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Charlie Campbell Tribute

  It has been a whirlwind few weeks. One  father's friends from high school passed away earlier and we made an expected trip down to Murrells Inlet for the celebration of life. They have kept in touch over the years. Charlie moved around a lot during his eighty plus year his roots remained n Allendale, NJ! He and his wife Bev were a fixture a t DeeDee and Anth ony's Fourth of July Parties. I   know their kids,John and Annie.Charlie also had to sons from a previous marriage and it was recently discovered he has another daughter. Charlie was the CEO of several companies, like Floor Shine shoes and Munsingwear, a golf clothing company.  The family moved around a lot from  Allendale,NJ to  Connecticut to Minnesota before finally  settling in Murrells Inlet SC, founding the Dead Dog Saloon, a fixture on the Murrells Inlet Marshwalk, he later built the Claw House next door. Ironically Charlie and Bev brought a second house in Cape May which meant I spen...
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Trip to CT-- Branchville School visit Part III

People tell me not to dwell or harp so three entries about the visit to the Branchville Elementary School might be pushing it. However the closer I get to going up there, the more I have the urge to write about it! Call it a way of comprehending what is going to happen. I have told everyone I know about this trip which makes it seem like I am going up there for more than a day. Although the is the same reaction when I went do to Washington DC on my own, to visit Jane in Tennessee or even the license plate convention in Alabama two years ago.
These kids are definitely going to bring back to a time with mixed feelings. I mean the kids I'll be speaking to are same age when things starting getting real tough. It was the perfect storm back then. My body was getting worse, and the more I tried to hide it, the more evident it became. I never wrote this before but since I could remember I) was made to wear a helmet while walking around the halls. I fought this hard and finally in fourth grade I got the school to agree for me to only wear it during gym.
When I agreed to speak to the kids I knew deep down it would be rewarding and a little painful at the same time. I also knew since Kurt asked I couldn't let him down. It's a coo-l feeling to have a nine year old look up to you. When this opportunity a little voice (ok grandpa's voice) said, "You know Justin you always wanted to repay some of the good deeds done for you, well here's your chance". Am I going to enjoy it? Absolutely! However that doesn't mean I am a bit unsure of myself. So whoever reads this between Tuesday do me a favor, just take a moment and think about me. Yeah it's selfish, but what else do you expect from me??
Branchville Elementary here comes Justin Mattes!
Location: Branchville, CT 06877, USA

Comments

Tim, Kurt & Brandon said…
Hello Justin..

Kurt, Brandon and I will leave here about 4:00 p.m. to come to New Jersey to pick you up. We are all looking forward to your visit tomorrow for Diversity Day. Thank you for being so open and candid with your personal recollections and your feelings about our event. You continue to inspire us all and I know the message about it's not what's on the outside, it's what on the inside that counts will really ring true tomorrow with your story and dialogue with our 5th grade students at BES. See ya soon buddy!!

Tim, Kurt, & Brandon
1:40 PM
Molly Hirsch said…
Hi Justin,

I'm a mother of a Branchville second grade student and a volunteer for Diversity Day. I would just like to welcome you in advance and let you know how excited we(parents, staff & students) are about your visit to BES. I look forward to meeting you tomorrow!

Best,
Molly Hirsch
2:31 PM
Anonymous said…
Hi Justin,

I am a Branchville mom and a volunteer at tomorrow's Diversity Day. Thank you so much for making the trip. We are all very excited and grateful.

Christine Vitat
2:53 PM
Beth Butler said…
Hello Justin,

We are looking forward to meeting you! We have certainly been inspired by your story and we look forward to our time with you tomorrow.

Thank you for being part of this special day.

Best,

Beth Butler
2nd grade parent
4:36 PM
Melissa Brady said…
Hi Justin,

I will be manning one of the stations tomorrow and am really looking forward to meeting you in person. I have been reading your blog, but this is actually my first try writing on one. I am hesitant about using networking tools, but you inspired me to try it.
I admire your courage and your honesty. Your visit will surely enrich this experience.
Thank you for sharing your time with us.

Melissa Brady
5:07 PM
Anonymous said…
Hello Justin,
Thanks for all your time and effort.Looking forward to meet you tomorrow at the speech station.
Aarti Paranjape
5:15 PM
sheila parikh said…
Hi Justin! It's me Sheila. I am looking forward to (finally) meeting you tomorrow. I hope you have a restful evening because I know we'll be keeping you very busy at Diversity Day! I am excited and thrilled - you'll have an amazing visit with the kids. They will truly enjoy learning about you and hearing about your middle school experiences. Until tomorrow -
take care,
sheila
6:37 PM
Anonymous said…
Hello Justin,

I am a grandmother of a fifth grade student and a volunteer tomorrow. Thank you so much. Welcome, we are all so excited.

Karen Danziger
7:05 PM
Anonymous said…
Hi Justin,

Welcome to Branchville! I am the mother of both a fifth grader and a second grader at Branchville. They are both really looking forward to Diversity Day, and to meeting you. My daughter feels "it will be really cool to have a visitor share his personal experiences for Diversity Day!" I will be manning one of the stations tomorrow. It will be wonderful meeting you. Thank you for sharing and inspiring.
8:05 PM
Carolyn Parker said…
That was from Carolyn Parker - clearly not one of your more experienced bloggers! :)
8:08 PM
Megan Hoban said…
HI Justin,
I'm Megan and I'm one of the students in Mr. LeFebvre's 5 grade class. We are very happy that you are coming to talk to us, we all have a lot of questions. Don't be nervous because we are all just easy going and excited to meet you. I just want to thank you for taking the time to see us. This is going to be a great experience. See you soon!
Megan Hoban
Branchville Elm 5-L
8:35 PM
Robin Brown said…
Justin
Thanks for making the trip and making our Diversity Day so special. See you at the Gross Motor Skills station around 10 o'clock!

Robin Brown
10:33 PM
Anonymous said…
Hi Justin,

I am a Branchville mom and have helped at Diversity Day for several years. Thank you so much for making the trip to Connecticut to share yourself with the 5th graders. Your personality shines through your blog and I'm sure the kids will connect with you immediately. Thank you for adding a special, personal element to this year's Diversity Day!

All the best,
Meredith Anderson
6:53 AM
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