WHAT’S BEEN HAPPENING TO JOHN WATKINS

After making a planned escape from Acalanes, Diablo Valley College offered an enjoyable two years before landing in the electrical engineering department at Cal Berkeley. A not entirely enjoyable two year interlude in the U. S. Navy preceded my Cal internment, providing me with the opportunity to see foreign lands and the lower rungs of American humanity. After graduation the fun started with an engineering job designing toys for physicists at the Lawrence Radiation Lab in Berkeley and with continued study at Cal to complete a master’s degree. Liberal but naïve political beliefs were radicalized by associating with bright politically active friends and a stint in CORE picketing auto row and participating in other activities to fight racial discrimination. Marriage and children were not upper most in my mind at this time but love relationships were wonderful in the days of free love and monogamous cohabitation. 9 years in engineering, relationships, travel and eye opening experiences, including sampling psychedelics and marijuana, coalesced into a desire to work with people rather than electronic devices. Three years at San Francisco State provided a master’s degree in psychology followed by a half-time school psychology position in the Oakland schools and half-time work in an Oakland community mental health clinic. A penchant for avoiding full-time work led to more study to obtain a Ph.D. in psychology and a still born attempt at private practice.

Life continued to be very rewarding with several more opportunities for travel to various parts of the globe. A chance meeting with Diane Robertson of modern dance fame at Acalanes, who returned to the Bay Area after a dance career back east, offered dance lessons in one of her classes and then to years of amateur jazz ballet classes. In one of these classes I met my present wife. Barbara wanted 2 children in contrast to my choice of none. A compromise led to the birth of our son who is now 13 years of age and a source of much happiness. Having Miles late in life offers the experience of both fatherhood and, due to creaky joints and other rewards of age, grand-fathering. The relationship with my twin brother has broadened over the years in part due to sharing college studies, military service and a men’s group that has evolved into a mountain bike riding group. This improvement has reached the point that on rare occasions he will accept my opinions. Rental property acquired in the 70’s and 80’s has allowed for only partial retirement, offering continued duties as a maintenance man, tenant problem facilitator and panhandler begging for rent due. The blessing of good health, the perfect wife, an adorable kid, good friends, adequate wealth and good memories (not memory) incline me to feel very fortunate.