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This book is to inspire you to share your talents and unique gifts so you will become an instrument of hope in this fast-changing world, to impart a concept or two that might lift you to higher ground.
Citation preview
A treasure trove of stories, practical wisdom and Susan Volkmann’s exquisite art. Heroes and Hope delivers inspiration on every page.
Leon McKinney shares how love, family, and simple but powerfulstories of overcoming great adversity can inspire one to hopefulliving in almost any circumstance.
As a lifelong teacher, high school instrumental and choral director, youth baseball and basketball coach, and adult educator, his keen observations about living joyfully in the middle of the most diffi cult situations are truly uplifting. 90% of his author proceeds will be contributed to H.O.P. E a nonprofi t program dedicated to helping kids pursue education and 10% to other charities of his choice.
Heroes and Hope is an all occasion inspiration for worldweary souls...a joyful confi rmation of the good the world has to offer. Mr. McKinney’s ability to fi nd the humor and happiness in the hard times of life is inspiring!
—Steve Rizzo, Speaker Hall of Fame Inductee,author of Becoming a Humor Being.
This wonderful collection of wisdom and inspiration leads the reader on a journey of rediscovery. In Heroes and Hope, Leon McKinney takes us back to rediscover those timeless principles that have guided individuals to great success and reinspires us with wonderfully positive messages and memories.
—Dr. Rich McBride, Superintendent,North Central Washington
Educational Service DistrictWenatchee, Washington.
A WORK OF HEART ...A TESTAMENT TO HEARTFELT LIVING
www.TendrilPress.com303.696.9227
SELFHELP / Motivational & Inspirational
Book Design & Cover by A J Images, Inc.
Heroes Case CoverREV.indd 1 5/11/10 9:28 AM
HEROES and HOPE
Heroes & Hope Book.indb 1 5/4/10 5:54 PM
The Cover
The cover picture symbolizes far more than initially
meets the eye. After reading author “Skinny” McKinney’s
hope-fi lled stories, you will treasure each detail in the
artistic representations that underscore deep truths re-
vealed in the lives of the heroes you are about to meet.
Susan Volkmann’s captivating cover invites you to open
the book and examine each chapter to fi nd the next key
that opens the door to empowering stories, ideas, tips,
and tools to lead life on higher ground. The combination
of her pictorial illustrations and “Skinny” McKinney’s ver-
bal stardust is sheer magic. Each chapter is a teaching tool
designed by McKinney, an inspirational educator and mo-
tivator, to lead you toward a life centered in hope and joy.
Read, learn, grow, and offer this book as a gift to a friend
in search of hope.
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HEROES and HOPE
Inspirirational Themesfor
Challenging Times
Leon E. McKinney
With contributions byPaul Lundborg and Susan Volkmann
Illustrations bySusan Volkmann
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Heroes and Hope: Inspirational � emes for Challenging TimesCopyright © 2010 by Leon McKinneyAll Rights Reserved
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of Tendril Press and Leon McKinney. e material in this book is furnished for informational use only and is subject to change without notice. Tendril Press assumes no responsibility for any errors or inaccuracies that may appear in the documents contained in this book.
Library of Congress Control Number 2010927863ISBN: 978-0-9841543-9-5 Hard Cover
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 First Publishing: 2010Manufactured in the United states of America on acid free paper
Author Photo by: Chris RobertsParsons Photography, www.parsonsphotography.com
Published by Tendril Press™PO Box 441110Aurora, CO 80044303.696.9227
Art Direction, Book and Cover DesignCopyright © 2010. by A J Images, Inc., All Rights Reserved
A. J. Business Design & Publishing Center, Inc.A. J. Images, Inc. Communication [email protected] — 303•696•9227
Heroes & Hope Book.indb 4 5/4/10 5:54 PM
To “Blue Eyes,”
for all the joy since May 23, 1958.
With thanks, for our children
and grandchildren,
who give us both joy and hope for the future.
And gratitude for such amazing parents,
Harry & Ruby McKinney
for the example of care they displayed
in providing my special-needs sister, Darlene,
such a life of love and devotion.
And to the Creator of All
who provides us with grace upon grace.
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Education is the most powerful weapon
which you can useto change the world.
—Nelson Mandela
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ContentsAknowledgements ..................................................................................... ix
Introduction .................................................................................................xi
The Stomping BootsWhen Hopes Are Trampled ...................................................................... 1
The Boomerang Principle:Fling Hope into the World ......................................................................11
From Ruts to Rainbows ...........................................................................21
The Three Balloons–Paradigm for a Joyful Day ..............................31
The Battery Charger ..................................................................................43
Humor Beings™ ..........................................................................................53
Life is a Two-Reeler ...................................................................................61
The Treasure M.A.P ....................................................................................69
The Butterfl y Concept .............................................................................83
The Apple or the Whip? ...........................................................................95
Be a Good Looker ...................................................................................101
The Gift .......................................................................................................109
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HEROES and HOPE
viii
The True Friend .........................................................................................119
Heroes: Four Who Wheel with Hope ................................................129
Verbal Stardust .........................................................................................145
The Legacy ..................................................................................................161
The Final Resting Place ..........................................................................171
Conclusion ................................................................................................179
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Acknowledgements:
To the synergy and mystery of the “team” work.
Particularly to Paul Lundborg and Susan Volkmann.
When the little voice of negativity might pop up, it was
drowned out with the encouragement and inspired work
of their collaboration.
To Rachel Findlay for reading and transcribing my
chicken scratchings into comprehensible text.
To Joe Anderson, a hero of helping kids for almost four
decades, for sharing some of his wisdom.
And to Bonnie, for her smile of “go for it” in the midst
of wondering what this nut’s up to now!
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Introduction
This book is to inspire you to share your talents and
unique gifts so you will become an instrument of hope in
this fast-changing world, to impart a concept or two that
might lift you to higher ground.
As a life-long educator, I enjoy helping people learn. I
hope that whatever wisdom I have gleaned from four de-
cades of helping others through my personal and profes-
sional relationships can be imparted through the power
of images, simple language, and practical tools and tips
for life.
Each chapter includes a story and a picture to reinforce
hope. What you see in the image will connect to the story,
and together, the foundational concepts will integrate
Heroes & Hope Book.indb 11 5/4/10 5:54 PM
HEROES and HOPE
xii
more strongly in your life, helping you move to joy-filled
and hopeful living. I’ve also included some tips and tools
at the end of each chapter to help you apply these con-
cepts in your life. I hope you find the marvelous Susan
Volkmann’s illustrations as delightful and inspirational as
I do. Many of these concepts are very simple and can be
understood and shared by children, parents, and grand-
parents alike.
Project H.O.P.E. (Help Our kids Pursue Education) is a
fund-raising project I launched in my home community
of East Wenatchee, Washington, that provides financial as-
sistance to first-year college students entering Wenatchee
Valley College. So far, Project H.O.P.E. has raised over
$145,000 for these students, and I’m pledging to invest
90% of the profits from the sales of this book back into
Project H.O.P.E. I want my legacy to be one of promoting
hope and joy in people’s lives, and Project H.O.P.E. is one
way for me to realize that dream. The other 10% of the
proceeds will be divided among Habitat for Humanity, to
Heroes & Hope Book.indb 12 5/4/10 5:54 PM
provide homes for families; the YWCA, to assist battered
women; and to Special Olympics, to promote health and
self-esteem among our disabled citizens.
I wish joyful living for all, and I hope this book will in-
spire joy in you.
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Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.
—Steven Kloves, Harry Potter and
the Prisoner of Azkaban (movie)
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The Stomping Boots:
When Hopes are Trampled
One of my fi rst experiences of fear hit me as I watched
black-and-white newsreels of Hitler’s stiff-armed soldiers
goose-stepping down the avenue. Even now, decades
later, I remember hoping the German Führer and his boot-
stomping fanatics would never rule the world. We defeated
the Nazis, but the stomping boots of life continue their
march.
Life often stomps on us like that. The phone rings.
There’s a knock at the door. The doctor tells us to sit down.
The news arrives unexpectedly and it is not good. Some-
times it is an accumulation of our habits that bring on a
desperate situation. Sometimes, life just deals us a blow.
Stomp, stomp, stomp—we’re down with no hope of rising.
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HEROES and HOPE
2
It has now been more than thirty years since M. Scott
Peck began his best-selling book, The Road Less Traveled,
with these memorable words: “Life is difficult.” Could it
be that the reason so many bought and read his book is
that Peck named a fundamental fact that many of us hate
to admit but know to be true? His audience probably in-
cluded many of the middle and upper class Americans
who are not hungry and poor, but who have still felt the
pain of lost opportunities, broken relationships, illnesses,
addictions, and accidents. Darkness will work its way into
everyone’s life at one time or another, and many of us
won’t cope well. We mistakenly assume that we are en-
titled to blue skies and sunny days forever; however, life is
difficult, and the stomping boots will catch up to us all. At
such times, it is easy to wallow in life’s muck, but we can
choose a different response.
Every life has its ruts and times of quiet desperation.
Many have experienced the mountaintop—feeling on top
of the world—only to discover that for every magnificent
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The Stomping Boots:When Hopes are Trampled
3
peak, there are two valleys, one on either side. Life’s di-
verse landscape of valleys, plains, and peaks resembles a
Ferris wheel. We must enjoy the view from the top while it
lasts because we know we’ll sometimes hit bottom.
My mother grew up in the midst of twin stomping
boots: the Oklahoma dust bowl of the mid 1930s and the
peak of the Great Depression. Her family was desperately
poor, but so was everyone else. One day, when she was
thirteen years old, while skipping home from school, she
saw a neighbor mother sitting by the road, weeping. The
woman had five children and was two weeks from deliver-
ing her sixth.
While her husband was looking for work in town, their
mortgage-holder had arrived and evicted them from their
home. They had no money, nowhere to go.
My mother, Ruby Jewel Duff, rushed home, blurted
out the desperate details to her mom, and tearfully asked
where Dad was. Even as she told of the neighbors’ plight,
her dad had started hitching up his large farm wagon with
a team of horses.
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HEROES and HOPE
4
Soon he returned with the neighbor mother and all her
children. My mother, her younger brother, and her parents
moved into one of their home’s bedrooms and gave the
other to the evicted family. Together they lived off a small
garden and raised chickens for meat and eggs. It did not
take long for other neighbors to pitch in and help. A local
farmer and some neighbors built them a place to stay by
converting a small shed into a short-term home until they
were able to get back on their feet.
I was touched to hear of this tender side of my grand-
father, as the man I knew, William Jefferson Davis Duff,
was a hard-working, hard-drinking ironworker. He helped
build Boulder Dam, fell and broke his back, recovered,
and went up to Washington to work on the mighty Grand
Coulee Dam. Inside that tough, battered body was a ten-
der heart ready to help others who suffered under the
stomping boots of difficult times.
“That’s not fair!” Whenever I uttered this lament as a
child, my mother’s response was always “Oh, did you get
Heroes & Hope Book.indb 4 5/4/10 5:55 PM
The Stomping Boots:When Hopes are Trampled
5
that fairness guarantee written on your birth certificate—
that life was fair? It was missing on mine.”
By now, many have heard of Randy Pausch and the
world famous video The Last Lecture. At age forty-seven,
when his future should have been wide open, he was di-
agnosed with pancreatic cancer—an unbeatable nemesis.
Talk about unfair! He came to terms with this aggressive
cancer and realized he had to play the hand he had been
dealt. In his heartfelt lecture, he described some of his les-
sons learned: he had begun to realize his daily blessings,
he acknowledged how vital it is to always tell the truth,
and he affirmed his need to apologize for whatever hurts
he had caused. He was a teacher, so he used the platform
of his classroom to teach his students these lessons for
life. His video-taped lecture has been seen by millions on
YouTube, a testament to the hunger in our world, even
among young people, for inspiration to help us confront
the stomping boots of life.
Yes, life is unfair. “Life is difficult.” If you’re like me, even
though you have a roof over your head and you haven’t
Heroes & Hope Book.indb 5 5/4/10 5:55 PM
HEROES and HOPE
6
missed a meal in a long time, you still wonder why mil-
lions go to bed hungry, why babies are born as drug ad-
dicts or HIV positive, why everyone can’t just get along.
Even though the world is still full of pessimism, fear,
and despair, some might say it is the greatest time in hu-
man history to be alive. Look at the improvements: we’ve
wiped out small pox and polio, women can vote and even
run for president, and 70% of the countries in the world
have some form of democracy.
It is hard to imagine anyone facing more stomping boot
experiences than our sixteenth president. If your heart has
ever been shattered, you might identify with him. He lost
a brother in his early years, and even more devastating was
the death of his beloved mother when he was only nine.
His father, a harsh man, objected to Abraham Lincoln’s
love of literature: he felt a strapping young man ought to
spend his time working on the farm.
Early in his presidency, on February 20th, 1862, Lincoln’s
beloved son, Willie, died at age eleven. This tragedy sent
Heroes & Hope Book.indb 6 5/4/10 5:55 PM
The Stomping Boots:When Hopes are Trampled
7
his wife into a mental decline from which she never fully
recovered, and yet Abraham Lincoln summoned the cour-
age to lead this country from the precipice of breaking
apart back to unity. Like most heroes, who find something
more important than themselves to help transcend the
daily challenges of life, he dedicated all his energy toward
saving the Union. As I write this, untold heroes are surfac-
ing to help in the Haiti disaster through time, resources,
finances, boots on the ground, and prayer. Lincoln turned
his attention from his broken heart to helping the nation.
The road out of tragedy is many times paved with altruis-
tic efforts.
When we accept that life is difficult, unfair, and chal-
lenging at best, that everyone’s story includes more than
a few rough patches, I believe we can improve our daily
journey when we ask empowering questions with a posi-
tive focus. Some questions to consider asking yourself:
How can I make a difference for someone else?
To whom do I owe an apology?
Heroes & Hope Book.indb 7 5/4/10 5:55 PM
HEROES and HOPE
8
Am I holding any grudges? Is it time I forgive?
How can I be more loving today?
These questions lead us toward a path of gratitude and
service and give us greater energy, joy, and hope for the
future, even in a stomping-boot world.
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The Stomping Boots:When Hopes are Trampled
9
Tips:View The Last Lecture on YouTube.com by Randy Pausch
or read the book of the same title.
Read the 46th Psalm. (Martin Luther wrote the hymn
A Mighty Fortress is our God based on this text.)
Tools:The Last Lecture, Randy Pausch & Jeffrey Zaslow
Safe in the Shepherd’s Arms, Max Lucado
The Road Less Traveled, M. Scott Peck
Heroes & Hope Book.indb 9 5/4/10 5:55 PM
About the Author
The principles Leon McKinney
gleaned from twenty five years of
teaching and a lifetime of experi-
ences in an incredible family are
powerful indeed. His stories of overcoming great diversity
can motivate one to live positively in almost any circum-
stance. The inspiration he received from watching his par-
ents’ struggles and triumphs in raising his special needs
sister shaped his life. Add to these his keen observations
about living joyfully in the middle of the most difficult situ-
ations, and you have a hint of the empowering words he
brings to readers of Heroes and Hope.
Founder of H.O.P.E., a non profit program dedicated to
helping kids pursue education through community-sup-
ported scholarships, McKinney walks the walk by reaching
out to young people with hope for a better future. H.O.P.E.
stands for Help Our Kids Pursue Education. The “K” is missing
Heroes & Hope Book.indb 181 5/4/10 6:14 PM
because H.O.P.E.’s goal is to bring in the kids who are left
out by doing everything possible to help students who
want more education but lack the financial resources to
take the first steps.
McKinney earned a BA in Education and a Masters in
Music Education from Central Washington State Univer-
sity. After teaching music for four years at Pateros schools,
he taught for 21 Years at Eastmont High School and served
as the Director of Music for the Eastmont Schools. Since
retiring from education, he has worked in insurance and in-
vestment, where he is a leading agent and mentor for New
York Life. He is a Life member of Million Dollar Round-
table, an organization of the top five percent in the U. S.
insurance industry. He spent 12 years as board member
of the NCW Community Foundation and has served as its
Vice President. Leon was honored as the friend of the year
of Wenatchee Valley College in 2006. He and his wife Bon-
nie have four adult children: Jeff, Brent, Christy, and Brian
Heroes & Hope Book.indb 182 5/4/10 6:14 PM
About the Illustrator
Susan Volkmann has been at the drawing board since
the age of 5. After a circuitous route of attending college,
graduating with a biology degree, and then working as a
cytologist, she returned to art school and to her original
passion. Shortly afterward, she and her husband moved
away from the Midwest and were blessed with three chil-
dren. Despite the distractions of raising a family and man-
aging their small ranch, she found the time to draw and
paint. The artwork found in Heroes and Hope is a culmina-
tion of 3 years of research, collaboration, and inspiration.
The illustrations are her fi rst to be published. Susan owes
the completion of her work in no small part to the author,
Heroes & Hope Book.indb 183 5/4/10 6:14 PM
Leon McKinney. It was Leon’s gift for motivating all he
meets with his vision, his indefatigable enthusiasm, and
his “can do” spirit which ultimately inspired her to pursue
a lifelong dream and career as a professional illustrator.
Heroes & Hope Book.indb 184 5/4/10 6:14 PM
What People are Saying
Heroes and Hope is a testament to heartfelt living. A treasure trove of stories, practical wisdom and Susan Volkmann’s exquisite art. Heroes and Hope delivers inspiration on every page.
—Mr. Mike Armstrong, State Representative,12th district of Washington State.
...a work of a gentle and caring spirit! The book is a wonderful life recipe to not only share with students and children but those we meet and work with in everyday life. Add to his heartfelt words the work he and this book continue to do to get students into college and it is just that much more inspiring to all who read it.
—Jim Richardson, Ph.D.,President, Wenatchee Valley College
This wonderful collection of wisdom and inspiration leads the reader on a journey of rediscovery. In Heroes and Hope, Leon McKinney takes us back to rediscover those timeless principles that have guided individuals to great success and reinspires us with wonderfully positive messages and memories.
—Dr. Rich McBride, Superintendent,North Central Washington Educational Service District
Wenatchee, Washington.
Heroes & Hope Book.indb 185 5/4/10 6:14 PM
New Releases and Top Sellersfrom Tendril Press
Tendril Press, LLC, is an Independent Press,publishing thought provoking, educational, inspirational and
humanitarian books for adults and children.Our highly-selective process is paying off, with multiple
award-winning books and an accepted entry for the Pulitzer PrizeWe are changing lives worldwide, one book at a time.
Visit us often at www.TendrilPress.com
For Quantity orders of any title please call
303.696.9227
Heroes & Hope Book.indb 186 5/4/10 6:14 PM
A treasure trove of stories, practical wisdom and Susan Volkmann’s exquisite art. Heroes and Hope delivers inspiration on every page.
Leon McKinney shares how love, family, and simple but powerfulstories of overcoming great adversity can inspire one to hopefulliving in almost any circumstance.
As a lifelong teacher, high school instrumental and choral director, youth baseball and basketball coach, and adult educator, his keen observations about living joyfully in the middle of the most diffi cult situations are truly uplifting. 90% of his author proceeds will be contributed to H.O.P. E a nonprofi t program dedicated to helping kids pursue education and 10% to other charities of his choice.
Heroes and Hope is an all occasion inspiration for worldweary souls...a joyful confi rmation of the good the world has to offer. Mr. McKinney’s ability to fi nd the humor and happiness in the hard times of life is inspiring!
—Steve Rizzo, Speaker Hall of Fame Inductee,author of Becoming a Humor Being.
This wonderful collection of wisdom and inspiration leads the reader on a journey of rediscovery. In Heroes and Hope, Leon McKinney takes us back to rediscover those timeless principles that have guided individuals to great success and reinspires us with wonderfully positive messages and memories.
—Dr. Rich McBride, Superintendent,North Central Washington
Educational Service DistrictWenatchee, Washington.
A WORK OF HEART ...A TESTAMENT TO HEARTFELT LIVING
www.TendrilPress.com303.696.9227
SELFHELP / Motivational & Inspirational
Book Design & Cover by A J Images, Inc.
Heroes Case CoverREV.indd 1 5/11/10 9:28 AM