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Today's Featured Biography
Roxanne Flores Zirkle
Aloha!
How fast it went from a 40 year reunion time to our 50th! This is my existing bio with an update at the end. Look forward to the reunion events this year!
The Summer of '74 I spent as an exchange student in Esfahan, Iran for about 2 1/2 months. I had no idea where it was, didn't know much about it and had barely enough time to get all the shots and arrangements made, much learn about my temporary home or anything about the people or language. It was one of the singularly most life-changing events I have experienced. I even learned some of the language and could write my name, which turns out, is Persian!! The impact of it all became more and more dramatic as the events unfolded when the Khomeini returned to Iran and everything seemed to explode there. My heart did break when I lost contact completely with my host family - I mourn that to this day. The importance of the experience is more and more emotional as world events transpire, for the great lesson I learned there is that we, as humans on the planet Earth, are all the same. The other lesson is that the most consistent news is BBC, here and abroad. You never hear what's really going on in other countries, even when the other country is the USA.
But, I digress- - - where was I?? Oh yeah! I returned to Grants Pass long enough, it seemed, to unpack, repack and head to the adventure known as college: OCE (now WOU) in Monmouth, Or. Big Plans, Big Fear, Big Unknown. . .and life was in full session. I began with, what I thought, was a pretty solid idea of what I wanted to do, then found other interesting classes, ideas, people, and some of it actually happened on campus! Art classes were one best discovery in school and the other was music. So many different people introduced me to so many different types of music. I fell in with guys who loved and built phenomenal stereos (my audiophiles) and my album collection grew and grew and grew. I would go to almost any lengths to get to a live concert!! Seattle, Portland, Eugene, Led Zeppelin, Queen, Tangerine Dream, Blue Oyster Cult, and lots more. I worked a lot through college and one job was a life model for art classes. My dearest piece of art is a pencil of me by one of the students that survived my life and is now matted and framed.
Eventually too much life, not enough studies became enough of a bummer that I decided to "take a break" and I landed a job in Salem as a Docket Clerk in the Office of the Legislative Counsel at the State Capitol(1979). Short job, but then I smoothly transitioned to a job in the Dept of Veterans Affairs for about 4 years. Our department was all women, all ages, and the boss was one of those great bosses I will never forget.
During the end of this time I was researching my roots and began a road trip south to Las Vegas, NV, and ending at Pahrump, NV. Me and my album collection!! I, who by now was thoroughly convinced that life was spent moving to a new, different place every 10 years (I lived 10 in CA, 10 in OR), lived in Pahrump from 1981 until 2005/6. The next 20+ years included (in no particular order) marrying long-time local boy Dave Z. in '83, racing offroad with him & his dad & pit crew, gardening, hydroplane races at Lake Mead, jet boating in Ash Meadows before pup fish were discovered, camping in the mtns in the midst of a lady bug hatching, snow boarding in the desert foothils and seeing tarantulas migrate across the desert.
Jobs included: Bartending, cooking, hostess at a brothel, veterinarian's asst., fireworks sales, hotel front desk/night auditor, bank teller (3x), Pit Gate "Broad" at a 1/4 mile oval dirt track (loved it!!), day care manager, "sand sweeper" on the set of the film "Hidalgo" (who woulda thought?), and I am sure there's more.
Life included my father-in-law passing 2 months before we married, attempt to adopt, food and art experiments with my 4 nephews & niece, my dad & mom visiting me in the desert, many holidays and outdoor BBQ's with many friends and their families, my father passing, major accident, major life change, my nephew-in-law's graduation from UNLV and marriage, my mother-in-law passing suddenly, my sisters oldest graduating from Middlebury and I finally getting to see Vermont, being available for my sis-in-law during her life's end.
It became evident the marriage was beginning to end and I was living on my own the end of 2002. From that bottom I could only go up. By a series of interesting events, including meeting Chris G., I landed a job with the National Park Service at Death Valley and was lucky enough to be able to live there!! Divorce finally final during those "Death Valley Days". I was living with Chris and feeling happy to be alive again, and I loved living in a desert that would not be encroached upon. I worked as a Visitor Use Assistant, the YCC coordinator, did administrative duties after the flash flood in 2006, then a permanent job in human resource with a wonderful, patient woman, Mary D., and a career in NPS began.
In early 2008 I took a chance at a job promotion at an iconic park and landed an HR specialist position at Yosemite NP. The offices were not IN the park, but pretty close. I did forget to think through a few things like (1) winter snow & cold, (2) poison oak, and (3) bears live there too. It is an awesome experience to work for and at a national park, to see it in phases that no average visitor gets too. All in all, Chris and I enjoyed our brief time living in El Portal and even considered buying a lot and a "mobile" house, literally. Chris was able to secure government housing, but the shortened daylight hours was more than I could handle, so I moved to Mariposa and lived there for the next 3 1/2 years. I loved living in Mariposa, found some savvy quilters to hang with, discovered Opera via "Live at the Met" satellite in our local theater house, and made some great friendships. One day I woke up & thought: Wait! Parents gone, niece & nephews & siblings all grown and able to travel. Remember that dream you dreamed a long time ago, Roxanne? You can live wherever you want!!
So the next life phase began. I checked out all kinds of jobs that I would be eligible for and able to perform, then checked out the locations and 'livability' factor. Late in 2012, I accepted a job in New Orleans, and a few days later, I was offered a job located on the Big Island, Hawaii. All my friends knew this to be a no brainer: Roxanne & Hawaii.
Jan 25,2013, after a whirlwind of gleaning my life's belongings with a crew of AMAZING friends, I stored what was left and me, 3 suitcases and my future flew one way west. It was lively, interesting, challenging, and what would life be without all of this? I LOVED living here, I loved visiting Pele, the volcano goddess, I love practically every part of this island I have been able to see, I love the people I have met and the Aloha, the Ohana, the flowers, the fruit, all of it.
Update: So, I was still in Hawaii in July,2021. I was on medical disability and a volunteer with the Red Cross. I was working remotely with a team that was responsible for filling the temporary housing needs for volunteers and impacted individuals. I was part of the crew finding temporary housing during the Oregon wildfires 2020.
On July 1, I received a call that my youngest sister was gravely ill so I returned to Grants Pass (where all of my siblings reside). The month of July was spent at the hospital, relocating my sister and managing her needs and affairs. It was apparent by the end of the month she would need continued support so I spent August in Hawaii doing all those activities associated with moving and I returned to Grants Pass the beginning of September 2021. Finding my current home was a tad exciting as I arrived here without any success with all the rental applications submitted. But at the end of my first week back, success! I have the perfect place - How happy I am for it.
I found a job at Winco and between that, my activities with and for my sister, my activities at GP Center for Spiritual Living and time spent on my favorite activity (sewing and quilting) I have a very full life.
I have reconnected with a few GPHS friends and I look forward to seeing those of you who are able to attend this year.
Mahalo & Thank You!!
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