14
PEOPLE
HUTTLE UP THE GIVING MAN
JAMES STATLER By Bob Huttle
“Break mirrors. Stop looking at yourself. Stop being so self-absorbed. Learn more about others—know their hopes and dreams, find out what makes them smile and what makes them weep. Break those mirrors, direct that energy and ambition not towards [yourself] but to serving others. In the end, a [person’s] life is measured not by what [s]he has but by what [s]he has given.” —Sargent Shriver (founder of the Peace Corps) It was the summer of 1998 and my future wife and I were preparing to lead a group of SLOHS students to Europe for three weeks. Among the travelers were a few destined to forge their lives serving others. It was not unusual for me to sometimes suggest to my students a simplified way of categorizing people: “There are the ‘takers’ and the ‘givers,’ I would say. “Are you more ‘taker’ or ‘giver’? I believe your life will be richer and fuller if you are a ‘giver.’” Some of those local students, who were afforded the opportunity to visit England, France, Switzerland, Germany, Italy, and Greece, went on to serve others in significant ways. I am aware that Kelli and Annie C. (sisters), James B. and Jenny M. all became teachers, Emily H. served in the Peace Corps and now helps run (with her husband, David, a teacher) an after school non-profit called The Greenhouse in Sacramento, and Mckay H., only 11 at the time, is finishing his teaching credential and masters degree in elementary education in Seattle. Emily and David also traveled to Haiti to provide help following the earthquake and she and Mckay spent one summer in Sri Lanka volunteering at an orphanage damaged by the tsunami of 2004 (full disclosure: Emily and Mckay are my own children, Jenny is my step daughter. A proud father? You bet).
The Journey of Hope Event A P R I L
James and Cami
Another student named James joined us that summer and he has gone on to accomplish significant contributions to our community. His name is James Statler and little did I know back in 1998 what was in store for him. He, too, is a giver of the highest order. I recently sat down with James after not seeing him for quite awhile. We had much to talk about and I discovered over the course of our time together his involvement in a number of noteworthy programs around our county. I remembered that James was much involved with music in high school—still is, in fact—but self-absorbed in a way that was somewhat detrimental to him at the time. The young man who took in the sights in Europe was dealing with a severe eating/body image disorder that would take its toll on his physical, mental, and emotional health. “The pressure to excel, to live up to both ‘jock’ and ‘rock musician’ images during high school wreaked havoc with my body and mind. After graduation, I headed for UC Santa Cruz and hoped to get a degree in history to eventually become a high school teacher. But the transition from living at home to being away at college was too much. I wasn’t well enough to take advantage of the opportunity so I returned to SLO after only one quarter. I needed some help and fortunately found it in the person of Nancy, a nutritionist. It was because of her that my passion for mentoring youth, investigating public health services, and gaining tools for coping was sparked.”
James and the Community Counseling staff
2012
Journal PLUS