They were a little hesitant about us moving in at first. We bought the tiny historic home near theirs and when you live in the country who you live by makes a difference.

Within a short time we fell in love with them and they fell in love with us.

At one point, we were remodeling our home and ran out of money. We needed to go back to the bank and borrow a large sum at 10% interest.

I was upset when Willard stopped by and asked what was up. He asked me what was wrong and I told him. To make a long story short he loaned us the money with very low interest.

Kathy sat with Eileen when she died. We have a huge cross with lights on it on our property that we light up at Christmas and Easter. When Eileen died we plugged in the cross and tonight the cross in our yard is lit again, this time for Willard. Kathy had a soft spot for Willard. She used to take him cookies and food and sit and talk with him.

Willard watched our kids grow up. He watched us go through good and bad times. He watched as we ran for public office, as we lost and he always had a kindness about him.

Willard was a blessing in our life and his life mattered. Willard you will be missed. It’s funny; I don’t feel that badly for Willard because I know he was ready to go to the next thing. He was ready to be reunited with Eileen. He was ready to graduate from this life to the next. Sure, it’s sad to look next door and know he’s not there. But I know tonight he is looking down at the cross and knowing what he did mattered but also understanding that his real life is just about to begin.

Goodbye Willard.

When we live in fear every issue is overwhelming. I heard a man say that in a video a friend sent me the other day. I had to stop and think of my own fear and how when I get into that deep, dark, place it’s hard to get out.

Fear immobilizes us. It starts small and works its way systemically through our entire being. If we ignore fear and refuse to face it, fear becomes normal.

We say things like “I’m afraid I can’t do that” or “I’m afraid you won’t understand.”

I read something the other day about a guy who was told by the banker to go into the vault and take everything he could. The guy walked out with one penny. So, whose fault is it that he is still poor?

I think some of us are like that with God. We are so afraid to grab hold of the freedom He offers that we take little bits and pieces and allow fear to keep us from really jumping in.

I’ve had it with slow drivers.

If you can’t drive the speed limit then pull over or at least don’t pull out in front of other drivers and then drive ten miles under the posted speed.

We live on a country road and it seems almost every night someone gets in front of me and drives as if they have a ton of gravel in their trousers.

I know the whole world isn’t in a hurry but if you see a line of traffic behind you and the guy looking at you from behind looks as though he wants to throttle you, pull over please.

I have had a few drivers point a certain finger at me for following them too closely. This is usually after they’ve pulled out in front of me. I’m not trying to tail them but if I go any slower I would have to put my car in REVERSE.

As long as I’m complaining let me talk with you about my headlights.

I have those really bright lights on my car. They came with the car (TSX) and I like them because they brighten the road. But a lot of people flash their lights or their finger at me when I’m driving towards them or behind them. I even get people who pull over because my headlights bother them but I thank them for doing so.

I’m serious, in a night I probably get flashed 3 times between Eugene and my home.

Note to the flashers: These are my low beams and if you flash me chances are I will flash you back.

Slow drivers need to remember that driving slowly is okay when you are in a neighborhood with speed bumps.

If you drive in the country or on a major road try to hit the speed that’s on the sign or pull over and let folks pass you, please. If you decide to drive slowly, get in the right hand lane, that’s designed just for you.

And for goodness sake DON”T PULL OUT IN FRONT OF US if you aren’t going to use your gas peddle anyway.

I thought twice about posting this but then someone did again.

Yep, pulled out right in front of me and dragged me home.

I recently got to talk with a video production class at Cottage Grove High School. They do a television show for their school. We talked about having fun, technique and doing stories that matter. Take a look at this newscast I think you’ll be impressed, I am. I find more on here that matters to me than I do on more commercial stations. You Lions rock. You listened and I can see a HUGE difference.

Since 1977 Womenspace has helped more than 108,000 women put their lives back together following domestic violence.

Mary Jeanne Jacobsen and a few others had an idea and it has grown into an agency that truly changes lives.

One of the things I have learned since working with Womenspace is that we still don’t understand the real problem.

We ask the wrong question. We want to know why does the woman stay or keep going back to the man who is the abuser? The real question is this: Why does the man abuse?

Until we stop blaming the victim/survivors change will continue to come slowly.

We have to change our attitude about domestic violence and hold the abuser accountable.

I’m posting a video with this story that can explain more. Take five minutes and watch it please.

Womenspace: End The Silence from Rick Dancer on Vimeo.

When I worked on the news (KEZI) I argued with management (all the time) about what you guys wanted to see.

I use to tell them we had to stop doing news the old way and make it more real. They never listened as you can see by watching the drab newscasts at night.

The new show we’re doing (RickDancerTV) is proving the point. People want to learn about people and stuff that matters not Bull Shit.

You don’t care about the latest traffic accident or shooting. You don’t even care if they give us night after night of a court case.

Our show is being well received and that makes me laugh. I couldn’t do this without my very talented friend and photographer.

As long as people will pay us to tell their story we will pay for the time to put it on TV.

Television doesn’t have to be lame. Television can be informative and interesting. Television as we know it is going to die but it’s fun to see that a new version will emerge and we are part of the change.

Thanks for your interest. Thanks for watching.

Look Me In The Eye from Deanna Rivera, UplinkSpyder on Vimeo.

The other day Amelia Abel and I were invited to South Town Rotary to talk about Look Me In The Eye. Take a few minutes to watch this, she truly is an inspiration.

I think some rough times are coming our way. The media will hype up employment numbers but the fact is the economy is not getting much better.

I was talking with the owner of a local retail mall the other day and she told me she see’s some bleak skies ahead and when I hear that something inside agrees and whispers “nothing is impossible.”

We have several choices as to how we handle what’s coming. We can freak out and refuse to change or we can hunker down and weather the storm.

Over the past five years I’ve (slowly) learned that I am not what I do and I don’t have to be Rick Dancer to be Rick Dancer.

We are beings created for change. We must not allow conditions around us to establish our path or hold us back.

I must ask myself (and my God) what is ahead and what do you learn from it?

We are a nation too consumed with consumption and that is about to come to an abrupt end. When I awaken in the night and wonder where the next job will come from or how many of my friends will lose their employment I FORCE myself to remember that this is all part of a plan and no one comes out unscathed.

Trust is a funny thing. Trust is a difficult thing. Trust is a humbling state of mind.

The key to coming out on the other side is really based on something so simple. How we weather this storm will come down to what do you trust in?

If you believe in a system, a party or a program to get you through, good luck. If you believe the government will come to your rescue and find the money to restore what is going to be lost, you are sadly mistaken.

If you believe that you can do enough to make it right I feel sorry for you. The upcoming election won’t save you, the lies spewing from the television won’t make it better and if you trust in anything but God, you will find the end of your rope hanging over a cliff.

This does not mean we hang our heads and wait for the fall. It doesn’t mean we don’t try in fact we should be trying to help our fellow human beings more than ever before.

Do not use trusting God as an excuse not to be involved in the process (get out and vote).

What it means is we can no longer sit on our hands and let someone else do this. We can’t ignore what’s coming and by all means do not allow the headlines to guide your life.

This will not be easy. This will not be fun. But this will create in us the ability to trust what we cannot see and when it’s over it will be worth it.

Here it is guys, episode two of Rick Dancer TV.
Find out things you can do to protect your car. Learn more about Womenspace and all they do to help our community. Find out why when you buy a cup of Full City coffee you aren’t just helping the local economy you’re acting globally and much more.