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A Tribute To Miriam "Micky" WaltchFeb 09 '06 Write an essay on this topic.
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The Bottom Line Please pay tribute to Jan & Ricky's friend, Micky, by making this world a better place in which to live.
This is a continuation of my series that started with Why!?! You can read in my comment section there more updates on this case, though I'm going to be making future updates in the comment section here. I'm not calling for blood now--I'm still as opposed to the death-penalty as I ever was--but I don't want this killer to have any possibility of parole for at least the next 25 years. Furthermore, I don't want him to simply be warehoused in a prison in a meaningless way. Even before he is sentenced, he needs to be receiving some kind of treatment to clear his system of drugs and receiving anger-management therapy. It's my opinion that the reason that there are so many jailhouse conversions is that incarceration is often the first time they've remained clear-headed for any reasonable length of time in a long time. That's really tragic--and it's doubly-tragic when innocent people such as Micky have to die in order for such a person to finally become clear-headed. That is why I think that part of the sentence of a person who has committed such a crime would be to speak to young people at schools, churches, and other assemblies about why drugs aren't some kind of harmless toy. For two reasons--(1) Because of the temptation to bolt if unshackled, and (2) Because of the impact it would make on the kids in the audience--an inmate doing this kind of community service should always be in handcuffs and leg-irons for the entire time that he/she is out doing this. This, of course, shouldn't happen until the person actually IS clear-headed and convincing. We, as a community, should act in a responsible way when "growing" kids. 1. There should always be places to go where kids who have either used drugs or else are thinking about it can go for some non-judgmental advice/help. 2. We should look at the world at the level of young people to see what there is about it that might make them think that they need a false high going on in order to feel good about themselves and their lives in general. We should then set about eliminating those stumbling blocks and replacing them with something better. 3. One thing in particular for which we should be watching are signs that one or more children are being singled out and taunted/bullied in our schools and neighborhoods. I would urge anyone reading this to check out this website: http://www.operationrespect.org/ Operation Respect was founded in 2000 by Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul, & Mary--and the entire trio is enthusiastically involved in this undertaking. We need to build each other up instead of tearing each other down and replace hopelessness with hope. We also need to look at what we're calling "entertainment" these days and--while it's also good to have movies and songs about the bad parts of life--it shouldn't be to celebrate those bad parts but, instead, to grieve over them. It's the good in life that needs to be celebrated, and it's time that the critics shut their yaps up when it comes to saying that such celebrations of the good are "contrived," "manipulative," "predictable," "simpleminded," etc. Will we ever learn? How many more of these memorials to murder victims will there be? Please take what I've written to heart, and, if you're tempted to shove it aside and give up, think of Micky and press on in her memory... REMEMBERING MICKY ... I enjoyed Micky Waltch. Ricky and I were good friends of hers. She was a kind, generous lady with a real sense of humor, and she appreciated the creative imagination. We all three enjoy life's simple pleasures. I could see clearly her depth of person, and loved the beauty and goodness I found there. I was privileged to be Micky's massage practitioner for well over a year. She always appreciated the relief of her pain, and the friendly visits that always followed for awhile, as I was disassembling my equipment and packing it up. Never a session ended without her offering me and Ricky fresh veggies from her garden to take home, a jar of jam or homemade applesauce, apples or pears from her trees -- always a quick and sincere desire to share the blessings she had. When her back troubled her so that she couldn't work in her garden, she would have me come out and weed it for her. I was a good weeder, and she always compensated me fairly. Along with the paycheck would come more homemade goodies. There were sharings of intimacies as occurs among friends, and nice discussions of topics that interested us both. She loved her animals and the wild birds that visited her yard. Often, she would e-mail me with photos, asking me to identify this species or that. She knew that I have animals, too, and we shared a mutual enjoyment of nature and wildlife. Micky always remembered our birthdays. She would send e-cards -- greeting cards over the internet. Micky loved the internet and her latest technology electronic equipment. The cards she sent were humorous and heartwarming. From time to time, she would send other humorous e-mails, often filled with cartoons or photos, and some of these were hysterically funny. She also appreciated music, literature and the arts, and knew that I am a creative artist, and love these things, too. She would forward me photos of beautiful artwork that she would receive from other her friends. I would always reply, thanking her for sharing these. Last September, she asked me to plant some Irises for her in the little bed at the end of her trailer. I brought her the catalog from Springhill Nurseries, and showed her some two-toned bearded specimens, blue ones and bronze ones. I felt that Micky didn't have enough blue in her gardens, so she ordered these, and I planted them, knowing she could enjoy the blossoms later this Spring. She also stayed in touch with Ricky, calling him regularly at his shop. She relied upon his wealth of knowledge about electronics, and he often came out and did work for her. And now someone has senselessly and brutally taken Micky from us. A harmless little old lady just enjoying her life. Ricky and I are both shocked and heartbroken. But we also have fond memories, and I know that God is taking very good care of her at this very moment! Micky is a gift whom we shall always cherish in our hearts. -- Jan Renfrow St. Maries Go to Contemporary Music For A Better World  |
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