Page 64 - Senior Link Magazine Spring 2018 - Online Magazine

HONORING SENIORS
2 2

Senior Senior

Never Too

Late to

Change

by Nathan Cantu

ome might think that John is, “When the pain of staying the same
Russell is the typical grandfather outweighs the pain of change, you’ll
Sto his kids and grandchildren, change.” His life is a perfect example
but if that person had even a short of that.
conversation with him, they would
know that isn’t the case at all. I Even from an early age, John lived by
feel like, in more ways than one, the rule of changing your situation if
“stubborn” is a good word to describe you don’t like it. After growing up
John Russell, but that word does in Lubbock, Texas for most of his life,
not begin to give him enough credit. at age nineteen, he decided to move
While that is true, and “stubborn” is to California. He was joined by his
definitely one of his characteristics, new wife, Sugar. Now, most people
a better word to describe him would choose either to have children and
be “persistence”. He is a man who then go to college or vice versa. John
never settles for anything except what decided to do both. While attending
he wants. He lives by the mentality seminary school in California, he was
of, “If you want something to change, simultaneously raising three kids,
or if you’re not happy with your taking care of Sugar, consistently support his young family, he is the
situation, then change it. It’s never too making necessary changes to the owner of his own business, has reared
late to change.” One of his life quotes house, and usually working two or four extremely independent kids, has
three jobs. Persistence was and is part
of his mentality, driving his work many beautiful grandchildren whom
ethic. Even though he was almost he has the opportunity to love and
worked to death, he was doing what support, and is able to give the love
he needed to in order to change his his life, Sugar, the financially, worry-
situation. free life that they have worked so hard
for. When asked if he could ever see
Over his more than seventy years, himself as this successful when he was
John has changed careers three times. younger, he explained that, while this
Now, for most people, it would exact situation was unforeseeable, he
be hard to recover from that. Not always knew he would be successful
John. Fifty years later, after initially just because of his “never quit”
struggling to keep above water and attitude.

64 Lubbock Senior Link