Sunday, March 25, 2012
With the exception of my father, Mr. Christian is probably the most influential adult male in my teenage years. When I was thirteen years old I played Babe Ruth baseball with my cousin, Joe Kelliher and that's where I met Dana Christian. For the next three years Mr. Christian would come to practices and games and give us advice on hitting and fielding. You see Mr. Christian was an amazing athlete. Golf, bowling, baseball, you name it, he was great at it. And he knew so much about hitting. He could watch you take a couple of swings and tell you what you were doing wrong and how you could do it better. He would offer some suggestions and the next thing you knew, you were on a hitting streak. Many years later I worked with Mr. Christian at the U. S. Geological Survey. I would see Mr. Christian in the hallway and he always had a smile on his face. No matter how busy he was, he would always take the time to talk to you. Ask how you were doing? Ask how’s the family? This made a tremendous impression on a young man starting his working career. What I didn't realize until some time later, Mr. Christian had an effect on me on much more that sports. As a young boy, he taught me to be aware of and understanding of the differences in people. And how to overcome difficulties in life. While some people would say that Mr. Christian had a "handicap", I don't think he ever saw it that way. He taught me to be aware differences but that it really didn’t matter. He never let his hearing impairment effect his ability to do anything or effect him in anyway. Mr. Christian was truly a great person, mentor and friend. He will be sorely missed. My thoughts and prayers are with the Christian family.
