TO DO.
PRELUDE needs more work
Greta Pruitt was a most extraordinary principal but I didn't know that when I landed at the Pasadena Alternative School. She deserves a chapter all by herself, but here, it will suffice to say that she was magic with all of us at PAS, staff and students alike. She had taken Troy under her wing even though he was a troubled student. Ask Greta to tell us more.
She recently informed me that Troy had passed away but my memories of him remain indelible. In spite of his disability, Troy Tolley signed up for my 7 day Baja California Expedition. He was not going to be held back during the trekking portion of the trip even though walking was difficult for him. Troy also carried the considerable weight of heavy armor that must have come from years of being picked on. He was quick tempered, stubborn, and prone to outbursts, rendering me reluctant to take him on such a long journey. Instead of rejecting his participation, I said his behavior on our three “shake down” trips would determine his place on the expedition. Shakedown trips were day long hikes, the last one overnight, where trip staff could gather data on how kids might fare under more exhausting trip expedition conditions.
Troy passed the shakedown rigors but showed that he required extra supervision to stay out of trouble. He agreed to travel with me so I could keep an eye on him.
Soon we crossed the border into Mexico, headed for La Bufadora, a geologic feature in Baja California a few miles south of Ensenada. It was the first day of our Baja Backpacking Trek.
As is common on long drives with kids, they were engaged in the long the route students in my van spied a horse ranch and a sign:
Horseback Riding
A swell of enthusiasm erupted from Troy and now I know why. Troy had spent alot of time with his school principal, Greta Pruitt, at her La Cañada ranch above Pasadena. There, Greta taught him how to ride and care for one of her horses. She recognized in Troy that her ranch and a stubborn horse would be a good match for Troy.
"Scouts saw what The New York Times later described as "a smart passer with a flawed jump shot and a thin frame, who might not have the strength and athleticism to defend, create his own shot or finish at the rim in the N.B.A."[32]
38 At the Garden about Linsanity, Linpossible, the inspiring Jeremy Lin.
ABOUT TROY
So we stopped to stretch our legs. Troy became an undeniable salesman persuading me that because he had years of experience on horses, it would be safe to allow him to go horseback riding. He was the only experienced rider.
While a ranch hand went to get a saddle, Troy leaped onto the horses back. They were off in a sprint. My god, I’ve never seen a more splendid vision. I was taken a breath. Troy had become god-like riding bareback on a swift stallion. It was a remarkable transformation from a wobbling limp to a swift horse mounted warrior. I remember that ride in slow motion, Troy like a king racing to the horizon. His peers were astonished, they’d never seen this magnificent, shining image of Troy,
I thought of Troy when I was in Japan recently. Slide the video scrubber to 1:03. You will see how I remember Troy Tolley. It’s been 45 years but I can still feel that moment in time with Troy.
