A life well-lived
Everybody has a story.
Had it not been for his great-niece, we couldn’t have shared the one about Jimmy Rasel in last Sunday’s newspaper.
The 79-year-old Lone Pine man was beloved to all who met him, and Amanda McWreath knew it would resonate with readers. And not because he achieved great fame or fortune.
Jimmy led a simple, meaningful life filled with joy, kindness and love, Amanda told the newspaper’s Jen Garofalo.
“He was truly remarkable. Not just because of how long he lived, not just how many days he lived, but how he lived each day,” Amanda said.
Jimmy, among the oldest people in the world with Down syndrome, died March 15. Ironically, he was buried the day before World Down Syndrome Day. With a life expectancy of just 10 years, Jimmy had beaten the odds.
He was raised in a nurturing family whose parents “let him be who he was,” Amanda explained.
Before retiring, he worked at Arc Human Services in Washington, “never met a stranger” and celebrated birthdays like they were “national holidays.” He loved all things Elvis Presley – including a Christmas tree decorated exclusively with Elvis ornaments – and Hawaiian shirts.
“He was such a bright light in this world, and I would love to honor him this way,” she wrote on the article submission form on the newspaper’s website.
Some years ago – before telephone landlines were replaced by the ubiquitous cellphone – the newspaper produced the series, “Tales We Tell,” in which the subjects were selected at random through the once-chunky phone book. Surprisingly, most of the people we called were willing to chat and offered up amusing anecdotes. Among them were a couple who traveled cross-country by motorcycle on back roads in order to meet the locals; a feminist with a penchant for firing old weapons, and a barbecue competition judge who revealed his recipe for Lexington-style red coleslaw.
Now that the phone directory is considerably lighter, it’s become a bit more challenging to make those serendipitous, random connections.
That’s where you come in. We’re inviting you to connect with us. Tell us who you are, and perhaps we can “tell your tale.”
We’re so grateful that Amanda entrusted us with Jimmy’s story. Telling it reminded us that our community is full of wonderfully diverse people who are having an impact on those who are fortunate to know them.
Email us at newsroom@observer-reporter.com, or fill out the submission form under the “contact us” dropdown menu on our website at observer-reporter.com.
There’s no criteria, or right or wrong answer.
Much like Jimmy was, just be yourself.
We’ll take care of the rest.