Open-Door Policy

I looked down at my torso wondering if there was blood showing.  I couldn’t see any.  That caused me to be even more confused than I already was.  There was nothing visibly wrong with me.  But, somehow, this man, Ron Green could see the wounds that were not seeable by others.

At the time I met him, his ability to see me, the real me, was inexplicable.  Today, forty-four years later it is still something of a personal mystery.  But I have come to be at peace with it, because of his seemingly divine dimension of great wisdom, loving kindness and appreciation for all creation. He taught me, and all those he came into contact with, to fish, to be “fishers of people.” This created a legacy that will remain in my heart, as well as in the hearts of all those he coached throughout his life.

And, coach he did.  His first coaching job was at Twin Pines Rehabilitation School for Boys in Idyllwild, CA. He head-coached all sports, taught 5 math, geometry, and science classes, and was director of counseling. His inaugural coaching year was the first time Twin Pines had ever won its football league and entered the CIF finals. The football team played the entire season without being scored on.  Later, he embarked on his own business venture, “Success Motivation Institute,” and signed on with College of the Desert where he was the first director of counseling and golf coach.  That’s where I met him.

I say met him, but I really met his whole family.  We spent a lot of time together from the moment we met.  They all intrigued me!  I didn’t know there were such people on the planet.  They were happy, giving, accepting and healing.  They made me want to become like them.  They made me want to be a part of them.  And, to my delight they invited and welcomed me into their family.

Since that time, we’ve rejoiced together and we’ve also cried together when the occasion called for it.  And is one of those times, as beloved husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather, teacher, counselor, coach and friend, Charles Ronald Green, Sr., transitioned from our lives. As was his way, he passed away while visiting family.  It was his last way of coaching us.  His door was open right up to his last moments of life.

His real talent was his ability to open a door into the hearts of others.  That’s what he did for me.  He opened the door into my heart, saw the wounds there and immediately set about to help heal them.

When I first met him, I looked down at my torso wondering if there was blood showing.  I couldn’t see any.  That caused me to be even more confused than I already was.  There was nothing visibly wrong with me.  But, somehow, this man, Ron Green could see the wounds that were not seeable by others.

At the time I met him, his ability to see me, the real me, was inexplicable.  Today, forty-four years later it is still something of a personal mystery.  But I have come to be at peace with it, because of his seemingly divine dimension of great wisdom, loving kindness and open-door policy.

A policy that opened the door into to his life as well as the door into the lives of those he came into contact with.