Angels Part 3: Bronk
One thing I will never tire of, no matter where I am, or where Kick Butt Productions has gone, or what I've accomplished is when someone asks me about my writing. Lately, since I've been doing more of it, it's been a tad bit more rewarding. But nonetheless, I always get a jolt of inspiration and good tiding when someone asks me.
In my first year of returning to Oshkosh I happened across a graduate student who was also starting his first year. Along with our good friend Jim Droste, the man in question, Ryan Bronkema, and myself, started three pretty unforgettable years. It's difficult to measure what both of them brought to the table or how the three of us affected each other. But I'm thankful they were around.
Sadly, Ryan is moving on to greener pastures, ready, and fearless as always, to take the next step in his professional career. To gloss over some of the things he accomplished at Oshkosh would be braggadocious for a man who wanted to "grow better corn" for the profession of student affairs and for the people he served. There will always be one thing I will appreciate in him more than any other characteristic.
Ryan carries a mystical passion about life in things that many at first glance may not see the sparkle or beauty in. He can dive deep with his dreaming and imagination and create something awestriking and brilliant. On a slightly humorous note this always reminds me of when we were in Shopko. He was pretty stoked over this video game about farming...farming of all things. In a day and age when your average video game contains cinematic graphics, and hyper 1st person perspective, the man was genuinely stoked about a game about farming.
As he lauded on and on at the store about this game another patron was nearby. As soon as Ryan moved away from the game (holding his own copy) the patron walked up to where the other copies of the game were and looked at it. Within seconds, the man walked away, with a copy of the same farming game Ryan had, ready to purchase it. Uncanny.
Ryan's ability to spark interest in the mundane shows his strength about working with people. People who may not, at first glance, appear to have a gift. But he has the ability to see it. To draw it out. He is a coach. Whether he's working with star players, or the kid who just walked on, he knows how to corall a team, and make people feel like an individual as well as contributing member.
For me, I will never forget many of the moments and fun times, but I will always remember when he, after only knowing me for a short time, he asked about my writing. UW La Crosse is in great hands, and if I can give one gift back to him it would be this...
The journey, all of them, are always long, and full of obstacles. You need not the courage to face those obstacles, because I know you have it. Yet remember what the great poets of the early 90's, Guns N Roses, once said...."all you need is a little patience." Finish the journey you start, all of them, with the same gusto that you start with, and your dreams will be acheived. Thanks Ryan for always believing.
pb
In my first year of returning to Oshkosh I happened across a graduate student who was also starting his first year. Along with our good friend Jim Droste, the man in question, Ryan Bronkema, and myself, started three pretty unforgettable years. It's difficult to measure what both of them brought to the table or how the three of us affected each other. But I'm thankful they were around.
Sadly, Ryan is moving on to greener pastures, ready, and fearless as always, to take the next step in his professional career. To gloss over some of the things he accomplished at Oshkosh would be braggadocious for a man who wanted to "grow better corn" for the profession of student affairs and for the people he served. There will always be one thing I will appreciate in him more than any other characteristic.
Ryan carries a mystical passion about life in things that many at first glance may not see the sparkle or beauty in. He can dive deep with his dreaming and imagination and create something awestriking and brilliant. On a slightly humorous note this always reminds me of when we were in Shopko. He was pretty stoked over this video game about farming...farming of all things. In a day and age when your average video game contains cinematic graphics, and hyper 1st person perspective, the man was genuinely stoked about a game about farming.
As he lauded on and on at the store about this game another patron was nearby. As soon as Ryan moved away from the game (holding his own copy) the patron walked up to where the other copies of the game were and looked at it. Within seconds, the man walked away, with a copy of the same farming game Ryan had, ready to purchase it. Uncanny.
Ryan's ability to spark interest in the mundane shows his strength about working with people. People who may not, at first glance, appear to have a gift. But he has the ability to see it. To draw it out. He is a coach. Whether he's working with star players, or the kid who just walked on, he knows how to corall a team, and make people feel like an individual as well as contributing member.
For me, I will never forget many of the moments and fun times, but I will always remember when he, after only knowing me for a short time, he asked about my writing. UW La Crosse is in great hands, and if I can give one gift back to him it would be this...
The journey, all of them, are always long, and full of obstacles. You need not the courage to face those obstacles, because I know you have it. Yet remember what the great poets of the early 90's, Guns N Roses, once said...."all you need is a little patience." Finish the journey you start, all of them, with the same gusto that you start with, and your dreams will be acheived. Thanks Ryan for always believing.
pb
posted by Peter Brooks at 11:06 AM
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