While performing with the group, I felt it really necessary to learn to tumble (\'87ish). The YMCA where I had been teaching dance lessons also had a gymnastics program. That is when I first began to take private gymnastics lessons to enhance my dancing. Eventually, the break- dancing craze began to phase out and there were less people interested in taking lessons. It was a very natural thing to transition into teaching Gymnastics. Little did I know that gymnastics would lead to a very rewarding career.

Before the transition from dance to gymnastics, however, I was first faced with a moral decision. As the break-dancing subsided, I worked at a country club as a valet parking attendant. I was very impressed with the work as I made a lot of money parking fancy cars.

the Outrageous Trio was often asked to perform for the various country club functions. I learned much from the experience of serving the wealthy country club members. After valet parking for a while I worked my way into waiting on tables in the fine dining rooms. My job simply put was to quench the lavish appetites of the wealthy through expensive food and drink. I still remember the many half eaten entrees of prime rib and Kentucky Derby pie.

There was one experience that summed up the worst part of the job. My boss, eager to please two rival wealthy men as they entertained their table of friends at New Year\'s, ask me to assist him in a dishonest task. Counting down the New Year, both men ordered the most expensive champagne in the house. The problem was that there was only one bottle left. My boss served the one bottle and then he went into the back kitchen where he dug out of the trash an empty bottle. He filled it with cheap champagne, replaced the cork, covered the open wrapping and served it to the other table. He told me that the men had too much to drink to ever know the difference. He was right. It was almost amusing in one light to see them as they toasted in the New Year. Something did not sit well with me as we accepted the generous tips at the end of the evening.

The moral decision I spoke of was to continue to work at the country club making impressive money while entertaining dishonest tasks, or to accept a job at the \"Y\". Since I was not ready to teach gymnastics, I would have to settle for folding towels and handling light receptionists duties for minimum wage. It was a hard decision. I had been spoiled early with high pay for simply performing or teaching dance. I would like to have kept up the country club pay, but I did not feel right doing so and finally made the decision to work only at the \"Y\".

Once again as with the \"Frontier Ranch\" experience, I felt God show his appreciation for the decision. For very soon after taking the minimum wage position, the YMCA gave me a position with competitive pay as the boy\'s gymnastics coach. It made a perfect part time job as I worked my way through college. These two experiences reinforced my belief that God wanted a personal relationship with me. One that was full of blessings for choosing to imitate the life of Christ.

04: '88 Gymnastics Instructor