March 13, 2011
Charlie Westerman es un bueno hombre. This statement has always been true to some extent, but today it ratchets up an important notch. Today Charlie turns 21. He is now a good man in every sense of the word.
I first met Charlie on a visit to his house when he was two. I lifted him into his high chair for a Mexican dinner his mother had prepared on one of my first trips to the Westerman’s. Less than a year later, he awoke from a sweaty nap and staggered to the altar as ring bearer at my wedding. The 18th anniversary of that son ship comes next month, but that is another story.
In the great deck of life Charlie has more than 52 cards. His talents begin with who he is, a man with a winning personality and a sharp wit. We were always intrigued when he was little and sought out strangers in a crowd. He was a charmer. He spent much of his growing up time interacting with his brothers’ friends and adults so he became comfortable with people interactions beyond his years. I see that materializing in success at college and job skills that will make his superiors see him as someone with maturity and perspective.
Currently he’s refining his game as a writer, first as a journalist, then perhaps later as an English literature professor. He’ll probably make his living with words in a peopled setting either way, but I hope he never forgets how to wash a pig.
Charlie always loved sports. He followed the older boys’ careers longing for his chance. Like the St. Louis Browns famous midget, he presented such a small strike zone that he walked and scored repeatedly in Little League. High school sports began precociously with a winning shot against Kaycee in only his third game. He helped stave off defeat with a three pointer at Encampment and scored a key free throw in the 3rd place game at state vs. Ten Sleep.
The next three years at Wheatland had some bright moments, but the experience ended painfully for him I know. That’s about the time the writing kicked in so maybe that’s how God is compensating him for the loss. I don’t know the specifics. I do know that God is the great compensator and there’s a lot of life yet to live.
Charlie knew every world capital in eighth grade as we studied for the Geography Bee. That was almost as much fun as the sports for me. I still fall back on things I learned those four years and hope he does, too.
He survived a house burning at 16 one April day. The fire hit us like a freight train and landed us full-time in Wheatland for 13 months. Travis loomed larger as a friend in one of the payoffs of that episode. Losing some of Chuck’s legacy and his own childhood mementos made for a sad memory.
Vowing to plow some new ground, Charlie headed for Pullman for college and his current station. He’s learned the writing craft and had two good summer internships so the steel is definitely going up on the educational skyscraper. Amazingly, that chapter ends in just a little more than a year. We’ve so enjoyed our visits there to see the life he’s carved out and meet his friends. The college years are not without some rapids, but he’s winning most of the skirmishes.
I married when I was 21. I don’t think that’s apt to happen this year for Charlie, but that means he’s freed up for other adventures. Charlie is one of the good guys. He’ll take his allegiance to Christ, his Packers, his quick wit, his desire to think deeply about life, his down to earth ranch raising and knowing that Harare is the capital of Zimbabwe and make us all proud.
In addition to my admiration and care from afar I send along a valued verse to take into the next phase of life. II Tim. 1:7—For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline. That’s the kind of spiritually gritty stuff we need to win the battles when we’re behind by five in the fourth quarter and its third and fourteen.
Happy Birthday, Charlie. I love you and you are a bueno hijo (son), too.
Dan Kirkbride
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