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Zen and the art of volunteering
By JACKIE RIPLEY, Times Staff Writer CITRUS PARK -- Raising homing pigeons has been Zenlike for Bill Athey because it's taught him one of life's hardest lessons: learning to let go. "If something is really yours it will come back to you," said Athey, who regularly shares his experiences and insights with young people by volunteering in schools, churches and scouting. And his homing pigeons, a hobby the 42-year-old engineer has enjoyed since he was a boy, is one of the methods he often uses. "I got a pair of birds, raised the babies and taught them to come back," Athey said. Now, "the best part of working with the birds is watching the kids' faces. They get so excited seeing the birds carrying their messages." It's that kind of enthusiasm that Athey shares with area students, from kindergarten to high school, groups that often include his sons, Ryan, 12, and Will, 11. Athey, who works at Honeywell in Clearwater, also volunteers with younger and older children. He plans to continue even after his sons are grown. "God has given me a lot of opportunities and I love to share," said Athey, shuffling through a stack of photos taken on recent scouting trips he has arranged, destinations that have included Mayport Naval Base in Jacksonville, Patrick Air Force Base in Cocoa Beach and Kennedy Space Center. "I think of things I did as a kid, or would like to have done, and I do it for kids today. I love giving them these memories." Athey has his own share of pleasant childhood memories, years spent visiting his grandparents who lived on Citrus Park's Garden Lake, named by his grandmother because a neighbor across the lake had such a fertile garden. In fact, Athey's grandfather helped develop Citrus Park, which became home after his father retired from the military. "I've lived all over the world, but we always came here to see my grandparents," Athey said. Eventually, "we built our house one mile away on 21/2 acres in the woods." Athey lives there today with his sons. Also an amateur radio operator, Athey is versed in orbital mechanics, a science that allows him not only to calculate where astronauts and cosmonauts are in mid-flight but to talk with them via radio. It's a hobby he shares with students. "I remember as a kid being bored in school and then someone would come in and make learning exciting," Athey said. "I want to do the same thing for children." Boy Scout Troop 68 and Cub Scout Pack 648 meet every Thursday night at Keystone United Methodist Church, 16301 Race Track Road. For information about joining call (813) 920-5689. -- Jackie Ripley can be reached at (813) 269-5308 or ripley@sptimes.com.
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From the Times |
