As I think back, my life had gone full circle, from the Midwest to Germany and back to the Midwest to California. In summing up my experiences, both in Germany and in the United States, I can say that as a youngster I was anti-Bolshevik in Germany, in my service in the Counterintelligence Corp and I was anti-Bolshevik in the United States. Throughout it all, there was one constant that I can claim to be mine and that was my involvement with youth, be it in the Hitler Youth, be it in the Jung Volk, be it in the schools that I was attending, be it with horses, and later with dogs and on sailboats.
I have only met wonderful people. If people should turn out to be not so wonderful, I would quickly disengage myself from their presence. In my teaching, I followed the Confucius dictum, I will teach one-third and hope that those I am teaching will make clear unto themselves the remaining two-thirds or I will not teach them again. In public education, there was no way one could carry that out. In the Equestrian field, I can say that I had two outstanding students, Carol Hancock and Kay Switzer, who won the California State Equestrian Championships in different years at the Cow Palace in San Francisco. Carol was a walk/trot, i.e., a gaited rider and Kay Switzer was a Hunter Jumper. It was a fantastic experience working with young people. I have also told the young people not to worry about people not knowing them but that they should worry about whether or not they are worth knowing.
Another dictum that I repeated again, based on the Chinese scholar, is If you have made a mistake and do not set about to correct it, you have already made another mistake. It is amazing how much kids remember those little quips.
Two decades after I had left L.A. High, I was in Cerritos at a service station, when a Black gentleman came to me and he asked, Excuse me, sir, are you not Mr. Richardson who taught at L.A. High? I said, Yes, I am. He said, Sir, I will never forget you. To me as a teacher, that was the best compliment one could ever have!
At this point in my life, I am now sailing an Ericson 27. The nice thing about that boat is that I can stand up straight in the main cabin. I can go from the main cabin into the enclosed head without having to stoop down.
I have a self-furling headsail, and I have all sorts of reefing gizmos, gimmicks on the mainsail and a Yanmar Diesel. So that at my age, and I am over 84, I can enjoy the days that remain with my faithful little Schnauzer, Champion K.Bs Sing Noel von Stocker (aka Noelle).
I am in awe of God. I do not think that God is particularly loving and kind to people. There are billions of people whose prayers, if I am right, he cannot listen to! Hildburg and I are of the conviction that in that time beyond we are going to meet again and be together. If there is no hereafter, then that which she and I experienced together, every moment of that life I had with this wonderful lady, was yes, Under Two Flags, the German Flag and the American Flag, from the horse to the canine, to the seagulls. I have no regrets. I thank my sister, Florence, for the support she has showed me in the closing months of Hildburgs life. I was singularly blessed.
