the rest of my life. starting any week now !

That I am really not the bad guy everyone thinks I am !
:)

anything intelligent.

I would sure like to have my Dad back. There are NO words to describe how much I miss him.

I am VERY thankful to Carol and ALL of the others that help her with this page and the reunions. It is an enormous undertaking and probably a thankless project. As reserved as I have became in my old age, am reluctant to go to anything anymore! But almost feel obligated to go to these reunions just because of all of the hard work they do to put them together. My mom couldn't even get me to go next door for Christ-mas!