The Pain of Saying Goodbye

How do you say goodbye to someone you have known almost your entire life? Not “goodbye” like I will see you next week, but goodbye from this world as we know it.

Stan Birchall passed on July 29. I met Stan when I was just 16 years old and we both worked at Avril’s TV in Montrose. Three years later we would start a business together, appropriately named S&S Electronics, for Stan and Steve. Or maybe it was for Steve & Stan. That was in 1979, so who can remember?!

Stan introduced me to the world of swap meets and we would often spend a Saturday wandering around looking to turn other folks’ junk into priceless items. Stan learned his solid knowledge of electronics in the U.S. Army 101st Airborne where he would get dropped onto a firebase and set up communications so troops could advance. “Advance” meant he was already behind enemy lines and troops were trying to reach his location, at which point the communications guys would pack up and move yet again further into enemy territory. Stan never talked much about his military life but since we spent so much time together I probably heard more than most.

Stan had a wide range of musical tastes. You could listen to Elvis from either the ’50s, ’60s or ’70s. But it was always Elvis playing on his radio.

Later I would start a local cable TV company and Stan came to work for me. I taught him everything I knew about cable TV stuff and he ran with it. Simply put, my company could not have been a success without him.

Stan loved his 1957 Ford Ranchero. It was painted red and white and you could spot that car a mile away driving around town. His dad Harold put that car together; he was a true master at re-building cars. A lot of that love for old cars was passed to Stan and his brother Don.

Stan was one of those in the shadows. He was never in the spotlight but always willing to help out. We filmed the Montrose Christmas Parade for years back in the 1980s. He would spend days setting up and making it all work. In later years, he would run the sound for just about any car club event in town. I would have to look behind trees and buildings to find him just to say “hi.”

Goodbye, my friend. I hope to see you again.

Steve Goldsworthy
La Crescenta

Expanding the Discussion on Privilege

I really appreciated the recent “Thoughts from a Privileged Woman”(From the Desk of the Publisher, Aug. 11) and honor Ms. Goldsworthy’s truth that she expressed in her article. As someone who has been taking steps to learn more about environmental injustice and systems of oppression, I found myself walking an uncomfortable and immensely rewarding journey of unpacking “privilege.”

Although I am not a white woman (I am an Asian American woman from an immigrant family), I actually had very similar initial thought processes as Ms. Goldsworthy: I am born a certain way and was not sure why certain advantages had to become a discussion point. Further, I agree with Ms. Goldsworthy that we are complex as people. It can feel uncomfortable to be lumped into a big group, given there is so much nuance to who we are individually.

As I continued my own internal work in this space, I realized that there are certain aspects of my life and identity that do give me an advantage in today’s society, whether it’s related to my age, ability, socioeconomic status, etc. There are, unfortunately, other aspects of my identity that give me a disadvantage, like my race and gender.

Ultimately, I have found that “privilege” is not a good or bad thing. Recognizing the privileges I have in today’s society doesn’t have to make me feel ashamed or give me reason to dismiss others.

What matters is what I do with my privilege. Can my privilege be used to help others in the community? This looks different for everyone and, for me, it meant letting go of a normal corporate career to becoming a community advocate and climate/ecology educator in order to advance healthy and safe places for all. This path for me has been healing and rewarding.

Jennifer Ho
La Crescenta